Here is the ninth chapter! Happy Reading!

CHAPTER NINE

I wouldn't say that I necessarily forgot that Voldemort had returned, but it was in the back of my mind. The Earth was still turning, and Hogwarts was still Hogwarts. In fact, despite the looming darkness on the edge of everyone's thoughts this seemed to be the year of romance... or at least drama. Ron was suddenly snogging Lavender Brown all over the school, it was not tastefully done but to each his own. Hermione had seemingly stopped talking to Ron altogether. It was pretty easy to guess why, though I had never pictured them as a couple. They bickered too much, but then again I hadn't exactly fallen for the girl everyone thought I would either. Ginny and Dean Thomas were still a thing, though from what I could tell they weren't very blissful at the moment. Harry didn't seem to be interested in anyone, but that didn't stop almost the entire female student population from being interested in him. There was genuine concern that he was going to drugged with a love potion, I even heard a few girls talking about it in the halls. It seemed Fred and George had found ways to smuggle their banned products into the school for students in need. Fortunately Harry seemed to have escaped it so far.

It didn't occur to me that I might need to be keeping an eye on my food as well. Sure, the girls in my classes would giggle and blush around me but that wasn't completely unexpected. I could never really deny I was handsome, plus I was only nineteen so a fair bit younger than any of their other professors. I figured this was how Gilderoy Lockhart had felt his year here, except he had probably enjoyed it whereas I was growing more and more uncomfortable. I only helped with first and second year students, but the third years I had taught last year didn't seem to want to move on. Constantly they were arriving in my little office to ask me questions or give me presents. I saw 'Mrs. Diggory' scribbled on the margins of many a textbook as a passed, but still, these girls were thirteen at the oldest. It seemed unlikely that they would take it beyond an innocent crush. Or at least that's what I thought until one afternoon I was sitting in my office and grading some homework that had been turned in for Charms. That was part of my job, helping the professors with their workload. They were so quiet that I didn't hear them enter, and had clue they were there until they were right in front of my desk.

This was easily one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Three third year girls I recognized from my classes last year were standing as close to the desk as they dared with huge eager smiles on their faces. None of them spoke, they just stared and didn't seem to be blinking. It was enough to make me wonder if girls did blink, maybe I had just assumed that they did all these years. Oh, never mind, the girl on the right just blinked. I cleared my throat and leaned back in my chair, still a little bit alarmed.

"Can I help you... er..."

"Siobhan, Melanie, and Kate, remember? From last year?" The one to the left said enthusiastically.

I nodded, "Of course... is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Kate said, "We just thought that you were working really hard this year."

"And we never got to tell you how brave it was to stand up to Umbridge last year, it was amazing," Siobhan nodded eagerly.

"Then what you did at the Ministry of Magic! I mean, you almost died right!" Melanie let out a very dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, and we thought you could use a treat," Siobhan added quickly and Kate held up the box of sweets.

"We got them from Honeydukes on our first visit," Kate told me proudly.

"The one where you practically saved Katie Bell's life!" Melanie exclaimed happily.

"Anyway, we thought you deserved something special Professor Diggory." Kate set the box on my desk, "They are really good."

"Oh, thank you... ladies." I said awkwardly and eyed the package, "That was very kind." I looked at the clock and couldn't help a relieved sigh, "Almost time for dinner, you had best start down to the Great Hall."

"Aren't you going to try some of them?" Siabhan said a little too earnestly.

"Of course, I love Honeydukes," I assured her, "However, I think I will save them for later, after the feast." They all beamed at me before they turned and nearly raced out of the room, they didn't close the door and I heard them snickering loudly as they left.

"I think he'll eat mine first!"

"No! He's going to eat mine and fall in love with me!"

"You? No way!"

I slid the package off my desk and into the wastebasket, "Girls... are insane." I decided and shook my head.

On my way down to the Great Hall I was stopped by another group of girls, only from this years' class, who were desperately confused about the very simple homework. I sighed and started to explain it to them as quickly as I could, trying to urge them to move along for dinner when a friendly voice called out to me.

"I'm sure you girls can handle it," I told them and turned with relief to where Cho was approaching.

She smiled and watched the girls walked away looking quite dejected, "You looked very uncomfortable. I thought I should save you."

"Thank you," I nodded, "I don't know what's gotten into the girls this year. They've all gone mad. Most of them anyway... I'm pretty sure there is a box of sweets in my office that are heavily dosed with love potions."

