DEATH OF A HERO | ❝Sometimes, I wish I was the kind of girl that didn't need to be saved.❞
IN WHICH TESSA PETTIGREW LEARNS HOW TO BE A LITTLE LESS OF A COWARD WITH THE HELP OF FRED WEASLEY AND THERE ARE (LITERAL) FIREWORKS BETWEEN THEM.
PUBLISHED 2...
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(01 : THE TRAIN RIDE)
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TESSA WAS PETRIFIED. IN HINDSIGHT, this word choice was probably poor when you remember the teenager had sobbed over her best friend's unresponsive body less than six months ago after Ginny Weasley — accidentally — unleashed a basilisk on the magical school. In the simplest of terms, Tessa was bloody scared. Of course, it wasn't unusual for Tessa to be scared — she hated heights, loud noises and blood made her queasy — but acknowledging that she lived in a perpetual state of fear didn't change how her heart was beating like a hummingbird's as she stepped aboard the Hogwarts Express.
The girl was entering her fifth year, which was significant for several reasons — she would be taking her O.W.L exams and she was going to be turning sixteen soon. Well, soon was debatable given Tessa was an August baby, but something about fifth year made her feel like anything was possible. She didn't feel like a kid anymore. Over the summer, she had started to babysit for some muggle neighbours and explored the wonders of make-up with the extra cash. It's not like she was never interested in such things before, but something Cedric had said haunted her throughout the break.
"Tessa," Cedric had breathed out, wiping sweat from his forehead as he ran into her arms. "I'm so glad you're here. I mean, you're always here. You're so reliable, of course you would be here, but I need a friend like you now."
That was after Hufflepuff had lost the final Quidditch game of the season. He had been devastated and wanted a 'reliable' friend — however, Tessa suspected this was a nicer way of saying predictable and confided as much in her other friend. When Rosie stumbled her way through a murmur of dissent, it dawned on Tessa that she was rather boring. Good grades, good heart, but she didn't want to remembered for being . . . good. In comparison to her Gryffindor parents, her life paled when she so desperately wanted to experience the same kind of thrills and memories they did.
"Prefect?" an all too familiar voice gasped. "Get out! I'm too embarrassed to be seen with you. You aren't allowed in our carriage."
"Let him in, Ro." Tessa rolled her eyes and watched as Rosie tried to lock Cedric out of their compartment.
Rosie huffed. "It's lucky that you're cute, Diggory."
Whilst the boy in question let out a rather unattractive snort at the comment, Tessa found herself starry-eyed. Despite being best friends since they were sorted together, Tessa still got butterflies around Cedric Diggory. In fact, butterflies weren't sufficient enough to describe what she felt. It was like someone had unleashed a stampede of hippogriffs in her stomach every time they made eye contact. Her hopeless crush was — in part — made her realise that she needed to liven up her teenage years. After all, Hogwarts was meant to be the best times of her life.
