The Last Riddle

36. Be honest with me

I haven't felt the same since I found out the horrible truth, the inconceivably real story as to how my parents came to be brutally murdered which left both my brother and I as orphans.
Their best friend, the person they trusted more than anyone else in the world, had betrayed them for the most evil and twisted wizard to have ever existed.

Since finding out the news a week ago I have barely eaten, I have been avoiding Cedric at all costs as the sight of his perfect face hurts me. I have asked Blaise to tell Harry, Cedric, Poppy and Ginny that I am simply ill and bed bound.

Of course I feel guilty especially as the only reason Cedric, Poppy and Ginny stayed over for the Christmas holidays was so that I wouldn't be alone. However the idea that I'd have to socialise as if everything is normal pains me too much to even attempt, Blaise has said that Harry, Ron and Hermione are barely leaving the library anymore and simply spend all day in there studying up on bird law and other weird subjects.

As much as being away from Cedric pains me, the need to be honest with him hurts just as bad. I hate lying to the one person I trust more than anyone else, however I just don't believe that he will want to even associate with me once he knows the truth. It was kept a secret for so many years for a reason, because it's vile and spine chilling.

Blaise has spent the week with me where he can, bringing me food and drink from the kitchen. I had immediately told Blaise the truth as soon as I took a step inside the common room after I found out. Blaise and Cedric are very different people, Blaise is used to the ugly truth. He has grown up around all sorts of evil and questionable people, some of his mothers ex-husbands have been the cruellest kinds of people, therefore I knew he wouldn't judge me. Cedric is different however, he has a perfect family, Poppy is his cousin who is everything you could want your daughter to be, he has a house in Oxford and a beach house in the South of England as well. His parents love and support him as far as I can tell, at least he has never said otherwise.

I just know that Cedric would hate the truth and therefore hate me.

"It's Christmas Eve Ang, come on just please come down to breakfast at least." Blais is sat on my bed at eight o'clock in the morning with a bunch of my clothes in his arms. "Look all you have to do is wash and brush your teeth I'll handle the rest okay?"

I screw my eyes shut in defeat and open them slowly again "okay fine" I mutter sliding out of my bed and heading towards the bathroom.

"Hooray! Well done, I'm really proud of you." Blaise calls out to me.

Groaning loudly I climb into the large bathtub as it fills with water around me. Why am I so affected by the fact that my parents best friend betrayed them? Would a stronger person simply move on from this, why am I so weak that it has caused me to be bed bound for a week?

I wish I didn't feel every emotion so strongly, I hate so easily and love so passionately. I anger quickly and feel extreme empathy for people, why are my emotions always so intense? What's wrong with me?

After bathing and clothing myself, I walk down to breakfast with Blaise for the first time in a week. The castle has an eerie emptiness to it, Blaise said we were the only Slytherin students to stay for the holidays. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny were the only Gryffindors, Cedric and Poppy being the only Hufflepuffs and not even one Ravenclaw stayed behind.

"Why did so many students go home this year?" I ask Blaise as we turn the corner of the corridor.

Blaise offers me a cautious side glance "well parents are worried about their children's safety this year. Sirius Black is on the lose and obviously Hogwarts is seen as his main target, so lots of people weren't allowed to stay. I had to practically beg my mother to allow me to stay, she wasn't keen but she understood I had to stay with you."