A/N: Well...the news is in. Blue Roses is almost done; only a few chapters left. Appreciate it more now, hmm? Oh, and just to let you know, say Chad's lines to yourself with a gay accent; it makes them way funnier.

Oh, well imagine, as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor,
and I can't help but to hear, no I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words:
"What a beautiful wedding! What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter.
"And yes, but what a shame, what a shame, the poor groom's bride is a whore."

I'd chime in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.
I'd chime in, "Haven't you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of...

-Panic! at the disco. Song: I write sins not tragedies.

Blue Roses.

Chapter twenty-five: With a sense of poise and rationality.

Skye and Cedric walked hand-in-hand towards the Quidditch pitch. Cedric was staring straight forward in concentration, muttering incantations under his breath, and Skye was shaking slightly.

"I'm nervous," he mumbled.

"Don't...don't be," Skye said, trying to reassure him. "It'll be fine."

"Yeah."

"And don't forget what happens if you win!"

"One thousand Galleons. Wow."

Cedric smiled down at Skye and gave her a quick kiss before she headed up the stairs into the stands.

Skye shuffled into a seat on Chad's right and gripped the armrests.

"Where did you get that rock from?" he squealed excitedly, pointing at Skye's finger.

"It's from Cedric," she said, looking down at Cedric, who was pacing down on the pitch. "He gave it to me last night. It's our official engagement ring."

"It's gorgeous!" Chad said, examining it. It was a ten-karat white gold band that had a large diamond surrounded by small sapphires. "And congratulations! WOW! You're gonna get married! Ok, I think I should be the planner. Can you say candles? Ok, we're gonna need candles, ROSES! Oh, I know you love roses how do rose petals sound? And your dress; classical white, of course, I'm thinking strapless or maybe a halter, halter would be nice do you like the sound of a veil? Or is it too 'I'm at a funeral'? Help me out here, Skye, I need answers!"

Skye was busy staring at Cedric, who was now huddled in to Ludo Bagman as he gave him whispered instructions. Cedric had a stern, focused look on his face that she had never seen before. It read no fear; just concentration on the task ahead.

"Yeah, Chad, yeah," she mumbled.

- - -

Cedric stood at the entrance to the maze, standing beside Harry, staring out into the audience. His eyes swooped over his peers and a few people he didn't recognize. He saw Skye, sitting high in the center. They made eye contact, and she mouthed "I love you," which Cedric returned. He smiled at her quickly, before turning to the maze.

He felt a strong breeze come at him from the mouth of the maze. He drowned out the sound of the crowd and the announcer explaining the task and only listened to the sound of the maze, waiting for any clues on what was ahead.

He heard a bang behind him, causing him to jump, and he ran straight into the maze, hearing the entrance close off the sound of the cheering crowd as it closed. He slowed down to a walk when he realized that running would no longer do him any help, and chose to listen for anything spare the sound of cracked twigs that Harry and himself stepped on. Ahead, he saw a fork in the maze, neither path seeming very promising.

"Well, this is where we part," Cedric said.

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

Cedric stared at the path to the left and gulped before jogging slowly down the never ending path between the hedges.

- - -

Skye slumped in her chair after the entrance to the maze closed up. It was hopeless now; the only way Cedric could turn back is if he were to shoot up red sparks, and she knew he could never do that.

After about two minutes, the entrance opened up and Viktor entered. Thirty seconds later, Fleur entered.

"I can't believe he's doing this," Skye said to Chad. "I can't believe he wouldn't get out of it. Sphinxes, blast-ended skrewts...oh, the possibilities!"

"Oh, don't worry. With the new red spark rule, if anything goes wrong, the teachers can be there in a flash. And now that you're talking, wedding preparations! I'm thinking about the dress you should wear. It has to be a stunner, somehow better than the Yule Ball dress. And who are the bridesmaids going to be? Can I be a bridesmaid, or..."

Skye nodded, trying to pay attention as most of her focus went to watching every aspect of the maze, awaiting any news on Cedric.

- - -

"Avifors!" Cedric said, as he jinxed the rear end of the Blast-Ended Skrewt, causing it to roll over onto it's back, it's many legs kicking in the air. Cedric ran past it, pausing to clutch a stitch in his side when he was out of harms way. He walked on and reached another fork in the road. He chose the right path, figuring taking the left path might lead him in circles.

There was literally a large, gaping hole in the path, with a pole that went across between the top of the two hedges. He stepped up to the edge, peering down into the inevitable darkness. He turned around and found himself facing a hedge wall. He turned back to the hole. He sent ropes out of his wand, and they wrapped around the pole. He tightened the grip on his wand and jumped, swinging across the hole.

