I apologize for the absence of Cedric in this chapter!!

Chapter 13- The Best Life Can Offer

Willa awoke the next morning to sunlight beaming through the window of Cedric's private room. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and propped herself up on an elbow to look at Cedric. He was still in a coma and his breathing was still shallow. Before she could bend over to kiss his cheek, Madame Pomfrey and Amos burst through the door of the room.

"Good morning dearie," Madame Pomfrey said cheerily.

"Good morning Willa," Amos said.

"Morning," Willa replied groggily.

"Any improvements?" Amos asked.

Willa quickly jumped out of Cedric's bed before the nurse began her examination. Madame Pomfrey quickly checked Cedric over and turned back to Amos.

"He doesn't seem to have improved much," she announced. Amos and Willa frowned and Pomfrey noticed their change in demeanor.

"Don't worry," she told them. "When someone is traumatized or becomes unresponsive due to entire body shock it usually takes days for the patient to regain consciousness."

Days? Willa couldn't wait days. She couldn't even wait minutes. She needed to feel the warmth from his body around her again, instead of the coolness of it. She needed to press her lips to his and have him kiss back. Willa felt her bottom lip begin to quiver but held back the tears. She needed to be strong.

"Thank you Madame," Amos said as the woman left. After she did so, Amos turned to Willa.

"Did you sleep well dear?" he asked her.

"I did," she replied.

"That's good."

"I'll leave you alone with Cedric," Willa told him. "I had him all to myself last night," she said with a lightly scoffed laugh. Amos smiled at her. "You deserve some time with him too."

"Thank you my dear." Willa nodded and opened the door.

"I'll be back later," she said. Amos nodded and told her he'd see her then. Willa left the room and shut the door behind her.

As Willa walked to the Hufflepuff house she received plenty of stares from other students and knew exactly what they all were thinking: what happened to Cedric? Was he dead or not? Willa didn't acknowledge any of them and just kept walking.

It was like Lucy, Ben, and the entire Hufflepuff house had been waiting for her. When she arrived at the common room, Lucy got out of her chair as did several other students. They all rushed over to her and crowded around her.

"Willa!" Lucy said pulling her friend into a comforting hug. "How is he?" she asked in a hushed tone, speaking on behalf of everyone in the room.

"He's fine. Unconscious but fine," Willa reported. Sighs of relief filled the air, but Lucy still stared intently at her friend.

"What happened to him, Willa?" Ben approached her and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"I don't know," Willa replied. She shrugged. "I wish I could tell you, all of you, but I know nothing."

Still no one said a word. Willa felt extremely uncomfortable and shifted in the place where she stood. She knew that, try as hard as she might, she would not find comfort alone in her bed in the stillness her room. She would just want Cedric right there beside her. Instead she decided to go for a walk. She told Lucy and Ben that she was going to go spend some time by herself and they nodded and let her go.

Willa walked all over the Hogwarts grounds just reflecting on the past year. She walked past the Quidditch field, through outer edge of the forest to the place where he promised to spend his life with her. Willa could have sworn she felt his soft touch on her cheek, her shoulders, and her waist. She could feel his lips on her neck, her jaw line and eventually her lips. But it was only the mild gusts of wind. Turning her face into the wind, her wild red hair blew gently and she took a deep breath in. It was that one breath of air that separated hundreds of other people from their loved ones. Harry from his parents, Willa from Henry, and possibly Willa from Cedric. But that's how life is; one breath away from the inevitable.

Willa wasn't going to cry and she didn't. She wrapped her sweater tighter around her and turned to walk back to the school. When Willa arrived back at the infirmary, Harry was sitting alone on a bench outside of Cedric's room. He noticed her and sat up out of his slouch.

"Willa," he greeted her.

"Hey Harry," she replied. She sat down next to him.

"How are you?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, a little worried but mostly fine. Yourself?"

"Good."

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Uh, just a few scratches and bruises," he said lifting up his arm where there was a large white bandage near his wrist. It must have been a huge gash Willa thought.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Willa set her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, staring at the ground. After a moment she

"What happened Harry?" she asked, her voice in a pleading whisper. Harry turned himself toward her and took a deep breath out, he wasn't sure he wanted to re-live the ordeal never mind tell Willa.

"Harry, I'm not stupid. I know what happened in that maze was not an accident. I saw it."

"You saw it?"

"It's a long story. But never mind that. Harry, please. I want to know." Her green eyes pleaded with him.

"Alright," he began. "We were in the maze and at one point, we all were in the same place. Krum was bewitched and attacking Cedric, he had already attacked Fleur who gotten pulled under one of the bushes. Krum backed off and then Cedric and I saw the glow from the cup several yards away. We began to run and Cedric kept pushing me until he tripped and fell. These roots and vines started to wrap themselves all over him. I had to decide if I was going to save him or leave him. I killed the weeds and roots and helped him up. We began to run again and when we got to the cup, we decided to grab it together, but when we did, it transported us to a graveyard."

Willa stared at him. "The cup was a port key?" Harry nodded.

