As always, thanks to my incredible beta, FalconHonour. Chapter 4 is now up and beta'd so that's cool too!
The day that the school found out that Colin Creevey had been found in a corridor, petrified, the fear really started to creep in. A cat was one thing, but a person? That was an entirely different matter.
"I'm telling you, Potter has got to have something to do with it!" Draco snapped at dinner one night, "I mean he must've gotten fed up with the kid following him around all the time. Who else would dislike Creevey enough to try and do him in?"
"But Potter isn't related to Slytherin, at least not on the Potter side," Hermione had pointed out, "Don't you remember any of your genealogy lessons?"
"But what about on his Mum's side?" Theo suggested, before Draco could retort, "We never learn about Muggleborns. There could be a Squib descendant of Slytherin somewhere in the Evans family, right?
"You know, everyone's very lucky that I'm not the Heir of Slytherin," Pansy smirked, "I'd set the monster on anyone that annoyed me."
"That's like ninety-nine percent of the school, Pansy," Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Exactly. That's why I said everyone."
"Aw, Pansy, what about us? Would you petrify me?" Daphne asked, batting her eyelashes.
"Debatable," Pansy smirked, as her voice turned into a sing-song. "Depends on whether or not you help me with the History of Magic homework tonight."
"Of course!" Daphne grinned, before continuing solemnly, "Anything for the Heir of Slytherin."
Underneath their joking, however, lay a sense of unease, much like the one that was infecting the rest of Hogwarts. Which was why they'd decided to go to the Dueling Club on the night for the first and second years.
When Gilderoy Lockhart came prancing out onto the stage, Daphne glowered. "I wouldn't have come if I knew it was him teaching this. I thought it would be Flitwick, or maybe Snape."
Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works." He winked at the crowd.
"As if he hasn't made us buy seven of his books already," Draco had snarked under his breath. Hermione stifled a giggle.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry — you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"
"Oh this is wonderful," Pansy said, "Look at Professor Snape. Here comes the curse against the seat of the Professor of Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher! A whole six months early! I could sing!"
The two Professors bowed to one another, although Lockhart's bow was a ridiculous little dance of sorts and Snape's was more of a curt nod. They raised their wands.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart said. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." He took a deep breath. "One — two — three —"
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.
A cheer arose from the Slytherins in the crowd, as Lockhart unsteadily scrambled to his feet, looking rather disheveled.
"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand —" he looked around for his wand, before noticing Lavender Brown waving it in the air, and plucked it from her fingers. "Ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see . . ." Professor Snape looked ready to kill, and Lockhart scrambled to fix his error. "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me —"
They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Draco looked rather gleeful when Professor Snape led Weasley and Potter over towards their little group. "Mr. Malfoy, let's see what you make of the famous Potter. Mr. Nott, you can partner with Weasley. Mr. Zabini, let's put you with Finnigan over there. Miss Hermione Greengrass, I'd like you to go with Miss Parkinson. Miss Daphne Greengrass, let's put you with Miss Abbott, and Miss Weasley, I'd like you to duel Miss Flora Carrow."
"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"
Hermione grinned at Pansy, who smirked back, and they both gave quick bows. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione noticed Harry and Draco barely even nodding at each other. She inclined her head in the direction of the two boys and Pansy started shaking with silent laughter.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents — only to disarm them — we don't want any accidents — one . . . two . . . three —"
Hermione and Pansy leveled their wands at each other.
"Tarantallegra!" Hermione shouted, as Pansy hit her with an "Adher Tempus!"
Hermione giggled as she was frozen in place, unable to move her feet. "Help me out here, Pansy?"
"Fine," said Pansy, glaring at her while doing a rather intricate tap-dance. "Just as long as you can make me stop dancing."
They pointed their wands at each other and shouted, "Finite Incantatem!"
Pansy glowered at Hermione, though it lacked heat. "You're so lucky I'm not the Heir of Slytherin, or I'd absolutely kill you here and now."
