Darkest Hours (A Cedric Diggory Fanfic)

Chapter 26: Answers

It was a month before the third task, however the students at Hogwarts could not focus on that. It was final exams time also. Kiara spent most of her days in the library or in the courtyards studying. Morgan or Nathan would join her most days.

Remus was on the hunt for Pettigrew still, however it seemed as thought Pettigrew was no longer in the vicinity of the Marauders' Map.

Morgan was with her in the library that day. She yawned, closing her potions book, "I'm done. I cannot memorize another potion."

Kiara looked up from her transfiguration notes, "Okay. I'm going to study a bit more. I'll see you in the dorm later."

Morgan reached out to touch Kiara's hand, "How long are you going to be like this?"

"Like what?" Kiara asked, tiredly.

"Like you're a shell of a person," Morgan said, sadly, "you haven't been the same since Cedric. You barely eat. You spend most of your time studying or being alone. The only person you actually interact with is Lupin...Kiara, we're worried about you."

"We?" Kiara asked.

"Your friends, Kiara," Morgan told her, shaking her head.

"I'm just ready for final exams to be over. I want to go home and forget about this year," Kiara sighed heavily.

"That's understandable, but don't give him the satisfaction of thinking he took something from you. He's out there not caring and living his life, like nothing happened, so you should too," Morgan told her encouragingly.

"What do you expect me to do? Forget everything that happened, happened? Go back to making out with Graham? Go back to partying and laughing like my heart's not completely broken?" Kiara asked Morgan, closing her books. She was done studying now too.

Morgan didn't know what to say in response to that. She never had her heart broken. Up until Cedric, neither did Kiara. Morgan didn't know how to help her.

Kiara packed up her things and stood up to leave, "I'll see you later."

That weekend, Kiara and Remus had their weekly Sunday dinner as always. He was going on about something that happened at the Ministry of Magic. Kiara's parents were still at her father's family home. She couldn't wait for the school year to be over so she can join them.

She thought about Graham, but she knew getting back with him would only be a distraction for her even if she did care about him. Their problems would still be there and it wouldn't be fair for either of them.

"Kiara," Remus snapped his fingers at her playfully to regain her attention.

She blinked and focused on him, "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Kiara kept drifting off. Remus shook his head, "Kiara, honey, you're not okay."

"I'm fine. I'll be fine," Kiara assures him with a small smile which she knew was not convincing.

Remus sighed heavily, "Well, I don't know if this will help you, but I just got news before you got here that Cho Chang is getting transferred to Beauxbatons immediately."

Kiara looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Remus shrugged, "Turns out she'll be a better fit for an all girls' school instead. If you are done with dinner maybe you can still catch her to say your goodbyes."

Kiara gasped before jumping up from her chair to give her godfather a kiss on the cheeks before rushing out of his chambers. She didn't know where exactly she was going but when she turned the corner she ran into Morgan.

"I was coming to find you! Chang is being transferred like right now!" Morgan told her, taking her arm.

"I just heard. How? How did this happen?" Kiara asked her.

"I told you to give him the benefit of doubt," Morgan winked, before pulling her toward the school courtyard where other people seemed to be headed. Morgan filled her in as they got there, "apparently, Cedric broke up with you to get with her so he could find evidence that she got your mother committed. He found letters between her and her cousin. Also, her diary had everything in it. All Cedric had to do was show Dumbledore the letters and Dumbledore took care of the rest."

"How do you know all this?" Kiara asked her.

"Malcolm told me just before I left to find you," she replied as they approached the courtyard.

"No! I won't go! You can't do this! You have no right!" Cho shouted as they watched her luggage get loaded on the back of a carriage.

"Chang, this was your parents' decision. We don't have a choice but to see the transfer through," Professor Filtwick, the head of her house, told her.

Cho resisted but just before she was put on the carriage, she saw Kiara. Her anger and confusion turned to fury, "I know you had something to do with this! This is the last you'll see of me!"

The carriage doors closed and the invisible thestrals took off. The students were told to go back to their Sunday evening by the professors.

"Well, that was an exit," Morgan snorted, before she and Kiara turned to go back inside.

Cedric was standing right behind them, which caused both girls to pause.

"Hey," he said after four months, looking at Kiara, "can we talk?"

"Oh, now you want to talk to her?" Morgan rolled her eyes. Kiara and Cedric both looked at her, before she threw her hands up, "Okay, fine."

Morgan left them, and Cedric gestured the way. Kiara walked with him and he started, "I'm sorry. I know I hurt you..."

"Why didn't you just tell me, Cedric?" Kiara asked him, tiredly.

He sighed heavily, "I thought about telling you so many times. But she had to believe it. She had to trust me again. When I heard about your mom, I knew she had to be stopped."

"I appreciate it, but you didn't have to do it alone. We all wanted to stop her," Kiara said to him.

"It was something I had to do...I'm sorry I hurt you. Can you ever forgive me?" Cedric asked. He wasn't looking at her anymore. His head was hung low.

Kiara didn't reply immediately. It was all too strange to her. She stopped walking which made Cedric stop too. He looked at her.

"Cedric, I knew you had to have a reason. It was just...it sucked not knowing if it was real or not. I hated us not being together. I hated being strangers. It's been four months and we hadn't spoken a word to each other," Kiara told him.

Cedric nodded slowly, "I understand. I knew I was taking a risk...and I still love you. I did this because I love you. I'm a Hufflepuff, I don't know how not to be loyal. I don't know what this means for us and I understand you need time."

Kiara reached for his hand. The mention of having more time apart made Kiara's heart ache, "No, that's not what I'm saying."

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"Look, I will need time to just process my feelings about all this, but I don't want us to be apart. I love you and I miss you," she said, taking a step closer to him.

Cedric caressed her cheek, "Kiara, can I be your boyfriend again?"

She nodded, fiercely, wrapping her arms around his neck. Cedric pulled her in and kissed her. Kissing each other was like being able to breathe again. Like they were holding their breaths all this time.

"What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" Cedric asked her when they pulled away.

"Nothing much, just studying for exams," Kiara shrugged, "why? Do you have better plans for me?"

Cedric smiled, "Always."