An American Fangirl at Hogwarts 《3》 of the ☆Ink and Pixels series☆

Chapter Ten: The Snow Began to Fall

The Hufflepuff common room is quiet. Too quiet. Any student above their third year is galavanting the village grounds while the first and second years take advantage of the time without older students. Everyone is making the best of their time. Well everyone except Cedric.
    Cedric is bound to this portrait and it's twin. Usually at this time of the day he would visit his parents, but they were on a much needed vacation. And he couldn't bring himself to sit in an empty portrait in his childhood home. It filled him with too much regret.
     He regrets ever thinking he needed endless fame and glory. He regrets ever thinking he needed to be showered in riches. He regrets ever walking into that maze. He regrets ever touching that cup. He regrets never kissing her. He regrets not living.
  But what was he to do about it? He was already dead and people needed to move on. His parents did. His friends. And Madison because she was always more than a friend to him. Always would be even with Fred around, but maybe he can give her the life Cedric never can.
     After all, Fred can age with her. All of his friends would age. Every student in this school will age as Cedric sits in his portrait looking as young as ever. He will always be around for the constant change and movement of the students lives. And one day his friends will all leave and the only thing people know of him will be stories.
    Stories of the "great Cedric Diggory" who fought dragons and saved his friends from the merfolk. The "great Cedric Diggory" who stood against the Dark Lord and died with pride. These stories won't truly matter to him. The stories that matter will be long forgotten. The story of Cedric Diggory, a loyal friend. The stories of parties in the Hufflepuff common room. The stories of late night Quidditch practices. The stories of every match he happily participated in. But he would always remember those stories. But even his closest friends are bound to begin forgetting.
    Cedric knows that one day Madison will forget about their late night study sessions. Every moment spent curled next to the crackling fire. Each second they spent chatting in their respective chairs. The smallest details and the most fleeting moments will fade first. They always do. But eventually it will all disappear one day and Cedric will be more like a long forgotten dream than a distant memory.
     Even if it takes years, he knows it's only a matter of time before she leaves Hogwarts for good to go off and do great things alongside her friends. While he's stuck here confined to his portrait by charms and paint. But he couldn't tell anyone his worries or fears. They will say anything to reassure him.
     "Oh Cedric we will never forget you!"
     "Oh don't worry so much!"
     "We will always remember you!"
     But he knows. He knows because he would do the same if the roles were reversed. He knows.
     As the fire crackles, Cedric opens a book and reads, awaiting the return of the students.

☆☆☆☆

     Meanwhile in the snowy village of Hogsmeade, a group of friends can be seen engaging in a violent snowball fight.
     "TO THE DEATH!" George shouted before angrily pelting a snowball at Fred.
     The snowball hit Fred right across the face, turning his already pink cheeks an angry red.
     "Oh, you asked for it," Fred grumbled before grabbing an even larger snow ball and slamming it right into George's face.
     "Aren't they taking this a bit too far?" Hermione cautiously asked Madison as the twins tackled one another to the ground.
     "Probably," Madison answered as she tossed a snowball. It splattered across the back of Harry's head.
     "Oy!"
     "But don't they always take things too far?" Madison asked as she dodged Harry's retaliation.
     "I suppose you're right," Hermione replied.
     "Oy Fred!" Ron shouted to the twins, "I think you dropped something."
     The twins weren't listening so Madison walked over instead.
     "What is it?" She asked.
     "Dunno," Ron said, turning over a velvet box in his hands, "just looks like a box."
     Madison took the box from his hands. It was a simple black box with velvet. There was a tiny clasp on one end. She undid the clasp and gasped.
     "Fred," she said, breathless. He didn't hear her as he continued fighting his brother.
     "Fred!"
     No answer.
     "Fred!"
     The two boys stopped wrestling and looked up. Fred's eyes went wide when he noticed the little box in her hands.
     "Is this what I think it is?" Madison asked as Fred stumbled over to her.
     He smiled. "Yeah. It is."
     Madison felt her eyes water as Fred removed the ring from the box and dropped to one knee.
     "Oh Merlin," George said before rounding up the others. "Alright guys, this is our cue to leave."
     Fred waited for George to herd the others off before speaking.
     "This wasn't exactly how I planned to do this," Fred said, taking Madison's left hand in his. "I knew I wanted to do it today, but not at first. In fact, the original plan was to wait until you finished your seventh year."
     "Then why now?" Madison asked as tears trailed down her cheeks.
      "Because ever since that night in the Department of Mysteries, I've been terrified to wake up in the morning and not find you next to me. And ever since you left for school, I'm worried I'll hear terrible news of something happening to you. I'm worried one day something could happen to me or the shop. And I don't want to regret not having married you when I had the chance."
     Fred gently slipped the engagement ring onto Madison's left ring finger. The diamond was a beautiful Marquise cut with small diamond clusters on either side with a silver band.
     "Madison, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"
     Madison looked at him through her tears.  She used her free hand to wipe them away before bringing herself down to his eye level, her knees sinking into the snow.
     "Yes."
     Fred closed the space between them and gingerly pressed his lips to hers. Madison tangled her fingers in Fred's hair and felt her tears freeze her face.
     As the couple kissed, the snow began to fall.