Camellia Delacey: the youngest child of the prestigious Pureblood family, the Delaceys, and childhood best friend of Draco Malfoy. The two have been inseparable ever since they met each other at three years old, and have vowed to have each other's backs through thick and thin, no matter what. However, their story quickly takes a dark turn when the second wizarding war begins to loom over them. The two children, as well as everyone around them, are forced to quickly grow up as their world starts to turn into a battlefield before their very eyes. Their lives become a fight for survival, and only the clever, adaptable, and prepared are granted a chance at surviving. It is during this time, more than ever, that Camellia and Draco must rely on each other, or risk losing one another. The story features a Gryffindor that struggles to embody courage, the loyalty between friends, LGBTQ characters, the true colors and traits of the Slytherin house, and the struggles to adapt to a world where dying is something as easy as blowing out a candle.
Chapter 2 Diagon Alley
Gringotts
Camellia
Sunlight trickled into the white room, creating a heavenly glow. Camellia opened one of her windows, allowing a fresh breath of air into her room. A light, euphoric feeling fluttered in her chest as a bright smile stretched across her face.
Today, the Delaceys would be meeting the Malfoys in Diagon Alley. She hadn't seen Draco in a week, and she missed him dearly. They would be reunited for a brief moment today before they went to Hogwarts later that month.
Once she became bored of pacing in her room, Camellia headed downstairs to pace somewhere else. Maybe her parents would realize they should go now instead of waiting. What was the point of waiting for something like this? She didn't understand, especially when she could see her best friend now rather than later.
She left her bedroom and entered the main room, which was a vast, open room, with a ceiling that stretched far above Camellia. White walls and floors were made of marble and expensive decor and furniture were placed intricately around the room. A crystal chandelier dangled from the ceiling, sparkling in the sunlight.
One of the perks of being a prestigious Pureblood family were the financial advantages. Many wizards could dream of living a luxurious life, but very few could achieve such a lifestyle.
"Camellia, please stop pacing around. You'll wear down the carpet," Mrs. Delacey said, not looking up from the Daily Prophet. Camellia stopped in her tracks, a frown on her face. Were they going to sit here all day just reading the newspaper? Draco was probably waiting for her! Just as she opened her mouth to say something, someone cut across her.
"Mother, when will we be going to Diagon Alley?" Atticus, soundless as usual, appeared behind Camellia. "There are a few books I would like to purchase today." Preferably as soon as possible, Atticus didn't add that last part, but it needn't have been said. This time, Mrs. Delacey looked up from the Daily Prophet, her gaze cold as always.
Their looks are alike, Camellia noticed. Mrs. Delacey and Atticus shared the same icy, callous gaze. It was a little unnerving.
"When your father arrives, we will go to Diagon Alley. I understand you two are very excited to meet the Malfoys, but please contain your enthusiasm." Mrs. Delacey flicked up the Daily Prophet again; a sign that the conversation was over. Camellia looked up at Atticus, watching for a reaction, but he merely turned away and left the main room, head tipped down to his book. Looking back at her mother, she sighed in defeat and went back to her room.
I hope we' re not going to be too late, she thought. She would prefer to spend as much time with Draco as possible. Granted, once she started Hogwarts, she would be able to spend as much time with him as she wanted. Still, she hadn't seen him in a week and she missed him, especially since she hardly got any attention from her own family.
Camellia picked up some of her books, flipped through them, and put them back in their rightful places on the shelf. When would Mr. Delacey come home? Any moment now, surely! He wouldn't want to keep the Malfoys waiting any longer. After doing a few somersaults on the ground, the sound of someone arriving by Floo Powder echoed in the manor. Camellia opened her door, delighted to see Mr. Delacey greeting Mrs. Delacey with a kiss.
Speak of the Devil!
"Father!" Camellia called, trotting down the stairs to greet her father. A house-elf grabbed Mr. Delacey's briefcase and scuttled away as Camellia approached.
