ALWAYS (Harry Potter fanfiction) (Snape fanfiction)

Chapter 23

When the game ended, Arabella, Cedric and Mr. Diggory went back to their tent. Cedric and Arabella were laughing and playing the whole time. It was late, and Arabella began stumbling on the way to the tent after a couple minutes, she was literally falling asleep while she was walking, so Cedric decided to just carry her the rest of the way. Once she was secured in his arms, she completely fell asleep and started snoring lightly.

Once in the tent, Cedric laid Arabella in her bed, and just laid down next to her. The girl stirred and woke up a little, she smiled, seeing Cedric next to her, looking at her. He smiled back and yawned.

"Can I ask you something, Ced?" Arabella asked him in a small voice. She didn't want to wake Mr. Diggory.

"Anything, Bella"

"Do you love Cho?" Arabella asked in her drowsiness. Cedric paused for a moment, and searched in Arabella's eyes for an answer to her own question.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just because" Arabella shrugged.

"I care for her, if that's what you mean" Cedric furrowed his brows.

"Do you love me?" She asked with a knot in her throat, her raspy voice was even moreso now that she was half asleep. 

"Arabella-"

"Please, Cedric, I need to know. If you don't love me back, I promise I will never bring up the topic again, but- I-" Arabella's eyes were filled with tears and her voice cracked.

Arabella closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to prevent her tears from coming down. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Cedric wiped away her tear, and let his hand linger at her face for one moment too long. One moment too long in which he regretted having asked Cho out, in which he regretted listening to his Quidditch teammates that told him to ask Cho to be his girlfriend, in which he regretted not breaking up with Cho when he noticed they didn't really have a connection, in which he regretted not telling Arabella he loved her as much, if not more, as she loved him. He wouldn't keep regretting moments wasted. So there, laying down inside a tent after the Quidditch World Cup Final, while his hand was lingering on her face after wiping away a single tear, he held her face as he closed the small gap between their lips and for the first time, kissed his best friend. Arabella was taken by surprise for a moment but then relaxed into it, feeling peace and calm in Cedric's touch, feeling love in their kiss.

"Yes, I do love you, I love you like I have never loved anyone before" Cedric muttered to her.

Arabella snuggled up against Cedric, he put his arms around her, and they both fell asleep. For the first time in months, Arabella had no nightmares, no dreams, for that matter, just inner peace. In the middle of the night, Mr. Diggory barged into the room and woke them up, ignoring the fact they were both in the same bed, for the moment, his only concern was getting them out alive.

"Dad? What is it?" Cedric asked, yawning.

"Death Eaters, they are burning the camp, levitating Muggles... all Ministry officials and anyone that can fight is needed. You and Arabella are almost of age, you are coming with me" Mr. Diggory told him.

As soon as Arabella heard 'Death Eaters', she was up and ready. She was aware of her early childhood, she spent time around them, around Voldemort, she considered them once family... not anymore, not once she found out it was their fault her mother was dead, that her brother grew up in an abusive household, that Neville Longbottom never got to meet his parents, that Sirius Black spent twelve years in Azkaban...

"I'm ready" Arabella said as she tied her hair into a ponytail.

"I don't want you two to separate from one another, it's going to be chaos out there. Don't use magic to attack, only to protect, understand me?" the two teenagers nodded, "stay safe"