Harry Potter Imagines

Cedric Diggory - Wedding Gift

TW: Pregnancy, mentions of grief, war, death, contraception

Your wedding day. There had been so many times that you thought this day would never come, and you knew Cedric had the same thoughts. Only two years after you started dating, Cedric was almost killed by you-know-who. If he hadn't have jumped behind the gravestone in time to dodge the killing curse sent his way- you can't imagine what life would be like now. You don't even want to try. Then a few years later the very same dark wizard waged a war on the school that was your second home. You and Cedric fought to defend Hogwarts and those you loved; often you'd be back to back protecting each other from countless death eaters. You had moved in sync, feeling his back against yours, his presence helping to dampen the terror that threatened to paralyse you. You felt a heaviness just thinking about the war: your fear of losing Cedric, your grief for all the people you did lose, horrendous sights you could never unsee. Honestly you had no idea how the two of you managed to survive. And yet you had.

Today was a day of celebration, a day to commemorate the boundless love you had for the beautiful man standing in front of you. But it was tainted. Tainted by the absence of the loved ones you'd lost, tainted by the memories that always came creeping back. You were so grateful to have Cedric to help you through the dark and difficult times: both the war and its aftermath. You said so in your vows.

Cedric's vows almost made you melt into a gooey puddle of adoration. He said that when he was facing death, the only thing on his mind was staying alive so that he could be with you. You made him feel joy and peace in the midst of a war, and every day he fell in love with you more and more. He never wanted to know a life without you, and putting a ring on your finger was symbolic of how he could never feel complete without you by his side.

The party afterwards had been wonderful. During your first dance he held you so gently and yet so firmly that you knew he'd always be there to catch you if you fell. You rested your head on his chest and heard his heartbeat, such a precious sound that was almost taken away from you. You hugged him and promised yourself you'd never let him go.

There was something you hadn't told him yet though. Something important. You had only found out the day before. Your period was over a week late and you felt a bit sick in the morning, so you thought you'd buy a test just to be on the safe side. You never really believed that the test would be positive. It wasn't as though you'd been trying, but you knew that contraception was never 100% effective. You'd done another test today just to be sure it wasn't a false positive, and when you saw the same two lines appear you knew you'd have to tell Cedric. Not wanting to throw him off right before the wedding, you thought you'd wait until after the evening celebrations to let him know.

Now the two of you were entering your hotel suite. It had a grand four poster bed with curtains that shimmered gold, and a window overlooking the sea. You could hear the waves crashing against the shore, the sound almost peaceful.

"I love you y/n Diggory." Cedric had repeated this so many times throughout the day, and every time it made your heart leap with happiness.

"I love you too Ced." you replied, holding his hands in your own. He placed a featherlight kiss on your forehead, followed by one on the tip of your nose, before landing on your lips. You kissed him back, gratefulness bubbling inside you for this one-in-seven-billion person who you had the absolute honour of calling your husband. But before the kiss went any further, you knew you needed to share your news. You broke off the kiss and pulled Cedric down next to you on the bed. You were sitting with your knees touching, so you could see each other clearly.

"There's something I need to tell you." You bit your lip and looked down at your lap. This was massive news. How was he going to take it? Should you have told him before the wedding? What if he wasn't ready for this? Would he.. Would he leave you?

Cedric gently squeezed your hands, which were still holding his, and brought you back to the present moment.

"What is it?" He asked kindly, his eyes never leaving yours.

"I'm-" you felt tears forming but you steeled yourself, remembering that you'd decided to marry Cedric for good reasons. He was loyal and kind, and had the purest heart of anyone you knew. Even if it was a shock, you knew he would stay by your side.

"Ced, I'm pregnant." The tears began flowing freely, and you couldn't quite explain why. You waited for Cedric's reaction with your heart thumping. His hands left yours and you felt your stomach plummet.

But then he wrapped his arms around you in a fierce embrace, and repeated his earlier words.

"I love you. I love you." He sounded choked up too, but you couldn't tell if it was due to sadness or joy. "Y/n, this is wonderful. We might not have planned this, but I can't think of a greater wedding gift." He pulled away from you and tenderly kissed your lower abdomen.

"I love you y/n, and I love you baby Diggory." You let out a laugh, and wiped the tears from your face. Yes, this was scary, but Cedric was right. It was the most wonderful wedding gift, and you couldn't think of a sweeter man to be the father to your unborn child. You shared a comfortable moment of silence, letting him digest the news properly.

"We can do this, right Ced?" your eyes searched his for confirmation.

"You're going to be the best mother, and I'll be right there by your side doing my very best." He let out a small chuckle. You brushed your knee against his.

"You're going to be the best father, you know that right?"

"What I know is that this precious baby growing inside you right now is never going to know war. I'll do whatever it takes to fill their life with love and joy. Y/n, we've been through so much-" he paused. Talking about the war out loud was still difficult for you both "-but this little life is our new beginning. Our hope." You were on cloud nine. You and Cedric were going to start a family together. It was really going to happen.

The happiest day of your life came 9 months later when you and Cedric welcomed baby Hope Diggory into a peaceful world.