Strawberry and Vanilla (Cedric Diggory AU)

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Short Goodbye

"Hermione, ugh, please don't go," Cedric begged as Hermione stood outside the Knight Bus. She was taking the speeding bus to visit her parents on a skiing trip. It didn't seem very Hermione, but she was still going away for the holidays. Hermione smiled, her cheeks a beautiful shade of pink in the morning light from the cold winds of Christmas break's beginning.

        "I have to and I wish I didn't," Hermione replied, enjoying the last few minutes spent in Cedric's arms before she had to leave. He was warm against the cold wind and she didn't quite want him to let go. "Write to me, promise?"

        "Every day if you'd like," Cedric whispered, pressing his lips to her hair and inhaling deeply so that he might try and save her scent to last him through the holidays. "And I know you told me not to get you anything, but I bought this long before you told me not to get you anything so it doesn't count, okay?"

        Hermione sighed as Cedric pulled out a well-wrapped box, ribbon and all. She looked impressed by the wrapping skill, "Did you wra-"

      "I had Marianne wrap it since my way was a little...messy. I seem to lack artistic skill in all ways." Cedric grinned sheepishly and Hermione smiled kindly, jumping up to peck him on the lips. He handed her the box."Open it, please, I'd like to see your reaction."

        Hermione hesitated with the beautifully wrapped present, then looked up at him quickly, "Just so you know, your present is in the mail."

          "Open it, Hermione,"

      She obeyed, slipping out of his arms and bracing the cold wind. Cedric admired how she seemed to glow, even while bundled up in a fluffy down-filled jacket and hat. She pulled on the ribbon, then gently unfolded the paper wrapping. Cedric bit his lip, watching her face fall. Did he do something wrong? She hadn't even opened the actual box yet. Cedric, being a pureblood wizard, didn't know very much about muggle customs and ways of doing things. He had paid for this gift from a muggle store, little to his knowledge, Hermione could tell which store quite easily by the packaging.

        "Cedric, no, I can't have this!" Hermione said, pressing the box into his chest. Cedric's eyebrows furrowed as she covered her face and began to pace. Usually, it was adorable how she paced, but this time it was stressful because she already seemed to hate his gift without opening it. "My gift is nothing in comparison! When did you buy this?! I can't ever repay you, Cedric, no..."

        Cedric began to understand. She knew what it was by the turquoise packaging. "Hermione, it cost me nothing, I promise," He pressed the gift back into her hands and she opened it to reveal a rose gold chain. The exact chain she had mentioned to him all the way back in September. She hugged him, squeezing him quite tightly.

        "You remembered," she whispered, pulling away from the hug. Cedric nodded slowly, grinning, and she kissed him.

      "I'm not finished!" Cedric mumbled between kisses. Hermione slipped down and rocked on her heels. "Now you'll like this one because it didn't cost me anything at all. I made it myself... kind of."

        He pulled out a smaller box and handed it to Hermione. Inside was a thin leaf, encased by glass, with a small rose gold loop around the end. It was a charm for her necklace, but why this leaf? Cedric stayed silent as he waited for her to figure out the symbolism of the leaf. Stan Shunpike, Knight Bus greeter and luggage dealer, called for 5 minutes to the bus' depart. Hermione looked pensive, staring down at the leaf and Cedric was beginning to think she wouldn't understand and that he was off-target with his idea of a romantic gift. She started humming a little upbeat tune and Cedric held her face and kissed her quite firmly. Five minutes to kiss her and then see her next year. It wasn't enough.

        The leaf, Hermione realized, was from a willow tree. There were only a few willow trees on school grounds, the violent one, the one by the Quidditch pitch and the one by the Black Lake. Of course, the other two meant nothing to her, but the tree by the Black Lake brought back the dizzy, hazy memory of dancing (or at least trying to), falling, then being kissed without warning. Cedric had encased a leaf from that very tree in glass, making the decay of the leaf impossible. It was hers forever and hers to wear. It was more than perfect.

        "Hermione, you could so easily come to my house for Christmas," Cedric whined through the kiss, not wanting to let her go. "My parents already love you and we have a guest room and I really, really, don't want to say 'see you next year', to my girlfriend."

        "I hate leaving," Hermione mumbled against his lips before kissing him again gently. It should also be noted that Hermione hated lying to Cedric. She was going skiing, that was until she found out what had happened with Harry and the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley had been attacked the night of the last DA meeting. Harry, it seemed, had a visionary nightmare that deemed itself to have actually happened. Arthur had been taken to St.Mungos the same night Cedric was, due to Cedric's over-exertion flare-up episode. He was treated and sent back to school the next day, whereas poor Arthur wasn't so lucky. Hermione was lying to Cedric about where she'd be, because she sure as hell wasn't spending the holidays skiing. She would be at Grimmauld Place and couldn't tell Cedric.

         It pained her, but she had to keep it from him for the sake of protecting everyone she loved. Harry and the Weasleys were her family and she had to support them no matter what, through anything, as their hospitality for her would go unrepaid. Christmas there didn't seem all that bad, even with the painting that screeched at her and the house-elf who liked to curse at her because his 'mistress would never approve of such a creature around her house'.

        "Parting! Bus parting!" Stan yelled for the final time. Cedric groaned regretfully. "Climb on now or find yourself drowning in boredom at school while yer friends are off partyin' and playin'!"

        "Goodbye," Hermione said, pulling away. Her hand trailed down his shoulder, to the tips of his fingers. He looked gloomed. "Please, don't forget to write to me. Thank you so much for the necklace. I don't think I can ever repay you for it, it must have cost a fortune..."

        Cedric shook his head and smiled, "You're welcome. Don't worry about the cost. It pays for itself when I see you wear it. Promise me you'll wear it at least once?"

        Hermione slid the leaf charm onto the necklace quickly and lifted her hair, passing him the charmed chain. He grinned and quickly fastened it around her neck, his fingers nimble. It was so hard to hug her one last time before watching her board the bus. The promise of seeing her again soon was what would keep him going for the time he spent alone. Three weeks without Hermione would be difficult, but he could do it. Hermione smiled from the window of the bus before Cedric blinked and it had zoomed off, gone.