In an instant flash, two bodies appeared out of thin air and landed on the ground. Everyone applaud to know it was Harry and Cedric. Elia was cheering as well knowing he made it back and finished the task. She was shouting mad and turned to see Amos embraced by his cheering wife that their son had won. The two hugged Elia as well. The girl jumped around in glee, pulling away from them as Amos then hugged Arthur Weasley.
Her thoughts ran about in her head, how they would go to dinner like Amos promised. That Cedric and Harry were the winners of the tournament, how Elia and the choir would perform at the celebratory feast for them. Overall, how incredibly proud they were of him.
With a large smile and looking at the pair below her, her face suddenly fell. Elia began to realize that Cedric wasn't moving at all. He had his eyes wide open and Harry over top of him, sobbing. Despite everyone huddling towards the pair quickly, she knew what she saw but she didn't want to find out. Elia could hear Harry's faint cries of despair amidst the cheers. Her heart stopped for a moment as her body rippled with cold goosebumps when she thought the worse.
It was confirmed by Fleur's shrill scream, the music died down as well as some of the crowd as it sunk in. Dumbledore ran over to Harry along with the Minister and Filch covering the body. They tried to pull Harry off of Cedric but he stubbornly refused to let him go.
"He's back! He's back! Voldemort is back!" Harry shouted.
Everyone looked at him in disbelief. Elia felt so strangely cold, so cold that it hurt. She felt the weight of the world had shattered on top of her. She crumbled, her eyes heavily watering with tears while her hand clutched over her mouth to cover her upcoming cries.
"Cedric- he asked me to bring his body back." Harry cries, "I couldn't leave him! Not there!"
Dumbledore holds his face and looks at him, "It's okay, Harry."
His sobs never stop. Her tears never stop flowing. Elia finds herself trailing down the steps immediately.
"He's home. You both are." Dumbledore soothes Harry.
"Keep everybody in their seats!" The Minister called out, turning to Snape.
"A boy has just been killed."
Everyone gasps, muttering in worry amongst each other.
"The body must be moved, Dumbledore. There are too many people."
Amos pushed past everybody in the crowd with his wife desperately.
"Let me through. Let me through!" Amos yells, running down the seats. Once on the grass, Elia was standing behind him but she could hardly move herself fast enough. Her eyes already full of heavy tears.
"No…" Tanya mumbles at the realization that Cedric was not alive, Elia seeing the terrifying display. Tanya was quick and made her way to her sister, hoping she'd make it there before she did. She grabbed her weeping sister.
"Elia, no-"
Elia broke away immediately as Tanya tried to grab her again. Arthur followed to pull back Amos but he pushed past everyone surrounding Cedric and Harry.
"Let me through…" Amos mutters as he finally reaches Cedric's body.
Elia gasps and she feels as though she'll faint any moment. Draco is in the crowd watching her fall apart and that point he begins to move from his seat too. Elia's muffled soft wails begin to slip out her mouth as her face forms into complete agony. Her eyes close as she falls to her knees beside him.
"That's my son!" Amos cries, "That's my boy!"
He crashes to his knees as well over Cedric's limp body, pulling Harry's arm off. Elia has her shaking hand reaching over to touch Cedric's shirt.
"My boy!"
Cedric's parents sob over his body, Elia never felt such pain in her entire life than that moment as it hit her that Cedric wasn't breathing, that Cedric was dead in front of her.
"No… No!" Amos cries out, his wife crying to him as she buried her face in his chest. This made Elia weep even harder.
"Ced! Why?!" Elia cries, gripping his shirt yet got no reaction from the body beneath it.
"Cedric, you promised!"
Elia couldn't see past her tears even as she looked at him. His pale emotionless face and empty eyes painted a clear image in her head, forever there. She couldn't think clearly, she couldn't even hear her own voice. Elia took out her wand.
"Dumbledore! Somebody! Tell me how to bring him back!"
"Elia-" Dumbledore said in protest, trying to hold back Amos.
"Tell me!" She cried in desperation, "There has to be a way! Anything! I'll do anything!"
Elia felt disoriented, she couldn't process that it was really happening. No, that it happened. She never thought that she'd lose someone so quickly. Just moments ago, Cedric was there hugging his family and Elia. So full of life and light, it was instantly blown out. Elia didn't want to believe it, she wouldn't. Someone stood behind her and held her by her shoulders.
