Smile - Cedric Diggory

Fifteen

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

The Second Task was only a day away, and although Cedric knew what he had to do, he was still nervous as hell. He had been hoping to talk to Iris, thinking that maybe she could calm him down, but he couldn't find her anywhere. After asking around a bit, someone finally told him that she had been called out of class to go to the headmaster's office. He wondered what that was about but was too nervous to dwell on it for very long.

He laid in bed that night, mind racing. Wondering what he was going to save, wondering if he would be able to do it. 

Wondering if he would die under the Black Lake's surface.

His eyes didn't shut at all that night, because all he saw behind his closed lids was himself drowning far beneath the surface of the lake, never to be seen again.

As the sun rose the next morning, he began pacing across the common room. He and Iris had agreed to meet there that morning to talk. Some of his classmates told him to stop pacing or he would wear a hole in the floor. When the task drew nearer and she didn't show, he asked one of the girls from her dormitory where she was.

He was alarmed when he found out she had never returned from seeing the headmaster last night. Something was up.

Finally, it was time for him to head out to the Lake. The four champions changed inside a tent and went to stand beside the lake. 

Cedric gripped his wand tight, wondering if he would ever resurface. 

The gun went of and he cast a quick Bubble Charm, then dove into the cold lake. The aquatic plants blocked his vision and he wondered where he was even supposed to go. So he started swimming, diving deeper and deeper into the lake. The temperature dropped, and it began to get darker and murkier. He felt something attach to his leg and whirled around, casting a quick Stupefy at the unsuspecting Grindylow. 

After that he kept an eye on his surroundings. Then he burst through the aquatic plants and found himself in a sort of clearing at the bottom of the lake. 

There were creatures swimming all around, and he realized that they were mermaids and mermen. He had always thought they would be more attractive than that, but apparently the lake species wasn't very easy on the eyes.

At the middle of the sort of underwater clearing he spotted something bright red. That couldn't be right.

He swam towards it, wary of the merpeople, but they paid him no attention.

Ron Weasley was floating in the middle of the lake. Beside him was a young blonde haired girl who looked like Fleur Delacour. A blonde haired girl dressed in Gryffindor robes  was floating across the clearing, and there-

Instantly, he kicked as fast as he could towards her. Of course! It made so much sense now. Something he would miss the most, Iris disappearing. Of course Iris was the thing he would miss the most.

She was floating there by herself, pale and seemingly asleep, although she looked alarmingly dead.

He pulled the bonds off of her and tried to shake her awake, only to realize that she wasn't going to wake up, and if she did it probably would end all that well. So he wrapped his arms around her and started kicking for the surface. He had no idea how much time had passed while he was under the water, but he hadn't seen any of the other champions.

The water got lighter as the sun began to shine through, and he knew that he was getting close to the surface.

He broke through the surface and his Bubble Charm popped, making him gasp for air, but his only concern was Iris.

She took a gulp of air and started coughing violently, and he pulled her closer to his body.

"You okay, 'Ris?" He asked her, leaning close to her face.

"C-cold." That's when he realized she was shivering against his body, and he quickly set off for the shore.

They were helped onto the platform and someone wrapped a blanket around their shoulders, and they huddled close for warmth.

He put his arm around her and refused to take it away. She curled into him slightly, hiding her face in his chest, and he hoped she wouldn't hear his heart drumming in his chest.

"Hey, are you okay, Iris?" He whispered in her ear so only she could hear.

"Yeah. Thanks for saving me, Ced. Sorry I wasn't there for you this morning."

"Well, you did have a good reason to not show up, so I guess I'll forgive you." He grinned down at her and she laughed.

So beautiful.

His brain couldn't think straight when she was laughing like that. 

Damn, Iris. Do you know what you're doing to me?

She was the thing he would miss the most. How could he go to Durmstrang now? 

Damnit, Cedric. Grow some freaking balls.

"Iris?"

"Yeah?"

"I-"

Viktor Krum burst out of the water, holding the blonde girl from Gryffindor. The moment was lost, perhaps forever.

Iris cheered along with everyone else, forgetting that he was going to say something to her. He stared down at her, regret burning in his chest.

I love you.