Okay so here's is Chapter Eight! The start of the year of the Half-Blood Prince! Happy Reading!

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was midday in July but the air held a chill in it, I was getting used to that. Since the Dementors had abandoned their post at Azkaban this had been happening. Remus had told me it was because they were breeding, which was a horrific thought. I mean, what was that even like? I shook my head and glanced around the front garden of the small cottage like house I was now standing in front of. The windows were dark and it looked quite empty but I knew at least one person was inside. I opened the front gate and strolled up the walkway quickly before knocking on the door. It was a long moment before I heard footsteps and it swung open. Louisa looked like she had been doing housework. She was wearing a pair of jeans that were rolled up over her sneakers and they had several more holes in them than was usual. She had on an oversized Weird Sisters t-shirt and her hair was slipping out of the elastic in the back.

"Oh, I was wondering who was coming to get me," She said pleasantly.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I eyed her critically, "I could have been anyone at the door. I could have been Voldemort!"

"Are you?"

"No..."

She shrugged and just turned back into the house, leaving the door open for me to follow her in. I shook my head and just followed her into the hallway, closing the door behind me. I glanced around, it was a cozy little home, I expected it to be filled with the sort of things and older woman enjoys. I didn't know much about her Great Aunt Eliza, but I assumed she would similar tastes to my grandmother. However, the house seemed shockingly empty. Louisa was rummaging through a box on the floor so I moved forward and glanced into a room. The furniture had been covered in sheets and I could see several rectangular and roundish spots on the wallpaper that were slightly different shade from being covered in framed portraits.

"Where's your Aunt?" I asked and turned to look back into the hall.

Louisa looked up from where she was sealing up a box and shrugged, "She left for France, I told you I was sending her away where she'd be safe."

"When did she leave?"

"Day before last."

"And you've been here by yourself?" I accused and shook my head, "Louisa, you realize that everyone, especially known friends of Harry Potter are in a lot of danger right now! You can't be careless."

Louisa put her hands on her hips and gave me a sharp look, "Calm down. I'm fine aren't I? I seriously doubt Voldemort is concerned about the last Black. I'm not even on his radar."

I rolled my eyes, "Speaking of being the last Black... Remus mentioned there was some issue with Sirius' will."

"No, they were just afraid that since he left it all equally to myself and Harry and that Harry wasn't a pureblood that it would default to me sharing half ownership with Bellatrix," Louisa shrugged, "Dumbledore worked it out though. I got a letter a while back telling me it was okay. Harry decided to sent Kreacher to Hogwarts to work."

"Oh... good." I nodded, "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost, I just need to go finish packing my things upstairs. I won't be a moment, I'll meet you out in the garden after I lock up." Then she was climbing the staircase quickly.

I sighed and went back out into the odd chilly air that hung around the cottage. It was overcast here but I was hoping it would be more pleasant weather at the Burrow. It was Harry's birthday so I hoping we could have a good time, maybe even wrangle up enough players for a game of quidditch. I was happy that we were going to be spending the summer at the Burrow, it seemed like it might actually be fun. Ever since Voldemort's existence had been announced once and for all everyone was miserable. Places that were once pleasant and full of life were abandoned. A sense of fear hung in the air all across the country, not unlike that mist that was haunting the air now. I turned when I heard her dragging her trunk down the stairs and waited for her to emerge. Then I felt it.

I shivered and cast and glance around the garden, on the hedge on the far end I could see white glittering frost creeping over the green leaves. The mist was heavier than ever and I felt a sudden sense of dread and hopelessness that I hadn't felt since my sixth year when Dementors were stationed at Hogwarts. Cold was slowly creeping into my stomach and it felt as though frost were flowing through my veins.

I pulled my wand from my pocket, "Louisa, stay inside!"

There were three of them, sweeping out of the trees and toward me. Their tattered black cloaks were drifting along behind them. I was reminded suddenly of the rippling veil that had claimed Sirius Black not very long ago. The same feeling of helplessness and horror filled my chest as I thought about it.

