Winning Over Slytherin | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 21: The Maze

"And?" Cedric demanded.

"And I'm in love with him." Cedric stumbled back at my confession and allowed himself to let a tear fall, I felt my heart break a little.

"How long?" He whispered.

"What?"

"How long?!" He yelled at me, making me flinch.

"Since the night of the ball." I whispered back, ashamed of myself.

"Six months. It's been six months Mal! And you didn't tell me?!" He cried and I started crying too.

"I'm sorry. Please. I really thought that I could tell you tomorrow, after the Competition was fully over. Then you wouldn't be distracted, and everything would go well." I hurried to explain myself, tears in my eyes.

"Well congratulations, I think you failed. Enjoy him Mal." He turned and walked away, wiping his tears away. I started to chase after him but Draco held me back.

"Draco let me go!" I struggled harshly against his hold.

"No. He needs time. Give him time." Draco continued to hold me back.

"There is no time! The task starts in two minutes! I have to go, I have to. He has to know I didn't mean to hurt him."

"He does. He just needs to truly realize it." He's right. I know he is. But that sucks. I sighed and nodded, finally making him let go so I could go to my seat.

I leaned forward in my seat, anxious as I heard the cannon's boom and them all started running into the maze. Please protect him, God, Merlin, Universe, whoever. Please hear me. He needs to be ok. Please. If you're there, Please.

I hate this task. We can't see anything. It's a freaking maze. How are we supposed to see what's happening?!

Krum and Fleur had already been taken out, they both lost. Now, we're waiting for Harry and Cedric. They're taking too long, this can't be good. This can't be good right?

"Mal, relax. It's just a task." Ron put his hand on my knee to get me to stop shaking it.

"Yeah, a dangerous task." I retorted back at him.

"Harry will be fine. He always is."

"I know that. I'm not worried about Harry." I whispered. Mione looked at me and rubbed my back.

"He'll be fine Mal." Ashe assured me.

"Yeah, they'll both be." Ron said.

After a couple more minutes Harry and Cedric suddenly appeared, holding the triwizard cup. Everyone got up off their seats and cheered loudly, but I felt it. I felt something was off.

I got up off my seat and saw Harry sobbing over... no. Please no... over Cedric's body. My vision blurred around me and the only thing I could see was Cedric's body. His eyes are still open. Someone should close his eyes. I shivered as I heard his father scream.

"That's my son! That's my boy!" His father's heartbreaking screams shattered my soul inside.

Everyone and everything moved in slow motion. His father ran to him in slow motion. Harry struggled to hold onto Cedric in slow motion. People screamed in slow motion. And I stood completely still throughout all this. I had no idea what to do. I couldn't see anything, hear anyone, except for Cedric. This is my fault. No. It's not. It can't be. I shivered when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry baby." Draco tried to pull me close to him but I pushed him away and started running towards Cedric.

Everyone tried to stop me but his father let me through. He wouldn't do that if he knew I just broke his son's heart an hour ago. I knelt over him and moved his hair from his face softly.

"I'm so sorry, Ricky. I'm so sorry." I cried over him and hugged him tightly. He's cold. He was never cold. I saw his father trying to get close and gave Cedric a soft kiss on the cheek and got up to allow his father to grieve. I looked around and grew slightly worried when I no longer saw Harry around. Where did he go?

I felt familiar cold hands on my shoulders and turned around to hug him and cry.

I shouldn't be hugging him. He's the reason I broke Cedric's heart. I'm the reason he died broken-hearted. Why does this always happen? When I care deeply about someone, eventually something bad happens to them. It started with my mom, then with my birth dad, and now with Cedric. I can't drag anyone else down with me.

The realization dawned on me. People die around me.

Cedric. I'm so sorry. Please. I'm sorry.