Betrayal of the Black

sixty-two

SHE COULD NOT CONTAIN HER anxious excitement. As she had been doing for the past five minutes, she pressed up onto her tip-toes. Then she fell back onto the soles of her feet.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

The movement was rhythmic, soothing, and . . . subconscious by this point. It was the only way she could get her energy out.

They'd begun their travels to Hogwarts, and with each Apparition, they got closer to their destination.

She would see her friends again.

Not in some unknown amount of time. Not in a couple months. Not in a week. Not in a couple days.

But in a mere couple hours.

They were only one trip away now, and she could barely stop herself from brimming with the anticipation of seeing Blaise and Pansy again.

Admittedly, she was also terrified. They had no real clue on what was going on at Hogwarts anymore, or what to expect when they arrived. Things were bound to go wrong, as they always did, but Celestia was certain that once they were all reunited, they could take on anything.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone so excited to go to a battlefield," a voice commented from behind her.

Her feet crashed back to the ground one last time, and she turned around. Mary stood with a bag strewn over her shoulder. Behind her, Regulus was packing up his tent, likewise Draco and Theo were doing taking down their own tent.

Despite the fact she'd been travelling with Mary for a few weeks now, Celestia still didn't really know how to act around her. Any time for crucial bonding had passed when she'd disappeared after their first meeting, and now they've been too caught up in saving the Wizarding world—and now time comes that they're actually meant to go and save it.

Part of her wished they'd had more time to talk. They'd have time after everything to talk, hopefully, but Celestia knew there was no guarantees. There was so much she wanted to know about her mother, and in all honesty, she was quite curious if Sirius had always been such a prick.

"Blood, death, and the power of friendship. What isn't there to be excited for?" responded Celestia.

They could've waited until tomorrow to arrive at Hogwarts, but Celestia had demanded they left that night. While it meant they'd arrive at Hogwarts at night, it also meant that they'd arrive just shy of a day before their original arrival time. And that she'd probably get to sleep in her dorm room again, with Pansy likely close by her side.

"I know I should probably be unpacking what you just said, and strategizing about the possible warzone we might possibly be entering any minute," began Mary, "but my God is it startling how so much like your parents you are, and yet are not at the same time."

She tilted her head to the side, pushing her tongue against her cheek. She looked rather childish like that, with her hand still shielding her eyes. "Thank you?"

"It was a compliment." Mary confirmed her unspoken question. "I loved Adeline and Sirius dearly. It's nice to see that some of them still live on."

While aware Mary was only trying to further compliment her, Celestia couldn't help but snort. "Merlin, I hope none of Sirius lives on inside of me." She thought about it for a moment before frowning. "I don't want to think about it, because then I'll realise how similar I am to him, and I will inevitably spiral."

Maybe she ought to be less blunt with Mary, considering she'd just exclaimed that she loved Sirius, but this was Celestia paying her a compliment in turn. She was going to bullshit her and act like she loved Sirius. If it wasn't obvious how their relationship wasn't on good terms after their first meeting and how his name hadn't been brought up once in these past couple weeks, that was on Mary.