Smile - Cedric Diggory

Thirty-Two

(Iris' P.O.V.)

Someone was screaming, and she vaguely realized it was herself. Arms wrapped themselves around her and she slumped into them, unable to find the strength to hold herself up anymore. Whoever was holding her slowly sank to the ground, still holding her tightly, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her.

The Great Hall was filled with rubble and sobbing people. Madam Pomfrey was moving from body to body, trying to save those who were injured. People, her friends, were dead all around her. 

Whoever was holding her didn't say anything, but what was there to say when they were surrounded by dead bodies?

And right in front of her, someone who shouldn't even have been here. Her sister was staring up at the ceiling unblinkingly, and Iris felt the tears flowing down her cheeks. Sobs racked her body and she stared down at her fourteen year old sister, who would never give her another one of her cozy bear hugs again.

Her parents weren't even there to see their daughter. She had no idea where they were, and could only hope that they were alright. There hadn't been any contact between the family in several months.

Iris felt anger rage through her chest as she looked down at the mauled face of a young girl who didn't deserve to die. Fenrir Greyback was going to pay for what he had done, she swore to herself. 

~~~

People started rushing out to the courtyard and Cedric pulled her off of the floor and helped her towards the door.

Screams sounded throughout the air, and she heard several people shout Harry's name. Death Eaters were standing in a line behind Voldemort, who was laughing at Hagrid, who held a body in his arms.

Iris felt sick to the stomach.

You-Know-Who was talking now, but her ears were ringing and she could barely stand. Cedric had an arm around her protectively, and he was looking down at her in concern.

Suddenly chaos started once again and Harry was gone, Voldemort was furious. People were fighting once again, and Cedric pulled Iris back into the hall.

"You have to fight now, 'Ris. Be strong for me." He said, holding her by the shoulders.

She nodded mechanically, and suddenly they were in the middle of the fray again, fighting back to back.

Curses were barely missing them, and then she spotted him. The monster who had murdered her baby sister.

She advanced, despite a shouted warning from Cedric, and curses were flying between her and the grinning beast.

"Your face looks delicious, my dear." He smirked.

"Go to hell!" She shouted, throwing hex after hex at him.

By the time she was done, he was lying on the stone floor, twitching slightly. Even though she burned to kill him for what he had done, she knew that the fate of Azkaban was worse.

The hall hushed as Harry Potter and Voldemort circled, facing off in the middle of the Great Hall. It sounded like Harry was taunting him by calling him Tom Riddle.

Cedric shuddered and took a hold of her hand. She glanced up at him, taking in his dust covered, tired face.

The sun was rising over the lake outside as the two in the center of the room shouted their final curses.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

And then those red eyes widened in shock as his own wand betrayed him and backfired. His empty white hands grasped for something to hold onto as he fell backward.

Tom Riddle was dead.

~~~

Hours later, still in shock of everything that had happened, Iris and Cedric were sitting together by the Black Lake. Neither of them felt ready to talk about what had happened, but they were glad that the other was there.

He had an arm around her and both of them were watching the Giant Squid as it surfaced for the first time since Dumbledore had died.

The aftermath of the battle had left Hogwarts in ruins and most of the wizards in Britain brokenhearted.

In the distance, the Boy Who Lived stood with his two best friends, all looking worn and exhausted.

~~~

As the shadows began to spread across the Hogwarts grounds, Cedric pulled Iris up and together they headed up to the castle.

They walked through the rubble filled corridors slowly, holding hands. 

"Let's go home, Cedric." She whispered.

He knew exactly what she meant, and they headed towards the Hufflepuff common room, near the kitchens. They made a detour to make themselves a sandwich, since the house elves hadn't yet returned to the grounds.

And then he was leading her up two his old dorm. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. 

Together they curled up in his old bed, holding each other close with a sense of desperation.

"I love you." His deep voice whispered in her ear.

"I love you too."

Together they drifted off into a world of nightmares. It was going to take a while to heal, but they had each other.

~~~

The next few weeks they stayed on the grounds, helping to fix up the castle. Neither of them were sure what they were going to do after leaving, but McGonagall was kind enough to put them to work. It took their minds off of the events that had occurred there in May.

After the summer, they got a new flat in London, and Iris returned to the hospital, while Cedric began his training as an Auror.

Nightmares still plagued their nights, and each day felt like another struggle. But they got out of bed and faced the hardships.

Iris testified against Fenrir Greyback in court, not that he needed much else to put him away for life.

Cedric reconnected with his parents, and they were working on fixing their rocky relationship. His dad was proud of what he was doing, and it felt good to finally be accepted.

It took a few years, because they both felt broken, and Iris was mourning the loss of her little sister, but he finally asked her to marry him.

They got married in July. It was a small ceremony, only their family and a few families. Newly weds Justin and Hannah Finch-Fletchley were there, just as teasing as ever.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the last chapter! There is only a short epilogue next, so stay tuned for that :-)

<3,

KitKat