"El."
It was Tanya.
"Come on."
"No!" She yells, throwing herself on top of Cedric gripping his shirt.
"Elia."
She knew she had to let go, her mouth quivered as more tears spilled. Elia sobbed into his shirt.
"No…" She whispered, shaking her head. Her shaking body rose from his body, letting out a wail.
Elia cried out the most animalistic heartbroken scream anyone had ever heard. Her pain echoed throughout the place making the rest of the crowd cry themselves. It scared everyone just how upset she was, Elia bursted like a volcano and her cries were consuming everyone and everything. Snape pulled her away but she could hardly hold herself up, continuing to cry out and gasping for air.
"Get the girl out of here, she's making a scene." Snape demanded of Tanya who pulled her away from the area. She took Elia away from the watchful crowd as they absorbed her pain and that Cedric Diggory was dead. Draco ran to the pair away from the arena. His eye on his reputation slipped at that moment as he was focused on the girl falling apart in front of him. When they were away from everybody, Draco turned Elia to him as Tanya tried to calm her. She sobbed disgustingly, he grabbed Elia's face.
"Elia, look at me." He demanded, but Elia was uncontrollable.
She fell into his shoulder and continued to sob, Draco slowly put his hands on her carefully to hold her. Her face was completely drenched in her tears, her voice raw from her cries. He'd never seen someone this distraught, so full of emotion. Elia infected everyone around her with her sorrow, even Draco felt it. He didn't cry, but it broke his heart to see her like that.
"He's… he's.."
"I know."
"My brother," She cried, "My best friend."
If he was being honest, Draco never comforted anybody before. He'd never been in a situation like this. In Elia's mind, every moment was fleeting. Every second, every minute passed her so fast she couldn't comprehend it over what she was feeling. Her emotions were everywhere, enough to have an effect on her sense of time and what was going on. All she knew was her pain, it was as if a hole was punctured into her chest allowing all the cold air to rush in. It invaded her body, making her blood cold and filling her with horrible agony.
Eventually with Tanya's help, they managed to take Elia to her common room but she could hardly speak.
They reached the entrance Tanya pulled out her wand and tapped the second barrel and soon they were in the common room. Tanya took over and took Elia from Draco's hands to walk her carefully up to the girls' dormitories. Draco was left in the common room to hear Elia's cries from afar.
Elia's sobs filled the room, Toast was shaken at the sight of his owner completely distraught. He immediately jumped on the bed where they were. Tanya carefully laid her on her bed then sat in front of Elia, holding her as Toast settled himself next to them.
"Look at me, look at me." Tanya soothed, looking into her sister's puffy wet eyes. Elia constantly closed them as she continued to sob madly.
"Elia, please listen to me." She demanded, but nothing was working.
"He can't be gone." Elia whispered, refusing that it was real and hoping it was all just an awful dream.
"El, he is."
"No!"
"Elia, calm down-"
"He can't be gone!"
The two began to go back and forth, bickering before Tanya herself yelled,
"Cedric is dead!"
Her own tears formed as well. She repeated it to herself and began to cry too. Elia quickly pulled her sister into her arms, the two embracing tightly as they cried into each other's shoulder.
Cedric Diggory is dead. It pained Elia the most to know, to truly know that her best friend was gone. The boy that she knew since her first day, who protected her and showed her all sorts of things the wizarding world had to offer. Cedric, who brought her to his home and welcomed her to the family. They were suppose to conquer the world in Elia's eyes as the best of friends... as brother and sister.
The two pulled away and Elia sniffled but the hot tears continued to fall. Tanya put on a brave face for her little sister, wiping her tears away. She laid her down on the bed and Elia stared at complete nothingness. She felt numb, detached from the world. Toast's eyes were sad as he snuggled next to Elia's frozen body. Tanya excused herself for a moment to check on the blonde in the common room.
"How is she?" Draco asked immediately.
Tanya was shaken.
"I've seen her like that. Hell even the damn cat got scared." She admits, "But it's hard, to lose someone like that. The way Cedric was to her."
It was odd to hear the word 'was' by his name instead of 'is'.
"Someone outta keep an eye on her… I have to write to our father about this. You should check on her tomorrow."
