In the brief reprieve of doctors and visitors later that day Cedric, feeling somewhat re-energised and endless questions, went through his post. There had already been three letters that morning, though the press nor the wider student body had yet to be told that he was awake. It should stay that way for the next few hours at least. The first was adorned with the Ministry of Magic insignia. He skimmed the contents and other than the suggestion they would not like to be sued, it was to inform him they would be visiting shortly. He flicked to the next letter... also from the Ministry. This time a redaction from the first saying they would visit the next morning 'due to the insistence of your primary medical adviser.' Cedric smiled at the thought of Madam Pomfrey giving them an earful, who surely the letter was referring to.
Throwing it aside, he studied the last letter. It had orange edges and the address written on it in green ink. It even had a matching orange seal made up of three connecting W's. He slipped his finger under the seal and opened it up. A shower of sparks came out causing Cedric to jump and nearly drop it. It read:
To Diggory,
Fantastic news you're awake! Sorry we can't be there, but Mum told us you'd come round and we've got a fabulous proposition for you...
He read on, shook his head grinning. It was evidence to show that not everyone would have such an adverse reaction to see him. The rest of the wing had begun to flood with all the shed tears by his Mum, Dad, Toby. The Weasley twins were asking to make a sherbet called 'Diggory's daydreams' ('12 minute daydreams to parallel your 12 months!') which wasn't normal but they were treating him in a normal manner. Cedric believed this suggested Fred and George Weasley had set up some kind of magical sweet business. The idea made him laugh for the first time that day. He put that letter aside on the bed to answer later.
He shifted in his squidgy armchair so that a beam of early summer sunshine stopped poking him in the eye. The bed, armchair, side table, window, and months of post were all contained in a fashioned nook squared off by a thin, yellow partition. It accentuated the glow of the sun which the post was now basking in. Cedric's eye caught on some flashes of red at the bottom of the pile. He pulled them out gently. They were all howlers. Confused, Cedric checked the earliest letter... it was open. He stopped for a second wondering why they hadn't ripped themselves up and, why exactly his unconscious body had been a recipient of several Howlers.
He began to pull the letter from the scarlet envelope when a burst of sound came out of it, and he hastily shoved it back in. He picked up his wand from the table and directed a spell at the partition.
"Muffliato." He muttered. Careful now, he slowly opened up the letter and after some background thuds, a whispered voice resounded out of it saying:
"Hello, Cedric. It's Hermione again. Sorry about last time, I've managed to make this one quieter I think... and it shouldn't rip up now. I'm making inquiries into a better medium. Alright, this time I thought we could do a bit of configuration, there's lots of theory in seventh year you know, it's a lot of information to just take in all at once..."
"Oh look, you found that already." Hermione's real voice had a nervous squeak to it as she pushed past the partition. Ron Weasley's voice followed her in.
"Sorry mate we heard you open it."
"They're from me. I wanted to keep talking to you." She looked him in the face, her cheeks glowing. "It's very important, you know, for Coma patients, I thought we could do some light reading-"
"Light!" Ron guffawed loudly from his bed,
"And then with you being in St. Mungo's and locked in Dumbledore's office-"
"Sorry," Cedric interrupted, "Dumbledore's office- no, I mean, letters... you sent me letters?"
"Ah yes. Mostly Speakies, but some of the earlier ones were Howlers, unfortunately. I didn't know Speakies existed." She answered quietly, pressing her lips together in a smile her shoulders risings.
"How many did you send me?" He whispered. Immediately wanted to check through the pile but, he was transfixed by Hermione's expression when she looked up at him, and the flood of unrelated thoughts which had entered his mind.
"That's all the government's fault," Ron called responding only to what he had heard, and half of the questions on Cedric's mind. "Uh 'mione would you just bring him over here he's going to have loads of questions, and we can't have the whole bloody school knowing."
"Oh Alright." They walked the few steps to Ron's bed and Cedric got his weak body resettled, whilst Ron lay unable to move, and Hermione, herself still in a tender condition, summoned the partition and cast the muffling spell again, this time around Ron's bed.
"Basically the ministry went corrupt and when a man got attacked in St. Mungos Dumbledore brought you back here,"
"He brought you from St. Mungos to his office," Hermione clarified.
"Yeah, but then he went into hiding and you got locked into his office, and Hermione panicked-"
"I didn't-"
"You did. But because she panicked one of the paintings told us to go through the Room of Requirement."
"We've been using the Room of Requirement all year, and of course, it made absolute sense to just ask to see you. Mr. Weatherby really just said that if I required help I should ask for it." Hermione paused for breath, and Cedric nodded. He rubbed his forehead as if it would soothe the ache in his skull. But, he did know what the Room of Requirement was. The DA had been using it all year. The others began to speak again.
