Golden Girl (reader x Draco x Cedric)

♡ 19 | The One Who'll Decide is...

You fall into a deep slumber, thanks to all the medicine Madam Pomfrey gave you. Your head feels heavy and woolly at the same time, yet the sleep is comforting after all that has been happening in the past few months. It is a well-deserved break. Around midnight, you wake up, surprised to find Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fleur, Gabrielle, and Krum sleeping in berths opposite yours... but no Cedric.

You hope it means he is alive. Death shouldn't be this uncomfortable. You wince as you try to sit up straight.

"Oh no you don't." Warm fingers catch your ice-cold hand, pushing you back into a sleeping position.

"Hey, Ced..." You turn your head slightly, and his face is just inches from yours, resting on the edge of your pillow. His eyes are red and baggy, but his smile outshines the sun caught in his disheveled hair that has turned golden. He looks beautiful. His hand comes to rest on top of your head, stroking your hair. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm glad you're here, Ced..." You respond. His hand slides from the top of your head to gently caress your cheek. "You're safe now."

You manage to smile back, guilt filling you up slowly but surely.

"Ced..." his face crumbles when he hears your voice crack. "I-I lost it... The pendant... In the lake." You bite your lip, squeezing your eyes shut, shaking your head. "I-I am so sorry, Ced. More than you'll ever know... But I'll look for it! Don't you worry, I'll go back to the lake right-"

"Shhh..." Cedric's voice cracks as well, his eyes reflecting unparalleled joy as he sandwiches your trembling hand between his steady, warm ones. He brings your hand up to him, pressing his lips against it as he looks into your eyes. "It's just a pendant, Y/N... They make others. The reason it was special is because it was yours. Don't get yourself worked up over it, okay?"

"But-"

"Besides," Cedric gives you a playful wink. "Now that makes your present look even better. I can't lose a firebolt nor a sweater. Well played, Y/N Y/L/N."

"Not... A competition, Ced." You smile as the medicine pulls you back under, your eyelids feeling heavy.

"Don't force yourself," Cedric tucks your blanket, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on your forehead, his warm hand stroking your hair. "Get some rest, I'm really muddy from the lake... Now that you're okay, I'd better take a shower before Madam Pomfrey makes me."

"Good idea." You manage to giggle again without your lungs burning.

°˖✧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚✧˖°

As Cedric leaves the hospital wing, his mind is filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he feels a pang of sadness knowing that you lost the pendant he gave you, a symbol of their connection and affection. But on the other hand, he can't help but feel a sense of warmth knowing that you cared enough about him to worry over something as trivial as a piece of jewelry. Cedric chides himself for being selfish. He knows that you have been through a harrowing experience, and yet here he is, dwelling on a material possession. He reminds himself that what truly matters is that you are safe and healthy, and that he has the privilege of being by your side.

Just as he turns the corner, he comes face to face with a boy covered from head to toe in mud, seaweed and water.

Cedric's heart pounds in his chest as he looks at Draco, covered in mud and seaweed like some kind of swamp creature. Despite his appearance, there's something about Draco's demeanor that commands Cedric's attention.

"Malfoy?" Cedric's voice is hesitant, uncertain.

"Don't act like I'm a monster," Draco retorts, though there's a weary edge to his voice as he wipes his face with the back of his hand.

"You're bleeding," Cedric observes, concern etched on his face. "Here, let me help you. I'll call Madam Pomfrey. What did you—"

But before Cedric can finish his sentence, Draco tosses him something, a sparkly object encrusted with mud and seaweed. Cedric catches it instinctively, his fingers brushing against the familiar shape.

"My pendant..." Cedric whispers, his heart skipping a beat as he recognizes it, despite its grimy exterior. With careful fingers, he clears away the mud, revealing the birthstone that had once sparkled in the light.

"You... you dived into the black lake to search for this?" Cedric's voice is filled with disbelief as he looks up at Draco.

"Took five hours, but I found it," Draco replies, his voice strained with exhaustion. "Y/N was really heartbroken to have lost it."

Cedric's mind races with questions, confusion mingling with gratitude. "But why?" he asks, unable to contain his curiosity. "I thought you fancied Y/N."

"Love," Draco interjects sharply. "The word is love, Diggory..."

The air between them grows heavy with unspoken emotions, and Cedric struggles to find the right words.

"The piano..." Draco begins slowly, his voice trailing off.

"Yeah," Cedric nods, understanding dawning on him. "The music box played for us two. Just like it did for you... I know you love her, Malfoy, then why did you..."

Cedric's voice trails off, leaving the question hanging in the air as he waits for Draco's response, unsure of what to expect.

Draco's gaze meets Cedric's, and for a moment, the weight of their unspoken emotions hangs heavy in the air between them. Cedric waits anxiously for Draco's response, unsure of what he might say.

Draco takes a deep breath, his expression softening slightly as he meets Cedric's gaze. "I do love her," he admits quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "But sometimes, love means putting someone else's happiness above your own, no matter how much that hurts you." Draco hesitates for a moment before continuing, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and resignation. "Y/N deserves to be happy, Diggory. And if that means she's with you, then so be it. I... I can't bear to see her hurt, even if it means letting her go."

As Draco turns to leave, walking away, Cedric knows he shouldn't, but he speaks anyway. "She loves me..."

Draco stops, looking over his shoulder. "Rub it in, why don't you?"

"But," Cedric says, "...She also loves you."

"Why are you saying this?" Draco furrows his brows in confusion. "I was walking away. You could have-"

"I know," Cedric cuts in. "But like you said, loving someone means putting them over yourselves. And I don't pretend to know who is better for her. Because that is not my decision to make. Neither is it yours."

Draco nods slowly. "So... The one who'll decide is...."

"Y/N Y/L/N."

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