HP Goblet of Fire: The Boy Who Died, Part 2 of 2 (PG)

[koalathebear]

As the days passed, Hermione still spent time with Harry and Ron during the day but her time in the library with Cedric in the afternoon was hers alone.

"What's wrong with you?" Cedric asked once when Hermione came limping into the library.

"Professor Moody gave us a hex-deflection test today. We're all a bit injured. Harry's got a pretty bad case of Twitchy Ears, I escaped lightly all things considered," and Cedric grimaced and would have helped her sit down but she waved him away.

"He's a strange one," Cedric said, referring to Moody. "I hear you were there when Moody turned Draco Malfoy into an amazing bouncing ferret," Cedric said with a grin.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though. It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it ..." Hermione began but at the amused expression in Cedric's eyes she said.

"It was fabulous - one of the best moments of my life," she confessed and Cedric laughed.

"Malfoy really is a little git - I've had to haul him up over and over for harassing Muggle-Born students".

"Yeah he's not big on us Mudbloods," Hermione said and Cedric flinched at the ugliness of the word.

He shook his head. "Don't take Malfoy's ugly words and apply them to yourself, Granger. It's bad enough that he uses them".

"Muggleborn, Mudblood - I don't care anymore. His words have no power over me," Hermione said with a shrug and Cedric smiled.

"You really are a strange one."

"So it's been said. Many times. By you," she said with asperity.

"I hear that you’re the only person in your Transfiguration class who can turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion".

Hermione blushed. "You hear a lot".

"I keep my ears open," Cedric said with a smile. "As I've said before, I hear Longbottom has a lot to thank you for. You're a good friend Granger. 'These belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal'. You would have been all right in Hufflepuff ..... Ravenclaw, too since you're so clever".

"If you say I could have been all right in Slytherin I swear I'll make you sorry," she warned him with a threatening tone in her voice.

"I rest my case," he said with a flourish. He tilted his head and looked at her. "I'm joking, Granger - why the long face?" he asked her curiously.

"Sometimes I wonder why I was put in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw," Hermione said hesitantly. "I'm not .... well I don't think I possess the quintessential features a Gryffindor person should have."

Cedric looked at her narrowly. "The Hat sorts us by our strongest trait.... it doesn't mean we don't have other characteristics as well.

"Now who's the one who should be in Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked.

Cedric laughed. "Get back to studying, I'm sick of you interrupting me, at this rate I'm never going to pass my exams," he told her jokingly.

Another thing that struck her about Cedric was that he was very much interested in her Muggle background. "Is this research for Muggle Studies?" she asked him suspiciously and he laughed, making Madam Pince glare at them.

"Of course not," he told her.

With the exception of Mr Weasley who always asked a huge number of questions about her life in the Muggle World, no one else ever asked her anything. Even Mr Weasley's questions were of a curious nature, as if she was a strange creature or specimen. Cedric on the other hand displayed a flattering interest in her, in her parents, in how she had felt when she first discovered she was to come to Hogwarts. He found the fact that Muggles lived without magic quite fascinating.

"I'm not a pureblood ... barely any of those left ... but my family's one of the old Wizarding families," he told her seriously,"So our contact with Muggles is very limited. As I grew up, I had glimpses but ..... it was all very mysterious and strange to me," he told her with a smile.

"There's nothing strange and mysterious about the Muggle World," Hermione said with a wry smile.

She told him about her parents, about growing up, about how it was to live without using magic. It surprised her that he wanted to know. Like the other Muggles at Hogwarts, it wasn't so much that they tried to hide their Muggle heritage, it was simply that no one was really interested and most Muggles in trying to fit in rarely mentioned the non-Magical aspects of their lives.

She told him about how in first year, Dean Thomas who was Muggle born had a poster of the West Ham football team posted to the wall and Ron just couldn’t see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. "Harry told me that he caught Ron prodding Dean’s poster, trying to make the players move!" Cedric laughed. He had been taking Muggle studies long enough not to find the concept of football strange.

"During his first Quidditch match, Dean kept yelling for the Slytherin players to be given a red card!" Hermione said with a giggle.

"Oh I know, I know," Cedric said excitedly. "In many Muggle sports, a red card is shown by a referee to signify that a player has been sent off following a serious offence".

"Right," she told him with a grin.

He spoke to her of computers, television, telephones and automobiles.

"You know, you seem to know even more about Muggle things than Ron's father and he worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office!" Hermione said wonderingly.

"Well ... I do have a personal interest in such things after all," Cedric told her lightly and smiled when Hermione found that she was blushing. She stared down at the table.

When she looked up again, Cedric was still watching her. "How does Cho feel about the fact that you spend so much time in the library these days?" she asked him suddenly.

Cedric's smile faded slightly.

"Cho and I aren't together like that anymore. I would have thought you'd have known that .... otherwise I wouldn't be here all the time," he told her bluntly. He was silent for a few moments and then asked her: "How about you and Weasley?"

"Ron and I were never like that anyway," Hermione protested, looking flustered.

"I don't care about that. I want to know how you feel about him now," Cedric said flatly, his eyes not moving from hers.

She wanted to look away, she wanted to look down at the table again but his gaze was intent, his words completely serious and he wouldn't look away until he had his answer.

"He's not the person I think about ...." she said finally, looking a little defiant and Cedric gave a strained smile.

"I guess that's the best answer I can hope for," he said to himself. Hermione's heart was pounding so hard that she could feel it thudding in her chest. She wondered if Cedric could hear it across the table.

Cedric smiled again, hesitantly. "Muggle Studies taught us about Muggle history, politics, implements ..... of course there's nothing about relationships and feelings so I guess I'm not sure if ..."

"It's the same, Cedric," she told him, knowing what he was asking her.

He gave a shaky laugh. "That's a good thing to know," he told her. "Because I have to say ... I feel something and part of me worried that perhaps it was a different something to the something you might or might not be feeling ...."

Now it was Cedric who looked away, looking extremely fascinated by the cover of Asiatic Anti-Venoms.

"There is definitely something," Hermione said shyly and Cedric's eyes snapped up immediately, meeting Hermione's intensely.

