Bunch o' wizards belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Twenty

"Cedric!" someone shouted in the crowds, and everybody was panicking.

I stood there, frozen as everybody scrambled out of the place.

Cedric?

"Zia ..." Anita started, touching my elbow.

We watched as Madam Pomfrey rushed over to Cedric's side and as Harry spoke to Dumbledore.

Time stood still, even with everybody all over the place.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" An elder man shouted as he came forward towards the entrance of the maze, "THAT'S MY BOY!"

That was Cedric's father.
He sank down on his knees and clutched Cedric's still limp body as Madam Pomfrey struggled to check him.

After a couple of wand points and spells, everyone held their breaths.

Cedric suddenly began to cough.

The elderly man known as Amos Diggory was throwing his arms around Cedric, hugging him tight.

"You're alive! Thank God you're alive!"

"He's alive, Zia, he's alive!" Anita reassured me, grabbing my hand.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and tears I didn't know I had flowed freely down my cheeks.

"That's great. That's really great," I said, finally collapsing onto the bench.
No one died, that's great.

Just as Cedric began to get up, everyone started surrounding him and Harry, all asking for details about what had happened.

"Whew," I said, "I'm beat. All this worrying has worn me out. Dungeons and bed, anyone?" I said.
"Oooh, dungeons and bed, I like how kinky that sounds!" Draco agreed.
"Don't you want to see Cedric?" Anita asked.

"Well, how?" I pointed at the bunch of people surrounding the duo, "I will be squashed to death."
"But surely, he'd want to see you too," Anita said, "After that ... love ... love letter," she finished with a daze.
Draco sent her a disgusted look and shook his head.

Just as we walked down to the exit near where the commotion was, Cedric caught sight of me.

"Zia! Zia!" He called out.

All three of us stopped in our tracks but I walked forwards towards him.
I had so many things to say to him, how I was glad he was alive - how nothing happened, how glad I was to have him back -

But the first thing we did was to hug each other tight.
So tight it felt like we would never be whole and complete again once we let go. And neither wanted to let go.

"I missed you," I said, squeezing my eyes shut.
"So soon? I've only been gone for an hour," he said, and I could tell he was grinning.
"Almost lost you, didn't I?" I asked quietly.
"Almost," he said as quietly, "Almost, Zia."

At that I hugged him tighter, another tear rolling down my eye.

Just then flashes of light surrounded the both of us and we pulled apart - it was the newspapers.

Amos Diggory came forward and grabbed Cedric, "Come, boy! The newspapers want to know exactly what happened with you and Potter in there!"

Cedric shot me a pleading look, before he was dragged by his father to join an annoyed-looking Harry Potter.

"Later?" Cedric called out to me.
I nodded, and whispered, "Always."

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Later that night, I was half asleep in my bed.

I was in between dreams and wakefulness. My eyes were shut and my mind was blank. I wanted to check what the time was, and wondering what Cedric was doing or where he was at the moment but I was too comfortable to reach for my wand.

I let out a long breath and snuggled further into my pillow.

Just then, I felt a presence near the foot of my bed, and light footsteps walking towards the other end of my bed. Then I felt the bed sink a little bit under some weight.

I didn't even bother opening my eyes, because for some reason, I already knew who it was.

"Cedric," I whispered.

I felt him climb into bed behind me and put his arms around me. I sighed in contentment as he kissed my cheek and settled in the pillows next to my head again. His smell, his warmth ...

"How did you get in?" I asked quietly.
"Anita let me in," he answered, lacing his fingers with mine and stroking my hand with his thumb.

"How are you?" I asked him.
"Tired," he said.
"What happened in there?"

He took a deep breath.

"The cup - both of us took it at the same time. It was a Portkey. Led us somewhere else. Death Eaters were there, Voldemort ... he tried to kill me with a killing curse but I managed to dodge."

I tightened my grip on his hand as he said that.

"He tried to kill both of us actually ... I ... I thought all was lost," he said, "But I felt like I had to come back, no matter what - I kept seeing your face. Then Harry and I grabbed the other Portkey ... landed us back here. Must've hit my head pretty hard coming back though," he chuckled.
I shook my head a little.

"Almost lost you," I repeated.
"Almost, Zia, almost. You didn't."
"That was why you sent me that letter, didn't you? In case you never came back?"

He kept quiet.

"But I came back," he said.
"You did," I smiled.

"So, since my feelings have been written ... I can now let it be heard," he said.
I grinned, "Let it be heard."

"To my Always," he whispered in my ear, "I love you. Sincerely, from your Forever."

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TO MY ALWAYS, FROM YOUR FOREVER.

The End!

It's been an adventure writing this, and I hope you had an adventure reading it! :)

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