The dark-haired Hufflepuff sat down beside me in the common room and grinned. I placed my book on my lap and waited patiently for him to tell me the news.
"I've asked her."
"And?" I mused, raising my eyebrows.
"She said yes!"
I squealed and flung my arms around his neck.
"You did it!"
Cedric chuckled and flung his arms around my waist. We hugged and then broke apart, a grin on both of our faces.
"See, it wasn't so difficult was it?"
"I guess not; it was pretty nerve-wracking having to approach her, but once I worked up the courage to do so, everything just fell into place." I smiled at my friend, who was beaming. "She's just so great, Willow. You'll love her," he gushed, starting to tell me everything about the girl.
"So, am I going to find out who this lucky girl is or am I going to go hunt her down?" I joked. He nudged me in the ribs and laughed.
"Her name is Cho. Cho Chang," he told me.
"The pretty little Asian girl in Ravenclaw?" I winked at him. "Going for the younger girls, eh?"
"Oh stop, it's not like that," he moaned.
"Whatever you say," I teased. He poked me at the sides and I squirmed.
"Now we've got to get you a partner for the dance," he said.
"I don't even know if I want to go," I complained. "I'd have to wear a dress and put make-up on an-"
"Willow Ellsworth, you are not sitting on your bed reading some Muggle love novel while everyone else is having fun at the Ball," Cedric scolded. "Besides, I'm sure the Weird Sisters will be performing and you wouldn't pass up a chance to see them play live, right?"
I groaned; I was torn between the comfort of staying in my warm, cosy bed and getting to actually meet the Weird Sisters. "I don't have a dress."
"Send an owl to your mum; you know how she'll get when she hears that you want to get dressed up and act girly for once. She'd probably fork out as many Galleons and Sickles as you need just so you can dress up for the dance," Cedric replied.
"You're not going to let me get out of this so easily, are you?" I asked. He shook his head, his hair flopping as he did so. "Fine, I'll send her a damned owl and hope that it loses the dress on the way."
"But-" I began as he opened his mouth, "you're helping me find a date."
"Deal," he said and we shook on it.
----
"How about Cormac McLaggen?" Cedric suggested, pointing his chin over to a blonde-haired boy on the Gryffindor table. I screwed up my nose in disgust.
"He's a stuck-up pansy who talks about nothing but himself," I said.
"Roger Davis?" He pointed to the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and shook my head.
"He's going for Fleur Delacour," I stated, starting to get bored.
"Well, I don't know then. This is starting to seem a bit hopeless since you keep rejecting everyone I mention."
"If you picked someone good, then I wouldn't have to keep rejecting everyone you choose," I said, rolling my eyes.
The bell rang and I picked up my bag. "I'm off to Herbology; you have a free now?"
"Yeah, I'll keep looking for someone suited to your tastes," he said. I stuck my tongue out at him and headed to the greenhouses.
As I walked into Herbology, I was met with the loud sound of someone swearing.
"Forget to put your dragon-hide gloves on?" I asked, looking at the Weasley with an amused look.
"Haha, very funny, Ellsworth," he said, edging away from the Fanged Geranium.
"Did ickle Georgie Weasley scare you?" I cooed to the plant, which ruffled its leaves at me and seemed to purr as I did so.
"You're talking to a plant, good luck getting a response from it."
"Hey, plants can understand what you're saying to them you know; it knows when you're swearing for instance," I replied.
George shook his head and watched me like I was mad. I took my gloves out and slipped them on, grabbing a bag of dragon dung. I grabbed a trowel and pulled a bigger pot to my side.
"Pass me the soil, please," I asked. George passed me the soil and I mixed it in with the fertiliser.
"Time for re-potting, you little beauty," I cooed, carefully digging the Fanged Geranium out.
"You act like that thing is your child," he scoffed, leaning forward to get a better view as I placed the plant into the pot, patting it down gently. It growled softly as it settled into the extra space.
"It kind of is; I've raised this one since it was a seedling," I replied, sprinkling some mooncalf dung. It shuffled in it happily and I smiled.
"Wait, yours is still alive?"
"We only planted them two months ago..."
"Yeah, but most of them were harvested once they matured."
"Late bloomer," I responded. "Little one here almost didn't pull through when someone stripped him of all its leaves." I gritted my teeth as I remembered the Ravenclaw who thought she had a right to try and harvest my plant.
"Huh..." he said, looking at the plant. "Poor guy." It growled in agreement and I broke out into a grin.
"It likes you," I said. "He'll probably let you pat it if you keep your hand in view."
"No wa- wait in view?"
"Yeah. So it knows you aren't going to attack it."
George looked at me dumbfounded before I grabbed his hand, guiding him towards the plant. He froze as his hand hovered on top of one of the heads.