"And?" Cedric asked her, his grey eyes full of questions. Hermione's dark eyes met his, giving him all the answers to the questions he sought even as she said:

"And I feel something, too".

Relief and joy bubbled up inside Cedric and a huge grin broke over his face. The joy and delight in his face overwhelmed Hermione who found that she was grinning back at him, too.

Cedric wasn't quite sure what to say after all that. "Well that's ...."

"Something?" Hermione suggested and they both gave foolish laughs, looking down at the table and then looking up again.

Cedric's hand reached across the table and took Hermione's in his. "Are you going to read my palm? You know how I feel about Divination," she teased him even as her fingers linked with his.

"No ... I just felt like holding your hand," he told her and a huge grin broke over her face the same grin that always made him want to grin back at her.

"This can't be real," she told him. "I'm going to wake up and it's going to be an illusion".

"It's real," he assured her. "What's so unreal about it?"

"Cedric! Look at me! Look at my hair!" She told him, frowning up at the hair which was falling over her face again. He took one hand away from their clasped hands and brushed the thick tangle from her eyes, his fingers lingering, brushing against her hair, against the soft, smooth skin of her forehead, tracing the dark line of her strongly marked eyebrows.

"I do. All the time. I like your hair," he said, looking at her quizzically. "I love its gravity defying nature - it's stubborn and unmanageable. Just like you". She gave him a look. "I even liked your teeth before you had them shrunk ...." he confessed and she stared at him.

"Are you barking mad?" she demanded. He laughed.

"Thanks. I'm just saying ... I found them endearing .... of course your teeth are lovely now," he assured her hastily and she laughed and bit his fingertip lightly.

"You're mad," she told again and he nodded, smiling at her.

"Yeah I am, no denying that," he told her seriously.
****
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger" Cedric said, glancing up from where he was making notes from Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts in his notebook.

Hermione walked in and before she could walk to her side of the table, Cedric pulled her against him, glanced around quickly to make sure no one was looking and kissed her. Hermione closed her eyes, slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back, losing herself in the pleasure of his touch for just a moment before she pulled back reluctantly and walked to her side of the table.

Cedric knew something was wrong immediately and slouched back in his seat, watching her sharply. She said nothing, pulling her books out of her satchel.

"What?" she demanded, looking at him accusingly when he didn't return to his own studying but kept looking at her.

"Are you intending to tell me or do I have to go and get Veritaserum from Snape's storeroom?" Cedric asked, putting his quill down and looking at her. He reached across the table and took her hand. She didn't draw her hand away but merely reached into her satchel and pulled out a small easter egg, a little smaller than a chicken egg.

"For me? Why you shouldn't have," Cedric said, looking down at the rather tiny egg with amusement..

"Mrs Weasley sent it to me," Hermione said balefully. "She reads Witch Weekly".

Comprehension dawned on Cedric's face immediately. "How large were Weasley and Potter's eggs?" he asked.

"Dragon eggs," Hermione said miserably. "Full of homemade toffee!!" she told him tragically. "It's not funny," she said crossly when his lips twitched and he looked as though he wanted to laugh.

"Chin up, Granger - it will pass, he told her taking both her hands in his and she was ridiculously comforted by his gesture and his words. Large dark eyes met droll light grey eyes and he drew her hands up to his mouth and kissed them one by one.

"That's so old-fashioned of you," she said, laughing at him and he held one hand to his cheek.

"I don't care, laugh away. I'm kissing them because I'm so grateful that they're no longer covered in hideously yellow bubotuber pus induced blisters even if you've forgotten. Thank you Madam Pomfrey," he said casting his eyes to the Heavens as if in prayer.

"Are you never serious?" she demanded, smiling at him.

"I'm very serious. So are you going to give me this little egg in exchange?" he asked her, looking down at the little easter egg sittting on the table quietly.

"In exchange for what?" she demanded in confusion.

"Accio absolutely massive Easter egg," Cedric said idly and to Hermione's shock an Easter egg the size of a dinosaur egg materialised on the table tied with a merry bow. "Apparently it's filled with fudge pieces but I wouldn't know," he said, examining it with interest.

"Cedric, how on earth am I supposed to take it back to my dormitory?" she demanded and he laughed and waved his wand, muttering something and the egg shrank to a size not much larger than the egg from Mrs Weasley.

"So how do I know that this wasn't just a little egg which you charmed with the Engorgio spell?" she asked him teasingly.

Cedric pretended to look grossly offended. "I'll have you know I had to specially order this egg for you, Granger".

"I got you an egg too but it's not as large as that one ...." Hermione said shyly and handed him an Easter egg the size of a moderately large ostrich egg.

Cedric flushed with pleasure, smiling as he examined his Easter egg, his gaze flickering up at Hermione as if to say: "For me?"

A sound nearby alerted them that Madam Pince was patrolling again. Hermione was first with her wand and in a second, Cedric saw that the eggs had vanished and both of them were now holding books in their hands.

"Prefects Who Gained Power?" Cedric hissed in outrage, staring down at the book that Hermione had caused to materialise in his hands.

"A nice touch, I thought," Hermione said with a wicked smile.

Cedric smiled and flicked his wand at her. Hermione stared down in shock at the book she was holding. Sonnets of a Sorcerer - everyone who read this cursed book was doomed to speak in limericks for the rest of their lives. She dropped the book immediately in horror and Cedric laughed at her.

"Don't be such an idiot, of course it's not the real book," he told her and she found that she was merely holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands.

"You!" she said in mock outrage and he laughed at her over the top of Prefects Who Gained Power, pretending to be deeply absorbed in its contents.

"Where on earth did you find out about the existence of such an appalling book?" he demanded, flicking the pages, his face showing his revulsion.

"I saw Percy was reading it once," she told him and Cedric groaned and put the book down.

"I'll go and put it back," she said picking up the book. Cedric rose to follow her.

"Should I be scared that you know exactly where Prefects Who Gained Power goes, Granger?" he asked her quizzically as he followed her into the stacks, passing many, many shelves, turning many times.

