"how many nights does it take to count the stars? that's the time it would take to fix my heart".
a cedric diggory story.
Emelie Fawley is a sixth year at Hogwarts. All of her years in the school had been the same while she hanged out with her fri...
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The next day, the whole school was buzzing with excitement at the second task.
While everyone was ecstatic, Emelie was a nervous wreck. The possibility of running into Cedric made her heart ache.
For a few days, she hadn't seen him around until she spotted him with Cho near the courtyard, hanging out.
Sure enough, as if she'd jinxed yet another thought this year, someone tapped her shoulder.
"Hi Em, we haven't seen each other in a while now, how are you?" Cedric asked. Emelie slowly turned around, trying to keep her composure.
"I've been good, how about you?", she said stiffly.
"I'm splendid", he replied. Emelie's heart sank. Of course, you are now.
"That's nice", Emelie managed to reply before a small voice talked from far away.
"Ced!", it called out. It was Cho. Emelie's eyes stung with tears.
"It seems you have places to be", she said. Without saying goodbye, she walked off, pain coursing through her. She might have been irrational on a different point of view, but still it hurt her to see someone who she really liked talking to someone else.
She shook the thought out of her head, primarily because Harry was sitting alone in the benches in the courtyard looking strange.
"McGonagall just took Hermione and Ron," Harry said.
"Goodness Harry, you're making it sound like they've died. I'm sure they're fine, wherever they are".
"I know but they were supposed to cheer me on".
"You've still got me. Unless you want to go and walk around the Hogwarts while you participate in the task".
"Oh, um, no , no. You can stay, of course. Uh... I think I'll go now, i need to change into my swimming trunks". Harry waved goodbye, walking off.
Now alone, Emelie walked over to the Black Lake, not bothering to think of when she and Cedric had a picnic date. There were stands in the water and stairs that led up to the stands. It seemed the Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang students were all expected to watch from above the water.
Emelie met the twins and Ginny up the stands. Since it was crowded at the top of the stands, she went towards the bottom to get a better look at the contestants. There was a few minutes of chit-chatter before Bartemius Crouch Snr. took a wand, put it up to his throat and began talking.
"Good morning, everyone! Today is the day of the second task. Our champions have done an excellent job figuring out what to expect for the second task. If you all still haven't figured it out, our champions will be rescuing someone important to them from underwater and the first person to successfully complete the task will be announced the winner of this task. Without further ado, let us begin!".
The four champions all jumped into the water. Emelie didn't even look at Cedric. She hoped, though, that the Gillyweed would be enough to help Harry.
At first the only thing seen were the ripples in the water made by the four people jumping. So this is what we are going to be watching for the rest of the hour.
Not even a few minutes after the champions jumped in, Fleur's head popped up from under the water, no one next to her.
"Ma sœur! Ma sœur!" she was screaming, which Emelie registered as "my sister". It seemed the champions were saving a loved one or a friend. So that's where Ron had gone. But, what about Hermione?
Fleur got wrapped in a blue blanket, her cries being heard from all the way where Emelie was sitting. Emelie felt for her even if she didn't have a sister. It must be traumatizing to see a loved one trapped underwater. She wondered how Harry was doing.
About 10 minutes passed before another champion's head popped above the water. Emelie leaned over the railing to see if it was Harry only to find that it was Cedric with, as Emelie imagined, Cho Chang at his side. Emelie sat back down disappointed.
The next champion to come out the water was Viktor Krum and Hermione. Emelie's jaw dropped at the sight of Hermione and Viktor but it didn't surprise her since he'd asked Hermione to the ball.
The only person left was now Harry. Emelie began to get worried. She looked up in the stands, spotting Ginny looking as anxious as ever. If something bad happened it would surely be Emelie's fault.
Time was ticking and just five minutes before the task ended, Harry popped out the water with Ron and Fleur's sister.
"Gabrielle!" Fleur screamed, scrambling to get her sister. Emelie could hardly wait, she had been so worried. She excused herself and went to join everyone down on the starting platform.
When she got there Fleur was kissing Harry's cheeks.
"Merci! Thank you! You saved my sister". Fleur then went to kiss Ron's cheeks too, making him turn as red as his Gryffindor scarf. Hermione didn't find it amusing.
"Oh Harry, you're safe! You did amazing!". Emelie wrapped a towel around him and Hermione joined them.
"Oh it was agony under there!", she said, "Good thing Viktor saved me". She looked his way and smiled at him. Emelie got a feeling Ron wasn't only turning red because of Fleur's kiss.
"Ehm" Bartemius Crouch Snr bellowed, clearing his throat loudly.
"You all did exceptionally well, especially Harry who was able to come back to the surface before the time ran out. Now the winner can only be one and the winner is". He took a pregnant pause for emphasis.
"Cedric Diggory!". Emelie nearly choked up. She was the one who told him he would get his comeback and here he was messing around with his fellow Hufflepuffs because he had won the second task.
Although she was mad at Cedric, she couldn't help but also be happy for him. Alls he wished was that she could celebrate close to him so for now she settled for clapping.
When she saw that Cho was smiling at him, her wet hair dangling around her, Emelie looked away.
"So, do we all go now?". Harry shook his head.
"No, they still need us but you can go up to the common room". Emelie obeyed and went up with the twins and Ginny.
"Did you talk to Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, he saved not only Ron but Gabrielle, Fleur's sister too".
"Lovely, I thought he'd gotten sick. I mean I knew I would have if he didn't come up from underwater". Emelie laughed. Together they walked back, off to the common room.
