Strawberry and Vanilla (Cedric Diggory AU)

Chapter Thirty: Lessons with Lupin

"In order to learn to cast a corporeal Patronus, Mr. Diggory, you need to open your mind to memory," Remus Lupin started, pacing the cold floor of the barren wooden room of Grimmauld Place. Cedric was seated on a hard wooden bench on the very back wall of the room, right by the window that leaked frozen air down his neck. "I'll start with this, as the steps are easy and simple, but the process of doing those may be extremely difficult and tiring. You see, back when I taught Harry, I had his boggart, which was a dementor, near him and taught him to create the Patronus against it. With you, I'm not currently aware of the form your boggart takes, as I do have one. But a dementor is ideal. Do you see my problem?"

        "Yes sir," Cedric said, understanding. In his third year, he had the Voldemort-hiding-turban-wearing Professor Quirrel as a teacher and he recalled his boggart to be his mother dying on the floor in front of him. "I don't have any proper motivation."

       "Exactly, now, do you know the steps to creating a corporeal Patronus?" Lupin asked, sitting next to Cedric. Cedric suspected he did so to make Cedric comfortable around his former teacher, but the truth was Cedric was already comfortable around Lupin. The two had shared many a joke during the daytime, which puzzled Hermione sometimes, but she laughed.

         "Think of my happiest memory, wand movement, Expecto Patronum. It does sound easy but considering all the times I've tried and failed... not so easy. I'm not sure about it anymore. I'm not even sure of my happiest memory yet."

        Lupin nodded, "So, simply, stand up and try right now, with none of my advice." He ordered, taking a seat on the bench, and letting out a false breath of relaxation. Cedric was surprised there was no long before-hand lecture as he leaned on his crutch and stood up. Lupin watched him intently as Cedric paced to the middle of the naked room and pointed his wand upward, as to make the movement.

     Cedric tried to focus on the memory of him and Scott sneaking out that one night at his cottage. He focused on the splashing, the laughing, the sun rising as they floated around and talked about the things they would do when they were older. The life they'd have with their wives and children, the picket-fenced white houses, sports games, send-off to Hogwarts, growing old with said spouses and alongside each other as they promised that they'd stay friends no matter what happened.

         It was just Scott's quick saying of, "We'll always be friends, mate. I don't care if you marry a zebra. We will all sit on some rickety old porch swing and knit together. Wait- maybe she can't knit... she's a zebra. Oh wait- how are you supposed to have children- gross, Ced-"

     And then after that Cedric smiled and said, "I don't think I'm going to marry a zebra, Scottie." And they continued to float as the sun rose over the horizon. Cedric harnessed that exact memory, the perfect happy thought and used it, saying the spell in a firm tone, all while smiling.

      "Expecto Patronum!"

     Nothing happened. Not even a bit of blue light came from his wand. Cedric frowned- perhaps this memory was not his happiest? He dug deeper into his mind and that was truly the only thing he could find. The time of his life, the happier memories... everything consisted of freedom. Before Lupin spoke to console him, he tried a second time.

        This time, he remembered Quidditch, to be able to play it, to ride a broom. He remembered the wind in his hair, the outstretched arm to win the game, the diving, twists, turns, the cheers of the people who wanted him to win for them. They needed their seeker and that feeling, the feeling of near-weightlessness as he flew to win, was priceless. Cedric focused hard, raised his wand and cast the spell again. Not even a spark.

        "Cedric, Cedric, you need to give your thoughts more time, it appears." Lupin stated, "Your wand movement is flawless, as is your pronunciation, but you need to think more about your memory. What memories have you tried so far?"