Forever... Always

Summer - Cedric's

The few days before we went to Cedric's were like clockwork, I woke up in Georgie's bed, the four of us ate breakfast then would disappear to the big field to play our adapted version of quidditch and would only return to the house for food around lunch and came in for the evening around dinner. In the evenings, we would spend some time in the living room either taking turns playing wizard chess against Ron or playing a game with Ginny, she didn't like to play the same game two days in a row. Once we were all tuckered out, George and I would say goodnight to Fred and Cedric and went to sleep together in his bed. Then, as if perfect timing, Aunt Molly woke us up today and told us Mr. Diggory would be coming soon to bring us to his house.
    "I can't wait! What are we going to do at your house Cedric?" I asked in between bites of breakfast.
    "I'm not actually sure yet. All I really know is that it will just be us four and my dad because my mom is on a trip to see her sister." He responded, seeming a little embarrassed he hadn't thought much of it till now.
    "That's alright, what's more fun than spontaneous plans?" Fred and George said.
    "Spontaneous plans with you three." I said after having finished my plate.
"Aw, thanks Rayne." They all blushed a little.
*knock knock knock*
Aunt Molly answered the door and as we expected, it was Mr. Diggory. She invited him in, offering him coffee and let him know that we still had to pack our trunk as we just finished breakfast. We went to pack our trunks and though I was the first one to finish packing, which was a surprise in itself, I was the last one to the living room, what can I say, my trunk was heavy.
"Are we all ready to go?" Mr. Diggory asked as he sprung up from the couch.
"I think so dad, right guys?"
"Yup, let's go!" Fred, George and I confirmed.
We said our goodbyes to Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur and Cedric and I thanked them again for having us before we left and were on our way to Cedric's.
Once I could see his house, I stopped listening to the conversation the twins and Cedric were having and I noticed that his house resembled one that my parents wanted to buy in the muggle world. It was cottage like and generally looked cozy and welcoming.
"What are you thinking about?" George asked me as we pulled into the driveway.
"Just that Cedric's house looks like one my parents want to buy. We'd have more rooms and space if they buy that house, not that we really need, it's just the three of us anyhow." I said, hoping he wouldn't notice how lonely more space with so little people would make me feel.
"That's nice, I hope your parents can get the house, maybe if you had more space you'd be able to have us over more often." He reassured me.
After we entered the house, I was in awe of how they had it decorated.
"It's beautiful in here Cedric, who decorated it like this?" I asked.
"It was my mom's idea and we all helped, although I was quite young when we did it, I didn't exactly help much." He said. "I can show you where I helped the most if you'd like?"
"I'd like to see young Cedric's version of help." Fred said while following Cedric with Georgie and I in toe.
"Right here. My mom won't let me paint over it because it would erase proof of my help, or that's what she says." He stated while pointing at a cute little yellow handprint on the black wall.
"Aw, that's adorable." I said in awe. I guess all our parents have different ways of remembering the most wonderful memories. Cedric's mom likes to leave happy accidents to show moments in the past and my dad likes to use his wizard camera, making only the most important memoires ones that we can almost live again. Aunt Molly knitts things that will remind us of the amazing moments we got them and when she sees us wear them, the memories come flooding back to her.
I got snapped back into the present when I heard Cedric tell us he was going to show us where we're going to be sleeping. He showed us to the basement and when we saw it, we were all in shock, even Cedric.
"I knew my dad said he made us a sleeping place but wow, I didn't expect this." Cedric said as we all stood there staring, this was incredible.
"Your dad seems way cooler than ours." George said.
There was four sleeping bags unrolled on a mattress on the floor, all laying side by side. Above the sleeping bags was a blanket hanging with lights along the edges. On top of what already looked like a bed for royalty, there was tons of pillows and when I say tons, I mean TONS, probably more than the Weasleys and my family have combined, it was totally nuts. Before I could realize what was happening, I was hit with a pillow, knocking me off balance and I fell on the bed.
