AN: Story request fromMari so lovely. It's my first one shot. As all fan fic writers do, I have taken some liberties with the characters and story line. This is all there is to the story, though I have dabble with the idea of the this being the back story for a post war Hermione fic. As of now, this all there is. Let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters and original plot.

He had called her a traitor. Ron. Hermione. Ron, who hadn't seen her as her as a girl, hadn't seen her as more than a reference guide and a homework checker. Perhaps that was fair, but she was hurting.

She wasn't interested in Victor, not really, not as more than a friend. But he had been sweet when he asked. He reminded her of Harry, how no one saw beyond his star status and how the fame made him squirm. Perhaps they could be friends as well.

She had dressed up, put hours into her ridiculous hair. She had something to prove, to everyone, to Ron and Harry, to herself.

But he had called her a traitor. Ron, who had been drooling over Victor. Ron, who had accused Harry of putting his own name in the goblet. Ron, who was her friend.

Shouting from down the hall, pulled Hermione out of her reprieve. The sobs had ruined her makeup and wrinkled her dress. She stepped around the corner and into the shadows. She didn't want to be seen, not now, not like this, not by anyone.

Two students drew closer.

"I don't know what you're getting so upset about," the female snapped.

"So it is true?" he asked, his voice raising.

"She just some dotty little bint. Why are you making a big deal out of this?"

"You take her things? Her shoes? And you think it's no big deal?" It was an accusation. The girl sighed.

"She thinks it's imaginary creatures," she said.

"You're bullying a member of your own house. Just because she doesn't know it's you, doesn't change the facts. I can't believe you would do something like that."

There was a long pause in which he looked away and she watched him.

"What are you saying?" she suddenly demanded.

"I'm done," he said softly. She swore at him rather colorfully and walked away. When the click of her heel faded, the boy leaned against the wall and sat on the floor.

"Merlin," he whispered and let his head fall into his hands.

Hermione waited a moment, wondering if the boy would go. He didn't appear to be moving anytime soon. Her tears had dried and she just wanted to tuck herself into bed. The boy still sat there. With a deep breath, Hermione slid out of the shadows.

Cedric Diggory sat on the floor in his nice dress robes. He glanced up at her with sad eyes. She nodded once to him and started to walk past.

"You didn't have too good of a night either?" he asked, eyes running over her face. She turned towards him, stiff upper lip in place and tear tracks over her cheeks.

"It was fine," she said, voice unwavering. He nodded and looked down.

"Whatever you say Miss Granger." The sight of him, head down sitting on the floor after just breaking things off with his girlfriend, it jarred something loose inside her.

"It was terrible," she answered. He gave her a smile that only touched one side of his lips and faded before his eyes.

"It was," he agreed. She stood in silence, wondering if it was polite to walk away now or if there was something else that she should say.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Cedric shrugged with one shoulder.

"I'll be fine. She was a little high maintenance for me anyway. I just never thought...I'm a Hufflepuff. I'm kinda big on loyalty. Don't know why she would think I'd be okay with something like that." He shook his head and scowled.

"I'm sorry," Hermione replied for a lack of anything else. He looked up at her with his brilliant blue eyes.

"And you?" he asked. "Are you alright?" She was all set to say 'yes,' when,

"I don't know," passed her lips.

"Do you want to talk about it?" 'No,' she wanted to say, to hold it in.

"I went with Victor to the ball, you know," she said. The boy still sitting on the floor chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure everyone knows you were on the arm of the Quidditch star, shining brighter than he could," he answered.

"Well apparently I was supposed to turn him down," Hermione bit out, bitterness coloring her tone and her cheeks. Cedric cocked his head to the side and looked up at the witch still standing beside him.

"Why's that?"

"Because he's going against Harry I guess," she said, plopping down next to him and the bottom rims of her eyes filling with tears once more. "And I'm not supporting Harry by going with him. Or some rubbish like that." Hermione sniffled.

"That's stupid," he said.

"That's Ron," she replied.

