florence pov

The night after it happened, Harry and I sat awake by the fire. Just us. Late at night.

"Why didn't you tell me." He asked quietly.

I turned to him. But he wasn't looking at me. He hasn't looked at me since he found out.

"You know why."

"No." He said. "I don't."

"I was scared. I still am."

"Of what?"

"Of what people would think......of what you would think. As soon as I told you, you'd be in danger. As soon as you know who I am, you're involved."

"I'm already involved." He said simply. "Is that why Lucius moved you away from Beaxbatons? Because people found out about your real identity?"

I nodded. "They didn't exactly....understand."

"What about Ron and Hermione?" He asked, looking at my for the first time.

"What about them?"

"When will you tell them?"

I looked down. "I can't. Not right now."

"They deserve to know."

"I know they do. I'm just....not ready."

"They're your best friends." He said strictly.

"I know, okay! It's not easy telling other people who you are when you don't even know yourself." I blurted out.

"When will you tell them?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know. Christmas maybe."

We sat in a painful silence.

"What's happens now?" He asked.

"To what?"

"Us."

I looked up at Harry, trying to keep my tears back.
He's in even more danger than he was before. And it's all my fault. I exposed my feelings for Harry in front of my father when I touched his hand with mine. Voldemort knows and it's my fault. I've ruined it all.

I need to put Harry first now. Even if it hurts us both.

I looked to the ground. "He knows now, my father. He knows how I feel about you, which means you're in more danger than before. We both are."

He sat up. "I don't care about that."

"This is the only reason I didn't tell you how I felt about you straight away. Because for years I told myself we can't happen, because I didn't want to get you hurt." I blinked and tears began falling. "And now-now you are."

Harry shook his head in denial. "The only thing that's hurting me is this, Florence. We're just kids. We should be able to make our own decisions without worrying about dying or getting in danger."

"But that's not my reality. If I like you, you're just higher up on my father's kill list. And I can't live with myself if I'm the one putting you in danger." I said through teary eyes.

"Florence, I-"

And what I said next, was the most painful, untrue thing I have ever said in my entire life.

"I don't have any feelings for you, Harry."

He froze. The only sound in the room was the crackling of wood from the common room fire.

"No. You're just saying that. Stop saying that."

I shook my head. "It's true."

Our eyes met. I used every ounce of strength in me not to admit I was lying to him.

"You can't look at me like that and tell me you don't have feelings for me."

I looked away as I felt my heart snap. "I need to go to bed." I said as I stood up.

"Florence wait." He stood up and took my hand. "You're battle is my battle. We fight together."

Those were the last words of his I heard before I went up to bed and cried myself to sleep.

At least he's safer now.

----

The next few weeks were the hardest of my life. For a few days, I couldn't sleep, then for the next few, all I could do was sleep. The same happened with eating, laughing and crying.

I would sometimes sneak into the common room to think. That's how I learned to cope with it all. I would stay up late thinking, just thinking. About Cedric, about Harry, about my father, everything.

Harry now knows Voldemort is my father. I still can't really grasp that fact.

Ron and Hermione still don't know. I feel guilty about that, of course. But I can't bring myself to tell them yet. Not yet.

I still have secrets. But they will remain secrets until I think they are ready to be shared.

I've still went around with Harry, Ron and Hermione since Harry's and I's conversation. The only difference is, Harry and I no longer have secret feelings to hide anymore. We talk, now and then, and steal secret glances at each other, but nothing more.

I guess that's good, right? We're not a thing anymore. He's safe......well.....safer.

We were never meant for each other. But I'm glad that even for a sheer moment it felt like we were.

I'm happy now.

I'm happy now.....

I'm happy now?

The entire school was affected by Cedric's death. Everyone walked quietly through the halls now, no one made an effort to misbehave or pull pranks, not even the twins. Even Draco and his minions tuned down the bullying and kept their heads down wherever they went.

The mood picked up a bit after a while. Students began to finally leave the grieving stage and return back to their normal selves at the end of the school year.

