I'm not a coward, just shy (Hogwarts fanfic)

ch 21 - a Music Watch

I was sitting up in bed in the hospital wing, I wasn't allow just yet so I was concentrating on writing down what exactly happened and all the details of the previous nights vision. I had filled in Dumbledore and even though He sided with me, there was no possible way of pulling the champions out of the running with questions being asked and no matter how many predictions I made, no one would believe a 14 year old. Dumbledore had resorted to tighten up security and went on the hunt for the man with two faces, which was most like someone using Polyjuice potion. I was also very interested in the voice of the static. From what I had thought to be mindless voices, took be something more human. No not human... something more than human. Then again possibly I was way over thinking things. Sometimes the answer was simpler then you might think. I knew it had to be right in front of my eyes and the Static might be my key to finding the answering I am not looking for. It was beginning to scare me to think about the knowledge at my finger tips and if the world was to find out about me. Would I have target on my back.

I shook my head, I was over thinking things again. I hummed to myself as I wrote.

"Well, your cheery today" I looked up to see Charlie and Mrs Weasley with large grins on their faces.

"Mrs- Mum, Charlie, I thought you were coming tomorrow" I said almost slipping up but I caught myself.

"Oh, We were but Ron wrote to us saying you had had nasty vision and were in the hospital wing" Mrs Weasley smiled and came to sat beside me.

"I am fine, I was really just a bit shaken and Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep an eye on me for a bit". I smiled. "How are the dragons, Norman must be getting big now" I asked Charlie, his eyes lighting up.

"She is Beautiful, you should see her, she got quite a temper on her when you try to go inside of her cave, I learned that the hard way, she almost fried my butt off." He rambled. I laughed, a smile.

"Are you sure you are all right, dear, you seem to be sick a lot" Mrs Weasley's face was full of concern. Part of me wanted to tell her the truth. Too say, this gift is killing me.... but I couldn't. I couldn't hurt this women like that. She was the only true mother I have ever known. She took me in and cared for me as if I was her own, even though she had her hands full and barley enough to share around. I felt tears pick my eyes and I balled my hands in my bed sheet. "Taylor! What's the matter" She sound panicked. My grin only grew wider and I shook my head.

"No, Nothing is wrong, Everything is perfect. Thank you, Thank you for being my mother" I cried, a finding of being so small came over me. As if I was five again. Back to the child I never was. I did have a family, who cared and loved me. Mrs Weasley pulled me into her arms and just held me, stroking my hair. She smelt of the Burrow, of home, of old books and flour and wood smoke.

"Oh Taylor.... Stop or I am going to start crying too" She said and I pulled back to wipe my eyes.

"Charlie, are you ok?" Mrs Weasley asked with a chuckled.

"Yeah, I am fine, I just have something in my eye" He said, turning away and suddenly we were all laughing. That's family for you.

Madam Pomfrey let me go from the hospital wing the next morning after much poking and probing. It was the day of the final task, which was being held in the afternoon, and my dad was hiding out in the shrieking shack which I was informed about by Dumbledore. I swear I am going to kill him if someone doesn't find him first.

"Dumbledore, I have a horrible feeling in my gut, isn't there anything you can do to stop this. Harry's name didn't get into the goblet for no reason. He is in serious danger and so are the other champions." I asked he looking out at the quidditch pitch which had been turned into a giant maze with walls 12 feet high and a thick layer of fog misting though it so visibility was no better if they had been trying to look though a brick wall.

"Wizards are a stickler for tradition, any claim I or you made would be shot down faster than we can say them" There was a note of anger in Dumbledore's voice which might have gone unnoticed otherwise. "Truly, it will be our down fall. Plus there is the fact that, You have unimaginable magical ability, Taylor. You can predict anything and at your age, it has never been seen become. This means that you will be a target for the war that is coming and I don't need foresight to say so. I fear you will be in moral pleural. Wizards like Voldemont would do anything for that power. Do yourself a favor and when the war starts, you run and keep running" He looked at me. It was one of the only times I had seen Dumbledore completely serious.

"You know, If I run that far, I might again up where I start" I smiled and suddenly the normal Dumbledore was back.

"Very truth, Taylor" He chuckled. "Now, I better be off, there is someone who needs to talk to you".

I turned with him and felt my eyes widen.

"Cedric..." I said frozen. He was already in his black and Yellow champion uniform. His breath came rapidly and his cheeks were flushed. Dumbledore had already gone. For an old man he moves fast. "What do you want" I said freezing out.

"Look Taylor... I am so sorry what I did. I-I didn't want to hurt you and for some reason I thought I could let you go without hurting you in the end. I felt so stupid but after we kissed, I started to fall in love, so fast I didn't realize it was happening until I well and truly fucked up. I love you and I didn't realize it until I saw the hurt in your eyes. There's a good chance, I won't make it out of that Maze alive but I could never forgive myself if I didn't tell you the truth. I was trying to break up with Cho but she pulled me under wizard mistletoe and I would still be trapped their if I didn't." He look like he was about to cry but I felt his word threading to melt the ice in my heart left from that Christmas night. He fumbled with something inside his pocket, Pulling out a silver pocket watch on a chain and held it out to me.

"I never got to give you your Christmas present" He said and without my command, I reached out and took it. I was silver and engraved into its surface was two wands crossing as if embracing while music notes danced around them. I opened my mouth but Cedric cut me out.

"Don't say anything... Just open it" He said. I looked back to the watch and did so. It opened to a clicking clock face but what surprised was the music which played from within.

(Memory from the game undertale. It was very fitting)

I gasped at the music and suddenly I couldn't hold back anymore.

"You're a real idiot, you know" I was trembling, I looked at him who had panic in his eyes. "You promised you would save me a dance" I sobbed and he laughed in relief before pulling me close and spinning me to the music of the watch. We stopped but he didn't let go.

"I am so sorry." He sighed.

"I know" I accepted his apology. "You better try not to die" I pulled myself closer to his chest.

"I will never die, as long you have this, I will live in the music it plays" He touched the watch in my hand and I knew he was saying goodbye.