DISCLAIMER: All of the places and characters in this story belong to the genius Ms. J.K. Rowling. No profit is being made from this story. It only serves to (hopefully) entertain.
Rated T for allusions to war violence.
-The Flame-
Wand at the ready. Deep breaths. Eyes open. Run.
Wand. Breathe. Look. Run.
Run, run, run.
And whatever you do, stay calm.
Cho tried with all her might to focus on that last part, but her mind wouldn't have it.
The castle was in shambles as the battle raged on. Sounds of frantic yells and powerful booms assaulted Cho's eardrums as she bolted through the corridors of Hogwarts. The figures in the portraits were chaotically jumping from frame to frame, some out of excitement, some out of terror. Rubble of all kinds littered the stone floors. Pillars were down, curses flew overhead, and bodies... they were everywhere; they, above all, were causing Cho to panic.
She couldn't take the cold, barren look in their dead eyes. She couldn't stand the way all color had been drained from their faces. She couldn't deal with the fact that many of them were incredibly young and looked so desperate, so helpless, so scared.
And everywhere she turned, they were laying there, staring up at her, reminding her.
She wanted to scream.
Cho's chest grew tighter and tears swarmed her eyes as she ran down a flight of stairs. She didn't even know where she was going. She just had to get away, wherever that was, and fast. She tried to think of the guilt that came with running, tried to convince herself to be braver and keep fighting like everyone else was.
Like he would, if he was there.
What would Cedric think?
Feeling as if she was about to faint, she tumbled through the first open entryway she found and collapsed onto the carpeted floor. She couldn't even bother herself with the notion that someone could be lurking nearby, prepared to jump out of nowhere and attack her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself, fiercely trying to quell her heaving, panicked breaths and calm her mind.
But that endless sea of lifeless eyes in the corridors was like a typhoon of misery crashing through her head, washing up that day on the Quidditch pitch, just outside the confines of the maze. Cedric's eyes unmoving, his body stiff, his soul gone...
Cho let out a strangled cry and squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. It was so much more than the fact that he'd been her boyfriend. It was the fact that he was her friend, and he was far too young. He had so much to live for, so much to offer the world, and he died for nothing. The dark side didn't gain a damn thing from his murder. He'd been cast off like he was nothing more than a bothersome insect. In a way, that was what hurt Cho the most: they didn't even realize what a special person they'd stolen from the world.
And she was ashamed of herself. There she was, alive and well, presented with a chance to fight for the cause she knew damn well Cedric would have advocated for as much as Harry, and what was she doing? She was sobbing in the middle of an empty room while others just like her were outside that door defending their school, their lives. But that's what she was good at: crying. Everyone knew it.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, curled up in a ball on the floor trying to mellow her erratic breaths, but it felt like hours before she felt her lungs and heart return to a steady pace. Cho wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her navy blue jumper before slowly sitting up. She felt weak and pathetic as she took in her surroundings. It seemed like just another room until it occurred to her that nearly everything in it, from the furniture to the flooring to the walls, was a rich canary yellow.
The Hufflepuff Common Room, she thought.
The room was circular with a low ceiling, and was very homey. Large, overstuffed armchairs and sofas covered with pillows were in the center, while tables supporting exotic plants and seemingly disorganized stacks of old, feeble books were pushed up against the walls. A dwindling fire crackled in the hearth, providing the room with a cozy ambiance. While the Ravenclaw Common Room was lit by torches along the walls, Cho saw nothing but copper and brass lamps dangling from the ceiling and emitting a soft, amber glow.
In fact, there was only one small torch, and it was perched upon the mantle beside a sculpture of the Hufflepuff badger and what appeared to be a framed photograph. The face Cho saw in the frame was a trick of the eye; she was almost certain of that.
No, it can't be.
Curious, she forced herself up and slowly walked closer to the image. She felt her eyes well up with tears once more and her breath shallow as the face came into a clearer view. It was Cedric.
Whoever took the photograph had captured him perfectly. A confident, yet humble smile that was so typical of him was spread across his chiseled face. There was a certain twinkle in his eyes that was welcoming and kind. His hair appeared tousled from a bit of wind, almost as if he'd just hopped off his broom after catching the Snitch and winning the match. Beneath the photograph was a small gold plaque, etched with a tribute:
Cedric Diggory
29 September 1977 – 24 June 1995
A boy worthy of reverence.
A young man with potential.
A dear friend and true Hufflepuff.
This torch will remain eternally ignited in his memory,
and serve as a reminder that the loved ones
we lose are never gone.
