Pancakes for Dinner|Fred Weasley

Epilogue

The days felt dark and gloomy no matter how much sunshine shone through. Even with Dumbledore's powerful words about Cedric it didn't seem to change anything for anyone. He was still dead and he was murdered. Worst of all you-know-who was back and Cedric was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Black clothes and the sounds of high heels pattering echoed in the church. Amos Diggory and his wife Mrs. Diggory stood by Cedric's coffin greeting people as they came in and paid their respects. The Weasley's sat in a pew to themselves watching as new people came in the door. Harry sat next to Ron staring down at the floor, his face still cut up, feeling an immense amount of guilt.

Maddie walked through the church doors with her father's hand on her shoulder. Her brothers walking besides her, it had been less than a year that they found themselves attending another funeral. As much as he tried to reassure his daughter, Jamie didn't know what to do. He didn't understand what had happened or why he couldn't say Cedric's murderer's name. Both Parker and Max tried to make up for what their father lacked.

The Burns family walked up to the Diggory's, Amos' pain matching Maddie's. His mother looked empty but she tried her hardest to smile towards Maddie and her family. Amos took Maddie's hand in his with a slight smile. Maddie bit her lip trying to keep in her tears.

"I'm- I'm sorry for you loss." She whispered making Amos nod. Maddie tried everything in her power to avoid her gaze from going to the open casket only a few feet away from her.

"Thank you." He said in response, "you can go say goodbye to him." He offered moving out of the way. Maddie sucked in her breath, Jamie noticed his daughter's apprehensiveness.

He looked at her, "I'll be with you every step of the way." He whispered reassuring her, she nodded and began to walk. Fred watched from the distance as Maddie timidly walked to the casket.

"His cuts won't ever heal." She said looking over at her dad, his heart felt like it was breaking all over again. Parker stood besides her and put his arm around her as Max stood on the other side of Parker. None of them spoke as Maddie examined Cedric's face, the face that had smiled at her so many times before. She had never seen him so still.

The sound of heels coming close by made Maddie turn. There stood Caroline behind Maddie's family with her own family. Her parents stood besides her, her mother was a slender short haired blonde while her father had a very stern looking face. They were both older and tough looking Slytherins, it was never a even a question of what house Caroline would be sorted into the day she arrived at Hogwarts. Her infamous brother Will continued to talk to the Diggory's, paying his respects.

Maddie and Caroline hadn't spoken since that night and it had been exactly five days since the murder. Maddie took notice of Caroline's stone cold expression as she walked closer, she was looking more like her parents than usual. The girls shared a look, neither one said anything. Max and Parker moved out of the way so Caroline could have room. Both of their families cleared out of their way as the rest of the church's occupants watched the girls stand at their best friend's side.

Caroline pulled something out of her pocket, inspecting it closely. Maddie looked over noticing the chain Cedric had given her just before he had left them. Caroline looked at the ring one more time, rubbing it in between her fingers with a sigh.

She turned to Maddie, "we'll be alright." She whispered her voice choking up. She placed the chain and the ring on Cedric's chest. Maddie held out her arm pulling Caroline into a side hug as they tried to tear their eyes from his lifeless body.

Will soon came up behind the girls trying to drag Caroline away but she wouldn't move. Maddie wouldn't either, neither of them wanted to leave his side.