Hermione grinned cheekily. "You'd miss me though."
"Debatable."
Suddenly, a green smoke erupted and Hermione started coughing roughly. "What is that?"
She turned towards the source, to see Ron Weasley pointing a wand that was badly taped together at Blaise.
"Circe, Merlin and Morgana, give me strength," Hermione murmured to herself, as she rubbed her temples.
He had kept his broken wand? Seriously? Was Weasley suicidal or something? And then, she heard Professor Snape cry out "Finite Incantatem!"
"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillan. . . . Careful there, Miss Fawcett. . . . Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot — I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.
He glanced at Snape who looked at him, rolling his eyes, as if to say 'Obviously'.
"Let's have a volunteer pair — Weasley and Zabini, how about you —" Blaise looked up, panicked at the idea of having to go against Ron's broken wand again. Sure, this time it had just been green smoke, but with a broken wand? A simple itching hex could potentially make the victim's skin peel off or backfire and do the same to the caster. A stunning spell with a broken wand? That wasn't something anyone wanted to be in the room for.
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Professor Snape, cut in smoothly, looking at Blaise, who looked like he could've cried in relief. "Weasley causes devastation with the simplest spells with that twig he has the audacity to call a wand. We'll be sending what's left of Mister Zabini up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Weasley's face went the same colour as his hair. Professor Snape's eyes scanned the crowd, before settling on Draco. Snape smirked. "How about Malfoy and Potter?"
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing Potter and Draco up on to the platform.
Hermione watched with bated breath as Snape whispered something into Draco's ear, who turned to his godfather with unmasked awe. Meanwhile, Lockhart was wiggling his wand, before he dropped it. "Whoops — my wand is a little overexcited —"
Potter turned to Lockhart, looking nervous. "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?" The second time around was just the same as the first-dropping of the wand included. Lockhart ushered Potter to the center of the platform, where Draco and Professor Snape were waiting. The boys seemed to exchange whispers underneath their breaths, before Lockhart cuffed Potter on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"
The boys walked seven paces away from each other, and turned around, raising their wands.
Lockhart looked on, excitedly. "Three — two — one — go!" he shouted.
Draco raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!" A large black snake burst from the tip of his wand, and landed on the floor with a great thud, it's hood rising, ready to strike. Shrieks erupted throughout the crowd.
"What is he doing?" Hermione hissed to Pansy.
"You haven't figured it out yet?" Pansy snickered. "I think it's quite brilliant on his part."
Professor Snape looked proudly at Draco. "Don't move, Potter," he said, although he made no movement to stop the snake. "I'll get rid of it. . . ."
"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart, leaping into action. He pointed his wand at the snake, and a great bang burst through the air, as the snake shot up ten feet, and fell to the floor with a loud smacking noise. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight towards Justin Finch-Fletchey, a Hufflepuff Hermione sat across from in Charms, and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.
Ever the Gryffindor, Potter ran towards them and then hissed something at the snake.
"He's speaking Parseltongue," Hermione breathed, "Oh Draco, of all the times to test a theory!-" The snake remained poised in the air, seconds from striking. "Is Potter encouraging the snake to attack Justin?"
"Probably, I don't know," Pansy whispered, biting sarcasm lacing her voice, "Sorry, I don't speak Parseltongue."
After a moment of shared terror, the room released its collective breath as the snake collapsed into non-existence with a puff of black smoke as Snape waved his wand.
. Potter looked up at the Hufflepuff boy, grinning.
"What kind of a sick person-" Hermione started, as Pansy let out a truly impressive string of curses. Hermione, too caught up in what had just occurred, didn't even think to admonish Pansy for her language.
"What the Hell do you think you're playing at?" Justin shouted, and before Potter could say anything, he had turned and stormed out of the hall.
