December 24th, 1994
Bridgette sat in the common room, reading a book. It was Christmas Eve and everyone was heading down to the Yule Ball.
In the month and a half that had passed whispers had reached her ears that Cedric was pursuing Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang.
It broke her heart to learn that he had moved on...but now all chance of them getting back together was gone.
She still hated herself for kissing Brent that one day. It caused Cedric to leave her. Now she was alone and friendless, especially after word got around that she cheated on the most popular boy in school, not too many people were fond of her after that.
After she had lost Cedric, she stopped talking for almost a week. On top of that, she almost never ate anything and her grades were slipping.
She was just glad that everyone was staying at the castle for holidays this year. She really didn't want to face her parents, or Cedric's parents for that matter.
Cedric was one of the last people out of the common room. He glanced over at her for a second. She looked up and felt her heart sink as the coldness flashed in his eyes.
She looked back down at her book, not able to look at him as she felt tears springing up to her eyes. She roughly wiped them away with her hands, not bothering to notice how thin and pale they were.
She could feel his eyes linger on her for a second before his friends called after him. When she heard the portrait close, she let her tears flow freely, glad that she was alone as she sobbed.
Nobody was there. Nobody was ever there. Alexis had stuck with Brent, even though it would've probably done her better to dump his ass.
She seriously considered running away from Hogwarts more than once since she and Cedric broke up. She had no friends and there was no chance of her getting any new ones because all of Cedric's friends hated her and Cedric was friends with everyone.
She sighed and got up slowly, her limbs aching slightly from sitting in the chair for so long. She briefly caught a glimpse of herself in the window and she cried even more.
She walked slowly up to her dorm, surprised to see Alexis sitting alone and crying. "I thought I saw you leave with Brent," Bridgette said, wiping away her own tears. "That bastard cheated on me!" Alexis exclaimed, crying even more.
"Does it surprise you?" Bridgette spat angrily, though in the end her curiosity got the better of her, "With whom?"
"Some girl from Slytherin...God, I don't even know her name," Alexis mumbled.
"I'm...I'm sorry," Bridgette said, though it took her a moment to realize that she really meant it.
"Yeah well...you're right," Alexis said, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't be surprised."
"Look at us, we're pathetic," Bridgette said, laughing slightly. "I know," Alexis said, wiping at her eyes some more, "You know what? We should go have fun...forget about everything."
"Where? The Yule Ball?" Bridgette asked, sitting down on the bed next to Alexis. "Brent's there with God knows who and Cedric..." she trailed off and swallowed, trying to stop her tears.
"Yeah...he's there with that bitch Cho Chang. She's just using him for the popularity, you know since he's the champion and all," Alexis said.
"Yeah," Bridgette said, smiling a little. "You know what? We should go crash the Ball...let them know we're over them."
"But...we're not," Alexis said, laughing.
"I know," Bridgette said, sighing. Alexis got up a moment later and walked over to her wardrobe, pulling out two dresses, one that Bridgette recognized as hers. They had bought fancy dresses a while back just in case something like this happened. Alexis' was a turquoise halter dress, and Bridgette's was a emerald green spaghetti strapped dress.
"I don't think I can still fit into that, Lexi," Bridgette said, standing up and taking her dress from Alexis.
"Of course you can, you haven't grown any bigger Bridge...if anything you've gotten thinner," Alexis said, looking at her with concern.
"I'm fine," Bridgette mumbled.
"No, you're not...that's it, I'm making you stuff your face tonight," Alexis told her, shoving the dress into her arms.
"Whatever," Bridgette said, pulling off her clothes and getting into the dress, surprised that it was a little loose on her.
"Seriously, when's the last time you ate?" Alexis asked, zipping up her dress.
"Yesterday morning," Bridgette mumbled against her will.
"Bridge! You used to eat like a cow!" Alexis exclaimed, placing a spell on Bridgette's dress so that it shrank to fit her a bit before quickly doing her hair and makeup magically.
"I just...haven't been hungry," Bridgette said, her face paling a little as she saw her reflection.
"Well we're going to fix that," Alexis said, putting a bunch of concealer and powder on her face so that it looked somewhat healthy. In the end, Bridgette's long hair was curled and put into a half ponytail.
Once they were both ready, they went down to the Great Hall. As they entered, most people glared at Bridgette who kept her face low. "Lexi, this was a bad idea...let's go back," she whispered.
"No Bridge, ignore them. Most of them probably don't even know Cedric at all," Alexis said, glaring harshly at a few people.
Bridgette sighed and sat down at a table, looking around the crowd at all the people. She spotted Brent and the Slytherin who she didn't even recognize.
She saw Alexis tense up next to he as Brent looked over at the two of them.
"Just ignore him," Bridgette whispered. "He isn't worth it."
"I'm so sorry for the way I treated you Bridge, I don't know how I could ever pick him over you," Alexis said, tearing up.
"It's ok Lexi, now stop that crying, you'll ruin your makeup," Bridgette said, laughing.