"You only came here after Dumbledore came back."
"Which was after Voldemort attacked the ministry."
"And we were there because he loured Harry there."
"Because he said Sirius was there."
"And then Sirius..."
"Died." Hermione swallowed and Ron looked to her.
"Sirius died?" Cedric's words were lagging behind his disjointed thoughts.
"Yeah. Sirius Black was Harry's godfather."
"I know." Cedric frowned. He looked between Hermione and Ron who in turn did the same. "I know that. I don't remember how I know that."
"Oh." Hermione went quite pale and Ron focused on her wide-eyed.
"Did you write him that?" He staged whispered as if Cedric was not sitting five feet away.
"Yes."
Hours later, after Cedric had slept somewhat and the ward had calmed down (once again,) Cedric got another visitor. Harry Potter was paler and skinnier, with dark smudges under his eyes. A year awake had faired him far worse than a year asleep had done Cedric. He had been told that Cedric had been asking for him, and being able to avoid it no longer, slunk into the room in the golden hour. Seeing him Cedric got up and embraced him.
"I'm sorry for what happened to Sirius." He said. Cedric pulled away, and Harry choked on a desperate laugh.
"I'm sorry for everything."
"Don't be." Harry glared at him a little and half turned away in response, and Cedric momentarily struggled to understand what he'd said wrong before he realised Harry was simply trying to contain his tears. "I'm going to sit down."
"How do you even know about Sirius?" Harry barely got out.
"I don't remember what I heard when I was in my coma, I've just subsumed the information or something." Cedric smiled at the absurdity. "If you start talking, all the association will come back. I haven't worked out what everything means yet though."
"Do you remember that I got half of the winnings?"
"You got half of the winnings from the tournament. Yes… and you gave it to the Weasley twins for their business."
"Do you mind?"
"Mind? No. I think it's a great idea. Besides, that half isn't- wasn't mine... but how are they running a business from Hogwarts?"
"They left Hogwarts a few months ago. They never sat their exams. Couldn't stand Umbridge."
"Oh." A silence fell between them as they were both lost in thought. The sky was turning pink outside and light sounds of slumber could be heard from the rest of the room. Madam Pomfrey was never stingy with a sleeping draft after an emotional day.
"Do you want to play some gobstones, Harry? I've been getting bored sitting here all day."
The Burrow was warm. Its dressings, people, and food all effused warmth. Cedric was being filled to the gills daily and was very happy to be spending much of his summer there. As the twins' new business partner, he was acquainting himself with the accounting work whilst Fred and George finalised their deal with the estate agent for a property in Diagon Alley. A cut of the profits for a substantial financial investment was seen as an excellent deal on all parts. However, there was no stipulation that Cedric had to be a silent partner, and he planned to float a few ideas by them.
"Hello," A voice called through the door.
Another great thing about the burrow, Cedric thought, was that Hermione was there.
"Hello." He smiled. Her hair was bouncy and full. She had a capped-sleeve top, and the light blue colour reminded him of the dress she had worn a year and a half before, one of the first times they had talked. "How are you?"
"I'm good." She laughed breathily, easing through the door, careful of the papers and boxes crammed into the room. "They're going to start playing quidditch."
"Fantastic. I haven't done that in a while." He grinned and she laughed again. She could still barely believe her eyes, that he was standing and laughing and looking into her eyes. The eye contact pulled Cedric to his feet.
"I can't believe you're going into business with Fred and George." She smiled but her expression slackened as he continued to get closer, his steps full of intent.
"Don't worry, I'm still going to finish my N.E. . I'll go in for the practicals, I'll do the rest from town. I'll sit the exams. I already know most of it." He had stopped an arm's length away from her. He dropped his voice to a gentle murmur. "You already read me half the syllabus." Slowly, he took her hand. There was no shake to it but her breathing paused at his touch. Looking into her eyes he carried on. "You sent me seventy-eight letters Hermione." She didn't respond but her lower lip puckered as if she was biting it internally. "I think you're kind and funny and..." He sighed, looking into her face, pushing back her hair, and letting his hand stay at the nape of her neck, "Beautiful."
"Cedric, I love Ron," She whispered, swallowing, "I can't help it."
"Okay." He dropped his hand from her neck and instead took up her other hand. He rubbed a circle in her palm. He had seen her feelings over the summer. He couldn't deny it. He didn't need to. But he didn't want to deny his own either. "I understand. But I don't want to regret anything and I... don't think you want to either."
She shook her head. His sweet smile grew over his face. "Can I kiss you Hermione Granger? One time, as a keepsake?"
She nodded a quiver to her eyebrow, the touch of a smile on the corner of her mouth.
And he did.
