Angelina and Alicia cornered her as they were all changing into their uniforms.
"Do you like Fred?" Asked Angelina, Alicia chiming in afterwards.
"Or George?"
Celesta almost tripped as she was slipping on her skirt, fixing her bra. While she hadn't grown vertically, it seemed she had grown a bit in the chest, the thirteen year old girl sprouting an excellent chest containing C cups. Luckily, being from a wealthy family meant all her clothes were tailored, so she didn't need to get baggy clothing. She'd offered to get Ginny's clothing as well, but Molly wouldn't hear of it.
"I fancy both." she said after several seconds, pulling her sweater vest over her head and smoothing it out, Maera popping out of her hair for a few seconds and hopping down, winding around her legs like a cat asking for pets.
"But I'm not foolish enough to claim them. I'm only a third year, and I couldn't compete with two fifth years such as yourselves, if you'd like to try your shot. I doubt they look at me as anything other than another sister, in any case. Excuse me, I'm going to find my friends."
That said, Celesta moved to go back to her original compartment, never noticing the very twins standing nearby the compartment she just left, sharing a look and matching smirks.
As she walked away, George even spoke up. "Little sister? Forge, I think we need to fix her opinions of our opinions."
"Agreed, Gred. After all, if we want to claim her one day, then she needs to get it through her thick Malfoy skull that we fancy her."
It was heavily storming by the time they pulled into the Hogsmead station. Quickly water-proofing all their shoes, Celesta led the way to the carriages. While they appeared to be pulled by nothing but air, Celesta had read through both the Monster Book of Monsters and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so she knew that they were pulled by Threstrals. If it weren't storming, she'd try to pet it, but as it were, she crammed into a carriage with her friends, sighing.
"I'd pull the water from our clothes, but they'd just get soaked again once we exit the carriage." She told them as they passed the wrought iron gates. Two hooded Dementors stood guard beside them, making everybody shiver, though Harry looked a bit peaky there as they passed them.
The carriage came to a halt, but then her brother just had to be horrid as they tried to go in, blocking the entry-way.
"Potter! Is it true you fainted?" Draco sneered at Harry.
Lupin saved them from a confrontation, but then Mcgonagall stopped them before they could go into the Great Hall for dinner.
After Madame Pompfrey checked out Harry, who insisted he was just fine, thank you but no thank you, he was dismissed, Celesta and Hermione staying behind to discuss their timetables.
"What I must tell you girls must be kept secret, from even your friends." Mcgonagall started as soon as the heavy door to her office shut. Celesta tuned out a little bit, her eyes catching on the time-turner being handed to Hermione, who'd chosen to take all the classes available to them in third year despite conflicting schedules. Of course her Professors would know, but all the same.
Finally, it was her turn. While Celesta chose only two classes, Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes, there was the issue to her skin.
"Miss Malfoy, I expect Professor Snape has told you about the potion he made over the summer?" The stern witch asked, her lips almost curling up into a smirk. Celesta and Hermione were tied in 'Brightest Witch of their year' for a reason.
"Yes Professor. He even taught me how to brew it, and I've gotten my supplies."
"Make sure you take it every day you're to go to Care of Magical Creatures." Mcgonagall reminded her. Nodding, Celesta hummed as they were released to dinner, Hermione tucking the time-turner back into her shirt where it couldn't be seen.
They arrived in time for Flitwick's choir to sing a song, Celesta grimacing through it as it included toads. She did wave to her new friend Daimon, who was in the choir, however.
Apparently, they'd missed the sorting, and she had to only imagine the terror the firsties must've felt having her godfather lead them in.
She missed Fred and George locking eyes then glaring daggers at Thayer, who returned to his house table after the song was over. Dumbledore stepped up immediately afterwards.
"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Now I'd like to say a few words before we all become too muddled by our excellent feast. First, a welcome to our Professor R. J. Lupin, who has come to fill the position of Defense against the Dark Arts! Good luck, Professor!" He introduced, letting applause ring out for a few moments. "Now, our previous Care of Magical Creatures Professor has decided to retire, in order to spend time with his remaining limbs, I am delighted to announce our very own gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, as our newest Professor."
Celesta cut a glare that would rival her Mother's when Draco sneered. Catching sight of her glare, he decided it was more wise to keep his mouth shut.
"Now on a more disturbing note. Under orders from the Ministry, Hogwarts will, until further notice, pray host to the Dementors of Azkaban, until such a time when Sirius Black is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now I've been assured that their prescense will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution. Dementors are not forgiving. They will not distinguish those between the one they hunt, and the one who gets in their way. Therefore I must warn each and every one of you, give them no reason to harm you. But you know, happiness can be found even in darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."