Potter looked after him, nonplussed, but Weasley grabbed the dark-haired boy by the back of his robes, and yanked him out of the Hall before he could protest. The students around him rushed away, trampling over themselves to get away from Potter. Draco came down from the platform, his hands shaking, He rushed towards Hermione and Pansy and the others ran to meet him, so that they met in the middle.
"Is Potter-?" Ginny began.
"He's a Parselmouth," Hannah murmured.
"Just like Slytherin. That trait only goes down through families," Theo said.
"Oh Merlin," Hermione murmured, as her hands and feet started going numb. "He's the-"
"Don't say it!" Daphne hissed.
Even Pansy looked worried. "He hates us."
Hannah's breathing turned shallow. "What am I going to do? At least you can all trace your Magical lineage back Merlin knows how far. my Mum's a Muggleborn!"
"You're not to go anywhere alone, Hannah," Pansy snapped.
"None of us should," said Draco, "Pure-blood or not, Potter hates our guts. None of us will be going anywhere alone."
Hannah chewed on her nails nervously as she sat at a table in the library with Ernie MacMillian, Susan Bones, Caroline Purvis and Cedric Diggory. She had come to the library with Hermione, who had wandered off to find a book Justin had recommended in Charms that morning. Their discussion, naturally, focused on the events of the Dueling Club last night.
"So anyway," Ernie said, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggleborn. Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"
"Are you sure it's Potter, Ernie?" Caroline Purvis asked. "I mean, he's seemed alright to me."
"Caroline," said Ernie, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? Herpo the Foul, Ivan the Terrible, even bloody You-Know-Who! They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." He was met with deathly silence. Hannah's hands started shaking. "Remember what was written on the wall?" He continued, seemingly oblivious to the terror he was stoking in each of them, " Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's been attacked. That first year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know — Creevey's been attacked."
"But-he's seemed nice, right?" Caroline sounded like she was trying to convince herself at that point.
"He's not really all that nice," Cedric pointed out, his eyes flashing, "He and his friend Ron Weasley have said some pretty nasty things to Hannah and her friends in Slytherin, especially Hermione Greengrass. I mean, they're the whole reason Hannah and Hermione almost got killed by a troll the Samhain of their First Year,"The whole table nodded their heads, and Hannah flushed. She had told all of her friends in Hufflepuff about the troll incident once she and Hermione had opened up to Cedric and it had spread throughout the house fairly quickly. Between the troll incident involving her and what had just happened to Justin Finch-Fletchey, Hufflepuff was turning on Harry Potter and Ron Weasley pretty quickly.
"And since you're a third year, Caroline, you weren't at our Dueling Club," Susan said. "You should've seen Potter! He was encouraging the snake to attack Justin!"
"But - he can't be Dark, right? I mean, he defeated You-Know-Who?" Caroline asked, albeit weakly.
Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously, and the Hufflepuffs leaned in to catch what he was saying. "No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, he was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that," He dropped his voice even further, until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. I wonder what other powers Potter's been hiding?"
And then, like something out of a horror story, Potter stepped out from behind the bookshelves, clearing his throat. "Hello," said Potter. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."
The table reeled, looking to Ernie, as he knew the most, and Cedric, as he was the oldest.
"What do you want with him?" said Cedric, his voice hard. Hannah almost flinched. She'd never heard her buddy sound so cold before.
"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Potter.
Ernie bit his lip, and took a deep breath. "We were all there. We saw what happened."
"Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Potter.
"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."
"I didn't chase it at him!" Potter said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!"
"It was a very near miss! It would have bitten him if Professor Snape hadn't Vanished it!" cried Ernie.
"And Colin!" Susan interjected, her cheeks flushing . "I was talking to Terry Boot and he said he'd overheard you complaining to your friend Weasley that Creevey was really annoying you with all those pictures. That was right before Creevey got Petrified!
"Before you get any ideas" Ernie added hastily, "I should tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and wizards. My blood's as pure as anyone's, so —"
"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" Potter said fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggleborns? My Mum was one, for Merlin's Sake!"