"Camellia," Mr. Delacey smiled, pulling his daughter into a hug. Unlike Mrs. Delacey, Mr. Delacey was much warmer and affectionate. Camellia liked her father better than her mother, though both of them had their fair share of strict moments.
"Can we go to Diagon Alley now?" Camellia asked. "Where will we be meeting Draco - er, the Malfoys?"
"Outside of Flourish and Blotts. We'll have enough time to gather your school supplies before heading to the bookstore, so let's get going," Mr. Delacey said. Camellia looked around for Atticus, only to find him right behind her.
"Calm down, I'm right here," Atticus said, his lips curving slightly upwards. One by one, the Delaceys entered Diagon Alley using Floo Powder. It was crowded today — school was approaching, and Diagon Alley was crawling with new and returning students. For a moment, Camellia wondered if they would be able to find the Malfoys in this crowd. Then she remembered that they were the Malfoys — they stood out wherever they went.
"Atticus, dear, I think we need to get you some new robes. These seem too short," Mrs. Delacey remarked, pulling at the sleeves of his robes.
"We can get our robes together!" Camellia said. She could have imagined it, but she saw Atticus smile, just a little bit. However, before they could go get their new robes, they had to go to Gringotts first. They approached the marble white building and Camellia quickly glanced at the golden words embedded in the structure before stepping in.
"Oh!" She exclaimed softly. She knew Gringotts and wizard banks alike worked with goblins, but she had never seen goblins up close. She had only heard about them in her tutoring lessons and the countless of goblin and wizard wars. The pictures in the books, she realized, were distinctly different from the real ones.
They were knobbly little creatures, with faces that were contorted into frowns. Pointy ears with teeth just as sharp, they were hardly even three feet tall. In all honesty, they were a little scary. However, looking up at her family's cool, impassive demeanor, Camellia realized she had to swallow her intimidation.
She was a Delacey! Not some cowardly, no-name witch.
Pulling her shoulders back and raising her head, she followed her family as they received access to their vault. They proceeded to the carts, which looked old, unstable, and unsanitary. Camellia looked up at her mother as if to ask, 'do we really need to ride these?' A faint nod of her head made Camellia cringe.
Well, here goes nothing, she thought.
The Delaceys sat uncomfortably in the carts, and not a moment later they were off, whisking into the deep abyss and craters beneath London. She wished she tied her hair earlier, as she knew it was going to be a hassle to fix later.
Suddenly, the cart dipped forward, and then they were shooting down, gravity taking full control of the cart. Her stomach flipped and she gripped the bar in front of her, a scream ripping through her. They whizzed beneath London, finally stopping in front of a large metal door. She stumbled out of the cart, legs trembling beneath her. She was glad to see Atticus looked a little disheveled; a change from his indifferent gaze.
The door of their vault creaked open, revealing heaps and towers of galleons and sickles. There were a few knuts scattered carelessly around, invisible compared to the mountains of gold coins.
"It will be up to both of you to make sure this vault stays full, if not fuller," Mr. Delacey said, his tone serious. "I will not allow my children to live in poor, unsanitary conditions." In order words, anything that can be defined as 'living like a commoner.'
"Yes, father," Atticus said. With their finances collected, Camellia prepared herself for the ride back up. Once they reached the surface, the Delaceys thanked the goblin that assisted them and left Gringotts.
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Word Count: 1269
Next Chapter:
Chapter 1.2: Flourish and Blotts
Thank you so much for reading and for all of your support! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. To provide some clarification about how the chapters are numbered, in this story, each chapter falls under an overarching theme. For example, the Delaceys travelling to Diagon Alley or the Sorting Ceremony. This makes the chapters a little easier to categorize and a little shorter since so much can happen in one chapter. It also offers the opportunity to delve into the perspectives of other characters and prevents switching from one POV to another in the same chapter. I hope that provided some clarification!
Next chapter, Draco and Camellia meet up at Flourish and Blotts!
Stay safe, everyone.
- Birch Tree
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Chapter 2 Diagon Alley
08/03/2021