Disclaimer I do not own the canon characters or the world.
Cedric knocked on the door half an hour later. Persephone had just finished getting herself ready. She walked over to the door and opened it.
"Hello, sorry I'm late. I had to get you this." He pulled out a flower from the inside of his shirt. "Had to buy you something. Don't want to be a bad boyfriend." He smiled after finishing his thought. Persephone smiled at Cedric.
"You're not a bad boyfriend, and you didn't have to buy me anything."
"Oh, but I did."
Persephone put her flower in water so it would not wilt.
The pair of them walked out of her room, through the common room and were met by stares. Draco waved and jokingly told Cedric to have her back by midnight. They walked out of the common room and up to the Hufflepuff common room. Cedric ran up to his room and returned with a muggle pound. Cedric looked to his watch.
"It's almost time, about 10 seconds."
Persephone put a finger on the muggle pound and 10 seconds later her and Cedric were no longer in the Hufflepuff common room. They were flying to a different location and gracefully landed in the living room of Cedric's house.
The happy shriek of a woman filled the room. Cedric's mother came running over to the two of them. She hugged Cedric tightly. Then she hugged Persephone.
"I'm so glad you came."
"Hello Mum."
"Hello Mrs. Diggory."
Cedric's father entered the room. He hugged his son and smiled to Persephone.
"Persephone, Mrs. Diggory and I both want you to know how sorry we are for your and your brothers loss."
"Thank you."
"How are you doing dear?" Mrs. Diggory asked.
"Okay, Cedric's been a great help."
"Well, I guess I raised my only son right."
"Dad…. Can we not." Cedric asked a little embarrassed. Mr. Diggory looked at his son for a moment.
"Of course Cedric, so sorry."
"Thanks." Cedric murmured.
Mrs. Diggory led the way to the dining room where dinner was being served. The first course was potato leek soup. Dinner at the Diggory's house was a fairly quiet affair. Cedric's parents took turns picking Persephone's brain.
"How are things going at the Ministry Mr. Diggory? My fathers friends aren't giving you too hard of a time are they?" Persephone asked sweetly.
"Things are going very well indeed, your fathers friends are too busy to be at the Ministry as of right now."
"Too busy with you-know-who, you mean?"
Mr. Diggory sat silently. Cedric looked to Persephone and Mrs. Diggory looked at her bowl of soup. Mr. Diggory cleared his throat.
"Yes."
"My Mum still works for him."
"We know, were working on how to catch more death eaters and lock them away." Mr. Diggory said matter-of -factly. It was a known fact in the Diggory household that Persephone Malfoy had no problem discussing her parents' relationship with Voldemort. They knew she was against what they taught her.
Cedric set his spoon down as the second course came. The second course was chicken with boiled potatoes and cooked carrots.
"You know, it's amazing that you turned out as you did, with your parents in you-know-who's inner circle." Cedric said. Persephone smiled slightly.
"But, the Malfoy's were pardoned. They had been under the curse." Mrs. Diggory said in a way that let the others know the conversation was closed and they should move on to a different topic.
"Persephone, what are you going to do after school?" Mrs. Diggory asked.
Persephone finished chewing her carrots, then answered.
"Professor Snape reckons I could go on and be a healer. I think it could be a good choice. We need more healers now more then ever." Persephone said. Mr. Diggory nodded as she said this.
"Our Cedric is going to be an Auror." Mr. Diggory said proudly. Cedric looked as if he wanted to die right on the spot. Persephone smiled as she grabbed Cedric's hand under the table.
"He's told me. He'll be wonderful at it."
"I worry about it. My husband is one and now my baby boy wants to do the same." Mrs. Diggory said as she fought back tears. Cedric felt his throat constrict a little.
"Mum, we've been through this, I'll be careful. I want to do this; the ministry is going to need all the help it can get. You know this as well as everyone else ion our world."
"Yes Cedric, but it doesn't make it any easier to except."
"I worry about it too Cedric." Persephone added. "I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."
Mr. Diggory shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Cedric could tell his father worried about him too although his father would never voice this. Cedric turned to face Persephone.
"I'll be safe Persephone. I promise. I'm not going to get killed. I have too much to live for."
Cedric spent the next hour in a half convincing his girlfriend and his mother that he would be safe and he knew what he was doing.
After dinner, the four went to the sitting room and talked for a while.
"So, does your mother know about you and our Cedric yet?" Mrs. Diggory asked.
"I haven't spoken with her since my father died."
"What about Draco?"
"Oh, he thinks it's great. He likes Cedric. He has no complaints. He approves." Persephone smiled.
"Is that rare?" Mrs. Diggory asked.
"For the most part. Cedric is the one who always disapproved of whomever I was seeing."
"You were my best friend, I didn't want you dating just anyone. Besides, I've been in love with you since 3rd year."
