✓ epiphany ━━ cedric diggory

﹙ 𝐱𝐢𝐢 ﹚ a break-in spooks all

     This wasn't far from the truth, just not all of it.

     Helpful towards my case, I remember my Uncle and, in fact, remember him rather well. That I enjoyed his company. That he made me laugh. The only reason I chose to ignore all the talk about him, was because I didn't believe anything the Daily Prophet said for a second. The man I remember wouldn't have done anything those newspapers wrote.

     My mother used to tell me stories of her and her two brothers' times at Hogwarts. Regulus died when he was eighteen, tragically but heroically and she didn't tend to focus on her memories of him - I imagined it hurt too bad. But my mother admired her eldest brother.

    I remember Sirius used to use his Animagus form to entertain me when I was little. My mother hated it because she believed a four-year-old shouldn't be exposed to giant black dogs, and yet I loved it. I guess I only saw him as a big, fluffy puppy like any other toddler would towards a pet.

     When my mother eventually told my toddler self that Uncle Sirius was "going away", I remember asking where and for how long. She didn't tell me much, quite obvious why, but I distinctly remember her telling me "for a long time" and I remember feeling a little lost. A little empty. Quite deep for a toddler, if I'm being honest.

     When I got older and I learned truly where he had gone, against my mother's wishes that were, I never really lost any respect for him, because I knew that none of it was true. And I know mother knew it too. No one knew the man that my mother and I did. Not my dad, not Diggory, definitely not the Daily Prophet, and not the entire student body that constantly glares at me everywhere I go. The one person that might actually think that I wasn't insane, lived at home and wasn't there at school to back up my false insanity. Even Will didn't know what to believe.

     Dumbledore sighed, "Right, well if that's the truth, then I suggest that you and Mr y/l/n find a comfortable place to sleep. You will be in the Great hall tonight."

     With an inaudible exhale out of relief that they concluded my interrogation, Will and I left the office and made our way to the Great Hall – accompanied by a grumpy Professor Snape for some sort of "protection purpose".

     The great hall was practically silent when we arrived, besides the subtle crinkle of a sleeping bag, or the cough of a half-awake student. The tables were gone, and the lights were out. The whole school huddled in this one room.

     Professor Snape quietly motioned to the Hufflepuff corner, of which Will wandered over to, and soon got comfortable in his house's area.

     The Potions teacher then sent me over to the other side, of which the Slytherins all were slumbering. I scanned what seemed like an endless sea of students until I eventually found Ava and Spencer, essentially fast asleep in the very corner. There just so happened to be not enough room around them.

     I huffed to myself when I quickly learned that the area bestowed to my house, was packed full, with not even a single slither of space that I could nestle down in and call this nightmare of a day over.

     Professor Snape had disappeared I assumed back to the Headmaster's office, and I felt rather exposed as I stood in the middle aisle, as the rest of the school lay asleep around me.

     Glancing around the rest of the hall, I found an empty spot, not far from my own brother, that I decided to curl up into. It'll do for one night.

     It turns out that whatever sleeping mats that the school provided for us to sleep on, that acted as mattresses, were a lot thinner than I initially thought. It was hard to fall asleep on what was essentially the hard and cold stone floor of the Great Hall.

     I had been tossing and turning for what felt like all night, experimenting with every single sleeping position I could think of, and yet, none seemed to allow me to fall asleep.

     Despite my tiredness, it was hard to keep my eyes shut, seen as they just weren't letting me fall asleep. I rolled over onto my left side again, resting my hands in front of my face and I ended up gazing, just for a second at a bundle of bed-headed, scruffy brown hair, that sloped down towards the floor.

     I quickly forced my eyes shut, in hopes that the boy beside me wouldn't open his own, to therefore find me staring right at him, whilst he slept.

     "Can't sleep?" the boy softly whispered, at me. I guess I had assumed and hoped he was asleep this whole time, but it seems he was not.

     "Well, who's to say I wasn't just asleep until you bothered me?" I replied opening my eyes, meeting his.

     "Oh, come on y/l/n, there was no way that you were asleep," he said bluntly, with a little chuckle to finish. I naturally huffed. "What are you doing over here anyway? I didn't really think being surrounded by Hufflepuffs was your kind of scene."

     "Well, why would you say that? I chose to sleep here didn't I Diggory?" I counter-argued, with a pout and knitted brows. And yet he knew I was just being sarcastic. "I was late. Didn't have another choice." I said matter-of-factly. And believe you me, I would sleep as far away from you if I had the chance." I smiled sarcastically.

     "Is that right?" Cedric smirked like he believed that there was a chance that I would sleep beside him by choice.

     "You think I chose to sleep here because I wanted to?"

     "Well, I wouldn't be surprised," he smirked.

     "Oh, don't flatter yourself Diggory. Stop being so self-absorbed and go to sleep."

     "You think I'm self-absorbed?" he asked incredulously, but still in a whispered tone.

     "Course you are. You're obsessed with yourself, just like every other girl at this damn school. Even some guys, I'm sure."

     His face formed into a cocky grin, "Are you insinuating that I'm attractive, y/l/n?" he asked like he was overtaken with disbelief.

     "You're ignoring the context of the comment."

     "Well, who said girls were obsessed with me?" he asked, his smirk still very much evident even in the dim moonlight.

     "See! This is what I mean!" I said, now in a whisper-yell. "Constantly making sure the conversation is on you at all times. And you know full well that myself and a select few are the only ones that aren't head-over-heels in love with you. And no, by saying that, I am not in any way shape, or form implying that I find you attractive. Good night, Diggory." I finished, as I rolled onto my back, after a few nearby students hushed in our direction.

     "Right." he dragged out his words, finishing with a dry chuckle. "You know-"

     "I, among the rest of the students in here, are still trying to go to sleep by the way, so if you don't mind," I gestured for him to roll over.

     "Got ya," he rolled his eyes and rotated around so he was now on his right side.

     At least now he can annoy someone else.