Louisa was in the doorway now and I heard her gasp, "Cedric!"

This snapped me out of the spiral I had been going down. They were almost upon me now, they had crossed the hedge and were mere meters away. I raised my wand and tried to muster up the happiest thought I could, "Expecto Patronum!"

The silvery bear leapt from the tip of my wand and bounded toward the two closest of my attackers. The ghost like figures were suddenly rushing back away from it's grasp. I was so busy watching it's progress that I didn't remember the third until it's skeletal hands were reaching out for me. My insides were doused in icy water. I was watching my friend fall back through the veil, the laughter dying from his face and replaced with fear. I was watching the green light leap from the tip of Volemort's wand and hearing Louisa's scream as she threw herself forward between the spell and Harry.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I couldn't muster up quite enough happy for a full fledged patronus but the silvery beam that shot out knocked it back enough for me to get my bearings. I stumbled and raised my wand, struggling to push the horrible thoughts out of my head, but Louisa beat me to it.

"Expecto Patronum!" Her voice cut through the terrible sounds in my head and suddenly a misty wolf was charging at the cloaked figure.

"Louisa!" I ran forward quickly and grabbed her arm quickly, "Hold on!"

I had never Apparated with a passenger before, but it wasn't that bad. Now when I was being pushed through the tight rubber tube there was just the feel of hands gripping my arm tightly and a slight pull backward, but I stayed focused. I opened my eyes to the all too welcome sight of the topsy turvy home of the Weasleys'. I looked at Louisa, she was still holding my arm tightly and she was white as a sheet. I had a feeling she had felt the rather strong effect of the Dementors as well. My sixth year at Hogwarts I hadn't experienced more than the typical sense of eternal dread and cold that came with their presence. I guess I didn't have enough horrible memories then to make me appetizing to them. Now I had a few, and now I understood why Harry probably fell off his broom during that quidditch match. That was such a bad win.

I knocked on the door quickly and was surprised to see that it was Remus who answered it, it took him less than moment of looking at us to realize what had happened, "Come in, sit down. Molly we need chocolate."

All of them were sipping on tea and looking up at us in surprise. I had heard that Fleur and Bill were engaged but I was a bit surprised to see her sitting there. She seemed to be almost sitting in his lap at this point. I wondered if she remembered asking me to the Yule Ball, I wondered if she remembered Ron asking her to the Yule Ball. I glanced at Louisa as we were ushered into chairs by a concerned Mrs. Weasley. She was pressing several chocolate frog packages into our hands.

"What happened dears?"

"I was picking Louisa up so she could be here for Harry's birthday. Dementors attacked us." I told her and nibbled on the candy, surprised at how quickly it seemed to help, "Happy Birthday Harry."

"I used magic," Louisa said suddenly, "I'm not going to have to go to court am I?"

"Her trunk got left behind," I remembered suddenly.

Remus nodded, "I'll fetch your things Louisa. Don't worry, I'm sure Dumbledore will handle it. The ministry knows that Dementors are out and about, the new Minister of Magic will have no problem with you defending yourself. Particularly when you're so close to being of age."

Louisa nodded and seemed to relax as Remus popped away to go get her things. It didn't take long until we were both feeling better and the conversation turned to much more pleasant things. Fleur kept going on and on about wedding plans, which was obnoxious, and while Ron seemed rapt all of the girls were clearly annoyed. I didn't find it very interesting to be honest. Sure, Fleur was beautiful, but I had always found her very shallow. I thought she put way too much stock in her own beauty, I wondered if people would be as prone to like her when she was a wrinkled and elderly woman. I had never particularly fallen for her charms either, I had felt the affects of her veela blood when she was trying to ask me to the ball, but now I was very unimpressed. I glanced at Louisa who made a face at me behind her hand as Fleur was discussing flowers and stroking Bill's cheek. I snorted and tried to cover it up as a cough, but I think Fleur caught on because she was looking at me, but at least she was smiling.

