August 28, 2003
Seven years later ...
Aimee Apparated a few miles away from the Burrow. The sky was dripping in a hazy shade of coral rose as she made her way down the country lanes, breathing in the sweet, summer air. Over the years, Aimee had been a frequent visitor to the Weasley family home, but this time was different.
This time, it was for a wedding.
Down the country path, wild roses swayed to the gentle breeze as Aimee revelled in the last days of summer, losing herself in the tranquillity that was only shattered by a distinct crack sound coming from behind her.
She turned, a delighted laugh tumbling from her lips as she spotted Lee, his dreadlocks artfully swept back into a messy bun at the nape of his neck. She dropped her bags to throw her arms around him, which he returned.
'Distance sure makes the heart grow fonder, lovergirl,' he remarked as she stepped back.
Aimee grinned. Judging by his commentary she'd heard on the Wizarding Wireless Network, he hadn't matured much since high school; still, she couldn't have been happier to see one of her old friends as they continued up the winding path that led them to the Burrow.
'You know, everyone in my office just calls me Aimee Fischer. You could try that, you know.'
'And miss the way your eyes sparkle when you're annoyed? Never.' Lee grinned. 'So, lovergirl. How are things with you?'
Things with Aimee were good; for one thing, her parents had reached out to her soon after her Hogwarts graduation, and over the last five years, it had been clear how hard they'd been trying. Nothing could fix the lost time, or the mellatic sting that had bloodied her teenage years, but some sort of relationship had merged between the three of them, a mutual agreement. Aimee could stand in her childhood home without feeling hollow.
After graduation, her and Angelina's dreams of being in an all-witch band hand dissipated in the air with the rosy haze of a sunset. Instead, the two of them had become the co-founders of the Worldwide Witch Association, providing security services for witches around the world.
And Cedric. Things were just as perfect since the moment she'd fallen in love with him all those years ago, underneath the spectacle of silk and snowflakes and Firewhisky-spiked punch. She smiled softly.
'Things are good,' she told him. 'And you? Excited to be a groomsman?'
'Can't wait. Especially since I hear a certain charming blonde has made the guest list.'
Aimee rolled her eyes. 'Fleur's happily married - you're not allowed to flirt with her.'
Lee grumbled but he didn't put up a fight. 'Where's groomsmen number two?'
'Cedric's been in Romania for the last two weeks with St. Mungos, helping with the research on Dragon Pox.' Aimee allowed herself a small smile. She'd been missing him recently, but when it all came down to it, she was proud of him, of his sunflower-golden heart, always looking to help people. 'He'll meet us at the Burrow tonight.'
They were silent for a little while as they continued down the road. The sky was blushing in breathtaking strokes of red and blue, kissing the maples with dappled lips.
'I can't believe Fred and Angie are getting married,' she finally mused. She smiled as she recalled seven years of petty jealousy and intoxicated kisses and snide remarks that had eventually led up to this. A wedding.
Lee nodded. 'I know, I'd never have guessed they'd be the first of our group ...'
'Mm,' Aimee hummed, knowing what was coming.
'... I always thought it would be you and Cedric.'
'Shut up.'
'What?' A teasing grin spread over Lee's face. 'All I'm saying is, if you're sick of the name lovergirl you could always try Mrs Diggory -'
Their playful banter carried them to the front garden of the Burrow, where a vibrant display of flowers lined the path, bursting with hues of purple, pink, and orange. The door was unlocked; Aimee pushed it open gently to find Fred and George seated at the kitchen table, a soft hue of golden light dancing through the curtains.
'We're going to have to put Mum under a Full Body-Bind Curse at the beginning of the ceremony, so she won't be crying all over us like at Bill's -'
Fred broke off when Lee closed the door behind them, the muffled sound capturing the attention of both the twins. There was a brief pause, the only sound the chirp of crickets rubbing their wings together outside, and then the four of them were all smiling and embracing as if they hadn't seen each other in years.
'Where's your fiancée?' Aimee asked, prompting a wide grin from Fred at the mention of Angelina.
'The girls are upstairs in Ginny's old room.' He turned to Lee and said, 'We're under strict instructions not to let any boys in there.'
Languid moonlight filtered through the windows as Aimee made her way up the stairs. She passed a few of Fred and George's older brothers on the way before gently pushing open a door to the left.
Alicia Spinnet emerged from the room in a blur of silver chiffon, a glass of champagne nestled in her hand. 'Aimee, thank God you're here - we don't know what to ... well, you'll see.'
Aimee furrowed her brow as Alicia swung open the door to let her in, revealing Angelina pacing up and down the length of the room while Katie Bell watched on with concern. She collected her braids in one hand and pinned it up with the other, absent-mindedly muttering a distracted greeting as her maid of honour approached her.
