CHAPTER EIGHT

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3rd POV

At exactly four twenty-eight in the morning the next day, the blizzard of snow stopped. The sunlight streamed through the windows of Hogwarts, and awoke five third-years.

Hermione opened her eyes excitedly, and rushed to grab her robes. She put on mittens and a scarf, then ran to wake the boys-after brushing her teeth, of course.

Ron awoke to the stupid sun in his eyelids. He groaned, and suddenly a pillow smacked his neck.

"Get up, Ronald! Harry! We need to hurry up if we want to go outside with Celia!" A pillow smacked Harry's face.

Both blinking, the first thing Ron saw was a hazy, frenzied, excited Hermione wrapped like a present. Harry saw the pillow. He wondered why the pillow was coming closer. And closer. Pillow met Harry's face. Oh. That was why. Harry rubbed his cheek groggily.

"We're up, we're up, get out." Ron grumbled and Hermione squealed, running out.

Draco wasn't so lucky. He awoke to a whispering Pansy beside him. "Hello, Dray-Dray. Would you like to spend some time with me?" She drawled in his ear. That woke Draco up really quickly.

Draco shot to his feet, hastily pushing Pansy away. "Get out, Pansy. I need to go find Celia." Luckily, he got Pansy out in a few minutes, though he could hear her pathetic wails outside before she left.

He didn't actually plan on ice-making or whatever it was called, but he had to thank Celia at least.

Celia's POV

Sometimes I wish I had a caring, understanding mother. Yeah, okay, Dad's not the worst, but seriously, men do not understand the meaning of privacy.

It felt like someone had poured thick syrup through my eardrums, clogging up my brain. I was so sleepy.

And then someone coughed. I ignored them, until one thought shot through my mind. Nobody's supposed to be in my room!

I groaned. "Yes?" I yelled at the pillow. The pillow didn't reply. "Uh…nice pajamas." Someone snickered. Okay, this definitely was not Dad.

Someone prodded me. I rolled over. Draco stood above me, smirking. "Are you awake now?"

"No." I moaned and buried my head into the pillow further. "Who let you in anyways?"

"Professor Snape." Wow. That betrayer. I reluctantly grabbed my covers and pulled them off. "Can you get out now? I need to change."

He smirked even wider and left. I fumed as I pulled on a thick denim jacket that had a skull traced down the left sleeve. My boots were knee-high, silver platinum colored. I glanced at the mirror, pulled up my hair, and tugged a beanie down to my ear. Hm. Weird but nice combo.

I opened the door to find Draco sitting on the couch. Dad placed a marked paper in a pile and turned to me. "Be back by seven." He reminded me. I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

Draco stood and sized me up. "Punk. I like it." Dad smirked and covered his face with more parchment. I had the impression he was trying to drown himself with it. Probably so he could eavesdrop and watch me get embarrassed. Which, by the way, I already was.

"How can you even know what punk is? All you wear is bathrobes!" I complained as he led me outside to the hallway. "They're called robes! School robes!" Draco replied, annoyed.

He turned to me and stopped. "Celia?" Hermione called. Draco's eyes widened and he stepped aside as the trio waved at me…or at least Hermione and Harry sort of did. "What's Malfoy doing here?" Ron glared at Draco with distaste. Seriously?

"I could ask the same for you, Weasley." Draco spat back. Then he glared at Hemione. "Mudblood."

Hermione clenched her teeth. I could tell it was an insult. It was getting tense in here.

I kicked Draco in the shin. He yelped and grabbed his foot. "What was that for?!" I rolled my eyes. Hm, I seem to be doing that a lot.

"Why do you always tie your hair up?" Harry asked me abruptly. The hallway grew quiet. I raised an eyebrow at Harry. He shuddered. "You, a boy, are asking me, a girl, about my hairstyle? Smooth, Harry, real smooth." Everyone laughed, except for Harry, who was beet red.

"No! I just-I meant-er…" Harry rubbed his head and flushed pink. I laughed and cut him off. "It's fine."

Draco coughed. "Um…I'll just be going now. Thanks for the…you know. Bye." He added in almost a mischievous whisper, "Oh, and Celia. Seriously? Happy face PJ's?" I frowned.

He turned and started walking away. Hermione brushed her scarf away. "Um…he saw your pajamas?" She cocked her head.

My face turned red. "My dad-um…Snape, let Draco inside since Draco wanted to see me. So-I-uh…he went into my room while I was still sleeping. I know, right? Privacy loss…" Hermione giggled into her hand.

I ran up to Draco, who almost reached the hallway corner and dragged him back. The trio was having a hushed conversation.

"Where were you going? I really meant ice skating for real." Draco's jaw dropped. "It's a muggle activity! I don't want to!" He said, way too loud.

