a rose by any other name

chapter forty-six ❃ the end.

Me and Pansy waited in that closet before we heard screaming and cheering coming from outside, we looked at each other questionably and hesitantly left our safe little broom closet. We walked towards the courtyard and that's when we saw it... there was a cloud of ash floating towards the sky and below it was Voldemort... disintegrating. Pansy gasped as people around us cheered and we processed what was happening. Voldemort was dead. He was quite literally floating off into the sky, and there was Harry looking exhausted in front of him. Hermione and Ron sprinted towards him from behind us and pretty much jumped on him, both smiling widely. "You did it Harry!" Hermione shouted through laughter and they all hugged each other sweetly.

Pansy turned to me and we both smiled widely... it was over. Pansy hugged me tightly and we both burst into tears of relief, "I can't believe he actually did it." Pansy said in amazement and I nodded, "I know! We're finally free! Draco we-" I stopped and then remembered that Draco wasn't here, I had been around him so much recently, it was weird to think we weren't right now. "Where are they?" I said and Pansy let me go, "We need to find them, they've got to be okay! Voldemort's dead!" I nodded my head and we rushed back into the castle.

We looked around but there was no sign of either Draco or Cedric and the lump in my throat returned. "We haven't found them yet, but that's a good thing. If something happened to them, they would be with all the other... bodies." Pansy said and my eyes started to glaze over again. No, I would not even question if they were okay. They were both strong and determined and neither of them would go down easily.

"Let's just wait for them in the court-yard." I said and Pansy nodded hesitantly before we started to walk back. We walked into the court yard and there sitting on the steps was a platinum-blonde haired boy and a honey-brown haired boy. Pansy and I looked at each other, "Cedric? Draco?" I said and as they both turned around and I realised it really was them the lump in my throat disappeared and I felt overwhelmingly happy.

"Oh my god, Parisa" Cedric said before running up to me and picking me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he kissed me passionately. He pulled his lips away but wrapped his arms around me tighter. "I thought I'd lost you Parisa." He said before smashing his lips back into mine, his lips tasted like salt and I'm sure mine did too. We kissed like this for a while – scared to let each other go again, even though there was nothing to be afraid of anymore.

Cedric hesitantly put me down and Draco pulled away from Pansy before looking at me and running up to me too, Cedric let me go so Draco could hug me and I melted into him. "I told you everything would be okay." I told Draco and he sighed, "Parisa you scared the crap out of me, never do that again." He said, hugging me tighter before letting me go and going back to stand by Pansy. I stepped closer to Cedric and he put his arm around my waist as we all smiled at each other, just glad to be back together in one piece.

"Uh- Draco." A voice came from behind us and we all turned around, it was Harry. "I just wanted to thank you for giving me my wand." He said and Draco nodded awkwardly, "I thought you might want this back." Harry continued, holding out his hand and I recognised Draco's wand. Draco quickly stepped forward and took it, "Thank you." He said and I smiled at the fact that they were finally not arguing. Then Draco did something that made us all gasp, he stuck his hand out to Harry. I was instantly reminded of our first day at Hogwarts where he'd offered Harry a place in our little newly-formed group... Harry had denied it and embarrassed him in front of our whole year. That was when their 'hatred' for each other started.  This time however, Harry smiled at Draco and shook his hand.

I turned back to Cedric and he looked down at me, before leaning down to kiss me. We kissed for a while before he pulled away and pulled me closer making me giggle, "You realise I am never letting you out of my sight, again right? I mean it, this is you and me now, no more broken promises and no more bloody goodbye's ever." He chuckled and I smiled, "I am never saying goodbye to you again Cedric." he smiled back at me before kissing me again, "Do you guys want to stay with me until everything settles down? I assume you don't want to go back to The Manor?" Cedric asked and Draco instantly nodded, "I am never stepping foot in that bloody hell whole again – and neither are you Parisa." I smiled at him and then at Cedric, "I would love too but, will there be enough space for all four of us?" I asked and Cedric nodded, there's two spare rooms so you two can take your pick, my mother loves having guests, so she won't mind how long you stay." He said and everybody smiled at Cedric and the fact that this new friendship between all of us was happening. Never in a million years did I think that Draco would actually like Cedric... but I mean he had actually had a nice moment with Harry today, so I guess that proves anything is possible.