Rhapsody of a Veela

Part 24 - Summer days of rapture

"Do you think he would've still loved me if he knew?"

"Of course, it does not make you any lesser in anyone's eyes Y/n...at least not in mine"

Fred had assured you yet again, but you still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. As if Cedric had been marked for death the day he had first laid his eyes on you in Hogwarts library. Maybe you were cursed, maybe everyone you ever loved and cared for were at risk. Whether it was your fault or not, you still could not shake the feeling off yourself, as you watched the casket being lowered into the cold ground.

Fred stood by your side, holding your hand while tears silently fell down your cheeks. You were not sobbing anymore at the very least, god, you thought, everyone must have been so tired of it by now.

It had proved itself to be rather difficult to hide away at the Burrow, there was not much space where you could remain undisturbed in your mourning. Perhaps that was a good thing, even if it made everyone miserable. You had immediately understood that they knew the truth about your father, once you saw the look on Mr. Weasley's face back when he picked you up at platform 9 ¾. Dumbledore must have told them, despite how he had told you that no one needed to know unless you wanted them too. And yet neither Mr. nor Mrs Weasley treated you any differently, the disgust you had tried so hard to find was not there. There was not any trace of repulsion in their eyes when they looked at you whatsoever, there was only worry and love.

The first few weeks were difficult, especially during breakfasts when the Daily Prophet would be read aloud by Mr. Weasley for all of you to hear. Not because there was anything valuable to learn, but to keep up with the lies and coverup. Every day there were new articles, criticizing Dumbledore, and calling for a change at Hogwarts. Worse of all the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, would stand there smiling at every front page, stating that all was fine. The Dark Lord had not returned, he claimed, and the death of Cedric was merely an accident. Some days you wished it was true, other days you wanted to scream from the top of your lungs.

Ginny never seemed to mind your presence in her room anymore, in fact you sometimes ended up hanging out with her more than you did with Fred. You were not quite ready to start anything new so soon after all, and in some ways pouring your heart out to Ginny every other night was quite therapeutic. She had her troubles too, and the two of you ended up growing quite close over the summer. She often talked about Harry Potter, and you noticed there was clearly something there even though she was seeing Dean Thomas.

"Do you ever blame him? For what happened to Cedric?" she asked you one night you had stayed up talking late, almost wondering out loud. She must have pondered on it for a while, you though, and you could not blame her. When you did not answer right away, she quickly apologized.

"No.. of course not, it was not Harry's fault" you whispered, thinking to yourself that it was rather he who should blame you if anything.

Your father, he-who-should-not-be-named, had killed his parents, just as he had killed Cedric.

The thought of it made you sick.

That summer was quite warm, you often ended up going to the river by midday along with Fred, George, Ginny and Ron to cool down. Floating there in the water, looking up at the cotton like clouds in the blue skies above, you pretended Cedric was there with you. Having fun under the sun just like the young should, without any care in the world.

You could almost hear his laughter, almost see his smile if you wished for it badly enough. Then your daydreams would wash away, as Fred splashed water towards you.

"Hey Y/n" he had said before he splashed water at you yet again, "Daydreaming about me are you?"

"You're going to wish you did not do that" you grinned, as you quite easily just by waving your hand towards him conjured up an enormous wave out of nowhere, the river almost spilling over whilst washing Fred away, to much of the rest of the groups enjoyment.