Sweetener ▷ Harry Potter

ZERO

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BACK TO HOGWARTS
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AMOS DIGGORY observed his daughter as she stared at the train towering above her. His wife had been too emotionally detached to join them on the departing visit this year, but Camille held no grudges towards her mother. Every second without Cedric was like a million pieces of her heart had been ripped apart before being messily put back together, considering she had to continue to live her life without him.

Amos was troubled on how to help the girl, for he was dealing with the grief himself. He had been so proud of his son for entering the Triwizard Tournament and bringing glory to the family name, but now, he understands he should have been protecting his boy instead of pressuring him.

"You don't have to go this year if you wouldn't like to, Cami," Amos spoke up, breaking the silence between them. Other families were surrounding the two, wishing tearful goodbyes to another promising year. "We can go home right now, and you can have a year off. Dumbledore will understand."

"But Cedric won't," the girl whispered. She took a step away from her father and nodded. "It's alright, dad. I can do this."

He smiled softly and nodded. "I know you can. Cedric will be with you every step of the way, I promise."

"Cami?"

The two directed their attention to Draco Malfoy, who was expectantly waiting for his girlfriend. She gave him a brief nod and turned back around to Amos, crushing him in a hug.

"I'll miss you, dad," she whispered, feeling a sudden wave of emotions wash over her. "I'll write whenever I can."

Amos struggled to hold back his tears when the two separated, and chuckled. He looked over her shoulder to glare at his daughter's boyfriend. "Take good care of her, Draco."

Draco smiled nervously. "Of course, Mr. Diggory."

Camille grasped Draco's hand in hers, and the two climbed on the train, searching for a compartment. Usually, Draco would sit with his Slytherin friends, but this time, he sensed the urgent care his girlfriend needed.

They both settled in an empty compartment, and Camille gazed out the window, no ounce of excitement filling her bones for the new year. Around this time, Cedric would usually send sweets he bought to her so that she wouldn't arrive at Hogwarts on an empty stomach.

"Are you alright, Cami?"

"That's a dangerous question," she mused. Draco looked worried as he took the spot across from her. "I don't think you would particularly enjoy the answer."

"At least tell me how to make it better," he murmured, placing a kiss on the back of her hand. "I want to help you."

"Keep Cho Chang away from me," she joked, laughing humorlessly. "She's going to be glued to my side all year because of Cedric. I don't feel like dealing with the tears."

There was a pause of silence, and Camille could practically see the gears in Draco's mind spinning. She put her hand over his and grinned. "Shouldn't you be in the prefect carriage? You have new duties this year."

"Yes, but I want to stay with you," the Slytherin insisted.

"Draco, I'm fine. Just go. You know you'll get into trouble if you don't," she pushed him. He frowned before standing and pressing a light kiss to her lips.

"Alright, I'll go. Do you want to sit at the Slytherin table for the welcome banquet?"

Camille noted that Draco never offered to sit with her at the Ravenclaw table. Her boyfriend would never dare be caught in the sea of blue when he had been sporting green for almost his whole life.

"I think I'll manage."

The compartment door slid open and Luna Lovegood poked her head in. "Oh, hello, Camille. Do you mind if I sit?"

Draco was quick to leave after Luna's arrival. Luna filled Draco's spot and the two sat in silence. Camille had encountered the girl a few times before, but could never hold up a strong conversation with her. Luna was always speaking about something irrelevant, and Camille couldn't bother to listen to such things. She supposed some of her rude nature stemmed from spending too much time with Draco.

It wasn't long before the pair were join by a few Gryffindors, which included Harry Potter.

The door slid open. "Hi, Luna and Camille," Ginny Weasley greeted. "Is it okay if we take these seats?"

Camille waved them off and Luna looked up from her magazine, which was upside down, to nod.

"Thanks."

Harry awkwardly took a seat between Neville Longbottom and Camille. The latter was a person Harry had been trying to avoid, but he supposed he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

The last time he saw Camille Diggory was Cedric's memorial, where she was crying hysterically while Malfoy held her in his arms. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that Camille was a strong girl, but she never hesitated in showing her everlasting grief for her brother, which made some people believe she was weak.

He would never forget the moment when the Portkey threw him back to Hogwarts, where he carried Cedric's dead body in his arms. Camille had rushed down from the stands, pushing everyone aside until she saw Cedric herself. She held her brother in her arms and screamed for him to return, to come back to her and tell her he had won the tournament.

Her cries were permanently etched into Harry's brain.

"Hey," he greeted awkwardly.

She ignored him.

As Ginny engaged in conversation with Luna, Camille continued to gaze out the window, slamming her eyes shut. She wasn't going to cry this year — there was no room for that.

Cedric was counting on her, and she wasn't going to let him down.

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here i go again, publishing new fics i don't have time to write sigh