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TWENTY-TWO BACK TO BLACK
(OR GREEN, RATHER)
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"REMEMBER CEDRIC DIGGORY." Delia keeps hearing Dumbledore's words ringing over and over again in her head like some sort of fucked up mantra. It follows her everywhere: her mind, her thoughts, her dreams, even when she's awake — she hears it always ringing in the back of her mind. "Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
Unfortunately, Delia doesn't think she can ever forget. Like ever.
A boy dropped dead right in front of her eyes. That's not something you see once and get over, especially not when it's at the hands of the Dark Lord's faithful servant, who — by some twist of fate — happens to be your birth father.
Yeah, it's safe to say that Delia Thorne is never going to forget. Much to her dismay, she'll remember everything until the day she dies. (One of the very few disadvantages of having a photographic memory. She can still remember everything like she's experiencing it for the first time all over again. It's horrible.)
But, Delia shouldn't be complaining, really. As traumatising as it was to watch Cedric drop dead at the hands of Wormtail, she didn't know Cedric. Delia didn't know his favourite colours, what he liked to do when he had spare time, his favourite meal, anything. Cedric Diggory was a complete stranger to her. But he was not a stranger to Heather Cayce. Heather, who used to be filled with light, kindness, and joy — who now locks herself in her room and refuses to come out unless it's for meals.
The one time Delia was allowed over to visit before she was sent packing to Twelve Grimmauld Place, she had tried to talk to Heather, had tried knocking on her bedroom door and apologising. Delia felt horrible, she still feels horrible. She didn't know Peter was her father, but now that she does, she feels a bit... at fault for Cedric's death. Like she's got to take some responsibility for what her cowardly birth-father did.
Heather never came out of her room the day that Delia had come over, and a large part of her thinks that it's because some large part of Heather blames Delia for what happened. After all, the man who killed her best friend shares the same blood as Delia. He is her blood. She's a direct result of him. Isn't it, in some way, her fault too?
Now, Delia knows what her parents would say to her if they were here. That she shouldn't blame herself; it's not her fault. Delia had no clue of her relation to Peter up until the moment Voldemort told her. That she's not his daughter, she's their daughter, blood relation aside. "It's not your fault, Rory," they would say. "Don't you dare blame yourself for something that scum did. He is not your father. He is not your family." Delia knows this. She knows it's not her fault.
