𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 & 𝙻𝚒𝚎𝚜 ||𝙳.𝙼 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌||

Chapter 40 - The Memorial Service

You were restless in your sleep. You cried, kept fidgeting, having nightmares. I couldn't stand seeing you hurt. I quietly sobbed last night, quiet enough to not wake you and the others up. That's why I left.

~ DM

I sighed and smiled. Liv did change him, no matter what she told, no matter what others thought. I looked at her, her breathing was slow, she was still sleeping and turned to my bed, a note lying there for me as well. I picked it up and it read,

Granger,

She will not ask for help, you know how stubborn she can be. She will not come out of the dorm for days, she was still burning up last night, so I put a wet cloth on her forehead, hope you will do that too.

Never leave her alone in the dorm, never. The last time I did, she burned herself. Take care of her, for me.

~ Malfoy

I looked at her, tears filling my eyes, she was reading the letter. She looked at me, with a blank expression and went back to sleep. She was staring at the ceiling, not blinking once.

I sat next to her and touched her forehead; she was still hot. I placed a wet cloth and looked at her. She didn't look at me, just staring blankly at the ceiling. I was about to stand up, when she said.

"You know, I slept last night, only to think that this was some sort of nightmare. That it would be over when I woke up. For a moment I thought it was, until I read the note"

I looked at her and kept a hand on her hand. "Liv, I know when I say that everything will be okay, it won't. They'll just be condolences. Because, yes, everything is changing-" I said but she cut me off, "How am I supposed to move on, Mione? He loved me, whereas I thought it was too soon. You know, it was my fault. I asked him to protect Harry. And he... he did" she said sitting up.

"No, Liv, it- this isn't your fault. He did what was right" I said hugging her. She didn't hug me back, Ginny was standing at the edge of the bed, crying too.

Olivia's POV

A few days went by, I hadn't left my dorm, I wasn't eating or sleeping either. The minute I closed my eyes; I would see Cedric's dead face staring at me. Hermione and Ginny always brought food for me, that would be left untouched.

With Hermione's and Ginny's pleas, I went to the common, to sit, always after curfew. I used to stare into the fireplace, until I fell asleep. Days passed by and the same routine continued. I hadn't eaten in ages, I was looking skinny, dark bags underneath my eyes. Hermione had told me that Draco was asking about me. I ignored her. With what Harry had been telling, his father was a death eater. Also, Crabbe's and Goyle's.

Harry's POV

After Cedric's death, there was no joy around Liv. The once, oh so happy, cheerful and bright Olivia, was now numb. I hadn't seen her after his death. She used to stay in her dorm, never came out, not for meals or classes.

After what were days, but felt like months, I saw Liv in the common room, after curfew. I guess she had just fallen asleep, her breathing wasn't steady. I quietly sat beside her and stared at her in awe. She was looking skinny, dark circles had mounted their tents under her eyes. She hadn't been eating for days.

I scooted closer to her and tucked a few strands of her that were on her face. For once, she looked peaceful. I was about to leave, when she wrapped her hands around me and slept on my shoulders. I let her. The next day, I woke up before she could and told Mione to get her or sleep beside her.

This became a routine of ours. She used to come to the common room after curfew, I used to sleep beside her and left before she would wake up.

One day, when I was coming down to the common room, I saw her awake, she looked at me and smiled faintly. She had already seen me, there was no turning back.