Tanya then pointed at him before turning, "You better treat her good, especially right now. Don't forget our talk. I'll keep this a secret, now go before everybody notices. She already has enough to deal with right now."
His cold eyes flicked at her and to the girls' dormitories where Elia was, but he turned and headed out. As much as he wanted to see Elia, deep down he knew he shouldn't or else it'll get too suspicious. It upset him, to be unable to comfort her in her most dire time. But Elia needed her rest after all, but all throughout the night in his bed, he couldn't shake off the feeling and the awful sight of her. Elia screaming and crying over her best friend's body, unable to carry out a coherent sentence.
Tanya did fulfill her promise and returned in hopes to lift her spirits. The sight of Elia sure scared her, she looked completely dead. Her eyes blank, staring off into space. Elia didn't respond, nor did she react to the small cup of coffee Tanya made to put beside her bed.
Later, her roommates came in. It was quiet, so awfully quiet. Too quiet that the girls were afraid to even speak in Elia's presence as she stared off with hot tears still falling. They didn't dare ask her if she was okay because she clearly was not, everyone knew it.
The girls found themselves sleeping over at other girls' rooms in the dorms because Elia made it so uncomforting to be there in their own room. They felt the need to give her space, to give themselves space after losing their prefect, their champion.
Elia continued staring in darkness. She couldn't sleep, not easily. She'd close her eyes and the sight of Cedric violently intruded her thoughts. Elia hardly got any sleep,Tanya stayed with her as long as she could. Tanya noticed she couldn't sleep, offering to go to Madame Pomfrey that late night to ask for a Dreamless Sleep potion.
Tanya entered the hospital wing, almost being shooed away by Madame Pomfrey for how late it was. But Tanya noticed inside the room was Harry, Ron, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione along with Moody laying across from them. His prosthetic leg and eye were off and he was asleep, Tanya arched an eyebrow.
"Tanya!" Mrs. Weasley said, walking over with Bill at her tail to greet her.
Tanya quickly muttered to Madame Pomfrey about Elia. She quickly understood and without any protest, gave Tanya the potion. Mrs. Weasley walked over and hugged her. Tanya waved at Bill as she hugged his mother, the two knowing each other briefly when Bill was at Hogwarts along with Charlie before they graduated until she and her sister became apart of the family. Then they started to become closer. When she pulled away from Tanya, Molly put a hand behind her head and looked at her.
"How are you doing, dear?"
Tanya gave her a weak half smile, Molly understood.
"And Elia?"
"She's just... destroyed." Tanya replied, her voice cracking. Molly's eyes glistened from her own tears, she knew just how much Cedric meant to Elia.
Molly turned to Bill, asking that they go to see her quickly. Hermione and Ron stayed by Harry's side as he slept along with a furry black dog beside him. Tanya led them to the common room and up to Elia's room. They found her in her same ghostly sight, pale, red puffy eyes, sniffling, and staring off into nothing.
The sight shocked Molly, Bill unable to really look at Elia because he couldn't recognize her. He looked at Tanya concerned and she just gripped his arm for support. Molly rushed over to Elia's bedside, holding her hand.
"Elia, darling…" Molly whispered, Elia's lifeless eyes rolled towards her, "Oh dear.."
Molly quickly embraced the girl but Elia could no longer cry as much as she wanted to at that moment. When she hugged Elia, she filled her with a warmth so brief, what she imagined what it would feel like had her mother been hugging her. She wished her mother were there.
Molly offered Tanya and Elia the comfort of her home for the summer, unable to agree nor talk, Tanya answered for Elia saying they'd consider it and write to them beforehand when they do. They left and Tanya administered the potion for Elia to drink which she obeyed. At that point she would've taken anything to make the cold go away.
Yet in the morning, Elia woke with the same feeling as the night before; all light inside of her snuffed out like a candle flame.
She was never really the same after that, for a while. Elia realized the true nature of Voldemort first hand, his disciple killed her best friend. He was ruthless. No one really believed Harry that he was back, but Elia sure did. Seeing Cedric's lifeless body was proof enough for her.
"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss." Dumbledore says during the feast that would've celebrated the winner, the banners now black in respect for Cedric.
Elia sat in her table, head down and her eyes staring off. They were now glossy from her tears, her sleep regained some of her strength but seeing Mr. and Mrs. Diggory that morning made her burst into tears again. They went to visit her and they hardly said a word before crying together about their loss.