Mrs. Diggory grabbed her husband's hand. "Amos isn't that sweet?"
"Yes, dear it is."
Cedric looked at the clock and saw that it was three am. He nudged Persephone and pointed to the clock. She looked at it and was surprised that it was that late.
"Mum, it's late and we have an early potions class in the morning. In fact class starts on four hours."
Mrs. Diggory looked at the clock. "Oh my! I didn't realize it was that late. I'm so sorry. Amos, get the kids a portkey so they can go back to school."
Amos Diggory nodded and stepped out of the room. He returned a few moments later with an old sock. "I have it set to go in one minute and it will go to the Hufflepuff common room. He handed Cedric the sock. They said hurried good-byes then Cedric and Persephone were transported back to the Hufflepuff common room.
Cedric insisted on walking Persephone down to her room. When they got outside of her room the spoke for a few moments quietly as to not wake anyone.
"Thank you Cedric, that was really fun. I loved seeing your Mum and Dad again."
"I'm glad you were willing to come. My Mum really likes you."
Persephone smiled then kissed Cedric lightly.
"Goodnight Cedric I'll see you in four hours in class."
"I'll be here before class to walk with you to potions. Okay?"
"Okay, see you then." She kissed him once again, the quietly walked into her room and fell asleep for the night.
The next morning, Persephone woke up early and walked to the bathroom that was connected to her room. She showered and got herself ready for the day. She went to her closet and studied her options for clothing intently. She pulled a green dress off the rack then put it back. She did the same with a blue dress a red dress and a few gold tinted ones before selecting a strapless black dress. When she was dressed, she walked to her mirror and began to apply her make-up and then proceeded to dry her hair and let it lay straight. She was humming a song that was stuck in her head when Cedric knocked on the door.
"It's open Cedric!" She called sounding more awake then she felt.
Cedric opened the door slightly and saw that Persephone was across the room, he entered and sat on her bed waiting for her to finish her fixing her hair. A few minutes later, she announced that she was ready to head off to class. The pair of them walked the corridors in the direction of their potions class. A few feet down the third corridor caught them up with Achilles.
"Good Morning." He called happily when she saw them.
"Morning Achilles." Persephone answered him happily.
Achilles turned to Cedric and smiled. "Morning!" he said.
"Morning." Cedric said sleepily with a small nod.
Achilles could tell that Cedric was not a morning person at all, even thought he had only just met him the afternoon before. "You look tired." He said making his observation known.
"I am, had a late night."
Achilles looked to Persephone with a raised eyebrow clearly looking for an explanation that he knew he would not get from Cedric.
"We had dinner at his Mum and Dad's last night. We stayed there talking with them for a long time until three am. We didn't get back until a bit after that, then. I think I got a bit more sleep then Cedric. He insisted an walking me to my room that late at night."
"You only got a few minutes more sleep then me Persephone. I fell asleep around three- thirty am. At least that's what time my clock by my bed read."
"You have clock in your room?" Persephone asked.
"Sure." Cedric said.
This confused Achilles.
"Wait, you have been best friends since first year, and you've never been in his room?" He asked Persephone.
"No." Persephone answered.
The corridor around them was beginning to fill up with students waiting for Professor Snape to open the door and let them in. Cedric, Achilles and Persephone stood silently after the end to the conversation. The door flew open. Professor Snape said nothing as he turned abruptly and walked swiftly to the front of the classroom, waved his wand and instructions began to fill the black board behind him. Persephone and Cedric took their seats close to the front, while Achilles selected one in the back.
When Professor Snape turned around, the class fell silent. "Today, you will brew an extremely difficult potion, which you have all heard of I trust. It is called the draught of living death. You may work with your partner at your table, work quietly, you have an hour to complete this task. Begin." Professor Snape walked over to his desk, sat down and pulled a stack of essays towards him and began to grade them.
Persephone and Cedric began to pull out the required ingredients that were stored in the cabinets in the classroom. "How many lacewing flies does it call for?" Persephone asked Cedric. Cedric looked at the board. "Twenty-five."
"Twenty-five? That's more then a polyjuice potion." She began to count out twenty-five lacewing flies. She handed them to Cedric who was on her left with an empty bowl. When the required amount of lacewing flies were in the bowl Cedric was holding, Persephone began to pour into another bowl the correct amount of powdered unicorn horn. Once they had all the ingredients, they walked over to their seats and began to brew their potion.
"So, is it suppose to have this green tint to it?" Cedric asked. Persephone looked at the board then at the tint of green that their potion was.
"Yes, it is. Because we haven't added the lacewing flies yet. After they are added it will turn a deep purple. Then it has to be stirred five times counter clockwise and nine times clock wise, this will make the potion a pale purple, which indicated that it's done and ready to be used."
Cedric looked at her. "I love the fact that you know what you are doing in this class."
