Shot In The Dark

Chapter 1

"The ones that love us, never really leave us,"
-Sirius Black

It wasn't always so hard to get up in the morning, it can't be this hard for just anybody to leave the warmth and protection on their bed, though not everyone had lost their brother less than a month ago.

I didn't quite know how to deal with the death of my brother, Cedric, who died at the hands of Lord Voldemort while participating in the triwizard tournament that was held at our school, Hogwarts.

Shuddering at the memory of his lifeless body appearing in the field, as we all stood there in the stands. Poor Harry Potter, he was another participant in the tournament, he witnessed Ced's death and had to fight against Voldemort. I remember him approaching me on the last day of school.

"Stass?" A voice said behind me, I turned from my spot on the hufflepuff table to see Harry. He shuffled from one foot to another, there was no one sitting close by me, though all eyes were watching.

"Harry," I croaked, from not having  spoken much for a few days.

"Can we talk?" He asked in a lowered voice, rubbing the back of his neck. I looked around at everyone watching, causing their eyes to move back to their plates when mine met theirs.

"Of course," I said, standing up and moving to his side. My eyes met Ron and Hermione's, Harry's closest friends, they looked at me with outmost sympathy, everyone did.

I could hear whispers as we moved by the other students, "I don't know how she's still at school," and "If potter showed up with my dead brother, I'd sock him right then and there," I clenched my jaw and silently followed Harry.

I don't know why I decided to stay, maybe I couldn't handle being back at home where all Ceds memories are, or that I simply can't pack up my things and leave the place I saw him last.

Harry and I walked out of the great hall, out towards the empty courtyard and we sat on a bench in the sun.

I looked up to Harry, who's face showed so much pain, grief and guilt. I couldn't help but have tears start to form in my eyes. I lifted my hand to the side of his arm in comfort, his eyes beginning to form tears as well.

"I'm so sorry Stass," he said, unable to look at me in the eyes, "I just, it's all my fault, if I hadn't shared the cup with Cedric," he started to say, his voice quivering near the end. A tear fell down my face, landing on the wood of the bench we sat on. He noticed the fallen tear and finally looked up at me.

"Harry, don't ever blame yourself for Cedr-" I couldn't say his name, "for his death, you did everything you could. There are forces stronger than you could have handled in that situation, and nobody blames you Harry," I said, he now had fallen tears. I moved my hand and wrapped my arms around his neck, he held me in his arms.

"You brought him back, for dad, for me," I whispered, "thank you, Harry," I finished, feeling his quite sobs.

It was unfair that he as felt guilty as he did, it's unfair he had to witness and live through what he did. It's unfair my brother died. We both held each other and quietly sobbed together, finally letting our emotions out.

I had always been in Ced's shadow, though I never complained. I wasn't one to purposefully put myself out there, I would just simply focus on my studies and friends.

Now more than ever, I'd been getting owls from people I didn't know before from all of Ced's friends. I would be grateful all these people cared, but unable to open the letters, adding to an already large pile in the corner of my bedroom.