Alexis laughed shakily and sighed, picking up her menu. "God, I'm starving," she said. "Me too," Bridgette replied, picking up her menu but nearly dropping it as she heard the song being played.
"Bridge...what is it? Bridgette?" Alexis asked suddenly as Bridgette paled.
"N-Nothing," Bridgette whispered, her mind wandering to a party in the summer at one of Cedric's friend's house...
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"Mademoiselle Bridgette, may I have this dance?" Cedric asked, extending his hand.
"What would happen if I said no?" Bridgette asked, taking another sip of her martini. She was still getting used to the fact that there was no drinking age in London.
"Then I'm afraid you will be forced," Cedric said, taking the martini from her hand and setting it on the table.
"I was enjoying that you know," Bridgette said, laughing as she was swept into Cedric's arms as the next song started.
Here I am, lost in the light of the moon that comes through my window
Cedric placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer, softly singing the next words in her ear:
Bathed in blue, the walls of my memory divide the thorns from the roses
It's you and the roses
She grinned and set her cheek on his as they swayed to the song, "I love your voice, but I'm sorry, not as much as I love J.D. Fortune's," she told him, laughing softly.
Touch me and I will follow in your afterglow, heal me from all this sorrow, as I let you go I will find my way when I see your eyes, now I'm living in your afterglow
"That's ok, singing isn't really my thing," he said, grinning.
Here I am, lost in the ashes of time, but who wants tomorrow? In between the longing to hold you again, I'm caught in your shadow, I'm losing control. My mind drifts away, we only have today.
"Tell me, Cedric, what IS your thing?" Bridgette asked, grinning up at Cedric.
Touch me and I will follow in your afterglow, heal me from all this sorrow, as I let you go I will find my way, I will sacrifice 'til the blinding day when I see your eyes, now I'm living in your afterglow
"You," he said, leaning down to kiss her.
When the veils are gone...As I let you go...As I let you go...
"I'm your thing?" she asked, giggling before he could kiss her.
Touch me and I will follow, in your afterglow, heal me from all this sorrow, as I let you go
"You're my everything," he said softly.
I will find my way; I will sacrifice...Now I'm living in your afterglow.
"I love you," Bridgette whispered, leaning up and kissing him as the last few chords rang through the air.
Bathed in blue, the walls of my memory, divides the thorns from the roses...It's you who is closest
"I love you, too," he replied, wrapping his arms around her.
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Bridgette had to bite her lip softly to keep from crying as that same song, Afterglow by INXS, reached her ears.
"Bridgette, are you ok?" Alexis asked as Bridgette started to shake with pent up tears. "We can leave if you want."
"Are you sure?" Alexis asked, looking at Bridgette with concern.
"I'm...I'm sure," she replied, smiling weakly.
A few seconds later, as Bridgette was still off in another world, listening to the song, a Ravenclaw walked up to the table and over to Alexis.
"May I have this dance?" he asked. Alexis glanced over at Bridgette who wasn't really paying attention before nodding and standing up.
Bridgette sighed when she realized that Alexis was out having fun while she was stuck at the table, picking at her food.
She gazed out at the dance floor, her heart clenching as she saw Cedric and Cho dancing. His eyes locked with Bridgette's and for a fraction of a second, she thought she saw the look in his eyes...the look he always had when he was with her.
After a second though, it vanished and he looked back down at Cho, smiling at something she said to him.
Bridgette's bottom lip started to quiver as she walked out of the Hall, starting to fully cry once she reached the Hufflepuff common room.
She didn't know why she even went to the stupid thing in the first place.
She went up to her dorm room and fell down onto the bed, shoving her face in her pillow and sobbing.
"Fuck them all," she muttered into her pillow even though she knew no one was around.
She sighed and stood up, wiping her tears. She walked over to the wardrobe and took out pajamas before going into the bathroom to clean herself up.
When she got out she slipped her clothes on before sneaking downstairs to the dormitories to get her book.
She eventually fell asleep in front of the fire, her book on the floor next to her. At around one in the morning, Cedric stumbled into the common room, surprised to see Bridgette there. He didn't know what to do at first.
He moved closer to the couch and gasped as he saw how thin and pale she was.
He had noticed it from afar, but not being this close to her in a long time, he didn't notice HOW thin and pale she was.
He kneeled down beside her and sighed. "I really wish we could have been together," he said, his voice barely audible. "I wish the past could just...be erased."
He sighed and looked around before picking her up gently, noticing that she was a lot lighter.
He carried her up to her dorm and placed her gently on the bed, covering her with the blanket. He hesitantly leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving.
He sighed, leaning against the wall outside of her dorm room once the door was shut.
He knew that it was his fault that she was so thin and pale. He knew that if they were still together, she would be happy and healthy.
He just couldn't get over the fact that she had cheated on him, with that son of a bitch Brent!
"Cedric, what are you doing here?" Alexis asked, walking up the steps.
"She was sleeping on the couch...I brought her up," Cedric mumbled before going down the stairs.
Alexis sighed and went into the room, thankful to find Bridgette sleeping. She went over to the wardrobe and put her own pajamas on before crawling into her bed and falling asleep.