"Is he supposed to be your friend? Not making you cry?" He pulled a handkerchief from inside his robes and handed it to her. She dabbed at her eyes.

"Maybe he's right," she whispered. The boy turned towards her fully.

"Remember what I said about loyalty. Well it shouldn't matter who you date, if you're friends, then you're friends. And friends don't treat each other that way, no matter what." He touched her cheek then and her eyes went wide as they met his. He smiled at her and she blushed.

Hermione thought too much about Cedric. About his blue eyes. About his light brown hair. About his smile. About his loyalty.

He smiled at her when they met in the halls.

But then the Daily Prophet posted lies about her. About how she was two timing Harry and Victor. And then she thought about that night with Cedric and if he was wrong. Maybe it was a betrayal going with Victor, not a betrayal of the heart-Harry didn't feel that way, but a betrayal all the same.

Perhaps she brought this condemnation on herself. Maybe she should have thought more about the repercussions, not just seen a sweet boy who was desperate for a date to a ball. One who wanted a girl on his arm, not a fan, to help him get through the night.

Then she hadn't really done that either, running off after what Ron said. Did she betray him too?

Cedric found her again, locked away from the world, when he walked his prefect patrols one night. He sent the Hufflepuff girl Hermione didn't know to go on and he sat down next to her.

"Been a rough week," he commented idly. She nodded, but didn't speak.

"So many people talking about things they don't know," he continued.

"I guess," she said, eyes focused on the ground.

"You'll be okay," he said. "They'll forget soon enough." Hermione shook her head.

"There will always be another thing. Another reason to hate me, another reason to push me down and give me dirty looks," she answered bitterly.

"Not for Hufflepuffs," he said. She frowned.

"Everywhere," was all she answered.

"Not for me," he answered. He placed an arm around her and her heart raced. They sat in silence before he stood and helped her up. He asked to talk again and she smiled and agreed.

Hermione wasn't really sure how it started. A friendship, perhaps, with Cedric. The boy who kept finding her at her worse. He kissed her first, soft and gentle, when they had been meeting for over a week and talking of everything. She smiled when he pulled away and they kept talking.

"I don't want anyone to know," she said, pulling away from another kiss. "I know we haven't talked about what this is, but I want it to stay between us." He looked hurt.

"Why?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Because I don't want them to hurt you. I don't want them to accuse me. They make up so many lies. I just don't want them to ruin this, whatever it was." He crushed her against him then, lips demanding on hers and then just hugging her.

"Alright," he answered.

Cedric's warning to Harry made Hermione want to roll her eyes. They had decided that he should tell Harry, rather than Hermione "figuring it out." But could he have been a trife less vague? Hermione pushed him to follow the random instruction, saying they had no other leads. And he did figure it out, thank Merlin.

Hermione cringed when Cho threw herself into Cedric's arms. Hugging him and thanking him for saving her. She boiled inside. She couldn't even feel Victor's hand guiding her to the tent to be checked over. That night they had their a fight.

"You were the one who wanted us to be a secret," Cedric pointed out when Hermione snapped at him about Cho.

"To protect you," Hermione threw back. "To protect us. Not to have you holding onto some other girl in public and snogging me in a closet."

"What about Krum?" he shouted back. "He had his hands all over you. You didn't mind that though."

"Krum wasn't holding onto me like he wanted to get a room," she yelled.

"That's not what it looked like from where I was standing. I thought he was going to lay you down right there in the medical tent."

Hermione turned bright red, her hand shaking.

"How dare you?" she whispered. She took shaky steps back from him.

"You were the one who started this," he pushed on. "You wanted this secret. You were mad about Cho being stupid. What is your problem?"

Her stomach twisted painfully and sweat broke out on the back of her neck. She loved him. She knew it

"I…" Hermione stopped and shook her head, before fleeing his presence.

He didn't talk to her, didn't seek her out. She avoided meeting his eyes when passing him in the hall. If she walked late at night to clear her head, she took Harry's cloak so he wouldn't catch her out.