Cho laughed, "Oh, what a hard life it must be."

I laughed and shook my head as we started walking toward the great hall. We were able to chat pretty pleasantly, I hadn't really spoken to Cho much since we broke up, mostly we talked about Quidditch and her hopes for the Ravenclaw team to win this year. I wasn't so sure, Harry seemed to have put together a pretty solid team and Ron seemed to have gotten over his nerves.

"Yeah well, I'm holding out for Hufflepuff," I told her, "I wish we could have played my last year, but with the tournament..." I shrugged.

"I'm sure you would have won, you were a great captain." Cho told me and I smiled at her.

We were in the Entrance hall now and suddenly I saw Cho look past me and get a very odd look on her face, "I'll see you around Cedric," she said suddenly and rushed off into the Great Hall where students were gathering.

I looked in the direction she had and saw only Louisa standing with Hermione, Louisa gave me an irritated look and stormed off into the Great Hall as well. I blinked and moved over to Hermione to inquire as to what exactly was wrong with Louisa.

"You really can't guess?" Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently, "She saw you talking with Cho, having a great time. She's jealous."

I couldn't hold back the wave of triumph I felt at these words, "Oh..." then suddenly it was replaced with impatience, "But, she's the one who doesn't want to date me!"

"Just because that's what she says doesn't mean thats what she is feeling," Hermione shook her head and just walked away.

I groaned inwardly, all the girls had gone mad. Why should she be jealous of me talking to Cho! I hadn't dated Cho for ages! I had tried to ask her out, I had wanted to date Louisa. It wasn't my fault she was determined not to date me! Sure she'd kiss me randomly and run off talking about me deserving better. Better than what? Now after that little speech of just needing a friend she was going to get angry at me when I spoke to other girls? All the girls this year were insane. I determined that the House elves must be slipping some sort of crazy potion into the pumpkin juice.

March first rolled around and I got up and started down toward the Great Hall for breakfast. I was stopped suddenly by a student who had a note from Professor Slughorn. I had started helping him some with his classes because he had asked, but mostly that entailed me cleaning up after disastrous concoctions. I hadn't really spoken to him much, so I assumed he wanted to talk to me about taking on more duties in the classes. I couldn't imagine what else he could possibly have to say. So I went down to his office in the dungeon, ignoring the early morning hunger and just hoped it would be a quick conversation.

"Oh hello Cedric, my boy!" Slughorn beamed at me when he answered the knock at his door, "Come in, come in... I've been wanting to speak with you."

I moved into the room and was ushered into a chair, "Is it about the classes professor?"

"No, nothing like that, certainly not," He paused, "You should have a drink! Not too early for a nip. I have some great mead, from the Three Broomsticks... oh dear. It was meant to be a Christmas present for Dumbledore," He frowned at the bottle, "Well... I suppose it's a bit too late now. We can enjoy it can't we?"

Before I could object he had poured me a goblet and pushed it into my hand, he himself poured a drink but did not start drinking. I could tell that there was something very specific on his mind that he wanted to ask me about. Maybe he wanted to know more about Harry? I couldn't imagine why he would want to talk to me, I wasn't nearly as close to Harry as I was to Louisa. She was probably the only reason I spent as much time with him as I did.

"I was wondering about your friend, or at least I've been told you're very close, Louisa Black." Slughorn said pleasantly, "I tried inviting her to several of my dinners but she never came! Didn't even come to my party. She's a decent hand at potion making though, a sight better than most I'd say. Certainly no genius but definitely a talent."

"Louisa is a very bright witch. She's good at every subject she takes... except for Divination," I sighed, figuring that's what he wanted to know, her grades.

"Oh, interesting, I'm sure, very bright girl," Slughorn nodded a bit impatiently, "I just can't shake how familiar she is, she reminds me very much of someone I taught... I just can't place my finger on who. She doesn't look much like Sirius either so that can't be it. I was wondering if you knew if her mother went to Hogwarts in my day?"

This seemed like an odd conversation, "Uh, no, Marie Randall went to Beauxbatons. Her grandmother went here though."

"Oh, maybe that's it! Randall... Randall... it doesn't ring any bells. I would definitely remember it I would think, maybe not after all. What about her grandfather?"

