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"𝐈𝐟 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧,
𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭; 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞."
-William Shakespeare
The grand wooden door swung open, revealing the 4 Triwizard champions. The room was momentarily silent, in complete awe of the dazzling champions.
"Fleur Delacour", McGonagall announced. The room erupted into enthusiastic applause, cheers, and wolf whistles. Calling Fleur beautiful was an understatement. She was radiant, like a goddess walking amongst a crowd of worshipers. Everyone was entranced. Eyes were glued to her and had never left for a second. Roger Davis looked rather dashing as well, his hair slicked back nicely, chest puffed up with confidence.
"Victor Krum" The room burst into roars, chanting his name. If Fleur had been a goddess, he was the homecoming soldier, and the crowd was the citizens celebrating their victory. His name reverberated in the air, shaking everything within. She had expected the crowd but not Hermione. She was different from her usual bookish self, her hair straightened, and her tooth looked different. It was nice seeing Hermione feeling her best, oozing with confidence that usually was not present.
"Harry Potter", unlike the praise from before, pin-drop silence blanketed the whole hall. Poor Harry only smiled awkwardly at the crowds but earned nothing but glares. His smile instantly faded, and he dipped his head low. Parvati did not seem so happy about the response either.
Then lastly, "Cedric Diggory" Oh Cedric Diggory with eyes that held undulating storms within. He looked brilliant tonight. His bright smile still etched onto his face as per usual. She was beyond happy for him. After all, he finally got the recognition he deserved and the girl he wanted just by his arm. Cho beamed at the crowd and waved politely; it is no wonder Cedric had been pouring his feelings for Cho onto y/n in the caliginosity of nights. Cho was a collection of virtues; intelligent, kind and beautiful. Like a saint, her presence is a blessing, gracing the people with her seraphic glow. It was her divine ability to charm people and have everyone fall in love with her. So, it didn't come as much of a surprise that Cedric had succumbed to her ambrosial temptations.
Amongst the amalgamation of human bodies, her eyes met his. A glint of excitement sparked in his eyes, and he waved at her enthusiastically, holding the widest grin he could manage. Her stomach flipped at the sight of his winning grin, his stupid crooked grin. She mustered up her best smile and returned his grand gesture with a meek thumbs up before quickly shrinking back into the crowd.
"Now, now", Dumbledore's voice boomed, resonating in the sea of applause .
"Since the champions have arrived, they will have the first dance" He nodded at Flitwick as a signal.
The champions have gotten into their respective places, Flitwick enchanted a whole orchestra with a flick of his wand. When the first note was played, the champions took their first stride. The music was grand and regal; its elegance lingered in the air after each note. Each pull of the violin string and the bright sound of the trumpet masked the room with wonder and elation, casting magic at the feet of the champions as they synchronised to the musical ballad. It was truly enchanting to watch them dance. Each of their steps matched their partners.
She had always thought of the dance as sort of a never-ending puzzle, one step backwards, one step forward and repeat. There was always one dancer that follows to match the pieces together. For a moment, the puzzle would be whole, but it would be taken apart when the other takes a step back. It was an eternal chase. Then, when the game starts to get tedious, they shall play another game. The twirls are just like a yoyo. At first, it would seem like they would never be able to reach them again, but they would be reeled back in, holding onto their dearest and not wanting to let go. Before they realise it, they would be drawn back into the same routine, always yearning for the game to end and wishing to finally stay.
Maybe some find it to be fun and exhilarating, but to her, it was pointless. Yet, she had already acquainted herself with the same steps.
Slowly people were starting to join in on the dance. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were found to be in quite a cordial mood while dancing. Hagrid had asked madame Maxime for a dance; both were caught sharing bashful gazes at each other as they swayed together. Even Flitch was having a lovely time with his cat. Everyone seemed to have the time of their lives except for her. She didn't have a date, but it wouldn't matter any much either since she had no inclination of dancing. So instead, she sat by the drinks and sulked, watching her friends have fun while she drank pumpkin juice to her heart's desire. She didn't mind people watching; it was rather fun trying to psychoanalyse people around her.
