ONCE UPON A TIME.

18. chocolat

     "NASTY BURN ZAIR, NO?"

     Cedric flinches as Altheda's slender fingers press in to the dittany settling on his cheek. He hadn't necessarily come out of the first task unscathed; the Swedish Short-Snout's fire had grazed a side of his face, but he'd still managed to grab the golden egg. He had come in second place and was whisked to the Hospital Wing right after the announcement of placements. 

     "Madame Maxime sent me to get somezing for Fleur's legs," Altheda hums. "'Er dragon was a nasty leetle thing." Pausing, her eyes flicker to the golden egg that Cedric had plopped on to the bed. "'Ave you figured out what it does yet?"

     "No." Cedric admits before reaching out and pulling the egg towards him. Ludo Bagman had announced post-competition that it contained a clue on how to pass the Second Task; without it, the champions supposedly had little chances of succeeding.

     "Well?" Altheda says with rapt interest, tapping the hinges of the egg. "'Ave you tried?"  

    "Not yet . . ."

    "What are you waiting for?"

    "Nothing, I suppose." Cedric answers laughingly. "Shall we?"

     Altheda lets out a squeal of excitement, making Cedric crack a smile. "Here goes nothing." he says before unhooking the hinge of the golden egg . . .

Only to have it screech.

     It doesn't register with Cedric right away that the horrible shrieking sound is coming from the egg. It isn't until Madam Pomfrey bursts in to his wing, brandishing her wand; isn't until Altheda, who had clasped her hands over her ears, is tugging at Cedric's sleeve and saying something he can't quite hear; that he realizes it's the egg.

     He scrambles to snap it close. 

     "What in Merlin's soggy underpants was that?"

     "Ms. D'Amore, language!" Madam Pomfrey chides as she walks away, hand over her chest. Amata, from the door, nears Cedric's bed warily. "Hey, you." Cedric greets with an awkward wave. The annoyed expression on Amata's face softens to something closer to amusement. From his peripheral, Cedric notices Altheda trying her best to conceal laughter.

      "I'll be on my way!" Altheda announces, standing with a flourish. "Madame Maxime will not be pleased ze longer I am gone . . ."

     Amata mumbles "teacher's pet", disguising it with a cough. In turn, Altheda bumps hips with her sister on the way out; Amata looses footing and stumbles a bit, making the former giggle on her way out.

     "Doesn't look like you hate each other anymore." Cedric muses as Amata pulls up a seat next to him. She places a chocolate bar on his table and slides it to him. "Ah, well, that's still debatable," Amata smirks. "Something only children will never understand."

     Cedric breaks a piece of chocolate off and passes it to Amata, who takes it with a nod of recognition. "If you don't mind me asking . . ." Cedric pauses to take a bite of chocolate. "Why are you three . . . separated?"

     Amata smiles ruefully at this. "You don't have to answer." Cedric says hastily, to which Amata shakes her head. "You were bound to ask, pretty boy." she teases. Popping the chocolate in to her mouth, she wipes her hands on her jeans and takes a deep breath before answering.

     "Our parents aren't divorced, but their work has always been so . . . far. Father's job dragged him all over the world, while mother has been stationed in France for God-knows-how-long. Altheda was the first to go, shipped off to keep mother company. Antioch was sent to Durmstrang after father settled down in Norway. I was kept here with our grandparents."

     Amata pauses, her lip quivering. "I can't imagine . . ." Cedric says softly after a few moments of silence. This seems to break a spell; Amata juts her chin upwards in a show of nonchalance, playing the role of the unconcerned Slytherin once again. "That's really all there is to it." she says, voice shaking ever so lightly.

     Cedric doesn't press. Instead, he passes her more chocolate. "Do you remember Professor Lupin?" he asks, waiting until Amata recognizes the name. "I used to notice how he'd bring chocolate everywhere. When I asked, he said that it had some form of mood-enhancing properties . . . could ebb anything from Dementor encounters to panic attacks." 

     "He was a good teacher," Amata says thoughtfully. Cedric nods in agreement. 

      The two sit in comfortable silence, finishing off the rest of the chocolate.