Months after Cedrics passing, the Hogwarts students packed up and went home for the summer, most of them permanently scarred over what they had witnessed happen to one of their fellow classmates. Hogwarts as a whole was sad. Some were able to persevere better than others, but for the people closest to Cedric, their world felt permanently stopped.
Elle, Dylan, Olivia and Ian were the ones that took it the hardest, not even being able to speak to each other these days without picturing the person that meant so much to them that they lost. They felt lost.
Elle had felt like she lost part of herself, and that caused a lot of issues in her relationships. She distanced herself from Fred just enough where they were still together, but not how it was. She was grieving, and she felt bad for grieving over Cedric when she had Fred in front of her. Her family grew worried about her as they began to notice her eating less and less, and her eyes becoming sunken in but she didnt want to talk to them over her loss.
Her parent's generation knew the loss of a friend better than anyone else, and who was she to further burden them with her grief?
The first month at home was strange for Elle. All she wanted to do was be left alone. Her father began to work more and more, until well into the night. Elle suspected he was meeting with Dumbeldore to try to catch Voldemort but didnt want to worry her. Chris had begun to go to work with Ben, and it seemed like he had completely forgotten about his dream of working with dragons and taken on the responsibility to try to protect the wizarding world. Elle's heart hurt for him.
Nathan had been leaving home more often after he graduated from Hogwarts. His celebration was grim as the death had still clouded everyone's minds. He had a small celebration at the Mackin manor with Riley and his family. Now, he had begun training harder with quidditch coaches as the draft for teams would begin in the fall. Elle had barely seen him as he spent his time between Riley's house and the quidditch pitch. They were all handling the loss of Cedric and the uprising of who they thought was defeated, Lord Voldemort. Elle had a lot of theories, specifically about her family. Nathan was using quidditch as a means of escaping but she couldn't blame him. She wanted to escape as well.
Elle lounged in a hammock in the backyard with her eyes closed, letting her skin soak in the sun when she heard their back door close and footsteps approaching her.
"Hey hun." Mary greeted, slipping into the hammock beside her daughter, letting the blonde curl into her mum's chest.
"Hey mum, why aren't you at work?" Elle mumbled out as Mary let out a small laugh, "And what? Let you soak up all the sun by yourself?"
"Mum, it's okay. You didnt have to stay home today, I'm going to go soon anyway." Elle shrugged as Mary sighed.
"I know I didnt. Is Fred going with you?" Mary asked as Elle shook her head, "I didnt want him to."
"Any particular reason why? You shouldn't be alone." Mary hummed out before adding, "When was the last time you saw Fred?"
"A few days ago, he came by while you were at work. We read." Elle hummed out before continuing, "I'm also not going to be alone. Dylan is meeting me there."
"Well, thats good then. If you want me to come, I will." Mary told her as Elle nodded, "I know, but I'm going to go now." Elle told her, standing up from the hammock and giving her Mum one last wave over the shoulder before flooing to the cemetery.
She walked towards the brunette who sat in front of the grave. His head barely turned to look as Elle sat beside him. In front of them, is a tombstone that read 'Cedric Diggory, loving son and friend to all'.
Elle felt Dylan wrap an arm around her shoulders and she slumped into his side, starring at the tombstone in front of them, and together they spoke quietly to each other,
"Happy birthday Cedric."
The two sat in silence for a few minutes longer before Elle finally spoke up, "Where's Liv and Ian?"
"Haven't heard from Ian since he left school that night, and well, Liv is still acting as if this never happened and he's still there. You haven't seen her or Luke?" Dylan asked as she shook her head.
"No, Luke and she had been attached all summer, he's worried about her. She has been yachting around with Luke's family, acting as if she's fine." Elle told him as he nodded with a bitter laugh, "Sounds like Liv."
"I've written to Ian a lot too and I've gotten nothing in return. I'm worried about him." Elle whispered out as Dylan nodded, "So am I, so I wrote Dumbledore who said he was fine and just grieving. Thats better than nothing I guess."
"And how have you been? I haven't seen you since we left Hogwarts and not its the end of July." Elle asked, wanting to change the subject as best she could.
"As best as I could be. My parents thought the best way to help me was to take me to Paris for the summer, I barely got away to come here... but I would never miss my best friend's birthday." Dylan told her, "My family has gone into defence mode. My dad works all day, Chris has joined him as if they will personally catch him but it's in good faith I guess. The manor feels lonely. Mum has been trying to stay home more but it's hard opening up to her without feeling guilt." Elle opened up as Dylan nodded, knowing what that felt like.
"I felt the same. My parents, our parent's generation lost so many people to the war, it almost feels cruel to bring up how I feel about the loss of one friend." Dylan whispered out as she linked their hands together, "I agree, even if Cedric was one hell of a friend."
"My mum keeps saying how I need to overcome it. Not exactly 'get over it', but feels the same. I know they just want me to be happy but I don't know if I'll ever be as happy as I was when he was here." Dylan told her, not caring that she saw a few tears escape his eyes.
