Disclaimer: if I did own these characters I would not have such HUGE
student loans to pay back, now would I?
CHAPTER 19
He walked away from me then, leaving me alone and confused on the field. Some first years were wandering about. I sat back down on the grass and sighed. Last year my life had been so easy; pass my OWLS, play Quidditch, avoid bludgers to the head. Three simple rules and now; now I had mirrors of Avalon, bewitched diamonds, two guys in love with me, batty old spectres out to get me, Oliver's parents out to get me. I flopped back onto my back and looked up into the sky until a shadow was cast over me.
"You'll catch cold Bell. Can't have you back in hospital, we have my eye brows to think about." I opened my eyes and saw Fred standing over me smiling. He held his hands out and pulled me to my feet.
"So I take it Cedric the great is still mad after you?" he said as we walked towards the exit of the pitch. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I just mean we thought it was weird that he sat there in the hospital just as long as Oliver. For a little while we thought the two of them were going to fight. I still think there will be blood spilt between them." Fred said softly, I didn't say anything but I knew he was right, I had to do something about Oliver and Cedric, they would have to start getting along if I wanted to keep them both in my life.
I sat in the common room that evening reading a novel my mother had sent me, some Scottish crime writer, when an owl landed beside me. I gave it one of the treats that were on the table and unrolled the letter that was around its ankle. Looking at the lopsided letters I knew instantly it was from Cedric.
My sweet Kate,
I am just writing to say sorry, sorry for putting you in such an awkward position. But I meant every word I said on the pitch and in the Hall. I love you. I know you don't love me but let me love you. I don't want you to shun me because it's awkward between us. Your company means more to me then all the gold in the world. I want to hear you laugh again, you haven't laughed in so long. Can I be the one to make you laugh? Can you make me laugh again? I haven't smiled in such a long time and meant it. Can I sit with you in charms and watch your cup change into a flower? Can I be your best friend? Can I count on you always to help me? Will you count on me?
Can I mind you? Can I protect you from all ill? Can I take the pain from your shoulders? Can I take the burden of Dumas? Can I give you back your spark? I don't want you ever to cry a single tear, let all the tears you have come to me instead and I will cry them for you. I don't want you to be unhappy. I would fight a war to see you happy and content. I would do all this even if you banish me because of what I did today. If you sent me to the far ends of this earth forever I would still love you. But let me be your rock to lean on, the light in the end of the tunnel. You don't have to love me, just tolerate me.
Love eternally,
C.
I read the letter over and over again, it was beautiful. My first urge was to go to him and give him a hug but a tiny part of me said no, Oliver is the only one you should hug, that part won, so I folded the letter up and went to my dorm. Slowly I took out the small shoe box I kept my most precious belongings, my diary, my grandmother's locket, now this letter. I sat on the bed for a while whilst I tried to think of what to do. Then it hit me. Oliver was the answer and I knew that he would understand after everything we had made it through, that I had to be friends with Cedric, and I would only be friends with the Ravenclaw.
I flopped back onto my bed and took a deep breath. I lay there for a long time looking at the ceiling until my eyes grew heavy with sleep. I fell into a deep sleep, and I dreamt.
The dream world I stood in now was terrifying, it was as if I was trapped in a watercolour painting which had run while wet. The world seemed blurred and to melt into everything. But I saw two things clear, or should I say I saw them quite clearly. My two captains; both standing on cliff edges, tittering far to close to the edge then I would like.
"You can only save one. One must fall." A voice sang from every corner of the world, it seemed to come from both ground and sky, from air and plant. Fear gripped me; they were going to make me pick one to live and one to die. How could I? I loved them both so much, Oliver was the only man I loved while Cedric was one of the best friends I had ever had in my life.
"I can not choose between them." I screamed to the elements. But the wind seemed to turn from breeze to gale, my hair slapped at my cheeks blinding me. I heard a man scream and I ran towards him. I ran to where I feared most the scream had come from, but it was too late, I had lost him. I had lost him to the dark bottomless void. He was gone.
I woke with a start. Who had I run to? Which of them had fallen? Who had I lost? I woke with such a start that I startled Alicia.
"Merlin, Bell you okay?" she asked as I swung my feet to the ground, but I dared not stand my feet seemed far too shaky. Was that just a normal dream? Should I tell Dumbledore?
"Yeah, I am fine, I'm fine." I said softly, I felt the bracelet on my wrist, which felt like fire now burning and branding me. No I was far from fine. I tried to give Alicia a convincing smile and I went to the bathroom where I splashed my face with ice cold water. I looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't looked at myself properly in months. What was going on? Why? Yes that was my main question, why me? I knew Cedric was asking that too, but he had volunteered to be champion. I had not volunteered for whatever was happening to me and I just wanted it to stop. I wanted to take the bracelet off; I wanted to worry about Christmas exams and what to buy mum and dad. I wanted to go back to being ordinary and I even wanted a normal boring life where the most exciting thing that happened was you had run out of milk. Then a thought popped into my head. I knew the one person who could help me with Oliver and Cedric. My big sister Jenny, 'why else have a big sister?' I thought smiling to myself. I would have to meet her though. But I knew how to get to her. Dumbledore owed me, he said I was safe and I had had an attack, I would use that and the fact I missed the Hogsmead weekend to let me go see Jenny in Edinburgh for a weekend. I suddenly did feel better, Jenny would have some answers to my smaller problems, and I knew that for fact.