- - -

Skye stood up in the stands, her eyes darting from side to side.

"What's wrong?" Chad asked, being taken aback.

Skye paused, looking side to side for a second before slowly sitting down. "Girlfriend's intuition."

- - -

Once Cedric cleared the hole he ran on, feeling a second wind come over him after his daring moment. He ran on, taking corner after corner, never reaching a dead end nor a challenge. He slowed down after running for a few minutes, and he suddenly realized how dark it was. He stopped and spun around, beginning to panic.

"Skye, why can't you be here? You'd know the right way to go!"

- - -

Skye jumped up from her chair again, looking on into the maze.

"Will you stop that?" Chad said.

"He's lost," Skye said.

"How do you do that?"

"Go where your heart takes you," Skye mumbled before sitting down again.

- - -

Cedric reached into his robes and pulled out a picture of Skye. In the picture, she gave a jovial wave to him. Cedric smiled at the picture, and looked out ahead of him, running in the direction that felt best.

He saw roots shoot from the floor of the maze and they shot violently at him, making him jump back. They began to attack him from all angles so he ran forward as fast as he could. He made a quick right and then, in the distance, glinting in the sunlight, there it was.

The cup.

Cedric lengthened his stride, and evil grin on his face knowing that he had finally done it.

He was going to win.

Suddenly, Krum jumped out at him from one of the hedges, pointing his wand at Cedric.

"Crucio."

Cedric fell to the ground, twitching violently. He felt pain course through his entire body as it contorted in ways he didn't think possible. He screamed loudly, willing himself to die.

"Expelliarmus!"

Cedric took a deep breath in when he said Harry standing, his wand before him, having cut through the hedge to attack Krum, who was now lying on the ground.

"You alright?" Harry asked, as he breathed heavily.

"Yeah," Cedric breathed.

Harry jumped back quickly. "Look out!"

Cedric turned around in time to be attacked by a giant spider.

- - -

Skye stood up again, covering her mouth as she screamed.

"Ok, please tell me that you have ants in your pants or something because this is creeping me out."

"He's in danger!" Skye said, getting out of her seat and walking towards the stairs.

"Will you stop it..."

"Excuse me," Skye said, as she shuffled pass people. "Excuse me, excuse...GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!"

The people in the row grumbled as the pulled their legs up to let her pass. She took the stairs two at a time, trying to get to the bottom as quickly as possible.

- - -

"Stupefy!" Cedric said hopelessly to the spider, which had now attacked Harry.

"Stupefy!" Harry and Cedric said the incantation at the same time, which seemed to do the trick. The spider rolled over onto it's back, revealing it's soft belly.

Cedric took a step towards the cup, reaching out with his arm before dropping it to his side.

"You get it," he said to Harry. "You saved me."

"No way! You were here first."

"Go on, just get it!"

"Cedric, please..."

"Harry! Get it before I change my mind!"

"Together."

- - -

Skye ran on to the pitch, being grabbed and dragged back by Professor McGonagall.

"Stay back!" she scorned.

"NO!" Skye cried. "He's in danger, he's in trouble!"

"He'll do fine..."

"LET ME GO!"

- - -

Cedric and Harry ran to the cup together. Harry reached his arm out, but Cedric kept his arm to his side.

"Enough with your pride," Harry said. "We're doing this together, a win for Hogwarts together."

"I can't!" Cedric said. "I didn't win rightfully."

"Come on, Cedric!"

- - -

Skye squirmed out of Professor McGonagall's grip, running to Professor Dumbledore and shaking him.

"Get him out of here! He's in danger, I know it!"

Dumbledore just stared off into the maze, chuckling.

- - -

Cedric's arm reached out for the cup, then he dropped it to his side.

"Come on Cedric!" Harry shouted, pointing to the path. "Before something else gets us."

"I don't know what to do," Cedric mumbled.

"What?"

"I don't what to do!"

"Just grab the cup, it's 500 galleons, come on!"

Cedric imagined the sort of house Skye and himself could buy with 500 galleons (not the nicest, but something) and how it could help jumpstart their adult lives.

"Ok!"

Cedric began reaching out towards the cup slowly; he almost felt the cold metal brush his fingers...

- - -

"NO!" Skye shouted, pulling at Professor Dumbledore's robes. "NO!"

- - -

A/N: Cliffhanger. I liked this chapter because of the changing POV...and hopefully, you do too! R & R!