"Go on," I urged. He stuck a finger out and stroked it, relaxing when it didn't bite. "See? Harmless."
"Yeah," he grinned.
We spent the rest of the lesson extracting Snargaluff pods; I showed George how to coax the plant into relaxing before slowly popping the pods out into the bowls.
"The pods actually annoy them, so that's why they're so irritated when you tug at them. If you get them to relax then it will let you extract the pods without attacking," I advised.
"You're really good at Herbology you know," George complimented.
"Thanks," I said, wiping my brow with my forearm. George laughed and scrubbed at my forehead with a rag.
"Dragon dung," he grinned. I grimaced.
"Thanks. I would have totally walked out with that on my head if you didn't tell me."
"No problem." He paused and we popped some more pods before he spoke again. "Are you going to the dance?"
"I promised Cedric I would if I found a date."
"Huh, I was sure that you'd be going with Diggory; the two of you are inseparable."
"We're just friends. And he already has a date," I said, though it made sense; Cedric and I were basically together all the time. People often mistook us for a couple, when all that was between us was a strong platonic friendship. I loved him, sure, but like a brother. Though, recently I only saw him at dinner and the evenings, which was extremely taxing.
"Well, I still need a date; if you haven't got one how about going with me? I mean, it could be a laugh."
I dropped the pod into my bowl and thought about it. I had nothing to lose.
"Sure," I agreed, smiling at him.
"Great!" I laughed at his enthusiasm.
"But I'll warn you now; I have two left feet so don't think of dancing a lot!"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
----
"George Weasley, eh?" Cedric appraised as we sat down to dinner. "Didn't think you liked his type."
"He's a good laugh," I told him, tucking into the gammon on my plate. "Besides, he doesn't want to dance a lot, which is a bonus."
"Well, if it's what you want then it's fine by me," he settled. I rolled my eyes.
"You sound like you've just approved of me marrying him or something."
He shrugged. "You never know. A lot of couples were formed from the Yule Ball in the past."
"Thinking of yourself and Cho?" I winked. He nudged me and I laughed. "Don't act like you hate it."
"Shut it you," he complained.
"Cho and Cedric, kissing in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," I sang, dodging as he tried to elbow me again.
"Grow up," he moaned.
"Does Amos know about her?" I asked, waggling my eyebrows.
"Don't you even dare," he warned. "I will tell my dad when I feel like it."
"I was just asking," I defended.
"I know I just...I really like her, so I don't want to screw up." He sighed and bowed his head.
"Cedric, you are a great guy. Anyone would be lucky to be with you," I reassured. "I would know best."
"Thanks, Willow. You're a great friend," he said, smiling at me.
"I know," I said, sticking my tongue out, "maybe you're the lucky one for landing a friend like me."
"I am," he agreed. "I'm ultra lucky."
I coughed, my heart racing slightly. "Don't turn the charm on me," I warned, throwing some bread at him. He laughed and caught it, popping it into his mouth.
"Anyways, what do you want to do for the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday? I want to go and see if Tomes and Scrolls have the books that I ordered last time."
"Er, sorry, Willow, but I was thinking of going around with Cho?" he said.
"Oh. Ok. That's fine," I said. I was a bit miffed since I was looking forward to having Cedric all to myself; he'd been so busy after he became Champion that I hardly had time to talk to him. "Go with Cho. I'll go with someone else," I told him.
"Willow..."
"Seriously, I'm fine."
"If you say so."
Friday came and I still had no plans with anyone; everyone else had already thought of what they wanted to do, and it didn't involve going to Tomes and Scrolls, let alone Dogweed and Deathcap.
"I'll just have to go by myself," I sighed. I was sitting in Charms, making an egg cup do cartwheels; "Something you will need to know how to do for the exam!" Flitwick had emphasised. I spent the first five minutes investigating and could get about five of them cartwheeling at the same time now.
"What you mulling about there for?" Fred piped up. "Well, ok, maybe it's because you've totally mastered egg cup cartwheeling," he continued, watching my somersaulting cups.
"I want to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow," I said.
"So?" George asked, sitting by his twin.
"I have no one to go with," I stated flatly.
"Come with us; we're going with a group of our friends, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you tagged along."
"Thanks, but I'm sure I'd just bore you all with where I want to go."
"Which is?"
"Well, I wanted to get a new pair of gloves at Dogweed and Deathcap's, as well as check if my order arrived at Tomes and Scrolls," I listed.
"I'm sure Angelina wanted to stop at Tomes and Scrolls, and Lee wanted a plant for his mum," Fred said. "Just join us; you can't just hide inside that dingy basement forever."
"That dingy basement is probably the comfiest place I've even been in. But...I guess you're right. What time are you meeting?"
"Just after twelve at the Three Broomsticks; and wear something warm because we'll probably be outside a lot."
