Cedric And Hermione: The Story

Thank You

~About a month later~

I had finally recollected myself and was back to my confident ways. I still hadn't talked to Cedric about the ball, and every now and then I'd see Cho try and speak with him. But he always stared at me as she talked to him. The ball is about a week away and I still have not given Cedric an answer. I walked to the Hufflepuff common room and knocked on the door. 

"Hello?" A kid asked. "Is Cedric here?" I asked. "Yes, I'll catch him." He said running up the stairs. "Yes?" Cedric asked opening the door seconds later. "Can we take a walk?" I ask.

"Of course!" He smiled. "Well, I just wanted to talk about the ball, its next week and I need to give you an answer" I said sitting on the grass by the river. "Okay, what is it?" He said sitting next to me. "No, I'm not going with you. As I tell you this, I already feel that I will regret this forever. You brought me a joy like no other man ever could at a time I needed it most. You brought out the best in me by simply being you. Your love has lifted me to the greatest heights imaginable." I said as tears started to well in my eyes.  "I am deeply hurt, and my heart will undoubtedly be scarred because we can't be together. I don't think I'll ever find a love as true as ours, and I'm not sure I ever want to try." I said looking away from his eyes.

"Although you can't take me with you, I've given you my heart to keep forever. Cherish it as you've cherished me, and we'll always be together." I said wiping a single tear from my eye. I grabbed hold of his hand and looked at his wet eyes. "I'm sorry Cedric" I said letting go of his hand and walking inside. I felt a waterfall erupt from my eyes as I walked down the long corridors. I see a blurry figure walk up to me. 

"Hermione? Are you okay?" The person said wiping my eyes. I saw Ginny grasping my shoulders. "Lets go and talk" She said starting to guide me away. "No! Im done talking, I don't want to talk anymore!" I said leaving her grasp. "Im sorry, I just thought.." She started. 

"You know what you thought wrong! This is yours and Luna's fault anyway! I wouldn't have had to say No to Cedric if you'd have left my relationship alone!" I yelled. "Im sorry Hermione! I just saw Cho hanging around Cedric lately and I was worried ok!" She yelled back. "Well, its too late now!" I yelled storming off. I ran down the long hallways into the Library. 

I sat in the back again. Hours passed before someone walked in. I looked up to see Cho. I walked over and sat down. "Oh, hello Hermione" She said closing her book. 

"Can we talk?" I asked. "Yeah, you really hurt Cedric today..." She started. "I just wanted to say thank you" I said cutting her off. "For what?" She asked.

"You, you who hurt me, you who took away my relationship, you who selfishly thought of only your own happiness, thank you. I am the woman you saved through the strangest means possible.  I could say congratulations or you win, or even the cliché -- you deserve each other, but I won't. I will say thank you. You would think I would hate you, because you did to another woman what all women fear most, but I don't hate you. You have done me an incredible service that I did not have the courage to do myself.Thank you for setting me free. Thank you for saving me a future full of pain and lies. Thank you for showing his true colors through your joint actions. Thank you for giving me a reason to say goodbye to the biggest blockade I have ever faced. Thank you for opening my future up again. Thank you for taking the blame, for giving me a reason to leave, to give me a reason to start over. Thank you for reminding me that I am worth so much more than lies and deception, that I don't have to take the emotional abuse and trauma of this experience lying down. Thank you for showing me that my dad was always right, and for letting me feel the overwhelming love of the friendships I had forgotten. Thank you for showing me that there are better ways to spend my time and my tears." I said as she sat there struck with confusion.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to have another first date, another first kiss, another chance at a pure relationship. Thank you for bringing me to my knees, for reminding me of what pain feels like, for without pain we cannot understand the beauty of healing. Without bad, we cannot understand good. Without your interference, I would not have lost my breath; but because of you, I have learned to breathe again. Thank you Cho." I said tapping her shoulder and walking out. "I'm sorry wha-" She started before I walked out. I'd finally felt redemption, and maybe I could become happier. I can only hope.