Title: Memories of Yesterday
Pairing: Cedric Diggory x Slytherin!reader
Summary: Cedric lives!AU. The reader and Cedric were in a relationship but when Voldemort came back Y/N's family was forced to go into hiding and fake their own deaths without a word to anyone of their plans, including Y/N's boyfriend, Cedric Diggory.
Word Count: 2.2k
You had faint memories of what life was like before the war. Memories of what life was like when you were a carefree teenager who just wanted to worry about things teenagers should have to worry about. Getting good marks, spending time with your friends, worrying if that special someone likes you the way you like them. And there was a time that you were that carefree teenager but war changes that.
War. This war that tore you life apart and made your world turn upside down. This war that made your friends in your house turn their backs on you. 'Since when did your family become blood-traitors, Y/L/N?' someone you used to call a friend spat at you. This war that ruined friendships that otherwise could have lasted a lifetime.
This war that showed who people truly were underneath it all. Most of your fellow Slytherins ended up living up to the stereotype they've claimed as unfair for seven years. Many people showed their unwavering bravery. In this war, it was shown that Gryffindors really were brave and most Slytherins really did just look out for themselves. You ended up being the singular exception to your house. You were a pure-blood Slytherin who was equally proud of your heritage and firm in the belief that anyone has the right to earn magic if they have the abilities.
Your beliefs led you to friendships with the truest and most real people you've ever met. It led you to Cedric, the love of your life. The friendships you had with your friends in the other houses were so much more than your friendships with your fellow Slytherins. People like Malfoy saw you as an imposter. It didn't matter that your families were on the very same social standing. To people like him if you didn't think everyone else was beneath you, you weren't worthy of the Slytherin house. To the people you became friends with in the other houses, you weren't Y/N Y/L/N from the most prestigious and worthy house of Y/L/N. You were just Y/N. They all saw past your emerald robes and just saw you for who you were, Y/N. Hell, even the Weasleys liked and trusted you. 'The only snake worth a damn' is what Ron Weasley said at the first DA meeting when a nameless Ravenclaw question Potter's leadership if he allowed a Slytherin in. You belonged. It was risky, but since when was doing the right thing ever easy? You told yourself that at least you were doing something worthwhile.
So maybe your uncharacteristic pureblood beliefs led you to being a bit of an outcast in your house, but it also led to the people you care about the most and to being a part of something that mattered. All you choices and beliefs led you to everything you've ever known. It led you to Cedric. And what a pair the two of you were. A Slytherin and a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff's Golden Boy and Slytherin's exception to the 'ruthless and soulless' Slytherin stereotype. How unlikely it was that you both ended up together and yet it happened so easily.
You and Cedric had been together since your 5th year. A year before the Triwizard Championship when Voldemort came back. Two years before the Ministry ignored Harry when he said you-know-who was back and that he saw him with his own eyes. Three years before the Death Eaters were attacking more people while you and Cedric were accepted in Auror training. Four years before your family was threatened with a death sentence. Four years before your family faked your own deaths and led everyone to believe your family died an accidental death.
Four years. If it weren't for war, four years would be the right timing for you and Cedric to be engaged. You never did talk about marriage, but the future. It was the two of you against the world. As long as you had each other nothing else mattered. But war came and death, came for your happiness and liberty.
When you were 15 and in DA you wanted to fight until your last dying breath if it meant he-who-must-not-be-named wouldn't win. But when it really mattered you ran away like a coward.
Before war your family's beliefs simply made you a good person who the other houses had no problem reaching out to. But now in the midst of war, your family was considered glorified blood-traitors by Voldemort and his followers. It didn't matter if your family was as prestigious and wealthy as the Malfoys and the Notts, in war you are either with or against them.
Your family made it clear– they were against Voldemort. For this, your family would pay a price. It's name? Death. A most painful death at that. A death that warns all– this is what happens to purebloods who oppose the most powerful dark wizard of the age.
Your parents knew what was coming. The Death Eaters would come and slaughter your family and put the dark mark above your home. Your parents, ever the self-preserving Slytherins, made a decision: to survive. Ironically, to survive your family had to make everyone believe you were dead.
Despite what consequences were to come, your family made its decision clear and the line in the sand was drawn. Now your parents had two options: stay and wait to die or fool you-know-who into thinking you died. And fool him they did. They fooled everyone, even the people that mattered most to you. It didn't matter how far away you were, you knew that everyone that ever cared for you was mourning your death. You hated yourself for being alive while Cedric was mourning you but he wasn't the only one. You were mourning the girl you used to be. That carefree girl. What happened to her? Perhaps she perished when you faked your death. All you had now was the memories of yesterday.
The days in hiding felt like years. You couldn't justify running away like your parents did. You wanted to fight with your friends. You should be home training to be an Auror in order to make a difference but you were just hiding away. But your parents knew the ugly truth from the first wizard in war: war was brutal. They knew your family wouldn't stand a chance, but they promised you when the final battle came you would come and fight win, lose, or draw.
