Celeste || Sirius Black

Chapter 7: Finding the Silver Lining

Celeste couldn't concentrate on the classes the next day. She was thinking about how she could warn Hagrid without making it sound like an official complaint. When she completely made up her mind to talk to him, she walked the entire length of the castle grounds.

She walked in the direction of his hut and then started to turn back. She shook her head and turned back around. She had to warn him. The Marauders had their fun but she didn't want Hagrid to get hurt in that process. But once again, she stopped walking after walking a few steps. She kept making her split decisions when one shout made her confirm her decision. 

"Oh, Celeste!" Hagrid called for her.

Celeste turned around and sighed, a small smile spreading across her face. She ran to Hagrid and gave him a salute. "Morning, Hagrid!"

"What's goin' on? What yeh doin' here?"

"Oh, I...." She gulped. "I wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?" He chuckled. "Warn me from whom?"

She couldn't tell him the truth without telling him the truth. She couldn't out the Marauders no matter who they were. She wasn't that type of a person and besides, she didn't have anything to do with them. She didn't want to have anything to do with them. She only wanted Hagrid to be safe.

"There are a few people who may....or may not....try to pull a mischief prank on you. I don't want you getting hurt. Hence the warning."

Hagrid chuckled once again. "Oh, I know exactly who yeh are talkin' about. Yeh don't have to worry, Celeste. I'll be careful." He patted her head. "Now get back to yeh classes. I don't want yeh missing out on important lessons because of silly old me."

There was nothing else that she could say or do. Hagrid was confident and she trusted him to be careful. She had done what she could. Besides, nobody could mess with Hagrid easily. He was the most confident person that she knew. Although he could let his love for animals get the best of him, he would be careful.

But there was no way that she could fall asleep that night. She kept tossing and turning while thinking about what else she could do. She started to walk around her room. She even thought of having a cuppa to help her sleep.

And so, she decided to walk the entire school for once. She was hugging herself with the blanket wrapped around her. She made it invisible as well. The castle was unusually cold for all the spells that were cast for the weather control. But that was only because of her own thoughts.

"I think that is a brilliant idea, Headmaster."

Celeste stopped walking in her step. Her breath caught in her throat and she almost dropped the blanket that she was holding. She had heard Professor McGonagall's voice....talking to Professor Dumbledore of all people! "Oh shoot." He was one of the only people who knew about her condition, but he couldn't sense her, right? There was no way that he could be that powerful.

"Minerva, I only need Hagrid's help for now. As long as he can get the word to everyone as soon as possible, we can go ahead with the Order."

The Order. Celeste knew those words all too well.

"I'll inform him right away."

Celeste's eyes opened wide. If the Professor was making her way to Hagrid's hut.... "Shoot." She whispered under her breath.

The prank. She had to warn the Marauders!

She started running towards the portrait of the Fat Lady when she saw that it was open. She turned her head around and saw shadows disappearing at the end of the corridor. She missed them by a few seconds. Bless her eyesight and Maya making her eat gajar ka halwa all the time. 

She made her way down the staircase when it started to move. "What! Not now! Jeez!" Once the staircase stopped moving, she found a way to jump over the last step and land on her feet. Her eyes frantically searched for the four heads of the close friends but they were nowhere in sight.

She came in front of a window on the ground floor and she saw Professor McGonagall starting to walk in the castle grounds. And near the entrance doors, crouching in the shadows, were none other than the four. "Oh my....Yeh ullu ke patthe bhi na. Kab sudhrenge!"

Celeste didn't realise that she had cursed them in Hindi until she was out in the cold wind and running at a top speed. She slid past the passing ghosts and reached the silently waiting Marauders behind the front gates,

She became visible again and wondered how she could warn them without talking because she was looking at the back of their heads. She could whistle but that would alert McGonagall. Instead, she took the blanket and threw it at the first among them that was closest. The tousled head turned around and revealed himself to be Lupin. "What the hell are you doing!" She hissed silently. "Do you have any idea what you were about to do"

James turned around and frowned at the frantic girl. "We are not afraid to get detention."

"What about getting expelled?" Celeste pointed to McGonagall making her way to Hagrid's hut.

When Sirius turned around, his eyes softened at the sight of the girl. But James pulling his arm diverted his attention. "Ullu ke patthe." She rolled her eyes, grabbing her blanket and started walking back down the corridor. She couldn't become invisible again, but she could reach her common room as fast as possible.

"Hey, wait!"

Celeste turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw Sirius catching up to her. He was about to clamp her arm when she pulled back. His eyebrows furrowed at that but he shook that thought of.

"How did you know?" He wondered.

"Sorry," she gave him a fake smile. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Thank you though."

She shrugged. "Whatever. You saved me. I saved you. We're done."

She was going to walk away when he grabbed the edge of her blanket, making her turn around and face him again. "I saved your life. You saved me from getting expelled."

"May not be the same thing but we...." She pointed between the two of them. "are done. Stop bothering me from now on. We're even."

Watching the brunette turn her face away from him in annoyance and making her way away from him, Sirius couldn't help but feel like he had achieved something. The girl had saved him from getting expelled.

Now, he just had to get to know her.

*****

Hey everyone! Many of you have requested me to update this fic.
The reason I haven't been able to continue writing this is because I'm not really a part of the fandom anymore. But don't worry. I will see this story to the end. I need to convey Celeste's story out. Do check out my bookstagram/writing account on Instagram! I will be posting edits for this book there. Thank you for all the support and for your patience.