Matchmaker's Cause and Effect (Artemis/Celeste/William) (PG-13)

What a year this was turning out to be... Three schools visiting for the tournament that was going to be getting underway anytime now, drama already prickling up between the different schools, and whatever else you wanted to throw in the pile. Either way, it brought a new sense of excitement to Hogwarts. Of all the things going on this year, one thing he was looking forward to the most was seeing Celeste. After a long summer of writing back and forth, he found he thought of her often, and just the thought made him smile.

Walking along the grounds, he stopped under one of the trees that was near the Black Lake, in the general location where Atticus had told him and Artemis that all three of them were siblings. Leaning against the tree, his hands in his pockets, and one foot crossed over the other, she smiled as he looked over the water...

Artemis slipped out of the woods, wiping the mud off her hands just before pulling on her hoodie. She had been running in wolf form for most of the day and after smelling William in the air, she decided to investigate. After spending most of the holidays with Celeste, she learned that the young slytherin had quite the thing for her half brother.

Seeing William, a wide grin formed on her face and she quickly sprinted forward. ''Will!'' She called out and skidded across the floor, almost falling over but quickly recovered. ''What are you doing out here alone, Willykins?'' Artemis asked, her golden eyes filled with sisterly warmth she only directed towards her brothers.

Being drawn back to himself at the voice of his sister, William looked around the tree and chuckled at seeing Artemis run towards him, nearly stumbling. "You need to be more careful, Arty," he said, pulling her into a tight brotherly hug. Her question prompted him to shrug. "Nothing, really. Just went for a walk... Thinking, ya know..." William told her, before letting her go, a smile still remaining on his face at the thought of the girl he was thinking about still fresh in his mind. "What about you?" he asked.

Artemis glared playfully and stuck out her tongue before hugging William tightly, basking in his warmth. After finding out she had brothers, she couldn't get enough of their hugs as she felt safer than she ever has before. ''Being careful is boring..Gotta live life on the edge.'' She joked and tilted her head, raising her eyebrow in pure curiosity. ''What are you thinking about?'' Artemis asked with a furrow of her brow. Looking towards the forest, her main place to be nowadays, she smiled. ''Just running..'' She said, pointing towards her solitude.

William chuckled at her answer about living life on the edge. It was true, to a degree. Life needed a little risk to make it exciting. "Oh you know... Just thinking about things... Well, someone, really," he said, kissing the crown of her head. William had been shocked when he found out that it wasn't just him and Atticus as children to their father, but the shock lowly ebbed away as he grew closer to Artemis. She might be older than him, but he still felt like the older brother to her. Looking where she was pointing, he smirked and mirrored her own question back, "Just running?"

Artemis smiled, resting her head on William's shoulder. She grew close to him almost instantly, just like she had with Atticus but of course, in a different way. Sinking into her thoughts for a moment, she shrugged it off the moment William said he was thinking of someone. ''Who?! And don't ya dare say no one important. You can tell me anything!'' She asked, eyes wide whilst deep down, wanting to get possessive. Staring at her younger brother, almost resting her hand on his cheek, she looked back at forest. ''Just running...I didn't hunt. Just ran with the animals.'' She quipped, almost wanting to spill her new ability but would leave it. If Artemis ever needed to run away for a period of time and no one knew of her ability, she'd just disappear and that's what she would need. Complete disappearance.

"Nosey little sister..." William teased when she pressed him for information about just who he was thinking about. Chuckling he turned, instead, to the topic of her running in the forest before delving into his thoughts. "Running with the animals, huh? Best be careful, Arty. I know you have special training and stuff, but..." he paused an gave a small sigh before shaking his head slightly. "Just be careful. K?" he finished, knowing that she would, of course, be. Be that as it may, the brother in him wanted to protect her and make sure that no harm woudl come to her. "Now, as for who I'm thinking of.... Just....a friend, a girl," he mused with a tender smile.

Artemis rolled her eyes at the word little and let it slide before hearing the concern. Sighing softly, she rested her hand on his chest and smiled up at him warmly. ''Don't you worry, Will...I'll always be careful. The animals protect me..just like I protect them.'' She said, stroking William's cheek, happy that he was concerned. Leaning up, she brushed her lips against his other cheek and sat down on the floor in a smooth motion. Trying not to get possessive, she breathed in deeply and raised her eyebrow. ''A girl? And who would this girl be?'' Artemis asked, smiling.

Nodding, satisfied with her answer, William replied with a touch of protectiveness in his voice and a wink, "You better." Leaning into the sisterly kiss, he returned the gesture by kissing her cheek in return. Joining her on the lush grass, he leaned his back against the tree they were now sitting under and sighed. He knew the moment he mentioned that he was thinking about a girl that she would ask just who she was. Resting his head back he cleared his throat before saying, "You know her..." Closing his eyes, he grinned to himself at the tease to his sister.