"Are you talking about marriage yet Ced-reek?" She asked and glanced at Louisa pointedly.

"What do you mean?" I asked dumbly, handing Ron the collector's card from my chocolate frog so he could decide if he wanted it or not.

"Oh yes, tell us how you two are doing," Mrs. Weasley jumped on the topic, "I always said that you two would be such a great couple. A very handsome couple! Any plans after Louisa finishes her final year? Don't feel the need to rush into things though, it's perfectly fine to take it slow." She gave Bill a very meaningful look before turning back to us.

We both blinked at her for a long moment. She was so enthusiastic and looking from one to the other with a very pleased expression on her face. I had honestly forgotten how many people thought Louisa and I were an item. Ever since Sirius died we hadn't really had anyone point it out. Without Sirius and the twins around constantly to act super protective over Louisa and give me scrutinizing looks I had let it slip my mind. It was to be expected I guess, especially after I kissed her in front of the half the school last year.

"No!" Louisa laughed suddenly, "Are you kidding? Cedric and I aren't a couple. Never have been," she shook her head as if this was a truly absurd idea.

"But that kiss..." Ginny said, "I saw it, in the Great Hall... it was a great kiss."

Louisa snorted, "Cedric did that to make Umbridge angry, that's all."

"Yeah," I agreed uncomfortably. It had been a good kiss, I did want to go out with Louisa, but it was becoming more and more obvious that the thought had never even crossed her mind. So I suddenly became very interested in the fraying seam in my trousers. I pulled at it absently and forced myself to keep my expression blank as I felt several pairs of eyes on me.

"Oh come on, you guys never even thought about it?" Ron rolled his eyes, "I mean... it's pretty obvious. You can tell us you know, it's it's not like we're going to try to get you fired or anything Cedric."

"Not worried about that, we're not dating," I cleared my throat, "So how's your sister, Fleur?"

"Very excited for ze wedding," Fleur started off again, "Gabrielle and Geenny will be bridesmaids. Zey will look so nice togezer. I'm still deciding on colors for ze dresses..."

Ginny and Hermione and sighed and exchanged an annoyed look. Harry was just eyeing the collector's card I had given Ron and Mrs. Weasley looked very defeated as she listened to her future daughter in law talk. I felt her gaze before I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. Louisa was eyeing me, and I tried to not look up. In the end I couldn't hold out for long, I could feel those dark eyes boring into the side of my head and I shifted uncomfortably for a few moments before I gave in. I turned and met her questioning gaze, she frowned at me before standing and starting upstairs. No one seemed to notice her departure, or just didn't think anything of it. I groaned inwardly and got up after a few minutes and followed her up the stairs. She was in Percy's old room where Remus had left her trunk. She was sitting on the bed when I got there and I sighed at her look.

"What is it?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"I can tell something's up Cedric, I would rather you just told me!" She huffed and looked at me expectantly.

"Fine," I closed the door, "Fine fine fine..." I rubbed my suddenly clammy palms on the front of my pants, "I have thought about dating you, Louisa. Not very seriously at first. I mean I was clueless for the longest time. Even when Cho pointed it out, when everyone thought it... I was so thick. Well, that kiss... er... it cleared things up." I was a blabbering buffoon.

She stared at me, "I... don't know what to say."

"Exaclty," I rolled my eyes, "That's why I didn't bring it up, because it's laughable to you!"

"No, it's not..." She shook her head, suddenly blushing, "It's not Cedric. I'm sorry. I just... never thought about it. I always thought you and I were friends. Listen, I don't think we could... be more."

"Why not?"

"Well, you are an Assistant Professor at Hogwarts again..."

"Dumbledore made it clear that nobody would care," I said simply, "Next reason."

"It still wouldn't be the best idea!" Louisa said defensively, "I just... I don't know it's such a weird idea for me." She shook her head, "I don't think it's a realistic idea. I think we'd end up regretting it."