"I'm very familiar with this library, Cedric," she told him archly, putting the book in the gap from where she had summoned it. She turned around to leave and discovered that he was standing in her way, blocking her exit.

She looked up at him quizzically. He was considerably taller than her and she usually had to tilt her head up to look at him

"Why are you looming over me?"

"I was just thinking, no one in their right mind would ever come to the All About Prefects corner of the library .... " he told her, his hand touching her neck lightly.

"Which is why we should leave immediately in case someone thinks we're reading these books," she told him even as she tilted her head to allow him to slid his hand around the back of her neck. She rose onto her toes, arms sliding around his neck and their lips met in a long, long kiss.

"I must say I'm getting very fond of this library," he whispered thickly against her lips.

"Well the pursuit of knowledge is always very admirable," she whispered back. Her fingers tangled in his thick, dark hair. His lips were against her throat and she could breathe his clean scent. He was clean-shaven but she could feel the rasp of his stubble against her sensitive skin.

"Cripes, sorry," he said as he realised that he had made her skin pinken.

"No need to be sorry," she said, her hands reaching up to stroke his jaw, fingertips tracing the stubble. "Never grow a beard," she told him fiercely. "It's such a Wizard thing to do."

His mouth returned to hers again, demanding a response which she willingly gave. "How about a moustache?" She shuddered, possibly with pleasure, possibly at the thought of a moustache.

"No," she told him flatly and he laughed against her mouth.

"Thank you for my Easter egg," he told her, stroking her hair back from her face, his face tender.

"No, thank you," she told him, with a grin on her face.

He kissed her temple tenderly. "Promise me you won't fret about the egg Mrs Weasley gave you? It will all be all right in the end you know, she'll forget ..."

Held against Cedric's tall, straight body she couldn't feel any worry or fretfulness anymore and she smiled. "I'm not fretting...."

"Promise?" he asked her, kissing her lips lightly.

"Promise," she told him, pulling him closer for a longer kiss.

****

Harry was finally told of the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament for which he needed to prepare. To the outrage of both he and Cedric, the Quidditch field had been converted into a large maze. The Triwizard Cup was to be placed in the center of the maze, the first champion to touch it would receive full marks.

Hagrid would be providing creatures to be placed in the maze and there would be spells that would need to be broken . The champions who were leading on points would get a head start into the maze."

Bagman grinned at Harry and Cedric. "Then Mr. Krum will enter . . . then Miss Delacour. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"

Harry and Cedric who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all.

"Very well. . . if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly. ..."

"Good luck Harry," Cedric.

"You, too".

****

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Cedric laughed, catching Hermione's hand as she gathered her things to leave. "It's still early!"

He rose to his feet and pulled her against him, his mouth seeking hers.

"Ron and I.... ... are helping Harry learn hexes for the last challenge," she told him hesitantly. She looked slightly anxious as if she was worried about his reaction.

To her surprise, a slow smile curved Cedric's mouth and he trailed a fingertip down her nose. He leaned down and kissed her jaw before kissing her mouth.

"Good, he's going to need all the help he can get. He's good but he's still only a fourth year after all".

"Cedric I .... it's not that I ... " Hermione looked quite agonised. "If you like I can help you with hexes, too .... if you'd like ...."

There was a genuine look of amusement on Cedric's face and a gentle laugh escaped him, his grey eyes very warm and alight with an emotion that made Hermione feel very odd.

"Granger that's sweet of you, but it's really all right - I've already learned those hexes in class. You go and help Potter, he needs you. Hold on a tic," he disappeared for a moment and then returned a little later holding a heavy, dusty-looking book.

"This is a book I used last year when preparing for exams - I spent hours in the library reading it because only prefects can borrow it. This year though, I can help you - I've borrowed it for you in my name. It's got some awesome tips for the Reductor Curse and Four-Point Spell. The diagrams for the Shield Charm are really helpful and the Jelly-Legs Jinx on page 6973 is a treat. Oh look, here's a good Banishing Spell which I found really handy last year. The great thing is that the author used animated fix ink so unlike other books, the pictures won't go walking off on you while you're in the middle of reading them," he told her enthusiastically and as she stared at him he helpfully tabbed the pages to which he referred so that she could find them with ease.

Hermione didn't say a word but just continued to stare at him.

"What?" Cedric asked, looking very self-conscious. "Yeah so I'm a bit of a swot, what of it? Ever hear about the people in glass houses bit, Granger?" he demanded and she reached out, took the book from him and pulled him into her arms and gave him her answer.

When they finally broke apart, Hermione was blushing furiously and very flustered. Cedric smoothed his tousled hair and said unsteadily. "Well if that's what confessing to being a swot gets me, I'll make sure I do it again soon".

"Oh I'm beyond late," Hermione said, looking hunted and Cedric caught her hand and kissed her.

"Tell Potter to hurry up and master those spells. The longer he takes, the more of your time he takes up," Cedric teased her and she laughed and ran away, waving at him as she ran.

****

In the days leading up to the third challenge, Harry spent all of his free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice. During the times when they were in the library, Cedric made himself scarce although he did make himself useful by leaving books lying around for Hermione to find - helpful little notes stuck to the front.

You might find this description of the Impediment Curse in this book useful.

Later in an empty classroom, she picked up one of the books Cedric had left for her. "I like the look of this one," she said, "this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you. Harry. We'll start with that one."

Sometimes in the library, notes of other types appeared.

There's a very useful book on the Furnunculus Curse that someone has left behind in corner of the library where you can find books dealing with the lifespan of flobberworms.

She looked down at the note stuck to the latest book helpfully left for her by Cedric. A smile curved her mouth.

"Here you two, keep looking through this one - I need to go and find a book on the Furnunculus Curse," she said handing them the heavy tome Cedric had left for her and left Ron and Harry behind, ignoring their sounds of shock when the book started snarling at them.

She checked the catalogue and walked down the aisles of the library, glancing at the reference numbers until a hand reached out and pulled her into a corner into a laughing embrace.

"Lifespan of Flobberworms? How do you even know that this section exists?"

"I topped Care of Magical Creatures class you know," he said loftily.

