Smile - Cedric Diggory

Eighteen

(Iris' P.O.V.)

Iris woke up snuggled up under the covers with her best friend. He was snoring lightly, and his arms were holding her close to his chest.

Her skin was burning at his touch and her heart was pounding. Cedric always had that kind of effect on her.

He shifted and murmured something in his sleep, and she smiled, feeling a bit sad. What was happening to the two of them?

He was having mental breakdowns in the middle of the night and she was crying herself to sleep every night.

The Final Task was in a week and she was so scared that she might lose him. The TriWizard Tournament was ruining their friendship.

All she wanted was to have her Cedric back.

~~~

After a moment she pulled his arms off of her and carefully climbed out of the hospital wing bed. They really weren't meant for two people. She sat in the chair beside his bed and tried not to think about how she had woken up tangled up with him, his hair spiking up in several different directions and his hands on her waist.

She quickly wiped away the tear that glistened on her cheek and closed her eyes, desperately trying to shut out the image of that night at the Yule Ball. She wished they could go back and she could pull him in for another kiss instead of chickening out.

When she opened her eyes, she found his grey ones staring back at her and jumped in surprise, nearly upsetting the chair she was curled up in.

"Sorry, I, uh, good morning?" She mentally slapped herself for being so awkward.

"Good morning." He answered huskily, watching her every movement warily.

"Are you alright, Cedric? You really scared us all last night." She fell back on her natural instinct to care for him.

"Uh, yeah I think so. It was just a really bad nightmare, and I think I'm just kind of nervous about everything. It was probably just too much stress." He refused to meet her eyes, and she knew there was something he was hiding from her, but she didn't press it.

"I'll talk to Professor Sprout and get her to excuse you from classes. You need time to rest and recuperate." He opened his mouth but she cut him off quickly, "And don't say that it's unfair to the other champions. Your health comes first before this stupid tournament."

He didn't protest after that, just hesitantly reached a hand out to her. Her chest ached as she took it. Their intertwined hands lay on the mattress between them.

His eyes closed slowly, and she waited a few minutes before pulling her hand away and clutching it to her chest. Iris jumped to her feet, accidentally upsetting the chair, and turned to flee from the hospital wing.

Tears were stinging her eyes, but when she heard his voice she froze. "'Ris. Please don't go. Tell me what's wrong."

"I can't." She fled without a backward glance.

~~~

Dearest Cedric,

I can't write you anymore. Everything just hurts so much more than it did before. All of it is falling apart in front of my eyes, and I can't go back to the way it was before. I tried so hard to keep all of my feelings from showing, and I used to be good at it, but now I feel as though my heart is written on my sleeve.

And you don't notice anything.

Ever since you kissed me at the Yule Ball I can't look at you without feeling as though my entire world was crumbling. I'm so sorry, but I don't think I can even finish the year here. As soon as the tournament is over I'm going home.

To be quite honest, I don't know what is going to happen next. I suppose I will spend the rest of my life trying to get over you. Maybe I'll meet a nice boy who will make me his wife, and my children will tell me stories about Cedric Diggory's kids. And I will just smile and try to forget that you used to be my best friend.

Our friendship is over. It hurts far too much to keep this up, and I will smile and be brave for you next week at the Final Task, but that is the last you will ever see of me.

Sometimes I wonder if you could possibly feel the same about me. Sometimes you look at me in a way that makes me contemplate the possibility of you ever falling in love with me. But I can't just sit here and hope that the looks you send me mean something.

I can't wait for you anymore, so I'm going to have to leave.

I Will Never Stop Loving You,

Iris Maya