"Okay, great," I had always expected as much, but it still stung, "Let's go back downstairs then."

Things didn't exactly go back to normal between the two of us right away after that little talk. I was determined not to let it change how I acted around her, but it would be a lie to say that it didn't. I was still plenty friendly with her, but I kept more distance. Gone were the days of putting an arm around her shoulders or sitting close to her at the table. I was trying to forget what her hair smelled like, about the times spent pouring over copies of the Quibbler with her head on my shoulder... all of it. It was Louisa that the others noticed. She was being much more polite around me, it was a different sort of distance. Fortunately after a few days she was starting to act more like herself. That didn't stop Ginny and Hermione from talking quietly to one another and giving us curious looks.

By the time we went shopping for everyones school supplies in Diagon Alley we were as close to normal as I hoped to expect. Mrs. Weasley was a nervous wreck the entire time, even with Hagrid there as extra protection. So when it came up it seemed unlikely that she would let us split up into groups to get the shopping done more efficiently. It took some urging but eventually she let Ron, Harry, and Hermione go to get new robes with Hagrid while we all went to Flourish and Blotts. Louisa finished her book shopping fairly quickly and we both went out to continue on our way. I hadn't been to Diagon Alley for a while, I wasn't surprised by it's appearance, but it was still eerie to me.

Mostly everything was boarded up and it was shockingly deserted with the upcoming school year. The people that were there were walking around quickly and jumping at every sound or shift in the breeze. Louisa finished her shopping quickly, I knew she was probably eager to visit Fred and George at their shop. Still, we waited on the others to catch up with us before we started in that direction. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was the only shop in Diagon Alley that didn't seem like it was trying to hide. Quite the opposite. If a building could scream and jump around this would be that building.

"U-NO-POO..." Louisa breathed and covered her mouth quickly to try and stifle a laugh.

I let myself chuckle silently and shook my head. Well, they certainly didn't disappoint. I hurried through the door after Louisa, definitely curious to see what all they had come up with since they left school. The time we spent perusing the shelves of the shop was the closest we had been to the way we were before. Louisa had been given a very warm greeting from the twins and told everything she wanted would be half price. She just shook her head and started to shop happily. She looked up when they were showing Hermione and Ginny their assorted love potions.

Louisa rolled her eyes, "Why do you assume only girls would want love potions? Guys would probably use them too. I mean Ron would probably use some on Fleur." There was a snicker from Ginny and the twins, "Oh, I'm kidding Ronald!"

"That's definitely true Lou," George agreed with her.

"Come to think of it none of you ladies get to purchase any of the potions. I'm sure you don't need it." Fred bowed her dramatically.

"Especially since Ginny is blowing through boyfriends like their nothing," Ron noted bitterly and his sister punched him in the arm.

After that I spent my time in the back room with the more serious Weasley products helping Louisa pick some out. I was sure Filch would find a way to ban them, but I had a feeling Louisa wouldn't care. I didn't really care either. However, Fred and George were still giving me strange suspicious looks as I leaned over to examine something Louisa had picked up. Clearly they were still under the impression that we were secretly dating. This time their looks and assumptions made me more uncomfortable than ever before. I tried to ignore them though. Apparently Harry, Ron, and Hermione disappeared for a spell but claimed to have been in the back room with us. It was later at the Burrow that we got the explanation. I personally agreed with Ron and Hermione that it seemed unlikely.

Everyone was pretty busy with the start of year once we were back at school. Harry had, of course, given us all a scare by getting bested by Draco Malfoy on the train. I remained uncertain about his theories concerning Malfoy. It came as a surprise to everyone that Snape had finally succeeded in becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at last. I was mostly just happy that Louisa and I were back on such good terms. She was in her final year though so she was actually quite busy, but she seemed okay. All traces of her short breakdown at the end of last term seemed to be gone. She still got that sad look in her eyes when she thought about Sirius, or he was mentioned. Which was understandable. Otherwise she seemed mostly back to being herself.

