Veiled Hearts ~ HP Fanfiction (Harry Potter X OC)

Chapter 42: Emotional Entanglements and Mistletoe Mishaps

The funeral was a solemn affair, devoid of any of the usual pomp and circumstance that accompanied such events. There were no elaborate decorations adorning the room, no distinguished political figures in attendance, and no extended family gathering to offer their condolences. Instead, there were only four individuals present: Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, their daughter Celestia Malfoy, and Mrs. Blanchard.

As Celestia looked around the room, she couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness hanging in the air. The absence of mourners and the lack of emotional display left her feeling unsettled, as if something vital were missing from the proceedings.

No one shed tears or offered a heartfelt goodbye speech, and the silence that filled the room seemed to amplify the weight of their collective grief. Each person present stood in quiet contemplation, their thoughts drifting to the woman who had claimed to be Celestia's mother.

Mrs. Blanchard, who had been Seraphina's caretaker for many years, stood off to the side, her expression stoic and unreadable. Despite the years of dedicated service she had provided to the Malfoy family, there was no mistaking the somber air that surrounded her.

After the brief ceremony concluded, the Malfoys approached Mrs. Blanchard, offering her a favorable sum of galleons as a token of appreciation for her years of devoted care. Though the exchange was conducted with a sense of formality, there was an underlying sense of gratitude and respect that underscored their actions.

Following the conclusion of the somber ceremony, the small group made their way outside, where the burial procedure awaited them. The sky was overcast, casting a pall over the proceedings as they solemnly followed the path that led away from Blanchard Manor.

As they approached the edge of the forest, Celestia couldn't help but notice the secluded nature of the burial site. It was far removed from the grandeur of the Malfoy cemetery, nestled among the trees like an unknown corpse laid to rest in secrecy.

The grave had already been dug, a simple hole in the earth waiting to receive its occupant. There were no elaborate headstones or ornate markers to denote the final resting place of Seraphina Malfoy, only the hushed whispers of the wind rustling through the trees.

With solemn reverence, the small group gathered around the open grave, each lost in their own thoughts and memories of the woman they had known. Mrs. Blanchard stood off to the side, her gaze fixed on the freshly turned earth as if searching for some semblance of closure.

As the ceremony began, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy stepped forward to offer their final respects, their expressions grave and unyielding. Celestia followed suit, her heart heavy with the weight of unanswered questions and unresolved emotions.

With a heavy heart, they watched as Seraphina's body was lowered into the ground, her presence now forever lost to the world. As the earth was gently filled in around her, Celestia couldn't shake the feeling of finality that settled over her like a shroud.

In the end, Seraphina Malfoy was laid to rest in a distant land, far from the opulent halls of Blanchard Manor and the prestigious lineage of the Malfoy family. Her final resting place was a quiet corner of the forest, where the echoes of her past would be forever lost to the winds of time.

As December arrived, it brought with it a blanket of pristine snow that blanketed the grounds of Hogwarts in a soft, ethereal glow. For the fifth-years, however, the arrival of winter also heralded an onslaught of homework and prefect duties, leaving little time for anything else. Celestia returned to Hogwarts the day after the funeral, her heart heavy with grief and her mind filled with unanswered questions.

The castle seemed strangely quiet and empty as Celestia made her way through the corridors, her footsteps echoing against the stone walls. The familiar sights and sounds of Hogwarts offered little comfort to her troubled mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that gnawed at her from within.