diggory | d. malfoy

2 9

YEAR FIVE, CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

CED
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The train ride to Hogwarts no one could find Francesca and they thought that maybe she wasn't returning.

Francesca was on the train, she was just hidden away in her own compartment on the Ravenclaw side of the train. In all honestly she didn't want to face Theodore.

Francesca was bathing in her own silence, trying not to cry about Cedric. She had gone a week without crying, she didn't want to break her streak. Besides, she had to be strong at Hogwarts.

The compartment door slid open and Francesca sighed, her friends had found her. She opened her eyes to see Cho Chang standing in the doorway.

"Hi," Cho said, closing the door behind her. Francesca gave her a weak smile as she sat down across from her. "What a beautiful owl," Cho said, motioning to the owl on Francesca's lap.

"Thanks. He was a birthday present... His name is Ced," Francesca said, gently patting the brown and white coloured owl on her lap.

Cho smiled down at the creature, looking back up at Francesca, who was almost a spitting image of her brother.

"I just wanted to say sorry... about Cedric," Cho said.

"Thanks Cho, i'm sorry too. I know you two were close," Francesca said. Cho smiled, looking down at her hands. "He liked you a lot, talked about you all the time," Francesca said, trying to brighten the mood.

Cho blushed, looking up at Francesca. "He did?" she asked, smiling shyly. Francesca nodded.

The two girls talked for the remainder of the train ride about Cedric, memories they had of him. Francesca promised to bring some baby pictures back for Cho when she went home for Christmas.

And then they arrived at Hogwarts, the train ride just felt like a fever dream. Francesca hadn't laughed in a long time and she didn't think that Cho Chang would be the person to make her laugh again.

Francesca walked into the Great Hall, leaving her luggage and her owl in the stairwell. Everything had seemingly gone back to normal, it was as if Cedric had never died. But she knew that she couldn't expect people to mourn him for as long as she did.

Francesca walked over to the Slytherin table, taking a seat next to Pansy who was shocked to see her.

"I didn't see you on the train, Fran!" Daphne exclaimed.

"I was hiding away... been trying not to cry," Francesca shrugged. Pansy gave her a sympathetic smile.

Francesca discovered that Pansy and Draco had been elected prefects for Slytherin, Pansy was excited to use the prefect bathroom and in their sixth year they would get their own private dorms.

Dumbledore began to speak and introduce the students to the new Dark Arts Professor, Professor Umbridge. She was a short woman, dressed in all pink.

Professor Umbridge began to bark on about change and how the changes she would make would be for the better. Francesca didn't care about what she had to say and chose to ignore her.

She looked up, across from her sat Draco and Theodore who were both staring at her. Theodore looked pissed, but Draco's expression was unreadable. Really he was in awe of Francesca.

Once dinner was over the Slytherin's headed back to their Common Room and that's when the war started.

Theodore was throwing chairs and books around the room, yelling about how Francesca didn't care about him. Causing the biggest scene she had ever witnessed. Francesca was embarrassed but also way to exhausted to try and understand why he felt the way he did.

"All Summer long you ignored me! Didn't send me one letter!" Theodore yelled as Francesca took a seat on the lounge. Students began to exit the room as quickly as they could, Theodore had anger issues and they all knew it.

"You didn't send me a letter either, Theodore," Francesca said, exhaustion clear in her voice.

"You led me on for an entire year!" Theodore glared, walking closer to her. "A whole year, Fran."

"I-What? How did I lead you on?" Francesca asked, shaking her head at him.

"I'm not ready," He said, trying to mimic Francesca's voice. "Not yet Theodore, we're still children," He teased, looking down at her. A wicked smirk grew across his face. "lucky the Beauxbaton's girls were here last year otherwise I would of went insane!"

Francesca glared at him. "You what?!" She screamed. "Are you forgetting that my brother died?! Why are acting like this towards me!" Francesca stood up, pushing his chest.

"Don't play that card!" He yelled.

She scoffed. "That card, you really are a jerk. An ugly jerk! That's why I never wanted to jump into bed with you, because you're fucking hideous!" Francesca yelled, trying as hard as she could to hurt his feelings as much as he had hurt hers.

Theodore was dumbfounded, he watched Francesca as she walked around him. "You're a bad person, an even worse boyfriend and I don't want this anymore!" She yelled.

"I'll let this go Francesca, I'll forget about what you said," Theodore said.

"What I said? You cheated on me!" Francesca yelled, running her hands through her hair as tears fell from her eyes. It was too much all of it.

"We're over, Theodore."

Right as those three words left her mouth Draco entered the room. He noticed how destroyed the Common Room was and the tears falling from Francesca's eyes and he rushed to her side. Comforting her.

"Get out of here Theodore," Draco said.