'Angie?' she said cautiously. 'Ready for your big day tomorrow?'
Angelina sighed and met her gaze. Distress was orbiting her honey irises as she slowly shook her head. 'No, I'm not,' she said.
Aimee frowned and sat down on the bed. 'What's wrong?'
'I don't know ...' Angelina sank down next to her. 'I love him, I really do, but getting married? I just ...' Velvet intensity was twisting in her eyes as she met Aimee's gaze. 'What if this was the wrong idea?'
Aimee leaned her head to one side, a surge of empathy warming her chest as she swept aside a couple of dark braids. 'Hey, none of that. This is Fred Weasley we're talking about. Who's been in love with you basically since he met you, and has never so much as looked at another girl.'
Angelina sighed, a tender vulnerability misting over her irises as she turned to Aimee and asked, 'If you were going to marry Cedric tomorrow, how would you feel?'
She paused, trying to veil the surprise that flickered over her features, then the ruby red embarrassment that promptly heated up her cheeks. 'I don't - um. I guess I've never thought ...'
Angelina shook her head. 'You're right - I'm being paranoid.' She shook her head as though trying to clear it, then met her gaze again, a rosy smile lighting up her features. 'I'm just a little nervous.'
A knock on the door resounded through the room. Angelina frowned, before shouting, 'No boys in here, remember?'
His voice came softly from the other side of the door, washing over Aimee like moonlight sparkling over ocean waves. 'I was hoping I could steal the maid of honour for just a moment?'
The sound of Cedric's voice had struck cupid's bow right into her heart, but Aimee glanced quickly at Angelina to check that she was alright before she left. In response, her best friend quite literally kicked her off the mattress, sending Aimee stumbling towards the door. Her hands shook as she opened it, a nervousness born from not seeing him for two weeks.
A small smile curved over her lips. 'Hey.'
'Hey,' he said. His eyes flashed with silver streaks of lightning, the smell of smoky cologne pulling at her like a smoky tether. He took her hand and led her wordlessly down the stairs, only breaking the silence once they were in the garden.
'You haven't happened to have met Fred and George's aunt Muriel, have you?'
Aimee wrinkled her nose. 'I haven't had the pleasure.'
'Good,' Cedric smiled softly, lazily brushing his mouth against hers, emitting a small sound from somewhere deep in her throat. 'Before she tells you otherwise, you should know how beautiful you look tonight.'
Aimee sighed softly as he captured her lips properly; and with his high cheekbones and pretty eyes, she found herself lost in a precious capsule of time that reminded her of kissing in the Astronomy Tower and young, awkward love. Those feelings were supposed to dwindle away, were meant to be watered down to sophisticated conversations and half hearted, routine kisses. But Aimee couldn't let the crests of passion fade, not when he still looked at her like she was the sun, not when he was still so beautiful at twenty-five, certainly not when her pulse fluttered like a circle of naive butterflies when he was looking at her now.
'Hey,' she whispered. 'I missed you these past two weeks.'
He kissed her harder; Aimee's fingers tangled in his hair as she guided them towards the shadows, liquid moonlight bathing their entwined silhouette in a ethereal glow.
-
It was around two in the morning when Aimee awoke, the sky outside dappled with streaks of lilac and dusty pink, seducing the summer horizon in a sentimental haze. Rolling over to her side, she kissed the back of Cedric's neck and breathed out a small sigh as he unconsciously pulled her closer towards him.
'Why are you still awake?' he murmured, lips brushing lazily against her mouth once, twice, then three times before he nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder, lashes fluttering against her collarbone.
Aimee grumbled, fingers absentmindedly orbiting strands of his messy dark hair. 'Because you kept me up all night, dumbass.'
A grin broke over his pretty face, just as smug and irritating and beautiful as it had been when they were at school.
A few hours later, the Burrow was bustling with life. The air was sweet with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the fragrance of blooming flowers outside as people ran around desperately trying to complete last minute tasks.
Aimee's normally messy hair was now sleek, the roots freshly dyed, spilling over her shoulders like wild honey as she traded her usual cherry for a classic lip shade that wouldn't distract from the bride. The silver chiffon ended just an inch above the floor, moulding into the counters of every dip and curve of her body.
She met her reflections' gaze, her heart beating like a hummingbird's wings as Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet flitted about her, adorned in the same silvery bridesmaid dresses.
Alicia pounded on the door, saying, 'Angie? Are you ready?'
A collective breath was held as the door swung open; Angelina emerged from the room, a vision in lace and white. The delicate dress seemed to shimmer under the soft glow of the overhead lights, casting an ethereal glow around her. Aimee felt a lump form in her throat as tears threatened to crystallise at her lower lash line.
'He's going to faint when he sees you,' she gushed. 'You look beautiful.'
