Chapter 12 – The runaway
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I buried my head in my pillow as the sun shined in my eyes, groaning slightly from the headache that arose. The scent on the pillow comforted me in a way, then my eyes shot open as I didn't remember going back to my room. I bolted up straight as I looked around franticly. But I couldn't see much as the curtains around the four-poster bed was closed. I peeked my head through the curtains and saw two other beds in the room. Lee, presumably, was snoring in the bed across, while Fred laid in the bed next to me. Where was George? I flung my feet off the bed, and it landed on something hard. I frowned and looked down. George was sleeping on the floor right next to me, his head on what looked like a knitted pillow with the letter F on it. I threw my legs out on the other side of the bed and picked up my wand that rested on the nightstand. I transfigured my clothes into a baggy high-waist jean and changed my top into a crop top burgundy sweater. As I walked toward the twins, my hair shot up and turned in a brown wavy bob. I kneeled next to George, placing my hand on his shoulder, shaking it slightly.
"George."
"Hmm?" He hummed before he opened his eyes. He looked at me with a sleeping grin and pushed himself up on his arms. "Morning."
"Good morning." I smiled at him. "You didn't have to give me your bed, I was fine on the couch."
"Don't be silly." He waved me off. I took a hold of his hand and pulled him up. "I am a gentleman after all." He smiled down at me as we stood chest to chest.
"Why don't you go back to sleep, in your own bed."
"No, no. I'm up already." He stretched his arms out above his head, revealing his toned abs, I looked away before he would notice me looking. George grabbed his pillow and tossed it to his twin. "Oi, Fred! Wake up!"
"That is a strange looking pillow." I said as Fred tossed it back to George's head, making me chuckle.
"That's because it isn't a pillow, you stole mine." He winked and he grabbed two end of the pillow and gave it a hard shake and turned back into a warm knitted jumper. "Our mum makes them."
"And you stole Fred's." I grinned, pointing at the letter F in the middle.
"We always switch ours." He shrugged. "Better get dressed."
"I'll wait downstairs." I turned and headed out the door, just as Fred climbed tiredly out of his bed. Five minutes later, the twins and Lee came hurdling down the steps.
"Here." Lee tossed me a vial. I quirked an eyebrow at him. "It's a hangover potion."
"Thank Merlin." I sighed and opened the vial. When it was empty, I wrapped my arms around Lee and walked to the great hall, the twins behind us. As it was Sunday morning it was still fairly quiet in the castle. Even the portraits were only starting to wake up.
When we entered the great hall, Lyra and Odin beckoned me over. I bid the twins and Lee goodbye before heading down the Hufflepuff table. Lyra was about to open her mouth as I filled my plate with eggs when Cedric sat down next to me.
"Morning." I grinned at the still hungover boy. He groaned in response before Odin handed him a hangover potion.
"Morning." He said after he took the potion.
"Ced, do you remember what you did last night?" I whispered, afraid of the answer. Cedric looked at me, a pondering look on his face.
"Uhm..." Before he could say anything more, Cho dropped down on the other side of him.
"Hey, babe." She kissed the corner of his mouth. I exchanged looks with Odin and Lyra, who all looked as surprised as I was. Cedric himself was surprised to see her, sitting next to him. "You didn't tell them about last night?"
I grew furious. First, he said he loved me, and fucking kissed me. Then he went on to snog Cho and whatever else they may have done. I tried to keep my eyes and my head from turning into a fiery red, my hands clenched the bench so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
"Of course, you don't kiss and tell." Cho smiled happily, giving him another kiss on Cedric's shocked face. "I saw you coming out of the Gryffindor Tower this morning, who did you hook up with?"
Cedric's head snapped back to mine. "I didn't hook up with anyone. I was too drunk to go back and fell asleep in the common room. George let me sleep in his bed and he slept on the ground." I tried to keep by voice from trembling with anger at the Ravenclaw girl. My eyes shot to Cedric, but I was mad at him for not remembering what he did or said and then five minutes later hooking up with Cho. He looked like he didn't believe me before he turned and snogged Cho senseless. I shot up from my seat and walked away. Odin and Lyra tried to call me back, but I didn't listen, I just kept on walking. My hair already the firing red. Cedric had pulled away from Cho already and watched me walked out with an expression, full of regret.
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I ran away to my secret place, the place not even Cedric knew about. It was pouring outside but I didn't care. I just let the rain pour down on me, making my hair feel heavy as I walked across the soggy grass. I arrived at the boathouse; a little dinghy bounced against the docks as the wind started to pick up. I dropped down on the docks and let the rain drench me even more.
I stared at the black lake; the rain was coming down so hard I couldn't even see the other side of the shore. And for the first time, I let my tears fall. I let them fall for the boy I loved, for the hurt he caused me, for the things he did, that he didn't believe me. It felt like my heart bursts into a million pieces. I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned my head on them, thick droplets rested on my lashes, my sight getting blurrier by the minute.
The rain didn't stop and after a while I pulled myself up and stepped in the closest dinghy. With the wave of my wand, I let the water disappear from the wooden boat, and I laid myself flat on the bottom. Then I charmed the boat, so I floated to the middle of the lake. The October air and the rain made me shiver. I didn't put a drying spell on myself or casted a cover over the boat, I just put a little heating charm around me to keep me warm. It wasn't a surprise when the lightning and thunder started to rumble above me. I watched the lighting with a great fascination, the thunder echoed loudly through the air. It calmed me in a sense, the lights, the noise. It made me almost forget about everything.
