CHAPTER ONE
HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

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warnings: mentions of murder , alcohol

     For normal human beings, a name was just a name, but at Hogwarts, your name determines your status. Many, like Celena Leociadus, couldn't give two shits about her name, nor her status. Actually, she found it hilarious that her classmates would go around flaunting their names like they had earned a golden plaque and a spot on the A-list celebrity roster.

She silently laughed to herself, hearing the voices of peers bragging in the corridors of Hogwarts echo in her head.

It was late July, and soon enough, she would find herself back at the very place she called home since she was eleven. Although she hated it sixty-precent of the time ( thanks to the factor of her peers and annoying classmates ), she desperately hung to that forty-precent and held it close. Her years here would soon be over and all the excitement of returning at the end of summer would disappear. It was a school, but for Celena, it had turned into a home. She had met her closest friends here, people she would love for the rest of her life. Celena, in all her glorious honesty, had no idea what she was going to do after graduation. Her mind did not desire any Ministry jobs like fellow classmates, but she also did not fancy sitting in her own home all day. She still had four years to figure it out, but it kept eating at her brain in the worst way possible.

"Celena." A voice shook her from her endless daydream.

She snapped her head, forgetting that she was in a formal setting alongside her parents and other families. "This is Mr. Kline, my old professor when I attended classes." Her mother guided her towards the older man, setting a hand on the back of her cold upper arm. Celena silently laughed at the way her mother referred to her time at Hogwarts with 'classes.'

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kline." She shook his wrinkly hand as he extended it to her gracefully.

He had thick white hair and slightly hunched shoulders, his dress coat lay softly against his protruding tummy, spotless with absolutely no wrinkles ( unlike his aged skin. )

"I hear you were the top of your classes last year, and I must say, you certainly take after your mother." He said with a crooked smile. Celena smiled in return, looking down to her rings and then back towards the man.

The lights above flickered as the fire danced in contrast with the soft night. Celena stared at the ballroom, watching as the moon shone faint light in from the large windows. Her eyes traced over the thousands on crystals hanging from the chandeliers, and the delicate circular tables littered throughout the room. Each one decorated with blooming flowers, squeaky-clean plates and silverware, along with tiny teacup candles. The balcony blew in a light breeze, making the fire on the wicks shudder in surprise.

"Now, do tell me, how are the professors? I've heard that much has changed since my years." Mr. Kline swirled the red wine around in his elegant glass cup, taking a small sip of it and letting the alcohol burn his throat. "I would be lying if I said every day was the same, each professor has their own flair." Celena spoke with a hint of laughter to her voice.

"Some are brilliant...while others, well others are quite memorable for different reasons." The young girl answered truthfully but maturely. It was her price for being a Leociadus, she was raised pristine, prim and proper. She was not silver spoon, she was a golden knife. "Well said, Miss Leociadus! I see a bright future for you here in our Ministry, your parents should be proud of you." The older man smiled one again, something Celena noticed he did very often.

"Remember to keep up with your O.W.L.S for your fifth year! Very important for your future." Mr. Kline shook his head, as if he was agreeing with himself. "Thank you, I do hope you enjoy the rest of your summer Mr. Kline!" She slightly bowed her head and shook his hand, then moved past her mother and towards the ballroom entrance.

She passed many important families within the Wizarding World, especially those placed in Slytherin. House Zabini, The Malfoy's, The Greengrass', and her own perch, House of Leociadus. Oftentimes, she referred to Slytherin as a curse. All families had their noses so high in the air, decorated with expensive jewellery and clothing, following one another like they were their leaders.

Celena Leociadus was an outsider in her world, but at the same time she was perfect.

And if anyone knew she had actual sympathy for Harry Potter, she would be named a blood traitor. Her skin already shuddered at the thought, the piercing voices in her ear nagging her, taunting her.

Heiress. Slytherin Princess. Future Prefect.

