Chapter Nine: Just Remember That I Love You

The next three weeks got increasingly more intense and stressful. Faye worked with me on my transfiguration. We figured that the best way to distract a dragon would be to transfigure something into something bigger than, or at the very least more distracting than me, something for the dragon to chase, a diversion.

In the end we decided that a large Labrador should suffice. A lab would be energetic enough to distract the dragon while I did whatever the task required me to do.

There was only one more day before the task and I was bloody loosing it. Of course I tried my best not to show it, if only for Faye, who was loosing it all on her own and didn't need me helping her cause. I sat down at the table for dinner and tried to eat though I wasn't completely sure my stomach was really up for it.

When I got up I was wished good luck and patted on the back by many who were seated near me. I made my way across the hall but was stopped by a Ravenclaw, by the name of Cho Chang, before I could get any further.

"Hello Cho" I said trying to be polite. We had gone out for a bit in my fifth year and she had quite apparently, not gotten over me unfortunately. I mostly wanted to tell her that she should stop following me and try to find someone new, but her friends had cautioned me that it would crush her and so I decided to let her be.

"Hello" She smiled very brightly at me. "I just wanted to wish you luck on the first task tomorrow." She smiled again.

"Thank you… err how um thoughtful." Her smile widened.

"I guess you best be off to get some sleep before tomorrow." I nodded. "I'll see you again some other time I suppose. Bye for now Cedric." She swiveled around and headed to her common room with great grace. She would be a catch for pretty much anyone but I just wasn't interested any more. Once she was gone I breathed a sigh of relief.

When I slid into my room I noticed Faye was sitting there on the end of my bed with her knees pulled tightly to her chest and her head was on her knees. When she heard me shut the door she looked up at me. Her eyes were wet with worry.

"Is it okay if I stay here tonight?" Her voice was shaking a little. "If the first task being tomorrow doesn't drive me to insanity then the whispering fan girls in my dorm will. I need to spend tonight close to you."

"Of course it's okay." I changed into things more suitable for sleeping and slid into my bed. Faye climbed under the covers and put one hand on my chest and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Cedric?"

"Yes"

"I love you. Don't you ever forget that." She then yawned and nudged her head even closer.

"I love you too Faye." I said but she was already asleep so I flicked the light switch and fell into a nice deep sleep.

***

I headed down the stair case, already dressed in my tournament clothing that had been provided. Faye followed closely until we reached the hill and she let go of my hand.

"Good luck" She said trying hard to smile. I kissed her on the fore head and headed down the hill to champions tent.

Once I was inside all the champions were present and accounted for. I heard a distinct cough of someone trying to get the attention of someone. I didn't see anyone by noticed that on the wall of the tent from which I had entered there was a human shaped lump. So I went over to it.

"Harry?" The voice asked as it sensed me approach. It was Hermione.

"Um no, but if you'll wait a sec I'll go get him."

"Thanks" I walked over to Harry, who was pacing in anticipation of what the task held in store for all of us, and gestured in the direction of Hermione. He gave me a confused look but went any way.

The next thing I knew Hermione had practically tackled Harry in a hug, in a manor that very much reminded me of Faye. Hermione looked at me giving me a gesture to where she had been so once again I headed over there, where a human shape had formed again.

"Cedric?" It was Faye.

"Yeah it's me"

"Good I just wanted to wish you luck again." She paused taking a breath, and by the sound of her voice she dearly needed that breath. "The key is to concentrate and after that you just have to…"

"Run for my life"

"Yes" We stood in silence for a moment, out of things to say. But when she couldn't contain it anymore she jumped me, wrapping her legs around my waist. I put on arm on her back and one on her hips for support. We kissed and I saw a flash of blinding, white light. Skeeter.

"Ah love" Rita said, her quill going nuts writing so much down. Luckily Krum came to our rescue.

"I thought I had already made it clear." He said angrily. "This tent is for champions and friends only. You are no friend to us."

"Fine, we got what we needed anyway." And with that she left in a huff.

"Okay Faye you should probably let go now." Her head, which was buried in my chest, shook her response to my apparently foolish idea. "Alright fine but I'm going to let go." I did but to no avail. She stayed attached. Man she has strong legs.

Then Dumbledore came in with Barty Crouch, who held a velvet bag that every once and a while spurted smoke out of it.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round" He looked around but stopped at Hermione who was still squeezing Harry's arm. "Miss Granger" She blushed.

"Right… sorry…I'll just…" She headed towards the door. "Go" Dumbledore nodded and then he saw me.

"Miss Halliwell, I am right to assume that is Faye yes?" I nodded. "At some point you will have to let go of Mr. Diggory." Faye let out a whimper. "Will you at least let go when it is his turn for the task." She thought about it a moment but finally she nodded. "Okay then um gather 'round" He said to the rest of the champions. I figured since Faye wasn't going to let go I'd better give her some help in the support area and put my arms back on her.

Crouch held out his smoking velvet bag. "Ladies first" He said offering it to Fleur. Her hand was shaking as she put it in the bag. "Ah the Welsh Green" The miniature dragon she had pulled out was roaming around her hand. Next he offered it to Krum who pulled out a Chinese Fire Ball. Next it was my turn and I took one hand off Faye and put it in the bag. The dragon I pulled out was what I recognized as a Swedish Short Snout from studying with Faye. Relief washed over me it could have been so much worse.

