"All three of them drank the liquid luck," Hermione says, nearly startling you as she, Ron, and Hagrid slip into the stands next to you. You watch as Cedric, Harry, Krum, and Fleur wave at the audience, standing at the mouth of the maze that was once the Quidditch pitch.
"Did Cedric..." Hermione starts.
"Yeah," you say shortly. "He drank it. No questions asked."
"Wow," Hermione raises her eyebrows, pursing her lips, and you swear you see her blushing.
You watch with bated breath as Cedric embraces his parents goodbye. Mrs. Diggory kisses his forehead affectionately and ruffles his hair lovingly, while Mr. Diggory pats his back proudly, raising his arm like a referee does when a boxer wins a match and the audience goes wild. Cedric's face flushes with embarrassment as he quickly rips his arm away from his father's grasp, his cheeks tinged with pink, while his mother chuckles softly.
Harry and Cedric are the first to enter the maze as they are tied for first place. And, for a fleeting moment before he enters the maze, Cedric's eyes search hungrily in the audience for you. You raise your hand to get his attention, and you two lock eyes for a moment. You mouth "good luck." He gives you a tight, bittersweet smile before entering the maze and disappearing from sight.
As Cedric disappears into the maze, your heart skips a beat, a mixture of worry and pride swirling within you. You watch intently as Harry, Krum, and Fleur follow suit, each of them disappearing into the labyrinthine pathways.
"They'll be alright, won't he?" Ron asks, his voice tinged with concern as he leans in closer as Krum enters the maze after Cedric and Harry.
You nod, trying to reassure both him and yourself as Fleur enters the maze last, not even bothering to look at you. "They've got the luck potion on his side. They'll find a way through."
Hagrid grunts in agreement, though his expression remains somber. "Aye, but that maze ain't no walk in the park, even with a bit o' liquid luck."
You glance back at the maze, its towering walls casting long shadows in the fading light. Despite your attempts to remain optimistic, a sense of unease gnaws at you.
"They're smart," Hermione interjects, her voice firm with conviction. "And resourceful. They'll figure it out. They made it this far."
You take comfort in her words, though the minutes drag on like hours, each one filled with anticipation and anxiety.
You stand looking at the mouth of the maze for several minutes, as if wishing for Cedric, Fleur, and Harry to reappear there, safe and sound. No such luck.
"I'll get us some drinks," you declare, rising from your seat, feeling melancholy as you navigate through the crowd toward the drinks cart outside the Quidditch stadium.
Approaching the cart, you notice a familiar figure engaged in conversation with the vendor. It's Cedric's mum, Karen Anne Diggory, her demeanor a mix of tension and polite conversation. She turns to you as you draw closer, offering a wave of greeting.
"Hello, dear," she says warmly. "Y/N Y/L/N, Is it?"
"Yes, ma'am," you reply with a polite grin, exchanging a handful of sickles for four bottles of butterbeer from the vendor. With a nod of gratitude, you turn to leave, taking a swig from one of the bottles.
"Are you Cedric's girlfriend?"
The question catches you off guard, causing the golden beverage to squirt out of your mouth. You cough, doubling over slightly as you try to regain your composure in the wake of Mrs. Diggory's unexpected inquiry.
You cough, trying to regain your composure as Mrs. Diggory looks at you with concern.
"Uh, no, Mrs. Diggory," you manage to reply, feeling your cheeks flush with embarrassment. "We're... just friends."
Your voice catches at the word "friends". Cedric was more than that, much more. Even "crush" or "boyfriend" wouldn't cover it. He is a part of you at this point, an annoyingly perfect and dorky part, sure, but a part you could not live without.
Mrs. Diggory's eyes soften, and she nods understandingly. "Ah, I see. Well, you seem like a lovely young lady. Cedric talks about you often."
Your heart skips a beat at her words, but you try to play it cool. "He does?"
"Oh yes, why his letters this year have been dozen pages long, front and back, talking about you," she confirms with a warm smile. "He admires you greatly, you know. Thinks very highly of you." Her eyes flick to your neckline. "And, do excuse me, but did Cedric buy that pendant for you?"