But the thoughts of Cedric kissing me, really kissing me and the soft slurry words he whispered in my ears kept repeating in my head. It was all meant for Cho, I was right, he still loved her. Not me, not ever me. Why did that even cross my mind?
The lightning was started to get wild, large bolts shot through the air as the little boat bobbed on the water. The boat was in the middle of the lake when a lightning bolt nearly strike the northern tower of the castle, I gasped as a thunder followed. The next flash of light was the last thing I saw.
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"What the actual fuck Cedric!" Lyra cried out angry when Gwen had disappeared. Cedric seemed lost for words as he looked from the doors to Lyra and Odin. Odin looked disappointed in him, but he didn't say anything. "Cho, give us moment." Lyra barked at the girl. Cho huffed and walked back to the Ravenclaw table. "What was that for?"
"I just got jealous and angry. She stayed the night in the Gryffindor tower!"
"Nothing happened!"
"Says she."
"Ced, mate." Odin shook his head. "You know I can always tell when she is lying, and she wasn't. And did you see her hair? She was mad, real mad."
"And besides what's your excuse for hooking up with Cho? That girl is the worst. We all know you're in love with Gwen."
"I don't even remember -" Cedric frowned. "I remember talking to Gwen, telling her she should enjoy the party and that I would follow you two out. I said goodnight to her, I think I did something, but I don't know what and I walked out to the grand staircases. The next thing I knew, I woke up in my bed."
"Well, do something about -" She waved to the Ravenclaw table. "That."
Cedric looked over his shoulder and saw Cho giggle and wave at him. "Why?" He asked turning back at his two friends. "Why would I give up someone who wants to be with me? Gwen certainly doesn't."
"If you think that, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought." Lyra grumbled and stood up. "I'm going to look for her." She turned and walked away. Cedric looked to Odin for some kind of sympathy, but he didn't get any.
"I'm with Lyra. You royally screwed up, Ced. And you'll lose her if you keep it up like this." Odin pushed his chair back and walked after his girlfriend, leaving Cedric alone with his thoughts. He wasn't alone long as Cho sat back next to him and covered his cheek with kisses. He wiped his cheek off and walked out of the great hall alone.
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George saw Guinevere practically run out the great hall with flaming red hair. He looked back to the Hufflepuff table and saw Cho sitting next to Cedric while his friends glared at him. He jumped up from his seat fast and Fred looked at him surprised.
"George?"
"Look." He nudged his head to the Hufflepuff table. Fred and Lee looked in the direction and just saw Cedric's two friends walk out angry before Cho sat down next to him and peppered him with kisses.
"He didn't..." Lee and Fred gasped.
"I just saw Guinevere walk out the great hall with flaming red hair."
"That can't be good." Lee mumbled.
"I'm going to see if I can find her."
"We'll go with you." Fred announced as he and Lee stood up and the three of them left the great hall.
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Lyra, Odin, the twins and Lee all looked for her for an entire day, but they couldn't find her. The twins even asked Harry to check the map, but they didn't find any trace of her. The three Gryffindors were looking around the kitchens, to see if they could find Lyra and Odin. After ten minutes of wandering around the corridor the two of them appeared and looked surprised to see them standing there.
"What are you three doing here?" Lyra asked.
"We saw Gwen storming out." George started.
"We've been searching for her since this morning."
"But we can't find her anywhere." Lee concluded.
"We've been looking for her too." Lyra bit her lip, nervously. "I know she has a secret hiding spot somewhere, but she never told us where."
"What happened this morning anyway?" Lee asked the two Hufflepuffs.
"Cedric hooked up with Cho last night and then Cho told him she saw Gwen coming out of the Gryffindor tower this morning."
"But... nothing happened!" George called out.
"We know, she told us, but Ced didn't believe her."
"Git." The three Gryffindors grumbled.
"Where is he anyway?" Fred asked, looking around the corridor, just in case he'd show up.
"Don't know, haven't seen him since breakfast." Odin talked for the first time.
"Do you think he's out searching for her?" Lyra asked her boyfriend.
"I don't know." Odin whispered as he pulled her close. "But I'm getting worried, she's never been out so late without telling us."
"Maybe we should tell Sprout or Minerva?" Lee proposed.
"I don't think that's a bad idea." Lyra looked behind her. "Let's go." She turned and the others followed.
"Where are we going?"
"Professor Sprout's office is just around the corner."
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Odin knocked on the door of Professor Sprout, hoping she would be in as it was nearly dinner time. After a few moments the door flew open.
"Hello." She smiled and then a frown appeared as she saw the twins and Lee behind them. "What are all of you doing here?"
"Gwen ran away upset this morning and none of us are able to find her."
"Oh, dear. That's not like her." She stepped out of her office and walked on a high pace through the corridor, the others hot on her heels. "We'll have a look in the great hall and if she isn't there, we'll tell the other teachers. Where is Cedric?"
"It was with him she had the disagreement with."
"Hm, a lovers quarrel." She hummed, and the others all looked at each other in surprise. They walked the rest of the way in silence as everyone glanced around the castle hoping to spot her at some point. When the six of them walked in the great hall, they scanned all the tables, but couldn't find her, or even Cedric. Professor Sprout marched between the tables up to the teachers' table. Only a handful of teachers were seating for a Sunday night dinner. McGonagall, Hagrid, Abbo, Snape and Dumbledore looked up in surprise when Sprout and five students walked up. Professor Sprout quickly informed them about what's going on and they all rose quickly from their seats as they all hurried out the great hall, starting their real first search in years.