willow - cedric diggory

chapter forty five - after the end

After The End

Maeve and Anita had never felt so helpless in their lives.

Anita stood frozen at the edge of the maze, fists clenched, eyes burning as she stared at the twisted wall of branches where Willow had disappeared. It had been silent for too long. No movement, no voices, nothing.

Maeve paced restlessly beside her, arms wrapped tightly around herself. "This isn't right," she muttered, voice shaking. "She should've come back out by now. Someone has to do something."

Draco stood stiffly a few feet away, his face blank, but his jaw was clenched so tightly it looked painful. "I swear to Merlin if anything happens to her-"

Snape hadn't moved. His eyes remained locked on the entrance, his expression unreadable, but his fingers twitched at his side. McGonagall had tried speaking to him once, but he only responded with the slightest shake of his head.

Dumbledore too, remained unnervingly still. Watching. Waiting.

Then, finally, something happened.

The maze shuddered violently. The towering hedges began to shift and twist, branches curling inward, parting just slightly, just enough to let two figures stumble through.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

Cedric Diggory and Willow Malfoy emerged from the darkness, bloodied, bruised, and breathless.

Anita reacted first. She shoved through the professors, Maeve right behind her. "Willow!"

Willow barely had time to process before Anita crashed into her, gripping her tightly as if afraid she might disappear again. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?"

Maeve's hands hovered near Willow's shoulders, as if unsure where to touch. "You stupid idiot! What the hell were you thinking running in there?"

Draco was next, pushing through the chaos, his face pale with worry. His eyes swept over Willow, searching for injuries. "You reckless, insufferable-" He cut himself off, exhaling sharply. "Are you hurt?"

Willow swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I'm fine," she said roughly, then turned to Cedric, who was standing stiffly beside her, his face unusually pale. "But-"

Cedric took a step forward, his breath still uneven. "Harry's gone."

The words sliced through the noise like a knife.