Smile - Cedric Diggory

Nineteen

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

He hadn't seen Iris all week and it was starting to worry him a lot. Every time he tried to find her she seemed to disappear, either up into the girls dorms or somewhere unknown to him.

He found himself feeling very lonely without her, and his worry doubled each day that she avoided him. Why couldn't Iris just realize that she was all he ever wanted?

But instead of confronting her about it, he hid himself away in spellbooks and the down in this kitchen with the elves, who seemed be his only friends. Since he was excused from all his studies he had plenty of free time to worry about the next task and what was happening to Iris.

It only got worse when he caught a glance of her two days before the final task. She looked as though she hadn't slept or ate the entire week. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun and looked neglected. A giant bag of books was weighing her down and honestly she looked like she was dying.

He had tried to catch up with her but she must have seen him because when he rounded the corner she had just before him Iris was nowhere to be seen.

Justin had attempted to cheer him up, but he had finally had to yell at him to go away on the third day when he suggested that Cedric should get laid.

So he spent his days reading and drinking copious amounts of coffee and his nights staring at the ceiling and wondering if this is what it felt like to die.

~~~

The morning of the third task dawned brightly, but Cedric felt as though his world were collapsing. 

He spent the entire day staring at the same page of a book and ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him. All he could think about was the fact that he thought he was about to puke his guts up and honestly he wondered if he had suddenly contracted asthma because he couldn't breathe.

Finally he set the book aside and just sat there shaking and staring at the wall. Until Iris suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pulled him into her arms.

"Shh it's okay. Just breathe, okay? Don't die on me, Ced." She whispered in his ear, making him shiver and press closer to her.

He didn't know how long they sat there together, but it felt far too soon when she pulled him to his feet and shook him gently.

"Come on, Ced. We gotta go get ready for the task. You're okay, just hold my hand, I'll get us there." He didn't know how she was being so strong right now when she looked like the wind could blow her away.

So he let her lead him down to the Great Hall and past all the staring students into the side chamber where his father was waiting.

"Cedric, my boy! How are you? You're looking a bit nervous, just relax. We both know that you can beat Potter and the rest of them." He cringed at his father's voice, but it brought his vision back into focus and he found that he could finally think straight.

Instead of replying he looked down at Iris and then pulled her tight against his chest, breathing in her scent and praying that he would get to see her again. She sighed and threw her arms around him, and he felt safe for the first time that week.

His father's attention focused on someone behind them and then he was saying, "There you are, are you? Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"

He glanced around to see Harry Potter looking shy and rather appalled. "What?"

"Ignore him." Cedric said quickly in a low voice so that his dad wouldn't hear. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the TriWizard Tournament-you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."

"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" He cringed as his dad continued. "Still. . .you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?" Iris' nickname for him sounded terrible on his father's lips in the situation and he pulled her closer to his side, sending his mum a look that begged her to make his dad shut up.

"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" It was the Weasley's mother, looking rather red in the face. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"

His dad opened his big mouth again and Cedric braced himself for more dreadfully embarrassing things to come out, but his mum laid a hand on his arm and pulled Amos away, much to Cedric's pleasure. He and Iris followed in their wake, still clinging to each other for support.

~~~

The stands of the Quidditch field were filling and Cedric's stomach was filling with elephants. Iris hadn't left his side all afternoon, and he was glad because he felt as though he needed all the help he could get.

Everything was going much too quickly and he felt horribly sick when the champions were told to take their places outside the maze.

Ludo Bagman started talking, but Cedric could barely focus on anything except watching Iris take a seat in the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each-Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Howarts School!" Cheers erupted all over the stands but Cedric could only look at Iris. His heart leaped in his chest when she smiled back at him gently. "In second place, with eighty points-Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" His eyes were locked with hers and his breath was coming in shallow gasps. "And in third place-Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" It was all he could do not to collapse right then and there.

"So. . .on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman continued. "Three-two-one-"

He gave short blast on his whistle and Cedric shook his head, dispelling the thoughts that plagued him, and followed Harry into the maze.

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Some of the lines in this chapter were taken directly from the book, just to let you know for copyright issues.