Imperio ⇢ D.M

Chapter Twenty Nine

Summer

~Arden Diggory~

4 soft rhythmic knocks sounded on my door. I groaned as I heard the door creak open. I heard footsteps tiptoe closer to me, and swatted my arm to shoo away the person disturbing my sleep.

"Come on Arden." Cedric whispered. "You can't stay in bed all Summer." He joked. I rolled over, making my back face toward him.

"Yes I can." I mumbled.

Cedric sighed, and nudged me with the bristles of his Nimbus 1700. "Don't be so boring, you used to love getting up and playing Quidditch." Every Sunday morning since I could walk, Cedric would take me to the big hill behind our house, where we made our own Quidditch hoops, and played together. Since third year, the tradition started to die out.

"I'm starting my fourth year Ced, I'm not a little girl anymore." I whined. I sat up from my bed and ran my fingers through my knotty hair.

"Well, you're my little sister, so you're still little to me. But obviously playing Quidditch with your only brother is too boring for you, so I guess I'll just go play Quidditch by myself..." Cedric sighed.

He looked longingly out the window, staring at the sunrise as he pretendedto hold back tears.

"Ced-"

"No, no. It's absolutely fine Arden, I'll just have to accept the fact that you don't love m-"

"Alright! Okay fine Ced I'll go with you just give me a minute..." I gave in. Cedric's sad expression instantly wiped away, and was replaced with a grin.

"Great! I'll meet you at the hill in 10."

-

The sun has been up for 2 and a half hours. Cedric hasn't knocked on my door. Cedric won't be meeting me for Quidditch at the hill. I keep waiting in my bed, staring at the door, waiting for those four familiar knocks I would hear every Sunday.

Summer was coming to an end. I'm unsure as to how I should feel. I'm usually excited to go back, but this year...

Leaving my depression ridden home will be good for me. People will actually talk to me, and I'll actually get fed. My parents would often forget to cook for me and even themselves. We're all too busy mourning.

Hermione has sent a bucket load of letters. Most of which is just her writing about my condition, and how she knows what I'm going through because she read a book on it. As much as I love Hermione and her intelligence, her know it all attitude is pissing me off.

Ron has sent me few letters, but he's sent many toys that Fred and George made specifically for me to have, so I can have fun in this dark time. The Weasleys have always felt like family to me. They were the only ones who I sent a thank you letter to, mainly to Molly who would constantly send over home made sweets and jumpers for the upcoming autumn season. My thank you letter however was hardly sincere. I appreciated their immense effort in trying to make me feel better but the excessive love was too much for me to deal with since I'm getting none at home.

Draco kept his promise, he wrote to me, keeping me updated about his life. He wished me a happy birthday. That was it.

I've only received 3 letters from him all summer. I guess I should be glad, since constant screeching owls at my window with letters was annoying me all summer, but I expected at least a bit more from Draco.

Harry however has been sending about a million a day. His snowy white owl pecks my window, panting and tired from the back and forth travels from his home to mine.

He's been asking me if I've heard from Ron and Hermione, asking if I've spoken to Dumbledore since the funeral. He tells me he understands how I feel. I could honestly care less about Dumbledore, and what Ron and Hermione are doing. Harry kept sending letters asking to reply.

Then 2 weeks into the Summer, Harry came to my house.

-

"Mrs Diggory?" I heard soft footsteps creak downstairs. Poking my head out of my ajar door, I saw Harry Potter with a solemn expression.

"Hello dear, may I help you?" My mother asked. She stayed in the old rocking chair she usually sat in when she was thinking, or nursing Cedric and I, although that hasn't happened for years.

Harry knelt down in front of my mother. He held a large satchel. The way the contents jingled as he moved could only mean that there was gold inside.

"Mrs Diggory, your son... He wanted us to grab the cup together, so it could be a Hogwarts victory, not a singular victory." Harry mumbled. I heard his shakey breathes, and saw my mother's eyes water.

Harry took a deep breath. "I didn't deserve to win, Cedric was the most qualified champion out of all of us. He deserves the prize more than anyone. I want you to take the gold, and the cup."

My mother shook her head. "No dear, you keep the gold." Cedric got his modesty and kindness from my mother. If he were in my mothers shoes, he would have done the same thing.

"But-"

"No, Harry. I know my son did not die in vain. He died in victory, therefor he was happy." She sighed. My mother looked at Harry, and smiled. "It's alright dear, you've been through a lot."

Harry gulped. "Do you mind if I see Arden, Mrs Diggory?" He asked. My mother looked in my direction.

"You may see her, but she's in a worse condition than me. You've been warned..." My mother chuckled.

I heard Harry's footsteps make the stairs creak as he neared my bedroom. He knocked on the door so softly I could barely hear it. If I didn't know he was there, I'd have never gotten up.

"Hello Harry..." I mumbled. Harry opened the door and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Arden, I'm so sorry-"

"I know. I know you're sorry, everyone's sorry. I don't want you to be here if you're going to try and comfort me." I snapped. Harry let go of me and stared into my eyes.

"I just wanted to see how you were. You haven't replied to my letters or even Hermione's-"

"Maybe I didn't feel like it. Maybe I didn't want letters in the first place. Did the thought ever come across that I just wanted to be alone this summer?" Again, I snapped at him. Harry stepped away from me. "Oh so now you're afraid of me?" I questioned.

Harry quickly shook his head. "No, no I just uhm..."

I scoffed."If you've got no other reason to be here then get out of my sight." I spat.

"Arden I just wanted to know if you were-"

"Well I'll answer that question. I'm not okay, Harry. I want to be left alone. I don't need you, Ron or Hermione trying to give me your pity, then getting annoyed that I won't reply to your stupid letters!" I took a deep breath. I didn't know what I was saying. "You don't even care, Harry, you just feel obligated to come-"

Harry looked like he was about to throw something. I cut myself off when I noticed his eyes filling with rage. "Don't ever say that I don't care about you again." He threatened. Harry left my room quickly, slamming the front door shut.

-

I was so over this. I couldn't bear the constant pain of knowing that Cedric is gone forever. That a force of evil killed him, all because he was associated with Harry bloody Potter.

Gee, I can't wait for fifth year.

~

Thank you for 20k reads, I can't wait to begin 5th year :D