Chapter 10

After Cedric put his broom away, he took Willa by the hand and laced his fingers with hers.

"Where are we going now?" Willa jokingly groaned.

"Just follow me," he instructed her. Cedric wanted to just spend as much time with Willa as possible before the next day, and he had something extraordinary planned for this evening. The two walked around the grounds, along the edge of the forest until they came to a private, deserted area just past Hagrid's hut. The sun had just gone down and both knew that their time outside of the school was limited. The full moon illuminated the grounds with a soft silver aura.

"So," Willa spoke softly. To her there was so much to say but it couldn't just all come flooding out. Not yet anyway. She was saving her mental breakdown for the next day. Cedric said nothing but took Willa's hands in his and then brought one to her waist and the other to her cheek. Willa kissed his palm before their lips met in a slow yet passionate kiss. The kiss continued until the two broke apart, their foreheads touching. The breath of each others heated their face in the cool evening air.

"May I ask you something?" Cedric asked her.

"Anything."

Cedric lifted his forehead from hers and held her soft, warm hands in his.

"I'm in love with you, Willa," he told her. "And someday, when we are out of this place, on our own, I'm going to marry you. The minute we graduate, I'm making you mine forever."

"You want to marry me?" Willa asked incredulously, yet quietly.

"Yes."

"Cedric, we're seventeen years old. We're kids."

"Willa," he said lifting her chin so her eyes met his. "I'm not saying get married tomorrow or even next year. I said someday. Which is why," Cedric said as he rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out a small black box.

"I bought you this." Cedric opened the box and there sat a beautiful ring. A nicely sized pearl sat in the middle in between two tiny diamonds. Willa's jaw dropped. It was gorgeous and yet so simple.

"Its a promise ring," he explained as he slid the ring onto Willa's dainty pale finger.

"Basically I'm telling you I'm going to marry you. But not now." Willa stared up at him in complete awe.

"So...technically, we're engaged to be engaged?" she asked.

"I suppose so, yes," he answered. In an instant, Willa threw her arms around him and crashed her lips to his. He then lifted Willa into his arms and broke away from her.

"I promised I wouldn't ever leave you."

Willa smiled widely and brought her lips back to his.

That night back in Cedric's quarters, Willa and Cedric tried to make their last night together count. Afterwards, the two lay awake in bed, Willa's head resting near Cedric's shoulder. Neither had spoken, yet Willa felt like there were so many things that needed to be said.

"I'm scared Cedric," she murmured to him.

"Me too," he replied. Cedric kissed her hair and then began to stroke it comfortingly. He then sat up, as did Willa.

"It's going be alright though, I promise. I'm going to do the very best I can, and then I'm going to come back to you." He brushed a hand over her cheek.

"The eternal glory and fame would be nice, but none of that matters to me anymore. What matters the most to me now is you."

Willa kissed him, but then began to cry and he instantly noticed.

"Willa, what is it?" He worriedly searched her tear streaked face.

"I just have a really bad feeling about this," she said.

"Willa did you see something?" he asked suddenly pressing.

"No, but, Cedric there's something I haven't told you or anyone else that I need to tell you now." She took Cedric's hands in hers and looked directly into his dazzling grey eyes. He searched her face with a worried expression.

"When I was nine, I had a brother, Henry who was seven." Willa broke into a fond smile and scoffed a laugh. "He meant the world to me." Her smiled then faded. "And one night, me and my family were at home eating dinner. It was peaceful and comfortable like it usually was."

Before Willa continued, her face grew intense and hatred flooded over her previously fond face.

"Then, not to far into the meal, the glass window near our table completely shattered. There was a strong sucking type of wind and I could feel myself being pulled toward something. I blacked out and the next thing I knew I was lying in my bed with a bandage wrapped around my head looking up at my mother and father's scarred and scratched faces. Henry wasn't there. I was later told that it had been Lord Voldemort who had murdered my brother. For no known reason."

Her tears flowed continuously now as she finally choked out a sob and buried her face in Cedric's shoulder. Cedric soothed her, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth.

"I can't lose another loved one like that Cedric," she said looking at his face. "I just can't. I can't lose you. I just don't know what I would do with myself."

