a rose by any other name

chapter twelve ❃ the truth

"Parisa?" I immediately looked up in horror and wiped my face. I knew I must have black streaks going down it by now and I had kicked my shoes off, I must have looked a right state. "Parisa, is everything okay?" Cedric looked genuinely worried, but I just shot him a sour look and stood up. "Yeah, everything's fine Diggory, just leave me alone." I went to walk out but Cedric grabbed my arm stopping me. "Hey, no just talk to me Parisa, stop." I stood still and turned around to face him. "Talk to you? About what? What would I possibly tell you?" He looked at me confused. "About w-what's wrong of course?" I laughed. If only he knew what was wrong. "My date left me for Granger that's what's wrong. My date wouldn't have even left me if I could have just gone with who I wanted to." I said that last part almost as a whisper, but I knew he'd heard it. Shit. I just said that, hopefully he would just brush past it. "I saw Viktor leave with Hermione, but I thought you would have been the one to leave him, I didn't see you, so I thought maybe you'd left with someone else earlier." I spoke before he could say anything else. "No, I was there watching everybody dance by myself, I waited for hours for him to come back, but he didn't, he just left with Granger instead." Why in Merlin's name was I telling him this. "That's a really disrespectful thing for him to do, I can't believe he did that. Do you want me to say something to him for you?" I scowled, but I was slightly flattered. "I can look after myself Cedric."

He gulped and then smiled slightly, "Who did you want to go with?" Oh Merlin, what did I say? "Oh yeah, as if I'd tell you." He came closer to me. "Why won't you?" I looked down. Was I seriously about to tell him? No, I couldn't tell him what was I thinking? I wanted to tell him so bad, I shut my eyes. I was done with fighting my feelings, it was exhausting. "Because I wanted to with you okay Cedric, is that what you wanted to hear? I wanted to go with you." Keeping my eyes closed, I heard him walk up to me, I didn't move. I felt him gently lift my chin up with his hand till I was swimming in his honey-brown eyes again. "I wanted to go with you, Parisa." I didn't know what to say, I didn't think he would ever want me in this way. But here we both were admitting our feelings. I still didn't speak. "Parisa, I- I've felt some way about you, for a while now. I've never said anything because well, you would never like me, right?" I still didn't know what to say, he had let go of my chin now, but he was still so close to me. Did I just let him break down all my walls and just tell him? Or did I keep pretending? Fuck it. I didn't do either of those things, I walked towards him and kissed him. Again, what was it about these bloody prefect bathrooms. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and brought me closer, my arms were around his neck and I was playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. This time he deepened the kiss and I let him. I was drowning in his cologne, and I felt as if I was melting into him. This kiss was better than our first one, I didn't feel the need to run away, I wanted to stay right here in his arms forever.

My heart sank slightly when he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "Please just say it. Admit it. We both know it so let's stop pretending. I've told you how I feel, so please just tell me you feel the same way because that kiss told me you do, I need to hear you say it." I sighed. This was it now, everything was out in the open, so what difference would it make if I said it out loud too? "I feel the same way Cedric, I-I really like you." I think my feelings for him were a little stronger than 'really like' but did I have to make myself that vulnerable already? Cedric didn't say anything he just smiled and kissed me again. What now? What was going to happen now he knew? It's not like we could just be a happy couple, it wasn't that simple. In fact, I thought back to my conversation with Draco. He wasn't going to want me anymore after my birthday. In 2 months, he was going to hate me, I would be putting him in danger just by being around him. What was I supposed to tell him? What if he saw it before I could make up a lie? I pulled away this time. "Cedric, I- um Something's going to happen, in 2 months, I really wish I could, but you have to understand that I can't tell you. We only have 2 months for whatever this is, I am certain you won't want me afterwards." Cedric frowned. "I will always want you Parisa." My heart sank, what did I say to that? "Whatever, it is, it won't change how I feel about you, my feelings are too strong." I doubted that, I'm sure his feelings about The Dark Lord were a whole lot stronger. "Cedric I-" He cut me off. "Fine. If you're so sure I'll hate you, we should just make the most out of the 2 months that we do have." I couldn't argue with that. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I knew he wasn't taking this as serious as he should, and maybe I wasn't either. I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I just felt so much better. I hadn't forgotten all my worries, but admittedly Cedric had given me hope. I knew it was insane but all I could do was hope right?

authors note: ooooo finallyyyy, I just wanted to remind you guys that this story is going to end after the war, maybe slightly further. It probably is going to be quite long. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you're enjoying it! Please feel free, as always, to leave me a comment. And please VOTE!!!! Thank you again!