"That leaves…" Mr. Crouch said as he offered it to Harry. I wasn't sure but I could have sworn I heard Harry mumble Hungarian Horntail under his breath. It would truly be awful if that was his dragon. And sure enough when he pulled out his hand the Horntail strode around his hand meanly breathing fire when ever it got the chance.

"Poor Harry" Faye whispered in my ear. I nodded. I would hate to have his dragon. The Hungarian Horntail was a particularly nasty dragon.

Dumbledore then approached me. "Mr. Diggory the cannon means…" but he was cut off by the canon cutting him off before he could actually tell me what it meant. "It's your turn." He said. Faye reluctantly climbed off of me and landed back on the ground. She kissed me on the cheek and made her way out of the tent and back to her seat.

(Faye's P.O.V.)

I plopped my self down and was immediately surrounded by the Weasley twins, who sat on either side of me.

"Hi Fred, George" I said greeting them both with as much calmness as I could muster. But unfortunately they saw right through it.

"Cedric will be fine." Fred said

"You don't need to worry so much." George said.

"I know" I said still trying very hard, with no results, to keep my face expressionless.

Some people down in the arena brought out the chained dragon and hooked him to a boulder, and I felt my nerves beginning to explode. This of course was only made worse when Cedric entered the arena. Without thinking I grabbed Fred's hand tightly, and he gave mine a squeeze.

"It'll be okay. It's Cedric Diggory for crying out loud. You're worrying for nothing." I think he knew that wasn't completely true but I appreciated what he was trying to do.

It didn't take long for the dragon to notice that Cedric was going for the egg. Cedric dropped and rolled, narrowly missing the fiery burst of breath the dragon attacked him with. Not wasting anymore time, he aimed his wand at on of the large boulders all around him and transformed it into a playful, chocolate, lab. The dragon saw the dog right away and went after it. Quickly as he could, Cedric darted at the egg, unfortunately the dragon saw him trying to leave with it and refocused it's attentions on him. In one pounce it trapped him in his claw, and I let out a shriek of terror.

My finger nails must've been digging into Fred's hand, which I didn't notice because my hand had gone numb from how hard I had been squeezing, because he was wincing slightly in pain. Even so I couldn't make my self stop.

"I can't watch!" I said with my free hand over my eyes. I stayed that way until I heard a distinct bark and growl. Looking up I saw the lab trying to protect Cedric. When the dragon refused to release him like the dog wanted, the lab bit the dragons tail, and hard, putting all the dragon's attention on the lab. Cedric high tailed it to the exit, as soon as the dragon released him, and as fast as his legs could carry him.

I let go of Fred's hand and ran down to the champion's tent, almost falling flat on my face a few times in my haste.

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

Before I knew what was happening Faye had her arms around me and was covering me in kisses. I had to tell her to stop holding me so tightly (the dragon had scratched my back up good) at least until I had the chance to go see Madame Pomphrey.

We remained together in the tent for the rest of the task, seated on one of the couches placed in the tent. Faye excitedly told my about past Triwizard Tournaments, and something about a ball, but I wasn't really listening. My mind was elsewhere.

I was thinking about how I had nearly met my end today. If the tournament was this willing to put its contestant's lives on the line I wasn't so sure this wouldn't put Faye in danger as well. I had never been so certain that if I didn't do something my nightmare would come true. As much as it hurt me to admit, I knew exactly what I had to do, but it could wait at least until after lunch.

***

Since my stomach was finally allowing me to eat I was stuffing my face with anything that looked even remotely edible. I was getting all sorts of strange looks but I didn't care. I was starving.

Making my way back to the hall I kept looking around for Faye and when she finally appeared my heart panged with guilt and hurt. Knowing what I was about to do was threatening to make me lose my lunch.

"Hey" She said approaching me slowly, and in an almost agonizing way. "Fred and George told me you were looking for me. What's up?"

"We… umm…we need to talk." The words felt like acid on lips and the moment they left my mouth I wished that I hadn't needed to say them.
"Uh oh" Faye's eyes were wide with fear. "Nothing good ever follows the sentence 'we need to talk'"

I fidgeted while my mind tried desperately to find words that wouldn't hurt her as much as the ones I was about to say would. "Look I love you Faye but…"

"Oh my god you're breaking up with me." Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with disbelief.

"I think that it would be best for me if I didn't have anything to distract me during the rest of the tournament." Again the words felt like acid, untruthful, lying, hurting, acid.

"I'm a distraction?" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and I was trying not to see them. "I've done nothing but help you."

"Try to understand Faye…."

"Understand what. I don't know what you want me to understand because what you are saying doesn't make any sense." She shook her head. "If you really loved me you wouldn't do this to me."

My heart panged as I added the final bit to make it believable. "Then I guess…" My heart was begging me to stop. But for her safety I knew it was something I had to do. "… I never really loved you." Faye stood solitary, unable to speak a word, making more effort than usually necessary to breath. Thankfully, sensing her distress, Alex orbed in to see the whole thing go down. Alex ran over to Faye, catching her before she had the chance to fall, or bring to much attention to her self.

"Not here you don't." Alex said seeing that Faye was about to start crying. "Come with me" She said picking her up in her arms and orbing away, giving me one final look of detest.

A/N: Good long chapter. Sorry that this chapter had to end this way but there was no conflict. I apologize in advance for the fact that I won't be posting for a while and I'm sorry. My family is going on a trip to minnesota and I won't be anywhere near a computer, seeing as I will be staying at a lake cabin. But I will have a pen and paper so expect lots of new chapters when I get back. As always reviews would be greatly appreciated :) much love,

~charmedchicca234