Harry and Ron asked what was wrong. She snapped at them and told them she was fine. They let her be after that.

There was something in the air. It felt heavy, a warning of the storm. It scared Hermione. It twisted in her gut and plagued her. Until she sought out Susan Bones, a sweet girl in her same year.

"I need to speak with Cedric," Hermione said in a rush. Susan narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" she asked.

"I...I just have to."

"Are you trying to sabotage him so Harry can win?" Susan asked. "Because that is not alright." Hufflepuffs, alway loyal, Hermione thought with a smile.

"I want to wish him luck, that all," she said. "Please Susan, I promise it's not bad. And...please don't tell anyone." Susan gave into her and told Cedric she would meet him in a classroom that night.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice cold. She turned towards him, his face closed off.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. "I shouldn't have ran off like that. I was just...scared."

"Why?" The word was both pleading and confused.

"Because...because I love you," she said.

"What?" His face froze halfway to a smile.

"I love you," she repeated with a nervous smile. He ran forward and caught her up in his arms. He kissed her hard until they both ran out of breath. Then he pulled away.

"I love you too," he whispered.

"I think something bad is going to happen," she confided.

"It'll be alright," he answered and held her for hours.

They met each night over the next week. Held onto each other desperately. He tried to kiss away her fears, but they just got worse the closer it got to the last task. She was trembling in his arms when it came to the night before.

"It'll be okay," he said again and again, but she would only snuggle deeper into him.

"I love you," she whispered. He replied in same.

When they went to leave to sneak back to their own rooms, she stopped him.

"I don't want to hide it anymore," she said. "It let us figure it out for ourselves, but I want everyone to know. To know that I love you." Cedric smiled and kissed her.

"After the task we'll announce it. It will be my reward," he winked. He smile softly, "It will be something for you to think about other than this task that is driving you crazy."

She tried to smile back.

"Good luck," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Hermione was a mess in the stands. Ron told her it would fine, tried to start a conversation about the recently passed exams to try and help her. But she just started at the maze, willing Harry and Cedric to be okay, begging any powers to be that they would be fine.

Something was off. She could feel it. The crowd was restless. Watching hedges wasn't all that entertaining, but it was more than that. The energy of the crowd was spiraling. Something wasn't right, they just didn't know what yet.

He's unconscious, Hermione thought when Harry and Cedric appeared. He wasn't moving so he had to be passed out. When Mr. Diggory screamed and fell over Cedric, racking sobs echoing around the area, she knew-really knew-he wasn't unconscious.

She held herself tight, didn't say a word to anyone. She tried to process that Voldemort was back, that he killed the man she loved. And she hated him more for it. Today they would bring their relationship out of the shadows. But it didn't matter now. Cedric was dead.

Hermione didn't tell her friends, didn't know how to. She held the pain in and was happy to escape into the relative safety of her parent's house. She pulled away from them then. She wouldn't tell them what happened. She wouldn't tell them why she woke up calling for a boy named Cedric. Though they held her until the tears faded and her breath went even.

Her mum asked if she wanted to see a counselor. But she said no because she couldn't tell them about magic. Her mum asked about a magical one and Hermione said there wasn't one. The magical world didn't do mental health, didn't work through their problems. They just went crazy and started wars and killed the man she loved.

She gathered herself up enough that it didn't always hurt by the time Dumbledore took her to the hideout. She focused then. She'd help win this war. She'd help put that man in the ground. The one who made her heartbreak with a green spell.

And Hermione did help. She traipsed off with Harry and Ron to find horcruxes. When the locket hung around her neck, she thought more of Cedric. How she had wasted time not telling him how she felt. How she should have saved him.

When they were captured and Bellatrix tortured her, she thought she was going to die. Thought she would be joining Cedric and part of her wondered if it would be that bad.

Hermione didn't die. She survived. As she looked over the battlefield of Hogwarts she thought of her lost love. She loved him and he loved her. He was dead and she was alive. And now it was time for her to actually live, because that is what he'd want. Because he loved her and wanted her happy and she still loved him so she would try.