"I had been there before. I knew something wasn't right. I told Cedric to get back to the cup but it was too late. Wormtail, or Peter Pettigrew if you will, came out of nowhere. In his hands was Lord Voldemort, barely alive. Voldemort told him to kill the spare and as soon as I heard the word come out of his mouth, I don't even know how I did it, but I interceded the curse and blocked Cedric. I knew he wasn't sure if he was dead or not because he was knocked backwards and landed harshly on his back. I thought I had failed, that he was dead. Voldemort did too."

It was silent. Willa stared at nothing, playing the story over and over again in her head, picturing the scene like a movie in her mind.

"He's back," she said simply. Harry nodded.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Willa, I think there was a reason behind Voldemort wanting to kill Cedric."

Willa looked at Harry and furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean?"

"You survived an attack, Willa. Your parents survived. Your family hides this secret from the entire Wizarding World and Voldemort doesn't want it to be a secret. He wants everyone to know about him. He wants to take even more away from you. By killing Cedric, someone you love, you would have been haunted by his memories. It's what I'm living with right now. Voldemort knows how you are, how you live, just like he knows me. He wants to take loved ones away from people. He takes pleasure in it."

Willa, for some odd reason, thought back about Professor Moody. He had acted extremely strange towards her this past year.

"Does Moody have anything to do with this," she asked.

"Barty Crouch Jr., son of Bartimous Crouch and death eater, was using pollyjuice potion to disguise himself as Moody to get to the core of Hogwarts."

It all made sense now. Moody asking Cedric about their relationship, Moody staring at her ring, Moody tearing Willa away from Cedric at the arena. Of course. He had been spying on them.

"No one is going to believe you," she finally warned him. "About Voldemort. Even if Cedric backs you up on it, the Ministry will refuse to accept it."

"Well if they don't believe us, we'll have to make them," Harry said firmly.

"Yeah, we'll make them." She grinned slightly. "Harry you saved Cedric.

I don't know where to begin thanking you." Willa pulled Harry into a hug.

"You've done something extraordinary, Harry," Willa said letting go of him. "You saved Cedric and my sanity," she said with a laugh. "Thank you."

Harry smiled. "Your welcome."

At that moment, Amos and Dumbledore emerged from Cedric's room. Harry and Willa immediately stood up. When Dumbledore saw Willa his eyes widened.

"Ah, Willa," he said to her.

"Professor," she replied.

"My dear, I would just like to say, on behalf of all the teaching staff, that we are profusely sorry for not taking your warning into consideration. It is our duty to listen to students and we have all failed miserably in doing so this time."

"It's fine," Willa assured him. "I know you all mean well."

Dumbledore smiled at her. He wasn't fully convinced but decided to let it go for now.

"Well, I best be off. Students and professors are going to want to know what has happened. Willa I would like to speak with you once more before classes commence."

Willa nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Good girl," he said winking at her. Willa smiled.

"I'll talk to you later Amos. Let me know if he is making any progress."

"Will do, Albus."

The old man nodded to everyone and left. Harry cleared his throat.

"I should be going too," he announced. "I just came by to see how everyone was coping."

"Thank you, Harry," Amos said hugging Harry. "If it hadn't been for you Cedric would be dead now."

"Anything for a friend," Harry replied.

"Bye Harry," Willa said as Harry began to walk out of the infirmary.

"Bye," he said in return and was then out of sight.

Amos and Willa walked back into Cedric's room and sat down next to each other. Willa fiddled with Cedric's ring that sat on her finger. Amos glanced downward, saw the ring and smiled to himself.

"I haven't had much experience with women," he stated almost proudly.

Willa looked up at Amos. She was surprised at his sudden change in mood and surprised at the randomness of what he had just said.

"Excuse me?" she asked inquisitively. Amos turned his head toward her and grinned.

"I mean aside from Cedric's mother, of course. She is the only woman I've ever loved and the only woman I will ever love. We've been married twenty-five years now and I can't imagine sharing my life with anyone else."

"That's really amazing," Willa replied. "I'm sure plenty of couples pray for that sort of thing."

"Willa my dear," Amos said taking her hands. "I know that what you and Cedric have is special. I know from the letters he sends me, the way he looks at you, the way you look at him. It reminds me of Cedric's mother and myself. Willa, I want you to know that all I want for my son is the very best that life can offer him. And I know that you, my dear, are the best thing life has given to him. I've never seen him happier than he is now with you. Willa, you are a part of our family now and I wish the very best for the both of you."

Willa wiped away tiny tears that streaked down both cheeks. This man cared so much for her and had only known her for two days. She was so compelled by his blessing that she pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you so much," she said in a whisper. "You have no idea how much that means to me." Amos smiled.

"I think I may have an idea," he replied.

Willa giggled and continued to wipe tears away.

"Well, I think I might leave you two alone for a while. You need it. Talk to him Willa. It may do him some good."

He stood as did Willa and she hugged and thanked him once again before he left. When he did, Willa turned and stared at the still sleeping Cedric. She walked slowly over to his bed and sat down in the chair next to it and took his hand.

"Hey," she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

A/N- Alright, I know, awkward place to stop but I needed to get the chapter over with. Way too much conversation and no Cedric! The next chapter will be much more exciting, I promise! And this is only the beginning of Willa's speech.

Love to all reviewers!! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story!!