256OK everyone, this is the last chapter. I'm so happy it's lasted this long but I'm just not enjoying writing it. Thanks to everyone for reading this story and sticking with me to the end, especially CFCRockAngel : ) you rock girl!
Love to: CFCRockAngel, hansbmd, aranona, yellow 14 and Readerforlife.
Chapter 30: The End
He took a deep breath, and looked into her eyes.
"I love you."
"You love me?" Hermione asked breathlessly.
Cedric nodded, afraid that if he spoke again his voice would crack. He was anxiously waiting for her answer. What would he do if she didn't love him back?
"I...I...oh Cedric, you must know that I love you too. I always have," she beamed. Cedric erupted. His whole body was on fire. He leapt up and flung himself at Hermione, holding her for what would be the first time of forever.
"Mr Diggory! Please control yourself! Miss Granger is resting; she doesn't need a large boy jumping on her bed," Madam Pomfrey shrieked from the far side of the Hospital Wing. Bashfully, he got off Hermione and instead sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up her hand again, and held it tightly.
"You love me too?" Cedric asked.
This time, Hermione nodded. Words couldn't describe how she felt.
"This is the best day of my life," Cedric sighed happily before carefully leaning to lie next to her. But even this got a shriek of disapproval from the matron.
"Mr Diggory! You are causing a scene. Kindly leave and come back in a few hours when I can discharge my patient!"
He grimaced but knew if he resisted, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow him to come back later.
"I'll see you later," he whispered to her. Hermione blushed when he softly kissed her on the cheek.
Hermione was in a daze. Only a mere hour ago had she woken up completely disorientated. She had no idea where she was or why. But then, when she glanced around and saw other students waking up as well she remembered. She had seen the basilisk before she had managed to tell Harry about it. She flexed her hands and remembered how tightly she had scrunched the ripped piece of parchment from the book, silently praying that they would find it. She had closed her eyes to stop the thoughts running round her head and, already feeling quite sleepy, she had drifted off again.
Now, after Cedric had left, she could get her head round the extraordinary events that took hold. Cedric loved her. He loved her. And she knew that he thought she didn't feel the same way. How could the sweet Hufflepuff think that? She had loved him, not really realising it till then, since the troll attacked her at Halloween last year. She remembered having that internal debate in her head. But how could she have not denied it? They hadn't known each other for long, they weren't close. And know they were. They had admitted their love to one another, and Hermione was the happiest she had ever been.
Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
She handed her a frothing potion and then said, "He visited you every day until I banned all visitors from the hospital wing. You should have seen him. He never stopped talking, never stopped holding your hand. He looked so lost, I- I couldn't see it anymore. He has loved you for a long time Hermione, and I think he had just realised it then."
Speechless, Hermione avoided replying by drinking the potion. It tasted delicious, a mixture of honeycomb and vanilla. Her eyes became droopy, and she felt all her limbs relax. She didn't fight the effects of the dreamless sleep potion, she welcomed it.
Cedric ran from the Hospital Wing, all the way down to the Hufflepuff common room. He flung himself inside and when he saw Tom and Claire, he started jumping up and down. He couldn't contain himself. A huge grin was fixed on his face and he had all this nervous energy.
"Geez Cedric, calm down! What on earth has happened?" Claire asked worriedly.
"She loves me! Hermione loves me!" Cedric crowed, punching the air.
"Cedric, seriously, you're embarrassing yourself..."
"No! Hermione loves me Tom! Don't you see? I'm so happy! I can't stop..." Cedric started laughing. He clutched his sides and bent down, he couldn't stop laughing.
"Ok...I'm very happy for you Ced. It took you a while to realise it, we've known for a while. But you're scaring me. Let's get you outside. I think you need to let go of some of that energy..."
Claire ran upstairs to grab the boys' broomsticks and when she came back, Cedric was sitting on the yellow sofa, giggling every few seconds. She had never seen him like this...he had been slightly depressed for a while and now, the side effects. She hoped he would be back to normal soon.
"Here you go Cedric," she said, carefully holding out his broomstick.
"Thanks Claire," he replied weakly.
Tom led the way out of the castle and to the pitch. Luckily, there were no Quidditch practises, considering the Quidditch season was over. There were a few people in the stands lying on the seats, catching some rare sun rays. The two boys mounted their brooms while Claire sat on the ground with a book. She hated flying, and only attempted when she felt brave enough and when Tom was extremely persuasive.
The two boys sped through the air, and after a while, Cedric certainly felt better. He had released some of his energy by doing some dangerous moves, the Wronski Feint being one of them. His father subscribed to the Quidditch Journal, and Cedric enjoyed reading them.
A few hours had flown past, and Cedric was anxious to go back up to the Hospital Wing. He gave his broomstick to Tom and hurried up through the castle to the Hospital Wing. It was times like this that he disliked the fact the Hospital Wing was on the top floor, in its own tower.
He ruffled his hair and smoothed down his clothes before entering the Hospital Wing. There she was, dressed in her school robes and standing by the door. Her face lit up when she saw him, and Cedric's heart started beating dangerously fast.
"Let's go for a walk," Hermione said, linking hands with his, "my legs are really stiff from being in bed so long."
Cedric hardly heard a word of that, he was too busy staring at their interlinked hands, and the feelings he experienced. He prayed that his hands wouldn't become sweaty, as they walked all the way back down the castle and into the grounds. Hermione was leading him somewhere, and Cedric followed. He couldn't think coherently. Hermione controlled him, he was hers.
Hermione stopped and let go of his hand. He accidentally whined at the loss of contact and Hermione giggled at him.
"Sit down," she asked.
He complied, and then realised where they were. It was the place where they had almost kissed last year, before they were interrupted.
"This is-"
"Yes, I was hoping we could continue as if we weren't interrupted..." Hermione whispered, suddenly dropping her eyes, as if she was embarrassed.
He reached out and touched her chin, then lifted her head up. Her eyes looked anywhere but his face.
"Look at me Hermione," he said softly.
She did.
Cedric leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Her lips were surprisingly smooth, considering she had been frozen for a month. She felt amazing; he couldn't believe he had wasted all this time. He held her back with one hand and the other was stroking her hair. Both her arms were flung across his back. They continued to move their lips together until Hermione pulled back, gasping for breath.
"Wow," she breathed. She pressed herself into his body and settled there, her head resting on his chest hearing how fast his heart was going.
"I love you Hermione."
"I love you Cedric."
Fred and George were wrong that first evening at Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory was certainly not Way Out Of Her League.
The End.
There we go! This was my baby, and now it's complete. Thank you everyone for your support. It means the world to me.
Please, everyone review one last time! What was your favourite moment, in this chapter or in the whole story?