I swallowed suddenly, this conversation had gone to a bad place very quickly, "I think he was French." I said but had a thought. I had seen a photograph once that Louisa had taped on the inside of her trunk, in the photo was a older woman with blonde hair and green eyes standing with her arm around a teenage girl in the powder blue silk Beauxbaton uniform. I knew it to be Jane and Marie Randall in the picture. Where Jane was fair Marie had been dark, with the same dark thick and silky hair that Louisa had. The same dark expressive eyes, the same features with only varied differences. Features she hadn't inherited from the Randall side of the family. I had the very sick feeling that I knew exactly who Louisa reminded Slughorn of, one of his favored students in his old days. Tom Riddle. I felt a sense of protectiveness flair up inside me, I didn't have anything against Slughorn but he was very talkative.

"Yes, he was French," I said more confidently, he looked disappointed so I took a small sip of the mead to be polite and stood, "I must get to breakfast. I'll talk to you later Horace."

I cleared my throat against an odd scratching sensation that had suddenly developed but thought little of it. It seemed as though Slughorn was about to object when there was a knock at the door and I turned and hurried over, "Oh look Professor, it's Harry. I'll leave you two to it."

I turned hurried out past a worried looking Harry, I noted that Ron looked rather dreamy but as I hurried off my coughing drowned out whatever they were saying. I rubbed my throat and let out another hacking cough as I pulled back a tapestry and started up the winding staircase of a shortcut when I had to stop. I coughed desperately as if attempting to dislodge something from my throat. I put my hand on the stone wall to steady myself. I was finding it very difficult to breath and each cough sent burning pain down into my chest. Something was wrong, I moved to get up the stairs quickly but another spell of coughing made me stumble. I lost my footing altogether and felt myself falling backward, then all was darkness.

"He's waking up!" A voice said quickly, "Someone get Madam Pomfrey!"

I opened my eyes slowly and blinked at the bright sunlight that was streaming pleasantly through the windows of the hospital wing. I turned to my right and saw Ron was sitting up against some pillows in the bed next to me, he looked a bit pale and weak but he gave me an amused smile. Harry and Hermione stood on the opposite side of his bed while Ginny was perched on the foot of it. They were all looking at me curiously.

"So, you drank some of Slughorn's mead too?" Ron asked amiably.

I nodded slowly and moved to sat up, I felt very weak but otherwise I seemed okay, then Madam Pomfrey was bustling over. She helped wedge some more feather pillows behind my back and insisted I drink a potion that she pushed into my hands. I drank it slowly, knowing they were all watching me, when I had finished and my mind had cleared somewhat I turned to them, "What happened?"

"The mead was poisoned," Harry said, "Ron took a gulp and nearly died."

"Harry saved me with a bezoar." Ron said cheerfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes at them, "Madam Pomfrey said that you had a much smaller amount, but Louisa didn't find you until breakfast was nearly over! Mostly they were worried about your head after you fell, but she fixed you up okay."

"Oh..." I glanced around suddenly at the mention of Louisa, but she wasn't there, "Louisa found me?"

"Yeah," Ginny said quickly, "She should be by any second. She has been here almost all night worrying about you... both."

"Dumbledore wanted to speak with her, probably about what happened," Hermione told me.

"We think the mead was meant for Dumbledore," Harry added, "Probably the necklace too."

"He said it was supposed to be Dumbledore's Christmas present," I noted tiredly.

"All right, all of you out, they need to rest!" Madam Pomfrey reappeared and ushered our visitors out.

Ron seemed just as weak as I felt, as soon as they had left he was snoring with his mouth wide open beside me. I smiled and shook my head, closing my eyes, I was awfully tired. When I woke I felt a weight sitting on my bed, and I could still hear Ron snoring softly beside me. I opened my eyes and rubbed at them to look up at Louisa. She was perched on the edge of the mattress and she smiled down at me.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," She greeted softly so as not to wake Ron up.

I smiled, "I was never in any real danger," I told her, "This was all a plan to get you to talk to me again."

"You're an idiot."

"Worked didn't it?" I grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile broadly back.

"You're still an idiot."

"Does this mean I'm forgiven for whatever it was you were cross with me about?"