"And that will be so useful to you after you graduate," she told him and he laughed.

"You mock me now, but one day you'll be begging for me to impart all my knowledge on the strange habits of the flobberworm".

"Not likely. I'd rather ask Percy about cauldron thicknesses," she told him laughing as he kissed her neck, her arms sliding around his as she kissed him back.

"I've missed you," he told her in a low voice.

"You saw me yesterday".

"Yes for five minutes in the Endangered Mythical Animals section of the library," he told her. "Also - what's this about Potter trying out his hexes and curses on the two of you".

"You've been eavesdropping".

"Well Weasley's been complaining about it long and hard - I'd have to be deaf not to hear.... given where I'm sitting and all".

"It's fine," Hermione assured him.

"I know he's your friend but I don't want you hurt..... Some of these curses are quite serious you know".

"I know," Hermione told him. "But unfortunately they have to be practised on a live subject ..."

"Yeah fine as long as it's not you," Cedric said, still looking unhappy."

"Professor McGonagall has given us permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom at lunchtimes so we're making the most of it," she told him.

"How's he going?" Cedric asked.

"Good ... but I think he needs work on his Shield Charm. Problem is I don't think my Shield Charm is very good either so ...."

Cedric frowned. "All right, we can fix that".

****

"You're right .... your Shield Charm is a big shaky," Cedric said critically as the two of them stood in a deserted classroom together.

Hermione sighed. Cedric had turned her hair purple the first time despite the fact that she was supposed to have cast a temporary, invisible wall around herself that deflected minor curses.

"You look cute with purple hair though," Cedric said with a grin as he changed her hair back.

"All right try again," Hermione said determinedly.

"Ready when you are," he told her, waiting for her.

"Ready!" she told him firmly, muttering the words for a Shield Charm.

Cedric managed to shatter it with a well-placed Rictusempra charm and Hermione dissolved into uncontrollable giggles.

"Oh no," Cedric said, laughing despite himself and crossed to Hermione's side where she seized his arm and laughed uproariously.

"Did you see that?" she demanded, positively roaring with laughter.

"I saw that," he said with feeling. Guilt coloured his voice as he quickly uttered the counter-jinx as she was trembling with hearty laughter in his arms. As the counter-jinx took effect she slumped into his arms limply, exhausted with the effort of her laughter.

"I'm so sorry," he said, wiping away her tears of laughter and she grimaced. "It's ok, I used Jelly Legs on Harry and it took me 10 minutes to find the counter-jinx," she told him and he Cedric laughed despite himself.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, sinking to the floor, Hermione still in his arms.

"What did you use on me?"

"Rictusempra charm".

"No wonder I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of elephants."

"Your laughter was ... vigorous ..." he agreed and she laughed and then grimaced.

"I think I broke something... not my funny bone," she told him with a stern look, warning him not to make any bad jokes.

"The final task is in a week," he said abruptly, stroking her cheek with his fingers.

"I know." she said. "Are you ready?" she asked him softly.

"Yeah .... I've been practising, too. Who knows what for, but I've been practising for whatever I could think of ...." He gave a forced smile. "Well I had to do something with my time when you were off playing with Weasley and Potter. No, don't say a thing, I'm not complaining," he told her. "These past few months have been more than I could have hoped for," he said with a smile.

"Me, too," she said drawing his head down to hers and kissing him.

"I'm never going to think of the library without thinking of you," he teased her. "But Granger - one day I want to go with you to Hogsmeade .... enjoy a tankard of Butterbeer with you at the Three Broomsticks, gorge ourselves sick on sweets at Honeydukes ....."

"And we will," Hermione said, staring at him. There was something strange about Cedric today. A slight uneasiness to him that he rarely had.

"Yeah," he said with a forced smile and kissed her.

****

On the day, Cedric's tension wasn't helped by the fact that his father was positively hostile to Harry.

"There you are, are you?" he said, looking Harry up and down. "Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"

"What?" said Harry.

"Ignore him," said Cedric in a low voice to Harry, frowning after his father. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament - you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."

"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" said Amos Diggory, loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. "Still, . . you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"

"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"

Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry, but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away.

"Sorry Harry, I've told him that Rita just writes lies but ...."

Harry smiled wryly. "I don't blame him - look at all the people who believed the codswallup she wrote about Hermione. She was in the hospital wing for a day over that".

Cedric didn't let his face betray anything and he just nodded. "The Tournament means more to dad than it does to me these days," he said with a tinge of regret in his voice.

"Anyway, it's all fine," Harry told his opponent. Cedric wasn't a bad sort at all. It helped that he hadn't seen Cedric walking around hand in hand with Cho anymore although the two certainly still seemed to be very good friends, frequently talking in the halls together and walking together.

****

There were ony a few spare moments in the afternoon and Cedric stood in the library. He didn't have any books with him and made no pretence at reading. He paced restlessly.

"Cedric," a voice whispered and he turned, relief flooded his face and he reached out and caught Hermione's hand in his, pulling her along with him to a deserted corner of the library and into his arms.

"Cedric why here?" she demanded, looking around at the row upon row of books by Gilderoy Lockhart. They were all there, Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags, Magical Me, Travels with Trolls, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves and Year with the Yeti, all with Gilderoy's image on the spine grinning and winking at them playfully.

"Come on Granger, no one will find us here ....It's the perfect place, no one reads that old fraud's books anymore".

"But Gilderoy Lockhart's looking at us!" she hissed.

Cedric waved his wand, muttered something and a curtain fell over the books. Gilderoy's muffled voice sounded in protest.

"I wasn't sure you'd come today," Cedric whispered against her cheek.

"Of course I'd be here .... you're going into the maze tonight ....."

"How did your History of Magic exam go?" he asked her, stroking her hair back from her face.

"I don't know, fine .... terrible I guess. It doesn't matter," she said uncharacteristically for her. His heart leapt as she clung to him, her arms sliding around him as she hugged him tight as if she didn't want to let go. Her hair was prickling his chin and he didn't care. It gave him courage to speak. In a move which made her gasp a little, he lifted her up so that she sat on top of a low bookshelf, her legs swinging beneath her as she was eye to eye with him.

