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It was the great escape, the prison break. The light of freedom on my face.
／｜＼
It a quiet morning, despite being a Monday. Celeste woke first, and slipped into a much less extravagant dress than her mother would have opted for. She left out her usual amount of jewelry, only selecting a pair of earrings and pulling half of her hair up. It was dainty and didn't flaunt herself. She studied herself in a mirror and allowed herself to smile in a way that reached her eyes.
When Celeste entered the Great Hall, her eyes lingered on her sister. She missed her. Selene rolled her eyes and turned away, whispering among her own friends.
Sirius turned his head, hearing a subtle hush fall over the hall. Her friends flanking at her sides, Celeste strode in with an air of elegance and grace that commanded the attention of the room. For the first time in weeks, there was a teasing - yet prideful look that gleamed over her eyes.
"Are you two really done?" asked Remus, noticing where Sirius's gaze laid.
"What?" he answered, distracted.
"You and Celeste, I meant," Remus clarified. "You've broken up already?"
Sirius shrugged. "We weren't ever really dating, but I suppose to. I've never been the type to stay in relationships anyway."
In truth, he was speaking honestly. Sirius had never been in a relationship longer than three months. He ran through girls like a train.
"Y'know, I really thought you had something," James mentioned.
"She was just the first girl to not be clingy. I thought she was pretty. That's all there is, and I'm fine with sticking as friends. In the end she wasn't a bad person."
There was a pause.
"Anyways," Remus said, waving the matter aside. "Are we still on for the party tonight?"
"Another party?" Peter questioned.
"Oh c'mon, Wormy. There's never a reason not to party. Most of our year are still underage. The people deserve a break before we graduate."
"Seems fine by me," Sirius shrugged. "It's been months since the last one."
...
The short weeks leading up to Christmas Break flew by, occupied by sleepless nights of studying and skating on the Black Lake. Celeste was sorry to see it all go away so quickly. She didn't want to leave school just yet. Or in other terms, she didn't want to go home. Packing up her trunks, she boarded the Hogwarts Express with Marlene, Alice, and Lily.
"I'm going to miss you all so much," Lily groaned as the train churned to a stop. "I'll murder myself if I have to spend two weeks playing nice with Petunia."
"At least she's a muggle," Marlene grumbled. "I absolutely despise my brother. I'm glad this is our last year. He'll go off the Hogwarts next year and I won't have to see him so much anymore."
"It can't be that bad," Alice said in a consoling tone. "The weeks will fly by and we'll all be back on the train soon."
Celeste let herself be carried along into the conversation as the girls exited the train. She waited by the storage compartments for her trunks to be taken out, and bid her goodbyes to her friends.
Her eyes scanned the bustling crowd until they met her mother, who looked disgusted to be around such a large amount of halfbloods and anything under.
"Hello mother," Celeste greeted stiffly, with a slight nod.
Selene was already at her mother's side. She rolled her eyes and studied her nails.
"Let's go," Mrs. Malfoy replied. "You know I hate being here."
Setting her hand on Celeste's shoulder, she prepared to apparate away. In the most fleeting second, Celeste's eyes lingered on Sirius Black. He was going to run away any day now.
She desperately wanted to join him. She would run away with him without hesitation.
But she couldn't. Underage or not, she couldn't bear to. There was a chain ― an invisible chain ― wrapped around her body, mind, and soul that she couldn't bear to escape from. This was her family. Her duty.
She had a duty to uphold and protect. This was all she had ever known. Her entire life revolved around two single duties.
Be a good daughter and wife.
Bear an heir.
She could never fathom failing at such simple tasks. Nobody ― not even Sirius Black could budge this. Because if she fled... what would become of her after that?
The wind roared in her ears and in the snap of her fingers, her feet landed on new ground.
Malfoy Chateau towered over her.
Celeste's home had a stark contrast to the much more famous Malfoy Manor. For one, it was not dark and cold. This place had light colored walls, with vines and wisteria snaking up the walls, and sprawling, lush gardens that you could be lost in. Bodies of water surrounded some of it, inviting ducks and birds to be frequent visitors. Weeping willows reigned the grounds.
Without a word, Selene briskly strode up to the front door first and pushed open the double doors. The delicate fragrance of sweet gardenia wafted up to Celeste's nose, welcoming her home in the most comfortable manor.
Silently and undetected, a pair of house elves whisked away the trunks up to the bedrooms.
"Is father not home?" Celeste said, breaking the silence.
Her mother barely spared her a glance. "Your father is caught up at the ministry. He'll be back by dinner. Go unpack your things now."
Celeste bowed her head. "Yes mother," she said quietly.
