The Chosen Two

44- The Letters

HAILEY'S POV

The clouds were grey, I could tell even from inside. They had to be. How could anything be good today?

We were all sitting in the Great Hall staring at Dumbledore, who stood at the front at his podium, talking about my ex-boyfriend...

who was dead.

I knew it was true, but couldn't shake the feeling that I'd sit with him tomorrow at breakfast, or we'd walk our path or anything. I couldn't believe it.

The service was beautiful I'm sure, I didn't remember any of it, or how I got here this morning.

"Hailey?" Harry's voice got through my thoughts and I blinked hard, then turned my head to my right to look at him. "You seemed zoned out. Are you okay?" What a dumb question. How could I be okay?

"That's my ex-boyfriend they're talking about. We're at his service, Harry. He's dead." I said coldly, with no emotion. It's not that I wanted to say it like that, it's that I knew if I showed any emotion at all, I'd break down right here, in front of everyone.

"Right, sorry." He said quickly. He then turned back to me, mouth open and ready to say something, but closed it. I turned back to face the front, and felt his warm hand slip into mine. I clutched it hard, and felt tears prick my eyes. No. Not here. I knew once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end." Dumbledore finished, and left the podium. I stood, though I wasn't exactly sure if I was because I couldn't feel my legs, and as I replayed Dumbledore's final words in my head, I couldn't stop the tears this time. I ran back to my tower as fast as I could, hearing Harry call my name.

But that was back at the beginning of May, and it was now the end of June, the last week of classes before exams. It had taken some time, and though I still felt like I was going to die whenever someone mentioned his name, I managed to keep it together on the outside and smile at the good memories of me and Cedric.

I walked into Potions and took my regular seat next to Draco.

Before even asking, he handed me a green apple, which I took and smiled at him to thank him. I always came a little earlier to class these days, and he was always here.

He quickly kissed me on the cheek, then got back to working on the review for the exam. I didn't think Draco was that kind of guy, but he was smart and seemed to care about his grades. It made him that much more attractive.

Things have been a little different between us since Cedric had died. I know we had broken up before he died because we both admitted to having feelings for other people, but I still felt so guilty and now knowing you can get so close to someone today and tomorrow they can be gone forever really opened my eyes.

I was worried about getting close to Draco because of it.

About half an hour later, Snape walked through the door, and the class was pretty much full. I had been so busy watching Draco work, I hadn't even noticed. It was so terribly distracting, the way his brows slightly furrowed as he wrote a long answer, and the way the small smirk grew on his lips after he had read a question he knew the exact answer to.

"Good morning, class." Snape said in his usual sly tone, and looked up at all of us with what I think was his version of a smile. "I've decided to give you the rest of the week off to study for exams, so you may make your way to the library, or where ever. Good luck to you all." He then began to pack up his things, and I grabbed my textbook and notes. It was so unlike Snape.