"I understand that Dylan. I don't know if I'll ever get over his death, but I hope one day I can say 'im happy' and truly mean it." Elle added on, letting her few tears escape.
"And we will be. He would want us to be happy. And you'll be happy, you have Fred." Dylan hummed out as she sighed, "Yeah, but it feels as if I've been complete and utter shit to him lately. I don't know how I am supposed to be a good girlfriend to him when all I want to do is lay in silence and think of when I didnt feel this pain."
"He understands you are grieving, he probably just feels useless as he doesn't know how to help you."
"I guess so."
"I miss Ian and Olivia." Dylan whispered out as Elle nodded.
"So do I."
"I miss Cedric."
"So do I."
There was a mutual agreement between the four friends who took Cedric's death the hardest. Elle, Dylan, Ian and Olivia were all drowning, and they didnt know how to save each other, but there was an understanding that they were drowning together.
//
Luke laid beside Olivia as she slept, taking in her sleeping figure. This is the most peaceful he's seen her since they left Hogwarts. Last month they had spent it with Luke's family as they went on their annual trip, yachting around the world, this year extending it a tad longer for the kid's sake who just lost someone. Even Luke's older sister, Elizabeth, had joined them. Maybe because she needed a vacation herself, or because the minute she heard about Cedric Diggory's passing, she had unsettling big sister protection come over her.
She couldn't begin to even think of something like that happening to Luke. The two may not have been as close as they were, but she would kill someone for him. She couldn't live with herself if something like that happened to him.
"What're you staring for?" Olivia grumbled out, turning to face Luke in bed as he had a sluggish grin across his face.
"Just wondering how I got so lucky to wake up beside you every day." Luke grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer.
"What a charmer." Olivia teased before looking out the small window in their cabin to see waves crashing around them, "What's today's date?"
"August fifth, why?" Luke told her, not realizing the significance.
Olivia sighed, shutting her eyes tightly so no tears would escape before standing up, "No reason, let's go get a drink, hm?"
"Liv, it's ten in the morning and you are already wanting a drink?" Luke asked, standing up to follow after her as she shrugged, "And what's wrong with that? A nice bit of fire whiskey in our coffees?"
"Liv, what's going on with you today? I can't, I can't keep lying to my mum about where the fire whiskey is going. Lizzie will only take so much blame." Luke sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"A little more won't hurt, let's go now before your parents wake up." Olivia started to head towards the door again.
"Olivia! Stop! What is going on with you?" Luke yelled, and for the first time since Cedric died, he was completely over her behaviour, "This isn't like you. You're drinking all day every day, pretending nothing is wrong, and that, and that you're okay."
"I am okay Luke, and god forbid I want to have some excitement on this trip with your entire family." Olivia spat, rolling her eyes.
"Olivia, I can't keep doing this. I've dealt with a lot of your shit this month, never once getting upset with you when you snap at me, or when you ignore me as I understand you are grieving, but this isn't fair to me. I don't deserve to be treated like this and I want to understand but, I need someone to love me as much as I love them."
And for the second time in only a span of a few months, Olivia's heart broke.
"I do love you, Luke, I love you with everything in me."
"Then I need you t prove it, let me in! You can't just pretend like everything's okay and that you're fine."
"Why can't I?" Olivia yelled out, shedding her first tear since the day she saw Cedric's body.
"Because you aren't okay, and I care about you too much for you to be able to pull his facade over me. You barely eat anymore, haven't returned any letters to Dylan or Elle and just overall become a shell of yourself."
"I'm hurting Luke." Olivia whispered ut, letting Luke step towards her to hold her in his arm.
"I know you are, Livvy, but you need to talk to me. I cant help you if you don't let me in."
"I don't know how I'll ever be okay again, without him. He was my first friend, my first best friend. He made me feel welcomed as a muggle-born, and he was my family. He, I can't put into words how much he meant to me. I don't know how I am supposed to continue living when I a feeling like I lost such a large part of me. Every day it hurts, and today he would have been seventeen." Olivia cried out, no longer suppressing her emotions and collapsing into her boyfriend's arms.
"I know Liv, I know you are hurting and I'm sorry I can't help you." Luke cried with her as the two crumbled to the ground, Olvia sitting in Luke's lap as he held her close, letting her sob into his shoulder.
"But I promise you Liv, one day, it will be okay, and until then, I will hold you and love you until you are."
"Happy birthday Cedric." Luke whispered into Olivia's hair.
//
Ian sat at the doorstep of the Diggory house, his entire body beaten black and blue as he hadn't had the nerve to knock just yet. He ran away from his problems the minute Cedric died. He left Hogwarts that night and tried to escape his problems since then.
He had gone home for a few days, but couldn't stand the looks of pity he got from his siblings and the level of doting he got from his mum. He wanted to be alone. No one understood what he was going through, so one day in the middle of the night he left. He floated around muggle London, getting day drunk in bars, and getting into nighttime brawls, letting his opponents beat him near to death. He liked the way the pain made him feel. He was finally able to feel something besides the numb longing feeling he felt ever since Cedric had died. He didnt know who he was anymore without Cedric. He lost his feeling of belonging and he had missed Dylan and Olivia, and even Elle with everything in him but every time he saw them or thought of them, he pictured Cedric.