Louisa's cheeks turned a bit pink and she looked down to pick a bit of lint off of her skirt. I thought vaguely back to two years ago when I had thought of her as not being a great beauty, pretty as the best of times. I had been right about the potential though. It seemed that for no real reason every year she was growing more and more attractive. There was no real discernible difference, but everyone noticed it. Louisa had gone from pretty to breathtaking in a few short years. I looked down at where her hand was laying on the sheets close to my own, her pale elegant fingers tucked into a fold of fabric. Those horrible white words on the back of her hand from last year were still as bright as ever. I doubted they would ever fade away. I didn't consider what I was doing, I just slid my fingers into hers and smiled.

"Cedric..." She started to object suddenly but I tightened grip ever so slightly.

I shook my head, "I'm wounded, humor me."

Louisa couldn't help a grin at that and she stopped trying to pull away, we sat like that until Ron woke up and she needed to leave to study. I let her hand go begrudgingly and just leaned back as she left, I was feeling significantly better now. I would be an idiot to expect a little hand holding meant that she had suddenly decided that it would be okay to be with me, but hey, it didn't hurt.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Ron looked at my quizzically, "You look like someone slipped you some love potion."

"No, I'm fine. I don't eat everything in sight like some people," I quipped and he laughed.

"You're all right Diggory, I take back most of the mean things I said about you when the tournament was going on."

"Brilliant, that's all I ever wanted, was your acceptance," We laughed again then the conversation moved on to quidditch.

"I saw him."

I had been released from the hospital wing and was walking down by the lake with Louisa, enjoying the warming climate.

"What do you mean?" I asked absently and glanced out over the black lake.

"Tom Riddle. My great grandmother too," Louisa bit her lip, "Dumbledore has been showing me the memories. Harry doesn't know, he wouldn't understand why..."

I looked at her and nodded slowly, "Why did Dumbledore want to show them to you?"

"He says it will be good for me to have seen it too, so I can help Harry properly," Louisa nodded and then stopped, looking at me, "Is it wrong that I was curious? I know he's evil and horrible but... I wanted to know."

I stopped as well and put my hands in my pockets, shifting thoughtfully, "No, I don't think it's wrong. I just think it's natural to want to know about things like that," I shrugged, "I once spent a summer going through all of my family history. It didn't mean anything much to me, I just wanted to know where I came from."

"I look like him. Mum and I... we took after him." She looked up suddenly, "Before he got scary looking."

"Obviously," I grinned, "That doesn't matter Louisa."

"He was likable. All of his professors adored him, he was a prefect, he must have just seemed like..."

"Like me?" I interjected, thinking to what she had said the first time this had come up.

"Well, yes, except secretly evil." Louisa reasoned.

"And not nearly as handsome right?" I smirked.

She laughed and we started walking again, "My great grandmother wasn't bad. She didn't mean harm I don't think. She was abused and desperately in love with an idea. I think she just wanted to be happy, she didn't go about it the right way."

"Makes sense, unrequited love can certainly make someone act crazy," I shrugged and just looked ahead when she gave me a sharp look.

"Slughorn thinks you remind him of someone," I said after a pause, "I told him your grandfather was French."

"Oh..." She looked alarmed, "Well, good. He probably won't put two and two together."

Louisa looked concerned though and stared out over the lake thoughtfully, I nodded, "About time for the match don't you think?"

"If Ron's not well then why are you out of bed?" She asked me suddenly, "He's still in the hospital wing and can't play today. That's why Harry had to let Cormac-Oh-So-Impressive-McLaggen play Keeper."

"I got a smaller dosage remember?" I chuckled, "Come on, let's go watch McLaggen drive Harry mad."

He did just that, not just Harry, but he spent the entire game focusing on everyone else on the team rather than his own job. They let Luna Lovegood do the commentary though, it was brilliant. We sat up in the back row of the Gryffindor stands clutching our sides from laughter. I was really starting to like Luna, sure she was a little off, but it was nice. She was honest at least, definitely good to have someone honest around. McLaggen was suddenly taking the bat from one of the beaters to demonstrate a proper swing. We watched Harry streak across the sky, face livid and screaming at McLaggen. Then the bludger hit. The entire stadium gasped at once as the iron ball struck his head and a spurt of blood arched the aid and Harry slipped off his broom like a rag doll. Louisa and Hermione actually screamed but fortunately the other players caught him before he fell to his death. Louisa watched him get carted away, and I was surprised that she didn't go to rush to the hospital wing. Then I saw her watching McLaggen like a hawk, she was the first out of her seat when the game ended.