"Hey! Who did that?" I asked, grabbing a pillow to defend myself and looking at the three boys, each with a pillow in hand, searching for a guilty look. George struggled to maintain eye contact and I knew it was him. "Georgie, you'll pay for that." I joked.
"If you can catch me." He shot back.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" I heard Fred yell before ducking to avoid being hit by the pillow he threw in my direction.
Pillows were flying left right and centre and yet, the twins deflected almost every pillow we threw at them and Cedric and I dodged almost every pillow. After awhile Mr. Diggory had joined us and while he was having an intense fight with the three boys, I took the advantage that they almost forgot I was there and snuck up on Georgie and got him, knocking him to the ground.
"Haha, looks like I got you after all." I laughed standing over him.
"Maybe not." He said while knocking my knee out with his pillow, but his efforts were all for not because I fell on top of him.
"So much for maybe not." I said while getting up.
"That usually works, how dare you beat my unbeatable move." He joked, playfully hitting me with his pillow.
"You hit me first, I was just getting even." I said, gently hitting him in the back of the head with my pillow.
"Alright alright, I surrender, you win!" Mr. Diggory shouted as Cedric and Fred mercilessly attacked him with pillows. "Do you want dinner or not?" He joked.
The two boys immediately stopped and the four of us cleaned up the pillows while Mr. Diggory headed upstairs to make dinner. Once everything was cleaned up, we headed upstairs and the three boys sat in the dining room as I went to the kitchen.
"Do you need any help Mr. Diggory?" I asked.
"No dear, dinner's ready and please call me Amos."
"Would you mind if I called you Uncle Amos?"
"I'd love that dear, I hope that means I'll be seeing you around more often?"
"As long as you'll have me and my parents approve."
Dinner seemed to pass quickly as we all struck up conversation about the magical creatures of our realm. Uncle Amos was a little shocked by my interest in his job, simply because he works in the ministry, which he thought doesn't seem like a job for me, nor Cedric and the twins.
"You four just seem too... how to put this? Ah, free spirited and self starters. You have too many hopes and dreams to work a dull ministry job like mine." He stated.
"We'd like to run our own shop one day, wouldn't we Fred?"
"Yes, a shop full of prank supplies"
"Fred and George would like it to be in Diagon Alley, the perfect place to attract young witches and wizards before heading to Hogwarts." I added with a giggle.
"I'd like to be a professional quidditch player or a dark wizard catcher." Cedric added with a huge grin.
"You mean an Auror Cedric, if you want to be one you should at least know the title. I'd like to be a magizoologist like Mr. Newt Scamander."
"These are the dreams I see in you, you'd rot in the ministry with missed potential and Rayne, I hope you'll at least graduate a Hufflepuff, unlike Mr. Scamander." Uncle Amos told us.
"Of course, why wouldn't I take advantage of the free books in the library at Hogwarts to learn from?" I joked.
"These are the times you sound like a Ravenclaw Rayne." Fred added.
"Just because I want to learn doesn't mean I'm smart and get good grades."
"But you are, you do and you're incredibly caring and sympathetic as well." Georgie shot back at me.
"A good example is Potions class, you once vowed to find a way to get the resources we need without hurting the creatures, or to find an alternative for them." Cedric added.
"I try my best, these creatures don't deserve to be hurt because we invented spells that hurt others, why do they have to be in pain for us to heal?" I added, somewhat hoping for some response.
"That's a very good question Rayne, I think that one day, you'll be the one to find the answer, you are a Hufflepuff after all, you have the dedication in you, but for now, I think we should head to bed, I've got the week packed with plans." Uncle Amos told us.
We headed downstairs but I couldn't get my own question out of my head. I was snapped back into the present when I heard Cedric call my name a bit irritatedly. I apologized and asked what was going on.
"Where do you want to sleep?"
"Doesn't matter to me."
"Then you'll sleep here." Cedric pointed to the second sleeping bag to the left. "Between me and George."
I fell asleep quickly, but not quickly enough to not realize Cedric had his arms around me. I didn't mind, it made me feel safe and I'm sure it just happened, like when I slept with Georgie. It reminded me of how my dad used to cuddle me when I was much younger, it was comforting.