I was also pretty busy with most of my classes. So I had to make plans to meet her in the Room of Requirement for her to fill me in on Harry's first lesson with Dumbledore. I understood the significance of this to Louisa. It wasn't just Voldemort's history but the story of her ancestry as well. It was definitely... disturbing. The fact that he was conceived while his father was under the influence of some sort of love potion or spell was interesting. That couldn't lead to a healthy child, certainly that must have some negative side effects besides a dead beat dad and a crazy mother. In the meantime Louisa's seventeenth birthday came and went. She insisted I not get her anything, I think that was partially due to our discussion at the Burrow. I felt especially bad about it since I knew that, much like the clock at the Weasley's Harry's and my hands were stuck on Mortal Peril, and Sirius was still on Lost.

I expected the first visit to Hogsmeade to be very relaxing, I was ready to get away from my classes. I enjoyed teaching but for some reason the hoards of giggling and blushing girls in them seemed to have increased and gotten worse. They lingered after class, they got there early. They would ask me questions rather than Professor Flitwick, or McGonagall even though it was really their class. Several girls had insisted I help them with their flying technique when I helped Madam Hooch teach the first years how to fly. Maybe it just got on my nerves more this year because I knew I was in a situation of unrequited feelings with a girl. Still, walking through the cold and the snow with Louisa to the Three Broomsticks was great. I was able to forget that she didn't want to be with me, and just enjoy her company as we trudged along with our scarves wrapped tightly around our necks and gloved hands in our pockets.

Of course then we found out that Mundungus had been stealing from Grimmauld Place. Louisa didn't seem too concerned, she was annoyed certainly, but she insisted that she knew Sirius had never liked that stuff much. Still, it irked me. I mean Sirius had been nice to Mundungus and he was just stealing from his daughter and godson now? It was despicable and it took until I was almost finished with my butterbeer to get rid of that feeling. We left the trio in the pub to go look around in some of the shops before starting back up the path toward the school.

"So, Harry still thinks Malfoy is a Death Eater?" I asked as we walked, I glanced back through the blowing snow and saw that the closest people were two students a ways behind us so I wasn't worried about being overheard.

"Yes," Louisa shrugged, "I think he might be on to something."

"What?" I blinked at her in surprise.

Louisa shrugged, "Who is to say that Voldemort wouldn't resort to using a teenager. Draco is in Hogwarts, which is ideal, and he's a Malfoy. It might be partially as a punishment for Lucius Malfoy messing up at the Ministry and losing the prophecy."

"So you think Draco is seriously going to be a Death Eater?" I just couldn't picture it.

"I don't know, Malfoy is awful. He's a bully, but behind it all he's not 'evil' so to speak. I think he desperately wants to be evil, but at the end of the day I don't think Malfoy is a murderer." Louisa said thoughtfully, "He'll probably end up like my uncle Regulus and defect."

I guess I saw her point. I always thought of Malfoy as a coward, and he did do an awful lot of showboating. It would make sense that all of that was him trying to live up to the family legacy. I still had a hard time imagining that he would be trusted by Voldemort, but maybe that wasn't the point. Maybe it was like Louisa said and this was more of a punishment. Maybe he didn't expect Draco to actually succeed at whatever he had asked him to do. There was a bloodcurdling scream from behind us and we stopped dead and spun around. One of the two figures I had seen walking behind us earlier was rising into the air with her arms raised and screaming in either terror or agony.

"Cedric!" Louisa gasped and gripped my arm.

I nodded and started running to help them pull her down, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other girl were trying to pull Katie Bell down. She collapsed quite suddenly and I helped to lower her down onto the ground where she lay quite motionless. Her friend was hysterically trying to explain what had happened, it became obvious she had been cursed by whatever was in that package.

