Strawberry and Vanilla (Cedric Diggory AU)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Day in the Life

Cedric let Scott stay the night. To see Scott upset was dreadful to Cedric, as he was far too sympathetic. Merlin, so much had happened in the past month he had a hard time keeping his own mind on one topic.

      "Morning, Ced," Scott said as he woke in Cedric's big bed. He didn't know Cedric was already awake and sadly trapped within his mind. "The school year resumes today."

       Cedric grabbed Scott's forearm as he was pulled to his feet. "A new dawn, a new term." He cast aguamenti into a cup and downed the water with his pills. "I really hope all of this doesn't stress me out too much- and before you get mad at me, I know, it's not about me, but I've had other things going on and it hurts me to see you like this, so it might add up and I just don't want to head back to St. Mungo's."

     "No, I get it..."Scott trailed off. "I hate that I still have classes with Marianne, but... I have to be mature about it like you said."

    "I think I have three classes with you this term, so I'll try and keep your mind off of that as much as I can, okay? Just remember to focus on your schoolwork and hold off on the snogging of tons of women until you're mentally ready or it can get you into deeper shit." Cedric tied his tie in front of the mirror and looked back at Scott who massaged his temples, perplexed. "I'll be... biased Switzerland, alright? Marianne was my friend but you're my best friend."

    Scott nodded, "Alright, time to face this head-on."

   "Alright." Cedric gave Scott a firm pat on the shoulder. Friendly, empowering, like a father to a son about to go up to bat in his first baseball game. "Should I head down or do you want me to wait for you? I'm fine if you want a minute more alone, just tell me whether I stay or go."

   "Go on ahead, I'm sure you want to see Granger before class," Scott replied, gathering himself where he sat on Cedric's bed. Cedric couldn't do much more than he already had- it felt like he was stuck in quicksand or devil's snare, no way to go but down, with no leeway or space to go another path or take a high road. Thrashing in it wouldn't help, best to let him sink and slip into a new mindset. Cedric nodded respectfully and opened his mouth but Scott interrupted before he could speak, "I won't be late, I promise!"

    Cedric laughed his friendly laugh that gave happiness in even the darkest of times before patting the doorframe and slipping away, crutching his way to the Great Hall. Hermione was his therapy and to those who watched from afar, they would call it a bad thing, but to those closer in view, it was Cedric's coping mechanism for his knowledge of what little freedom he would have in the future. The dawn before the dark, which was in other words, Hermione Granger.

    "Looney Lovegood, you seemed to have dropped your glasses!" Guffawed a deep malicious voice from around the corner Cedric was about to pass. "Where'd you get this, one of those muggle convenience stores in America where they sell broken toys for ninety-nine cents?"

    "Give them back, they're from my father!" Luna's dreamy voice was serious-toned for once. Cedric crutched at a faster pace in order to catch this. "They're not yours nor are they ninety-nine American cents, give them back to me right now!"

    "Oddly specific for an insult, Crabbe," Cedric turned the corner to face the short grubby Slytherin with the chubby cheeks, "And I don't usually condone hatred on others, especially if it's about what people can and cannot afford, but you seem to know an awful lot about muggle convenience stores, so much I'm convinced you must shop there regularly, with the quality of those robes that are so obviously not from Madame Malkin's."

    Crabbe, the pudgy Slytherin shot Cedric an extremely dirty look, but Crabbe stood at five foot five, while Cedric stood towering above him, with the help of his crutches keeping him upright. Cedric was a Hufflepuff, sweet, kind-hearted, but frankly, Crabbe was a little bitch and Cedric didn't like bullies. "Give her back her glasses and twenty points from Slytherin."