"Granger ...I was never going to ask you, you know ... it's not fair ... but well sod it, I might as well. You going for Harry or for me today?" Before she could reply he said quickly,"I don't mind if you go for Harry .... I mean he's your friend, I know that and I know there's nothing like that between you .... I don't know why I'm babbling now. I signed up for the Tournament - thought it'd be a bit of a lark you know? Now.... gotta say I'm a bit scared. People die out there...."

"Yeah but you won't," Hermione said encouragingly, stroking his face, memorising each feature in his face and leaning forward to kiss his cheek, his jaw and his mouth.

Cedric was looking very pale. "I'm not feeling very brave at all, Granger," he said with a faintly shaky smile. "Guess the old Hat knew what it was doing when it put me in Hufflepuff and not Gryffindor".

Hermione was moved. "You're brave Cedric .... you could have fit into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw just as easily as Hufflepuff," she told him sternly.

"You tell me I could have fit into Slytherin and I'll make you sorry," he joked shakily.

"It doesn't matter to me whether you win the bloody cup or not ... the cup doesn't matter to me at all. I don't give a toss. I just want both my friends to live, to get through this insanity unscathed..... that's all that matters to me." She jumped down from the bookshelf, shaking off his attempts to assist her.

"Unhurt!" she emphasised. There was a faint smile on his lips and he leaned into her and reached out and drew her into his arms in a familiar move, holding her close as his heart beat against hers. His mouth sought hers momentarily in a tantalising kiss which was too brief.

"And never, ever do anything so stupid as to sign up for an idiotic Tournament like this again," she told him fiercely. His mouth found hers again.

"Sir Cedric will do as his lady bids," he teased her and she raised her eyebrows.

"You knighted yourself? On the basis of what?"

"You forget, I've faced a dragon," Cedric teased her. "And tonight .... whatever the new challenge it's got to be worse than even dragons ........ I think I need a token ... a favour from my lady of the needle wit to face the dangers that may lie ahead of me tonight. A lock of your hair, a ribbon perhaps ..... an image of yourself?" he teased her playfully, running his fingers through her hair and tuggling at it lightly.

A look of pure mischief crossed her face. "I do have something for you," she told him. "Something for you to wear near your heart, something it would do me great honour if you would wear".

She reached into her pocket and handed him her token.

Cedric stared down at the S-P-E-W badge she had placed in his hand and his lips twitched uncontrollably.

Without a moment's hesitation he pressed it to his chest. "Thank you my lady, I will wear it close to my heart tonight," then he said in an exaggerated whisper. "Do I have to wear it where it where people can see it?" he demanded.

Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"I'm joking," he said with a smile, stroking his knuckles down her smooth cheek. "Of course I'll wear it where everyone can see it, I'll be the highest profile SPEW member in history," he told her.

"You'd be the only member who wears the badge except me," she said mournfully.

"There are actually other members?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well Ron, Harry and Neville bought badges .. but probably only to keep me quiet," Hermione conceded reluctantly and Cedric bit back a smile. Hermione's sense of social justice didn't make her completely blind to her peers. "They said they didn't want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew'...... " A choking sound came from Cedric which Hermione blithely ignored. "Anyway it's two Sickles to join, that buys a badge..... but you don't have to buy this badge ...." she told him. "I'm giving it to you because of your special relationship to the founder".

"Thank you," he said, very much moved. "I will display it with pride," he told her, only half-jokingly. However eccentric she was, her zeal was adorable, as was the intensity in her small face as she agonised about the fate of the house elves whom he knew for a fact really didn't want to change their situation.

"No ..." she told him. "Keep it hidden .... I don't want anyone to know about ... us ... " she told him hesitantly. "Not yet," she told him.

He nodded. He understood. "Yours to command remember," he teased her. "If I get through this last challenge, I'm your humble servant - just ask and I'll do it .... " he promised her.

"So you'll help me liberate the house elves?" she asked him eagerly and Cedric laughed despite himself. He took her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her brow, kissed her cheek, her cheekbone.....

"I will become the president of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare if you jolly well want me to do so ...." he told her.

"You can't, I'm the president," she pointed out and he laughed.

"Secretary then," he suggested.

"Well technically Ron's treasurer and Harry's secretary but neither of them have done a thing to help me so yes, secretary it is. Do you really mean it?" she asked him, eyes wide and sceptical.

He kissed her nose, holding her close against him, feeling his fear and tension drain out of him as he held her. "I promise to help you liberate the blasted house elves and anything else you bloody well want me to do Hermione Jane Granger ...."

"How do you know my full name?" she demanded. "I didn't even know you knew how to say my first name let alone know my middle name," she told him.

"I know everything about you, Hermione .... I even did my Muggle Studies essay on Dentists and their Ways so that I know what to talk about when I meet your parents ...." Cedric told her.

"You didn't?"

"I did!"

He held her close. "Thank you Hermione .... I don't feel frightened anymore," he told her frankly. "And when I come out of that maze, whether I win or not - we're going public. No more hiding out in the Ancient Dangerous Beast section of the library anymore .... although the place will always hold fond memories for me now," he said with a crooked grin.

"Ummm, what do you mean exactly by public?" she asked him nervously.

He grinned. "Oh an interview with Rita Skeeter in how I skite about how I stole you out of the arms of Viktor Krum and Harry Potter ......"

Hermione looked grim. "I don't think we'll be having trouble from her anymore. Cedric looked intrigued but didn't ask.

"I'm joking .... I just want to be able to hold your hand when other people can see. I want you to take me around and show me that strange and mystical Muggle World in which you live ...... watch a movie .... And I want to be allowed to do this ...." he kissed her tenderly, lingeringly and they were both shaking, trembling and clinging to one another tightly and now it was Hermione who was feeling scared, scared and terrified of what the evening was to bring.

"Yes," she told him.

"Promise?" he asked her, crouching down so that he could stare into her eyes. His eyes were a very dark grey, intense and searching.

"Promise," she said and her kiss echoed her promise.