"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.
"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Potter. "I'd like to see you try it." He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library. Everyone collapsed back into their chairs, letting out a collective sigh of relief.
A second later, Hermione wandered out from the bookshelves, and took a look at the Hufflepuffs, "What did I just miss?"
"Potter was basically threatening Justin outright," Ernie grimaced.
"It's a good job he wasn't here," Susan said, "He'd have wet himself, if not worse. I almost did, and he wasn't even talking to me!"
"I feel really bad for Justin," Hannah mumbled, "He must be really scared. I know I am, and I'm not even a Muggleborn."
"Oh Merlin," Hermione chewed her lip. "Can someone walk me back to the Slytherin dorms? I don't want to go by myself."
"Sure," Cedric volunteered. Hannah caught Hermione's eye, and gave a little wink, causing the Slytherin to blush.
"Thanks."
As they walked out of the library, Cedric turned to Hermione. "I know that you're a Pureblood and all, but with how Potter feels about you, you really shouldn't go anywhere on your own."
"You sound just like Draco, you know that?"
Cedric grinned easily and held up his hands, "We're just looking out for you, that's all." He paused, before nudging her shoulder. "So tell me a little bit about yourself. Hannah's told me quite a bit about the top witch in her class, but I want to hear it from you."
Hermione felt herself blush all the way up to her roots of her hair, as Cedric chuckled. "Well, I like reading, I mean, as you can tell-" she gestured to her bag full of books. In one swift movement, Cedric rolled it off her shoulder and onto his. "Hey! I can carry it just fine!"
Cedric grinned, "I know, but I want to." He gestured for her to continue.
"I think my favourite class is Transfiguration, but I also really like Potions and Charms. My favourite Professor is Professor Snape, but if we're counting outside of Slytherin, maybe Professor McGonagall? Oh, and I think I'd like Defense if we could get a good teacher for once. I mean, between Quirrell and Lockhart, we've not really had the cream of the crop there, so I don't feel like I can accurately judge my feelings on the subject when I've had terrible teachers so far."
"So you're not in love with Lockhart then?" Cedric teased, drawing out the word love. "I thought all of the girls were."
"I mean he's handsome enough, I guess," Hermione shrugged, "Not half as much as he brags to be, though. And besides, what good is a pretty face when there's no brain in his head?"
"Ah, so you like someone of substance then," said Cedric. "What is on the Hermione Greengrass list of traits for an ideal man?" he asked, teasingly.
Hermione burst into laughter. "Cedric!"
When he nudged her pleadingly, she threw up her hands, "Fine! I'll tell you! Well, he'd have to be smart. I'm not going to try and waste my time with somebody who's absolutely stupid. I want someone kind and loyal, and then I guess someone who can make me laugh."
"Short list there, Hermione," Cedric said.
Hermione shrugged, "Not much else matters to me." Her tone turned teasing. "What about you, Cedric?"
Cedric ran his hand through his hair, "Ah, not much. Probably something similar to yours. A girl who's smart and kind and has a good sense of humour."
Hermione grinned, "And you made fun of me for having a short list! Well, now since we've got to be answering the same questions, what are your favourite classes?"
"I really like Defense," said Cedric, "Even though I've only really had one good teacher-Professor Dawlish in my second year. I like Transfiguration loads, too. I like Professor Sprout, even though she isn't my favourite professor, but that's only really because I don't care for Herbology. I'm also pretty good at Charms and Arithmancy."
"Who was your other Defense Professor?" Hermione asked.
"Professor Dubont," Cedric wrinkled his nose, "Who was completely and utterly useless. Bit of a git too-"
"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" The voice of Peeves echoed down the corridors. Hermione and Cedric looked at each other, before running towards the source of the noise.
