CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
BPOV
"Oh great!" I scowled and rolled my eyes. Hermione gave me a puzzled look and I shook my head, as I looked across at the figure that had materialised through the trees.
"Bella?"
"Cedric is here."
"You do know that Edward and Draco are furious with you? Not to mention Harry. Why on earth would you just take yourself off into the woods without a word to anyone? Have you any idea how dangerous this forest is?"
"Yeah whatever!" I said. Cedric gave me a level look that reminded me strongly of his brother.
"It is not whatever, Isabella. You have been very foolish to come out here alone..."
"Oh please, you are a seventeen year old boy!"
"I was a seventeen year old boy when I was killed. Because I still resemble one is neither here nor there. Have you any idea how dangerous it is out here? How dangerous it was for you to come out here?"
"Yes I know it was dangerous."
"Dangerous and extremely childish!"
"No it was not childish! She's my cousin for fuck's sake!"
"I hardly think there is any need for that, Bella. Your language is disgusting!"
"Oh shut up, Cedric! You sound like your brother. My language would not be disgusting if you didn't keep bugging me..."
"Erm, Bella, it's kind of weird listening to you talking to yourself," said Hermione, who had been watching me the whole time. I scowled at her and then looked across at Cedric who was still glaring at me.
"You can tell your cousin that Draco is not delighted with her either."
"He told me to tell you that Draco isn't delighted with you either," I said. "Because of course you deliberately got yourself caught by the Centaurs and imprisoned..."
"My brother is furious with you, Bella. It is most certainly your fault that you are here; you should have waited for everyone to make a decision, not gone off on your own. Now both of you are in danger without everyone else. You could have placed the whole group in jeopardy, but I doubt you have even considered that. I almost hope he does employ some of the hexes he is considering!"
I broke off and my face paled a little at the threat. I didn't know Edward well enough to know if he would hex me or not.
"What is it?" Hermione asked. "What did he say?"
"He's being a jerk," I replied, narrowing my eyes. "Basically telling me precisely what is going through his brother's head. It isn't pretty!"
"No, I don't suppose it would be," she murmured. "Cedric... he can hear me, can't he?" As I nodded, Hermione turned to the space where I was looking. "It's my fault that Bella came, not hers. I called her using blood magic. It is very powerful and it would have pulled her here whether she wanted to come or not. Edward shouldn't be angry with her; he should be angry with me. But I was so scared in that cell; Centaurs are unpredictable at the best of times and they were threatening me. They said they would kill my friends; that would mean Edward too."
"Tell her I understand that she was afraid but I am not convinced that Harry, Draco or Edward will accept that as a reason for you steamrollering out here without a word to them."
"Cedric says he understands but he's not convinced that Harry, Edward and Draco will."
"If you do manage to get out of this forest alive, there is every chance that they will kill you anyway."
I rolled my eyes.
"He says if we survive getting out of this damned forest we might die anyway when they get their hands on us."
"I'm sorry," she said. "This is all my fault. How could I be stupid enough to get caught and to lose my wand?"
Cedric gave me a last hard look and then faded away.
"Don't sweat it, 'Mione. We'll be fine. Now come on. Wonderboy has disappeared again, so it's just us. Let's get out of here."
"He's disappeared?"
"I think it's the magic in here. It probably makes it difficult for him to appear for long," I replied.
We made our way onwards down the path and then stopped. We seemed to have been walking for hours and hadn't got any further. With a sigh, Hermione sank down onto a felled tree trunk and buried her head in her hands.
"We've been past here three times already," she said. "I feel like we are going to be stuck here forever!"
"I know what you mean," I replied, glumly, dropping down beside my cousin. "And what makes it even better is that when we get out of here we're gonna be in for some major lecturing. Just great!"
"Great," she echoed and then she started to giggle at the absurdity of it. "Do you remember when we were eight and we wandered off into the woods outside your Dad's place? I really did think he was going to kill us!"
"Yeah, that was Jake's fault for ratting on us," I said, as I remembered my best friend admitting that he had told on us. "I still can't believe he told his dad we'd gone into the woods. I didn't speak to him for weeks afterwards."
"We were grounded to our room for weeks afterwards," she pointed out, with a giggle. I grinned.
"Yeah. It was kind of a pointless punishment though because all it did was rain and we just read books. I don't remember being too gutted!"
"No, me neither. The lecture was the worst part."
I grimaced and then got to my feet.
"Well, we'd best put on our best sorry faces like we did then because I have a feeling the lecture will be the worst part when we get out of here too."
Hermione stood up and stretched, but the smile faltered on her lips as she looked behind me. Slowly I turned to see what had caught her attention. A figure in a cloak was standing behind me, watching us. The figure brought a pair of grey hands to the hood and drew it back.
XXX
For a moment we both stared stunned as we recognised Aro, the Dean of the University standing before us. Aro stepped forwards and his eyes widened with shock.
"What on earth are you two doing out here?" he demanded, his voice cold and nothing like the one he used when delivering his inspirational messages about unity to the campus.
"Erm, taking a walk," I replied, aiming for nonchalance. Hermione glanced at me and then at the professor, smiling across at him.