"I'll be there. Now," I said, rolling up my sleeves, "who wants to see if I can make these egg cups tap dance?"
"The Gryffindor bunch?" Cedric asked, sceptically. He was perched on a table as I finished off the last bit of my Potions essay. "Won't you feel left out?"
"Don't be silly," I chastised. "What's there to be left out about? Besides, it's not like they're going to gang up on me or anything."
"Well if anything happens, I'll probably be in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," he said.
"Mhm," I nodded, not really listening. "Hey, can I borrow a jumper or something of yours?"
"Sure," he said. "Just go straight up and take one."
"Thanks," I replied. I walked down the corridor and made my way to the Sixth Year dormitories; I never really understood why girls could go into the boys' side without any consequences. Perhaps we were just more trustworthy.
I reached Cedric's bed and rummaged in his trunk for a suitable jumper. Spotting a navy, knitted jumper with green flecks, I tugged it out. A small, blue box fell out as I freed the jumper from the trunk.
"Hm?" I picked it up and, curious, read the note.
Happy Birthday! Hope you love the gift. - Cedric xxx
I grinned and placed the box back in the trunk before I left for my room. Reaching my bed, I ticked off another day on the calendar. "A week left," I muttered to myself, looking at the big circle around the 21st.
Cedric and I always had a tradition of being the first to present each other with birthday gifts; for his 17th, I had bought him a new copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, as well as a Broomstick Servicing Kit. I'd also baked a cake in the shape of a Quaffle, making it chocolate flavoured, which was his favourite. I smiled as I remembered the excitement as he'd opened his gifts, almost crying when I presented him with the cake.
"You'll make a good wife," he had complimented, moaning as he gorged out on the chocolate cake.
Placing the large jumper on my trunk, planning to match it with a pair of woolly leggings and black boots, I changed into my pyjamas and climbed into bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I decided I would be proactive tomorrow, try to make friends and treat Cedric to some Chocolate Frogs from Honeydukes if we went there.
----
"So, you're Cedric Diggory's friend?"
"Er..." I stared at the brown-skinned girl before me, who was standing and appraising me with her arms crossed.
"Ignore Angelina, she's just annoyed that we lost to Hufflepuff last year in Quidditch," Fred said.
"Sorry," I said. "But you guys played good out there. Even though I'm friends with Cedric, your team would have definitely won if Dementors hadn't intervened."
Angelina stared for a bit longer before breaking out into a smile. "I like her, she has good sportsmanship," she said.
"Anyone else have a problem with Willow here?" George asked, looking as Lee Jordan shook his head.
"Anyone as beautiful as this creature can join us," he said, sidling up to me, "as long as they do me the pleasure of introducing themselves." He grabbed my hand and kissed it, looking up at me.
"Hands off, tootsie, she's already got a date for the Ball," George said, slapping Lee's hand off mine.
Lee's face dropped and I felt sorry for him.
"Don't fall for it; he's famous for his acting," Angelina said, shaking her head at her friend.
"I can deal with his charm," I laughed, sending a wink at the boy as he scowled.
"That's true; how do you deal with Diggory? I mean, he's totally hot," Angelina replied.
I shrugged. "I guess it kind of grows on you and you just become immune to it."
We set off, Angelina insisting that we made a stop at Tomes and Scrolls first. I didn't protest and went straight to the counter as we entered.
"Ah, Willow," a bespeckled old man greeted. "Here for your order, I assume?"
"Yes, please," I gushed. I squealed internally as he pulled out a pile of books.
"So that's Going Unnoticed, Silence and Becoming Beautiful," he listed, double-checking the order list.
He packed them into a paper bag and I hurriedly handed him three Galleons. I hugged the bag and ran out to meet up with the group.
"What you got there?" George nosed.
"Just some Muggle novels; they're so popular that I had to pre-order and wait almost a year for all of them," I gushed.
"You're so excited; maybe I'll borrow them from you after you finish to see what the fuss is all about," Angelina mused.
"I'd gladly lend them to you if it meant having someone to talk to about them," I enthused.
We chatted as we made our way to Dogweed and Deathcap; Angelina was an interesting girl to be around. Confident, but slightly stubborn, she told me she was Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She would have made Captain, but due to the reinstatement of the Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch had been cancelled, leaving no space for her to fill.
"Of course, I am a bit annoyed at not being able to play Quidditch this year, but I've got next year and probably a pretty swell team; best warn Diggory to watch out," she said. We stopped outside the Herbology store and I went in, Lee following closely. As I finished paying for my new gloves, I noticed he still hadn't made a decision.
"I want something exotic," he told me, "but not dangerous."
"There's the Flitterboom, which a lot of people keep as a houseplant," I said, pointing to a dark plant that sprouted tentacles. "It looks like a Devil's Snare, but it's completely harmless and pretty easy to care for."
