The Unforgiveables

The following morning had been anarchic . Celia had forgotten to pack for their trip to the quidditch world cup after the meeting her and Draco had overheard , and after a walk through the ground of Malfoy Manor with him later that evening she had returned to her room and succumbed to sleep as if someone had put a spell on her .

'Where is my hairbrush ?' Celia called down the stairs , her blonde hair looking like some sort of bird's nest as she looked down over the balcony to the main foyer where Draco was standing .

'Probably in the bathroom .' He chuckled back , leaning back against the doorframe of the main manor door . The door was huge in itself but paled in comparison to the gargantuan levels of the house .

Malfoy Manor was where Celia had been raised , and though the place felt like home there had always been a callous and unnatural quality to it . The shadowy hallways had been beneficial when playing games with Draco as a child , but it had always felt as though the darkness moved through the house , followed its inhabitants around .Ivy had grown over the years around the exterior , entwining itself around the turrets and the bricks like an emerald fortress , keeping out the evil .Malfoy manor was slightly petrifying , but it had always been the heart of the wizarding world to Celia .

'Probably where you left it .' Lucius joined his son in the foyer , looking up at Celia and being able to someone roll his eyes even higher than he was looking .

Celia struggled to smile at him back , she had learned over the years that no response to Lucius' snide comments was the best response . It meant no arguing . 

Narcissa had always been more than charming , than delicate with Celia - she had treated her with nothing but love even though she was not her biological daughter . Lucius had never been as forgiving . He knew it pleased his wife , which she presumed pleased him in a horrifying way , but she also knew he had a distaste for her because of her blood .

Or a lack of knowledge of it .

When Celia had been salvaged from the ruins of the first wizarding war , Narcissa had been the one to find her , to take her in . They had no idea of her family name never mind her bloodline . Lucius Malfoy seemed to detest the thought of anyone who was not a pureblood in his home , but he seemed to detest the idea that she may even come from a family more powerful than his own even more .

Celia sighed and headed back to the bathroom to check one more time , Narcissa was in there getting the last things they would need for their trip . Draco's mother passed her the hairbrush before placing her hand on Celia's cheek .

'You be good at the Cup . No swords okay ?'

Celia smiled ,' They're all in the training room Narcissa , you can check yourself before we leave .' The training room was where the Malfoy's could practice sports , but once Celia had been showed the act of sword-fighting by two wizarding tutors that had come to teach her during her second year of wizarding education at home , she knew that was it . She loved it .

'You don't need to be doing all that unnecessary hassle , us wizards have things called wands Celia .' She swore Lucius only called her by her first name because nobody was aware of her second . She was only twelve , hacking her way through a giant punching bag with a s

'Leave her be husband ,' Narcissa touched his arm gently ,' Sparring can be useful if she ever lost it , besides it is a form of entertainment for her too - not completely foreign from duelling .'

Lucius had just walked off , Narcissa had sighed and watched in between reading a letter she presumed was from Draco at Hogwarts.

'Don't worry , I know you love the sport but I trust your intelligence enough to know you wouldn't bring weaponry into an event like that .' Narcissa beamed slightly back . 

Celia grinned ,' I can't believe I'm starting my N.E.W.T studies this year !'

' And you are only a fourth year , I truly can't believe it . I am very proud of you you know , and Draco too .'

'I know mother .' Draco had just strolled into the bathroom , taking seat in the empty clawed-foot bathtub and eating a green apple . 

'Draco Malfoy what are you doing , don't let your father see you like this you know what he's like .' Narcissa replied , trying to disguise a smile as she watched her son take another bite of his breakfast in the empty basin .

'Fathers in the car waiting for us , he asked me to come upstairs to see if you were going to hurry up .'

'I should turn the water on for the bath , see if that makes you hurry up .' Celia laughed.

'You wouldn't dare .' Draco snobbishly replied , taking another bite out of his apple .

Celia ran up to the bathtub in the giant bathroom and began to twist the tap .

'YOU B-!' Malfoy yelled , jumping out of the bathtub like a cat retracting from water before the glacial water could hit the bottoms of his fresh suit , it was all black like Celia's outfit .

'Language Draco ,' Narcissa quipped through another hidden smile ,' We better leave now before we miss the Cup.'

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It had been a long drive , Draco and Celia squabbling over whether Ireland or Bulgaria would win while Narcissa read her book and Lucius stared out of the window . Celia thought something seemed different . Usually Lucius would've criticised the pair of them for being so petty and to be more mature but he seemed to be staring aimlessly at the sky . An aimlessness that Celia thought to be fright . Perhaps it was the meeting they had had last night , Celia wondered if the story of the Peveril brothers had impacted Lucius or if it had been something else the group had spoken about after Celia and Draco had left .

She slightly regretted not twisting her back around the mermaid statue for an extra five minutes if it would've meant she could've found out .

But now they were here , the Quidditch world cup . While the crowds were raucous and blaring outside , their indoor tent , or what Celia would say castle , was tranquilly peaceful .

