Oh, Life is waiting for you
It's all messed up, but we're alive
Oh, Life is waiting for you
It's all messed up, but we'll survive
-Our Lady Peace. Song: Life.
Blue Roses.
Chapter twenty-seven: The beginning.
Skye sat in the first pew for Cedric's funeral, a handkerchief in one hand and Chad's hand in the other. Her face was strewn with tears as she stood to address the small group of close friends and family that had attended the funeral. She walked slowly to the front of the room, her heels clicking softly as she went. She turned to the audience, slowly pulling a cue card from her pocket.
"Cedric was a great man," she began, reading off the card. "Oh screw it!" she said, taking the card and ripping it into pieces. "I only wrote this crap because I was afraid that I'd forget what I was saying.
"You can't forget when it comes to a person like him. It's a crime that I knew him so well and took away his love from all of you. He was the greatest person that has ever lived. He knew exactly the right words to say and when to say them. He was the greatest of friends, the greatest of boyfriends, the greatest of people.
"He was the epitome of a Hufflepuff, though he was brave enough to be a Gryffindor and wise enough to be a Ravenclaw. He was the kindest of all hearts, never seeing anyone as a lesser to himself. If you were in a rut, he was there to pull you out of it. If you were upset over something, he was there to give you a hug and tell you that everything was going to be OK. You were always his number one priority.
"He was the greatest of friends. He was loyal, so loyal, always kept to his word. He was always there for you. He was never mean; never said a demurring word, only things that would make you proud to be alive. He was always honest. He had this way of making you seem like a better person, just because you got to be around him.
"I find that his greatest trait was finding the good in people even when they couldn't find the good within themselves. No matter if you've made a screw-up that enrages everyone he doesn't mind, he'd remind you what was good that could come out of it. He'd then tell a joke that would make him smile, and that would make you smile, and your day just went from awful to a hell of a lot better. I'm sure that people outside his tight group saw him as a 'pretty boy', or 'Mr. Perfect', or whatever; but it's just because they never really got to know Cedric and, in truth, he was perfect. I was blessed to get to know him so well, and to have him love me back the way he did. He really cared about me. I hate to say it, but there was no one like him, and there never will be anyone like him.
"I remember, after the first task, the time we spent apart so that he could save me from having to go down into the depths of that black lake. I would've rather been at the depths of that lake then be apart from him, for I was in the depths of my own lake being apart from him for those few months. I didn't think I could pass by for a few months without just looking at that bright smile; now I have to try and survive the rest of my life. He always said that 'Everything happens for a reason', so I guess this happened for some sick and twisted reason.
"I want you to all stop and take a moment to think of the way that Cedric has touched your life. Bow your heads and take a moment to think of him. I'm sure we could spend a million moments thinking of how he's affected us, but just take the time to think of just one. You there!"
Skye pointed to a relative, sitting in the pew in the farthest back. "How did Cedric affect you?"
The man stood slowly and nervously. "Well," he said, his voice squeaky, "once when he was over visiting, I had just gotten a divorce from my wife, and he sat and listened to me talk about the separation for hours. He was always there to support me when I felt down..."
The man sat quickly, tears pouring from his eyes.
"And you!" Skye said, pointing to a Ravenclaw boy she had seen Cedric talking to once or twice. "How did Cedric affect you?"
"Without him, I would've failed my Charms OWL. He barely knew me, yet he helped me perfect the summoning charm which gave me an 'A' on the OWL."
"Excuse me, but I have a story about Cedric," a little old lady said, standing and resting on her cane. "Last summer, my favorite cat Marmalade got outside and got herself stuck in a tree. Cedric climbed into that tree and even though he got clawed half to death he still got little Marmalade out of the tree and safe for me."
"There was this girl I really liked," Milo said, standing up. "That only Cedric knew about. He encouraged me to ask the girl to the Yule Ball, and thanks to him, I'm still dating the girl!"
"Cedric listened to my side of the story when no one else would!" Casey said, standing up as well. "When everyone was against me, he listened to me, believed me. He got me through it. Without him, I probably would've left school."
"I couldn't afford a new wand," an unfamiliar person said. "He didn't know me, he just saw me in the store and he gave me the money so I could pay for it."
"He saved my marriage!"
"He saved my life!"
"He was there when I stood alone!"
"He was the only one brave enough to tell me what a dick my boyfriend really was!"