"Who should be sitting here," He gestured towards the Hufflepuff table, Elia began to tear up again. He would've been sitting with her had he lived.
"enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
They all stood, everyone took their glasses and raised them muttering Cedric's name before sipping.
"Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend."
He looked at Elia when he said his last bit, Elia closing her eyes and the tears finally falling. Draco felt awful watching her fall apart again, as did Harry.
"I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
Students began to murmur in worry but Elia stood silent, resilient. She knew Dumbledore was right.
"The ministry of magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory."
Elia was angered that the Ministry had the nerve to rule this as an accidental death. No, her best friend was murdered.
"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."
A few heads turned to Harry, Elia was one of them. He glanced at her and it pained him to look at her for she was a reminder of Cedric, of someone who Harry failed. He noticed Cho with silent tears down her face as well but Elia's pain was much more deeper than anyone else's in that room.
"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said, "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."
Elia was forever thankful for that, that he brought her Cedric back even if it wasn't alive. She was the first to follow suit with everyone else, raising their glass and saying Harry's name too. However, Malfoy detested this and did not follow. He, his friends, and most Slytherin students did not stand for Harry.
"Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever."
Elia was silently sobbing at that point, her hand over her mouth to hold back the noises. A few of Cedric's friends comforting her quietly, one placing a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. Draco more than ever wanted to go over and pull her into his embrace, take her away from everyone's peering eyes.
"Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end." said Dumbledore.
"Remember Cedric Diggory."
Elia was torn and walked away from the feast, sobbing with her hand over her mouth to mask the sounds. She no longer needed to be there for Flitwick canceled the choir performance at the feast, in respect of Cedric and especially for Elia's mourning. She still couldn't grasp it, waking that morning was the hardest because she then realized it was real. Elia dreaded it, more so having to go down to the common room and not be greeted by her best friend anymore. He wouldn't be there to take her to breakfast and neither would see each other graduate.
"Elia." She heard.
She turned and saw Harry looking at her, concerned. Before he could say anything more, Elia slammed into him and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her as she weeped harder into his shoulder.
"Want to talk about it?" He offered, she nodded.
More than anything she wanted Draco's comfort, but she was disappointed to see he wasn't near her at all that day for obvious reasons. She was a muggleborn, to stay his secret but even in her time of need it didn't matter to her. It never mattered but Draco didn't see it as that, but Harry offered his comfort. He felt the need to go to her out of everyone who would have the slightest inkling of what he felt, to explain himself to her.
She led him to her common room and up to her bedroom where they sat on the edge of her bed. Harry hugged her as she laid her head on his shoulder, tears still spilling and her nose sniffling. Toast greeted Harry, then turned to sit by Elia. She asked for every detail, everything that happened. Harry hesitated, already have said everything to Dumbledore and Sirius. He was tired of reliving the details, but for Elia he'd do it.
When Harry finished telling her everything from how Cedric died and even to who Moody really was, Elia was broken. Hearing how Voldemort referred to Cedric as a 'spare', it was enough to enrage her. Her heart shattered however when Harry told her about Priori Incantatem, when Cedric appeared before him.
"He told me, to take his body back to his parents." Harry stated, "Then he told me to tell you, that he's sorry that he couldn't keep his promise."
Harry didn't know what that meant, but regretted ever saying it as Elia broke down more than before. Her cries shook her entire body, her head falling down and away from Harry.
"Elia." Harry turned to her, kneeling before her on the floor so she'd look at him.
"I'm so sorry."
"Harry-"
"No, listen to me. It's all my fault, had we gotten the cup- portkey faster, Cedric would be here."
"Don't say that." She croaks, "Harry, you made it back with him anyways. For that I'm forever grateful, I don't know what I'd do had his body stayed with there with… him."
She said it with such disgust, Harry was taken aback.
"His parents… they wouldn't take the money." He said, speaking of the thousand galleon prize. "Take it please, for Cedric. I've caused you too much trouble."
Elia shook her head, sniffing.
"I don't want any money, Harry. If you want to give me something, then do this for me."
"Anything."
"Promise me…" She began, taking a deep breath and held his hands tightly. Her red glassy eyes stared into his green orbs intensely.