Narcissa was biting her polished nails to the edge , Lucius tapping his foot on the ebony marble flooring of their campsite . Celia furrowed her brows , then decided a plan .

'Can me and Draco go outside for a while ? Just to look around at everything going on ?'

'No.' Lucius said , tapping his foot now at an advanced rapid pace .

'You can .' Narcissa said ,' Just stay close to our location and be back in fifteen minutes .The game will be starting soon .'

'Thank you , lets go Draco .'

He got up out of his ornate leather chair and followed suit , his brows furrowing in confusion at her all so sudden decision while she shook her head slightly in a way that said I'll explain when we're not in here .

The golden tent zips pulled back under Celia's touch and they both exited , the sonorous atmosphere of the copious amounts of people swallowing any chance they had at conversation . Celia pulled Draco into a slightly quieter alcove on the edge of the woods , not far from where the Malfoy tent was based , and took a deep breath .

'What is wrong with your parents ?'

'I was thinking that ,' Draco replied ,' They seemed really quiet . Not the sort of quiet they usually are like a much more anxious sort of quiet .'

'That's exactly what I thought ! Do you think we missed something at the meeting because we stopped spying too early .'

'Definitely . If anything is to happen tonight , we'll find out together .'

'I hope it's nothing bad , I knew I should've brought my swords .'

'Not the sword thing ,' he chuckled ,' Aren't you getting a little bit too old for children's games now ?'

He took a step closer to her in the small alcove , she raised her chin to face him ,' I think you'll find it is a very useful hand of combat for wizards . Besides , you have never seen me train what with being at Hogwarts and everything .'

'Well we'll see about that when the supposed time comes when you're supposed to use it then won't we ' he smirked .

She felt her cheeks burn with the embarrassment of being made fun of . Nobody had really done that to her but Lucius and she took a step back from him in the alcove to hide it , she raised her chin even higher ,' Yes Draco , we will .'

He seemed to exhale in defeat , rolling his eyes then taking her hand before saying ,' We should head back . '

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The four of them : Lucius , Narcissa , Draco and Celia were climbing the stairs when the father and son came to a halt , glancing up at the higher metal railings where people were packing in their seats .

'Well if it rains ... You will be the first to know .' Lucius smirked , Celia turned around and glanced up to see who he was talking to .

A group of around ten people Celia would say , several of them with tattered jumpers and flaming hair to match their embarrassed scarlet cheeks .

She realised she's not the only person a Malfoy is going to make feel embarrassed today . She hadn't spoken to Draco since the endeavour in the alcove , she knew he would apologise soon , probably .

'That your girlfriend over there Malfoy ?' a boy that looked about their age spat down , his crimson hair looking like a flame of anger around his head .

Celia blushed even more than earlier , she had never heard anyone speak that bluntly about anything before ,' I'm Celia.'

A girl with brown bushy hair started furiously whispering to a smaller girl with the same ginger hair as some of the others .Celia decided not to say anymore and go and stand further away with Narcissa , is this what teenagers were actually like ?

Malfoy bit some harsh response back , smirking when his father joined in with the intimidation - that was the one thing Celia had ever seen them both bond over . The two parties dismissed each other and departed to their own blocks , the Quidditch World Cup was about to start .

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The game had been spectacular , aside from having to shake hands with many of Lucius work assistants , Celia had thoroughly enjoyed the evening . She had never played quidditch herself before , only using sword-fighting as a sport while she mainly focused on her academic studies , but she thought perhaps she should consider trying to use one of the brooms they had at the manor after the entertainment she had just watched . There had been fireworks and leprechauns , brooms faster than lightning and a golden snitch that she swore flew right in front of her face .

They had all arrived at the tent late , Lucius looking stern and Narcissa clipping her heels with increased pace as they made their way back to the tent .

' We're going to take the portkey home alright  .' Narcissa quietly said to both of them , people had now reached their tents so the core of the one animated atmosphere had dulled to a sullen throb of shoes as families spoke quietly on the way to their tents . That's how it was in the rich area of the tent-holders anyway anyway . Celia could hear hellish noise from a long distance away , where the people who had been betting and dancing would be celebrating the win until dawn . 

'Why's that mother ?' Draco quelled .

'Probably so we can get some sleep and don't have to hear all that screaming of excitement far away .' Celia chortled .

'It's not screaming of excitement .' Lucius stated .

'Well it isn't going to be screams of pleasure either is it .' Draco whispered under his breath so only she could hear . Celia bowed her head and thinned her lips to prevent her laugh .

'I heard that Draco .' Narcissa said sternly , though Celia could sense the anxiety beginning to lace her voice ,' I will explain all when we get home . There has been a change of plans for the sake of the events that have occurred this evening . '

'What change ?' Celia bombarded , fear now cabling itself into the tone of her voice too .

'Many modifications and fluctuations ,' Lucius seemed to grind his teeth as he spoke ,' One being as of next year you shall be sent to Hogwarts .'