ALWAYS (Harry Potter fanfiction) (Snape fanfiction)

Chapter 43

Arabella woke up by herself on Sunday at around eleven o'clock, with the sun hitting her face. After sleeping for over thirty-six hours, she was starving but feeling better than she had in the last month or so. Madame Pomfrey gave her a small vial with Dreamless Sleeping Draught and told her to put two drops in a glass of pumpkin juice at dinner every day to stop the nightmares. Arabella thanked her and went straight to the Great Hall, she might still catch some breakfast.

She met Cedric leaving the Great Hall as she was arriving. He smiled widely as he saw her and pulled her in for a hug, then kissed the top of her head.

"You look rested" Cedric mentioned.

"I feel rested. Uhm, Ced?" Arabella mumbled.

"Yes?" Cedric put an arm around her shoulder and walked with her towards the closest table so she could eat.

"I'm sorry about the way I snapped the other day, you were concerned about me and I was rude, it was uncalled for. Can you forgive me?" Arabella looked up at him. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her quickly.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I forgive you, but I wish you would ask for help once in a while" Cedric told her as he served her some yoghurt and berries he knew she liked. Arabella smiled at the gesture.

After eating, Arabella and Cedric walked around the castle holding hands, it was so comfortable, so natural and yet so special, the way their hands seemed to be one and the same. As they walked, Arabella looked up at Cedric just to find out he was already looking at her. They both smiled.

"I regret something, you know?" Cedric said, Arabella's heart skipped a beat and her brain started going a thousand miles a minute trying to think of something she did wrong and would merit Cedric breaking up with her.

"Huh?" Was all that Arabella managed to say.

"Not going with you to the Yule Ball. I was afraid of what Cho might have said that would affect you negatively, so I let her blackmail me. But when I saw you that day, arriving late, might I add" They both laughed, "looking so beautiful and so happy, I wanted to be the one next to you... I saw you dance with George and I saw you laugh with George and I just knew, that should have been me"

"Cedric, were you jealous of George Weasley?" Arabella mocked and laughed.

"Laugh all you want, but yes, I was jealous, especially when-" Cedric caught himself in midsentence, Arabella was not aware of his conversation with George Weasley the night of the Yule Ball, when Cedric had discovered George was in love with Arabella; George had obviously not told her, and Cedric wouldn't be the one to tell his secret.

"When... what?" Arabella intrigued.

"When you seemed to have a great time with George and Cho ended up vomiting over my shoes" Cedric told her, which was not a complete lie.

"That's gross but, you know, I've been there. I suggest throwing them out, even if you wash them, the sink is hard to get off" Arabella squinted her face and pinched her nose with her fingers. Cedric laughed.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. But that's besides the point. Where I was going to was, you know, I regret not being able to dance with you" he said, looking up at the birds flying. Arabella stopped in her tracks without him noticing until he found resistance in his hand. He turned around and met her where she had stopped, "What is it, Bella?" He asked, putting a hand on her cheek.

"Well, although I think there might be more special occasions in which we will be able to dance... we can dance now, if you want to" Arabella suggested, playing with the hem of her skirt.

"Right now?"

"Why not? No one is promised tomorrow; we don't have to wait for a moment to arrive, we can just create our own moment" Arabella said, more confident now.

"Okay" Cedric smiled, he let his bag fall to the ground and extended his hand at her, "would you dance with me?"

Arabella smiled and nodded, taking his hand with her left hand and putting her right on his shoulder. He placed his free hand on her waist and they started spinning at the beat of a silent music. Their eyes didn't get off each other's for over a second. Cedric was a better dancer than Arabella, and guided her graciously through their grassy dancefloor, both unaware of the peering eyes looking at them from the castle's windows, and a few first years looking at them from the courtyard. It was their moment, and not even the fine drizzly rain started to slowly fall on them until it became thick and melodious. The few eavesdropping first years in the courtyard moved to the inside of he castle, and continued watching from the warmth of the castle. In a couple minutes, they were both completely drenched, Arabella's hair was sticking to her face, and both of their clothes were heavy with water. A good amount of people had stopped to see what was happening, and it caught Harry and Ron's attention. They walked over to the windows and stood behind the Creevey brothers.

Harry looked at his sister dancing, looking lovingly up at Cedric, it was the happiest he had seen her in a while. In that moment, Harry couldn't help but to think of his parents. He thought of that picture he had of his parents, where they were dancing too, to a soundless melody. More than ever, Harry saw their mother on Arabella, they had the same smile, the same nose and eye shape, the same wrinkles next to her eyes when she smiled; seeing Arabella was like being able to see Lily, and it was then that Harry understood how much it meant to Remus and Sirius when they looked at him. Harry only wished that his sister's happiness lasted longer than that of his parents.

"Hey Collin," Harry tapped the boy's shoulder.

"Oh! Hi Harry, didn't see you there" Collin said happily.

"Do you happen to have your camera with you?" Harry inquired.

"I never leave the dorm without it!"

"Good, could you take a couple pictures of Arabella dancing with Cedric? I'll pay you, of course" Harry handed him a galleon.

"Well, of course!" Collin exclaimed happily, it was his first paid job, even if it was just a couple photographs.

Collin readied his camera and adjusted the shutter for magical moving pictures.

Arabella and Cedric only stopped dancing when Madam Pomfrey came out of the castle in a raincoat and ushered them inside, telling them that she wouldn't take care of them if they got sick.