"I'll send for help," I said quickly and pulled out my wand, "Expecto Patronum!" The bear leapt out of my wand and went bounding up in the direction of Hagrid's hut. I pulled my scarf off and gathered up the necklace carefully before the others could risk it.

"Careful..." Louisa urged me anxiously and leaned over Katie Bell again.

Hermione was trying to calm down her friend as Hagrid came racing through the snow, "Hagrid, she's been cursed by something." I told him quickly and he looked at her prone form in shock for a moment before he carefully scooped her up out of the snow and started toward the castle. I was right at his heels with the object in question, they would probably need it to help figure out what sort of curse it was. Plus, it definitely wasn't something that needed to be left laying around for someone else to get hurt.

After I gave my testimony of McGonagall she went to speak to the other students and I joined up with Louisa again. She was walking and looking very anxious, so I didn't speak, I just walked with her. I was also wondering what she was thinking. What happened to Katie was awful, and it certainly left me feeling helpless. I hadn't been able to help her, and suddenly I was very worried about our safety here. Suddenly Hogwarts didn't seem so formidable, plus Dumbledore was gone a lot of the time. I glanced at Louisa and felt fear grip me. It could have been her, what if she had been the one to go to the bathroom at the wrong time and come back with a cursed object? What if she hadn't survived it.

I looked up and saw we were standing at the entrance to the Room of Requirement, I didn't say anything and just followed her inside. It looked like it did when we used it last time, it looked like a cozy living room full of couches and cushions with a fire roaring in the fire place and bookshelves lined with interesting titles. Louisa went and fell onto one of the sofas looking exceptionally troubled. This was the first time in a while that I was worried about what Dumbledore had said, that she would lose confidence in herself.

I sat down next her, "I'm sure Katie will be okay. Madam Pomfrey is the best, and I don't think she touched much of it..."

"Yes, you're right." Louisa nodded, "Katie will be okay, she's strong. I wish you hadn't picked that thing up though! With a scarf Cedric? You could have been killed if it slipped!"

I blinked at this reaction, "I... I had to do it. I could exactly let Harry or the others handle it..."

She was giving me very strange look that was a mixture of anger and fear, then she grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me. The flaming butterflies were exploding in my chest, filling my whole body with heat. It had been a while since I had smelled the honey and lavender from her hair and I was careful to breath it in, because I had a feeling this wouldn't last.

I was right.

Louisa pulled away from me, her eyes were wide with fear and surprise, "Cedric. I'm sorry... I can't. I really can't. You deserve better than... I'm sorry!"

I swallowed and stood up quickly as she made a dash for the door, "Louisa!"

She paused with her hand on the handle, "Cedric, please. Just... please. Can we just, be the way we were? That's what I need! I need my best friend not... a boyfriend."

I struggled to come up with something to say as she wrenched the door open and nearly ran out. The door closed behind her so that I couldn't hear her hurried steps in the corridor and I groaned and just fell back onto the sofa. I felt so deflated. For half a second I had thought that it could be simple, that we were going to be together. Of course it wasn't, nothing had been simple since I had met Louisa. It had been action packed and confusing and challenging... the only thing that had ever been easy was in those rare moments of contentment. Like when we were curled up on the dusty old sofa at Grimmauld place. Suddenly that seemed like an impossibility now, there would be too much pressure in those little moments, too much expectation.

I could hope though, she had kissed me, she had seen me handle a dangerous artifact and it had sparked something in her. Something that, like me, she hadn't realized before then. I knew my realization had come quite suddenly, it had hit me like a hex to the chest, and I had gotten fair warning from Cho. Louisa had only thought about it for a few months after our talk over the summer. I was an idiot, and Louisa was complicated. I should have known that it would never be like it had been with Cho or any other girl. Louisa had too many dark secrets weighing on her. The thought that I deserved better was laughable, but it proved that Dumbledore had known what he was talking about when he had warned me about this. Louisa was still under the impression that her blood was somehow tainted by evil. I didn't know what to do anymore, and the one person I would normally ask I couldn't.