Northern Lights: Epilogue
One last gasp.
Title: Northern Lights
Author: fictionalbf
Rating: PG
Character(s): Cedric Diggory
Summary: To the well-organized mind, death may be nothing more than the next great adventure. While what greets Cedric Diggory on waking is neither life nor death, it will definitely be an adventure.
School is every bit as trying as he thought it would be.
The subjects are all strange, unfamiliar, with arcane names (and just what the hell is 'AP Physics', anyway?); the maths in the physics class are all but incomprehensible to someone who's only learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide from his parents, and has never heard of algebra outside of a Muggle Studies classroom. The history is all American history, although knowing people who were therefor most of it helps ease the pain. The classes, though fascinating, are all incredibly difficult for someone without the background knowledge instilled by years of public school.
He's cut some slack for being moody and antisocial, though, given that the cover story the entire town's been fed is that he's the newest foster child in Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's little family, fresh out of a string of failed placements. The general consensus, as relayed by the secretary in the office when he goes to pick up his timetable, is that if anyone can draw angsty little Edward out of his shell, it's Carlisle Cullen, he really works wonders with those poor troubled children, that man is a saint, and so good-looking too, if only he weren't married. It's here that Ce- Edward has to excuse himself to go laugh hysterically in the boys' room.
It doesn't help that occasionally, as above, he forgets that when someone says 'Edward' they mean him. He almost wishes he didn't know where the name came from
I had a son named Edward, once
but if Esme hadn't wanted him to know, she wouldn't have told him. It has the feeling of an old wound, long since scarred over. And he's touched and honoured to learn that she considers him her son.
Truthfully, he's a little surprised by how connected he feels to his new adopted family, and how deeply they seem to care about him in return. He's incredibly grateful to have their support, because trying to pick up a life is hard enough. He couldn't imagine doing this alone.
If only there weren't so many people. Even the intensive shopping trips that Alice dragged him along on, picking out a whole wardrobe in three days, haven't prepared him for this. The first time he sets foot on school grounds he almost turns and runs. Too many voices, too many thoughts, too many warm, breathing, living human bodies, too many sheep and his sheep's clothing doesn't seem enough to hide his sharp, sharp teeth. He can't seem to draw his mind from contemplation of how easy it would be to kill everyone in sight. And the constant clamour of thoughts cause his head to pound.
did you see what that slut was wearing if she goes after my boyfriend this year I'm gonna
fail bio this term I just know it
won't work she'll never look my way not even once
eww tuna surprise again bet it's left over from last year hey that's funny I should tell someone
got so totally fat over the summer
who's the new kid
damn fine ass wonder if he knows how good he looks in those jeans
do the Cullens only adopt, like, the unbelievably gorgeous or what
so dark and troubled could heal that hardened heart
what the hell's so special about him just another gloomy bastard
Everyone seems to be overwhelmingly curious about the good-looking mysterious stranger suddenly deposited in their midst, and through the course of the day, pretty much every girl attending Forks High School has tried to work out who Edward Cullen will end up dating, and every guy has decided that they don't like him because it will probably be their girlfriend. The scrutiny is unbelievable, and for a few fleeting seconds, Edward wonders if this is how Harry Potter feels all the time, before stuffing the thought to the back of his mind.
Somehow, he manages to make it through the day, with the constant if often unspoken support of Alice, Emmett, Jasper and (he has to admit to being a little surprised) Rosalie. But don't expect to be babied like this forever, she always adds, to which Edward just smiles.
By the time the final bell rings, he's a bundle of nerves, not hearing anything teachers or students say out loud or otherwise over his constant mental litany of Breathe. Blink. Don't kill anyone. He hopes he doesn't actually blur as he rushes for the door, but doesn't bother to slow down. It's only once the Jeep is out of the town limits that he manages to relax. That night, as he sinks teeth deep into the tawny fur of the mountain lion that even now struggles ineffectually against him, claws shrieking against marble-like flesh, he can't help imagining that it's Lauren Mallory's neck he snaps, never having to listen to another of her vain, self-absorbed, petty thoughts ever again. The idea is a little too tempting.
The second day is harder.
The third day is easier.
The fourth day, as well.
A year flies by.
Slowly, he fades from the foreground of the collective consciousness, becoming just another fixture of the school, like the windows or the football team or any other student. It's…liberating. He can stop watching himself like a hawk, always worrying that his latest weirdness will be noticed, will become the subject of potentially disastrous gossip, and can relax a little. Unfortunately, it's a little late to start making friends. Cedric Diggory would have at least spoken to over half the school by now, but, as the odious Lauren so aptly puts it, Edward Cullen has a note excusing him from social interaction.
