Alastriona Breen and Draco Malfoy were fighting and it was as clear as day to everyone inside Hogwarts.
"I don't understand why you can't simply tell me what's going on." Darcy Mint huffed at her best friend, for the last week she'd been trying to get Alastriona to talk to her about her problems with Draco but the girl just wouldn't say anything.
Alastriona groaned and shut the book she'd been trying to read. The two were sitting in the library, a place Alastriona thought she could get some peace and quiet.
"It's between Draco and I, Darcy." She said with a large sigh.
Darcy scoffed, "This is Hogwarts, Little Red, it's between you, Draco and everyone else who goes here." She had a fair point, the entire school was switching between gossiping about the drama between Draco and Alastriona and the Tri-Wizard Tournament which was set to end in just weeks.
Alastriona dropped her head against the table and groaned. "I just need time to—"
"What, time away from Draco?" Darcy asked, slightly panicked.
Alastriona's head popped up. "What? No! Of course not!" She let out another groan and ran a hand across her tired face. Merlin, she was tired. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes she was exhausted and she just wanted to be able to pause everything so she could just stop and think.
"This year has been horrible." She said quietly before looking across to her best friend. "Think about it: the Quidditch World Cup, Theo's mum passed away and he moved in with Blaise, Harry getting pulled into the tournament, Mad-Eye Moody somehow being both a good and horrible professor, everything that happened at the Great Lake..." She leaned forward on the table, "Darcy, I'm so tired. I just want to stop and rest and it doesn't seem like a possibility."
Alastriona headed into the Great Hall for breakfast on the morning of the final task with Draco hot on her tail.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the wall so they could talk without being overheard. "Red, please, I don't like that we're fighting—"
Alastriona pulled her hand away from him but stayed standing with him. "I don't like it either, but I'm not ready to tell them yet—"
"You told me." Draco interrupted. "I know it wasn't easy to do it but telling them the truth is what they deserve and you deserve that too, it'll set your mind at ease." He pleaded with her.
"I was backed into a corner, Draco, I wasn't ready to tell you but if I hadn't you probably would've found out from your parents." Alastriona admitted, the hurt in Draco's storm grey eyes weighed heavily in her heart. "If I tell them the truth then I'm admitting to lying to them for the last four years. If I tell them then it opens up questions about my mother, what she was like, what she did and all the people she's hurt. I can't handle those questions, Draco," he went to interrupt but she continued on before he could, "and what if they learn of her and start judging me and my actions based off her? You can't deny that I've changed, Draco." She shook her head, her arms folded across her chest. "I've changed and if they learn the truth they may believe I'm turning into her." Her voice cracked. "Even the thought of that makes everything in me ache."
She sniffed and wiped away a stray tear.
Before she turned away Draco made one last attempt, "Alastriona, you may have changed but not for the worse, you know this, you're still the most amazing person I've ever met and you're still the person I— I—"
"Red!" Draco was cut off and he clenched his fists at the interruption.
Alastriona turned and put a smile on her face as Cedric bounded up to her and Draco. Cedric gave a nod to Draco before smiling down at Alastriona.
"The champions are meeting after breakfast with our families," Cedric said, sparing a quick glance at Draco, "would you like to come with me?"
Alastriona nodded, "I'd love to, Ced." She turned back to Draco and with slight hesitation kissed him on the cheek, "I'll see you later, good luck with your History of Magic exam, Draco."
Draco said nothing and watched Alastriona and Cedric walk away.
Amos and Beatrice Diggory were all smiles when Alastriona and Cedric walked into the large side chamber where the other champions were, all except Harry.
Cedric realised this too and popped back out to grab Harry while Alastriona introduced herself to Cedric's mum.
"I'm Alastriona, it's really nice to meet you Mrs Diggory." Alastriona said, wiping the sweat off her palms before holding her hand out to the tall woman.
Beatrice Diggory gently swatted the girls hand away and hugged the small red head.
"Call me Beatrice, dear, it's very nice to finally meet you." Alastriona blushed under the older woman's kind gaze.
Amos patted Alastriona on the shoulder and gave her a wide grin, "Good to see you again, Alastriona! You've been well, I trust?"
Alastriona nodded, a complete lie of course but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. "Of course, Amos."
"And still practicing your quidditch for next year?" He asked eagerly.
Alastriona nodded again, "Yes, though it's been hard finding a place to fly now that the quidditch pitch is a maze. But Cedric still takes me out flying at least once a week."
Amos laughed heartily at this, Cedric came back at that moment and Amos patted him on the back. "You'll be getting that cup again next year, my boy," he nodded at Alastriona, "especially with that one on your team!"