****

On the evening of the final challenge, the students at Gryffindor and Hupplepuff tables were were loudly applauding the two Hogwarts champions. Ravenclaw were also lending their support albeit in a somewhat subdued fashion.

The Weasleys and Hermione all wished Harry good luck. Cedric turned slightly and Hermione's mouth curved slightly in a faint smile but he didn't say anything. He smiled back and the four champions headed off out of the Great Hall.

The walked out onto the Quidditch field where a twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of. There was a gap right in front of them which was the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond was dark and extremely ominous.

Within minutes the stands had begun to fill, the air was a blur of excited voices and rumbling of feet as hundreds of students filed into their seats. All of the teachers were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, with the exception of Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?"

The champions all nodded.

"Off you go, then!" said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers.



The four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"

There was a loud cheer. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" There was more applause.

And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"



Cedric turned slightly, moving his robe so that Hermione could catch a glimpse of the SPEW badge that he had pinned on the inside flap near his heart. Despite his nervousness, he found himself smiling at the grin that broke across her face. She lifted her hand to touch her own SPEW badge as a mark of support and he grinned back, very much encouraged.

"So ... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Cedric hurried forward into the maze at the same time as Harry.

****

Hermione waited in an agony of anticipation. She had absolutely no idea of how much time had passed or how long it was supposed to take in total. There were no updates on what was happening, just the occasional shouts, strange noises emerging from the maze. Her fingernails were pressing into her flesh and and she had bitten her lip in nervousness. Her hand crept to her SPEW badge a little pitifully as if that gave her some kind of connection with Cedric however tenuous. It was true, she didn't care if Harry or Cedric won. Competition didn't matter anymore, the competitive Hermione Granger just wanted both of her friends back with her, safe and sound.

Hermione stared in shock, feeling intense relief as she saw Harry suddenly materialise out of the air, slumped onto the ground but clearly alive. To her surprise he was holding onto the Triwizard Cup and Cedric was beside him. There was a torrent of sound around her, shouts of delight and excitement as they realised that both champions had returned unscathed.

Hermione found that her breath caught in her throat in a scream. Cedric was lying on the ground unmoving. His arms were flung out defencelessly and his eyes were open and staring blankly up at the sky. A scream of horror was coming out of someone's mouth. Even when she realised that it was she who was screaming, she couldn't stop herself. Fortunately, others were screaming, too and no one noticed the young fourth year screaming.

A pair of hands seized Harry roughly and turned him over.

"Harry! Harry!"

Hermione saw Harry open his eyes as Dumbledore was crouched over him. Tears were pouring down Hermione's face as Harry let go of the cup, but continued to clutch Cedric to him even more tightly. She didn't hear what he said but he saw Dumbledore flinch, saw Dumbledore look down in horror at Cedric.

Cornelius Fudge also stared down at Cedric.

"My God - Diggory! Dumbledore - he's dead!" These chilling words were repeated and everyone around Fudge gasped. It became a hysterical cry. "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

"Harry, let go of him," she heard Fudge telling Harry, saw him trying to pry Harry from Cedric's limp body, but Harry wouldn't let him go and a sob escaped Hermione's throat. She wasn't sure if she was crying for Cedric or for Harry's obvious agony.

"Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go."

"He wanted me to bring him back - he wanted me to bring him back to his parents. ..." Harry said piteously, tears choking his voice.

"That's right. Harry . . . just let go now. . . ." Dumbledore told him, agony in his voice.

Dumbledore bent down and raised Harry from the ground and set him on his feet. Harry swayed.

"What's happened?"

"What's wrong with him?" "Diggorys dead!"

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge was saying loudly. "He's ill, he's injured - Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands. ..."

"I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, I'll take him -"

"No, I would prefer-"

"Dumbledore, Amos Diggorys running . . . he's coming over. . . . Don't you think you should tell him - before he sees - ?"

"Harry, stay here -"

Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically....

"My son ... my son!" Amo Diggory was howling and his raw display of uncontrolled grief and sorrow filled the air and Hermione could not take her eyes off Cedric's face. His eyes were staring far away at a place beyond her, to a place where she could not go......

I'm your humble servant ..."

I promise to help you liberate the blasted house elves and anything else you bloody well want me to do Hermione Jane Granger ....

She watched Cedric's parents grieving over his body, shaking him as if somehow their fierce love could pull his spirit back into that empty shell of a body.

It was a blur, the agony of Cedric's parents, Harry being led away by Professor Moody. Hermione sank to the ground and no one noticed.

It was much, much later that she learned of what had happened. Harry had told her of what had happened to the real Professor Moody, of his rescue at the hands of Dumbledore. Most tragically, he had told Ron and Hermione of everything that had happened with Cedric .... As he told the story, his eyes were haunted and although the tears had stopped, his eyes shone with unshed tears.



"I kept telling him to take the cup but he wouldn't, he was too noble," Harry whispered.

Hermione kept her face expressionless and Harry continued. "He was serious - I knew he wanted the cup but he walked away from it ...."

"Why would he do that?" Ron asked. "Why would he walk away from the kind of glory Hufflepuff House hasn't had in centuries..... " Ron demanded, not able to understand.

"Because he's fair, Harry knows that, too," Hermione said in an expressionless voice. "Harry helped him with the dragon, he helped you with the egg. ...

"Hermione's right. Cedric was fair to the end .... he woudn't take the cup". Harry's voice shook uncontrollably. "...and then I ..... I convinced him that we should tie for it that we should take it at the same time .... It was my decision that took us to the graveyard ...."

"No Harry! It was Voldemort, it was Professor Moody .... or Barty or whoever he was .." Hermione said desperately, gripping Harry's hands with hers. "They would have found a way to get to you no matter what!"

"Listen to her," Ron said emphatically, every freckle standing out on his pale white face, his red hair like a shock against his pallor.

"Yes but the other way might not have resulted in the waste of a good life ...." Harry said, closing his eyes. "Even after we got to the graveyard - I .... I fell over and it was Cedric who pulled me up to my feet again ...." Harry had no tears left.

