nostalgia • cedric diggory

- prologue

THE CURSED CHILD
FLASHFORWARD

•°•°•

MELANIE HOLLOWS
stood infront of the graphite slab that she visited each day. She had memorised each crevice of that graveyard, especially the gravestone before her. She leaned forward and used her right index finger to trace the name of her lover, the engraved name cold beneath her finger. Just as cold as the body that traced it and the body whom possessed the name.

Melanie retracted her hand and tucked a lock of her onyx hair behind her ear, willing the wind to cease dispite its moans sounding almost as though it was in mourning of whom she had too lost.

Autumn was slowly fading in, the green leaves falling from the trees and turning auburn as they lay upon Cedric's grave. Cedric had always loved Autumn. He had once told Melanie that he adored the symbolism of that season, that it signalled the final stage of life before nature was reborn once more. She often remembered things that Cedric had once told her, his voice never fading dispite the years running on.

"I miss you Cedric." Melanie whispered, the wind capturing her words, gripping them in its hands as they left her in silence once more. The middle aged woman placed the bunch of flowers on his grave, and with a lingering stare she began to return home.

"Aunt Mel?"

Melanie turned to see Albus Potter running towards her, smiling softly. Albus looked like his mother and father equally, but everytime he smiled Melanie felt seventeen again, speaking to Harry Potter for the first time. That crooked smile, it was clear that he was a Potter.

"Hello Albus." Melanie replied, taking a seat on the park bench that had been placed outside the cemetery. Albus sat beside her, curling his lanky legs under him. "What are you doing here?"

"Mum wants you to come over for dinner tonight, but you weren't home so I asked Dad and he said you were probably here." Albus explained, smiling at the woman who was family to him.

"Your dad would be right." Melanie nodded. Melanie often visited Cedric's grave with Harry; it made her feel less alone. It made both of them feel less alone. She looked at Albus, watching how the crease appeared between his eyebrows just as it did between his father's brows when he was thinking deeply. "Albus what is it?" Melanie sighed and Albus bit his lip, trying to figure out how to phrase his words without sounding insensitive.

"Why didn't you ever marry?" He blurted out, mentally swearing as he realised just how insensitive that was. He quickly looked at his Aunt, afraid that he had upset her, but Melanie looked almost thoughtful.

"I -" She paused and exhaled loudly before trying again. "I don't know." She admitted. "I know I was young when I was with Cedric, but I loved him. And when he died . . . I wasn't the same. I felt this weight on my chest, as if I couldn't breath. I almost felt guilty, as if I could've prevented it somehow. I know now that I couldn't have, but back then I did.

"And now I look at your parents, and I'm almost envious. I watched them fall in love, I watched as the childhood sweethearts got married and had James and then you and then Lily. I look at them and I think, that could've been Cedric and I. But now all I'm left with is a broken heart and a gravestone to mark where he lies dead in a box. So, I suppose I never got married because I never moved on."