"Willa, I've told you, I'm never leaving you."

"I know Cedric, but I just feel like something bad is going to happen tomorrow."

Cedric stared directly and firmly into Willa's green eyes.

"Willa, I swear to you, I will do whatever I can to stay out of harms way and come back to you safely."

Willa pulled Cedric into her arms and held him close. She really did not feel good about any of this and she didn't know why. At least she had stopped crying. The couple then quickly fell into a deep slumber. A much needed one.

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Willa and Cedric awoke the following morning by fast paced knocking on Cedric's door.

"Ugh, who could that possibly be?" Cedric groaned.

A bumbling voice then sounded from behind the door.

"Cedric my boy? Are you there?"

Cedric and Willa both jumped at the sound of the voice.

"My father!" Cedric said in a hushed, panicked voice.

The two jumped out of bed.

"Where do I go?" Willa asked. Cedric looked around his room quickly for somewhere to stash his barely naked girlfriend.

"Oh! In here, get in the closet!" Willa scurried over and into Cedric's dark closet.

"Don't go anywhere," Cedric joked. Willa giggled.

"I assure you I won't."

Cedric closed the doors and the proceeded to put pants and a shirt on, all the while his father still tapping on the door.

"I'm coming dad!" he yelled. As soon as he was dressed, Cedric opened the door. His father stood there proudly and pulled his son into a bear hug.

"Cedric, my boy," Amos Diggory said as he embraced his son.

"Dad," Cedric replied in return. They released their hug.

"Today's the big day, eh?" Amos said slapping his son on the back.

"Yeah," Cedric said, a nervous laugh escaping him.

"Well no need to worry. You'll be bloody fantastic, Ceddy."

In the closet Willa held back a laugh when she heard Mr. Diggory call Cedric "Ceddy".

"Thanks, Dad"

The two continued to talk for a couple of minutes about Cedric's grades, the previous tasks, and about the Yule Ball. Amos would recall his years at Hogwarts every time Cedric would mention something about the school. Willa enjoyed his stories as she listened.

"So when do I get to meet this wonderful new girlfriend of yours?" Amos asked Cedric. Inside the closet Willa's eyes widened. She had no idea that Cedric had told his father about her.

Cedric smiled and blushed.

"Soon, dad."

"You seem nervous, son," Amos said.

"You think?" Cedric replied sarcastically.

"Like I said, you'll be fine. The Diggory men always know how to take a bull by the horns eh?"

Cedric laughed. "Yeah, Dad."

"Well seeing as how you aren't in a particularly chatty mood at the moment, I will let you be."

"Alright," said Cedric. "I'll bring Willa down to meet you if there's time. I have to be at the stadium by two."

"Sounds great son," Amos said hugging Cedric again before leaving the room. As soon as he was gone, Cedric went over to the closet and opened the door.

"Hi Ceddy," Willa greeted him with a smile. Cedric groaned and pulled her out of the closet before taking her and entwining his fingers with hers.

"Please don't call me that." Willa laughed.

"Why not? It's cute!"

"Because I like how you say 'Cedric'. Its nice."

"Okay then. Cedric it is."

Willa took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.

"I'm going to get dressed," she told him. I'll meet you in the common room in... Thirty minutes?"

"Perfect," Cedric replied.

"'kay. See you."

"See ya."

Willa went up to her room and got into regular clothes; jeans, a plum colored top and a multi colored scarf. Today her hair fell in soft, shiny waves. She didn't bother with makeup. She slid on black converses and grabbed a light jacket before leaving the room once more.

Cedric was, as usual, already waiting for her. He was in his Hufflepuff warm up suit and had his wand his pocket. As she approached him, Willa had a vision of Mr. Diggory sitting at a bench in the courtyard.

"Your dad is in the courtyard," she informed him.

"Shall we meet him?" he asked her as Cedric took her hand in his. Will nodded.

"C'mon," Cedric said tugging her arm gently. "Let's go."

Haha I had no idea when to end this chapter so I just ended it here. Reviews are greatly appreciated!!!!

-TheatrePirate