Angelina beamed at her reflection, her nerves mingling with excitement. 'This will be you one day, Aims,' she said softly.
Aimee's cheeks flushed with warmth as she set about smoothing down her already crease-free dress. 'Well, this is your day today.'
She turned and sat down on the bed next to Angelina; Katie followed, then Alicia, and the four of them laid down side by side, silence encompassing them like a silver shroud, surreal and strangely beautiful, only to be shattered by a loud crash from downstairs.
'I'll check on that,' said Aimee hastily, slipping off the bed and rushing downstairs. Lee was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, hunched over something and working intently.
'That was George,' he said without looking up. His hands danced meticulously over the bunch of flowers in his hands as he hastily arranged them in a stunning array of white, lavender, and a few blossoms that must have been charmed to glow a soft golden.
She paused incredulously. 'Are you making a bouquet?'
'Shut up.' He avoided her gaze as he rearranged a few hydrangeas. 'When you get married, promise to save me the embarrassment and make your own.'
Aimee shook her head and departed into the garden, where the source of the noise was coming from. She watched as George guilty used a Reparo charm to fix a tray of shattered champagne glasses, while Cedric watched, looking amused.
'What's going on?' she asked.
Cedric's eyes sparkled like shattered moonlight. 'George was trying to de-gnome the garden using a banishing curse, and missed and missed and hit the refreshment table.'
George waved a hand airily. 'It's all fixed now.'
'Nice shoes,' Cedric smirked, noting the change from her usual dragon hide boots to the classy three-inch heels Angelina had insisted all the bridesmaids wear.
'Thanks. If I can refrain from tripping and breaking an ankle in them, I think this wedding will be a smashing success.' Aimee smiled. 'I should probably get back to the bride before she starts panicking again.'
'Okay.' Cedric tugged her wrist, pulling her close for a brief embrace, his tongue lazily sweeping over her bottom lip. 'See you at the ceremony.'
-
The wedding party was a spectacle of honeyed champagne and soft, glittering lights. The air was a sticky saccharine, pale violet and a little warm as it pushed back Aimee's hair. She made her way through the sea of dancers, ducking between swirls of tulle and silk before finding solace in George, who was lingering on the edge of the dance floor.
'Aimee - thank God. Aunt Muriel was berating me about my choice in women for about half an hour before she noticed -' He gestured to the hole on the side of his head, the key factor in distinguishing him from his twin the past six years.
Lee made his way over to them, a glass of champagne in his hand. George grinned as he passed. 'Smashing bouquet, mate.'
Lee grinned back. 'I think I see some of Fleur's veela cousins,' he said, craning his neck for a better look. 'They'll need help understanding our English customs, I'll look after them ...'
Aimee and George smiled after him as they directed their attention back to the dance floor. A small gasp slipped from her lips as something collided near her knees; Aimee laughed as she stooped to pick up the two year old girl, wearing a puffy pale blue dress.
'Victoire!' she smiled. Fleur and Bill's daughter resembled her mother in every way, from her halo of blonde hair to the pools of fire blazing behind her sapphire eyes. 'You look like a princess.'
Her attention was brought away from the little girl from George's nudge in the ribs. 'Uh oh, looks like your boyfriend needs rescuing.'
Aimee followed his gaze to where Cedric was seated next to an elderly witch adorned in feathery pink hat reminiscent of a flamingo. She laughed, and, with Victoire still attached to her hip, made her way over to Cedric, mesmerised by the flashes of silk and taffeta as dancers spun around the room.He sent her an extremely grateful look as she sat down next to him.
'Who are you?' the old woman shouted at her as she sat.
Aimee flinched. 'Oh - uh, I'm the maid of honour. Aimee Fisher.' Her eyes widened. 'Ma'am.'
'Aimee,' Cedric said, voice strained behind a pleasant smile. 'This is Fred and George's aunt Muriel.'
Her eyes widened. 'Oh, of course. I've heard so much about you.'
'Is this your child?' Muriel barked, her gaze lingering on the top of Victoire's shiny blonde head before darting between her and Cedric. Aimee shook her head, cheeks growing warm at the implication.
'Oh - no -'
'Good, you're far too young to have children.' Muriel nodded. 'You don't have the hips for child bearing anyway.'
Aimee caught Cedric's gaze, his eyes luminescent with silent laughter. She glared at him before she turned back to Aunt Muriel, searching the deepest alcoves of her mind for some sort of response, but the elderly woman already found something else to complain about.
'Those two,' she muttered, flicking a giant rubber mouse from across the table, her wand having emitted a loud squeak before turning into one of Fred and George's tricks that they'd left lying around. 'They're lucky at least one of them managed to secure a wife.'
Cedric hastily grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter in an attempt to hide his laugh. Once he had schooled his features to appear passive, he turned to Aimee and said, 'Want to dance?'
