prospicere futurum | fred weasley | cedric diggory

27

Corinne jolted awake, pressing her palm over her mouth as she listened to the silence of the dormitory around her. She hadn't screamed, she hadn't woken anyone up. It was still silent.

She let herself fall back against her pillows for only a second, grimacing at the sheen of sweat from her nightmare and pushing the blankets off from her legs, sliding soundlessly onto the wooden floor and sneaking to her dresser. She threw on the black sweater, skirt and tights and let herself into the darkness of the hallway, climbing down the familiar staircase into the common room.

The light was just beginning to creep over the forbidden forest in the distance and she sighed, glancing at her watch. It was too early for breakfast, and frankly she wasn't sure what the rules were for reverse curfew. How early was still considered wandering the castle at night?

Still, after allowing herself to pause near the window for a while, watching as the birds circled the tallest trees in the distance, she let herself out of the warmth of the common room and into the chilly corridors, down the first of many staircases to the Great Hall.

Her eyes were practically aching for sleep, though she knew all too well what would happen if she had tried to lay back down after the nightmare. These days, she either laid awake in bed for hours feeling numb, or allowed the anxiety to fill her chest and run itself through her veins until her entire body was shaking, even in the dry heat of Spain over the summer.

She paused as she reached the final staircase, her breath stilling in her chest as memories flooded her mind. This was where she'd met Cedric for the Yule Ball, for so many of their dates, before breakfasts, Hogsmeade trips... Her eyes trailed over the space along the stone wall in front of her, and she could practically see the sandy hair, the dark black suit, the perfect smile...

She took a shaky breath and took the final few steps, thankful that the Great Hall's doors were in fact parted, though the room was not lit with any lanterns, the faint orange light from the enchanted ceiling spilling over the four empty tables.

She walked past the first two and slid into the bench at the end of the table she knew would be filled with Hufflepuffs in just a few hours, tucking her hands in her lap and letting her eyes drift back to the ceiling to watch as the sun climbed higher above the castle.

She should be sleeping. Resting for a full day of classes. She wished it were that simple. That she wasn't feeling everything so perfectly. That she could find any escape in sleep the way everyone else could.

Still, she was proud of herself. For getting out of bed. For making it through the first week. For turning in the first paper that she would have been working on with Cedric by her side if last year hadn't turned out the way it had.

Corinne had sat alone in the silent Hall for a long time before voices began to emerge, students entering the Great Hall, anxious for breakfast after a full night's sleep, surely all glancing at the lone blonde at a table all alone, though her back was to the door and she didn't care to turn around.

"Hey!" The tired voice shook her from her thoughts, and she finally pulled her eyes up to the tall brunette before her, forcing her best impression of smile to her face. "You're up early. Friends still asleep?"

She shrugged, since she truthfully had no idea whether Ella and Taylor were awake or not.

"Did you already eat?" Lucas finally dropped into the seat against her, Mark and John at his side offering her matching smiles laced with pity as they all began to pile breakfast onto their plates.

"Yeah." She lied, pouring herself a mug of hot coffee just to have something to warm up her fingers.

"How are classes?" Mark asked, and she nodded as an answer.