"Merlin!" Hermione gasped, when they reached the scene. Justin Finch-Fletchey, who had recommended Hermione a book on Bormey-Bells only a couple of hours earlier, was lying on the ground, petrified. The Gryffindor ghost was floating, frozen, and dark grey, instead of the normal bluish hue that he gave off. But the most horrifying part was Potter standing over the two, staring at them. A sob rose in Hermione's throat. Justin was Petrified. Justin, who she sat across from her in Charms. Justin, who was supposed to be safe in the Hufflepuff dorms. Sure, she wasn't close with him, but he was somebody she had known for the past two years, and had been pretty friendly with. It wasn't just an ugly cat that everybody in the castle hated. It wasn't some random Gryffindor first year she'd seen maybe twice. It was Justin. Someone she knew.
Hermione stumbled backwards, and was caught by Cedric.
"He was supposed to be safe in the dorms," she whispered.
"I know," The older boy replied, tightening his arm around her shoulder to keep her steady as the corridor filled with more and more students.
Professor McGonagall came bursting into the hallway, and brandished her wand, causing a loud bang to go through the air. "If you're in class, get back to it!" she shouted, her Scottish accent thicker than normal. "Mister Diggory, Miss Greengrass, you were the first on the scene after Mister Potter?" Cedric nodded. "Please stay here," the woman said briskly, before starting to check Justin's pulse.
As the scene cleared off, Ernie came through the crowds, his face falling as he saw Justin. "Justin!" Ernie shouted, before looking up to see Potter standing over the Hufflepuff's body, his face darkened. "You! Potter! Caught in the act! What did Justin ever do to you? Were you hunting for him in the library so you could attack him? Well?!"
"That will do, Mr. Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.
Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene, with a large grin on his face, breaking into song as the teachers looked over Justin and the ghosts' petrified forms. "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off students, you think it's good fun —"
Another sob rose from Hermione before she could choke it back down.
"That's enough, Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Potter. "Severus," she said, turning to Professor Snape, who was looking on from the back, his face impassive. "Take Mister Potter to the Headmaster's office, and I will ask Miss Greengrass and Mister Diggory what they saw."
Hermione leaned heavily on Cedric as they walked towards McGonagall's office, turning towards the Hufflepuff. "You must think I'm terribly dramatic," her chuckle watery. "It's just that I've known Justin for two years! I mean, not super well, but we've sat across from each other in Charms class! And we were just talking about our favourite books. It was only this morning And part of me can't help but worry if it's going to be Hannah next, I mean, she's not a Muggleborn, but she's a Half-blood, and Potter doesn't like her or me, but at least I'm a Pureblood, and I don't know if the monster can attack Purebloods or not, like I don't know if it knows and if was Hannah? I've known Hannah since I was five! She's one of my best friends? And what if this time she didn't just get petrified? What if she-if she-"
Cedric shushed her gently, "It's okay. I don't think you're being dramatic," he said quietly, "Quite frankly, I think I'm going to start crying too when everything catches up with me. I-just right now, I think I'm in shock." He took a deep breath. "But I promise you, Hannah will be okay. I'll keep the both of you safe. I promise."
Professor McGonagall ushered them into her office, all three collapsing into their chairs as soon as they got there.
"Now please," McGonagall began, "Tell me what you know."
"It started at the Dueling Club. Last night," Hermione said, in a small voice. "The session for the first and second years. My friends and I wanted to go because well, none of us are Muggleborns, but we're all still nervous about it all, you know? And if the Heir was really a blood fanatic, they might try to go after Hannah, since her Mum and Dad's marriage broke up centuries of the Abbotts being all Purebloods, and she's the first Half-blood Abbot. And if the Heir was a blood fanatic, they might view killing Hannah as a way to purify the line again." Hermione shuddered, before pulling herself together. McGonagall didn't need to hear all that. It was just speculation. "Anyway, when we went, Draco and Potter ended up dueling on the platform for a demonstration. When Draco conjured a snake for the duel, Professor Lockhart made it angry by throwing it in the air, and it started going after Justin Finch-Fletchey. And then Potter-he started hissing at it-speaking in Parseltongue, and it looked like-like-"
"Like?" Professor McGonagall gently prompted.
