My Father's Only Rule

Chapter Thirteen: The Inevitable

November 1994 - Hogwarts

Grace,

Sorry I couldn't be here to wake up with you, darling. Unfortunately, Rita Skeeter's interview schedule meant an early morning today. I'll see you at breakfast. I love you.

Cedric

But Cedric was nowhere to be found the next morning at breakfast, so I sat with my friends. Jane and I were super quiet. We were both acting suspiciously. I shouldn't have told her. She was never going to leave me alone about it. I could only look down at my food.

"Nice of you to join us, Grace," Draco said sarcastically.

"Thank you, Draco," I said back. I was trying to show him that his remarks couldn't get to me anymore.

"Cedric giving you trouble lately?" Draco asked.

"On the contrary," Jane muttered without skipping a beat. I shot her a dirty look.

"What?" Blaise asked, confused. "Why are you two acting so weird? What's going on?" Jane and I looked at each other slowly, then burst into a fit of laughter. Draco and Blaise didn't know what to do. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cedric walk through the door.

"That's your cue," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "This was fun. Maybe next time you decide to join us for breakfast, you could say more than three words to us."

"Oh my god, Draco," Jane said. "Do you have a problem with the fact that your friend is happy?" I looked at Draco, waiting for his response. His eyes opened a little more, and his snobby expression dropped.

"No," he said faintly. "Go ahead, Grace. We'll see you in class." I took a breath before I walked away. I met Cedric at the door. Before I could say anything, he pulled me in.

"I have a proposition for you," he said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, smiling. "What's that?"

"How about," he said slowly, "you skip 1st period and meet me in your room?"

"Tempting," I said. "How about I leave 1st period early after my test? Then I'll meet you in my room, then I'll be late for 2nd."

"You'll be late for your father's class?" he asked me.

"He's not gonna do anything," I insisted. "The last time he spoke to me was on my birthday."

"I thought you loved your dad," he said.

"Well that was when he was acting like my dad," I said. "Now he's just my teacher. But it's fine. I'm used to not having a parent around. So are you gonna take me up on that offer?" He smiled as he exhaled.

"You know, maybe we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves," he said. "No fooling around during school hours?" I smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"Fine," I said.

"I hate to break this up," Jane said as she approached us. "Grace, you promised you'd help me study for the DADA test. Sorry Cedric, but if you don't help me, Grace, I'm sure I'll fail."

"Oh it's alright," Cedric said. "I'll see you later." He smiled at me as he walked away.

"Sorry I had to do that," she said again.

"It's fine," I said. "I think we're getting to the point where we don't have to be around each other all the time."

"Well that's nice," she said. We started walking down the hall, and then she nudged me. "So you wanna tell me about last night?"

"Shhh," I said, laughing. "No. I don't."

"Alright," she said. "That's your choice. But whenever you're ready to spill, I'll be ready to hear."

"Oh shut up," I said playfully. "Three unforgivable curses. Go."

Draco and I were still...technically friends. But there was a strain on our relationship. Ever since I had stopped cheating on Cedric with him, he seemed a little sad. I had learned to ignore his comments. That was just his way of getting on my nerves. He said he was happy if I was happy, but every day it seemed less and less like that were true. One night in late November, when I couldn't sleep, I was in the common room by myself, reading. Then Draco came storming downstairs. He hesitated to walk any further when he saw me.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't think anyone would be down here." I put my book down.

"Are you ok?" I asked. He took a breath, then looked at me.

"Are you?" he asked. I looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Are you happy, Grace?" he asked me. "With Cedric? Are you happy?" I stared at him.

"Yes," I said.

"Are you sure?" he instantly responded.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Are you happy with Cedric?"

"Draco, you're freaking me out," I said as I stood up.

"Are you happy with Cedric?"

"Why are you asking me that?!" I yelled.

"Why aren't you answering?" he said back.

"I did," I said. "I am. I'm happy with Cedric. Ok?"

"I don't believe you."

"Well then I don't know what to tell you, Draco," I said.

"How about you tell me why a only month ago you'd come running to me at the slightest inconvenience-" I put my hand over his mouth.

"Shhh," I said. "What is wrong with you? I've changed. I knew it wasn't right so I stopped doing it."

"I'm not stupid," he said. "I know you came to me because you were dating Cedric for security. But you wanted me. You're obsessed with me, remember?"

"It's not like that anymore," I said. This got him to shut up.

"What?"

"You heard me," I said. "I've come to terms with the fact that I can't have you. Okay? It upset me at first, but there's no point in being hung up on someone I can't have."

"What if you love them?" he said. I sighed as I looked him in the eyes.

"What if I don't anymore?" he looked away as we stood there, both frustrated. "Are we friends? I don't want to lose you as a friend," I insisted.

"Sure," he said, walking away. "If that's what you want. You should know that I don't treat my friends as good as I've treated you. So I hope you weren't used to it."

I lay awake that night thinking about what he said. And a thought popped into my head. A thought that haunted me for the next few weeks.

I don't think I really love Cedric. I think I still love Draco.