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"YOU CAME BACK FOR ME?"
MAGNOLIA AND Hugo ran through the field of burning tents. Screams of terror surrounded them, and the two desperately wanted to be out of harms way. Magnolia looked up, seeing the muggles that were being humiliated and tortured by You-Know-Who's followers. "Stop!" She screamed, but it fell upon deaf ears. She hadn't realized she'd let go of Hugo's hand until she looked down. She began to panic. Magnolia could not see Hugo's face in the sea of people who were running for their lives.
"Watch it!" A wizard shouted, knocking Magnolia to the ground. She laid there for a second, unsure what her next move should be. There were so many people — how was she going to get on her feet again? As people stepped over her and on her, she went to her happy place. Heavy rain. The clementines father grows at home. Climbing the tallest tree she could find. She stood up, pushing her way through the crowd, unaware of the bloody nose she now had.
Magnolia didn't know which direction to go. What if she took the wrong turn and ran into Death Eaters?
Like a knight in shining armor, she saw Cedric running towards her. Without a word, he grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her through the crowd with him. It wasn't the time, but Magnolia noticed how soft his hands were. In less dangerous situations, Magnolia realized she would like to hold them again.
Cedric got her out of the crowd safely, and when they were at the edge of the woods again, she stared up at him, her eyes sparkling. He was saying something, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from his eyes.
"Maggie, are you okay? You're bleeding." Cedric noticed, ripping off a small piece of his shirt so he could wipe the blood off of her face. She'd ended up with a bloody nose, a busted lip, and a cut on her eyebrow. Not to mention her ribs were killing her from being stepped on.
"How did you know where I was?" She asked as he rubbed the blood off of her face with the ripped fabric.
"Your friend, I saw him running, and he was screaming for you." Cedric told her.
"You came back for me?" She asked, her eyes still wide. Cedric seemed confused.
"Of course I did. You're my...friend." He gave a slight smile. Cedric informed Magnolia that he'd told Hugo to meet him there, and that there was no need to worry. This calmed her down a little, but she was still worried for Luna and her father. Despite her aching ribs, she climbed the nearest tree. Cedric seemed worried, so she sat on the lowest branch. Cedric decided to make small talk while they were waiting.
"So, why do you like trees so much?" He asked. She thought for a moment.
"Well, I believe every tree, every plant has a spirit. They need friends, too. And it's harder for people to bully me while I'm up there." Cedric frowned. "I have very few friends. Just Hugo, Gwen, and Bea." She told him, looking up at the stars. "Of course, Hugo is the only one who talks to me in Hufflepuff." She said.
"You have me, too. I think you're lovely." Cedric admitted. No, he wasn't going to admit he'd fancied her since their third year, but he wanted her to know that not everyone in the school found her weird. Magnolia looked down at him. "You do?" Her voice sounded happier, and that was exactly what Cedric was hoping for.
"I think you're lovely, too. And you have a handsome face." Magnolia said, nonchalantly. Cedric was glad the moonlight hid his blush.
Cutting their conversation short, Hugo, Luna, and her father ran towards them, joined by Amos Diggory.
"I'm so sorry, Mags, I thought you were still holding onto my hand!" Hugo cried as Magnolia climbed down the tree. Cedric helped her down, knowing that her ribs were hurting her.
"It's alright, Hugo. Cedric saved me." Magnolia said, her voice going back to the dreamy tone it usually was. As her father thanked Cedric, Luna turned to her older sister.
"Mango, you're bleeding." Cedric had gotten most of the blood off of her face, but the cut on her eyebrow was still bleeding. Amos healed her ribs, and assured her that her facial wounds would heal quickly.
When everything was sorted out, the families split to go to their own homes. Hugo would be staying with Magnolia, of course.
Magnolia took one last look at Cedric before they left, deciding that she wanted to talk to more often. Cedric didn't laugh at her like all the other kids did.
Of course, she had Hugo, Gwen, and Bea, but even sometimes she felt like she was nothing but a bother to them. There was a boy in Hufflepuff, Zacharias Smith — he always pointed and laughed at her. Sometimes he'd trip her in the hallways, but she never let him or anyone else see that it bothered her. She cared more about how Luna was doing. With the awful nickname, and knowing the younger students were just as brutal as the older ones.
She'd be going back to Hogwarts in a few days, and while most of the kids were mean to her, she still loved the school. It was beautiful. A place she'd thought only possible in her dreams. There were even ghosts that you could talk to. Nearly Headless Nick had always been the most talkative one, but Magnolia and Luna would sneak down to talk to Helena Ravenclaw. Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. She had a tragic story, and never usually talked to the humans in the school, but she found the Lovegood siblings to be different. They were nice to her. And though he caused nothing but trouble, Magnolia still admired Peeves. She never really minded if she got hit with a water balloon. She knew it would dry.
