Disclaimer: I don't think either JK Rowling or Stephanie Meyer would be too pleased with what I am doing to their characters. Basically, I am not one of them and I do not own their work.
A couple of days had passed since Cedric had been returned to his human form. As soon as he could get away from Cho and his parents, he had taken a series of Floo crossings over to America, and now he was standing outside the door to his old house, in Forks. It was finally time for him to sort out what had become a mess of a double life. He swallowed hard as he wondered how he was going to break the news to the rest of his vampire family that he'd… well… become human again.
He wished Alice was there to help him explain. She was currently with Jacob, because she'd decided to stay with him for a little while to make sure he hadn't suffered any permanent spell damage (they were pretty sure he hadn't, but the werewolf was still quite shaken about the whole matter). Thankfully however, she'd be back soon to help Cedric tell the story of his rehumanification. Or whatever you'd call it.
It actually felt quite strange to Cedric to be back in Forks without his heightened vampire senses and a more powerful body than any normal person's. He kept blinking, expecting the trees around him to come into focus with perfect clarity. However, they remained stubbornly just that tiny bit blurry that was normal for Cedric Diggory, but not for Edward Cullen. Cedric's hand moved unconsciously to the wand in his pocket, just to reassure himself that he wasn't totally helpless, and then he steeled himself and knocked on the door.
Within a couple of seconds it had swung violently open to reveal a grinning Emmett Cullen. However, almost as soon as he had appeared in the door frame, Emmett's beam fell from his face. He sniffed, obviously smelling human blood, and stared at Cedric with an expression of almost comical shock.
"Edward? What the hell happened to you?" he asked, prodding Cedric in the stomach with a rock hard finger.
"Long story," muttered Cedric.
The rest of the Cullens must have heard this exchange, because at once they appeared at the door too. They gazed at Cedric with similar expressions of dismay to Emmett, standing completely motionless, as if they'd forgotten to act like humans in their shock. Cedric gulped, a lot more aware than usual of the slight tremble in his legs as he stood in front of the people who had once been his family.
"I think you'd better explain," said Carlisle eventually, stepping back to allow Cedric to come in.
Cedric smiled gratefully at him and was rewarded by a dumbfounded look from Carlisle, who was apparently not used to any non-crooked smiles from Edward. Cedric ignored this and made his way into the house.
Once the family was assembled in front of him, he spoke for about fifteen minutes, until his throat was dry and his voice was slightly croaky. He told the Cullens everything about his human life that he had neglected to mention before – about Hogwarts, his parents and Cho Chang. He explained how he'd been killed (almost) by Lord Voldemort, and how he'd been brought back to life in vampire form when Voldemort's wand had connected with Harry's. Finally, he told them how he'd been returned to his human form at Hogwarts, just days earlier, and about his plans to move back to England and resume his old life with Cho, once he had sorted this one out.
A stunned silence followed his words as the Cullens absorbed this information. They had remained completely still while he was talking, not blinking, not fidgeting, not even breathing; it would have been quite creepy if he wasn't used to it. Now Cedric was just waiting for their judgement. He fixed his eyes on the floor ashamedly, and waited for someone to speak.
Esme was the first to do so. She stepped forwards, somehow managing to look nimble with even a movement so small, and stretched her arms out gently to Cedric. "As far as I'm concerned, you're still my son as much as you ever were, Edward," she said softly.
"Cedric," he corrected automatically, but he smiled at her.
The others agreed with Esme one by one – Edward, or Cedric, or whatever he wanted to be called, was still part of the family. The jumpy feeling that had been present in Cedric's stomach ever since he left England settled slightly. It was easier than he had expected, and he was relieved.
"If you like, I'll change you back into a vampire," offered Emmett, pulling his lips back to reveal his teeth.
"Emmett," chided Rosalie, shooting him a sharp frown.
"Thanks, mate, but that won't be necessary," laughed Cedric.
Next up was Bella. Cedric walked a little way from the Cullens' house and then spun on the spot, Apparating away with a pop. He was squeezed through space for a moment, before reappearing on a sunny street in Phoenix, which was mercifully empty. He strode up to the door of one of the houses and rung the bell quickly, before he could lose his nerve.
After a second, the face of a little girl, who looked to be about eleven, appeared at the window, staring out at him. It was Renesmee. She looked momentarily confused as she watched him, her eyes narrowing, but then with a small shrug her expression cleared and she disappeared around the corner. Just a moment later, Cedric heard a faint click as Renesmee unlocked the door and stepped outside. She looked up curiously at Cedric for a moment, and then reached up to place her palm gently on his forehead. At once, her thoughts rushed through his head – he saw himself arrive at the door through her eyes, and felt her puzzlement as she compared him to the Edward she knew, her father, who looked a lot younger and more vampire-like, for want of a better word.
Cedric smiled down at her. She was one part of his old life that he'd never let go. However different he may have been to Edward, he couldn't possibly lose his child.
"I'll explain everything in a minute, once Bella gets here," he promised.
"OK," Renesmee said softly.
