"Good Morning," (BF/N) said cheerfully, waking me and Cedric - who stayed with his hand interlocked into mine the whole night - up. I hummed, shaking my head.
"Wake up, you," She said, pulling the curtains that were right in front of my bed. The beam of sunlight glaring straight at us. "Diggory," she hissed, shaking his shoulder as he slept soundly in an odd position with his head resting on the arm that held my hand, his other hand dangling freely as he slouched forward in that extremely uncomfortable chair. She shook his shoulder once again but Cedric shrugged her off punctuating it with a groan. I for a fact knew he hadn't slept the whole night rather sat up watching me sleep and running his fingers through my hair.
I giggled. (BF/N)'s jaw dropped as she turned to me, "I thought you were the laziest person in the world but I am clearly wrong," she said, rolling her eyes.
I chuckled, "He didn't sleep yesterday night."
She sighed, "Did he apologize?"
"Kept doing it until I had to shut him up,"
She glanced at Cedric then back at me, "He was shaken when he carried you here. Goodness, that was a horrible sight to see. I mean he kept muttering 'I am sorry' and what not honestly,"
I hummed, taking a look at Cedric's sleeping form. I sighed, "That girl, (N/N)! I ignored too much to know the consequence!"
(BF/N) grimaced, "OK, whatever. Is "That girl" Jane Ostrich?" she asked with a smile.
"Yep,"
"Which bone of hers do I need to break?"
"None, (N/N), none," I said, chuckling. I suddenly groaned, "(N/N), my right hand is gone,"
"Uh-huh," she muttered, then glared at me, "No, I am not feeding you, or writing your homework, or cleaning your-"
"No, (BF/N)! You don't have to do anything, I am just saying," I said, my hand unconsciously weaving through Cedric's curls that stirred him up. He placed a hand above mine, holding it in place, woven through his dark strands.
The two of us froze, not uttering a word. 'Should we wake him up?' I mouthed to (BF/N).
'Your boyfriend, your wish,' she mouthed back, shrugging.
I glared at her, 'Eff you.' She smirked and shrugged once again.
I gulped and softly muttered, "Ced?" His head shot up at the speed of lightning, as he wildly looked around until his eyes fell upon my smiling face. He calmed down, leaning back against the chair and dragging his hand over his face.
"Good morning," He muttered hoarsely.
"Ah, finally someone is awake," (BF/N) joked, smirking at him.
"Love," Cedric called after I completed my breakfast when Madam Pomfrey had allowed me out of the hospital wing.
"Yes?" I asked, a small smile on my face.
"I got you flowers," he said, pulling a bouquet from behind his back. My face fell as I took it in my hands. Now, it was a normal occasion for him to get me flowers till the summer but after we returned to Hogwarts, I held no single flower in my possession. Cedric's eyes widened as he saw the subtle smile on my face slip, he nervously glanced at me and the flowers as I tentatively poked my hand out.
He looked near to tears when I looked at him, my eyes, perhaps, holding the mildest bit of amusement and disappointment - ever so slightly that it would never be able to be identified.
I sighed, taking hold of his hands. He let me drag him all the way to the seventh floor. I paced the corridor three times until a large door appeared. Cedric's head hung low as we stepped into the room that had a much different setting than usual. It wasn't a room but an empty shore with the sounds of waves crashing and birds cooing, it was pleasant and how it appeared here was beyond my level of understanding.
"Sit," I muttered, patting the spot before me after I settled down on the sand.
"I am sorry," he mumbled, his head still low, avoiding my eyes.
I sighed, "Cedric, look at me."
He looked at me tentatively, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. I let out a ragged breath, moving closer to him and gently rested my hand against his cheek. Cedric tilted his head leaning into my touch, cupping my hand with his eyes closed as though this is the last time I would do it and he wanted to treasure the feeling.
My heart broke, "Cedric, I want you to listen to me carefully, OK?"
