Fires at Midnight (Cedric Diggory)

11 ~ Fire & Water

Dumbledore looked at Madame Pomfrey and then back at Vixen before replying. "Draco Malfoy of Slytherin brought you here claiming he found you on the stairs trembling. We don't know how or why but when Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff came in you would stop screaming and bleeding but after he left you would occasionally cough up blood. The Bulgarian Viktor Krum who claims he met you in Diagon Alley came in quiet often to check on you bringing the animals and some flowers. Lidia Blaylock also brought you some flowers. Those beautiful ones next to your bed. Also Adrian Pucey snuck in and placed a locket on your stand.

Vixen looked at the flowers next to her bed and thought to herself, "If I had my soul I would be laughing right now at these flowers from Lidia." The flowers were bright red bleeding hearts. Vixen then told Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey she wished to be alone.

Before they left Vixen asked for a nymph tear and a lycan hair dissolved in water. Vixen's needs were quickly met and she made sure she wouldn't be disturbed any more that day.

Quickly she the watered down lycan hair and mixed in the nymph tear which ended up being a purple nectar with white crystals. The solution was potent and terrible but Vixen couldn't tell until she restored her soul. The metallic taste of blood still lingered on her tongue from when she was coughing up blood but it was tolerable.

This potion was to protect her from this sort of attack again. Someone had put a curse on her that made her dream of the most horrifying things in her soul. It was an ancient curse that only a powerful wizard or witch could produce. The reason why she was bleeding was because the curse is also like the Cruciatus Curse for it tortures its victim in the worst way. Most times the curse is easily revered by the tear of a nymph for it eliminates the dream therefore their fear and the hair of a lycan will shield a person from the curse from happening.

By the kind gesture of the bleeding heart from Lidia Blaylock Vixen had an idea who was behind it but now Lidia would need to be even more creative to get Vixen!

Vixen could hear students outside on this fall day meaning classes were over for the day and so Vixen decided to have a look out the window. Students were running around laughing around the grounds. Some with a possible date others just with friends. Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasly quickly walked toward Hagrid's hut which made Vixen shake her head. "Those three are asking for trouble!" she said to herself but then her attention was immediately taken to a familiar face. Cedric and a group of his friends had just stepped outside but unlike usual Cedric seemed upset. His friends tried pushing him around and get him to cheer up but he just wouldn't snap out of it.

Vixen found herself staring at him trying to figure why he was so melancholy and filled with sorrow. Her heart seemed to beat a bit slower now as she watched him look so mournful. This was a completely new feeling that was a bit frightening but Vixen tried not to panic or runaway from the feeling for once.

As Cedric kept walking and Vixen couldn't take her eyes off him but soon he stopped as if someone was whispering to him. He shot a look toward the window which Vixen stood at with her messy hair and wrinkled blouse still staring at him.

Cedric seemed almost in shock as he saw Vixen standing there watching him. For the first time Cedric saw a bit of softness in her stare making his heart race and expression light up like a five year old on Christmas day.

Vixen unsure of how to react was fighting with herself telling herself to look away! Scowl at him! Don't look at him! But while debating she didn't realize it but she was smiling at him.

After a moment she realized what she was doing and for the first time in her life she went along with this gratifying feeling. After all if it weren't for Cedric she might still be bleeding and screaming. He had a special touch that protected her. No nymph tear or lycan hair could protect her like his arms.