CHAPTER 19
He walked away from me then, leaving me alone and confused on the field. Some first years were wandering about. I sat back down on the grass and sighed. Last year my life had been so easy; pass my OWLS, play Quidditch, avoid bludgers to the head. Three simple rules and now; now I had mirrors of Avalon, bewitched diamonds, two guys in love with me, batty old spectres out to get me, Oliver's parents out to get me. I flopped back onto my back and looked up into the sky until a shadow was cast over me.
"You'll catch cold Bell. Can't have you back in hospital, we have my eye brows to think about." I opened my eyes and saw Fred standing over me smiling. He held his hands out and pulled me to my feet.
"So I take it Cedric the great is still mad after you?" he said as we walked towards the exit of the pitch. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"I just mean we thought it was weird that he sat there in the hospital just as long as Oliver. For a little while we thought the two of them were going to fight. I still think there will be blood spilt between them." Fred said softly, I didn't say anything but I knew he was right, I had to do something about Oliver and Cedric, they would have to start getting along if I wanted to keep them both in my life.
I sat in the common room that evening reading a novel my mother had sent me, some Scottish crime writer, when an owl landed beside me. I gave it one of the treats that were on the table and unrolled the letter that was around its ankle. Looking at the lopsided letters I knew instantly it was from Cedric.
My sweet Kate,
I am just writing to say sorry, sorry for putting you in such an awkward position. But I meant every word I said on the pitch and in the Hall. I love you. I know you don't love me but let me love you. I don't want you to shun me because it's awkward between us. Your company means more to me then all the gold in the world. I want to hear you laugh again, you haven't laughed in so long. Can I be the one to make you laugh? Can you make me laugh again? I haven't smiled in such a long time and meant it. Can I sit with you in charms and watch your cup change into a flower? Can I be your best friend? Can I count on you always to help me? Will you count on me?
Can I mind you? Can I protect you from all ill? Can I take the pain from your shoulders? Can I take the burden of Dumas? Can I give you back your spark? I don't want you ever to cry a single tear, let all the tears you have come to me instead and I will cry them for you. I don't want you to be unhappy. I would fight a war to see you happy and content. I would do all this even if you banish me because of what I did today. If you sent me to the far ends of this earth forever I would still love you. But let me be your rock to lean on, the light in the end of the tunnel. You don't have to love me, just tolerate me.
Love eternally,
C.
I read the letter over and over again, it was beautiful. My first urge was to go to him and give him a hug but a tiny part of me said no, Oliver is the only one you should hug, that part won, so I folded the letter up and went to my dorm. Slowly I took out the small shoe box I kept my most precious belongings, my diary, my grandmother's locket, now this letter. I sat on the bed for a while whilst I tried to think of what to do. Then it hit me. Oliver was the answer and I knew that he would understand after everything we had made it through, that I had to be friends with Cedric, and I would only be friends with the Ravenclaw.
I flopped back onto my bed and took a deep breath. I lay there for a long time looking at the ceiling until my eyes grew heavy with sleep. I fell into a deep sleep, and I dreamt.
The dream world I stood in now was terrifying, it was as if I was trapped in a watercolour painting which had run while wet. The world seemed blurred and to melt into everything. But I saw two things clear, or should I say I saw them quite clearly. My two captains; both standing on cliff edges, tittering far to close to the edge then I would like.
"You can only save one. One must fall." A voice sang from every corner of the world, it seemed to come from both ground and sky, from air and plant. Fear gripped me; they were going to make me pick one to live and one to die. How could I? I loved them both so much, Oliver was the only man I loved while Cedric was one of the best friends I had ever had in my life.
"I can not choose between them." I screamed to the elements. But the wind seemed to turn from breeze to gale, my hair slapped at my cheeks blinding me. I heard a man scream and I ran towards him. I ran to where I feared most the scream had come from, but it was too late, I had lost him. I had lost him to the dark bottomless void. He was gone.
I woke with a start. Who had I run to? Which of them had fallen? Who had I lost? I woke with such a start that I startled Alicia.
"Merlin, Bell you okay?" she asked as I swung my feet to the ground, but I dared not stand my feet seemed far too shaky. Was that just a normal dream? Should I tell Dumbledore?
"Yeah, I am fine, I'm fine." I said softly, I felt the bracelet on my wrist, which felt like fire now burning and branding me. No I was far from fine. I tried to give Alicia a convincing smile and I went to the bathroom where I splashed my face with ice cold water. I looked at myself in the mirror. I hadn't looked at myself properly in months. What was going on? Why? Yes that was my main question, why me? I knew Cedric was asking that too, but he had volunteered to be champion. I had not volunteered for whatever was happening to me and I just wanted it to stop. I wanted to take the bracelet off; I wanted to worry about Christmas exams and what to buy mum and dad. I wanted to go back to being ordinary and I even wanted a normal boring life where the most exciting thing that happened was you had run out of milk. Then a thought popped into my head. I knew the one person who could help me with Oliver and Cedric. My big sister Jenny, 'why else have a big sister?' I thought smiling to myself. I would have to meet her though. But I knew how to get to her. Dumbledore owed me, he said I was safe and I had had an attack, I would use that and the fact I missed the Hogsmead weekend to let me go see Jenny in Edinburgh for a weekend. I suddenly did feel better, Jenny would have some answers to my smaller problems, and I knew that for fact.