I stared at Draco in disbelief. "You don't want to. Okay then, I'll just go tell Pansy you're available." He pulled me back. I smirked.

"Muggle activity?" Hermione squinted at me. I could see the gears turning. I smiled. Geek time.

"Ice skating. It became a recognized sport in 1876. It's-" I began, and Hermione cut me off. "-a sport or pastime." She finished, quoting Google.

I grinned. "I have found a soulmate." I announced to Draco, who snickered.

"Know-it-all." Ron muttered.

"Look, if you're here to insult me, you can go." I told him. "Nobody's forcing you to come."

Ron glared at me. "Fine. I didn't want to come and hang out with stupid, death eater Slytherins again."

Well, the snowball mood evaporated quickly. "I was actually planning on going ice-skating with you guys, but I don't feel so well. Hermione, here's the spell." I handed the paper over to Hermione.

Just get out of here before you explode. I turned and ran. I heard Hermione calling me, and Draco calling me, and Hermione screaming at Ron, and footsteps behind me.

My boots slapped against the hallway, echoing off the walls. I crashed into somebody-Typical. "Miss Celia?" Professor Lupin asked, getting up. I ducked my head and ran.

Hogwarts is a very, very big place. It took a while before I found an exit. There was a few trees next to the lake, and I sat down under one.

I hadn't cried since I was nine, and that was when I got injured from the stove. Of course, my mother had to scream at me at the top of her lungs for burning her stupid ham. Who cooks ham anyways? Okay, some do, but un-cooked, it tastes cold and saltier…off topic. Oh wait, I had also cried when I was eleven; that time I fell off the roof.

"I'm really sorry he's being such a git. If it makes you feel better, Hermione probably already murdered him." A voice said. I peeked out from under my arms. Standing there, hands uncomfortably in pockets, messy black hair unruly, was Harry. I cursed under my breath. Great,

Please don't sit down, please go away, please don't sit down.

Harry sat down next to me.

I wiped my eyes. "How'd you find me? Nobody catches up to me."

Harry seemed taken aback by my bloodshot eyes, and he fixed me with a concerned gaze.

"I had practice." He laughed bitterly. I felt a pang of terrible empathy and fought to keep it down. I looked down. "Me too."

Harry cleared his throat. "Um…is this a good time to hug you? Because you and my dad don't really get along, and I'm not sure how-"

I hugged him. "Does this answer your question?" I whispered into his shoulder. He hugged me back briefly, and we both pulled away. His cheeks were red, and I tried not to think about that.

"Snape…he never…." Harry trailed off, but I got the gist. "No. He's the best dad I could ever ask for. Most of the time. Okay, sometimes." I replied firmly.

Emerald green eyes brightened, and he laughed. I laughed with him.

"All the time, to most of the time, to sometimes. Wow, you think highly of him." Harry smiled. It was a smile that reached his eyes.

"I don't think…your friend Ron…likes me very much. Why don't people like my dad?" I gazed questioningly at Harry. He settled down besides me.

Harry's mouth opened, but then he closed it. He hesitated. "I don't know."

I nudged him. "Liar."

He frowned. "Well, he's not...he just prefers his own house, Slytherin, and that makes people hate him. He hates me especially, but I really don't know why."

I was silent for a moment. "The others. Where did they go?"

"Back to their rooms. Hermione left after telling me to be gentle or something-I wonder what she was referring to- oh, and Malfoy was the most reluctant. He shoved me against the wall and said he'd kill me if you didn't come back happy, and of course in one piece." Harry said this all very calmly, as if he received death threats daily. I laughed again.

One minute I was staring at the green eyes, and the next minute I was staring at his rough hands. I took the hand, confused.

"Still up for ice skating?" Harry smiled at me. I laughed, weakly now. "Really?" He didn't answer, just pulled me to the lake.

"It's the black lake. In the winter, Dumbledore-our headmaster-sometimes lets the ice glaze over." We both bent down and I helped him transfigure his boots into skates. They were silver with a red and orange H on it.

"Best I can do, sorry." I glanced down at his skates, then transfigured mine. It was pearly white with coral-like purple patterns woven on the left of my right skate. It had a silver CS on the side.

"Okay…now let's watch me fail at this." Harry took one step on the ice and toppled over. I laughed and helped him up. "Slowly, it's not like walking."

He took a small slide and skated a few feet. Then the other foot came down and he grabbed my hand.

"Sorry." He flushed red and let go. I waved it off. My hands worked their way up his arm, and gently, pulled the robes. He slid a few more feet.

"This is so…strange and fun at the same time." Harry grinned and skated, slowly by himself now. I began to let go, and he grabbed my arm.

"Don't. Don't let go." He whispered, face really red now. I smirked and took his arm.