It was a sunny day in the remote town in France your family was hiding out in when your father heard the news that Voldemort and his followers were going to storm Hogwarts. Your parents didn't need to say anything, you knew. The look on their faces was enough to tell you that the last stand had come and you were to fight at last. Your mother made one last attempt to dissuade you from going. People will die, Y/N. You could die. You don't have to fight to prove yourself. Your father swelled with joy and told her that of course you wanted to fight. After all you didn't decide that career path of an Auror to not fight when your friends needed you more than ever.
Even if they didn't know you could help them.
You and your parents apparated to Hogsmeade and entered the Hog's Head Inn. Aberforth looked at your parents with a start. Eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing like a fish, he calmed down and gave your father a stoic stance. "Well, I suppose I know where you ought to want to go, Y/L/N. You always were as cunning as any Slytherin should be, Y/F/N." His stoic stance broke as he gave your father the closest a warm smile could be on the brink of a battle that would decide who'd win a war.
"It was my family's only chance at survival, Aberforth. The only person you-know-who wanted dead more than us was Harry Potter himself."
"I'd imagine so, it isn't often there's a pureblood Slytherin family who are blood-traitors, is it?" Aberforth said wryly, raising his eyebrows. "I should tell you...don't think that Arthur Weasley bought it. Your 'deaths', I mean. Molly thought him mad, of course, but I don't think too many Order members will faint once they see you."
"How'd he reckon we faked it?"
"Oh, you know Weasley. Said 'too many things didn't add up' and that the brightest witch of their age and the most talented transfigurationist, surpassing Minerva's talents, wouldn't die in an accident and could easily make it appear that way. Reckon'd that you were too smart to die like that."
"Luckily you-know-who thinks us blood-traitors are as stupid as they come just because we defied him."
Aberforth and your father shared a knowing look. This could be the last time we see each other. In war this has always been the case. Aberforth walked out from behind the bar and over to a portrait of a young girl. The portrait opened. "This pathway will take you to the room of requirement. You'll find the Order and members of the DA there."
"Thank you for everything, Aberforth." your father said, clasping him on the shoulder. A meaningful look was shared and you and your parents were walking towards Hogwarts. The walk simultaneously felt like it lasted seconds or hours. Your parents opened a door at the end of the path. A gasp was heard and another after that.
"Is that—?"
"It can't be, can it?"
"Surely my eyes are deceiving me!"
Then you walked out from behind your parents.
First there was Neville looking worse for wear with cuts and bruises. "Y/N! I can't believe it!"
Then there was Ron. "Bloody hell!" Yeah, definitely Ron.
"Not looking too bad for a ghost, Y/L/N!" Fred.
"But how can this be?" Molly Weasley asked exasperated. "Kingsley, didn't you arrive on the scene? Their bodies were there!"
"Yes, I was Molly," Kingsley said smoothly, "Nothing too difficult for a talented transfigurationist."
"Molly," you mother softly spoke. "We had to take these actions. If we hadn't we'd have been dead long before now."
There were hugs exchanged between your parents and Order members but you only had one person on your mind: Cedric. You spotted him with his parents on the other side of the room. You took large strides over to him, anxious to reach him. "Cedric," you breathed out heavily, "Can we talk before all this happens? Please?"
He had an expression on his face that you couldn't read. You hated the uncertainty between the two of you. Was he angry? Did he hate you? Surely he didn't, right? He gave you a soft nod and his parents gave you some space.
"Please tell me you understand." you all but begged. "You have to believe me-"
"Believe you? Believe what? That you left and had no issue letting me think you were dead?"
You knew he was mad and you suppose you would be too but it wasn't like you had it easy. "No issue, Cedric?" you harshly whispered at him. "You can't possibly think that I enjoyed being isolated for a year while my friends were fighting for their lives as they mourned my so called death?"
He took a defensive stance. "Don't make yourself the victim. How could you possibly do this to me? You just left-! Without telling me!" He said angrily. "I thought you were dead! I mourned your death!"
Without thinking you snapped at him, "You're not going to let that go, are you?" His angered expression faltered ever-so-slightly in amusement. You always did have a temper.
"Listen, I'm sorry," you said softly slightly raising your trembling hands as if you were admitting defeat. "But I had to do this. I had no choice, Cedric. If we wouldn't have faked our deaths, then they would have killed us."
His eyes fell and his usual soft features returned. "The thought of not being with you is impossible. Being without you and thinking you were dead, nearly killed me, Y/N." He reaches out and grasped your hands, stroking the back of them with his thumbs. You felt the sparks from his touch that you haven't felt in a year. "Promise me something?"
"Anything" You told him.
"Come out of this battle alive. One year without you was miserable beyond any pain I've ever felt. I can't lose you again, Y/N."
"I promise, Cedric." you whispered.
He inched closed to you as he was still holding onto your hands. Leaning into each other, his lips met yours in a slow, passionate kiss. The type of kiss you share with someone in fear you'd never see them again. You melted into him and released you hands from his, wrapping them around his neck and bringing him even closer. Slowly, you broke apart from one another as you both didn't quite want to let go of each other.
And just like that the battle was beginning. With one last firm squeeze of your hand, Cedric let you go and you both left going to defend your second home and to fight. You knew you were about to walk into the clutches of death's nimble hands, but you thought to yourself 'At least I have Cedric again.' Surviving wasn't a guarantee, but you knew that unlike the side you were fighting against, you had something worth fighting for. No matter what happens, you knew you had to return to him.