"Promise me, that you will take down that bastard…and that rat. They killed Cedric. Do this for me."
She knew if Harry didn't, she would try herself even if it killed her. With Harry it was different, she knew he would do it and succeed.
Harry nodded, "I promise."
She hugged him again, hot tears streaming down her face again, thanking him. She caught Toast jumping off her bed and running outside oddly enough but she thought nothing of it. Elia held onto Harry, his exquisitely warm aura engulfed her and for a moment she wasn't alone. Harry saw her best friend die, that alone she wouldn't be able to bare.
Harry left shortly after, Elia's bags and trunk being packed for the Hogwarts Express. It was such a great year yet so dreadful. She made many memories with her friends and sister, with Draco, with Cedric.
All of her favorite times flooded her head, hoping… hoping it would light a small fire inside her. Though it was futile, Cedric's death extinguished all of the matches inside of her at once. Like in her book, her match box was dampened and she was unsure if she'd ever be cured. But she had hoped and thought that the intensity of Cedric's death would've lit them all at once, exploding and making her body lifeless. She would have preferred that.
She wiped her face clean but was unable to hide her puffy red eyes, glossed over with her tears from earlier. She put Toast in his kennel with all his things, planting a small kiss on his head. Before anything else, she hoped she'd at least say goodbye to Draco. She would never forget her time with him even if it was in secret. Sneaking off from the eyes of everyone, snogging in dark corners, their conversations, and the littlest things that made her time with him worth it in the end.
Before leaving the school, Elia stayed to see off Tanya during the graduation ceremony where they'd ride off in the boats that first brought them to Hogwarts as opposed to the self moving carriages. Viktor was there to see her off as well, whispering to her beforehand.
"Tanya…"
"You already know my answer."
"Please, consider it." He mumbled, despite them chatting behind Elia, she could hear.
"Vrite to me." Viktor said, the two kissing each other's cheeks as they hugged. He said goodbye to her in his language, something Elia didn't quite understand but found it quite nice.
Tanya and the rest of the seventh years floated off on the enchanted boats, waving at those seeing them off. Viktor stood by Elia, arms crossed and stoic as ever but turned to her.
"I liked Diggory." He said, his statement making Elia jump slightly. Her heart began to ache, he could see it from her eyes how his death destroyed her.
"He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang- with Karkaroff."
Viktor said his former headmaster's name with such disgust, along with a scowl. Ever since the Dark Lord had returned, Karkaroff fled the premises when it was shown in his dark mark. What once was a scar, was now active just as his former master.
Elia appreciated Viktor's words, nodding in gratitude as she pulled him for a hug. They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Elia was proud and nonetheless happy for her sister, leaving to the crowded entrance where the carriages were to escort the fourth years out. She said goodbye to many teachers, all of them looking at her with such pity.
She wanted to see Draco one last time before the summer holidays, mustering up the energy to find him even if she couldn't speak to him. She felt weakened by the latest events, but in that moment she had to. She knew she did.
Elia left her compartment, Tanya wishing her luck and holding Toast in her lap during the train ride. Elia ran into the twins in the hall of the train, greeting her enthusiastically. But she hardly could do it back, nor give a smile that was genuine or fake. They understood, not bothering as they hugged her.
"Don't worry Elia, stick with me and you'll be good in no time." George says, earning a nudge from Fred.
"You? She better stick with me, you'll drive her to St. Mungo's in no time!"
The twins were headed to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione all while Elia looked for Draco. She had glanced down the hall into the part of the train where many of the Slytherins sat. She didn't find him there despite Tanya checking there and confirming his presence prior to Elia looking herself.
Though Draco had other ideas, in fact he was purposely avoiding Elia so he could confront the golden trio. What Elia didn't know was during the feast and her emotional talk with Harry, Draco had seen them. He had finished his meal and snuck into the Hufflepuff common room to check on her. He had given her space but could no longer keep away.
As soon as he was to enter her bedroom, he caught a glimpse of Harry and Elia embracing, tears down her eyes. He caught Harry comforting her in the ways he couldn't, being a support to her without having to hide. Draco witnessed something in Harry that he didn't have at that time: bravery.
The two were so close, it made his stomach flip and his blood boil when he saw the way Harry and Elia held each other, broken but holding on tightly so they wouldn't fall apart. They were showing their true feelings away from everyone, their truths about Cedric's death impacting them.