Hermione closed her eyes. It was an image that was to haunt her until the day she died. She could see it even though she hadn't been there. A figure in a hooded cloak, walking between the tombtones, drawing towards the two frightened young boys, carrying something that looked like a baby .... Her heart ached because although she hadn't been there, she could see the look of fear and apprehension on Cedric's pale young face, the determination with which he would have gripped his wand ......

Harry reached up to grab his face in remembered pain. "It hurt so much .... my scar .... I thought my face was going to split open and ...."

"Kill the spare."

"Avada Kedavra!"



Hermione knew that the telling of the story eased Harry's pain so she listened even though she was screaming inside. His retelling was too vivid, the blast of green light, the sound of something heavy falling to the ground beside him, the pain in his scar .... seeing Cedric was lying dead on the ground beside him.

Hermione had seen that face for herself. Cedric's pale dead face, his open gray eyes, blank and expressionless, his half-open mouth, which looked slightly surprised. Grey eyes which would never smile and laugh at her again, a mouth which would never say 'Granger' in that teasing way, a mouth which would never kiss her again......

And then to hear Harry speak of Priori Incantatem. "Hold on. Harry". How like Cedric to be offering his schoolmate comfort and encouragement even in death. "Harry. Take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents, ..." How like Cedric to worry about his parents.

****

The worst for everyone was meeting with the Diggorys the morning after the challenge. Ron and Hermione had accompanied Harry. They did not want him to be alone, he needed them for there was a certain fragile, shocked quality to him. They had never seen him like this. The death of Cedric had affected and damaged him in a way it had affected no one else.

Cedric's parents did not blame Harry for what had happened, on the contrary, both thanked him for returning Cedric's body to them. Hermione's pale lips smiled in realisation. Cedric had known what he was doing when he asked Harry to bring his body back. It wasn't for himself, it was for his parents and in a way it was for Harry. She could have imagined grief would have easily turned to anger without a body over which to grieve, without a body they could touch and farewell. Mr. Diggory sobbed through most of the interview but Mrs. Diggory's grief appeared to be in a place fary away beyond tears although her pain was no less real.

"He suffered very little then," she said, when Harry had told her how Cedric had died. "And after all, Amos ... he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy."

When they got to their feet, she looked down at Harry and said, "You look after yourself, now."

Hermione watched as Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table. "You take this," he muttered to her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it -"

Mrs Diggory backed away from him, horror in her reddened eyes. "Oh no, it's yours, dear, I couldn't. . . you keep it." Harry stared at her helplessly. Mrs Diggory flinched as she saw Hermione standing pale and silent by the door. She left the weeping Amos with Harry and the Weasleys and crossed to Hermione's side.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at the S-P-E-W badge pinned to Hermione's robes. Hermione's hand went up to touch the badge and she said hesitantly.

"Just a badge I made for ...."

"Cedric had one. I found it when I was preparing his body for ...." her voice broke. "He had it carefully pinned inside his robes...." Hermione flinched.

"The badge. Where is it now?" Hermione whispered.

Mrs Diggory smiled at her sadly. "I had it buried it with him ... it seemed to be precious to him ... such a silly little thing but Cedric was always ..."

"It was for luck," Hermione said with a very sad smile,"But it did make him laugh a few hours before he ... "

"He had a wonderful laugh, didn't he?" Mrs Diggory asked her and Hermione nodded.

"Yes - it lit up his eyes and made everyone around him want to laugh, too."

"My boy was a good boy ... good heart....."

"And brave, so very, very brave," Hermione said unflinchingly, her eyes starting to sting. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs Diggory" she said softly, touching Mrs Diggory's hand and wishing that there was something to do alleviate the raw grief she saw in the woman's eyes. Her grief despite being so much more quiet than her husband's screamed out at her in a way which which made her want to weep.

Hermione found herself walking automatically to the only place she knew could bring her comfort.

The corridor was pitch back. "Lumus," she whispered into the blackness and her wand lit the way as she walked towards the library.

****

There was a pile of tumbled books on the ground in the shadows. Hermione sat slumped like a broken doll in the dark corner of the library, the light from her candle flickering although there was no breeze and it looked as if it could have been extinguished at any moment.

Blastend Screwts: A psychological analysis she could hear Cedric saying teasingly.

Meet you in the Flobberworm Anatomy section.

"Why would anyone want to learn a spell to disembowel him or herself?"

"Exactly - why do you think this section of the library is always deserted and therefore private?" Cedric demanded laughingly.



Dumbledore's heart ached to see her. He knew what magic she sought. All who lost someone to death sought such spells. He had already spoken with Harry about the fact that no magic could bring back the dead and he knew that someone such as Hermione would always assume that the spellbooks would provide an answer, that there must be a way. It was only when she was as old as he was that she would understand that there were some things that could never be solved.

"Child, matters to do with death are dark and dangerous - they are areas that you would do well to stay away from. I know you grieve for your friend Cedric but there is no magic powerful enough enough to bring him back from the dead. No spell can reawaken the dead. Those that have tried have brought back creatures dark and unnatural. Even in seeking to speak with the dead, you would be straying into dangerous areas. What Harry told you .... that was a reverse echo, a mere shadow of the living Cedric ... it was not Cedric himself ..."

Dumbledore's words trailed off and he looked at the book which lay open on Hermione's lap. She leaned back, being surrounded by the books was bringing her no comfort whatsoever and her face was streaked with tears. Very dark shadows were around her eyes and her breathing was sharp and ragged, slightly laboured from all the crying. Hermione didn't even think to question how it was that Professor Dumbledore knew. No one else knew ... but somehow - he knew.

Dumbledore slowly lowered himself to the ground beside her, grimacing as he heard the audible creaks of his bones. He studied the book.

He had misjudged her. She was not looking for a necromantic spell to bring the dead back, nor even to commune with the dead.

A Spell For the Stopping of Teares.

"But sir, I need the last drop of blood of a phoenix slain with my own hands," she whispered despairingly,"And I could never do that," she told him, the tears sliding down her cheeks, her hair tangled and bedraggled around her face as she looked at him pleadingly.

"Please Professor Dumbledore, I don't want to feel this pain anymore. I don't want to cry like this anymore - surely you can do something to stop the tears."

