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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐃'𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘
"𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛."
—𝐾𝑎ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑙 𝐺𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟓𝟐𝟏𝟗

⋆⋆⋆✧⋆⋆⋆

"𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐂!" 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 out.

Tears began to well in her eyes as she tried to get up, but Wesley firmly grabbed her arms and pulled her back to her seat. She struggled for a few seconds longer, but her body soon slackened as Wesley's hands tightened, and she fell back into his embrace.

"Stay here," he murmured, his eyes focused on Cedric, whose pale face was littered with fresh cuts and bruises. "Don't—just stay."

The rest of the crowd was making quite the commotion; everyone was beginning to stand up, trying to get a good look at what was happening as Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge huddled over Harry.

Mr. and Mrs. Diggory hurriedly made their way down the stands and to their son, their faces white as a sheet. They knelt down next to him, gingerly touching his face as they made glances towards each other.

Liliana felt herself weaken as she cried onto Wesley's shoulder. He rubbed her back reassuringly, but this didn't help the thoughts that were racing in her mind in the least.

Was Cedric . . . ?

She didn't even want to utter the word in her mind. Surely, he couldn't be. He couldn't be. Not after all the hard work. Not after everything.

She wasn't sure if she could deal with losing him. He, who helped her through everything within the past seven years. He, who always gave her that adorable grin and wink whenever she glanced his way. He, who loved and cherished her just as much as she did him.

They had had so little time together. She needed more. She couldn't lose him. Not yet. Not so soon.

This was supposed to be something they could look back on with fond smiles, saying 'Hey, remember when you were an idiot and entered a Death Tournament?' Something she could playfully blackmail him with. Something she could still tell with pride to other people.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Devon came to her other side, wrapping one arm around her waist as he watched Cedric with concern. His eyes watered, but he tried to keep a tough face as he swallowed.

Soon, they watched as Hagrid gently scooped Cedric up into his arms and began walking back to the school. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory followed, trembling.

Liliana sniffled as she lifted her head off Wesley's shoulder.

"I'm going to go."

He nodded and planted a small kiss on the top of her forehead. "Let us know if . . ."

He didn't finish his sentence.

She stood up, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hand as she rushed down the steps and towards the school. She could see the faint outline of the half-giant just before he entered through the doors, and she quickened her pace.

She followed them into the hospital wing, catching up to his parents just as Madam Pomfrey brushed by. The matron soon disappeared into her office, getting her tools ready as Hagrid laid the boy down on the nearest hospital bed.