I took out my iPod and turned to the song Demons by Imagine Dragons. If you haven't heard it before, shame. Go listen to it! GO! NOW!

Look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide…I muttered the words under my breath, and lifted my still red eyes to find emerald jewels staring back. The song crackled and my iPod died.

I didn't really mind.

"So. Boy-Who-Lived, huh? What's up with that?" I asked, and made a sudden, wild turn right as Harry almost toppled into a snow bank.

Harry bit his lip. "That's not important."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah? Then please explain to me why Hermione and Ron make such a big deal of it, and why girls of all ages ogle over you?"

His eyes widened. "What?"

I smiled slyly and bit my lip, copying him. "'That's not important.'"

"Hey," he protested. "Fine. They call me that because I survived a killing curse from Voldemort."

"Seriously? Woah. That-that's big. But why would a moldy guy with shorts come and try to kill you?"

Harry's mouth twitched, and he started laughing. "No-not Moldyshorts, Voldemort."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's the most stupid name I've ever heard in my life. Voldemort. Voldemort. Voldemort."

"Normally people call him 'You-Know-Who' and 'He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named' because they're to scared to say his name." Harry said. "That's why I'm a little surprised you're saying his name.

I snorted. "It's just a name." I turned to the sky. "Hey people out there who won't say his name! Listen to this! VOLDEMORT-VOLDEMORT-VOLDEMORT-VOLDEMORT-VOLDEMORT!"

I really, really hope the teachers inside didn't hear me. Or the people outside today.

Harry seemed to be struggling not to laugh. He was failing miserably.

"I hope I'm not being nosy here, but...what happened next?" I led him off the lake and we sat back down under the shady tree. Harry dropped his head, and he deflated like a balloon. "My mum and dad were killed, and I went to move in with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley Dursley."

"That bad, huh?" I said gently.

He shrugged uncomfortably. I sat up and crossed my feet. "Well, my life wasn't all happy-sunshine-daisies either, so you can tell me."

Harry's head shot up. "What happened?"

"Basically my mom ignored me. I did my chores, got a job, and bought food for myself every day." A smirk played on my face. "Once, I put pepper in all her scarves. It was hilarious. Oh, and another time I poured salt into her coffee."

"Wait. You got a job and you bought food for yourself? What if you didn't get food?" Harry raised his eyes.

3rd POV

Celia smiled a little, but the smile didn't quite light up her face like it usually did. "I...wasn't as hungry some days?" Worst. Excuse. Ever. Harry saw right through it. Anybody would, unless you were really unaware of everything.

"What?" Harry shot to his feet. "She didn't give you food? Your-mum and-Snape?"

Celia laughed. "Sit down, Harry. I only found out my dad was even alive this year, and that I was a witch. Besides, sometimes I'd nick food from her plate while I was cooking, so it's okay. Anyways, I was pretty much the freak in my school, I guess because I would do magic, or as I phrased it back then, 'freaky stuff'. But it was cool; haters be haters, I guess."

"Did it ever get to you?" Harry sat back down. "Dudley's gang would do that, too, chase me and stuff. But he was such an oaf he wouldn't catch me-unless he was on a bike, though."

"Rarely," Celia suddenly grinned. "I used to threaten them that I'd turn them into a toad. And as for the girls? Please. All I had to do was fling a worm at them and they'd all run off screaming like babies." Her eyes softened. "You're uncle and aunt weren't exactly nice, either, huh?"

Harry shook his head. He tried to turn his skates back, but ended up getting-

"Oh my gods!" Celia burst out laughing. "You transfigured them into FLATS, Harry!" She fell over, shaking with laughter. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she cracked an eye open just to laugh again. Harry had a stricken expression on his face, and was trying to pull off the offending flats. The bells on the top jingled humiliatingly.

"Change it back," Harry pleaded, and Celia laughed. "Maybe I should make you wear them," she teased, but turned them back to his regular shoes anyways. Harry sighed in relief. "Nice touch there, though. Bells." She grinned and transfigured her own skates back.

"Oh, gods, what time is it?" Celia frantically took out her muggle device thing and checked the crackling screen. "Stupid screen-why's it like that? It's been like that ever since I was in Hogwarts. I have to go, Harry, sorry."

"Oh-okay." Harry nodded. He got up. "It's okay-"

She hugged him. "Thanks for coming after me." He blushed. She was really pretty-wait. What? He was going mad. He realized she had let go.

One hand raised in a goodbye and she called, "See you later! Bye!"

Dazed, Harry lifted his right hand. "Bye," he muttered, dazed.

From the other side of the lake, Professor Lupin, who had followed Celia, mused to himself, smiling. A Potter and a Snape. How interesting.