The Golden Quartet (Harry Potter x Reader x Cedric Diggory)

Sixth Year - Chapter 26

Grimmauld Place was quiet. Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda left you alone. Kreacher didn't talk around you like he used to. Your friends stopped writing letters when you never responded back. After the funeral, everyone came to the same conclusion. You needed time. And a lot of it. The only thing that broke through to you was Padfoot. Even the plants in the attic had been neglected. You had big plans to work on your alchemy over the summer and they all fell through.

You arrived at the Burrow with Remus and Tonks. It was agreed that having people in Grimmauld would not be taking your mental health into consideration. No one ran to you when you walked in. They all just watched and waited for you to put down Padfoot but you never did. You weren't even excited to see Fleur or hear of the engagement between her and Bill. You merely gave your former Alchemy classmate a wave.

"Where's Harry?" you asked before coughing.

"Not here yet. He's coming with Dumbledore in a minute."

You nodded and said you'd be upstairs. Mrs. Weasley pulled Remus aside.

"She's coughing again?"

"Not from screaming," he reassured. "She just doesn't say more than two words a week. She hasn't this entire summer. If she talks more, it's to the cat."

"Do you think she'll come down for dinner?"

Remus shook his head. True to Remus' word, you hadn't come down for dinner. They weren't sure if you had gone to bed or not. Eventually as each person passed by the bedroom you were in, they could see a light underneath it. It was late into the night when someone knocked on your door.

"Come in," you said almost barely above a whisper.

Harry poked his head through the doorway. "(Y/N)?"

He didn't expect you to run to him. Harry was barely given time to breathe before you were kissing him. You closed your door, keeping your back against it. At first, Harry kissed you back before pulling away because he felt like something was wrong. You looked at him before dropping your head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," you said.

"Not that I don't love snogging you but... that wasn't you, (Y/N). What's wrong, love?"

You met his eyes. "I need to feel something, I haven't since..."

Harry kissed your forehead and held you close. "I'm not taking advantage of you and snogging you up and down the Burrow, but I'll stay here tonight if you want."

"Please?"

You went back to the bed and closed your eyes while Harry changed into pajamas. He held you close to him, drumming patterns on your back until you fell asleep. You clutched onto him in your sleep in the same way you had been holding your cat for most days.

Harry couldn't believe that Remus considered this the better version of how you had been. The first bit of your summer was riddled with crying so much they thought you might pass out from dehydration. You had finally moved into the stage of not feeling anything. According to Remus, a step in the right direction but Harry didn't believe it much. He turned over so you were both on your sides— you didn't stir at all. Pressing a faint kiss to your shoulder, Harry went to sleep.

Morning didn't bring much change to you. Harry reluctantly gave you a kiss after you begged and said he wouldn't be taking advantage of you. He pulled away before it could turn into snogging. Ron informed Ginny and Hermione that Harry hadn't come to his room to sleep and they all could assume where he was. It was like everyone moved around you. They learned how. You would sit on the couch or in the Weasleys' garden. If you were holding Padfoot, they knew not to even try speaking. If you weren't or you sat next to one of them, they could talk but they shouldn't expect a reply back. You started sitting at the dinner table for meals. You barely ate. Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let you up from the table until you took a few bites.