A Little Wicked

40. Samhain

Cedric's face was impassive.

"Your motivations?! What kind of motivations are these that made you act so cruel to him?!" Cedric countered indignantly "What motivation is this, that was strong enough to make you reject him when he needed you so much, when he trusted you? Why Edward?!"

The vampire stared at the spirit, his petrified heart constricting painfully: Cedric's questions were punctual as he knew he had no strong enough justification for his actions and words to have been so cruel. He had just been carried away by the heat of the moment and regretted it later, but he was unable to find a way to remedy the damage he had caused even though deep down he felt it should be done.

He had already done that to Harry – hurt him with his distrust and insecurity and then be forgiven by the wizard: first, having accused Harry of being responsible for the murders in Forks, and lastly, it was his insecurity about his feelings for him, making the wizard confess that he loved him too and even surrender to him completely.

It had become a cycle: Edward hurt, Harry forgave.

The vampire felt the honest answer on the tip of his tongue, but again closed the mouth as he continued to stare at Cedric.

He remembered Harry's memories, all the love the wizard had for that man, all he had done for him, all the suffering and sacrifice he had gone through.

Edward was also reminded of months before seeing Cedric's love letters that Harry had kept for decades... The photos of the two that the wizard kept on the dresser... The little chain of the Golden-Snidget which still hung faithfully around Harry's neck...

...And of Cedric's constant presence and memory, even if never mentioned.

That filled him with energy.

"Because of you." Edward heard his own voice sound harder, also taking a step forward "Everything... It was all because of you, since the beginning. BECAUSE. OF. YOU!"

Cedric didn't move.

"Me?"

Edward shivered, his eyes stinging from his own venom in that crying reflex he couldn't shed.

"Yes. First of all, it was your fault that Harry did what he did. All for you, ALWAYS FOR YOU!"

The vampire had a pained expression as he remembered the conversations he had had with Harry and even Hermione about the deceased man and everything he was and represented to Harry's life.

"Cedric, the always "Perfect Cedric"... the "Prince Charming", the "Golden Boy".

The spirit was silent as the other vampires stared at Edward, their gazes ranging from pity on the part of Carlisle who understood his motives to silent rebuke on the part of Alice and Esme, both listening to his reasons.

"HOW COULD I TRY TO DECEIVE ME AND DECEIVE HIM KNOWING THAT I COULD NEVER TAKE YOUR PLACE?!" Edward continued in his pain, oblivious to the others "KNOWING THAT ONE DAY I WOULD LET HIM DOWN FOR NOT BEING LIKE YOU?! FOR NOT BEING AS GOOD... AS PERFECT AS YOU WERE?!?!"

Silence.

"Knowing t-that I h-have this cursed face that resembles yours? That every time he looks at me, he thinks about you?!" he concluded with a broken voice "Your memory and constant p-presence in every second we were t-together?!"

Cedric's face was serious, the air around him growing more static and cold.

"How could you?" Cedric's voice sounded like a whip, indignation lashing every word "How could you be so selfish, insensitive and weak in your stupidity to not even realizing how much you hurt him?!"