"Hmm," he pondered. "Is there anything more colourful?" I swept my eye around the shop and spotted a bright plant.
"The Asphodel would be perfect," I said, dragging him over. "It's pretty common, but that's because it can survive everywhere. Plus, it's very simple to care for and makes a pretty nifty gift," I summarised. Lee beamed and picked up a pot.
"This will be perfect; thanks, Willow." He made his way to the counter to pay. I looked around for the others and spotted George standing near some Fanged Geraniums.
"Why the sudden interest?" I questioned. He was stroking one of the heads, the rest of them nudging him for affection.
"I never realised that plants could be so affectionate," he mused, smiling softly down at the plant.
"A lot of people don't," I replied. Lee called us as he finished paying and we left the shop.
As we exited, I spotted Cedric and a beautiful Asian girl, who I assumed to be Cho.
"Not going to call out to him?" George asked, spotting them too. I shook my head.
"I'm not going to be the one who interrupts their first date," I responded, watching the two of them. They looked good together; it was kind of picturesque with handsome Cedric, a beautiful woman on his arm, trudging through the snow in a quaint, little village. Somehow though, it made me feel a bit sad; just last Hogsmeade trip, I would have been the one laughing and spending the day with him. It was like Cedric was moving on, leaving me behind.
"Let's go," I said, turning to the direction of Honeydukes. "I'm craving some Exploding Bonbons."
----
The day came to an end very quickly; after visiting Honeydukes, we'd sat outside the Shrieking Shack and just talked. I got to know the Gryffindors really well, and I figured I made a good impression since they had invited me to hang out with them again. Thinking of Cedric and Cho, I decided that it would be good to make some new friends, especially outside my House.
When I'd told them that it was my birthday on Friday, they demanded that we needed to celebrate. I was ecstatic but told them that there was no need.
"It's your coming-of-age!" Angelina exclaimed. "Make it big while you have a chance."
I eventually agreed, and Angelina squealed. She had promised to tell me the details later on in the week.
I stood in the corner on the right side of the Kitchen corridor and pulled my wand out. I tapped a barrel, two from the bottom, and the middle one on the second row in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff' and climbed through the passageway when the door swung open.
"Willow!" Cedric yelled as I emerged in the common room.
"Hey, Cedric. I'm taking it that your day went well?"
"Extremely well." He shuffled over on the couch and patted the space next to him. I plopped down, tugging my boots off and draped my legs over his lap. "She's better than I imagined; she's absolutely stunning and she's got such wits to her," he gushed. He told me more about her, reminding me of how gorgeous or pretty she was every now and then, in case I'd forgotten.
"And did I mention how amazingly beautiful she is?" Cedric said for the umpth-teenth time. I shook my head, getting slightly peeved that he hadn't asked me about my day yet. Eventually, when he began to tell me about her cute, Scottish accent again, I interrupted him.
"Look, Cedric, I know you've had a great day with her and everything, and I'm happy for you, but...you've been going on about her for the past hour and a half. Don't you think it's time to stop?"
Cedric's face fell. "I-I guess...sorry, Willow. I just...I wanted you to get to know her because...because you're my best friend." I sighed, feeling slightly bad.
"I know, and I'm sorry for going off on you like that, but... you haven't even asked me about my day," I replied. He bowed his head and I leant towards him, touching his cheek. "C'mon, Cedric. Don't sulk."
"I've just realised how much of a bad friend I've been," he mumbled.
"You're not a bad friend, Cedric. You're excited, I know that, but don't forget that I need you too." I stood up and picked up my boots,
"Goodnight, Ced," I whispered, using his childhood name. I kissed the top of his head and made my way to the dormitory.
Thursday came and I was bristling with excitement. Angelina had found me the day before, telling me to meet them in the Transfiguration classroom on Friday at dinner. Apparently, Professor McGonagall was fine with us using it as long as we tidied up after ourselves.
"Invite who you want, we've got more than enough food to go around," she said, waving goodbye to me as she left for lessons.
I turned my attention back to the Shrinking Solution I was meant to be brewing and quickly looked at the next step in my book. I added a splash of cowbane and stirred it slowly. Then, I turned the heat high and waved my wand in a high arc. Snape came round and I held my breath as he looked at my mixture. Seemingly satisfied, he walked off and barked at a Gryffindor for the unusual smell of rotten fish coming from the cauldron.
The bell rang as we bottled our mixtures, handing it in to Snape so he could mark us on how we did. I exited the dungeon and made my way up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom for Cedric. When the room emptied, I peered inside and saw no sign of him. I waited around, but seeing that he hadn't emerged, I went to the common room to drop my things off.
"Oh- hey, Cedric," I said as I bumped into him emerging from the passageway. "Did something happen? I waited for you but you weren't outside your classroom."