These were the titles she bore since her first year. The day she turned eleven was the day a crown was placed on her head and a target on her back. Many despised her, without even truly getting to talk to her. They envied her. Her life, her status, her wealth, the chase.

They envied the idea of her, rather than the actual her.

Celena Leociadus did not even know who she was. She was handed a golden platter with duties to fulfil and expectations to succeed. She could not figure out if she loved it or hated it.

Surely, it had ups and downs.

Behind all the glamour and romanticism of her family name, she was, at her core, a kind soul. Misunderstood, even. Her classmates deemed her spoiled, while her enemies tainted her evil, but the ones she truly loved—her friends, now they had seen the true her. A girl who craved success, a girl who smiled every second of every day. Celena Leociadus wanted nothing more than to shed the skin she was brought up in and prove everyone wrong.

It went without words that she was grateful for everything she had, especially her parents, who worked tirelessly to get to this point—but she often thought of the reason behind it all? What was it all for? If her parents stood for nothing, what would they fall for?

Whispers were beginning to travel around the Ministry of a certain wizard. Voldemort. Many feared he would return, and others believed he already had. Geneva and Merek Leociadus did not. They shut down any rumors, any spectacles that tied them to the Dark Lord's return. They refused to endanger Celena, or have her in the spotlight of a war she would not be fighting in.

They knew it was still early, and the true time of his return was impossible to predict, in the wake of it all, they sent Celena off to Hogwarts as soon as possible, shielding her from any further threats to her image.

House of Leociadus would not be polluted, it would not rust, and it sure as hell wouldn't spoil.

Celena continued walking around the room, excusing herself through the crowd of Slytherin families and pure-blood praisers. Her small heels clacked on the polished wooden floor and her black gown brushed the ground behind her softly. Her tip toes helped her see over the crowds, guiding her to her closest friends, Cornelia and Dalton.

She first met Cornelia when they entered their first year. Celena had gotten lost on her way to Charms class and began to panic in a small corridor. Luckily, Cornelia had found her and discovered she was going to the same class. Since then, they were inseparable.

Dalton, on the other hand, was a different story.

He transferred the year before, from an academy of Magic she couldn't be bothered to name as it slipped from her memory. At first, he caused some trouble within the Slytherin House. Upon his arrival, he found the nerve to bother each and every professor until their breaking point. Celena could've sworn at least thirty points were deducted from Slytherin each day.

Even now, the girl could not find the reasoning behind this, and every time she asked he said he did it for mere sport. It was not until Celena had knocked some sense into him that he started good behavior. This led him straight to her group, where he had been ever since.

Celena walked forward, spotting the two at the table in the distance. Cornelia helplessly munched on a piece of dipping bread, shoving small pieces into her mouth delicately and as fast as possible while trying to remain elegantly still. Celena laughed to herself as she made her to way to the table.

"This is bloody awful." Dalton spoke up first, resting his arm on the white table cloth.

Celena silently nodded.

"Surrounded by a bunch of old blokes, we are. Could've sworn I saw dust clinging to Mr. Devereux' suit." He added, although, Celena had no clue what he meant. It was normal, especially for Dalton to talk absolute nonsense.

"I'd much rather watch Potter and Malfoy argue for the hundredth time than be here any longer." Cornelia grumbled.

Despite sharing the same house, Celena and Cornelia did not like Draco Malfoy. They thought his ego was higher than the towers of Hogwarts. Dalton, however, did not mind him, and oftentimes found himself floating around his group.

Of course, Celena did not completely hate Malfoy, he had some valuable charms, but ninety precent of him was just a complete asshole—he was just not particularly her cup of tea, neither was he Cornelia's.

Celena looked back to where the Malfoy's were seated, watching as Draco tapped his finger on a glass full of water and rested his chin on his hand. His mother, Narcissa sat next to him, speaking to a man dressed in dark green. Lucius was no where to be found, thankfully. The many times that Celena had met him, he always sized up Draco, making him out to be the most glorious Slytherin to ever step foot into the vast castle of Hogwarts.

