Backfire • Cedric Diggory [✓]

EPILOGUE

    September 1995 rolled by quicker than Harry on his Firebolt could circle the entire Quidditch Pitch. Much like she had when she was preparing herself for her fourth year, Holland Avery woke up with a beaming smile, appreciating the tidiness of her room one last time before grabbing her trunk and heading down the stairs. Her room was a lot different than it had been a year ago, plain lavender walls were now covered in moving pictures, some pictures were of her with Draco and Pansy, staring broodily into the camera with expressions that screamed, "Don't cross us,". They were all in their black and green school robes, positioned at the entrance hall. As the picture moved, Holland could be easily spotted quickly changing from her fierce stare and breaking into a wink, Draco, Aurora, and Pansy trying not to smirk when they snuck a glance at her from the corners of their eyes. Other pictures were of her with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It was them sitting on the rock they've always perched themselves on by the lake. They were all sporting the toothiest grins, Holland immediately tussling Harry's on Ron's heads, Hermione laughing from where she sat. Some pictures were even with Fred and George, her most favorite tricksters in the world. Their pictures were taken mostly in random corridors, the three peering from corners, wands at the ready as they were levitating what was obviously a toilet seat as they waited for their next victim. And of course, majority of her pictures were of her and her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory. As a joke, Draco Malfoy gifted her a moving image of herself on the windowsill with none other than the boy himself, but it was when he was completely taken with the love potion, trying to break through the outstretched hands of Holland as she did what she could to keep him away from her. Of course other pictures were of Cedric and Holland completely sober and not at all bewitched to like another. Holland's favorite was a picture of Cedric teaching her how to mount a broomstick, the girl shaking in hesitance and accidentally carrying Cedric with her as the broomstick carried her away from the ground. There wasn't a day where Holland didn't look at any of these pictures without laughing to herself. Most of her summer consisted of writing all of her friends, inviting some over for dinner as well. The only person who was ever over almost every week, though, was Cedric as he was eighteen and allowed to do magic out of school.

    Holland rued the day Cedric apparated in her room for the first time. It was her third day of her period, the television in her room playing Breakfast at Tiffany's, she'd just entered her room balancing a tall glass of a cookies and cream milkshake, a big bowl of salt and vinegar chips mixed with popcorn, and a box of tissues as it seemed she was ready to cry her eyes out. Just then, as she'd very much fortunately placed her food down, a loud crack echoed through the room, Holland crying out but the sound being muffled by a single hand over her mouth.

    "It's me, I'm sorry! You said you were feeling ill and I thought I could stop by," Cedric explained hastily, not wanting Holland's parents to think they were doing something teenagers who had their parents in the same building shouldn't be doing. Holland breathed out in relief once Cedric's hand left her mouth. She eyed his glorious appearance. Not that he needed it, but it seemed that Cedric had grown even more handsome in the summer holidays. He looked taller, his hair flowed longer, and Holland couldn't even dare to talk about how his clothes seemed to be more and more fit around the arms, outlining how much more firm his biceps had gotten. Once she'd finished checking her boyfriend out, she realized that the hand he hadn't used to cover her mouth was occupied with a basket. From what she could see, it had a handful of assorted sweets from Honeydukes accompanied by muggle care products such as a heat compress, and a stuffed dog, a Basset Hound to be exact. Holland smiled at the gesture of her boyfriend coming over to hand her such a wonderful surprise, but she took the Basset Hound from the basket and sent him a questioning look.

    "Outgoing and persistent creatures, they are. It's my patronus," Cedric explained as he took the Basset Hound from his girlfriend and began to spin it on his index finger. Holland mentally swooned at how talented Cedric was. To conjure a patronus was no easy task, Harry and Professor Lupin took ages to have Harry conjure his, and when he did, Professor Lupin was surprised, himself. He smiled at Holland before setting the basket down where her desk was before engulfing his girlfriend in a hug. "I'd say I missed you but I know you'll hit me with a pillow if I did," He mumbled through her hair. It was true, there was not a week that went by that Cedric hadn't stopped by, and him jokingly telling Holland he missed her was getting tiring despite the fact that Cedric seemed to find it funnier the more he said it. Once they'd broken apart from the hug, Cedric realized he heard people talking. He turned to eye Audrey Hepburn curiously before looking back at Holland. "What's she doing in there?" Holland chuckled softly to herself before grabbing her chips and milkshake and putting it on a tray that was situated on her bed. She positioned herself comfortably on one side of the bed, patting the free space for Cedric to join her. Once he did, she explained to him how the muggle television and filming worked.