Chapter 10: The Worst Part

Waiting for the task to be over was the worst part. The Hogwarts band played some okay songs, but my mind never strayed far from my boy-inspired dilemma. Fred and George frequently referred to how distracted I seemed ("Do you have a lot of money on Diggory or something?" Fred snickered. George quipped, "Yeah, I'll bet they're splitting the galleons. Too bad Harry's going to cream him."), but Kelly and Kim would derail the conversation to something else.

Time slid on like molasses. All of a sudden, the crowd erupted in cheers. The band struck up a victory song and a few people began pouring out into the Quidditch field.

"Who's back? Who won?" Fred asked excitedly.

Kim stood on her seat to try to get a better view of the field. "I can't see. Looks like… Harry and Cedric! They tied!"

"Why are they lying down?" Kelly wondered aloud. The crowd pushed us down onto the field, hurrying to see the excitement.

And then the music cut. Gasps and moans ran through the crowd.

"Oh my-" Kim stopped, and cupped her hand over her mouth. Both she and Kelly turned to look at me, but I still didn't understand.

"What happened? What's-"

And then I heard the echoes. "He's dead." "The boy's been killed." "Who is it?" "Cedric." "Cedric Diggory—dead."

I tripped over my own two feet; my mind went completely numb. My heart hammered in my chest, desperate to ignore the rumors. And then I saw Harry crouched over Cedric's lifeless body.

I didn't believe it; not at first. My mouth whispered, "Cedric," and my feet started after him. Kelly and Kim grabbed the back of my robes.

"No, Michelle, don't," they struggled against my grasp. I was getting more and more desperate. My heart was drumming in my eardrums, and nausea balled in my throat. People were screaming behind me, wailing awful sounds, but I didn't believe it. It couldn't be possible.

"Let go!" I wailed, but my friends didn't relent. The whispers continued behind me. "Cedric's dead." "He's dead." "Gone."

The crowd in front of me dissipated at Dumbledore's word for students to return to their houses immediately. Kelly and Kim began to walk me away from the field, but my feet remained grounded.

"Cedric!" I called for him, but he wasn't moving. Cedric's dad was lying across his son's chest, bawling. My eyes burned with tears and soon there were trails down my cheeks. My sobs shook my lungs and I couldn't move. "Cedric!" my voice was high and pathetic.

My knees collapsed beneath my weight. I wailed loudly into the grass, my fingers grasping at the earth below me. I never thought I'd feel happiness again.

There were more noises above me. Kelly and Kim heaved me up; Kelly cooed about getting me some tea, and a relaxing spell. Kim swiveled her head around, like she was looking for someone.

George stood in front of me, his expression blank. Kelly and Kim pushed me into his arms, and I sobbed into his chest.

"It'll be alright," he whispered into my ear, but the affirmation only made me more hysterical. "I love you. It'll be alright."

There was too much noise behind me, and one less movement of life. The air was teeming with energy, but I never felt so alone.

It seemed like Fate made its choice for me. But I didn't like its decision.

George, Kelly, and Kim took me back up to the common room for the night. They urged me to lay on the couch in the common room, where they would brew a pot of tea and say nice things about Cedric. But I didn't want that—I didn't want their kindness, their memories, or their tea. I wanted Cedric back. I wanted to crawl back into his bed, feel his breath on my neck, and hear him tell me, his voice gravelly, that he loves me. That he means it.

I couldn't sleep all night. Kelly and Kim took turns checking on me throughout the night; whenever they came by, I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. I swore I heard Kim hiccup a sob before she walked away at one point in the night. That only made me feel wore.

The next morning, I sat in front of Cedric's mirror to fix my hair. But the mirror didn't screech, or squawk, or squeal. I tapped it, hoping to wake it up. Silence. I shook it, the glass clanging inside its home. Silence. I slammed my fist against the dresser and screamed at it to work. Silence. Kelly and Kim ran upstairs and pulled me away from the mirror, urging me to calm down, the stupid thing was broken anyway, don't worry about it right now.

The mirror never spoke again.

Hogwarts held a memorial service for Cedric during breakfast, and then all of the students were to resume their normal schedules and head home on the train. The service was long and emotional. Dumbledore said some very nice words about Cedric. I wished I could cry, but I couldn't feel anything. I watched Cho sit down the table from me, silent tears streaming down her face.

Cedric's parents were waiting for me by the entrance of the Great Hall. Amos shook my hand, but couldn't muster any words. Annie held me in a tight embrace and told me, "Cedric loved you very much."

