Just Like Magic (Cedric Diggory and Hermione Granger Fan fiction)

Chapter 40: Lovegood

Even in the deepest of sleeps I still heard Harry calling out my name in the distance. It sounded through my dreams and caused me to stir. I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face, peering through the tent flap. I emerged outside and blinked against the brightness of the morning sun.

"Everything all right?" I asked as I waited for my vision to adjust.

"Fine. Actually... more than fine."

I watched as he stepped aside to reveal Ron and Cedric standing at the edge of the camp. Cedric was gripping the Sword of Gryffindor in his long fingers. I stared at the two of them, without saying a word, before I walked past Harry and the ashes of the campfire, and stopped right in front of Cedric. My lips were slightly parted, my eyes wide, and the bloody moron had the audacity to give me a weak, hopeful smile and raise his arms.

Without a moment's hesitation, I launched myself forward and started punching every inch of him that I could reach.

"Wo-hey-ouch!" He screamed.

"You-are-a-complete-arse-Cedric-Diggory!" I punctuated every word with a blow. Cedric backed away, shielding his head as I advanced on him. "You-crawl-back-here-after-weeks-and-weeks-oh, where's my wand?"

I turned towards Harry who was backing away towards a tree and placed a hand over his pocket. "Um... I don't know?"

"Harry Potter, you give me my wand!" I howled.

"How come he's got your wand?" Ron asked.

"Never mind why he's got my wand-"

In that moment, Harry took out my wand and created an invisible shield between Cedric and me. "Protego!"

I charged back towards Cedric, intent on attacking him again, when the force of it knocked me to the ground. Spitting hair out of my mouth, I leapt up again.

"Hermione!" Harry said. "Calm-"

"I will not calm down!" I screamed. "You do not get to tell me what to do, Harry Potter! And YOU!" I pointed toward Cedric and watched as Harry and Ron retreated a few steps. "I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back!"

"I know," Cedric said, "Hermione, I'm really sorry, I'm really-"

"Oh, you're sorry!" I imitated. I laughed-an evil, out-of-control- crazy laugh. "You come back after weeks-weeks-and you think you can just say 'sorry' and everything is just going to be perfectly fine?"

"I wanted to come back the moment I left. I knew I was being an arse. That wasn't fair how I acted. But you don't understand what it was like-"

"What it's been like for you?" My voice was so shrill that I kept waiting for frozen icicles to fall on Cedric's head.

"Ron and I ran into a gang of Snatchers when we Disapparated. We couldn't come back.

Completely spent, I threw myself down onto the ground with my arms and legs crossed so tightly I doubted I would unravel them for several years. Least of all would I upon my legs up for Cedric Diggory ever again.

My eyes wandered over to the blackened locket dangling in Cedric's hand. "You destroyed it?" He nodded. "And how exactly is it you have the Sword of Gryffindor?"

"It's a long story." Harry answered.

I pondered it for a moment, completely baffled, and then turned to Cedric. "Don't think this changes anything."

"No, of course not. I only destroyed a bloody Horcrux! Why would that change anything! Do you know what it was like for me to hear those words coming from you! To see you doing those things-" Cedric stopped.