Professor Snape rose from his desk an hour later. "Time is up please put a sample on my desk with your names on it." He waved his wand and erased the notes on his board. "Please clean your places and quietly leave the class rooms, I'll have your marks tomorrow."
" I'll clean this up if you take a sample up to Snape." Cedric said.
"Alright." Persephone said. She scooped up a sample of potion in a glass vile, smiled at Cedric and headed up for Snape's desk. She handed the vile over. She was on her way back to her seat when Professor Snape called her. "Miss. Malfoy, I would like to speak with you for a moment."
Persephone looked to Cedric.
"I'll wait outside."
"Okay."
Persephone walked back up to Snape's desk. The classroom was now empty.
"I spoke with your mother and she wants you to continue your extra lessons to become a healer."
"Oh. I'm going to go to St. Mungos for their classes. I've already decided and enrolled. Madam Pomfrey is also helping me."
Snape looked at her for a few moments. "You're sure?"
"Positive. I can become a healer faster." Persephone smiled and headed out the door and walked down the corridor with Cedric explaining to him what had happened.
"So you're going to go to St. Mungos? That's great! When do you start?"
"Monday."
"One week from today?"
"Yes."
"That's great, I'm so happy for you!" Cedric said genuinely happy for her.
At lunch, Persephone filled Draco in on what happened.
" So his parents know you're not going to join?"
"Of course his parents know. It's not like I'm going to let them think that their only son is dating a." she lowered her voice. "Future death eater!"
Draco thought for a few moments and knew his sister had a point.
"I would have told them as well."
"See!"
"So, how did your potions class go?"
"Well, we had to make the draught of living death. When the rest of the class was out, Snape asked me to go to the front of the class, I told him I was going to go take classes at St. Mungos, he seemed displeased."
"Of course he was displeased! He's going to have to tell him that you're bolting! Then your life will be in danger. Oh dear god I'm going to loose my only sister!"
"Draco! Will you calm down!"
From across the great hall, Cedric could tell Draco was flipping out and Persephone was doing her best to keep him quiet. He set down his fork and walked over.
"Cedric, my sister says that Snape knows that she is going to take classes at St. Mungos. You do understand what that means!"
Cedric looked at Draco as if he had never seen him before. "Draco, clam down. My father is an Auror. I'm going to be one as well. It's no big deal. I can keep an eye on Persephone and make sure she's safe."
Draco looked at Cedric. "You mean, you would do that for me?"
"No, I would do it for Persephone. I don't want her to get hurt any more then you do."
Draco was silent for quiet sometime. Then he looked to his sister and asked her to leave. This confused Persephone, but she agreed to leave anyway, she told Cedric to meet her by the tree outside. She left the great hall.
When she left, Draco turned to Cedric. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you want to take care of my sister, but, the thing is as her brother, I feel that is my job. You know what I mean? I think you're a great person and I know my sister cares for you a great deal. I just don't like the fact that someone else is there to protect her."
"I honestly didn't think of that. I don't have any siblings, so things like that, I find hard to understand. I know Persephone is grateful that you look out for her. But I always have as well. Since her and I were in our first year here at Hogwarts."
"I know, it's stupid that I feel like this, we both can want to keep her safe right?"
"Of course. But, I want to ask her to move in after schools done. It would be safer for her with my Mum and Dad and I."
Draco nodded to Cedric to show him that he agreed and understood what he was telling him.
"Are we okay then?"
"Yes, were fine Cedric."
Cedric left and walked outside to find Persephone. He saw her standing by the tree like she said she would be. He walked over to her.
"Hey, what did Draco want?"
"Oh, nothing really. It's all right. Don't worry about it."
"So he's not going to loose his marbles?"
"Not any time soon."
Persephone smiled.
"Good."
"He just wanted to make sure I understood that as your brother he has to protect you."
"Aw.. that's so sweet."
"I was wondering if you would move in after schools out."
"Really?"
"I think it would be safer for you."
"Of course I will."
"My Mum and Dad have a room ready for you. They think you'd be safer there."
Persephone walked away from the tree.
"Cedric, if you don't mind, I'm a bit tired and I'd like to go to bed."
"Do you want me to walk you to your room?"
"No, I'll go. Good night Cedric."
The next morning found Persephone packed and leaving Hogwarts forever. Cedric had paid a princely sum to have their home magically finished overnight.
They were moving in. Cedric met her in the great hall where she was saying goodbye to friends. The hired carriage was waiting in Hogsmead.
She walked out the doors with Cedric and found Draco on his way to Hogsmead. She rushed over to hug him.
"Draco, Cedric got the house done, promise me you'll visit."
"You're my sister, of course I'll visit."
"Persephone, the carriage is ready, we need to go." Cedric said.
She hugged her brother one last time and got in the carriage. Cedric followed her and closed the door. Draco smiled and waved to his sister as she pulled away to her happily ever after.
~FIN~
