When we arrived back at the place where I found the kids, the tent they stayed in was burned down. Their mother sat on the ground with her arms around her knees as she cried. When she saw us walk up, she jumped on her feet and the tears ran more freely. She hugged her kids tight, and the father came running down the field as he saw their family together again. The parents kept thanking me, for saving her children. I just smiled at her as tears filled my own eyes as I watched the loving reunion. Cedric pulled me close with his arm around my waist and I rested my head on his chest.
When we arrived back at the tent, Amos fell in his son's arms, and I gave them a moment together as I went to pack our things. But Amos didn't forget about me and hugged me the moment they stepped inside the tent. We packed the tent up quickly and Amos just apparated us home from the spot. Olive was beside herself as she paced the kitchen waiting for news. She had received a Patronus from Amos a few hours ago, telling her about the attack and that the kids were in hiding. After Olive made sure we were okay, she ushered the three of us to bed.
Cedric and I crashed on our beds, still with our dirty clothes on. But I couldn't find sleep as easily as I thought. The screams, the hooded figures, the fires all flashed before my eyes.
"Ced?" I whispered in the quiet room.
"Yeah?"
"Can I sleep with you?"
"Sure." His voice squeaked a bit.
I climbed out of my bed and walked over to Cedric, who held up the blanket for me so I could climb in. I put my back to Cedric, and he hesitantly put his arm around my waist before pulling me close, flush against his body. His breath tickled my ear, and I was glad the room was dark because I knew I couldn't hide this blush, that crept on my cheeks.
"Good night." Cedric whispered in my ear, which send a shiver down my spine.
"Night." I whispered back, giving his hand on my waist a squeeze.
"I love you." Cedric kissed the back of my head, but I didn't hear him, I was already a goner. The moment Cedric had his arms around me, I felt safe, complete and dozed off right away.
It was a week later since the attack and a week before school started. Cedric was sitting against the tree, reading a book while I laid down on his lap reading a letter the twins send to me, asking if we were okay. We didn't mention the kiss, or the things we said at the world cup, we just went back to normal, aside from the obvious flirting between us.
Cedric put down his book and stroked my hair. "Who's it from?"
"Oh." I put the letter against my chest. "The twins." I felt Cedric tense when I said that, and I knew that would happen, his hand stopped moving. "They are asking if we got home okay, since they didn't see us after we brought the kids back to their parents."
"Oh, okay." He relaxed back against the tree and resumed running his hand through my hair.
"Uhm, Ced?" Cedric hummed in a way to let me know he was listening. I looked up at him, he was resting his head against the tree, eyes closed, a small smile on his lips. "What's up with your dad?"
His eyes opened and looked at me with a frown. "What do you mean?"
I bit my lip, trying to supress a laugh as I glanced at the backdoor of the house. Cedric followed my gaze and saw his dad poking his head in and out the door.
"Is he spying on us?"
"No." Cedric gasped slightly. "It must be something else... DAD!
Amos poked his head out the door again and looked at the pair surprised. Cedric beckoned him over and he walked over, looking a bit nervous.
"Yes?" He asked, as his hands bound together in his back and rocked on his heels. I pushed myself off Cedric's lap and leaned against the tree next to him, looking up at Amos.
"What's with you, Amos? You've been acting strange the past few days."
"I- uhm – no. Okay! You know I can't lie to the two of you." He sighed in defeat, Cedric and I looked at each other smirking before turning back to his dad. "This year will be different at Hogwarts... You can't tell anyone until Dumbledore does, promise?"
"Promise." We crossed our hearts.
We were packing our school trunks In Cedric's bedroom the day before we left for school. I took my last stack of clothes out of the closet and placed them neatly in the trunk. I frowned when I saw an expertly wrapped package in my trunk, I picked up the brown package and held it closer for inspection. I turned to look at Cedric who was putting his books in his own trunk.
"Cedric, did you put this in?"
He looked over to me, his brows gathered. "No, I have one too. I thought you packed it for me."
"No, I didn't." I looked back at the brown package, giving it a squeeze. "It's soft."