Cedric should be here.
So on Cedric's birthday, he pulled himself together after a week-long binge, feeling sickly black and blue as he could feel his ribcage poking out from not having a proper meal in what felt like weeks.
He wanted to feel okay again, but the idea of him ever healing felt impossible. He leaned against the front door, trying to think of why he even came here. He didnt know what he would say to Amos Diggory if he even wanted to talk to the blonde, or what he would say to his friends and family that he no doubt had worried about during his blackout periods since leaving home.
He didnt know why he came to Cedric's house, but he felt as if Cedric guided him here. He knew Cedric was probably in heaven, looking down at all his loved ones he left behind wishing they wouldn't mourn him in this way. If Ian knew anything about Cedric, it was that he was genuinely good. He was so good-hearted that it would kill him to see him like this. And maybe thats why he got the urge to come here. He couldn't continue the way he was, and if he was going to honour Cedric in any way, it would be in a way that Cedric would be proud of.
He leaned against the door some more before it opened, startling him. He peered up through tears to see Amos standing there, with the kindest but most painful smile he has ever seen.
"I was hoping I would see you today. Your folks are bloody worried about you, as was I. I'm happy to see you son. Come in for a hot shower and meal, the cake is almost done." Amos grinned at him, holding a hand out for the younger boy to grab before helping him stand.
"Cake?" Ian questioned, not knowing what else to say.
"I've eaten cake on this day every year for the last sixteen years and I won't be stopping. Now come on in and get cleaned up before we celebrate our boy." Amos said, ushering Ian into his home.
It was surreal for him to be in his best friend's home again, he never thought he would be again.
"Go shower while I write to your folks that you are okay, and then we will eat." Amos said, pointing towards the bathroom that Ian already knew. Ian took Amos by surprise as he dove forward, wrapping his arms around him in a hug they both needed. Amos let a single tear shed as Ian sobbed violently in his arms, shaking his entire body.
"I know you are hurting Ian, but one day you'll be able to wake up and not feel the numbing feeling, and things will be okay. He would be proud of you for continuing to live." Amos quietly said to him as he held the teenage boy.
//
Hours later, Elle and Dylan still sat at their friend's grave, not wanting t leave when they heard the floo network. They both turned their eyes to see Olivia, which surprised them both.
"Hey guys..." Olivia whispered out, taking the seat next to Dylan as she also leaned her head on his arm.
"Hi Liv. I'm glad to see you." Elle told her before the three sat in silence a bit longer, "Luke wanted to come but I wouldn't let him, I told him I had to do this on my own. Or, well, with you guys."
Dylan said nothing as he interlocked their hands, pressing a gentle kiss on her hands in support before they continued to stare at his tombstone, being startled by the floo once again.
They turned to see Amos and Ian walking towards the grave, shocking everyone. Dylan looked at Ian as he saw his ribs poke through his shirt at an alarming rate, with black and blue bruises covering his body. His heart sank. They could all tell that he hadn't been taking care of himself but at least he was here, and he was safe. The group sitting already noticed the tear-stained face the blonde teenager had and, even through their tears, they smiled at each other.
This is exactly what Cedric would have wanted. The five of them were there, celebrating.
Dylan couldn't help himself as he stood up, launching himself at Ian and into his arms. The two boys held each other in a tight embrace as they tried to blink away the tears. Amos chose to let them have a moment as he walked toward the girls sitting on the ground in front of his son's tombstone.
"Cedric would be glad you guys are here." Amos whispered out, standing next to his only son's grave.
"I miss him." Olivia croaked out as the boys now joined the group again.
"As do I." Amos nodded, letting a tear slip from his eyes before looking at the broken teenagers in front of him, "But Cedric wouldn't want you guys to be like this. He would want you to miss him, but not be in mourning every day because of him. There's a difference between missing the memory of someone and letting the loss of someone cloud your every day, and our boy would have wanted you guys to live a happy life. He would want you to go home Ian, you do not blame yourself, Elle, you to realize that you have a family with your friends here Dylan, and for you to know just how much you are loved and belong in the wizarding world, Olivia.
Most importantly, he would want you guys to be happy." Amos ended as the teens nodded.
"And we will be." Dylan told them, "But it takes time, and right now, we miss him."
The group of five sat in silence as they enjoyed each other's company, knowing there was no one else they would rather be with right now before Amos stood in front of the grave, looking down at the teens as he knew Cedric would want him to do something about the way they all looked so broken.
"Let's go kids, I made a cake to celebrate his day and I want you guys to enjoy his cake with me, and then tomorrow, you will wake up and look at life in a new way. You will now live your life for you and him, and that means tomorrow you way up and try to be happy." Amos spoke with authority in his voice which made the kids nod.
"Okay," Dylan nodded before standing, "Today we have cake, tomorrow we live for the two of us."
Ian stood up next, offering a hand to help Olivia stand as Dylan did the same to Elle.
"Let's eat cake." Elle hummed out, slinking her arm through Dylan's as they walked to the floo network.