"Oh darn it! It slipped my mind," he answered. "Look, I'm sorry but Cho asked me to go have dinner with her so I just rushed and left as soon as class was over."
"Ok," I replied. As he turned to leave, I remembered my party. "Angelina's throwing me a birthday party in the Transfiguration room tomorrow at dinner," I said.
"Cool, listen, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later, ok?" he responded.
"Ced-" I began, but he had already gone.
That night, I went to bed early. I'd felt slightly saddened since dinner when Cedric had rushed off to have food with Cho and brushed off my invitation. I sniffled under the covers and pulled them over my head,
"Willow? Cedric's outside the dormitory looking for you." I didn't answer and I heard someone walk to the door.
"Sorry, Cedric, but I think she's gone to sleep," they said. I heard an alright and the scuffling of feet before the door closed.
I exhaled the breath I was holding and then decided that tomorrow would be a better day. Whether or not Cedric was involved.
----
"Happy Birthday!"
I was greeted by a burst of streamers to the face.
"Thank you," I gushed, taking in the room before me. The usually prim and tidy classroom had been transformed into a magnificent room with yellow and black balloons pinned around the room. There were matching streamers lined across the high windows and in the middle hung a banner that said HAPPY 17TH TO WILLOW. The tables had been pushed to the sides, piled high with cakes, sweets and other treats. There was a small, streaming fountain of punch, and even a scratchy record player blasting out 'Do the Hippogriff' by the Weird Sisters.
"I love the Weird Sisters!" I shouted over the music. I struck and pose and began to impersonate Myron Wagtail, head-banging to the song.
People milled in and wished me a happy birthday; a couple of people I didn't even know, but I was having fun so I didn't care.
"Having fun?" Angelina yelled, holding out a cup of punch.
"Best time of my life," I replied. "Thank you so much! This place looks amazing!"
"Don't thank me for that; the twins were in charge of the decorations," she yelled, the music rising louder. "Excuse me, I'm just going to go turn that down."
"Fred! George!" I shouted, waving the twins over. As they reached me, I flung my arms around their necks and hugged them. "Thank you. This is probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," I said. They hugged me back and had huge grins on their faces as they pulled away.
"Don't thank us yet," they said. "Just wait till you see the cake."
They suddenly pointed to the doorway and I turned to see Cedric, with Cho, entering. I froze, unsure of what to do. Sure, I was still annoyed with how he'd treated me last evening, but Cedric was the closest friend I'd ever had. As I stood there debating what I should do, the Hufflepuff walked over and tugged me into a tight embrace.
"Happy birthday," he said breathlessly. Holding out a bag, he thrust it into my hands. "Birthday present," he grinned.
"Thank you." And I smiled, probably the widest one I'd had so far today. I opened the bag, expecting to see the familiar blue box but instead, I pulled out a record of the Weird Sisters latest album and a set of sparkling, green earrings, with a matching necklace.
"Cho picked out the jewellery," Cedric gushed. I smiled and looked at the girl.
"Thank you so much," I thanked.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. When I heard that you were Cedric's best friend, I knew I had to get something for you," she replied, leaning onto Cedric's arm and smiling up at him.
"Well, enjoy the party," I said, excusing myself. "I need to go use the bathroom."
I exited the room and began walking to the nearest bathroom before I made a detour for the courtyard. I took a seat on a bench, hidden behind a tree, and stared out into the distance.
"Penny for your thoughts?" George asked, draping a cloak around my shoulders. "Thought you might need it."
"Thanks," I said, pulling the cloak tighter around me. George took a seat beside and said nothing. Eventually, I sighed.
"It's different. I used to have him all to myself for as long as I wanted, whenever I wanted, but now I can't spend a minute with him without him being whisked off for Tournament stuff or him bringing up Cho."
"I never realised how quickly everything that I was used to could be changed; just this August, I was laughing with him and joking around. Four months later, and I hardly see him anymore. And when I do, I just get annoyed with him most of the time."
I watched as a bunch of First Years ran past, pelting each other with snowballs. Whatever happened to the childhood innocence we had before?
"You're jealous," George spoke, his voice calm. I scoffed.
"Of what?"
"Cho. She's taken what you took for granted and made Cedric a hundred time happier than you ever could do. You know this, so you're frustrated by it." He turned me to face him.
"She's given him everything you can't give him because you're nothing more than a friend. Cho isn't just a friend like you are. She can have him risking life and death for her because the way he feels for her is larger, much larger, and much stronger than what he feels for you. To Cedric, Cho is probably the salt to his pepper, the star to his moon, the light in the darkness. You're just a person who will come and go."
