A week after Cedric had passed away I found myself sitting in my room, by my window, staring out into the sky. The past few days I had cried myself to sleep. I awoke from nightmares of Cedric and sometimes I awoke from dreams of him, wishing that he was with me.
My mother came and knocked on the door. "Cho?"
I didn't answer. I didn't answer to anyone that much anymore. I began to fiddle with the charm bracelet around my wrist. I always wore it. The only time I took it off was when I was in the shower. There were unopened letters sitting on my desk and drying flowers with unopened cards of sympathy from friends.
"Honey?" my mother tried again. "There are people here to see you."
"I don't want to talk right now."
Mother walked over to me. "Cho, just come downstairs." She walked out of the room and shut the door.
What was the point of going on anymore? I stared out my window and wondered who it could be. I shrugged and found myself walking down the stairs and into the living room. It was Mr. and Mrs. Diggory sitting on the couch with my mother, drinking tea. The two of them were dressed in black, mourning for Cedric. I looked down at myself. A black shirt and a black skirt. Sometimes I didn't even noticed what I'd put on. I reached for the back of my closet, my clothes that were dark, and put them on. I put a shirt on backwards once.
Mrs. Diggory looked up and a small smile broke in her face. I walked over and sat beside her. I tried hard to fight back tears but I felt one slide down my face, watching Mrs. Diggory with a tissue in her hand. I hugged both Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, a whisper of hello slipped from my lips.
There was silence for a few seconds and then Mr. Diggory spoke. "We came here because we want you to come to Cedric's funeral."
I looked at him but didn't answer and he continued.
"It's tomorrow at one in the afternoon. You don't have to come but I'm sure Cedric would want you to."
I nodded and looked at my mother. She was watching me. "Yes…" I mumbled. "I'll come…thanks…"
Mr. Diggory nodded as Mrs. Diggory rummaged through the pocket of her coat. She handed me a long but small box. "Here."
I stared at it and then took it. My hands shook as I opened it. I lifted the lid and dropped the box. I jumped. I waited a few seconds before picking it up. It was a necklace.
"He was going to give it to you when you came over for the summer," Mrs. Diggory said.
For the first time in a long time, I smiled. "Thanks for giving it to me."
Mrs. Diggory's face broke into a small smile and she hugged me. Mr. Diggory stood up and I knew that they were about to leave. Mrs. Diggory, my mother, and I stood up. The Diggorys walked away from the couch and to the door. With a loud CRACK! they disappeared. I clutched the box in my hand as my mother hugged me.
"You have something to wear for tomorrow?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yes." I walked back up into my room and shut the door.
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I had never been to a funeral before not even Muggle one. Luckily, this was a wizarding funeral so there was no hiding anything. There must have been at least a hundred people. Many of them were from the Ministry and were friends of Mr. Diggory. Some of Cedric's friends were there. We walked into the small chapel which barely held us all. A casket made of mahogany was in the front by the podium where the preacher stood. The casket was closed. Mother stopped by the local flower store and bought roses to lay on Cedric's grave. I wore the necklace that Mrs. Diggory had given me and the charm bracelet that Cedric had given me. I was dressed in a simple black dress. I let my hair down because that was the way Cedric liked it.
My mother and I found seats in the third row – two rows behind Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. There were boxes of tissue at the end of each row and I saw that there were flowers everywhere around the casket. Marietta and her mother soon found seats next to us. Her mother went and sat next to mine while Marietta sat next to me. She handed me another tissue and squeezed my hand. Then heads were bent in prayer as the preacher prayed and music played softly. Sobs were heard and I tried really hard not to cry but I couldn't help it. I grabbed tissue and blew my nose. Friends stood up to speak, telling how Cedric was such a good person and that he never thought of himself first but only the people he cared about. A choir sang and more prayers were said.
