Chapter 13 - Lightning

Cedric left Cho behind and walked out the great hall. He stopped as his eyes travelled the corridor. He was torn. He knew he screwed up, but he couldn't keep the picture out of his head; Gwen with one of the Weasley twins. Even though Odin told him she was telling the truth, the picture didn't disappear. As the drowsiness of the night before started to fade, certain memories came bubbling up. He remembered that Cho approach him as he made his way down the stairs, Odin and Lyra already out of sight. He remembered she closed him in at an alcove of the ground level, near the great hall and nearly attacked him with her lips. The kiss was nice, familiar, since he kissed her plenty of times the year before, but Merlin did he wish it was someone else. When he thought about Gwen, another memory popped up. The two of them standing near the Gryffindor portrait hole. Of him leaning in and kissed, really kissed her, like he dreamed about for months now. There was another part of the memory that was still hazy, but he couldn't make out what happened after.
But that didn't matter. He kissed her and she remembered! He was so drunk he didn't and then went out to snog with his ex. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! He thought to himself. The internal battle in him had him rooted to the ground. Someone bumped into him, making him snap out of his thoughts. He looked around the corridor before his feet started to move on its own. He didn't know what to do about what happened last night. But what he did know is the only thing he needed to do right now was find her.

He knew that Lyra and Odin were looking for her too, so he started with their usual secret hiding spots, when he couldn't find her there, he checked the kitchens, the owlery, the green houses, but still no success. It was when he stepped out of the green houses in the rain, the thought occurred that she may be outside. If no one's was able to find her indoors, then...

He started to walk in the rain, casting an umbrella charm over him, to keep him somewhat dry. He checked the quidditch pitch, the wooden bridge, Hagrid's hut and the space where he held his classes... but nothing. He started to get desperate and worried as he sank on a large pumpkin in Hagrid's yard. Then a last idea came to mind and jumped up and jogged to the boathouse, the rain still pouring down and the storm close.

When he reached the boathouse, the little boats were swaying heavily in the water, he checked the boat house three times, before his eyes fell on the black lake. One boat had drifted to the middle of the lake. His eyes followed the dinghy as it softly drifted in circles. When he noticed something white in the boat, he squinted his eyes to get a better look. Then he saw the familiar white long hair and the burgundy jumper. The umbrella spell that kept him dry, fell away and the rain started to soak him immediately. His heartbeat quickened fast as he jumped in a boat and cast a charm on it, so it raced to the middle of the lake. It was only a few seconds later that he arrived at the boat and saw Gwen unconscious in the wooden panels and scorch mark on her hip. He jumped up in her boat and waved his wand over her chest. It was when he noticed her heartbeat, he let out of breath of relief. But the heartbeat wasn't that strong, and her breathing was shallow, so he raced the little boat over to the shore, closest to the castle. He picked her up and stepped out of dinghy as he ran to the castle as fast as he could, both drenched from the rain and the tears that started to fall were getting mixed with raindrops. The doors of the castle were closed, but he just sends a wandless spell at the large doors, that made it fly open. He pulled Gwen tighter to his chest as he walked in.

The professors, Lyra, Odin, the twins and Lee all walked out the great hall together in a hurry. Professor Dumbledore was just handing out instructions for the search when the doors at the end of the corridor flew open, the large doors crashed against the walls with a bang. All head turned to the noise and in the middle of the doorway stood Cedric drenched from the rain, carrying an unconscious Gwen with hair like snow in his arms. Cedric's eyes were wide and full of fear as he glanced around the corridor.

"I NEED HELP, NOW!" He cried out.

Everyone barrelled to him as he ran further inside. Abbo stopped in front of them and tried to pick her out of his arms, but his arms tightened around Gwen. "No." Cedric's voice trembled as he walked past the Alchemy teacher towards the hospital wing. Abbo looked to the headmaster for a moment before everyone followed him to the hospital wing. Lyra and Odin walked on one side of him, while the three Gryffindors walked on his other side. The silence was earie in the normally loud and busy corridor. The teachers had passed him and opened the doors to the hospital wings so he could enter without any interruption. Madam Pomfrey hurried over and ushered him to lay her one the first available bed.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked, looking from Cedric to the others.

"I-I don't know. Lightning... I found her unconscious in one of the boats in the middle of the lake. I checked her heartbeat, but it was slow. I took her here the moment I found her; I don't know how long she's been lying there for."

"Alright." Madam Pomfrey nodded and started casting diagnostic spells over her. "You six wait outside." She said to the students. "I need room."

All of them started to protest but professor Sprout and McGonagall placed their hands on their shoulders and leaded them out gently. "You can just wait right outside the door."

They all looked back over their shoulders one last time before the door closed behind them.

The silence was deafening as the six of them sat in the hallway. The Hufflepuffs on one side of the corridor, while the three Gryffindors had slid down the wall on the other side.