"No, I'm not. I'm his best friend. I'm the one who will be there to pick up his broken pieces when she leaves," I retorted, gritting my teeth. Deep down though, I knew George was right. I knew that Cho could give Cedric what he wanted. I knew that I was nothing more than a friend, but I didn't want to believe it.
"And what if she doesn't leave? Where does that leave you? The jealous, unnecessary girl just watching on the sidelines, forever in the shadows."
"And what can I do?" I asked, "what is there I can do but watch this unfold?"
"Move on. Get over him," George advised,
"It's not as simple as that. I grew up with him. I've been with him my entire life. I can't just throw that away."
"You're just making up excuses."
"That's because it's hard. It's difficult being alone. If I throw this away, then that's it. I give up and I've lost all I've ever had."
"You're not alone, You're never alone," George replied. He pulled me into his chest. "I'm here. Use me. Lean on me. Depend on me, darn it!"
I laid against his chest and as I listened to the quick heartbeats of George and the giggling of the First Years, I finally understood what I had to do.
I had to let go.
----
Christmas Day came and went; the Yule Ball was as exciting as it had been led up to be. The dress that my mum had sent turned out to be the same shade of green as the jewellery Cho had gifted me. I had worn them on the day, my hair tied up high on my head to show off the beautiful necklace and earring set.
George looked smashingly handsome as I met him in the entrance hall. His dress robes were a different shade of green to mine, complete with a matching waistcoat, white shirt and black trousers. His usually wild, unkempt hair had been brushed and tied back with a black ribbon.
I had taken care when walking down the marble steps in the low heels my mum had sent along with the dress; the dress itself was a strapless floor-length, a slight trail at the back. It had a lace bodice on the top half and soft satin on the bottom. It clung to me, a perfect fit, and I had reached the bottom to see numerous pairs of eyes on me.
"You look divine," George complimented, bowing deeply and kissing the back of my hand. I smiled widely and took the arm he offered me, making our way into the great hall.
"Did you have anything to do with the decorations?" I gasped, as I walked in. The hall had been transformed into a Winter Wonderland; snowflakes had been charmed to fall lightly in the room, beautiful ice sculptures were lined around it and candles floated high in the air, lighting the place up.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he grinned, looking at my shocked expression.
Angelina was at the Ball with Fred. Fred was in the exact same attire as George but had left his hair down, while Angelina sported a red, puffy ball gown that made her shine. She laughed merrily as Fred swept her off her feet during the first dance after the Champions had started it. George offered me a hand and I raised an eyebrow.
"Two left feet," I reminded him.
"Just stand on my shoes and let me lead," he said, begging me with puppy-dog eyes. I laughed and gave in, perching on George's shoes. He twirled us around, weaving through the crowd, his eyes never breaking contact with mine. His facial expression was so serious, making me blush. As the tune switched to a slower one, George placed my arms around his neck and lightly placed his hands on my hips.
We slow danced, my head resting on his chest. His chin rested lightly on the top of my head, and I felt warm and protected. The beating of his heartbeat was calm and soothed me, reminding me I wasn't alone. George was kind, attentive and honest. He wanted to truly help me let go of Cedric, even offering himself up to be used. But, I knew that if I took advantage of him though, it would only end up in sorrow.
"Don't think about it," he murmured. "Just have fun. Just for tonight."
So I did. I danced with George, well on George, for all the songs. I raved with the rest of the school when the Weird Sisters came on stage and rocked out. I drank punch, ate the finger food and gossiped with Angelina when we scuttled off to the bathroom.
As I washed my hands, I looked up and was surprised to see Cho exit a stall.
"Cho," I greeted.
"Hello, Willow," she replied. As I dried off my hands, I nodded at her and began to leave.
"Cedric," she started saying, "he's concerned."
"Why?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.
"He doesn't tell me, but I know that he's worried about you. He hasn't talked to you lately, but he thinks you're... falling in with the wrong crowd." I raised an eyebrow.
"The wrong crowd?" I repeated, emphasising my words. "There's nothing wrong about them. These people who he's worried about leading me astray are what's keeping me going; they're there when I need them, you tell him that." My mind flickered through the people helping me; Fred made me laugh and smile with his antics, Angelina was someone I could talk to about everything and anything and George, sweet, sweet George, was trustworthy and attentive. He cared for me like no one had ever done before and it made me feel loved.
I turned to the door and placed my hand on the knob.
"Tell Cedric he should tell me what he feels himself, without judging a book by its cover."
"What happened?" George asked as I returned to his side. He glanced up and saw Cho walk in after me, talking quickly to Cedric, who glanced over to where we were.
"Nothing. Nothing that needs to be talked about on a day like this," I smiled. He didn't ask any further and instantly dragged me out to the dancefloor.
At the end of the night, he walked me down to the basement. I lingered for a bit before I looked up at him.
"So, how was your night? I spent mine with an amazing girl," he said, smiling softly.