"Like he was encouraging it!" Hermione wiped at her eyes. "And it looked like it was just about to attack and Potter was still hissing at it, and then Professor Snape vanished it. There's still some more, but Cedric knows about it more than I do."
"Lady Magic above," Professor McGonagall murmured under her breath.
Cedric then took over the conversation. "In the library, I was sitting with Susan Bones,Ernie MacMillian and Caroline Purvis. We were talking about all sorts of things, and then Hermione and Hannah turned because Hermione wanted to find a book Justin had recommended to her. She went to find it and the discussion turned to the Chamber of Secrets, and how afraid Justin was of Potter! He'd just told Potter a bit ago that he was a Muggleborn and then Potter turns around and seemingly almost attacks him at the Dueling Club. And then, in the library, Potter came out of nowhere and wanted to know where Justin was. He said he wanted to talk to him about what 'really' happened at the Dueling Club." He sucked in a breath.
"When Ernie told him off, he stormed away. Hermione wanted to go back to the Slytherin common room pretty soon after that,, so I said that I'd walk her back, and when we were halfway there, we heard Peeves shouting. We ran towards where his voice was coming from, and we saw Potter, alone, standing over Justin and Nearly-Headless-Nick."
Professor McGonagall stayed silent for a while. When she spoke, her Scottish accent was thick. "I don't normally take student gossip and hearsay into account. But-you two are model students, and-" She swallowed. "The evidence is only circumstantial, and I sincerely hope that Mr. Potter isn't causing these attacks, but all the same, I'll try and keep an extra eye on him, just in case. Merlin knows that trouble follows him-no, he follows trouble regardless. You two may go back to your common rooms now. Please, try and spread the word to walk in groups or at the very least pairs."
As they walked through the hallways in dead silence, Cedric glanced over at Hermione, who was still leaning against him slightly, her cheek resting against his side, "You know, my favourite place in the whole world is Casiter-on-Sea. Me and my dad go there during the summers. We've gone every year since I was little. It's just him and me, you know? My mum died of Dragon Pox when I was really little, I don't really even remember her. But there's this little cottage right near the beach in Caister, and it's where my Mum and Dad met. They didn't meet at Hogwarts, 'cause my Mum went to Beauxbatons. My Dad says he took one look at Mum and fell in love right then and there. I like to hike up my shorts and wade in the water the moment that we Portkey there. Doesn't matter that I'm not wearing swim clothes. I just like how the water feels, how the waves go in and out. But my favourite thing, I think, is watching the sun rise on the beach. It makes the sky turn all these colours you swear that you'd never seen before-the richest oranges, blues, purples. The lightest of yellows. And everything is absolutely quiet, other than the waves on the shore and the gulls scuttling in the sand. When I was little, I used to chase the gulls all over, trying to catch one of them. I only ever did once-and that was by feeding one of them a little cracker out of my hand. It was a little baby, so it didn't know better yet, wasn't afraid of people yet. And then, once it ate the cracker, it scuttled back over to all the other gulls before they all flew off on a breeze."
The way Cedric described it, Hermione could see the picture he painted, the sunlight on the waves and the grass waving in the dunes. By the end, she was able to walk by herself, her tears subsiding. "Thank you, Cedric," she whispered.
He smiled at her softly. "Anytime, Hermione."
I hope y'all like Cedic, because I think you can see where it's going...I did say that it was a slowburn (sorry, not sorry!) Also, if you're interested in a darker fic, I've posted the first five chapters of 'For His Juliet', although I must warn you it is very dark, and I would advise you to read the tags and disclaimer first before reading the fic.
Reviews always make me so much more motivated, so if you enjoyed it, leave a review!