Dumbledore felt tears sting his own eyes as he realised that he had wronged Hermione. "Hermione ... there is a reason why what is required for this spell is so hideous. To take the life of a beautiful and innocent creature is a crime. There is no crime in grieving Hermione. It is natural and it's what makes you Cedric's friend".

"Professor, you don't understand. I can't allow myself to grieve now ....." she told him. "Harry needs me - he is completely ripped up over this. I can't even let the others know that Cedric and I were friends, it's ... complicated. I have to be ... as if Cedric was just like any other student .... is there nothing you can do for me? At least to allow me to be what Harry needs me to be until I can get home ...."

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head. "Hermione, everything you need to be a good friend to Harry is right there in your heart. There is no magic on earth that can match that and I have no power that matches your own love and loyalty".

Hermione shook her head. "Professor, you once told Harry that to the well-organised mind, death was but the next great adventure .... but sir .... Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle were 665 and 658 when they died .... You said it was like going to bed after a very, very long day for them ... but ...."

"I know Hermione. At the age of 18, Cedric still had the world ahead of him ......" He realised that he was not going to be able to offer her any comfort and he slowly drew himself to his feet again, groaning at the awkwardness of the movement.

"Hermione - you know that you can do this. You have always been equal to every single challenge life has thrown at you".

"Thank you, sir," Hermione whispered.

Dumbledore wanted to say something further but his throat tightened. "I'll ask Madam Pince to make sure no one comes to this section of the library," he told her and then he was gone.

****

When Hermione, Harry and Ron, and Hermione entered the Hall, they saw at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colors for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table - a mark of respect to Cedric.

Professor Dumbledore stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.

"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year."

He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."

Hermione stood as still as a statue. She saw Cho Chang with tears pouring silently down her face. She was not the only one who wept for Cedric and Hermione allowed herself to let tears fall. When she saw Harry swallow hard and look down, she reached out and touched his hand lightly in comfort. He gave her a half smile that didn't reach his eyes. They all sat down again.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about." Dumbledore paused and uttered the words that filled the room with shock. "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Panic, disbelief and horror filled the Great Hall as Dumbledore waited at the front until an uneasy, anxious silence returned.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Hermione ignored the fact that there were mutterings from the Slytherin table. She didn't care what Draco Malfoy and his cronies were saying. Nothing they said mattered to her at this moment. "There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

Hermione's heart ached for Harry who flinched but remained still as Dumbledore continued.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort. He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

When Dumbledore turned towards Harry, his face grave and filled with sorrow, he raised his goblet once more. With the exception of many of the Slytherins, most people in the Great Hall also did so, drinking to him as they murmured his name.

Everyone resumed their seats and Dumbledore continued but Hermione's thoughts were drfiting far away from the Triwizard Tournament. It was unfair of her to blame the Tournament. Voldemort would have found a way no matter what, but perhaps if it had not been for the tournament, then perhaps Cedric might not have lost his life so senselessly and in such a meaningless fashion.

Kill the spare. The words echoed endlessly in Hermione's head. She wondered if she was ever going to be able to forget those words.

"A week ago, a student was taken from our midst," Dumbledore said and Hermione's thoughts were dragged back to the present.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

Chin up Granger ....

****
They stood waiting in the crowded entrance hall with the rest of the fourth years for the carriages that would take them back to Hogsmeade station. Hermione scowled as she was supposed to when Fleur came to flirt with Ron and Harry.

She said her goodbyes to Viktor, slightly flustered at the thought of what he might say. Fortunately for her recent events had made sure that he was somewhat subdued in his declarations of affection and Ron summoned them back loudly, it was not difficult for her to maintain the masklike impassivity that she had successfully kept on her face throughout the day.

She watched on as Victor and Harry spoke, as Ron made his own peace with Viktor. She was surprised to find that her mouth was able to smile when Ron asked for Viktor's autograph. She was relieved that they were able to get a compartment to themselves. They spoke of many things. Mostly it was Harry speaking as if the speaking of all healed him and Ron and Hermione also spoke a great deal, discussing the way ahead, wondering about the future.

There was even a moment of lightness as she shared the news of Rita Skeeter's predicament with them both and further excitement when Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle finally got their just deserts when they were the unfortunate recipients of a variety of hexes and jinxes from Harry, Ron, Hermione, George and Fred.

Not much longer, Hermione told herself.

At the station, Hermione watched as Harry headed towards his auntie and uncle.

"'Bye, Harry!" said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.

She watched him leave and went towards her own parents who were smiling at her fondly. She embraced them and the fierceness of her hug made them exclaim.

"Hello, what's this?" her mother asked with a smile, hugging her daughter back. "You've grown again, she'll be taller than the both of us soon," Dr Granger said to her husband who merely smiled and kissed his daughter as he hugged her.

"There's something different about you," her father said, frowning slightly when they got home, assessing her with a faint frown of concern in his eyes. He touched her cheek lightly.

Hermione pretended to look guilty. "Ah you found me out dad. There was a spot of trouble which ended up in my teeth growing long .... when Madam Pomfrey shrank my teeth back ..... I kind of let her shrink them back just a little bit more ....."

Her father smiled and shook his head. "Now Hermione, you know what we've told you about using magic as a quick fix...."

"She does look lovely though," Mrs Granger had to admit as she kissed her daughter before bustling off to the kitchen to prepare tea. "Did you get all the healthy snacks we sent by owl this term?" She called.

"Yes, sorry I didn't always reply. It's been a bit mad."

"It's more than the teeth," her father said, still frowning as he stared into his daughter's dark brown eyes.

"Just a bit tired, dad. I'm going to go and put my stuff in my room and have a bit of a rest....."

Hermione made her way up the stairs. She closed her door and locked it. With a relief she let her fixed smile fade from her face.

She drew the curtains in her room, sat on her bed, put her face in her hands and at last was able to find comfort. After today, she would never mention him, never weep for him again. What was past was past and no one would ever know what had taken place.

Hermione wept long and hard, weeping for the boy who had been and the young man who would never be.





The End
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