Artemis smiled and leaned back against the tree, her eyes staring towards the murky water. The last few years were insane for Artemis but now having a bigger family than she ever imagined made it all okay. Looking up at William, she simply watched him as he spoke and quickly furrowed her brow at his answer. She knew few girls and knew that Celeste had a thing for William but would not go straight to her. ''Okay...Am i super close to her? as in...is she in my snake group of friends?'' She asked, determined for figure it out.

Smirking to himself as Artemis asked more questions to get to the bottom of his riddle, William gave her a nod. "Yes... To both..." he said lightly, opening one eye to look down at her before closing it once again. He didn't know what she was going to do when she found out, or what he was going to do for that matter. William knew he liked Celeste, had for a while really. Maybe, if the time was ever right.... Maybe he would ask her to be his girl.... But, who was to say that the time would ever be right?

Furrowing her brow, Artemis wrapped her arms around her knees trying to think. Staring at William in the corner of her eye, she then turned to face him. Inspecting his face intently, she tilted her head and breathed in his scent. Knowing Aphrodite has never met William, thanks to Artemis' orders for her to stay clear, she smiled. ''Well i know it's not Aphrodite....That leaves Kaida and Celeste. Kaida would've told me she met you as she tells me everyone she meets.'' She murmured and her smile grew in a large grin. ''Celeste.'' Artemis simply said and bit back a squeal in delight.

William waited as Artemis pondered just who could be on his mind from her circle of housemates. Opening his dark eyes and looking at her, he listened to her reason out the three that could possibly have invaded his mind. Nodding that she was correct about Aphrodite and again with Kaida, he touched his nose and winked at her, grinning, when she mentioned Celeste. He had wanted to keep it a secret a little longer, but there was no sense in it when Artemis had learned, quickly, how to read him.

Artemis' jaw dropped playfully and she practically tackled her half brother to the ground with a laugh. Poking his nose with a smirk, she beamed down at him. ''You like Celeste! Oh my salazar! You should totally talk to her. The girl i spent my whole life with and her half brother. Yes deep down, she wanted to rip Celeste to shreds for even liking him but if there was anyone worthy of William, it was definitely Celeste as she trusted her. Repeatedly poking William's chest, her eyes narrowed. ''And if you two do get together, I swear to the gods you're still my brother. Bros before hoes.'' Artemis said firmly.

Wrapping one arm around his sister and planting the other against the ground so they both wouldn't topple over as she flew into his arms at the news, William laughed happily. "I swear that was the best news you've heard in a long time by your reaction. I talk to her all the time, Arty," he said, sitting them both up proper-like. William knew what Artemis actually meant, but, the brother in him enjoyed being able to tease and torment her when he could. Watching her excited face shift from just that to one that was a mix of possessiveness and concern, or so it seemed, he reached up to cup her face with his hands. "Artemis, I'm always going to be your brother, girl or no girl. No one can change that..." he told her, brushing a lock of her hair away from her cheek and offering her a comforting smile.

Rolling her eyes, she settled down in front of him, still close. ''Nah. Best news i've ever had was finding out you're my brother..'' She quipped, honestly whilst her gaze was taken away by the water again. Ever since she found out, she was happier than she has ever been but was still worried about Atticus. Letting him cup her cheeks, she bit her lip softly almost shamed at the fact he could read her face. Leaning into his hand, she allowed him to move her hair away before smiling up at him. ''I just got you...I don't wanna lose you, especially to a girl.'' Artemis said firmly, thinking of the threats she already told Celeste when she found out the girl liked him. At first Celeste didn't understand why she was so possessive over William but after explaining that they were siblings, she let the possessiveness happen. ''Seriously, though...Talk to her. Ya never know..'' Wiggling her eyebrows, she smirked playfully.

"True..." William mused at the correction. He had been more than thrilled to hear that not only did he have a brother, he had a sister, too. Even if it did make for a rather interesting story since all three of them only shared a father and not mothers. Chuckling lightly, he titled his head to the side. Looking into his sister's eyes he told her, "You won't lose me. Not to a girl or anything. We are family, and nothing can change that." His words were more than just words. William had just promised that Artemis wouldn't lose him. He understood her fears about that happening, but knew, too, that he wasn't going to be taken from her or Atticus. Not by a girl, anyways... Narrowing his eyes slightly, William eyes her suspiciously. "What do you know, Arty?" he asked slowly. She knew something, he could feel it.