Mr. and Mrs. Diggory stood up and walked over to the left hand side of the casket. Then half of the casket was then opened to reveal Cedric lying on cushions, a small pillow tucked beneath his head. Row by row, friends walked up and hugged the Diggorys, some putting things in Cedric's grave while others just looked at him. My mother walked up there and hugged the two as did I but I lingered at Cedric's casket, crying. Cedric's face was pale but yet there was still color to it. His hands were lying across his stomach. Though my hands were shaking, I took a rose from the dozen flowers in my arms and lifted one of Cedric's cold hands up and placed it in between his hands. I then took off my bracelet and pulled off the very first charm that Cedric had given to me – a heart. I kissed it and then I placed it in the pocket of Cedric's coat.
When the last person had given their condolences to the Diggorys, many things were in the casket. Pictures, flowers, stuffed toys from younger kids. My rose was still there as the casket was closed and carried off into the limousine that was driving to the cemetery. I hugged and kissed both Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. I walked outside with my mother and saw the limousines lined up. There were a few cars that some wizards had driven but the others would be riding in the limousines. My mother and I crawled in our small red car, waiting for the other cars to drive.
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The casket was placed in the middle of the small tent like roof. There were two chairs which sat Mr. and Mrs. Diggory while everyone else cluttered around. The preacher said another prayer, a long one, as Mrs. Diggory's sobs grew louder. We watched as the casket was placed into the ground and then covered in with the earth. Friends came up and hugged the Diggorys once more, telling them they were sorry for their loss, and then they made their way back into their cars. Many of the Apparated back to their homes. Marietta came over to me and hugged me. Tears were falling but she tried to stay strong for me.
"Things'll be okay, Cho," she told me.
I didn't say anything. My tears spoke for me.
"He'd want you to be strong. He'd want everyone to."
I nodded but couldn't stop the tears.
She hugged me once more and left with her mother.
When all the earth had covered the site of the casket, I was able to read the headstone which marked Cedric's grave.
Cedric A. Diggory
Loving son, courageous heart
July 17, 1977 – June 24, 1994
I ran my fingers over the inscription and fell to my knees, crying harder than ever. Tears fell on my hands, splashing on my lap, dampening the tissues that I had. I placed the roses on his grave and wept. Cedric was no more and this was all I had left of him. A bracelet and a necklace, no picture at all. I swear that I heard my heart shatter, breaking like glass into a hundred pieces. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to stand but my legs failed me. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory along with my mother watched me the whole time.
"How could you leave?" the words slipped silently from my lips. "I didn't even get to say goodbye… You left me…you left your parents. You had your whole life ahead of you." I looked up at the sky and saw clouds of grey slowly moving. I looked back down at Cedric's grave. "We were supposed to meet after the task… I was going to congratulate you for doing a wonderful job…whether or not you won or lost… Would our relationship have gone further? I loved you. … And you loved me… Why does everything have to turn out so wrong?"
Fifteen minutes later after everyone was gone. Rain began to fall and I knew that the Heavens were crying; I mustered my strength and stood up. I walked over to Mrs. Diggory, hugged her, and then to Mr. Diggory and hugged him. They were going through a harder time than I was but yet I had never felt so much pain in my entire life. My mother followed me, waved goodbye to the Diggorys, and together we walked back to the car and crawled in. I cried the whole way home, thinking of Cedric.
I loved him. I would never forget him, I'll always remember the first one that captured my heart, the first one to love me like no other. I don't think I'll be able to find another but I'll keep trying for your sake, Cedric. You're the one that touched my heart.
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Author's Note: Yes, that's it. Sad chapter (of course – what do you expect?) and it's long too so I'm proud of myself. Thanks to all my reviewers for praising my story. You're an inspiration. Don't forget to check out my other HP stories too. :) By the way, the year I used for Cedric's tombstone can be found at www.hp-lexicon.org. Oh, and I may include an epilogue and two song fics at the end just to tie the story to it's ending. Heck, I may even have a sequel so like I dunno, e-mail me or tell me in a review if you want a sequel.