He nodded, looking away. "I love you, you hear that I love you, Cedric. And like you did, I promise I would never, I mean never ever leave you,"
He allowed a small smile to slip on his face that made my heart clench to utter the next words, "But I need time," He whipped his head to look at me beyond terrified, his whole demeanour changed within seconds, his hands trembled as tears welled up in his eyes, "No," I breathed, "I will be there with you, I love you, Cedric, I am not going anywhere. I just need time to digest that thing. This is a cowardly thing to do, I know, but its hard, Cedric,"
I looked at him, allowing a tear to roll down. He immediately pulled me into his arms, "It's OK, my love, it's OK, take your time. But know that I am sorry and I swear I won't do it again,"
"I know you won't but.." I trailed off in his arms, just holding him close as he rocked both of us, his hand over my head pressing it to his chest and hearing his heartbeat constantly mixing with the waves crashing, it lulled me to sleep.
"Darling," I heard Cedric mutter, a strand of my hair tucked behind my ear.
I groaned into his shoulder, "I slept, didn't I?"
He chuckled, "Mhm, gave me a little heart attack honestly,"
"And I am still sleepy," I mumbled, burying my head into the crook of his neck.
"Well, you can sleep but can we at least change the setting?" He asked.
"Noo," I pouted.
"Weasley!" I hollered after two large snowballs hit the back of my head, making me stumble slightly, taking a hold on Cedric's arm - who was unaffected by any snowballs and was howling with laughter - to balance myself.
I glared at Cedric and he immediately stopped, pressing his lips to mine.
"Ew!" Fred and George yelled in unison.
"Oh shut it. You two are just jealous," I said, sticking my tongue out.
"Yeah," "Mhm," they said.
"We are totally jealous of you," Fred said.
"Me!?" I asked, my eyes widening, "What did I do?"
"If you had waited a month more we would have stolen your Diggory," George said, smirking as he saw my bewildered face.
"Woah," I breathed, "No more of these please,"
They raised their eyebrows questioningly but said nothing.
"Well, Diggory wouldn't you want the two of us," Fred asked wiggling his eyebrows. This time Cedric had his eyes widened, "No," he said quickly, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer, "I am more than happy now,"
"Is everything alright between you and Diggory?" Fred asked as the two of them swung their arms over my shoulder.
"Yes, idiot, why not?" I asked.
"Simply. You guys were acting weird." George said.
"If anything actually happens trust us we can break every bone in his body," Fred said and George nodded.
"OK, guys, stop. He really is great and we all know that," I said, honestly.
"Just saying, little one," they said, ruffling my hair.
"Oh, my gods! Stop doing that!" I yelled
"Nope!"
I dragged my feet to Cedric and fell into his arms, "life sucks," I muttered into his chest.
I felt Cedric's chest rumble, "Why now, darling?"
"That toad! And Thestrals like why me!?" I groaned, moving closer to him pulled away to look at him in the eyes, "like she is the high inquisitor so she has to "check" every teacher so she comes to every class and-" Cedric stopped my rant by pressing his lips to mine.
"I study in the same school, darling," he said, smirking.
"Oh, shut it," I grumbled, slapping his chest slightly.
"And thestrals?" He asked.
"Yeah, Hagrid thought it would be a great idea to teach thestrals for her," I said, a tint of sadness in my voice though I rolled my eyes.
"Ah," Cedric said in realisation.
"When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff - maybe even Patronuses," Harry said, at the last DA class, smiling at me knowingly.
"What?" Cedric asked, nudging me and looking suspiciously.
"You don't know, do you?" (BF/N) said from the other side of him, glaring daggers.
Cedric's eyes widened, "Uh, am I supposed to know anything?"
"Well, you wouldn't know anything ever, would you?" She spoke, in my opinion, quite coldly for she was still mad at him, even madder than me and I like that.
I smiled and let her deal with the situation. "You remember the third year, quidditch match, she fell from her broom," she said, stopping for him to register and recall the day.
"Yeah!" he said, nodding, "the storm time?"
"Yep. That day a dementor flew towards her and she had cast a corporeal Patronus," she said and watched with amusement as Cedric's face morphed into one of utmost pride and bewilderment.
He spun around rapidly, his jaw dropped to the ground, his eyes still wide, "Really?"
I chuckled, "yeah,"
"What was it!?" he asked, excitedly.
I giggled, "Why are you so excited, Cedric? And it was a lioness," I said and winked at him.
"Woah, that's cool," he said as he turned back, playing with his fingers, a wide grin on his face. I smiled and moved closer to him.