metanoia - cedric diggory

chapter twenty two

January 10th, 1995

As the weeks went on, it felt as if the students from visiting school had been staying there for years.

They were in the hallways, in the library, laughing in the Great Hall, and courtyards. They all seemed to mesh well with one another and enjoyed getting used to the newer faces.

Through all of the dark and light times going on, Clementine woke up and realized she had forgotten that her old friend had been right under her nose.

She wasn't sure where to find Fleur, where or who she hung out with, so she began to walk the halls after her first class.

Nearly every moment she thought of Cedric, she thought of what it would be like if she saw him in the hall, what his hand looked like now, and what it would be like if he didn't ignore her in class.

Two days after he left her standing alone in the common room, he didn't look in her direction or even flinch at the sound of her voice in class.

It crushes her deeply seeing him like this and knowing it's her fault, she could never seem to say or do the right things.

The winter air at Hogwarts was always brutal during this time, the winds became vicious as you walked through the breezeways, wishing the school robes were a little heavier.

The dead trees and leaves on the ground caused the days to feel more lonesome as she walked alone. Blaise had grown busier, he really needed to focus on his schoolwork.

Olive remained the same, she was around and there, but something told Clementine she was directing her attention towards something else.

Clementine wanted to ask her about it but didn't want to be nosey. She knew her friend would open up when she wanted to.

After what felt like a four-mile walk, she finally spotted a ravishing blonde girl in a light blue sweater, sitting alone near the black lake.

"Qu'est-ce que tu fais ici?" The brunette came behind her, taking a seat beside her on the knitted blanket she sat on.

She had a book in her hands, making her hands seem tinier than usual, and a pink tint to her pale cheeks.

"Because," Fleur closed the book, setting it beside her leg. "Researching." She had a few different books laid on the blanket, each with a different title.

The books each referred to the black lake or sea creatures or anything to do with being in the water.

"What exactly are you researching for?" The wind kept blowing her friend's shorter hair in her face, every few seconds she'd move it away.

"Zis thing," Her thin fingers pointed out to the lake. "Zi golden egg told me about creatures zat can not sing above ground. You have merpeople, yes?"

Clementine knew there were merpeople in the lake because her father told her a story about 'one of his friends' who had snuck into the black lake as a dare and nearly got killed by one of them.

And, Blaise swore he saw one swimming by the Slytherin common room window one time, she wasn't sure she believed him.

Clementine nodded her head to answer the question, watching as Fleur turned to a specific page in one of the books.

"I must figure out how to breathe under the water for at zeast an houra," She pointed to an article about the Bubble-Head Charm.

Clementine and Fleur sat for a while as she asked how she unlocked the egg, what it said, how she figured it out, and any tips she'd over to the other champions.

"Are you asking ze questions because of," Fleur's French accent was still heavy, Clementine had begun to miss hers. "Ze Diggory boy?"

Clementine let out a large sigh, covering her face in her hands to hide the redness caused by something other than the cold.

"I've zeen the way he looks at you, Clemmy! Il est amoureux!" The blonde couldn't help but give her a small push, followed by a gentle giggle.

"Well, I'm not sure he's in love with me anymore," Clementine responded, breaking their eye contact and looking into the lake. "It's been a long few months.

Fleur stared at her friend for a beat, noticing the pain and deep sense of gloom in her eyes, and placed her hand in the poor girl's.

"Love is more than a few hard months, c'est pour toujours." Her kind words made the day feel warmer.

"It is forever," Clementine smiled, squeezing her hand. "We are forever."

The two girls shared warm exchanges of love and pure friendship. They had always been close, especially in France, and Clementine missed having her by her side.

Clementine's conversation with Fleur stuck in her head for the rest of the day, thinking of how she mentioned love was forever.

She was right and she knew that, but Clementine had never thought about what forever meant for her.

She knew she'd love Cedric forever for there was no one who was going to be him. She didn't want other lovers, though they might come around, none of them would understand her heart like he did.

There would never be someone else quite like him, someone as kind, understanding, and gentle as he was. The thoughts of trying to love someone else made her cringe.

She longed for the things she should've done differently, the way she should've stayed when they kissed in the astronomy tower, the way she shouldn't have pushed him away.

Of course, Draco Malfoy was still breathing down her neck with every step she took. He wasn't saying everything he knew and Harry's vision grew stronger by the day.

She wanted everything to be easy but every day she fell deeper and deeper into the abyss. Cedric said he'd wait for her, he said he'd wait forever.

Forever came to an end shorter than she thought as Clementine walked into the Herbology greenhouse, a little later than usual.

Her eyes immediately locked onto Cedric talking to Flora Ralphine, a beautiful sixth year Ravenclaw.

Her long ginger hair was nothing compared to Clementine's, pairing that with her sea green eyes, and stunning smile. Clementine felt as if she didn't stand a chance.

He looked happy as they giggled, watching as she looked to his notes. Maybe, just maybe, they were just friends.

She had never seen Cedric talk to her before, let alone sit there and laugh his head off with her.

The overbearing scent off dirt and leaves caused Clementine to become sick, it easily could've been something else though.

Class went as usual, Flora returned to other students, who she assumed were her friends, and Cedric didn't pay any attention to Clementine.

He disappeared out the door faster than ever before, leaving the poor girl with nothing but her own thoughts.

She thought of their conversation in the common room, how he wanted nothing to do with her and how it settled horribly in her stomach.

He seemed to be growing more tiresome of her as the days went on, but she assumed it was time to give him the time he wanted.