human again / hp.

Chapter 34

The castle felt eerily quiet with most of the students gone for the holidays. The snow-covered grounds sparkled under the moonlight, and the Great Hall was practically deserted during meals, save for a handful of staff and the few students who stayed behind. I wasn't sure why I felt so restless tonight, but I couldn't sit still in the common room or lose myself in a book.

Instead, I wandered the empty corridors, the sound of my footsteps bouncing off the cold stone walls.

I turned a corner near the library and stopped short. Standing in the shadows, arms crossed and his expression serious, was Harry Potter.

"Celeste," he said. His voice was calm, but there was a sharpness to it that immediately put me on edge.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice carefully neutral.

"I was waiting for you," he said plainly, stepping closer.

"Waiting for me?" I repeated, confused.

He nodded, his green eyes narrowing slightly. "We need to talk."

I frowned, my stomach twisting. "About what?"

"You helped us," he said bluntly. "In the Slytherin common room. When Ron and I were disguised with the Polyjuice Potion—you warned us when it started wearing off. Why?"

I blinked, caught completely off guard. "I—"

"Don't deny it," Harry interrupted, his tone sharper now. "You knew something was wrong, and you helped us. But why would you do that if you're supposed to be on Draco's side?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I hadn't expected this confrontation, and I wasn't sure how to explain myself without making things worse.

"Celeste," Harry continued, his voice lowering but still tense, "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm tired of pretending nothing's wrong. You may like to pretend, but I don't. Something is wrong with you, and you're hiding it from me."

The accusation stung more than I cared to admit. "I'm not hiding anything from you," I said defensively, though even I could hear the weakness in my voice.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then why can't you ever be honest with me? Why are you always so... distant? Like you're trying to be two different people at once."

I looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. "It's not that simple."

"Then make it simple," he said, his voice soft but insistent. "Just tell me the truth."

There was a long pause, the silence between us stretching taut. Finally, I sighed and leaned against the cold stone wall, my breath fogging in the chilly air.

"My father," I began hesitantly, "he told me... he told me not to associate with you. Or Ron or Hermione. He said I should only talk to Draco and other Slytherins—people he considers... proper company."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"Because he doesn't trust you," I said bitterly. "He thinks you're trouble. He thinks you're trying to undermine our family—undermine him. And he's... he's watching me, Harry. If he hears that I've been seen with you, I don't even want to imagine what he'd do."

Harry studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "So that's it? You're just going to do whatever your father says, even if it's wrong?"

"It's not that simple!" I said again, my voice rising slightly. "You don't understand what it's like, Harry. I don't want to disappoint him. I can't. He's—he's my father."

"So what?" Harry shot back. "That doesn't mean he gets to control you, Celeste. You're not a puppet."

I flinched at his words, but they struck a chord deep inside me.

"You don't understand," I said quietly. "You don't know what it's like to grow up with someone like him. He expects so much from me. I'm already a disappointment just for being in Gryffindor. If I go against him any more than I already have..." I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Harry's expression softened, but his tone remained firm. "Maybe I don't know what it's like to have a father like that," he admitted. "But I do know what it's like to feel like you're being pulled in a hundred directions. To feel like you're expected to be someone you're not. And I know how lonely it feels."

I looked up at him, startled by the honesty in his voice.

"But you're not alone, Celeste," he continued. "You don't have to pretend with me. I don't care what your father thinks or what Draco thinks. I just... I want to understand you."

His words were so earnest, so sincere, that they broke through the wall I'd been building around myself.

"I'm scared, Harry," I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared of what will happen if I don't do what he says. I'm scared of what he'll do to me if I step out of line."

Harry took a step closer, his expression softening even more. "You don't have to be scared. You're stronger than you think."

I gave a shaky laugh. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not," he said simply. "But it's worth it. And if you ever need someone to remind you of that... you know where to find me."

For a moment, we just stood there, the weight of the conversation hanging between us.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

Harry nodded, his eyes steady on mine. "Just don't shut me out again, okay?"

"I'll try," I promised, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I truly meant it.

As Harry turned and disappeared into the shadows, I remained behind, leaning against the stone wall. Outside the nearby window, snowflakes continued to drift lazily to the ground, undisturbed and serene.