Real or Not Real {Harry Potter}

Twenty

-Marjorie-

-i should've asked you questions-

-i should've asked you how to be-

The next week went by in a quiet blur. The morning after the third task, Professor Dumbledore had made an announcement that they were not to question Harry about what had happened. They were not to theorize how Cedric Diggory died.

Harry didn't talk much. He never did talk a lot, at least with her, but moments, where he spoke, were far and few. One thing did change, however, and that was that Harry actually sought out Bria's presence.

Bria didn't speak much either. She thinks that's why Harry sought out her company a lot. She didn't goad him into speaking, or try to make him feel better. She simply sat with him, sketching or painting for hours. They could go hours without speaking.

The week went by, and one day before the school year was over, it was time for Cedirc's funeral.

Bria's grandmother died when she was only eight years old. She remembers her mother preparing all of the arrangements, inviting everyone her grandmother had ever known, and dutifully assigning tasks to the rest of the family. She had never seen her mother cry once.

At the funeral, Bria had whispered to Bran asking why their mother wasn't that upset. She couldn't understand how someone could know for a person their whole life, and not be upset when that person was no longer there.

Bran had explained to her that sometimes people process death differently. Others may be sad right away, like Bran, or angry, like their Aunt Selene, or, process everything logically, but not emotionally. Emotionally stunted, he had said.

She still didn't understand, despite Bran's explanation. A person her mother had loved had been taken away from the world, how could she not be sad about it? 

It wasn't until at the wake, her mother had excused herself to the restroom while everyone else was exchanging memories of her grandmother. Her father had told her to fetch more cream for the tea, so Bria had walked to the kitchen, passing by the bathroom in order to do so.

When she passed the bathroom, she heard the faintest sound of sobs coming from the bathroom. Bria paused momentarily, before walking to the kitchen to get the cream like she had been asked to.

She didn't tell anyone that she heard their mother cry.

If Bria was being honest, up until that point, she didn't think her mother could feel any emotions besides anger and indifference. It seemed that she was wrong.

Bria didn't understand her mother at the time, but now, she thinks she gets it. How even though you've known this person your whole life, sometimes it takes a little longer to process that they're no longer going to be there.

She had known Cedric nearly her whole life, and he was gone from the world.

And Bria didn't realize it until now.

Cedric, who had taught her alongside Rye to teach her how to write a broom. Cedric, who she had a big crush on when she was nine because he was very cute and so, so, nice. Cedric, who loved Quidditch and sugar cookies and doesn't really like yellow, but will gladly wear it to represent his house.

Cedric, who will never have a shared wedding with Rye. Will never live next to Rye so they can raise their kids to be best friends because Rye and Cedric had missed the first eleven years of their lives being friends and they don't want their kids to miss out on that either.