'Please,' Aimee muttered, giving Muriel one last glance before following him over to the dance floor, letting Victoire run off to her father on the way. Soft music was playing from somewhere, the languid notes washing over the celebrations in a current of serenity.
Aimee's skills in dancing hadn't improved in the slightest since the Yule Ball, although she blamed the heels as she stumbled backwards; he reached out instinctively to catch her, prompting a swarm of schoolgirl butterflies to tug at her sternum.
She smiled fondly, flashes of white lace twirling past her vision as Fred vigorously spun his new wife around the dance floor. 'They look happy.'
'Yeah,' said Cedric softly. 'Yeah, they do.'
Aimee lifted her chin to meet his gaze. 'Think they'd notice if we snuck away?'
His eyes flashed quicksilver. 'Considering we're both vital members of the wedding party, I'd be a little offended if they didn't notice.'
Aimee rolled her eyes, 'Follow me, you dork.'
The honeyed air caressed Aimee's exposed skin as they meandered amidst neatly lined rose bushes. They walked for a while, the lingering sounds of celebration blurring into the summer night air, soon replaced by the melodic whisper of a small creek.
At the edge of the garden, the land dipped down into a narrow ravine that the creek had carved over time. Aimee found a soft grassy spot where they could watch the subtle glint of moonlight off the foaming water.
'Okay, I give up,' Cedric said. 'How did you know this was here?'
'Fleur told me about this spot,' Aimee said. 'She said it was a nice place to sit and think.'
He reached over and wrapped an arm around her, his skin warm and summery. She could feel his steady pulse below his jaw as her head nestled perfectly between the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
Cedric tapped two fingers under her chin and guided her gaze towards the astronomical wonders unfolding above them. 'Look.'
Hovering over the skyline, Andromeda was sparkling like diamonds, bathing the two of them in a soft, celestial glow.
'I spent the last two weeks looking up at the night sky every evening,' he whispered. She met his gaze, watching a canvas of mercury and starlight glimmer in his irises. 'It's nice to be able to look at the stars with you beside me again.'
'I did that too.' Aimee's voice had dropped, almost swept away in the balmy summer breeze. 'I'd wonder if you were looking at the same constellations I was, at the same moment.'
She smiled softly as Cedric kissed the top of her head, the moonlight sparkling over the creek in front of them.
'Aimee ...'
Her heart had begun to flutter, thoughts ricocheting through her mind like a dizzying, moonlit tsunami. Because she could feel his heart pounding against her skin, and it all of a sudden occurred to her that Cedric was nervous.
Cedric was never nervous.
'Aimee, I ...' His gaze now fixed upon her with a soft intensity swirling behind his eyes. She could feel her heart banging painfully against her ribs but she couldn't look away. 'Aims - God.'
He laughed softly, one hand tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear. She didn't dare to breathe.
'Aimee, I'm so in love with you,' he whispered. Vulnerability was aching behind his irises as moonlight rested upon his cheekbones like remnants of stardust. 'And - God, here goes - Aimee, I - I want you in my life forever.' He took a deep breath. 'I want to marry you.'
Words had dried in her throat, leaving Aimee with nothing to do but to pull him down gently and connect their lips. She was caught between a kaleidoscope of reality and pink-petal daydreams, lost somewhere between the duality of day and night, and as she tasted the fallen stars on his lips, she swore to love him forever.
He laughed softly against her mouth. 'What does that mean?'
'Yes, you idiot,' she whispered. A rosy laugh tumbled from her lips, bordering on insane as she met his gaze. 'Yes, a thousand times, yes.'
There was no diamond ring, no elaborate proposal, just pure, unfiltered love as Aimee fell into back his embrace. She was swept away by a whirlwind of love and moonlight and a thousand sweet promises for the future, as above them, Andromeda shimmered like a silver vow.
All was well.
***
a/n: well that's a fucking wrap 😭😭
when i first uploaded lovergirl to wattpad it was sort of a joke - i didn't expect to ever finish it, and i expected to take it down after a couple of weeks. i am fully aware that this is a literal cedric diggory fanfiction but it was also a project i poured my entire heart, body and soul into, and it ended up being 64.9k words. thank you to everyone who read, voted and commented. you're all golden.
this book was a lot angstier than i intended it to be, but i don't regret it. i think wattpad has a tendency to over romanticise everything, and make it all 'perfect' - when i write romance, i like to imagine the kind of love i want to have, which means dealing with traumas, boundaries and heartbreak. and even though it's set in a world of magic, these characters are still human, especially my girl aims.
anyway. i appreciate you all so much. until next time my loves <333
*update* i've uploaded a james potter book called 'willow' - it would be awesome sauce if you checked it out ;))