Celena and Cornelia only prayed that Lucius had been left at home and wasn't endlessly finding new mates to blabber off with.

The pair looked over to the Malfoy table, watching as Draco scowled and looked around the room every few seconds. His usual gelled back hair was let down near the front, the middle part sharp as wispy strands framed his forehead. His suit was fitted, black with a small hint of green on the buttons.

The Slytherin had forgotten she had been looking at him until he met her eyes from across the room. Celena quickly looked away, squinting her eyes and looking back towards Dalton, who now picked at food on the table. "Malfoy looks thrilled." She joked, pursing her lips and scoffing with a hint of joy.

"Don't think I've ever seen him so happy." Cornelia responded, her joke causing even Dalton to snort.

Malfoy wasn't the happiest Slytherin in the bunch, and it was quite well known.

Suddenly, Geneva Leociadus elegantly walked over to the 'children's' table. She sipped some of her wine, then gulped it down and gazed over the kids.

"Ah! Cornelia, Dalton!" She smiled, voice softly booming over the music. The two others got up from their chairs, walking over to hug the older woman. "It is so nice to see you both, how has summer been for you?" Geneva asked. "Eventful. I've been preparing for the upcoming year." Cornelia answered truthfully.

They were lucky they did not have to study for O.W.L.S quite yet, but each year was beginning to pile up. Celena only imagined what mystery lies within this year.

Geneva rubbed her hand on Cornelia's shoulder, pulling away from the hug and smiling. "How about you, Dalton?" She quickly asked. "Very busy, especially with traveling and packing. Luckily, Wren helped me with most of my trunks." He breathed, referring to his house elf, Wren, who Celena had met thousands of times.

"Good, good!" Geneva smiled, asking more and more questions that were starting to become incoherent as Celena drowned out the sounds of her mother's endless talking. She looked over as Lucius Malfoy had pulled his son and guided him to a darkened hallway.

She furrowed her eyebrows, excusing herself from the table and following after discreetly.

Odd. Truly odd.

The girl peeked her head around the corner and watched as he yanked Draco into a vacant room. This was not their home, why would he do this? The questions began to pile up in Celena's head as  she neared closer and closer, listening to muffled voices from behind the wooden door.

The Greengrass Manor held many secrets, but this was just one waiting to unfold.

Under tresses of vines on stone, music had begun to fade, the faint melody from the ballroom lingering in the girls ears. The hallway was dim, bright enough so that Celena wouldn't trip, but too dark for her to see the end of it. She stood at the entrance of another hallway closer to the ballroom, hiding behind the large ancient walls. Her dress fluttered from the open balcony window as moonlight flooded in.

"You don't grasp it yet Draco!" He heard Lucius Malfoy's booming voice from inside the office, and then the shuffle of feet.

"He grows stronger by the day, and soon enough, he'll want you." The man spoke, sighing loudly and half whispering half shouting the end of his sentence. Draco was silent. "So far, you have proven yourself unworthy of this position."

"I apologise, Father. I will do better."

Celena Leociadus had never heard Draco Malfoy actually apologise, nor accept someone's opinion. He was always obnoxiously fighting others and calling other pure-bloods traitors for their different beliefs.

"Apologies won't cut it now, boy. You have got to prove yourself a Malfoy." Lucius ranted.

"Or else, I'll have him draw you from this opportunity."

Celena wondered who 'he' was. Why was he such a mystery that his name could not be spoken? Her mind ran a mile with questions, more slowly entering her mind as she stood there in the darkness. Celena peeked while the silence grew, it treaded on for about another ten seconds before she heard Lucius once again.

"This is your only warning, child. Shape up." His voice shuddered and it sounded like he had shown his teeth in defence.

"Now go." He shooed him away.

Celena must've forgotten that she had been standing there as she got lost in her thoughts. She heard Draco's feet shuffle to the door and the creaking of the hinges grow louder. Draco scurried out, adjusting his suit and taking a deep breath before walking down the hall.