After dinner, they headed back to their common room, getting the password from Percy, who had managed to make Head Boy in his last year at school. Only the Fat Lady, who's portrait was their commonroom entrance, wasn't opening, focussing on her fake soprano singing that made everybody cringe when listening to it. Finally, they were let in, Harry and Ron going to their dormitory while she and Hermione headed to hers.
Lavender Brown wanted to do makeovers, but Celesta had to decline. Thankfully she was pale enough that she had to use her own make-up, let alone the skin sensitivity to ones not tailor made for her skin. With that said, she grabbed their new Defense book and made her way back to the common room, studying before deciding she was tired enough to go to bed, accidentally staying up past midnight.
During breakfast they were given their timetables, Celesta nodding at hers. Ancient Runes would be first thing in the morning, while Care of Magical Creatures would be second. From there it'd be DADA and Transfiguration, and then on Tuesday it'd be Potions, History of Magic, Charms, and Herbology. Astrology would be every Tuesday and Thursday night at midnight for half an hour.
Feeding Maera some of her cooked bacon, she nodded at Hermione, before explaining that she was going to be early to her class, but she'd see them for Care of Magical Creatures.
Ancient Runes was exciting in that it was another language to decipher, as well as a small historical lesson on them. They were given a nine-inch essay homework assignment to see if any of the runes they learned that day was used in modern times.
It was during second period that things got really interesting. Hippogriffs! Hagrid looked put out that nobody knew how to open the books, however. Celesta had figured it out right away. Draco faked a Dementor being behind Harry though, which put a damper on all their moods, before Hagrid introduced Buckbeak. While everybody in the class backed away when Hagrid asked for a volunteer, she and Harry didn't, which made Hagrid kind of excited.
"Go on then! Step forward and bow. Wait for him to bow back, and remember, hippogriffs are very proud creatures." Hagrid was saying.
"And if he doesn't?" Harry asked, Celesta already in a low curtsy before the magnificent creature. Harry hurried to copy, though he bowed.
"We'll get to that." Hagrid said. Slowly Buckbeak looked them over, but just as he was starting to get agitated, and Hagrid told them to back off, he calmed, bowing before the two Gryffindors. Smiling to each other, they went to pet him, stroking over his feathers.
"Good! Good! Now take him for a ride!" Hagrid said, lifting Harry onto the beast's back. Celesta on the other hand backed off, speaking slowly so that Buckbeak would understand.
"My skin condition, even while under the potion Professor Snape gave me, would get agrivated if I were take a ride on Buckbeak, Professor. He is magnificent, and I'm sure it would be fun, but it wouldn't be wise for me to accept, lest I be in the Hospital Wing for a week with burns. Sorry."
Hagrid nodded and told her to go back to the others while Harry took his ride. During the few minutes Harry was gone, they were taught about the classification of Hippogriffs as well as their breeding habits, Hermione occasionally whispering what had happened during Divination. Of course, they'd talk later about her other classes, when they were alone.
Harry returned a few minutes later. But then her brother stormed up an was a prat.
"You're not dangerous at all, you big ugly brute." Celesta looked away at Draco's words, not wanting to see what happened. Class was dismissed as Hagrid took Draco to the Hospital Wing for his arm, which had gotten scratched by Buckbeak.
Harry told them all about his ride while they went to lunch, Draco coming towards the end of it with his arm in a sling, Pansy Parkinson hanging on his other arm and giving her brother the attention he seemed to need to function. Knowing the course of actions, Celesta sighed, shaking her head. Sure enough, Draco would have written to their Father to have some kind of punishment.
In other news, Sirius Black was spotted a few towns away from there, making everybody a bit scared.
Their first lesson with Professor Lupin was a practical one, the teacher levitating a wardrobe that shook and shuddered to the front of the room. Boggarts would be their lesson, apparently.
He had everybody line up after teaching them the spell Riddikulus, Draco saying something about the class being ridiculous before he was shut up by Lupin taking points away from Slytherin for his comment. Neville went first, Snape appearing from the closet before transforming into Snape wearing Longbottom's grandmother's clothing.
Turn after turn went, Hermione being afraid of failing her classes, Ron spiders. There were snakes and clowns, before finally it was her turn. Unaware of what her greatest fear was, she stepped up, the Boggart spinning in circles for several nail-biting seconds before finally settling on one of her fears. Slowly, it morphed into Narcissa, Hermione, and the Weasley twins, slowly opening their mouths. "Celesta is-" was all that it got out before she cast her spell, all four of them doing a funny little dance. "The greatest!"