While they may perish, the fond memories they've given,
the lessons they've taught,
and the ways in which they've touched our lives
are forever immortal.
Cho couldn't tear her eyes away from Cedric's image. If it wasn't for the frame, she'd have thought that it actually was him, standing there as if he'd never left. His smile had always made her feel as if the impossible was right there in front of her, readily available to grasp with the smallest of efforts. She reached out to touch the picture, her heart twinging with sadness as her fingertips were greeted with smooth, cold glass.
A lone, salty tear rolled down her cheek. She missed him more than was probably healthy. She'd been told time and time again that teenagers don't truly fall in love, much less understand what it means, but she'd never believe them because she really had loved Cedric.
He'd enlightened her perspective on the world. He taught her to appreciate the simple things, such as the way the air tickled their faces while zooming around the pitch. He showed her that most things weren't worth getting upset over, like the time he'd said her Acceptable on a Potions assignment should be celebrated because it hadn't been deemed Troll. He'd proved to her that it's okay to be carefree, and even a little reckless, once in a while by sneaking out to the grounds with her at midnight to go for a broom ride or simply lay in the grass beneath the stars. But most of all, he'd made her want to be better in anyway she could, while at the same time never expecting more than she could give. Cedric always accepted her for who she was, tears and all.
She felt silly, standing there crying over a boyfriend she'd lost nearly four years ago. Who's to say they would've made it, even if he'd lived? Anything could have happened. Not to mention, it wasn't as if she hadn't moved on. She'd dated others in the years since Cedric's death, and even had one serious boyfriend whom she was with for quite some time.
But it was everything he'd given her that triggered the pain in her chest and the pools in her eyes. Cedric had given Cho courage: courage in others, courage in good, and most importantly, courage in herself. He'd never explicitly told her how talented, wise, and strong she was, but he'd subtly made her realize it for herself, and that was the most wonderful gift anyone could have presented her with.
Cho gently dragged her fingers along the last two lines of cursive script beneath Cedric's photograph. And the ways in which they've touched our lives are forever immortal.
Cedric was merely absent, not gone; it was up to those who knew him to keep his memory alive. They had to fight like he would have, believed as he would have. He would have done the same for them.
Cho brushed the tears from her face for the last time. She couldn't cry anymore. She wouldn't cry anymore. Not tonight. She had to keep fighting for everyone, for herself, just like Cedric would have. He'd want her to survive and lead a happy life. He'd want her not to wallow in the agony of the past, but in bask in the light the future had to offer.
She brought her fingertips softly to her lips before gently pressing them against the glass shielding the photograph. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at Cedric's picture one more time, but she didn't allow herself to shed another tear. For once, she wanted to be the strong person he always believed her to be.
She would fight, and she would win.
Cho walked back to the entryway she'd fallen through earlier, reaching into her pocket before exiting.
Wand at the ready. Deep breaths. Eyes open. Fight.
Wand. Breathe. Look. Fight.
Fight, fight, fight.
And whatever you do, be brave.
As Cho pushed her way through the barrier, plunging herself back into the chaos of war, she didn't look back. She kept her guard up, protecting her allies, cursing her enemies, and through it all, she remembered Cedric. She remembered his tenacity, his valor, his passion. She carried his memory like it was a peaceful, flickering candle, her guiding light through the battle. As long as he was there, she felt like she could do anything.
When she sat in the Great Hall hours later, eyes closed and resting against the wall, she wondered if she would have been able to protect those two sixth years had it not been for Cedric. Would she have been alert enough to spot the tumbling pillar and push them out of the way before they were crushed? Would she have had the nerve to stun Yaxley just as he was about to hurl the most unforgivable of curses at Susan? Would she have been able to carry on fighting after watching poor Colin fall, only to to never get up again?
She knew she would have. It had been in her all along. All she'd needed was for someone special enough to make her believe it.
And as a beam of light from the early morning sun poked it's way through the stained-glass windows, forcing Cho to open her eyes, she knew that Cedric, wherever he was, was smiling his brightest smile.
That, Cho was certain, was all he'd ever wanted: to be at peace.
So she smiled, too, and shamelessly allowed the tears – the tears of pure joy – to stream down her face.
Author's Note: This was written for Amber (Cheeky Slytherin Lass) as part of the 2014 GGE. Hope you enjoyed it, darling! :)
If you have a moment, please check out the beautiful artwork that accompanies this story, the link to which can be found on my profile page.
Much thanks to Jaideum for beta-reading this on such short notice. :) Thanks for reading!