Amos agreed, "Don't forget about us. You're welcome by our home any time."

My eyes burned, but I willed the tears away. "Thank you, Annie. I'll be thinking about you."

Annie squeezed my arm. "Call me Mum."

A lump of sadness formed in my throat. I barely breathed, "Okay."

My forehead was frozen against the window. Kelly, Kim, and the boys were chatting and making safe jokes about the school year and Mad-Eye Moody. Every now and then, one of them would turn and ask me in hushed tones how I was doing. When I forced a smile, someone would gently touch my leg or arm, say they loved me, and then they would go back to their chatter.

I had decided against telling George about my affair. I knew that he deserved to know, but I couldn't afford any more sadness; I didn't want to be alone right now. I vowed to tell George later on in life. Maybe.

At some point during the train ride, we heard a ruckus outside of our compartment. The boys went to investigate. Kelly and Kim leaned against me; Kim rubbed my arm and Kelly asked, again, how I was doing. I shrugged. They frowned.

When the boys came back, Fred was carrying a weighted sack. Both he and George looked shell-shocked.

"What's that?" Kelly asked curiously. Even I piqued interest.

"Harry just gave us his winnings," George said, his voice shaking.

"He said they were Cedric's anyway," Fred said too quickly. Kelly kicked him, and he cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"That's great," I managed, my voice rough from not speaking. Everyone stared at me sadly, and the feeling made me uncomfortable. "Now you can start your shop, right?"

The twins nodded. Fred and George quickly fell into hurried whispers about what exactly they were going to do with the gold.

Kelly leaned close to me and said, "Cedric would've wanted you to be happy. Even if it was with George."

I looked at my boyfriend. George was speaking in a low voice with Fred. When he caught me staring, George winked at me.

"George is better for you anyway," Kelly said matter-of-factly. I furrowed my brow in disagreement, and then took to observing my fingernails. Sensing she had said something wrong, Kelly quickly asked Kim a question about our upcoming trip to America.

I had remembered Cedric's note right before we were about to board the train. I didn't feel right reading it front of my friends, let alone hundreds of miscellaneous Hogwarts students. I lied that I had to use the bathroom, and unfolded the note while I hid in the stall.

Michelle,

I'm still a little bit drunk, writing this at four in the morning. But I can't stop thinking about you.

I know what we did was, in many senses, very, very wrong. Cho will probably drown herself in tears when I tell her. And I'm not at all prepared to die at the hands of George Weasley.

But I think you and I both know that in some ways… it was right.

I've been regretting every single day that we've been apart. I can't believe I was so careless, and so stupid. I shouldn't have let George win.

I know I don't deserve you, but I hope you think otherwise.

I'll be waiting for you this summer. Please come see me.

I love you.

Cedric

George stirred me from my cluttered mind, and kissed me on the forehead. We had arrived in London.

George was a gentleman. He pulled my bags off of the train for me and carried them until we saw our parents. Mine were standing by Kim's parents, chatting and laughing animatedly. My parents had never really gotten used to the magical world, despite being friends with Kim and Kelly's families for so long, and it was obvious how uncomfortable they were stand on Platform 9 ¾. When they caught my eye, my dad smiled at me and my mom called my name. I waved at them to let them know I would be over there soon.

"I'll see you soon," he promised, "I love you."

I breathed down my sadness; my body felt heavy. "I won't be back for over a month, you know. Probably not until mid-August."

"Where will you be?" George looked alarmed.

"America, where we go every summer," I wanted to sound playful, but ending up sounding annoyed.

"Right," George drew out the syllable. "Stay with me when you come back. You can share Ginny's room, and you can help Fred and I invent."

"I'll have to see," I said.

George pulled me into an embrace. I became very self-conscious that my family was watching me, and pulled away.

"I'll write you," he flicked my nose. "Every week."

"Good," I managed a smile, but my sadness weighed me down again.

George kissed me again, in front of the world, and remained steadfastly unashamed.

"Until August," he winked, and walked away.

"Until then," I muttered after him. My heart roared with love, and pounded with grief.

A/N: This is the end of And He's Loved You Forever. But fear not, I will be posting a sequel shortly called For Selfish Reasons. It takes place during Deathly Hallows.So be on the look out!

Thank you to all of you who have been reading this story! A huge thank you to those of you who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted. I'm not worthy; you guys are the best.

-michness