Welcome, Welcome, Welcome;
This was originally going to be a One-Shot, but I felt it was too long for a one shot, but to short for a legit story.
So, ta-da! Short story. It'll have only a few chapters, my be lacking some minor details, but ta- please don't make me do the 'ta-da' again.. it's a bloody short story!
READ AND REVIEW! Please read my other story Slipped My Mind :)
Cheers~ Delilah Umbridge.
Chapter one: What Once Was
"As soon as Cedric had the upper hand, he grabbed that snitch right out of Harry Potter's reach and won the game!"
It was a summer afternoon, and the Diggory family were all sitting around a long rectangle table, listening to Amos' story of the Cedric's Quidditch match last year. During Cedric's fifth year, a prisoner escaped from Azkaban and was believed to be headed to Hogwarts. To "protect" the school, Dementors were sent to guard the grounds. Unfortunately, they seemed eager to give they're deadly kiss to anyone who came to close, but took a fancy to Harry Potter especially. In the match of Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor, it was Cedric and Harry, neck to neck to grab the snitch. They reached extreme heights to grab what looked like a golden golf ball when the Dementors swarmed in. Harry suddenly loses focus, and falls completely off his broom in faint.
Months later, Amos, Cedric's father, was still retelling the story, each being more away from the truth. In one of the many telling, Cedric was apparently standing one footed on his broom and dived for the snitch, and Harry Potter, in shock of defeat, fainted, falling to his death. Cedric, was sitting in the seat next to his father's, palm faced, shaking his head in his hand.
He felt a hand touch his shoulder, it was his mother, mouthing "I'm sorry" to him. Across the table, laughing in her hands, was Charlotte Comwell. She was in the same year and house as Cedric, although has not done as much as he has. Cedric was Quidditch captain, Seeker, and Prefect, she on the other hand, was just another student. She stood around Cedric's height, with long, slightly wavy light brown hair and hazel eyes. Looking over to Cedric, he mouthed "Help me!". Charlotte, giggled for a few more seconds, before clearing her throat.
"Sorry, Mr. Diggory, but could you please excuse Cedric and I? We, uh, he said he'd helped me with my Karate."
"Kay-rat-?" Questioned Amos
"It's a Muggle thing"
"Oh, yes yes. That's fine. I do say, everyone seeks your tutoring, don't they my dear boy?" Amos says, turning to Cedric. "Even with Muggle activities!" Cedric rolls his eyes in embarrassment and put his face back in his hands.
"Thank you, sir." Charlotte said, getting up from the table, motioning to Cedric to go.
Charlotte and Cedric hurried through the front door out to the field. The summer was coming to end, but it was sunny and warm. Charlotte stretched out her arms and took in a deep breath of the aroma. She sat down in the soft grass, she wore a yellow and black horizontally striped strapless shirt, tucked into a deep black netted shirt. Cedric plopped down need to her.
"So! What do you want to do?" Cedric said, giving a big yawn.
"Karate?"
"You actually wanted to do that?"
"Yes, now get up!" Charlotte jumped up, shoving Cedric with her foot until he moved. She gave him instructions on what to do.
"I will never understand Muggles and their form of defense." Cedric said, as he pulled himself up out of the grass. He dusted the extra blades off his brown hair and clothes. "Why are we doing this?"
"Because, I need to practice. Magic may work in the wizarding world, but that doesn't help in me in the Muggle world." Charlotte explained, still in her fight stances.
"Okay, okay fine," Cedric chuckled, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Continue with your, Cay-hot-tea"
"I told you, it's Karate" Charlotte said putting her hands on her hips. "Now, turn around and let me kick you."
"Blimey." He said, turning around slowly "Now I don't know much about Muggles and their means of attacking, but, I'm pretty sure they don't approach you walking backwards."
"Ha. Ha." It then fell silent as Charlotte took a deep breathe, closing her eyes to concentrate. Then, in seconds she preformed move after move, with out touching an inch of Cedric this time, ending the attack in a "Hi ya!"
"How do you even know about this kind of thing, your parents are wizards?"
"Hermione Granger, Muggle-born. She told me about it one day in the library, showed me some moves. It's pretty neat, very effective whenever your being attacked and you can't use magic. You know...if the enemy is not a wizard"
"Brilliant! Can we stop now? We've been at it for an hour. Don't get me wrong, I love being a dummy as much as the next guy, but I need a break" Cedric said, after releasing the breathe he didn't realize he was holding until Charlotte had stopped.
"Must be hard, standing there, huh mate?"
He laughed, turning back toward Charlotte. Cedric's face then looked like he had see a Dementor. "Look out behind you!" He said, pointing behind Charlotte in fear. She gasped and turned around quickly, bracing herself. She was shoved to the ground from behind her, landing softly in the grass.
