Chapter 2: Taking care of him
“You’re really taking care of me? Why are you throwing your life away?” Hermione tucked her hair behind her ears and sat on the great white medical bed.
“Didn’t you hear Dumbledore? He said we had to figure this out by ourselves.” She paused to take a deep breath. “There has to be a reason why I can hear you.”
“You hardly know me…”
“I met you before the World Cup.”
“Before all this started?”
“Yes.” She took his hand. And gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Don’t…” Hermione took her hand away in an instant and placed it back timidly in her lap. She felt like a child again… a child taking care of her superior.
“I can’t hold you back.” Hermione tried so hard not to cry. He had dealt with so much… all of them had. She wanted to comfort him somehow. She was a kind, compassionate person, and to do nothing while Cedric just sat there tormented her.
“You’re so young, I mean you’re too young to be living like this. To be taking care of me all the time.”
“It’s something I am willing to do.”
“You mean it’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make…”
“That’s not what I said and you know it.”
“It’s what you meant. Mione, what about your education?”
“I multi-task well.”
“Social life?”
“Never had one…”
“Love?”
“Love?” Hermione paused and took another deep shuddering breath. She had never really thought about love. But she was almost fifteen, a time when most couples and relationship’s blossom, and the want to have someone ‘to have and to hold till death do you part,’ started to grow strong.
“I have to live my life for you now Cedric.” Hermione said after taking a deep gasp inward.
“Because I can’t take care of myself.” Hermione slammed her eyes shut. They had reached the topic of his disabilities. “Hermione, how long will I be like this, will I ever be able to see again, walk again?”
“I don’t know Cedric.”
“So… I guess I’m stuck like this?” She watched him as he turned to her, his eyes crossed and imprecise trying to picture her in front of him.
“For the time being yes. But… at least you’re alive.”
“I’d rather be dead.” Hermione instantly felt weak in her limbs and a hole appear in her stomach. The silence that followed was grisly and terrible. Cedric, with nothing to preoccupy his thoughts to take away his pain, was squirming, thrashing all over, his eyes squinted and shut tight, sweat beaded his brow and snaked through his thick blond curls.
“Cedric, stop.” Hermione said firmly. He did, only when Hermione reached out and grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stop. His body racked with pain and fatigue obliged. “I thought they said you could hardly move.”
“Unless I have a pain spasm.” He sounded far and distant, and his hurting was so eminent, Hermione could almost feel it in herself.
“If you are in this much pain and have so little energy how can you think things to me?”
“That doesn’t take much energy. I have no idea why. I feel as if my head was never touched by a curse.”
“Cedric… what you just did a few moments ago, it… it looked as if you very under the Cruciatus Curse.”
“I think I was. With death comes pain. Hermione, I was almost dead. I don’t know how I lived. I don’t really want to know why I lived.”
“What happens if for some really… bizarre and slightly random reason the curse hits you again?”
“Then I suffer through it.” His tone there was they way she had known him when he had been alive. It was strong and determined and a hair of cockiness was renowned. Hermione took the moment to really study him. He looked exactly the same, minus his imprecise eyes. His gray-green eyes were still bright, but he shut them in weariness and he looked at ease. His thick eyebrows and long eyelashes were still the same. His thick blond curly hair hadn’t changed, and Hermione just wanted to run her hands through it to know what it felt like. His cheeks still held the natural pink glow that looked as if he had been running. His red lips were parted slightly to breathe in air. His chiseled features were just and handsome, just as stunning.
“Beautiful.” Hermione had said it before she had even realized it. She smiled to herself though when she realized he had fallen into a content and peaceful slumber. He was finally asleep. The day was finally done.
Hermione lifted her wand and lit a roaring fire in the near by hearth. She dimmed the lights. Cedric was shivering from her not being beside him to keep him warm. She ran to a near by chair and grabbed another blanket and put it over his bandaged chest. She grabbed another blanket for herself, a pillow and placed it in front of the fire.
She fell asleep fast n the cold hard ground, and in her dreams were visions and swimming images of tournaments and mazes, evil and spells, darkness and light, a future, a past, and most of all:
Cedric Diggory.
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