What If? Year 1

Chapter 17

The weeks going up to Halloween fly by like the speed of light.  I have not talked to Regulus since the night I woke up screaming.  Cedric and I started to get closer and the remarks about us dating from Ara had only gotten worse. Ginny starts getting close to Ara and me. Heather and Luna started handing out more. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were invited to Nearly-Headless Nick's Death Day Party. 
"I've heard that most of the Halloween feast is mostly candy!" I hear Collin whisper during Transfiguration.  I roll my eyes and continue to copy notes off of the board. Ara's hair was frantically changing colors. 
"Miss Malfoy!" McGonagall says, "stop distracting my class with you're colorful hair." Ara stops immediately, her hair staying a neon blue.  Ginny and I giggle.  
"Shove off," Ara mumbles to us.  Ara starts to doodle on her notes. The bell rings and everyone rushes to the Great Hall to find it decorated in pumpkins and black cats.  I sit down next to Fred and George.  Cedric walks over to us. 
"Hey, Goldie," he says, "are you excited for you're first Halloween feast?"  Cedric hands me a chocolate frog card. 
"You said you didn't have Artemisia Lufkin," he tells me, his face turning red, "I found it in my first box I opened.. and thought you might like it." I smile, and turn the card over. Lufkin was starting at me and smiling. She makes a heart with her hand and my face turns pink. 
"Thank you, Ced," I say, smiling, getting up and hugging him. 
"I'll see you after the feast, right?" he asks, "I want to talk to you.." He winks before turning to leave. I sit back down and Fred whistles in my ear. 
"Shut up," I grumble.  Ara and Ginny look at me from across the table and giggle. I start looking for Harry, before remembering that he was at Nearly-Headless Nick's Deathday Party. 
"What are you going to eat first?" George asks, "I think we should split a pie."  Ara nods and cuts the pie into equal pieces. I take a piece and start eating.  We all finish our food and we get up to leave. I look over to the Hufflepuff table and see that Cedric is walking over to us. 
"Will you walk with me?" he asks, smiling and reaching his hand out to me. I take it slowly and nod. We walk out together and turn towards the Gryffindor common room. 
"You said that you wanted to ask me something?" I mumble, as we take another turn. He nods. 
"I was wondering if you'd like to.. ummm.. go to my game against Slytherin next week," he asks, stuttering on a couple of his words. 
"Of course!" I say, "why wouldn't I?" Cedric blushes and looks down at his feet. 
"I mean," he mumbles, "and like.. root for me? Like.. and wear my Quidditch jacket?" I blush. 
"Sure," I say, "that would be an honor.. it might be a little big?" Cedric chuckles. 
"That's what makes it even cuter!" he says, "will you walk with me to my common room and I'll give it to you?" I nod. We turn the corner and I step in a puddle of water. I look down and see water trailing from the bathroom. I look up and see Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 
"Goldie?" Harry asks, "What are you doing?"  I look around and see blood on the wall. I swallow and try not to scream. 
"What's happening, Harry?" I ask him, before gripping onto Cedric. 
"We just got here!" Hermione exclaims, "we were going back to the common room." I hear footsteps behind us. Cedric stands behind me and grips my waist. 
"What is going on?" McGonagall asks, "wh-what is this?" I look at her and shrug. 
"I d-don't know, Professor," I say, "Cedric and I just found it.." Everyone looks over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 
"We just found it!" Harry says, "we were walking back to the common room. Snape glares at the three of them. I start getting lightheaded so I grip onto Cedric's robes. He notices and tilts his head down. 
"Are you alright?" he whispers, as I set my head back on his chest. I shake my head, slowly. He turns around with me and walks through the crowd. He takes me to the Grand Staircases and sits down with me on the stairs. 
"What's wrong?" he asks, rubbing my back. I shake my head. 
I don't know what's wrong.
"I d-don't kn-now," I stutter, taking in a shaky breath, "I just got lightheaded when we were standing there." 
"Was it the blood?" Cedric asks, "It might have been the blood.. or since you ate some much candy and not actual food." I shrug. 
"Come on," he says, getting up, "I'm going to make sure you get to your common room." I nod. We walk to the Gryffindor common room. I was leaning on Cedric the entire time. He pushes some of my hair out of my face. I get a lightheaded wave again and trip into Cedric's arms. 
"Goldie!" he says, "I don't think this is normal." I grumble and use his shoulder's to get up. 
"I didn't realize that this wasn't normal, Ced," I snark. He rolls his eyes before picking me up. 
"Hey!" I shout, "put me down! I do not need to be carried!" Cedric laughs and starts to run up the stairs. 
"Don't hurt yourself!" I grumble, putting my hands in my lap. Cedric continues to run up the stairs. 
He better not drop me!  We're both laughing by the time we get to the portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room. He sets me down and quickly makes sure that I can stand by myself. 
"I'll bring my jacket to you to breakfast tomorrow," he says, before quickly squeezing my waist and leaving. I look up at the Fat Lady and tell her the password. The door opens.  I notice that no one was back yet.  I shuffle over to the sofa and I fall onto it. Black spots start to cloud my vision the longer I lay there.