Smile - Cedric Diggory

Seventeen

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

The Final Task was coming up and Cedric was growing increasingly nervous. He felt distanced from Iris, and found himself spending more time with his other friends. She seemed to avoid him sometimes, and he was afraid that their relationship wasn't going to last much longer.

Why couldn't she realize that she was what he would miss most? He found himself missing her a lot right now. Everywhere he went he looked for her, and usually only caught a glimpse of her blonde hair disappearing around a corner.

When had things gone so wrong between them that she felt the need to avoid him? He found himself unable to sleep at night, and when he did he dreamed of her. Sometimes they were nightmares when she would tell him how worthless he was, and sometimes they were dreams where she told him she loved him. When he woke up, he wasn't sure which one hurt more.

~~~

On one of these such nights he woke up screaming after Iris had died in front of him. The guy who slept next to him, Davies Smith, as standing next to him trying to get him to wake up, and everyone else was either sitting up in their own bed or standing at the foot of his bed.

"Iris!" He yelled, sitting straight up in bed. He was sweating and trembling so bad he thought he might die, and his heart was beating so fast he was afraid it might burst.

"Mate, calm down." Davies soothed.

"Where's Iris? Where is she?" He looked around frantically, terrified he might see her body lying in a pool of blood.

"Someone go get Iris so we can get him to hospital wing. He isn't thinking clearly." Davies ordered, but Cedric was too out of it to notice.

He tried to get up but his friend pushed him back down. "No! Let me find her. Where is she? What have you done to her you monster? I'm going to kill you!"

His shouts echoed through the Hufflepuff common room, waking everyone else up. People started to peer in the door, but Davies ordered the other guys to tell them to go back to bed.

Finally, one of the guys managed to get Iris, and she ran into the room, wearing a tank top and shorts and looking very distressed.

"Cedric?"

His head snapped around and he stared at her. "Oh god. You. . .you should be dead. I saw you die. You aren't real."

"Ced. It's me." She reached out to touch his arm, but he flinched away.

"No, it's not."

"It's Iris. I'm here."

"YOU AREN'T REAL!" He screamed, making them all jump back.

She didn't react, only reaching to grab his hand, and refusing to let go. "I love you, Ced."

His grey eyes came up to meet her blue ones, and then he shoved her away roughly. "You aren't real. This isn't real. None of it's real."

"It's 'Ris." She was crying now, shoulders heaving as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

His head shot up and he stared at her in disbelief. "'Ris?"

"Yeah."

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I hurt you, 'Ris." He buried his head in his hands.

"No, I'm alright. Now come on, let's get you to the hospital wing." She held her hand out, and he hesitantly placed his in it.

She helped him up and he stood on shaky legs. Davies fell in step beside as they made their way towards the hospital wing. Iris held his hand tightly and glanced up at him every now and then to make sure he was still alright. Her eyes were still tear stained but she held her head high.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Davies yelled as they stepped into the hospital wing. Cedric jumped and pushed Iris behind him.

She put her arms around him and held on tight. "You're going to be okay, Cedric."

"What's all this?" Madam Pomfrey asked, stepping out of her office wearing a pink dressing gown over her nightgown and frowning fiercely.

"Cedric's very distraught. He must have had a terrible nightmare about something." Davies volunteered.

"Lie down on this bed here, Mr. Diggory. We'll get you a calming solution and a sleeping drought. You should be quite alright."

Iris guided him over to a bed in the corner and pulled the curtains closed. She sat down next to his bed and he grabbed her hand again, holding it a bit too tightly.

Madam Pomfrey appeared, holding to vials of nasty looking liquids. They tasted just as bad as they looked, but Cedric managed to choke them down.

He felt them taking effect immediately and started drifting off to sleep, but he pulled Iris out of her chair and towards himself.

"Don't go." He managed to whisper.

She crawled in next to him and he pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist tightly. She curled into him and let out a little sigh.

He felt safe for the first time that night.

~~~

The sun was shining in his eyes and it took him a moment to get used to the light. Everything felt blurry, and his head hurt. Was he hungover?

Someone was snuggled into him and he looked down to see Iris sleeping with her head resting on his chest.

Oh.

He remembered everything that had happened then, and he gently kissed the top of her head before closing his eyes once again.

He didn't fall asleep, he just enjoyed the quiet moment as he held Iris in his arms. That was when he realized that this was exactly how he wanted to spend his life. All he wanted was to wake up with Iris in his arms every morning.

He wanted to marry his best friend.

Cedric Diggory was so screwed.