A Dozen Fallen Roses // Cedric Diggory

chapter three. the stars.

After the feast, the first years all eagerly rush to their common rooms led by their head boys and girls. As I stand to leave with Harry, Ron, the twins, and Hermione, I catch Cedrics eye from across the room. He winks at me and I blush and look away. I feel something that wasn't there before. I'm not sure what it is, but we promised not to make things complicated so I put the thought out of my mind. I start to follow my friends out, but I hear Oliver Wood call my name from behind.

"Go ahead you guys, I'll meet you in the common room," I say, turning back to meet Oliver. We've been friends since my first year. He's had a rough go of it and I've always been there for him.

"Ava!" he pulls me into a huge hug. "How was your summer?"

"Well it was.... just like every one before it," I say, avoiding talking about my parents after just having escaped them. He lets go of the hug but keeps his arm around my shoulders as we walk out of the great hall, splitting off from the left-moving traffic down a corridor on the right and out the side door onto the lawn. We climb a massive hill off to the side of the castle and lay on the grass, looking up at the stars. The September air is a bit chilly, but I'm distracted by the sky. It fades from dark blue to black and you can see where the sun just set in the west. There is nothing like the array of constellations in the sky above Hogwarts, it's almost magical.

"I missed you," I say, sitting up and looking over at him.

"I know, what's not to miss," he says. I giggle, shoving his shoulder. He looks over at me. I flop back on my back.

"Not even gonna say it back..." I mumble, just loud enough to hear.

"I think we promised not to ever lie to one another..." he says, cracking himself up. I punch him in the arm.

"You asshole!"

"Ow!" he lets out, sitting up and rubbing his arm. "You're gonna pay for that!" he stands, throws me over his shoulder, and starts running down the hill. I pound my fists into his back.

"Put me down, Oliver!" I yell through my laughter. He trips over a rock and we both go down. He stands up, still laughing, brushing the grass off his shirt, but I pull him back down. Wrestling him to the bottom, I pin him down.

"I win," I say triumphantly. He swiftly grabs my legs, flipping me on my back, assuming my position on top.

"Oh, no you don't," he says. I push him off me.

"You're the worst," I say, defeated, but I can't keep a smile off my face.

"We should go back before people know we're gone," he stands, letting a hand out to help me up and I take it.

"If you insist."
-
We get back up to the common room and walk in together. The first years have taken over the main area, so we head up to our dorms.

"Night, Wood,"

"Night, Rootes,"

I open the door to me, Hermione, and Ginny's dorm and find Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and the twins all sitting around Harry and Ron as they arm wrestle. I see the twins in the corner make a bet and I cross to them.

"Who are we betting on?" I ask, wanting in on the money.

"George bets 5 galleons it's gonna be Ron." Fred chuckles.

"Are you insane? 10 galleons it's Harry," I say.

"It's a little late to be crushing now, Rootes, pretty sure you missed your chance," George whispers. I plop down on my bed.

"I told you guys not to bring that up, It's your fault things are awkward anyways. Where'd you even get that much veritaserum?" I ask. I had planned to not rehash the events of last year, but I find that I still need answers. I look over to see a singular red rose on my pillow and smile. The first of the year. I lean over and pick it up, avoiding the thorns, and place it with the others in the vase beside my bed. I left them behind at the end of last year, but they're still in perfect condition. Cedric enchanted them so that as long as he is living, so will the roses, so he is always with me.

Just then, Harry pins down Ron's arm and Ginny cheers. A little too much.

"Hand it over, George," I say, putting my hand out. He plops 5 galleons into me and Fred's hands, then crosses to leave, defeated. Ron catches onto the bet.

"Aw, you voted for me, George?" he asks.

"I thought Harry's arm was still injured..." George responds, hanging his head as he leaves. Fred follows his brother out.

"Night, Rootes, night everyone," he says as he shuts the door behind him.

"I have a full schedule of classes tomorrow, so I should probably get to bed. So should you all," Hermione says, already ushering the boys out of the room.

"Bloody hell, thanks mom." Ron says, slowly moving out of the room. Hermione scoffs, pushing Harry and Ron out the door. Neville is the last one out.

"Good to see you guys," he says, smiling at the three of us, then ducking out the door. Hermione, Ginny, and I flop on our beds, staring at the red canopy over our four-poster beds and let out a uniform sigh of relief.

"It's so nice to be back," Ginny says.

"It really is," Hermione agrees, then sits up, remembering. "Ava, did I see you on the train talking to Cedric Diggory?" I immediately go on the defense, not that I'm embarrassed of him, but it's just easier kept as a secret.

"Me? No way," I laugh nervously, "I wish! Must've been someone else..."

"Oh, my mistake then," she says, plopping back down, but she doesn't seem convinced.

We start to get ready for bed and I sleep in an oversized red hoodie, my hair still up in a bun, but I take it out because it's started to give me a headache. Hermione is already pouring over her textbooks, trying to get a headstart on some of her work. I sit in the windowsill, looking back out at the stars I was just under. I think about Cedric, and that flicker that I felt in the Great Hall takes up most of my thoughts. I blow out the candles and curl up in bed. Hermione crawls under her covers reading her books by the light of her wand, but I tell her to go to sleep, they'll still be there in the morning. She agrees and goes to sleep. I lay on my back imagining something real with Cedric and feel myself drift off to sleep.