You feel your chest tighten as your hand twitches to fidget with the pendant, a habit of yours when you are afraid or nervous. "Y-Yes. I'm really sorry, I told him it was too much and expensive and-"
"Oh dear, I didn't mean to call you a gold digger," she waves your worries away with a good-natured laugh. "Cedric—and don't tell him I told you this—spent almost all of his pocket money he has ever saved. I never thought somebody would mean so much to him..."
You can now hear your heart thump in your chest, feeling feverish, not knowing how to respond.
"Well, that is not a complete truth," Mrs. Diggory says thoughtfully. "He has always been that way, gets it from his father. When he decides that he loves somebody, he forgets all else. I used to worry it would lead to him being taken advantage of..." She shakes her head. "For all his brains, Ced can be naive. That's why it didn't work out with Cho..." She looks at you. "Oh dear me, I am boring you with all this, aren't I? Sound like some kind of Pageant mom. God, worse, I sound like Amos."
The two of you share a warm laugh.
"Don't apologize," you say, hugging the bottles of butterbeer. "It's great to see how much you love and respect your son. I wish my parents..." You shake your head. "You did a great job with him, Mrs. Diggory. Ced is the kindest, sweetest, most loving and nurturing and trustworthy person I know. I never have to worry if he's being honest or playing mind games with me or only wants to be with me for my looks and money... Not to mention, he clearly gets his smarts and looks from you."
Mrs. Diggory's laughter fills the air, and you can't help but notice the similarities between her and Cedric—the way her eyes crinkle at the corners, the perfect curve of her lips, the melodic sound of her laughter. It's uncanny.
"Well, I suppose I do take credit for that. I am a mediwitch at St. Mungo's, so I suppose the nurturing nature of my profession rubbed off on him..." Her tone shifts, becoming more serious. "Dear, excuse my expression again, but the way you just described him... That twinkle in your eyes... is the same expression Cedric has when he talks about you. Why aren't you two together?"
Her question pierces through your thoughts like a bolt of lightning, leaving you momentarily speechless. It's a question that has been staring you in the face since the Yule Ball, but hearing it out loud brings a new level of clarity and urgency to the situation. She's right.
Why aren't you together?
°˖✧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚✧˖°
Hours have passed, and Draco has only managed to muster the use of the first two Unforgivable Curses, Crucio and Imperio, on your parents. His face is streaked with dried tears and sweat, his eyes bloodshot and dry from the exhaustion of his efforts. Meanwhile, Narcissa Malfoy's sobs can be heard echoing from another room, horrified at her son and ex-family freinds' fates.
"Kill them already, Draco!" Lucius snarls impatiently, his disdain evident as he glares at his trembling son. "Weakling!" With a disdainful spit, he leaves the room in a fit of anger.
Trembling almost as much as your parents, Draco crumbles to the ground beside them.
"There's no need for apologies, Draco," your mother whispers weakly, her voice barely audible despite Draco's proximity. It carries a warmth and gentleness that Draco has rarely heard from her. She raises her eyes to meet his, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Kill me, Draco... Please."
"No," Draco shakes his head frantically. "Don't say that, Mrs. Y/L/N. I-I'll find a way to fake your death and get you out of here. I just need some time—"
"Time that we don't have..." Mrs. Y/L/N's smile remains, but there's a sadness in her eyes. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you five years ago, Draco. You were shorter than Y/N back then, and now you're taller than me." She chuckles softly, a bitter edge to her tone. "I'm sorry we had to tear the two of you apart. Your friendship was pure and lovely before... We were afraid something like this would happen. That's why we had to leave—"
"Don't apologize," Draco interrupts, his voice filled with desperation.
"He's right," Mr. Y/L/N mutters, his gaze heavy with remorse. "He is not the one we should apologize to..."
Mrs. Y/L/N nods, her husband's face softening with memories of their daughter. "Y/N... We owe her so many apologies. About tearing you two apart, always putting business and politics over her, never being there for her..." Her voice falters, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazes at Draco. "...We thought we were securing a better future for her by working... But, I guess what they say is true, you only remember what matters when you stare death in the eyes."