"Mine too." Cedric walked past me to the door of our room. "Mum?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can you come in for a sec?" He asked before he walked back to his trunk. Olive came in the room with a smile, looking between the two of us. "Did you put this in?"
"I did. It was required for all fourth years and up, it was on your school list." She walked closer and took my package in her hands. "I'm guessing your father already spilled the beans?"
"Uhm, yeah." Cedric chuckled.
"Why am I not surprised." She smiled, shaking her head. "Your mum sent it over a few days ago, I haven't seen it myself." She told me.
"What is it? Can I open it?"
"You can but then there is no surprise left."
Cedric and I shared a look, and Olive already knew what it meant. She smiled before she left the room, closing the door behind her. We tore open the packages even before the door was fully shut.
"Dress robes?" We called in unison as we turned to each other holding the clothes still folded in our hands.
"Maybe there will be a gathering, a party or something. Or maybe after the winner is declared, there will be a feast."
"Certainly a possibility." He eyed his black robes. He glanced over the ball gown in my hands. The baby blue fabric would suit her perfectly, he saw some embroidery on it, but the dress was still folded so he couldn't be sure. "Are you going to put it on?"
"Uhm, no not yet. Want to keep it for the special occasion." I folded the wrapper back around it and placed it carefully in my trunk.
He watched her put the dress back in her trunk, he would have done anything to see her in that dress.
"Where is Gwen?" His father asked as he entered the sitting area that evening. Cedric looked up from his book and placed it upside down on his lap.
"She went with mum to the store. You know her, she wants to help as much as she can before we leave for Hogwarts."
"She's an amazing young woman." His father said softly as he took the seat next to him. "Cedric, you know I can't keep anything from you, so I need to say this."
"Is everything okay, dad?" He grew worried as his father fumbled with his sleeve. "Are you okay? Is mum?"
"Yes, we're fine. I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you, son. This is about you."
"About me?"
"Hm, yes. About you and Gwen." Cedric looked surprised at his dad and went to open his mouth, but he cut him off. "Listen. I – me and your mum have noticed that your friendship has changed. I've seen the way you look at her, it's the way I look at your mum."
"Dad, I-" He started, but he didn't know what to say. He never expected his parents to figure it out.
"I just want to tell you, don't wait too long. I almost lost your mum when I took too long." He shook his head slightly. "I've seen how the Weasley twins look at her. We know Gwen doesn't pick just anyone, but Fred and George are good guys. Just think about it, okay?" He patted his shoulder and rose from the couch.
"Thanks dad." His dad gave him a nod before he disappeared out of the room. He put his book down and tried to process what his dad just told him.
The platform was busy, as always on September 1st. Cedric and I pushed our trolleys through the sea of people, trying to get as close to the train as possible. My owl screeched in his cage loudly.
"Have fun this year, dears." Olive hugged them both.
"Let us know if you two decide to enter and remember, don't say anything until-" Amos voice quieted down.
"We know." Cedric and I grinned.
"We better get going if we want a good carriage." Cedric said, kissing his parent's cheeks.
"Thanks for having me!" I called over my shoulder as we walked to the train. Cedric's parents smiled and waved as we stepped on the train.
We didn't have to search long for an empty carriage, we waved one more time out the window before his parents apparated home. I picked up my trunk to push it on the rack above me. When it got stuck, Cedric leaned over me to help me push it up. I turned to him with a smile. Our chests touched lightly, and he dropped his arms from the rack, resting them on my hips.
"Thanks." I managed to say, looking in his dark brown eyes.
"You're welcome." We held each other gaze for a moment, our heads coming closer together. We pulled apart when Zeno, my owl screeched again. We both looked in the other direction as a blush crept on both of our cheeks.
"Alright, Zeno. Calm down." I sighed as I passed Cedric and opened the cage. I slid open the top window. "I'll see you at Hogwarts." The owl gave me a soft nibble and flew out the window. I turned back and sat down at the window seat.
"I-uhm." Cedric started, rubbing his neck. "I have to meet with the other prefects."
"Okay, I'm guessing Odin and Lyra will be here soon."
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned back to the slide door. "Uhm Gwen?" He looked over his shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"Can we talk later?"