"Look, George I-"
"You're going to tell me that you can't use me because you don't want me to end up broken like you are," he finished. I bowed my head and he pulled me into an embrace.
"Don't cry. You'll ruin the beautiful image I made of you tonight," he whispered, stroking my hair. I laughed lightly. He lifted my head up and wiped away the forming tears. "You're an amazing girl, Willow Ellsworth," he said, looking at me with a look of admiration. "You'll get through this." He kissed my forehead softly and then left.
My relationship with George was just slightly strained after that. We got along fine, but sometimes there were moments where we'd just stop and look at each other. I'd be reminded of what happened again that night after the ball, and he'd start a new topic of conversation. I thought back to how he'd made me feel so safe and warm; I wanted to feel it again.
My relationship with Cedric, on the other hand, went nowhere. Whenever we saw each other in the common room or the corridors, we just went by without a word; before, he'd pause to try and make conversation, but I'd have already gone when he worked up the courage. We naturally drifted apart. Even if I hadn't gotten involved with the Gryffindor lot, it still would have happened; he would have been picked out the Goblet and he would have asked Cho to the Ball.
February came, and I woke up on the 14th to have candy flung in my face.
There whenever you need me - G x
The Explosive Bonbons tasted delicious.
We had all gone into Hogsmeade, Fred and Angelina flirting outrageously. George and I snuck off to leave them alone and had ended up sitting in a quiet corner of the Three Broomsticks.
"Thanks for the sweets," I said. George shrugged, smiling at me.
When we left the pub, we bumped into Cedric and Cho.
"Oh. It's been a while," I said to Cedric.
"Yes, it has," he replied, looking wistfully at me. We just stood for a while, George and Cho having made excuses for a bit.
"Everything been good?" I asked.
"Well, no, it hasn't. My best friend stopped talking to me, but I guess I was a bit of a dick since I forgot to care."
"A bit?"
"A lot."
We smiled and he pulled me into a long hug. Cedric smelt like he always did; old parchment and books. As he pulled away, he kissed the top of my head.
"I've missed you, Will," he admitted.
"I've missed you too, Ced."
"So," he said, eyeing George in the background. "George Weasley, eh?"
I looked over as George approached us. The Weasley was someone special in my life; unlike Cedric, who would be a person I would never stop loving, George was the glue that held me together. He made me a better person, drawing me out from my shell and showing me the wonders of the world.
"Yeah. George Weasley." The boy looked confused but seemed to understand as I took his hand. His smile stretched widely and I smiled back at him.
"I'll cheer for you during the Second Task," I said, waving goodbye.
"George Weasley, eh?"
I nudged the red-head and he pulled me into the shade and kissed me.
"George Weasley," I muttered, breaking off the kiss.
----
The Second Task was a bit of a long drag. It took place underwater, so there wasn't much for us spectators to do but wait until something happened. Eventually, though, Cedric emerged with Cho, spluttering and swimming for dear life. Then, Krum - or what seemed to be him - emerged with a Gryffindor girl. Fleur had returned during this time, having pulled out of the task.
"What's going to happen with her special person?" Fred asked.
"They won't leave them there," I replied, noticing the worried look on the Beauxbaton girl. "They can't."
"She's right," George agreed. "Look!"
I clapped and cheered as Harry Potter, the fourth Champion, emerged with two other people; one was probably his special person. The other spouted obvious similarities with Fleur.
"He saved them all," Angelina said.
And he did. We found out that he'd blasted the Merpeople away when they tried to stop him from taking away Fleur's sister.
"He's strong," I mused as we sat in the dining hall. I had taken to eating on the Gryffindor table lately, wanting to spend more time with George. The teachers would regard me with strange looks, but I wasn't doing anything particularly wrong, so they let me be.
"He has to be," Fred replied.
Soon, Spring changed to Summer. Cedric and I talked more often now, studying together until dawn in the common room. We were almost back to normal, except that there was now this clear, definite line drawn between us.
I spent a lot of time with George, coaching him in Herbology. He, in return, helped me with my Defence Against the Dark Arts. Apart from studying though, we spent time getting to know each other.
"I have five brothers and a sister. I live with my parents at the Burrow," he told me. I was lying on his stomach and he was leaning against a trunk. We were in the courtyard he'd found me in December. The tree had long bloomed, the luscious green leaves filling the emptiness that was there before. "You have to come to visit one day," he said.
"Sounds like a fun place. I'd love to go," I replied. I sat up and looked at him. "I'd have to meet your parents first," I grinned.
"Sounds like a plan," he answered, pecking me on the lips.
The weeks flew by; I'd practised numerous spells with Cedric, making sure he was well-prepared for the task. They'd been told that they would have to navigate through a maze and find the Tournament Cup.