Draco sits quietly for over two hours, his heart heavy with guilt as he listens to your parents speak fondly of you. He tells them of your hobbies and interests, of how he wronged you and how you forgave him and your golden heart when you learn of him being a death eater. He tells them of your kiss and about Cedric, how he is the perfect guy and that he and you are the perfect couple and they soak every word in. With each word, he feels the weight of his actions pressing down on him, knowing that he's causing you immeasurable pain. This time, his wrongdoing feels insurmountable, unforgivable. He's destroying your world—the girl who had unknowingly brought him happiness for five years, who had shown him kindness when his own family hadn't, even when he hadn't deserved it. And all he's given you in return is anguish and torment.
As your parents reminisce, Draco notices a faint twinkle in their eyes, one he hasn't seen since he last saw you five years ago. He nods absentmindedly, silently wishing for them to find strength, to keep living, even though he knows it's selfish of him to hope they endure just to assuage his guilt. It's remarkable how they've endured the torture for so long; no ordinary wizard or witch could withstand it. But perhaps it wasn't their resilience that kept them going. Perhaps it was you. The mere thought of you was enough to sustain them. But everyone has their limits.
"Will you pass a message to our daughter, Draco?" Mrs. Y/L/N's gaze pierces through him, pulling him back to the present moment.
Draco meets Mrs. Y/L/N's gaze, feeling a lump form in his throat. He knows he can't refuse her request, not after everything he's put them through, not after the pain he's caused.
"Yes," he responds softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Of course."
Mrs. Y/L/N's eyes soften, filled with gratitude and hope. She reaches out to touch Draco's hand, a silent gesture of appreciation.
"Tell her... Tell her that we love her," she says, her voice trembling with emotion. "Tell her that we're proud of her, no matter what."
Mr. Y/L/N chokes up, his voice cracking with emotion. "...tell her to stay strong, to keep fighting. That, we..." He opens his arms, and Mrs. Y/L/N manages to crawl over and hug him. The two embrace, and Draco feels a twinge of jealousy, not the bad kind, but the kind laced with admiration, wishing he would have somebody to die alongside too. "...That we will always watch over her. We'll always be with her."
He reaches out, resting his warm hand on Draco's forehead, and Draco closes his eyes in slow-motion, relishing the only drop of parental love he'll ever receive. "We'll always be with both of you...."
He looks at his wife, and the two say together, "Always."
Draco nods solemnly, his heart heavy with the weight of their words. He knows he must deliver their message to you, no matter how difficult it may be.
"I will," he promises, his voice tinged with determination. "I'll make sure she knows." His voice cracks, shuddering. "I-I don't deserve this, I—"
"We know that this is not your choice, Draco," Mr. Y/L/N says gently. "You are a good kid, you always were. You shouldn't have to taint your heart like this...Us adults have failed you." Draco can't bring himself to raise his head to look at the two now. Even your parents are taking accountability for his terrible actions.
"You three are more alike than you think," Draco chuckles bitterly under his breath. If only he was strong enough to defy the adults around him. His parents. His clan. The Death Eaters. Voldemort. If he did, he would be on his knees crying as he's forced to kill two people who have treated him with kindness and love till the very end. The warmth seeps from his head where your father's hands rest and courses through his veins as both your parents embrace Draco and he cries desperately and pathetically into their shoulders while they stroke his hair. Their sadness hurts more than their screams of agony.
The three stay that way for what seems like an eternity.
"It's time," Mr. Y/L/N whispers, planting a kiss on Draco's forehead.
"No!" Draco cries desperately, feeling on the verge of cardiac arrest himself. "No! no it's not! I-I can fix this! I can get you out of here-"
"Draco," Mrs. Y/L/N cups Draco's face in her hands, their eyes locked. Right now, though tortured and on the brink of death while facing death, she looks as beautiful and young as you. "I know it is selfish of us to ask this of you...but please, protect my little girl."
Draco tries to quiet his sobs as he nods his head.
"We know you'll do the right thing, Draco," Mrs. Y/L/N adds, planting a kiss on his forehead. "You'll do great things with your life, Draco, just as Y/N will. Be happy, Draco, Live a long, healthy and wonderful life."
And so, they let Draco go, and he rises, wiping his tears away, raising his wand. Your parents look at each other one last time, whispering "I love you" and sharing a final kiss. Before they can break apart, before they can be brought back to this hellish earth from their little peace of paradise, Draco closes his eyes and whispers out the spell he wishes to never use:
"Avada Kedavra."