"What do you think happened?" Lyra asked Cedric with a trembling voice.

"I think-" Cedric took in a deep breath, looking up from his knees. "I think she was hit by lightning. The storm was crazy when I got to the lake, and she was in the middle of it." His voice trembled as he spoke. "There was a large scorch mark on her thigh."

"People survive lightning strikes, don't they?" Lyra's voice soft. They all looked worried at each other as she uttered those words, unable to give a true answer and silence fell again. George was glaring at Cedric, feeling this was his fault. It was only Fred's hand on his shoulder that kept him for pounding on him.

"It's my fault." Cedric's muffled voice came from his arms, that rested on his legs a while later, was it twenty minutes, an hour? None of them really knew. "It's my fault she ran out."

"It's not your fault she got hit by lightning." Odin countered. Cedric jumped up in frustration, pacing in the corridor, waving his hands in the air.

"But it was my fault she was out there!" He nearly screamed. The doors from the hospital wing flew open and the rest were on their feet within a second. Professor Dumbledore stepped out with a small smile on his lips.

"She's going to be fine." Everyone let out a breath of relief. "It looks like she was struck by lightning. She's going to stay in the hospital wing for a few days. You can all go visit her, but she's still unconscious and will be for a while, so keep it down." Dumbledore turned to Cedric. "Madam Pomfrey wants to check on you too."

"I'm fine." He contradicted. But with the look Dumbledore gave him, there was no escaping it. "Alright." He sighed in defeat. Dumbledore stepped aside to let everyone in as the rest of the teachers departed to room. Lee and Lyra sat on either side of her, holding her hand while the rest took a seat around her. Cedric jumped on the bed next to Gwen's as Madam Pomfrey came over to cast diagnostic tests of him.

"You have a fever, mister Diggory." Madam Pomfrey announced after a few quiet minutes. She summoned a bottle and handed it over. "Take this and I want you to stay the night, just to be sure the fever doesn't come back."

Cedric nodded his head and brought the vial to his lips, his eyes finding the unconscious girl again. He could see her breathing, her chest rising steadily up and down. She was here, she was alive, he could breathe again. Now that the worry was gone, the fear lessened, it was the guilt that rose up. His chest, his stomach tightened as he looked at her. Flashes from the night before, this morning and the boat all flashed before his eyes.

After an hour of talking quietly Madam Pomfrey sent everyone back to their dormitories where there will be food waiting for them. They reluctantly agreed to head out, leaving Cedric alone with Gwen in the hospital wing. After he ate one sandwich, he pushed the plate away and walked over to her bed. He sat down on the edge of her bed, swinging his legs on it. He pulled his arm around her shoulder and held her close, feeling her now strong heartbeat on her wrist.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for everything." He murmured in her hair, tears falling down his cheeks again. He felt her body shift and he looked down. Her hand had come up to his chest, gripping his shirt tightly but her eyes were still closed. "I can't lose you."

"You won't." She had finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight to his chest. "What happened?"

"You were struck by lightning when you were out on the lake."

"Oh." She frowned as she pulled back. "It's not your fault, Ced. I shouldn't have been out on the lake in the storm."

"You gave us quite a scare. Everyone looked for you for an entire day."

"I'm sorry." She whispered; her eyes locked with his. He shook his head slightly, not taking his eyes of her.

"No, you don't need to apologize. I'm the one who's sorry." He kissed the top of her head. "Are you okay? Do I need to call for Pomfrey?"

"No, no. I'm good, just tired." She said leaning her head back against him.

"Okay." He shuffled a bit to get out of bed, but her grip tightened.

"Stay." She whispered. His heart beats faster as he laid back down in the bed, making himself comfortable. "Ced?"

"Yeah, Winnie?"

"You're still my best friend, aren't you?"

"Always."

"Good, just keep your pda to a minimum when I'm around."

"Oh, I don't think-" He sputtered.

"Cedric." She pushed herself up from his chest to look at him. "I think you should give it a go with Cho, there must've been a reason you kissed her right? Maybe you should find out."

But I kissed you too. He thought to himself but couldn't admit that now, not after everything he did to hurt her. "I'll keep it to a minimum, I promise."

"You're my best friend. And after everything that happened maybe we just have to stay that. I- I don't want to lose you too."

"Never." He kissed the top of her head again. "You'll never lose me, I'm always yours. Now rest, Winnie."

"Hmm." She hummed in his chest and snuggled closer, her hair turning ash blond again. His heart broke from her words. How badly he wanted her, to tell her that he loved her, but he knew this wasn't the time. After everything that happened the last few days, he knew he had to wait. Maybe he would fall out of love with her, maybe she will find someone else. Who knows, only time will tell. Now he just enjoyed the feeling of the girl he loved soundly, safe and alive on his chest, her hand still firmly clasped on his shirt.

Happy Easter! 💝🐰