"Get off, would ya'!" She said to Cedric, who tackled her in revenge, laughing. Charlotte rolled around to face him, joining in the laughter. Cedric, leaning half over Charlotte, gazed into her hazel eyes, which were practically golden. "What?" She asked, chuckling. "Do I have mud on my face?" Cedric took the hand she was using to wipe her face in random areas, to clear the nonexistent mess on her face.
"You look fine, love"
"Aww, thanks. Guess what."
"What?"
"I love you"
"I love you, too" Cedric says chuckling, leaning in to kiss her.
"Charlie, dear. Charlie! You have to get up now, time to start getting ready to go, we have to be a the station soon." Charlotte was abruptly woken up by her mother. "Come on, get up. Don't fall back to sleep!" Her mother left, closing the door behind her.
Charlotte listen as her mothers foot steps became distant, rolling over pulling the blanket over her head. This first day of school finally arrived, and in excitement of that Charlotte's mother had pack all her new books and clothing already 3 days ago. Sitting up from her bed, she looked at her posters and trinkets on her desk. Her room was good size, with her single bed against the wall opposite of the door in the corner. With a dark red, almost brown dresser matching her desk. The walls were white, but no could tell due to all the posters, papers, and photos of things Charlotte found interesting. She turns to her night stand and looks at picture of two people laughing, then boy giving the girl a kiss on the cheek. Charlotte picks it and looks at deep in her memories. It was the day Cedric and her went to Hogsmeade, during their 6th year at Hogwarts, and the first time he said he loved her.
There was a knock on the door. "Charlie! Charlie, dear, are you coming?" Her mother said outside the door.
"Coming, mum!" Charlotte said, quickly wiping the tears from her face. Standing up and placing the picture frame back on the stand face down, and began to dress and brush her hair. Charlotte picked up the last of her luggage, walking toward the door. She took one last look at her room, before excelling down the stairs to meet her mother.
"You alright dear?"
"Yeah, mum."
"Your father should be here in a minute, and the we can leave for the train station."
"Okay, let me make - " With a loud crack, Charlotte's father apparited in the front room. He was dressed as what look like an attempted to be a Muggle. He wore a over sized cowboy hat, with a dark brown sweater with a moose embroiled into it. With his white dress pants and red plaid slippers, he was far from blending in.
"How do I look, ehhh?" He asked, lifting his arms and turning to give them the entire view. "Had to go to a Muggle food store, over heard some chaps talking about something called potatoe chips, and had to check 'em out myself. Let me tell you, they are bloody fantastic!"
"Oh ho ho, Thomas, dear!" Charlotte's mother said. Her mother was a shorter than Charlotte, but made up for it in the enthusiasm. Shoulder length light brown hair, with her bangs usually kept to the side with a pin or behind her ear. "You and your curiosity! What are we gonna do with you, huh Charlie?" She said, nudging Charlotte's arm.
"Ohhhhh...kay." Charlotte said, trying to quickly change the conversation. "Lets go. No, not you dad! Go change!"
There was a loud honk from outside which gave the que that the taxi has arrived. It was her fathers idea to take a taxi, for the experience of Muggle transportation; he has always been fascinated by Muggles. Charlotte had just finished putting her luggage in the car, when her parents were starting to leave the house laughing about something Charlotte didn't care to know about. Her father sat up front, whilst her mother sat next to her in the back.
Charlotte was still thinking a lot about the photo by her bed. The greatest time she ever had was with Cedric at Hogwarts, but now she was going back without him, without her best friend, boyfriend,...without a part of herself. Nothing she wanted more than to turn back time, to spend one more day with him with the knowledge that it would be the last day with him. It all happened so fast. One minute was with him, laughing and holding his warm hands in a icy corridors. The next, he was laying on the ground, lifeless, blank expression...hands cold. Lately, she has been having dreams that were of them in the past. Hanging out at his house, at school, Hogsmeade. She'd wake up happy just to remember the cold truth.
The taxi was starting to pull away from the curb when Charlotte suddenly yelled "Wait! I forgot something!" Running out of the car, in the house and up the stairs to her room. Grabbing what she needed, ran back to the car.
"Did you find what you were looking for, Charlie?" Her mother asked.
"Yes.."
The rest of the car ride was pretty uneventful. Her parents would occasionally talk to each other, or her father would try to crack jokes with the taxi driver, but the driver didn't really get any of them. Sadly, this didn't stop her father from laughing hearty, and her mother giving him a small, embarrassed chuckle. Charlotte sat in silence, staring at the buildings and homes of the Muggle world. The trees were a brilliant green. She took it all in, for she knew the next time she'd seem them, they would be bare and leafless. Occasionally, looking down at her lap, at a photo of two people laughing.
With a boy giving a girl a kiss on the cheek...