A girl was crying a few seats from her. The poor girl probably had her heartbroken , and she was just witnessing the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion. But, then, somewhere in the crowd, that person her heart had ached for was whisked away by some other.
"it's alright. I'm sure there are plenty of fishes in the sea," she wanted to say, yet she knew it was pointless. When a person has captivated you, they will shine the brightest in the depths of the sea. Everyone else would just be part of the abyss. But when they are taken away, the abyss will fall upon you. There, you'll see nothing but ghosts of the light that was once there.
A few meters away from her, her eyes had bestowed upon her nightmare. The glimmering dust fell from the charmed ceiling and upon the couple right in front of her. Cho was enveloped in Cedric's warm embrace as the song played in the background. She could see how his eyes were swirling with adoration for the girl in his embrace. The storm that his eyes held was washed over with a bright sky, the sun basking the beholder with warmth and comfort. A familiar feeling gnawed at her heart; it was relentless. Jealousy. It had burnt in the air. Inhaling it had scorched her tracheae and lungs, incinerating her insides. It exacerbated as Cedric pulled Cho closer. Saturating her lungs with its bitter smoke. She could taste it now, the bitter taste she despises on the tip of her tongue.
She knew it was pointless, but jealousy was a macabre creature and had made her heart it's home. Spoonful and spoonful which it had fed upon, but creatures birthed from our deepest desire were foul and twisted. With its sharp claws, it lacerated her heart and blinded her psyche with its viridescent eyes.
She sighed and looked away.
Parts of her wanted to steal him away from Cho; she didn't deserve him. She wasn't there when tears streaked his pretty face. She wasn't the one that had remembered everything that brought him joy. It was all her, to wipe the tears with the sleeves of her robes. The one that remembered his favourite cookie was a double chocolate chip with hot fudge. But she knew there was no place for her in his heart. He had found his missing piece; it just wasn't her. Maybe he wasn't her dance partner all this time, it was just all part of her sick imagination.
"Cedric Diggory, huh" a male voice inquired. Shaking herself out of her trance, she realised Fred Weasley had sat beside her.
"How did you know?" she quirked an eyebrow at the redheaded boy. He chuckled.
"Oh please, everyone knows," her eyes widened instantly. He chuckled again, sipping his punch.
"You go all puppy eyes whenever he's around."
"I do not."
"Yeah sure, and Voldemort isn't evil" a frown adorned her face. Everyone had known except for Cedric. She scoffed. Of course, he didn't know. He was as dense as a rock.
Fred squeezed her shoulders "you should tell him, you know."
"Tell who what" a second voice interrupted the duo. How lucky of her. It was just the person she had actively avoided tonight.
"It's nothing, Cedric", she blurted out. If only she had the courage to tell him.
"I'll leave you two to it" Fred gave her a knowing look before disappearing into the crowd.
"You look great tonight, I like the sunflower ", Cedric pointed at that sunflower pinned to her head. Her face burned scarlet at the compliment.
"Thanks " nudging his side with her elbow, trying her best to play off her nervousness." You look great too"
To be fair he did look great, godly even. Every curve and edge of his face had been deliberately and precisely carved out from the finest marble. It was a creation from the dexterous hands of her imagination. The wrinkle around his eyes when he smiles, his crooked nose, had been the vision of the artist, adding the details to pull the bigger picture together. Just like Pygmalion, Aphrodite had answered her prayers and brought the creation from the reservoir of her dreams to life. The living proof was standing right in front of her, the boy she had met once upon a dream.
"You seemed to be having fun with Fred" His gaze fixated towards the dancing crowd, seemingly searching for something amongst it.
"Says the champion that everyone adores", she quipped, sipping on her pumpkin juice. A small smile had formed on his lips at her remark. His stupid smile was like a drug to her. It numbed her every torment and anguish. Like wisps of opium, it lingered in her mind. It was very bit addicting and intoxicating, leaving her a euphoric mess and constantly crawling for more.
"Cedric, I want to tell you something" she mustered up every fibre of courage she could gather.
"Yea?"
"Cedric, I actually-" She was then cut off when Cho had found her way to him. Her arms slithered around his arm, guarding him, her prize possession.