March tiptoes in like a lamb, whispering a promise of spring through the constant rain. The school is abuzz - the imminent arrival of another new student has taken the mental space that everyone seems to have forgotten was, only a little over a year ago, devoted to Edward Cullen. He admits to being intrigued, since usually new students wouldn't choose mid-March to start a new school, but having not lived in Forks for seventeen years, the phrase "Chief Swan's daughter" means nothing to him. It's unlikely that she'll have anything new to offer, but the enthusiasm of the rest of the student body is infectious.
He doesn't see her arrive on her first day, but she's definitely made an impression. Doing a quick scan of the cafeteria, he discovers that for once, Jessica Stanley's thinking about someone other than Mike Newton, and Lauren Mallory is seethingly jealous. 'Intrigued' becomes full-blown curiousity, and he listens for the new girl's thoughts on Forks High so far, hoping for more than the usual nonsense but expecting not much better than Lauren. What he isn't expecting, however, is what meets his casual brush.
Nothing.
It's never happened before. Even Dumbledore couldn't block Ce- Edward out completely. But this fairly unassuming teenage girl, with her cascades of dark hair and unfathomable expression, lets nothing slip. He can't get a read on her, can't figure her out, and it's the most indescribable feeling of being shaken to the core. Of standing on the threshold of something momentous. It's the Sorting Hat sitting on his head and drawing breath to shout out a house name. It's watching Dumbledore read the name on the slip of paper that flew from the mouth of the Goblet of Fire.
It's the first time Cho smiled at him.
It's only when Rosalie mutters, "Stalker" at a volume only the Cullens could hear that Edward realizes he's staring.
...
She's in his biology class. The moment she walks in, all eyes are on her, all thoughts turn toward her. Bella. The name whispers across forty-some minds before skittering back into the ether.
that's Bella who's Bella Chief Swan's daughter damn pretty Phoenix new Bella Bella Bella
Bella. Beautiful.
For a fleeting second, her eyes meet his from across the room, and he could swear she smiles, expectantly, almost excitedly. She steps forward, in front of the fan, toward him.
And in an instant, everything changes.
Again.
MOSTLY RELATED (IF UNNECESSARY) NOTE: So, this was very nearly a parody of the Potter epilogue, with Renesmee and Albus Severus bonding over shitty tribute naming. Unfortunately, I didn't have any ideas for it that were actually funny, and so that idea was scrapped.
Thank you very much for reading. :3
Title: Northern Lights
Author: fictionalbf
Rating: PG
Character(s): Cedric Diggory
Summary: To the well-organized mind, death may be nothing more than the next great adventure. While what greets Cedric Diggory on waking is neither life nor death, it will definitely be an adventure.
School is every bit as trying as he thought it would be.
The subjects are all strange, unfamiliar, with arcane names (and just what the hell is 'AP Physics', anyway?); the maths in the physics class are all but incomprehensible to someone who's only learned how to add, subtract, multiply and divide from his parents, and has never heard of algebra outside of a Muggle Studies classroom. The history is all American history, although knowing people who were therefor most of it helps ease the pain. The classes, though fascinating, are all incredibly difficult for someone without the background knowledge instilled by years of public school.
He's cut some slack for being moody and antisocial, though, given that the cover story the entire town's been fed is that he's the newest foster child in Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's little family, fresh out of a string of failed placements. The general consensus, as relayed by the secretary in the office when he goes to pick up his timetable, is that if anyone can draw angsty little Edward out of his shell, it's Carlisle Cullen, he really works wonders with those poor troubled children, that man is a saint, and so good-looking too, if only he weren't married. It's here that Ce- Edward has to excuse himself to go laugh hysterically in the boys' room.
It doesn't help that occasionally, as above, he forgets that when someone says 'Edward' they mean him. He almost wishes he didn't know where the name came from
I had a son named Edward, once
but if Esme hadn't wanted him to know, she wouldn't have told him. It has the feeling of an old wound, long since scarred over. And he's touched and honoured to learn that she considers him her son.
Truthfully, he's a little surprised by how connected he feels to his new adopted family, and how deeply they seem to care about him in return. He's incredibly grateful to have their support, because trying to pick up a life is hard enough. He couldn't imagine doing this alone.