"He taught me how to play Quidditch when everyone was too frustrated to deal with me!"
"He read to me every day when I was sick!"
"He taught my daughter how to ride horses, and he even let her ride his own horse!"
"He made me smile even though I just got dumped by the love of my life!"
"You see?" Skye said, when a good portion of the people at the funeral were standing. "Cedric has affected all of you in one way or another. When you are feeling down, think of him, and how he would've made you feel better. When you're feeling happy, think of his bright smile and how it would light the way. When you're confused, think of what Cedric would do, because to me, it was always the most logical way. When you're angry, think of something that Cedric would say to cool you down. Always think of Cedric, the greatest boy to ever have lived. Lest we forget."
- - -
Skye sat alone at the final breakfast. She slowly munched on eggs, putting her fork down after only eating a little. She stood up and walked out of the Great Hall, disappointed at the final meal.
She saw Harry Potter walking a little ways ahead of her, and she pulled a parchment out of her bag.
"Harry!" she called. "Harry!" she repeated, after he didn't listen the first time. Harry turned around and Skye jogged to him.
"Write to me," she said softly, placing the piece of parchment in his hand. She then walked briskly towards her Common Room, leaving Harry slightly confused.
- - -
Skye sat before the Black Lake, tears pooling in her eyes. She remembered in first year the times Brayden, Cedric and herself had spent by this lake. She remembered how, in second year, Cedric and herself would come to the lake to finish their homework but would always spend their time just watching the lake. She remembered in third year how they would lie together by the lake, watching the sun set, every Saturday. She remembered in fourth year how they would hide here, by the lake, away from everyone and everything that happened within their school. She remembered in fifth year how they'd come to the lake to get homework done away from all the commotion, even in the coldest winter evenings. She remembered in sixth year how they'd sit and admire the water and discuss everything; their past, present and future. That, she believed, was their greatest year together.
She let Tia, her cat, out of her cage. Tia jumped up onto Skye's lap and Skye slowly ran her fingers through Tia's sleek fur.
She furrowed her brows at the thought of the Horcruxes. Where on earth were they, and what on earth were they? She might have to comb the entire face of England to find them, and what if there's one in Ireland? Or France? Or Bulgaria? Luxembourg, the Netherlands...they could be anywhere. She would have to comb all of Europe.
She stared down at Tia, feeling hopeless. Cedric would know what to do. Cedric would probably know where all the Horcruxes were. She wiped a tear away as she thought of Cedric, a look of stern focus on his face as he flipped through book after book in the library, searching for the possible whereabouts of the Horcruxes; he would be helping her, regardless of the fact that it had nothing to do with her.
She looked up and stared at the motionless surface of the lake, wondering to herself; where was she going to live? How was she going to get a job? Where should she begin looking? What was she going to do without Cedric? And of course, most importantly, she wondered...
What was next?
- - -
THE END
- - -
A/N: I'd like to thank all my readers, my reviewers, you guys are FABULOUS! Thanks to Darcy, Katie and Rachel for giving me advice and ideas when I'm in a rut; not to mention you guys review every chapter! I'd like to thank my friends for always being there and my family for everything they've done. I'd like to thank Blue, my horse, for always listening to me rant on about my next chapter and never complaining. I'd like to thank FanFiction for creating such an amazing website and A-Z Lyrics for providing me with all my lyrics which started most of my songs. I'd like to thank QuotationsPage for giving me all my beautiful quotes. I'd like to thank the bands which gave me the fantastic songs that opened my chapters, and they are: Coldplay, blink-182, A-Teens, Bayside, Pink Floyd, Mariah Carey (whom I actually hate, except for her one song), Dashboard Confessional, Green Day, Maroon 5, Lifehouse, Oasis, Murder by Death, Billy Talent, Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy, The Spill Canvas, Panic! At the disco and Our Lady Peace. Other inspirational bands that I missed are Metric, Box Car Racer, Plus 44, Rilo Kiley, Led Zeppelin...etc. I'd like to thank my good friend Christine for giving me the opening poem for this which kind of inspired me, a little. I'd also like to thank Robert Pattinson; just for being there, and being so incredibly attractive, and inspiring me to do this all. I would like to thank, as my last but indubitably not least, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the amazingly talented writer of the Harry Potter series. You are my hero, and I'd like to thank you for creating Cedric and all the wonderful work that you've done. Peace out, everyone!