She watched as Draco briefly passed by, but her blonde hair couldn't have stayed hidden for long.

"What are you looking at, Leociadus?" She huffed, a slight growl in his voice as if he were a lion ready to pounce

Celena stayed silent and just looked up from her spot against the wall. Stupid. How stupid of her to be so nosy. The boy rolled his eyes as she gave him a narrow stare, then he was shortly on his way back to the ballroom. As she turned to head back to her friends, Lucius Malfoy decided to peek out from the office.

"Ah." He hummed, hurriedly rushing past her without another word.

"Blimey. Never gets old." She whispered to herself, the Malfoy family was strange. In fact, they were stranger than her own, but it was another topic for another conversation—preferably one with her friends.

She fluffed her black dress and headed back inside, sitting down next to Cornelia and Dalton who were fighting over the last pastry on the table. Celena swiftly moved behind them and took it in her hands from the platter it sat on. "Oi!" She heard Dalton shriek.

"Oops!" Celena responded with the biggest smile.

Cornelia just stared at the girl with her jaw dropped nearly to the floor. "That was a betrayal." She huffed, only half joking.

ᛝ

         Later that night, Draco Malfoy had returned to the Manor with a scowl on his face and a new hatred in his heart.

Summer was soon to come to a close, and he would be on that train he sat at every September 1st since he was eleven. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss it. There, he had much more freedom than being locked up in his father's Manor all hours of the day. Summer was not an escape, it was his nightmare.

At Hogwarts, he was able to laugh alongside his friends, to explore places in the castle he hadn't found yet.

At home—or the Manor, as he called it, he was met with the same dark hallways and silence that was never offered at school. Surely, he was with his mother, who he loved dearly, but at the Manor, everyone kept to themselves—even the house elves. He didn't mind the silence and moments of peace, but when it was constant for two and a half months, it grew to be tiring.

Using the Floo Network, the family of three landed in front of their fireplace with green flames.

The fire lit the dark room for a moment, but soon vanished, leaving them in a harsh darkness.

Lucius hurried ahead, rushing out of the empty grand living room and disappeared somewhere in the Manor. Narcissa and Draco were left standing, his mother walking forward slightly before turning around and watching her son stare out of the windows into the darkness.

"Draco?" She spoke softly.

He perked up, taking his hand off his lip and looking towards his mother. He didn't respond, but instead furrowed his eyebrow.

Silence.

Narcissa sent him a small smile and continued walking, wandering up towards the wooden stairs. Without any emotion, Draco took a deep breath. He was used to this, it's how it was since he was a kid.

But the silence didn't last as Lucius called his son to his office.

The boy groaned, harshly walking on the wooden floors down the hallway towards the office. As he entered, he saw his father facing the window with his snake cane in his left hand. "You must keep that girl silent." He began.

Draco looked at him confused. "That Leociadus girl? She wouldn't dare to say anything, Father." He responded.

Lucius turned around, a glint of anger in his piercing blue eyes. Although it was dark, Draco could see the fury written all over his face. "She heard what we were speaking about, Draco. Surely she will blabber off to her followers. The Leociadus family is not to be trusted, any of them." The man with long white hair tapped his cane once on the floor, walking around to sit at his desk. Lucius Malfoy would never spill any secrets to their family, but it didn't mean he wouldn't be rude to another pure-blood dynasty.

Draco nodded.

"Do whatever it is. Pay her, kill her, expel her. Whatever the task is, you do it."

Another nod. "Yes, Father."

Celena Leociadus was a threat to the Malfoy family, especially after what she had just heard at the Greengrass Manor.

She needed to be kept quiet, even if it meant she disappeared.

✶ AUTHORS NOTE ✶

yay first chapter done!!
i love celena and her dynamic with
cornelia so i hope you enjoy them (as well
as dalton, couldn't forget about my king)

wc: 3,179