She disappeared back into the house and shut the door again. Cedric heard a muffled shout, which sounded like, "Mom, it's Dad!", and the door opened again to reveal Bella. She surveyed Cedric coldly for just a fraction of a second, before her eyes widened into the disbelief that Cedric was becoming accustomed to.
"Edward?" she said doubtfully.
She stepped out onto the doorstep, her paper white skin beginning to glitter. Cedric suppressed a vague urge to laugh; it felt very odd for him to be the human watching Bella as a vampire. In fact, it felt odd for him to be with Bella when he was in his human form, full stop.
"Please, let me explain," he said.
Bella's mouth fell slightly open as she heard his voice. He supposed it wasn't the usual silky vampire tone she was used to.
"All right, you can come in," she conceded.
"Thank you."
She led him into the living room and then positioned herself standing near the fireplace with her arms crossed. Cedric was feeling tired and tense, and he would have quite liked to sit down, but he wanted to remain at the same level as Bella. He remained standing near the door, on the opposite side of the room from her. Renesmee settled down on the floor near his feet, and Cedric drew in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the long explanations that were going to follow. He felt rather like he was about to undergo a formal interrogation.
"First off, I should probably warn you that I'm not called Edward any more, and I wasn't called that when I was young either. My name's Cedric Diggory," he began.
Bella opened her mouth to interrupt him, but Cedric held up a hand, and she fell silent.
It took longer for him to tell Bella and Renesmee his story than it had with the Cullens. He had never told Bella about his life as a wizard, so it took a long time to fill her in on the secret wizarding world around them, Hogwarts, the Triwizard Tournament and his 'death'. He was exhausted by the end, having gone through this twice that day, and he sank down into a convenient chair. Bella may have been able to stand motionless for hours, but he couldn't.
Bella stayed in her position, totally motionless, with her eyes still fixed unblinkingly on Cedric. She was actually looking quite hostile... He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, starting to wish he'd waited a few more days before coming here.
Finally, she spoke. "I. Can't. Believe. You," she hissed in a low voice.
"I'm sorry, Bella, it was wrong of me not to tell you about the wizarding world," Cedric said hastily, guilt churning in his stomach.
"I don't care about that," spat Bella. "One year we've been divorced – one year – and yet you've already found yourself a new girlfriend?"
Cedric was shocked – that was what she cared about? He fought back the desire to laugh, and forced his face into a contrite expression. "I am a lot older than you now," he said apologetically. "And a lot more human."
"Being human didn't stop me when I fell in love with you!" Bella shouted.
Cedric looked down at the floor. This was not going according to plan at all. He was ready to cope with questions about his past, or even his future, but not this! He couldn't work out for the life of him why romance was what Bella had focussed on, when there were so many more important things to discuss.
He frowned. "But why do you even care?" he asked. "You left me, you said you never wanted to see me again, didn't you?"
"Exactly my point," Bella said infuriatingly.
"You- I- What?"
"I left you. You should still care about me. Not about Cho Ching, or whatever her name was."
"Bella... I'm not Edward any more, I'm sorry," Cedric said. "Everything's different now."
"Then why did you come back?" came Bella's reply, her voice rising higher and higher.
"I suppose… I suppose I have a duty to you. I'm not the Edward you knew, but I still owe it to you to explain." He stretched out a hand to his daughter. "And Renesmee – I'm not abandoning her."
As Renesmee smiled at Cedric and went to sit next to him, the animosity fell away from Bella. She couldn't stay angry at Cedric (or Edward, or whoever he was) if her daughter had forgiven him. All the same, it took a long time for Cedric to convince her that this change was really for the best.
They continued to talk through the evening and well into the night, until Cedric's stomach was rumbling loudly, but the last traces of discomfort between him and Bella were gone. Bella gradually began to strike up a new friendship with him – not with Edward, but with the wizard he had once been, Cedric Diggory. It was with a tinge of sadness that she let Cedric leave, ready to return to England the next morning.
"I'm sorry, I promised my parents I'd be back as soon as possible," he told her. "They only just got me back, you know. They thought I was dead for years."
"Promise me you'll visit," said Bella pathetically. "Not like last time you left."
Cedric winced internally as he remembered how Bella had become practically catatonic when he'd left her, as Edward. This was quickly followed by another pained grimace, this time caused by his memories of why he'd gone in the first place.
Bella will be safer this way, echoed Edward's melancholy tone in his back of his mind.
Cedric shook his head, dismissing the memories of that part of his vampire life; it still made him feel slightly sick to think about it.
What rubbish, he thought, now in his own voice.
"I promise it won't be like last time," he said out loud. He owed her that much. "I'll visit as much as I can, and I'll send lots of owls. You don't mind owls, do you?"
He breathed a sigh of relief as Bella just laughed, and made his way back onto the street. He exchanged a quick hug with Renesmee and shook Bella's ice cold hand, and then Apparated back to the Cullens' house, where they'd agreed to let him sleep for the night.
"How did it go?" Alice greeted him, leaping down through a window of the house to land in front of Cedric.