If only there weren't so many people. Even the intensive shopping trips that Alice dragged him along on, picking out a whole wardrobe in three days, haven't prepared him for this. The first time he sets foot on school grounds he almost turns and runs. Too many voices, too many thoughts, too many warm, breathing, living human bodies, too many sheep and his sheep's clothing doesn't seem enough to hide his sharp, sharp teeth. He can't seem to draw his mind from contemplation of how easy it would be to kill everyone in sight. And the constant clamour of thoughts cause his head to pound.
did you see what that slut was wearing if she goes after my boyfriend this year I'm gonna
fail bio this term I just know it
won't work she'll never look my way not even once
eww tuna surprise again bet it's left over from last year hey that's funny I should tell someone
got so totally fat over the summer
who's the new kid
damn fine ass wonder if he knows how good he looks in those jeans
do the Cullens only adopt, like, the unbelievably gorgeous or what
so dark and troubled could heal that hardened heart
what the hell's so special about him just another gloomy bastard
Everyone seems to be overwhelmingly curious about the good-looking mysterious stranger suddenly deposited in their midst, and through the course of the day, pretty much every girl attending Forks High School has tried to work out who Edward Cullen will end up dating, and every guy has decided that they don't like him because it will probably be their girlfriend. The scrutiny is unbelievable, and for a few fleeting seconds, Edward wonders if this is how Harry Potter feels all the time, before stuffing the thought to the back of his mind.
Somehow, he manages to make it through the day, with the constant if often unspoken support of Alice, Emmett, Jasper and (he has to admit to being a little surprised) Rosalie. But don't expect to be babied like this forever, she always adds, to which Edward just smiles.
By the time the final bell rings, he's a bundle of nerves, not hearing anything teachers or students say out loud or otherwise over his constant mental litany of Breathe. Blink. Don't kill anyone. He hopes he doesn't actually blur as he rushes for the door, but doesn't bother to slow down. It's only once the Jeep is out of the town limits that he manages to relax. That night, as he sinks teeth deep into the tawny fur of the mountain lion that even now struggles ineffectually against him, claws shrieking against marble-like flesh, he can't help imagining that it's Lauren Mallory's neck he snaps, never having to listen to another of her vain, self-absorbed, petty thoughts ever again. The idea is a little too tempting.
The second day is harder.
The third day is easier.
The fourth day, as well.
A year flies by.
Slowly, he fades from the foreground of the collective consciousness, becoming just another fixture of the school, like the windows or the football team or any other student. It's…liberating. He can stop watching himself like a hawk, always worrying that his latest weirdness will be noticed, will become the subject of potentially disastrous gossip, and can relax a little. Unfortunately, it's a little late to start making friends. Cedric Diggory would have at least spoken to over half the school by now, but, as the odious Lauren so aptly puts it, Edward Cullen has a note excusing him from social interaction.
March tiptoes in like a lamb, whispering a promise of spring through the constant rain. The school is abuzz - the imminent arrival of another new student has taken the mental space that everyone seems to have forgotten was, only a little over a year ago, devoted to Edward Cullen. He admits to being intrigued, since usually new students wouldn't choose mid-March to start a new school, but having not lived in Forks for seventeen years, the phrase "Chief Swan's daughter" means nothing to him. It's unlikely that she'll have anything new to offer, but the enthusiasm of the rest of the student body is infectious.
He doesn't see her arrive on her first day, but she's definitely made an impression. Doing a quick scan of the cafeteria, he discovers that for once, Jessica Stanley's thinking about someone other than Mike Newton, and Lauren Mallory is seethingly jealous. 'Intrigued' becomes full-blown curiousity, and he listens for the new girl's thoughts on Forks High so far, hoping for more than the usual nonsense but expecting not much better than Lauren. What he isn't expecting, however, is what meets his casual brush.
Nothing.
It's never happened before. Even Dumbledore couldn't block Ce- Edward out completely. But this fairly unassuming teenage girl, with her cascades of dark hair and unfathomable expression, lets nothing slip. He can't get a read on her, can't figure her out, and it's the most indescribable feeling of being shaken to the core. Of standing on the threshold of something momentous. It's the Sorting Hat sitting on his head and drawing breath to shout out a house name. It's watching Dumbledore read the name on the slip of paper that flew from the mouth of the Goblet of Fire.
It's the first time Cho smiled at him.
It's only when Rosalie mutters, "Stalker" at a volume only the Cullens could hear that Edward realizes he's staring.
...
She's in his biology class. The moment she walks in, all eyes are on her, all thoughts turn toward her. Bella. The name whispers across forty-some minds before skittering back into the ether.
that's Bella who's Bella Chief Swan's daughter damn pretty Phoenix new Bella Bella Bella
Bella. Beautiful.
For a fleeting second, her eyes meet his from across the room, and he could swear she smiles, expectantly, almost excitedly. She steps forward, in front of the fan, toward him.
And in an instant, everything changes.
Again.
MOSTLY RELATED (IF UNNECESSARY) NOTE: So, this was very nearly a parody of the Potter epilogue, with Renesmee and Albus Severus bonding over shitty tribute naming. Unfortunately, I didn't have any ideas for it that were actually funny, and so that idea was scrapped.
Thank you very much for reading. :3