"Oh Cho" He smiled at her, kissing her hand in return for her divine presence.
"What were you guys chatting about?" Cho's sweet voice ringed in her ears. So sweet, golden nectar would have dripped from her lips. With a voice so sweet, her eyes burned like acid. She couldn't bear to look at her, it was laced with poison that made you feel beneath her like you were less than her. Little known fact, the divine had the same effect on its worshipers too.
"Oh, it was nothing" she waved it off. She grabbed herself another bottle of pumpkin juice.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone" she finger gunned and quickly left the couple.
She hid in the corner of the room as she regained her breath. Her mind swirled with anger. It was always because of her. Cho Chang this, Cho Chang that. She was even sick of the sight of her. Cho's existence had plagued her life. She haunts her in her dreams and taunts while she's awake. But she couldn't hate her, could she? She's the school's darling, and everyone loved her. Even if she did hate her, it would just villainise her and make Cho seem like the small, meek prey. She wished she didn't exist. Maybe then her life would have been less miserable.
For the last time she ever looked at him, she had hoped he would look back. He didn't. His eyes were closed, savouring Cho's honeyed lips. She was his universe now. Her shell had finally cracked. All her emotions were free now. She didn't have to hide it anymore. Tears painted her cheeks, eyes and face tinged red. A wide smile etched stiffly onto her face, her emotions in shambles. She needed to calm her nerves, else she might explode and embarrass herself further.
"He's happy, and that's all that matters", she muttered and left the Great Hall. A book she had once read said sunflowers always move to face the east, anticipating the next sunrise. They do it until they are too old to move towards it anymore. She had wondered if any sunflower had gotten tired of waiting for the sun to appear just to disappear again and had just given up, withering away.
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"Oh, you poor soul," Aphrodite said as she watched the Fates snip her last string. The string that had intertwined with Cedric's had fallen.
She had been rather fond of the girl. It was surely unfortunate to watch her story end this way. Aphrodite didn't normally do favours for mortals without a cost, but she'll make an exception for her after all her demise had been a product of Aphrodite, Love.
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When the sun had risen the second morning, Cedric came looking for her. Last night, he saw her leave the hall. Looking at the girl he had in this embrace, realising he had been lying to himself all this time. With a box of her favourite treats, he had every intention of telling her how he felt. He tried searching for her in the castle, but she was nowhere to be seen even her dorm had been the same, untouched.
"Look", some student pointed out.
Just by the Great Lake, a field of sunflowers had grown overnight. The sea of brilliant yellow wasn't hard to spot against murky waters. "She loves sunflowers", Cedric had thought. Maybe he could pick a few for her later.
A scream followed not long after, and a crowd had formed around the sunflower field. Curiosity got the better of him, and he joined the crowd.
He wanted to vomit. She was lying at the edge of the field, her dress drenched with blood and water and her hair clung to her pale face. He jostled past the crowd and the sunflowers. His surroundings were streaks of bright yellow as he ran to her lifeless body. She still looked beautiful, despite the several gashes across her face and body but the light in her eyes had disappeared. He clutched her body, something that was so familiar yet foreign to him now. He had noticed a piece of parchment that she had crumpled in her hand. He pried it from her hand and read it. As he finished the note, he collapsed to his knees and was speechless. His heart seared against his burning guilt; it vapourised and suffocated him. The pain was agonising. He couldn't even bear moving as he crouched over her body. Finally, his friend had to pull him away from her body, and that was the last time he had ever held her.
To this day, her ghost still roams around the field. The guardian of the sunflower field they had liked to call her. She didn't mind it, but she would have preferred if they had called by her name. There she gives comfort to those who had a broken heart or are just in need of company. Occasionally, Cedric would come by to talk to her. It wasn't easy at first, but slowly it had become sort of her routine. Cedric would sit by the lake as he told stories upon stories, and she listened.
Apparently, he had a kid with Cho, which was great news as she could see how happy it made him. A little part of still regretted swimming in the Great Lake that day, which had cost her life. Yet she knew there was no way of turning back time, she could only move forward. Ghost or not she was content because he's happy and that's all that matters. Right?