Cedric jumped, momentarily startled by her sudden appearance, and then smiled.
"It was fine," he said.
He bowed his head down in relief. It was true. For the first time in years, everything was fine.
Fifteen Years Later
"I hope you're in Hufflepuff with me!" said a girl cheerfully. She looked about thirteen years old, and a swinging black ponytail hung down her back.
"Yeah, maybe," the other girl, who was evidently the first one's younger sister, said.
"You're going to love it, the common room's all yellow and comfy, and everyone's really nice, and-"
The younger girl stopped listening at about that point. Whenever her sister Claire got started like that, it was generally easiest just to tune her out and let her talk. In any case, she wasn't quite sure that she did want to be a Hufflepuff. Her insides lurched, and she looked up at her mother uncertainly. She'd always been fascinated with the stories of Cho's time at Hogwarts, and in particular with Ravenclaw house. She often liked to imagine the kind of questions that the eagle door knocker would ask her, and how she'd reply. But then again, if Claire wanted her to be sorted to Hufflepuff, then she was happy to be there – she supposed that kind of loyalty meant she'd fit right in anyway.
Cho reached down to squeeze her daughter's hand. "Don't worry about it, Chloe. The Sorting Hat will know where to put you."
Chloe smiled, feeling a bit better. She glanced over at her father, who readjusted his grip on the luggage trolley and nodded along with Cho.
"We don't mind where you are," Cedric said.
The family drew to a halt as they reached their destination. They were standing on Platform 9¾, next to a scarlet steam engine marked 'The Hogwarts Express', ready for the girls to leave for Hogwarts. While eleven-year-old Chloe Diggory was just about to start school, Claire was already in her third year.
"Cedric, Cho! Hello!" came a voice from across the platform.
Harry Potter strode forwards through the crowd towards them, closely followed by his wife – Ginny, and his three children – James, Albus and Lily.
"Hi, Albus," Claire said, beaming enthusiastically and running over to meet him.
Claire and Albus were in the same year at Hogwarts, and while they were in different houses, they had some lessons together and got along well. They quickly started up a conversation with each other about their summer holidays, and the adults began to chat amongst themselves. Chloe moved a bit closer to Lily, almost unconsciously. Lily was also a new First Year, and Chloe recognised her slightly nervous expression well; it echoed her own.
"Want to sit with me and Hugo on the train?" Lily asked her, after a pause.
"I'd like that," replied Chloe gratefully.
Soon, all the children were piling their trunks onto the Hogwarts Express. James, Albus and Claire hugged their parents goodbye and then ran off to find their friends. This left just Lily and Chloe, who weren't really used to being without their families and didn't want to get onto the train just quite yet. Chloe was ashamed to feel tears well up in her eyes. She'd been looking forwards to this moment for years; she shouldn't be crying! The fact that she cried easily had always annoyed her.
Chloe's mother reached forwards, smiling, and brushed the tears away. "You'll be fine," she told her.
"I know," said Chloe quietly.
"We'll send you lots of letters, and we'll see you at Christmas," Cedric said comfortingly.
"And it'll be extra special – Bella and Renesmee are coming over too, remember," added Cho.
Chloe smiled. "Oh good," she said, cheering up quickly. It wasn't often that she got to see her half sister, Renesmee, but she always enjoyed it.
She leaned forwards and hugged her father round the middle, before turning to her mother. Cho bent down and kissed her on the cheek, stroking her hair softly.
After a few seconds, she released her and smiled. "Now be good, and write to us when you've been sorted," Cho said. "Make sure you do all your homework on time. Oh, and stay away from Peeves!"
"I know, Mum," grinned Chloe, a lot happier now. The excitement had started to filter through her again – she was going to Hogwarts!
Lily tapped her on the shoulder. "Ready?" she asked, grinning widely and tucking a strand of red hair back behind her ear.
"You bet!"
The two girls waved to their respective sets of parents, called out another goodbye, and grabbed hold of their trunks, setting off into the train to find an empty compartment.
Back on the platform, Cedric and Cho stood together watching the train pull away from the station. Cho's eyes began to sparkle with tears as her daughters were carried away from her. Cedric on the other hand was beaming. He had a wife and three daughters, even if one was in America. He'd re-established a friendship with Bella. But most of all, he was alive. It was all he'd ever wished for. His life was simple, complete and happy once more.
Author's Note: Finally, here's the promised epilogue! Urgh, it's so cheesy! Also, a bit more serious and a bit less parody than the other chapters. I'm sorry it took me so long to write – I think it took longer than normal because I don't know the Twilight characters anywhere near as well as the Harry Potter ones. (On that subject, please tell me if there's something I can do to improve them, or if there are any Americanisms I should have used!)
Edit: Thank you to fireworkfield for pointing out an error where I called Renesmee Claire and Chloe's cousin as opposed to half sister! That has now been fixed. :P
I hope you enjoyed it. This story is now well and truly finished – thank you for reading it! As always, reviews would make my day if you have a moment to spare. And if you have any questions that still need answering, I'm happy to answer anything as best I can – just leave me a review. :)