Rage filled him and Draco turned on his heel, catching that Toast was the only one who saw him and jumped out to follow him. Draco simply shooed the cat away, ignoring him as the pair did to him. He left without saying a word to her, Draco's jealousy never seized to fail a moment as his mind began to overthink the situation.
He was angry, at Potter, at Elia, his family, at everybody. All in his mind was how he wanted to spit curses at Harry until he was satisfied. Until all the venom inside of him was gone. He wanted to beat down Harry Potter for ever being the chosen one everyone praised, for ever bringing back Cedric Diggory dead and going on about the Dark Lord. For ever hurting his Elia, and stealing her in her moment of need, something he couldn't do.
Draco and his friends found them anyways in a compartment, taunting them.
"You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!"
Draco jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. He didn't know what he was saying, just spewing out words to ease the boiling cauldron of the wounded ego inside of him. He should've stopped, he should've watched what he said.
Draco didn't stop.
"Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well, second- Diggory was the f-"
It was as if an explosion of fireworks had gone off in the compartment. The trio were on their feet, wands raised with Draco and his gang lying on the floor, groaning.
The sight that frightened them all the most was the least expected, Elia. Wand raised, red faced and eyes glistening in streams of heavy tears.
"How dare you…" She said lowly in disgust, Draco's hexed face looked up at her in a daze. Fear and guilt began to creep up.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" She cried out in a raw shout. Her face drenched in her tears.
"You say his name in vain… Talk of your Dark Lord in such high esteem after what he's done?! You talk of who's next, but seem to forget where you and I stand!"
Draco had no words. All he could think was he truly fucked up. Elia didn't care who heard or what she said, willing to expose their relation especially after what he said. She wanted to make him eat him words and contradict himself because that's exactly what he was doing.
Fred and George stood behind her, holding her.
"There there, love." George said soothingly, her heavy breathing slowed down. Her bloodshot eyes never leaving Draco, her glare never faltering until Draco fell unconscious like his friends. Her wand lowered.
"Come along now," Fred says, "Thought we'd see what those three were up to."
The twins stepped over Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle and into the compartment, helping Elia inside. They both had their wands out too, signaling that they fired hexes as well. Elia continued to have tears streaming down her face, sniffling as her face scrunched up into despair. She cried softly into her hands, Hermione wrapping an arm around her in comfort. The boys stared at her apologetically, Harry feeling the worst seeing his beautiful friend cry her heart out. Fred handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
"Want us to call Tanya over?" Hermione asked.
Elia shook her head rapidly, "No, no. I can't have her worry more."
She nodded, and Elia wiped her face clean. Her nose was as red as Rudolph's, her eyes swollen and her pale sickly face was then flushed from her tears. She kept crying and crying all day and it frustrated her. However the tears stopped flowing, only her eyes glittering.
"I'm sorry everyone…" She apologized.
"Don't be." The twins said.
"No seriously I'm sorry for being such a cry baby." She says with a small half hearted chuckle, but it was so lifeless and no longer had the effect of making others laugh too. It made them more concerned.
"It's just… hard."
They all nodded.
"Plus, if we're being honest Elia, you're very emotional by nature so it's okay." Ron added, making the others chuckle in agreement.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, George glances outside the compartment at the Slytherin pile on the ground.
"Interesting effect," said George, "Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"
"Me." Harry answered.
"Odd," George added, "I used Jelly Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the decor."
They laugh, Elia feeling slightly better so long as she had her friends there to support her. She looked at Draco who was still passed out on the ground, hexed all over but yet she was unsure if she should pity him. She felt herself reaching at her wits end.
Elia left that day, saying goodbye to her friends off the train. She finally returned to the embrace of the one man that never has and never will fail her, her father. He held his girls closely, kissing them both on their heads. Abraham Barros looked closely at his youngest, seeing how distraught she's been, his smile falling.
"Aw pumpkin…" He mutters, that sound made Elia's smile completely shatter as she began to cry softly in his arms. She was finally home, away from the terrible and awful reminder in the wizarding world of what she lost.
The three pull away as he led them out, Elia looking back to no longer seeing Draco around. Whether he left or was still present, it didn't matter to her at that point. She sighed, aiming to focus on the muggle life she knew, where she hoped to never know that pain again.