"Sure, is something wrong?" I asked worried.
"No, there is just something I wanted to talk about."
"Okay, after dinner?"
"Great. I see you later." He winked and closed the door behind him just as the whistle of the train chimed through the platform. With a shake, the train started to move. My eyes were glued to the moving scenery as I thought back about the events two weeks ago. The frightened look of Rose and Arthur as the hooded figures came closer and closer.
"Guinevere?" A hand touched my shoulder softly. I nearly jumped out of my skin, the image of the hooded figures still in front of me before the red hair became more prominent. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
"George?" I frowned as I shifted in my seat. "I'm okay. What are you doing here?"
He sat down next to me, looking at me worried. "I was just getting a prank ready, when I saw you here alone. Where is Cedric?"
"Where is Fred?" I countered with a smile. "Cedric had his prefect meeting."
"Fred is setting the other part of the prank with Lee." He closed the door with a wave of his wand. "Gwen... I – we didn't mean to overhear, but we heard you talking to Charlie at the Cup, about what happened with Cedric."
"Oh." I cast my eyes down.
"I don't know what's going on between you two, but don't you ever think you're not beautiful."
"T-thanks." My voice trembled a bit, from the look in his eyes, from the way he spoke to me. "But nothing is going on between us, he's in love with Cho."
"I don't believe that." George gave me a smile. "But if he hasn't fess up to you by Christmas break, I'm going to ask you out."
"W-what?!" I gasped, taking me by surprise. "You can't just bluntly say that!"
"Why not?" He grinned. "I'm a Weasley after all. We'll just have to wait and see."
The door slid open revealing Lee and Fred in the doorway. Fred looked at the two with a slight frown, while Lee grinned wide.
"Lee!" I jumped up and hugged him tight. The twins looked at each other surprised, wondering what the hell was going on.
"Jenny!" Lee twirled me around. "I missed you this summer."
"I missed you too, but you were the one on holiday." I poked his chest with a smile when he put me down.
"Uhm -" Fred started. "What's happening here?"
"Do you know each other?"
"What does it look like?" Lee grinned. "I told you about Jenny."
"Jenny?" The twins repeated as they raked their brains.
"You mean the girl you grew up with?"
"My boy next door." I chuckled, still holding on to Lee, his arm around my shoulder. Fred took a seat next to his twin, so Lee and I sat across from them.
"How did we not know this?"
"I told you about her." Lee pointed out again. "But we mostly meet in the library." He shrugged.
"Ah yes, foreign territory." George laughed. "What about parties?"
"I don't always go to the parties."
"And if you do, those two are nearly always hammered after an hour or so."
"We contradict that." The twins spoke up.
"Oh, what is the reason then? That you haven't seen us talking at a party?"
Lee and I had to bite down our laugh as the twins couldn't find a comeback. The twins gave up and leaned back against the seat with a grin.
"What were you doing here anyway?" Lee asked George and I had to use my ability to hide a blush.
"I was wondering the same." Fred cocked his eyebrow at his brother.
"On my way back, I saw her sitting here alone and thought I come say hi." George winked at me.
"That's all?" Fred grumbled a bit.
"I-" George was interrupted when the door slid open once again. Cedric's easy-going smile disappeared when he saw the twins. But he looked a bit relieved that I was snuggled up to Lee instead of the twins.
"I'm done with rounds, and I brought you your favourite from the trolley." He grinned walking in. Lee scooted over so Cedric could take a seat on the other side of me. I pulled myself away from Lee excited.
"Dew Dew Psychodrops?"
"What else?" He took the box and handed it over to me.
"You're the best." I kissed his cheek before I tore open the box. The twin's faces dropped a bit at that, but I saw George giving me a pointed look. "Guess what? These two knuckleheads didn't know Lee and I grew up together!" I grinned up to Cedric, popping the candy in my mouth.
"What? How is that possible?" Cedric laughed, even though it was a bit forceful.
The twins and Lee stayed for another hour before they went back to their own compartment, were the girls from the Gryffindor quidditch team were waiting for them. I remained in my seat next to Cedric and let my eyes fall shut from the long train ride, my head resting on his lap.