That Goddamn Twinkle - ENZO BERKSHIRE

࣪𖤐 Y4 | 26 . the final task.

➵ THE SCIENTIST- COLDPLAY
'I'm going back to the start.'

Cedric came up to Rory's side as they stood on the astronomy tower. "Hi." she smiled, relieved by his company.

"Hi, you alright?"

Rory nodded, "You?"

He took a deep breath, "I will be."

"Sickle for your thoughts?"

He picked at his nail before answering her. "I don't know, I did some research on the dangers of the final task."

"And?"

"Well, there's been at least thirty deaths."

Rory's eyebrows shot up and her stomach twisted, "Thirty? Bloody hell."

"So, if something does go wrong tomorrow—"

"No. Don't do that, Ced." she cut him off, shaking her head.

"Listen to me, rors." Cedric stated. Rory turned to face him, her heartbeat quickening. He wasn't going to die in this tournament. Rory wouldn't let him. "If something goes wrong and I do die, I need you to know how grateful I am for you. I almost lost myself after dad died, you were the only person keeping me here. I genuinely don't think I would be alive today if it wasn't for you. My friends would laugh at me if I said this to them, but I love you more than anyone. It's you over everyone and everything."

Rory's eyes welled up. She hated him talking like this. He wasn't going to die. "Ced, you're not going to die. I won't let you."

He put an empathetic hand on his sister's forearm, "Rory, you can't control everything. If I die tomorrow, it won't be your fault. There would've been nothing you could've done."

A tear escaped Rory's eye without her even realising, "You're not dying, Ced. If you die, I do too. I can't live without you."

He smiled, his eyes watering as well. "That's the thing, rors. If I do die, which I probably won't, I don't want you to grieve too much. I know that's completely unfair of me to ask but I really don't want you to beat yourself up about it. I'm humble enough to realise that my death would absolutely destroy you— your death would demolish my happiness. There is nothing I want more than you to be happy."

Rory shook her head, even more tears falling. "You don't understand. If you die, I may not die physically, but I will never be myself again. A part of me would've died with you."

He sighed with a slight smile, "I was never one to win arguments with you." Rory couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "I love you so much, Rory. I need you to know that."

Rory nodded, "I do know that. And I love you even more. But you know that there is nothing you can say to stop me from worrying about you. Bruise or a broken leg, Cedric."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, her head falling on his shoulder. "Please, try and get some sleep tonight."

"I'll try."

He smiled and kissed his little sister's forehead, "Goodnight, rors."

"Goodnight, Ced."

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Rory, in-fact, did not get a single hour of sleep. What Cedric was talking about made her realise how dangerous this task was going to be. She could lose her big brother over it. Rory's leg bounced up and down underneath the table in the great hall as the group ate lunch. Rory felt physically sick to her stomach, she couldn't eat anything.

Rory's eyes burned from the lack of sleep. Cedric was already doing interviews and other champion stuff so she couldn't talk to him. "Are you actually going to eat those eggs or are you going to stare at them all day? Cause if you don't want them, I'll have them." Theo shrugged.