"Read up on these riddles," I ordered, flinging the book on his head. It was the day before the Third Task and time was shortening. Exams were happening already and I barely caught enough sleep to endure them.
"I won't need them," he complained but read them anyway.
The next day arrived quickly.
George introduced me to his parents, Arthur and Molly Weasley, who had come to cheer Harry on.
"So, you're the girl I've heard so much from Ginny about," Mrs. Weasley said, a warm smile on her face as she pulled me into a hug. "I hear you actually got George to study for his exams this year? I've been trying to get him to do that for years!"
They'd eagerly offered to let me stay at the Burrow, claiming an extra mouth to feed out of the number they had already was minuscule.
"Stay as long as you'd like," Mr. Weasley said. "You live pretty close to us anyway, don't you?" I remembered the short Portkey ride to the Quidditch World Cup grounds with them and nodded.
They eventually excused themselves; "Have to go and get some prime seats," Mrs. Weasley said. I waved them goodbye and turned to George, who was pointing in Cedric's direction. The Hufflepuff was introducing Cho to his parents, who were beaming at the girl. As Cho left, presumably to find a seat, I told George I'd be back soon.
"Amos, Mrs. Diggory," I greeted, enveloping the couple in a hug,
"Willow, my dear, you look prettier than you do the last time I saw you!" Amos gushed.
"Yes, you've grown to be a beautiful woman," Mrs. Diggory chimed, smiling widely.
"I would tell you not to let someone steal her away, Son, but I see that's too late," Amos said, eyeing the Weasley. "A Weasley, eh? They're a good bunch, Willow. I'm glad you found someone like that."
"Thank you," I replied. Cedric had groaned as Amos told him he was a fool for letting me go, but he had made it up by finding a pretty, Ravenclaw girl.
"Father," Cedric growled when Amos rattled on about how he was receiving a lack of coverage because of 'Potter's tampering with the Goblet, allowing him to enter', "why don't Mother and you go find seats? It's almost time to begin."
"Ah, that's right. Well then, good luck, Son - not that you'll need it though."
"Amos is as enthusiastic as I remembered," I commented, raising my eyebrow.
"Believe me, his letters are exactly the same," Cedric grinned. I looked up at him and smiled, pulling him into a hug.
"Good luck, Ced," I whispered. "You'll do great."
'"Thanks, Will," he murmured into my hair. As we pulled apart, I kissed him on his cheek, my hand lingering on his face.
"I love you, Ced."
"I love you too, Will. I love you like a sister, don't forget that."
"I won't. I promise."
And those were the last words we ever said to each other before he was gone, forever ripped from my side.
His lifeless expression forever burned into my mind, the crying figure of Harry Potter lying on top of him as I screamed from the stands. His parents had rushed to his side, crying furiously as they pushed Harry out the way.
I just screamed and screamed, the tears running down my face as George tried to comfort me. My body racked with shivers. Cedric was gone. My best friend, my childhood, gone.
I woke up in the hospital wing, George asleep at my side, clutching my hand. Madam Pomfrey told me I had ended up entering a trance of shock and fainting. She prodded my head here and there and I cried as the memory of Cedric, torn from my life forever, flooded into my mind.
All the childhood memories, his laughter, his smile - it hit me like a wave.
As time passed, my tears dried and I pulled myself together. George was always by my side, just sitting there and being with me.
One day, I was packing Cedric's possessions away. The tears pricked behind my eyes as the familiar scent of him lingered over his things. His friends told me to leave it, that they would do it for me, but I shook my head. I wanted to do it myself.
I guess I was seeking a sort of closure. Something that would show me that I was important in Cedric's life. His books and items all had his messy scrawl of handwriting on them. I took a couple of his t-shirts and jumpers; Amos had told me to take whatever I wanted. Surprisingly, he held together better than his wife and I did.
Cedric, unknowingly to me, had kept a diary. I handed it to Cho, who looked over the leather-bound journal before returning it to me.
"Have you read it?" I shook my head. "Read it."
Later that day, I sat with George under the shade of the tree in the courtyard. We read the diary together, laughing at the cheerful personality the diary portrayed Cedric as. His last entry, two days before the Third Task, was heart-wrenching.
When I come back, holding the Cup, the first person I want to see is Willow. I want to tell her how much I need her by me, as support and as a great friend. I want us to go back to the way we were before, laughing and chilling together like there are no worries in the world when the to of us are together. I want her to know how much I love her. And that I was an utter fool for forgetting to care. I guess I was too engrossed with Cho, but unlike Cho, I have an eternally inseparable bond with Willow. I'll tell her everything I feel and I will make it up to her with as many Explosive Bonbons as she wants with the prize money.
I love you, Willow. Always.
I brushed the parchment before closing the journal.
The closure I needed - I'd found it.