Harry, Mrs Weasley and Bill Weasley walked past them and Amos Diggory straightened up, standing as tall as Cedric. He looked Harry up and down. "There you are, are you? Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"
"What?" Harry was taken aback, Amos hadn't always liked him but he'd never said anything like this to him before.
Cedric cringed, "Ignore him, he's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament- you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts Champion."
"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" Amos said, Harry began to walk away with the Weasley's, "Still... you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"
Mrs Weasley bristled and glared at Amos, "Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos! I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"
Beatrice put her arm of Amos' arm, stopping him from snapping back, she knew he'd regret it later on, especially with how close he was with Arthur.
Beatrice cleared her throat and linked arms with Alastriona, keen to be close to the girl her son had written about in all his letters. "Shall we take a walk to the lake?"
The others all agreed and they walked off. Amos had his arm around Cedric's shoulders and was giving him advice on how to get through the maze. Cedric nodded along but he'd already prepared as much as he could and he was half listening in on his mother talking to Alastriona.
"Tell me about yourself, dear." Beatrice said as she walked slowly with Alastriona.
Alastriona let out a nervous chuckle, "I'm not sure there's really much to tell—"
"Nonsense!" Beatrice scoffed, "There's more to you than your love of quidditch, I'm sure." Thought it was something Amos did talk about constantly.
Alastriona was taken aback. It had been a while since someone had asked about her and not known the precise answer.
"Where were you born?" Beatrice asked kindly.
"A small town in the Scottish Highlands. But my Uncle Finn moved us to central London when I was young." Alastriona answered, a smile came to her face as she talked of Lothbeg.
"Do you still have family in there?"
Alastriona nodded, "My grandparents still live there, I get to see them over the summer."
Beatrice smiled and looked ahead at Cedric who was laughing with his father.
"That's lovely. Cedric's grandparents aren't around anymore, I'm afraid. My parents passed on just two years ago and Amos's nearly a decade ago now. I always wish they'd been able to spend more time with Cedric." Beatrice smiled fondly at her husband and son. "Cedric's happy though." She said without thinking. "I can see it even in the letters he sends. He writes about you an awful lot." She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Alastriona wasn't aware of the glint in her eyes though. "We've become a lot closer over the last year or so. He's one of the best people I know." She said truthfully.
The two walked in silence until Amos dropped back and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "Do remember that class we had down by the lake? The one where you—" He was forced to stop talking when his wife's hand covered his mouth.
"Amos! That's not a tale for Cedric to hear!" Beatrice scolded but that glint was shining away in her eyes again.
Alastriona jogged to catch up with Cedric who had a slight look of terror on his face.
Alastriona chuckled at his dismay and sighed happily, glancing back at his parents now walking hand in hand. "Your parents are lovely, Cedric." She said.
"I like to think so." He agreed with a laugh. "They both really like you." He said happily, adding a little skip to his step.
Alastriona was silent for a moment. "Have they met Cho?"
Cedric stumbled but caught himself and laughed forcefully. "No, no, they haven't..." he ran his hand through his hair, "Cho and I, we haven't been talking or hanging out as much recently."
"Have I been monopolising too much of your time?" Alastriona questioned guiltily.
Cedric laughed and slung his arm over her shoulder. "Not at all, Red. I just haven't been feeling the same way about her recently, is all. We're still friends though."
Alastriona cringed, "I'm sorry, Ced, I should've known! I've been so caught up in my own problems that I think I've been neglecting everyone else."
Cedric shook his head at her, "Hey, you nearly died, Red, I think you get a free pass for being a little distracted, besides I didn't want to tell you because you were still recovering and that should've been your main focus."
"You're too kind to me, Cedric." She said. Cedric just smiled down at her, he would never understand why she didn't think she deserved every bit of kindness and more.
Amos, Beatrice, Cedric and Alastriona headed back to the castle for lunch and Alastriona had to prepare for her final exam which was Charms.
Beatrice Diggory held her hand in her own and smiled warmly at her, "Do join us for dinner, dear."
Alastriona glanced briefly to Cedric and he nodded his head at her, "I'd love to, Beatrice, thank you." She waved goodbye to the Diggory's, "I'll see you all at the feast!"
Cedric wrapped her up in a quick hug before she left, "Good luck on your exam, Red."
She responded with a wink, she was sure she'd do fine on her Charms exam. It was her Herbology result that concerned her.
Alastriona left but she turned around one last time and looked at the happy family, she hated the envy that clawed its way around her body but more than envy she felt so grateful to have been included in part of their day together.