Expecto Patronum || Cedric Diggory x Hufflepuff Female Reader

~ e i g h t ~

TW: again, the small trigger warning of abuse, it's not too big at all.

I am so happy that y/n agreed to spend the holidays with me and my family. I just had to make sure that father didn't embarrass me.

I met y/n outside of school on the day we were leaving. She was wearing her winter coat and her Hufflepuff scarf. She didn't bother wearing a hat and the snowflakes landed on her h/c hair elegantly. I didn't know how someone could be so pretty while still wearing everyday clothes.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey Ced. Thanks for letting me stay with your family during the holidays," she says, lugging her trunk behind her.

"Of course," I say. "We didn't get to go last year so I thought it fitting for us to go this year."

We boarded the Hogwarts Express on our way back to Kings Cross where we were going to take a portkey that father had arranged to Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon, England, aka, my home.

We have light conversation throughout the commute and when we reach my house, my father is already a step outside the door, running toward me.

"There's my boy!" father runs toward me and wraps his arms around me. I accidentally let go of my trunk and it would have fallen on my heels if y/n hadn't caught it for me.

"Thanks," I say to her after my parents hug her as well. She hands my trunk back to me.

"y/n can stay in my room. I can get the sleeping bag out for her," I say to my parents as we hang up our coats by the entrance.

"Ok great!" mother says. We take our trunks upstairs and start unpacking.

"Need help?" she asks after a little bit. I see that she's already finished.

"How did you finish so quickly?" I ask, getting up from the floor.

"I packed light. You should try some time. Taken that this is your house after all," she laughs. "I'm going to head downstairs to say hello to your parents. Come down when you're done."

After I unpack and get the sleeping bag ready for her, I open the drawer that I let her use for all her clothes.

"Why are they all long-sleeved?" I ask myself. I decide to go downstairs and ask her. I am going to get to the bottom of this today.

She's sitting on the armchair in the living room, reading a book and huddled under a blanket.

What a nerd I think, laughing inside. It's holiday break and she's still reading. Her long h/c hair is a little wet from when the snow that she didn't bother to brush away melted in it. She looks so cute and peaceful and I didn't want to bother her but I need to know. I'm still her best friend after all.

"What do you mean?" she says when I ask her.

"Your shirts. Why are they all long-sleeved?"

"I mean... it's winter... so..." she points outside at the falling snow.

"Right but even in the summer..." I turn around to face her after looking outside the window. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a short-sleeved shirt ever."

"Why does it matter?" she asks, turning away from me and hiding her face in her book.

"y/n/n. We've been best friends since first year. Why do you feel the need to hide something from me?"

"It's not just hiding from you-"

"Wha-"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Just, let me be," she grabs her book and blanket and starts to get up to go into our shared room.

Without thinking, I grab her arm that's holding the book. She drops the book and blanket in surprise and tries to pull her wrist out of my hand. I use my other hand to pull up her sleeve and gasp when I see the scars and bruises that line her arm.

In my moment of shock she pulls her arm away from my grasp and pulls the sleeve down. I look up at her with a face full of shock, and apology for forcing the truth out of her.

She glowers at me. "There's a lot you don't know."

Then she turns around, throws on her jacket and boots and runs out the front door before I can say anything.

"Hey where'd she go son?" father comes in at a very inconvenient moment.

"I- I messed up," I admit.

He looks outside and sees y/n sitting under my childhood tree, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her face in her knees and rocking back and forth.

"Yeah..." mother comes up behind father, looking at y/n.

"What happened? How did you make her so upset?" father asks.

"I- I don't want to talk about it. Can I go outside and see if she's alright?" I ask.

"She likely doesn't want to talk to you but go ahead son," father says.

Thanks dad. Just the boost of self-confidence I needed. I thought.

I slowly approach y/n, holding my hands up to show that I mean her no harm. I don't know why I think that's going to help but she didn't stand up and run away when I reached her side.

She turns away from me, giving me the cold shoulder which makes me feel worse.

"Why- why didn't you tell me?" I ask, immediately regretting it.

She glares at me. Great, now you've done it Cedric. You've made her more mad at you. "I mean-"

"He made me swear not to tell anyone," she says quietly.

"He? A boy did this to you? Tell me and I will-"

"You will do nothing ," she turns away. "This 'he' is my father."

Suddenly it makes sense as to why her boggart is her father.

"M-Mr. Freeman?" I stammer.

"Yes that's my father," she says impatiently. "Do you have anything intelligent to say?"

I don't say anything as I really didn't.

"Why would he do this?" I look out into the soft snow.

"He's just bipolar. And the escape of Sirius Black puts more pressure on his department, therefore making it worse." she brushes her hand around in the snow.

"I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry," I look at the house. I see mother and father's shadows as they run around the house.

"Sometimes it's best not to say anything at all," she says, looking away.

After a little bit of sitting in silence, I wrap my arm around her shoulders. To my surprise, she doesn't pull away.

"Do you remember third year? How we sat outside on this very day, together, in the snow?" she asks after a little bit.

I smile, "best day of my life."

"That was the best?" she looks up at me, incredulous.

"I mean... it was with you so. Naturally," I say. Real smooth, Ced.

I turn around and look down at her. She's looking up at me back. I wanted so desperately to kiss her. I've never felt that strongly about it. Maybe because I want her to know how sorry I am. But before I could close the distance, she looked inside the house.

"We should go. You're father's calling," she says, getting up and brushing the snow off her pants. When I've gotten up, we head inside the house together.

Dearest y/n,
Words cannot describe how sorry I am that I forced the truth out of you. I know now that it would have been better for me to wait and have you tell me. However, I am happy that we made up in the end because you make me happier than anyone in the world and I don't know what I would do if you were mad at me for too long. I will forever be sorry about what happened today. Even the almost-kiss which, frankly, I would have enjoyed had it had actually happened. But just like I said last time. I am willing to wait forever if it means that you will be willing to love me back.
Yours forever,
Ced.