Chasing Love

Chapter Forty-Three - Cedric

"Have you heard?" Fred whispered excitedly to those sat around the Gryffindor table.

"Heard what Fred?" Angelina asked, irritation clear in her tone.

Fred pretended to act hurt before continuing, "Buckbeaks been set free! But no one can get in trouble for it because Hagrid was with Dumbledore and the minister at the time so it isn't possible for him to have done it!" 

"That's great news, I felt so bad for Hagrid when I heard Buckbeak was going to be executed!" Alicia added.

Eliza casually leant against her hand so she was looking down the table, Oliver was laughing loudly with a couple of his other friends, letting out a sigh she stood up, "I'll see you all later."

"Where are you going El?" George asked her, curious about what she was going to do.

"I'm proving you all right." Eliza replied shortly before walking away from her friends, leaving them all to watch her in wonder. As she passed where Oliver was he looked up and stared as she walked out of the hall, he wanted nothing more than to run after her. 

"ELIZA!" Someone shouted her name as she walked quickly down the corridor, "Eliza, wait up!" Harry ran after her, "I needed to speak to you."

"Harry, how are you?" Eliza stopped and turned to him, "Well done in saving Buckbeak."

He stared at her strangely, "How did you know - never mind. Anyway, I saw Sirius."

"And helped him escape." Eliza smiled at him.

"He didn't betray your aunt!" Harry watched her carefully. "He loved her more than anything in the entire world."

"I know," She smiled sadly, "It was my father that betrayed her." Eliza blinked back the tears, "He didn't betray your parents I take it?"

Harry shook his head, "Peter Pettigrew did. He's been Scabbers all this time."

Letting out a laugh she wrapped him into a tight hug, "Dumbledore showed me some memories of my aunt, most of them included your father and mother, if you ever want to hear about them I'll tell you. But I can't right now."

"Maybe in the holidays? I'm sure we'll see each other at the Burrow."

"I'm sure we will." Eliza wiped her eyes, "I'll see you soon Harry."

"I'll see you soon Eliza." 

Making her way out into the courtyard, Eliza saw that Cedric was sat down the hill writing furiously on a piece of parchment. "Cedric! I need to talk to you!" She sat down beside him, "How are you then?"

"I'm very busy, I'm thinking about new tactics." Cedric said, not paying her lots of attention, he then went to stand up, "I need to show the team my new tactics!"

"Cedric!" Eliza shouted loudly, "I need to talk to you."

He stared at her as he sank back down to the floor, "What is it? Are you okay?"

Eliza's hands went cold and her face became pale, "Cedric, we haven't been talking that much lately. And then when we do you only talk about Quidditch, it's ridiculous."

"Don't worry, I'll stop talking about it once this year has finished and then we'll have the whole summer together."

Sighing she stared forward, "But you won't. And there's nothing wrong with that, it's just we no longer have anything to talk about." Cedric went silent as he watched her, "You know that, Cedric, you've known it for quite a long time now."

"I love you Eliza." Cedric told her.

"I love you too, I'm just not in love with you." The two turned and stared at each other, "It's not fair on either of us."

"I know." Cedric whispered. "It's just, it's going to be hard."

"I know." She whispered to him, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

Eliza stood up and smiled sadly at him, "Goodbye Ced."

"Goodbye El."