Artemis smiled up at William, thinking of how her brothers knew more about their father but shrugged it away. Glad she had Felix to look after her for her childhood. Letting her golden eyes lock with her brothers, she smiled happily at his words just as her heart filled with confidence and trust that he was right. ''We're family..We stick together.'' She said, holding out her pinky and took his, locking them together. A solid promise...something she would never break. She imagined a golden chain, wrapping her and William and Atticus together, bound by blood. Seeing William narrow his eyes, Artemis beamed and backed away. ''I know stuff!'' She quipped and looks at the forest with a cheeky grin. ''Well...I'm going back to running, dear brother! Remember....Go talk to her..'' She said, sprinting off before he had even a word to say about her leaving. The moment she was out of sight, she shifted and spent the rest of the day in wolf form.

Looking down at their joined fingers, William smirked. He would never leave Artemis or Atticus. Full siblings or not, he didn't care. Siblings were siblings... Before he could reply to his sister's cryptic answer like she had to him, she was gone, back into the woods to run. She does that a lot... Stay out of trouble, Arty... Thinking about what his sister said, and what she might know, William got to his feet and dusted himself off. Nodding, he thought of something and, turning on his heel, he headed back to the castle...

An hour or so later...

William sat in the courtyard where he had first met Celeste the previous year, waiting for her to arrive. He had sent her a message asking for her to meet him, and William could only hope that she got it. Fine tuning his guitar, he sat comfortably on the tabletop of one of that many stone tables that were scattered throughout the yard.

Celeste was curious as to why William summoned her but gladly took it, her heart pounding harder than a drum and her stomach fluttered with nervous excitement. Ever since she had met William, she grew feelings for him every single day and the owls only drove those emotions on. Standing behind a pillar behind William, she stared at his strong figure tuning his guitar and soundlessly walked up towards him, sitting down before actually letting out a sound. ''Hey Willykins..'' Celeste said, a light blush dancing on her cheeks but hid it behind her hair. Her voice was filled with amusement at the nickname both Artemis and her used.

Closing his eyes to get the last string tuned just right, they snapped open when he heard her voice. Looking down at Celeste, William smiled, happy that she had come. Daring to brush her hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear, he caught the fading blush in her cheeks and his heart began to pound. Does she like me, too? Is that what Arty knows? Folding his hand lightly, he rested them on the body of his guitar and asked, "Are you are Artemis going to use that nickname for me for forever?" The jokefulness in his voice showed that he didn't mind, but it was amusing. First his sister and now the girl he liked... a lot...

Celeste smiled even more at his smile, seeing his happiness that she had actually come. Resting her elbows on her knees, she looked over her shoulder at him and let a smirk grow on her face. ''Yes...Yes we are. Nothing you can say is going to change that.'' She retorted, playfully sticking out her tongue not caring if it was childish behavior. ''What ya summon me for anyway?'' She asked, raising her eyebrow as her stomach fluttered even more, trying not to get sucked into his eyes.

Nodding, he gave his head a playful shake. "Guess I'm stuck with it for good, then," he mused. William loved that Celeste could play and didn't gave two cares about how her actions might be viewed. There was far too much 'growing-up quickly' going on. Granted, he and his brother had done the same, to an extent, but to be able to be light-hearted... he liked that. Her question of just why he had called her to the courtyard made his stomach tighten as it was now or never. "Well, I was talking to Artemis... And then I was thinking... Then, well... Celeste..." he stammered before looking at her. "Can I play something for you?" he asked softly.

Smirking, Celeste bumped her shoulder against his playfully and nodded. ''Damn straight..'' She retorted, licking her lips slowly with a smile. Staring up at the sky, she watched the clouds pass by without a care in the world. Smiling at the thought, she turned back to William and furrowed her brow at the mention of Artemis. Oh may the gods be good...please tell me she didn't spill the secret. I'm going to kill her...She thought nervously before tilting her head at his question. Nodding quickly after a moment of nervous thinking, she smiled. ''Yes...Yes of course..'' Her hand gestured told him to play away.

Sighing, Willian gave a small nod and readied himself to play. Strumming a chord or two, he told her, "I wrote this over the summer... It's uh.... It's for you." Winking he set to playing the melody, simple and gentle, as he sang...

Last year when we met,
We started as friends,
I can't tell you how it all happened.
Then winter, it came,
And we were never the same.
Those days it all felt like magic.

And I wonder if you feel it, too.
If you don't here's the one thing that I wish you knew...

I think about you, every morning when I open my eyes.
I think about you, every even when I turn out the lights.
I think about you, every moment, every day of my life.
You're on my mind, all the time, it's true.

I think about you, you, you, you, you...
I think about you... Ooooo... I think about you...

As the song drew to a close, William swallowed hard and glanced at Celeste, hoping for a good reaction.

*Song adapted from I Think About You by R. Lynch*