Laughing, she went to the back of the line to let Harry take his turn, which ended up being the last turn, his fear being the dementor. Lupin stepped in front of Harry though, the boggart turning into a full moon before he swiftly turned it into a deflating balloon, dismissing the rest of class and asking her and Harry to stay behind. He ended up offering Harry lessons on the Patronus Charm, asking Celesta to turn up during these extra lessons, due to her impressive coporeal patronus during the train ride. Once Harry was gone, Celesta stayed behind a few moments more. "Professor?"
Lupin hummed in response, getting his next year notes ready. "Yes, Miss Malfoy?"
Celesta paused, wondering if she should inquire, if she trusted the raggedy professor with her life. Finally, she came to a decision and waved her wand, locking and muffling the room. "I think I've figured something out, and if I'm right it's a heavy secret," she started, ignoring his flinch politely. "But I have a heavy secret as well. I wouldn't tell your secrets, can I expect the same courtesy? My Mother says this secret could cost me my life, so I treat all secrets I learn like that."
Lupin stared at her incrediously, wondering how she'd figured it out, and on the first day of classes as well. "Miss Malfoy, please get to the point," He'd replied very heavily, as if defeated.
With a grimace, Celesta nodded, before calling for Luli to be their witness, holding out her hand and gripping Lupin's as well. "I solemnly swear not to tell Professor Lupin's secrets, so long as he doesn't share mine," she said, waiting for the golden chain to appear and sink into her soul before she pulled her hand away. "My real Mother isn't Narcissa. It was her twin. And due to running from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, she turned me into an animagi shortly after I was born. Apparently I'd just mastered holding onto the form by the time I was sent to live with Narcissa and Lucius. I assume by now my real mother is dead. In any case, you know my secret, and I know that somehow you're a wolf. I can smell it." She told him, glancing at the time. "Assuming by your Boggart, it isn't voluntary, so your secret is that you were bitten. As promised, I won't tell."
Ramble over with, she smiled a little bit at the Professor. "Please don't share my secret, Professor. I've been told to only share that with those I trust with my life, and not even Harry or Ron knows. Oh, and I'll need a note for Transfiguration."
He quickly wrote a note for her, but held her back a moment longer. "Miss Malfoy, I assume you know what would happen if you told anybody?"
Celesta nodded, sadness in her eyes. "It's cruel, the way the general public treats those not responsible for their afflictions. With my albinoism, I'm stared at with pitying eyes, and without Professor's Snape potion I can't even let the sun touch my skin for longer than a few minutes. How many people would hire somebody who can't go outside? In any case, I won't tell a soul, and I have safe guards in place to keep my secrets hidden." That said, she offered another smile, before heading to the last class of the day.
In Transfiguration they were assigned ways to identify animagi, after learning about them as well as the fact that there was a registry and by not registering, one could assume a heavy fine, if not time in Azkaban. Celesta seemed to flinch a little at that, but she nodded along with the class, Hermione putting a hand on her thigh.
That night at dinner, before she even had a chance to sit next to her friends, Fred and George tugged her down between them, asking her how first day of classes went as well as asking her if they could show her around Hogsmeade on the first weekend. They were extremely lucky, as the first Hogsmeade weekend was only two weeks into term.
Realizing they wouldn't let her go without an approval, Celesta smiled a bit, her cheeks turning a bit pink as she nodded, finishing her pudding quickly before leaving. She needed to get to the library before it closed, in order to finish a spot of homework.
And so their classes went, though in Potions Snape seemed to have it out for Neville, no doubt hearing about the Boggart incident. Draco played on his arm being too hurt for weeks, especially in potions where her godfather let him get away with it, making Harry or Ron do his work for him until the third potion's class where Celesta pointed out that if Draco continued milking his 'injury', one would assume Snape and Madame Pompfrey to be less than standard potion-makers, as Draco's arm hadn't been broken, but merely scratched, and Dittany would've closed the wound right away. Snape had stared at her a moment, before awarding her five points for knowledge of healing potions and telling Draco to get to work.
Author's Note: What's this? Two chapters in one 24 hour period? Oh My God!
xD I really love the way Celesta's turning out, and all these initricate relationships. And now Lupin's apart of her secrets club! Woot. Of course, it's mostly her deciding that because he has a heavy secret, he wouldn't tell her heavy secret.
As always, thank you to those who've supported me with this story.
I would like more reviews though! I like people telling me how I'm doing instead of just wondering.