𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎. fred weasley

𝚡𝚡𝚡𝚟𝚒𝚒𝚒. 𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗

✦✧✦

Cress sleeps in the Hospital Wing.

Well, that's a lie. There's not much sleep happening. Mostly, she lets Madam Pomfrey fuss over her bruises caused from yesterday morning because the woman thinks that they're the worst thing to happen to her since James Potter was at Hogwart's, and then she stares at the ceiling, contemplating everything.

Augie isn't supposed to be here until tomorrow, so that leaves Cress with nothing but her demanding thoughts of the new portrait in the common room.

Cress hates it.

She has hated many things in her life, but the portrait makes everything else dissolve into nothingness. There is only room for her to hate the picture--only room for Cedric's false smile replaying in her mind, over and over again.

Why would they do it? That's one thing that she can't wrap her head around. Why? There was no reason to bring back a ghost, no reason to dig up a grave that was barely even buried.

Tears fall down her cheeks. He had talked to her, the portrait. Cedric's fake mouth had opened in that crooked way of his and it had said, "Cress! Hello!" like it knew her.

It didn't.

And Cress couldn't handle that. Couldn't stand the way it mocked her relentlessly with it's animated cheer and wicked smiles. He was just like Cedric but he just wasn't.

She left after that, after Hamlin let her go and the world stopped spinning. She went to the Hospital Wing, and she's still not sure if she ever wants to leave. Here, it is safe. Without the portrait--without Cedric--there is a blanket of security that Cress didn't realize that she needed.

Cress turns over in her cot, bringing her pillow closer to her. She watches the window until her eyes burn and the sun peaks over the horizon, shy and tired in the early morning, though it's not too long before clouds overpower it to bring showers down upon them. Madam Pomfrey comes to her, asks if she's going to classes today. It's okay if she doesn't, the nurse just wants to know.

For a moment, Cress debates on going. Knowing that there's a ghostly part of Cedric waiting for her in the common room makes it hard for her to think of anything else. She thinks of his grey eyes, how the artists touched the subject of them just right. They even managed to make him look alive, Cress had noticed when her eyes were glued to it the first time she saw it.

But in classes, she wouldn't see it. Cress would be free from the haunting image for a while. Augie would be here by dinner time, and Cress would be able to talk about it without any judgement. Could she last until then?

She tells Madam Pomfrey that yes, she is going to class, and then picks herself up off the cot, rubbing the dried tears out of her eyes. She is still in her uniform from last night, but a sniff tells her that it's not too musty. She can wear it. Tonight, she would have to ask someone to get her some clothes so she could shower in the Hospital Wing.