I hurried after her, I had seen her nearly rip out Fleur Delacour's hair when she had simply dissed Ron. I had known her to punch people in the face for calling her friends mudbloods. McLaggen had nearly caused Harry's death, and I was genuinely concerned that his life span was about to be cut quite short. On the field the entire team and rounded on the keeper who seemed indignant and defensive about what had happened. Louisa stormed through them all as if they were nothing, I couldn't see her face, but I knew the cold fury that would be burning in those dark eyes. McLaggen saw it too and had the sense to step back when she marched up to him.

"You despicable, incompetent, arrogant peacock! You have lost the game for Gryffindor and nearly killed someone I consider to be family! Why don't we hit you in the head with a bludger a few times and see if there are any brains in there at all?!" She reached for Peake's bat but he had the sense to hold it away from her quickly, "No? it's your lucky day McLaggen, the mercy of Peakes has saved your head. You can keep what little brains you possess. Now get out of the uniform you don't deserve to wear it! If anyone ever lets you play on a team ever again I will personally find them and tell them what a blithering idiot they are!"

He was staring at her openmouthed but the team were all grinning in agreement to her sentiments. Without another word Louisa turned on her heal and stormed off toward the castle to go check on Harry. McLaggen looked at me with an expression that clearly wanted me to intervene, I just shrugged and hurried after her. Louisa seemed to have almost run out of steam by the time we got to the Hospital Wing. Still, she was the most quiet one of us until Harry had woken up and we had to tell him about the team's loss.

"But you should have been Louisa!" Ginny told him quickly, "I thought she was going to rip McLaggen's head off! We all wanted to," she shook her head, "She definitely put him in his place. Right, Cedric?"

I shook my head innocently, "I saw nothing, and heard nothing, don't drag me into this in case he calls up his well connected dad and gets me fired."

They all laughed at this and Louisa shook her head, "He is the absolute worst. Aside from Malfoy, and Snape... and Voldemort... and Bellatrix. He's certainly in the top ten worst people ever... top twenty at the most."

Harry grinned at her, "Thanks Lou for yelling at him when I couldn't."

"Don't I always?" She smiled.

"You certainly gave Fleur a piece of your mind when she was rude to Ron," Ginny smiled, "I heard about it. Sounded amazing."

"You did?" Ron blinked at her suddenly.

"Of course I did Ronald!" Louisa rolled her eyes, "She was awful to you. She'd have been lucky to have you too! I wish you would stop ogling her though, it lessens the whole thing."

His ears turned bright pink and he shook his head, "I don't..." then at the look we were all giving him he stopped.

Soon Madam Pomfrey had kicked us all out and I lagged behind with Louisa, grinning at her, "So are you my girlfriend yet or..."

Louisa blinked at me, "Cedric. I thought I made it clear..."

"What, that I deserve better? That's ridiculous!"

"And true," She said now very serious, "You should find someone else. Like Cho or someone. Don't worry about how I feel about it. I'll get over it, you need someone that's not... tainted."

"Tainted..." I scowled at the word, "You can't be serious!"

"Just drop it Cedric! This is for your own good!" She snapped suddenly and a few first years that came around the corner paused and looked at us in alarm, she took the opportunity to turn and vanish around the corner toward the Gryffindor Common room.

This time hit me way harder than the last, I felt as though someone had dropped lead in my stomach. I shouldn't have hoped she would have changed her mind... but we had been doing so well. Now she probably would avoid me again for weeks, if not longer. For my own good... I think I had the right to have a say in what I 'deserved'. I scowled angrily and just stalked back to my office. She was too stubborn, she had just decided we couldn't be together and I would have to pry that resolve out of her grip. I knew better than to think it possible to convince her. Louisa was not so easily swayed from something she had decided on doing. I knew this was a lost cause just like any time I had thought to try and keep her from entering into a dangerous situation. I knew I couldn't make her love me any more than I could have stopped her from going to the Ministry of Magic last year. Anymore than I could have stopped her from jumping in front of that killing curse for Harry. Louisa had decided that neither her nor my feelings mattered, that because of some meaningless ancestry we couldn't be together. I guess I could understand why, if I really considered it. If I knew Voldemort was my family, my blood, maybe I wouldn't be so eager to drag her into my madness. I sighed and fell into my chair, I could understand it, but that didn't mean I liked it.