Darling - Cedric Diggory

33

"You don't have to like her," Fred reminds, his long legs strewn over the side of the armchair

"Besides, if you don't like her you have Lily, you have Professor McGonnogal and you have mum. You're not short on maternal figures," George adds.

The twins are trying their hardest to make me calm down but the nerves are twisting inside as my hands wring the side of my skirt.

"What if she doesn't like me?" I question, George practically gasps aloud as he jumps up from his spot on the sofa. Placing his hands on my shoulders to still my pacing.

"Look at me," he demands, smiling gently as he ducks his head to force eye contact "she will love you. If she doesn't she's fucking stupid. You hear me?" He questions. I nod, opening my mouth to respond when the doorbell rings.

"It's okay, it's just dinner," Fred smiles, grabbing my hand and squeezing it despite my clammy palm.

"We are going to be with you the whole time. And your dad and your aunty Lily," George assures.

We listen in the living room as dad opens the door, footsteps in the hall and then
"Em, are you coming?" echoes through the corridor

"Ready?" Fred questions

"Ready," I reply.

The twins follow as I enter the kitchen. Aunty Lily is immediately by my side, almost territorial in the way she wraps an arm around my shoulder. Claiming me as hers in a way that practically has my heart melting.

My mother sits at the table, she's exactly like the photo from years ago. Clear skin and long curls of blonde hair, bright eyes and a calming aura. Despite this, I feel more on edge than I have ever felt in my life.

"Emily it's so great to finally meet you," she speaks with an air of casualty that makes me annoyed. She speaks like she isn't looking at the child she abandoned. She rises from her seat as if to hug me but I drop into my own, only realising how awkward I have made it until after I've done it.

"And one of you handsome young boys must be her boyfriend?" She questions, turning to the twins who are standing a little behind me, Fred's hand still clasping mine, she looks at our hands gripped together almost inquisitively.

"No. They're my best friends," I speak, my tone colder than I had intended.

"This is Fred and George," dad smiles, indicating to the each twin "I mentioned them when we were talking the other day,"

"Arabella always did have problems listening if it wasn't about her," Lily comments, her hostility shocking the twins and I.

"I wouldn't say that," Arabella cuts, her tone equally sharp

"Yes, well everyone else would," aunty Lily speaks through pursed lips, she almost reminds me of Minnie and I smile at the thought of how proud my godmother would be to see Lily making my mother as uncomfortable as she possibly can

"Why doesn't everyone sit down. We have lasagna," Dad attempts to diffuse the tension.

The twins sit down on either side of me, with dad across, feeling the tension between my mother and a scowling aunty Lily.

"So, Emily, your father tells me your exceptional at quidditch, team captain I heard,"

"Yeah," I'm not quite sure when I lost all my personality and was reduced to one word answers but I don't really know what else to say. Looking at her next to dad I desperately want to try and get along for his sake.

"She's a chaser, best in school by a mile. Could easily play professionally after school," George bolsters, making me smile

"Not that good. Not professional," I shrug the compliment off, picking at my food a little.

"She is. I went to most the games this year. I believe every player should have a supportive parental figure in the stands," Lily states

"Well a good job your son did then," Arabella snaps back.

"Yes, and my daughter,"

"She's my daughter,"

"Hardly," I don't even realise the word has left my mouth until Lily is shooting me a proud smile and Arabella is looking at me like I just slapped her.

"Emily's very smart, she wants to be a healer," dad attempts to change the topic while Fred squeezes my knee gently under the table in support.

"Where did that dream come from?" It feels like I'm being interrogated and I wish she would just relax.

"Oh, well, the twins are troublemakers and always had little injuries so I learnt to fix them up. They never wanted to go to Madame Pomfrey or they'd have to own up to whatever stunt they pulled and someone had to do it. Came from there I guess,"

"Well healing is in your blood, my father was healer," she smiles. I nod, not really sure how to respond. "And boys, you are a pretty girl, sure you have a boyfriend," she prompts

"Uh, yeah. He's called Cedric,"

"He's the school pretty boy," Fred pipes up, Arabella smiles at this

"Like mother like daughter,"

"Sirius wasn't the pretty boy, he was wrongly labelled a bad boy. James was the pretty boy," Lily smirks

"Cedric just won the tri-wizard tournament. More than just a pretty face," George comments, shooting dad a look of pity.

"Wow, that's pretty dangerous. You were okay with him competing in that?"

"Ah- uh- well- there was a small- well actually quite large- argument and a lot of drama but we are very solid now,"  I state

"Well you shouldn't date a boy that comes with drama. Look where it lands you," she comments, pointing her head towards dad.

"Our drama was the typical teenage kind. He didn't knock me up and then offer to keep the child and bring it up alone cause I was too immature to admit to my own mistakes or handle my own problems. You have no place to comment on who I should or shouldn't date and as I said, Cedric and I are very solid now,"

"This was a mistake. Clearly you are not emotionally mature enough to handle me being a part of your life,"

The comment makes me genuinely laugh, Fred grabbing my hand and Lily leaning across the table rub my shoulder in comfort.

"No. No you don't get to say that. You know when you should have been a part of my life, when you birthed me. You don't show up sixteen years later and claim I'm not mature enough! It's on you. Your mistakes. You don't waltz in here and question my relationship and talk about quidditch without so much as an apology for the sixteen years I lived without you. The sixteen birthdays. The sixteen Christmases. The sixteen years I cried wondering why I wasn't good enough to make you stay. But I don't need you. I have Lily who loves me more than most mothers love their kids. I have Minnie who may be stern but she makes a damn good cup of tea and when I want to cry and breakdown she bucks my ideas up. I have Molly who looks after me like I'm one of her own. And I have my dad, who loved me enough for the both of you. They cleaned up the mess you left. So you can fuck off telling me I'm not mature enough for this, when clearly it's you. Because sixteen years later you still don't apologise for your mistake."