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eternal glory . . . be brilliant, wouldn't it?
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⌜ cedric ¦ amata ⌟
CEDRIC'S HUFFLEPUFF FRIENDS are quick to swoop him up in cheers and whoops once the Goblet accepts his name but Amata, who had chosen to lag behind and watch from the sidelines, can't help but feel a little differently.
What a foolish move. What a selfish move. What kind of decision was that?
"You are vorried for him." Amata doesn't have to turn to know that it's Antioch. They watch as Cedric is engulfed by people who care about him, congratulating him for Merlin-knows-what. "You are vorried for him," Antioch repeats. "Far more than you vorry about me or Al. Far more than you vont to admit. Vy is that?"
"Please, Ant. Not now." Amata mumbles, tearing her gaze away from Cedric. Antioch was the eldest of the triplets; he was born approximately nine minutes before Amata. Altheda was the youngest of the three. As children, they'd joked that Amata might be estranged or develop a 'middle child syndrome' . . . something that didn't end up too far from the truth.
"You haffn't answered any of my owls." Antioch says quietly. His tone is neither accusing nor pained; he says it as a mere fact. "Altheda's neither. Ve keep in contact, but you . . ."
"Antioch."
The Durmstrang boy flinches before catching himself. (Men of Durmstrang were not supposed to show signs of weakness, after all.) Drawing himself to his full height, Antioch clears his throat. "Not now." Amata repeats flatly. She tries to keep her voice as emotionless as possible, but she feels that her desperation seeps through her words anyways - the flicker of pity on Antioch's face gives him away, too.
"Not now." he echoes. "Vell, vhen you are ready to talk, you know vhere to find me." Antioch glances towards Cedric, his expression softening for a sliver of a moment. "He has a firm handshake." is all Antioch says before stalking off, making his way to a group of Durmstrang delegates debating among one another who should enter next.
As the Weasley twins try to bypass the Age Line with a concoction of their own making, Amata slides out of the Great Hall before Cedric can look for her. She's not quite sure what she'd end up telling him, just as she's never sure what to say to Antioch or Altheda.