"Good evening, sir," she said. Aro glared at us and I shivered; he clearly wasn't taken in by our feeble explanation.
"It is way past curfew time," he said. "I know that at the school there was a tendency to allow you to get away with murder, Miss Granger, but the university has strict rules about student conduct. This is called the Forbidden Forest for a reason; it is forbidden!
"Sorry, sir, we lost track of the time," I interjected quickly. "We'll get straight back now."
Aro narrowed his eyes.
"I think not," he replied. "Accio wands!"
Our wands flew from our hands and reappeared in his. Hermione gasped and went to move forwards, but I stopped her, grabbing her arm. Aro cast a small smile our way.
"As Dean of the university it is my duty to ensure our students comply with the rules. You are both fully aware of the curfews in place at Hogwarts and you especially Miss Granger know that the Forbidden Forest is precisely that; forbidden. Your presence out here is dangerous and most certainly not allowed. I am sure you are both aware of the consequences of breaking university rules; you are certainly intelligent enough." His dark gaze moved from one to the other and I glanced at Hermione nervously. She had become white as a sheet with his words.
"Please, sir," she cried. "You can't expel us!"
"It was my fault!" I said, swiftly. "I went for a walk and I didn't realise where I was. When I got lost, Hermione came after me. I am very sorry, sir and I promise it will not happen again. But if one of us really does have to be expelled, it should be me."
Aro was silent for a moment, his gaze flitting from one to the other and then he drew in a deep breath, his eyes narrowing slightly, as he regarded us both steadily.
"Let us say I believe you both and am prepared to offer a second chance," he began.
"Oh, please, sir," begged Hermione, tears stinging in her eyes.
"You will both return immediately to the university and consider yourselves under house arrest. You are not to leave the premises under any circumstances. Am I completely clear?"
"Yes, sir," we both said, knowing that this was the best offer he was likely to give us.
"Off you go then," he said.
"Erm, sir, can we have our wands back?" I asked, tentatively. Aro gave me a hard look but then nodded harshly. As our wands levitated back to us I gripped mine in my fist and I noticed Hermione doing the same.
"Girls," called Aro, as we headed away from him. "The university is that way!"
"Oh, thanks!" I called back.
Hermione grabbed my arm and we headed in the direction he had pointed in, gripping onto one another for dear life.
"That was very close and very dangerous."
"Great," I muttered, as soon as I was positive the dean was out of hearing range.
"What is it?" asked Hermione. "Oh." Understanding dawned on her face and she looked around warily. I pointed to where Cedric was standing looking at me, his arms folded and a scowl on his face.
"You are lucky he just gave you back your wands and sent you on your way."
"Ah well, it's done now." I tried for nonchalance, in spite of how I really felt. In truth I was very shaken by what had happened.
"Isabella, my brother and Draco are on their way here. I would advise against indifference when they get here."
"Oh for goodness sake, stop lecturing me, Diggory!" I snapped. Cedric glared at me and then the ground seemed to rise to meet me as I collapsed to the floor.
XXX
"What are we doing here?"
We are in the beach hut and Cedric is pacing up and down in front of me, pausing every now and again to give me a stern glare.
"Cedric, if I am here with you, where is Hermione?"
"She will be safe. Your body is still in the forest with her," he replied. His expression falters somewhat and he forces himself to relax. "I need to speak to you, Bella and you weren't listening to me in the forest."
"Well, if you wouldn't insist on acting like you're my dad rather than my friend maybe I would listen."
His lips curve into a small smile and he crosses the room.
"You see me as your friend?" he says. I shrug.
"Sure, why not? If you weren't already dead I might have killed you by now... Sorry, that was a bit insensitive."
"Maybe a little." His grin widens slightly though so that I know he is not offended.
"So, Wonderboy, what is it that you need to say to me?"
Cedric's expression changes, becoming serious again.
"There were two figures in cloaks moving through the forest, Bella," he says, eventually.
"Two?" The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Cedric nods his head as he sees comprehension dawn on my face. "Shit!"
"Precisely," he says, though I catch the hint of disapproval in his gaze at my language.
"Sorry," I mutter. "Is it him?"
"I don't know for certain. He is wrapped in a dark cloak and it is difficult to see him properly. Usually I can feel something of the person even if I cannot see them but he is deliberately hiding himself with powerful magic. It does not mean it is He Who Shall Not be Named, but I would not be able to confidently say it is not. You and Hermione need to get out of these woods as quickly as possible. I'm not sure why Aro let you go, but I wouldn't trust him either. I'm not certain he has directed you back to the university and he may have done something with your wands."
I look at him and feel a shiver of apprehension run through me.
"Cedric..." I start to say, but he vanishes and the hut around me.
XXX
"Bella! Bella!" I opened my eyes to find Hermione leaning over me, shaking my shoulder, as she looked around us, her eyes wide with trepidation. I sat up, bringing a hand to my head, scowling in the direction of Cedric who is standing slightly to my right, but he is not looking at me, he is looking behind us, in the same direction as Hermione. Slowly, I managed to get to my feet and turned to see two figures standing behind us, dressed in dark cloaks with the hoods drawn up hiding their faces from us.