Today was the last day of the year. Also the day of Cedric's memorial. I've spent weeks preparing myself for this.

We all walked silently into the great hall. Students held candles, flowers, pictures, but most importantly, they held onto their memories of him.

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard working, infinitely fair minded, and most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend."

Without fighting them, I let my tears flow freely down my cheeks as I listened to Dumbledore's words and remembered how we became friends.

"Florence!" I heard someone call. We all turned around to see Cedric walking up to us. "Hey, sorry, I need to talk to Florence."

"Why?"

"Oh just come on." He grabbed my arm and dragged me after him.

"I'll see you guys later!" I yelled back to the three of them.

Cedric took me to the library and sat me down on an empty couch at the very back of the room.

"Okay well done, you dragged me all the way here. Now, what's up?"

He shrugged and looked blankly at me. "Just wanted to hang out with you."

I laughed. "Well you could've just asked!"

"Yeah I guess so, but isn't it so much more exciting when it's mysterious." He smirked at me in a flirty way.

I rolled my eyes playfully and nudged him. "Are you going to enter the tournament?"

"Well my dad and all my friends want me to, but I don't know if I want to." He answered.

"Why not?"

"Well, I could die for starters." He joked, but there was always a chance with these sort of things. "Do you think I should?"

"Well, I think you should do whatever makes you happy. Although, I'm not really looking forward to seeing my friend going through life threatening challenges."

"Oh, we're friends now Floflo?"

"Floflo?!" I burst into laughter. "When did I agree to let you call me that?!"

"I don't need your permission Floflo." He laughed.

"Well, if I'm Floflo, your Cece." I smirked as I watched his face fill with panic.

"No no no no, that wasn't the plan!" He laughed but then thought about it. "Fine, you call me Cece, and I'll call you Floflo, fair game."

We burst into fits of laughter about our new horribly cringey nicknames and the librarian shushed us.

"Now I think, therefore you all have the right to know exactly how he died." Dumbledore said, tearing me out of my thoughts. "You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort."

Murmurs spread across the great hall.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the mention of his name. That dreadful name. It brought nothing but pain and I want nothing to do with it anymore.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory. Now the pain we all feel as this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us, while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one."

He paused for a moment before continuing on. "In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we've made this years will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain." 

Surprisingly he turned to face me in the crowd. "Now I have taken it upon myself to invite Florence Bailey up here today to speak to you all. Florence, if you wouldn't mind."

We hadn't talked about this. This was completely out of the blue. Usually I'd be so nervous and probably refuse to move, but not today.

I stood up and walked to the headteachers podium and Dumbledore stepped aside. I took a deep breath in and out.

"I won't stand here today and tell you all to move on from Cedric's death, because I don't think you should. Not at all." I stopped to breathe. "I think you should take Cedric with you, everywhere you go. Show him the world, let him feel everything you feel. Think of him in the oddest and most beautiful of moments. Let him live in you." I paused. "I know nothing good in this world ever lasts, but Cedric fooled me for a little while. I just wish he managed to fool me a little longer."

The silent hall rung with claps.

I took a step back from the podium ready to go back to where I was standing, however I had one last thing to say.

I took a step forward and spoke once more. "I once read this quote in a book somewhere. 'Sometimes the people we love the most are the ones we're best without." My eyes travelled through the crowd and met with a pair of green ones that were already staring at me. "Thank you."

The hall sounded with claps again.

Dumbledore spoke again. "Thank you Florence. I think I can speak for us all when I say that was much needed. So now we'll celebrate a boy who was kind, and honest, and brave, and true, right to the very end."

I walked back to my place and Harry turned to look at me. I turned to look at him too. And that was enough.

----

harry pov

I was sitting in my dorm. Attempting to pack up my things. But failing.

I heard the door open behind me and quickly stood up to see Dumbledore slowly making his way in to my dorm.

He wandered around and placed his hand on the bed curtains. "Never liked these curtains. Set them on fire in my fourth year. By accident, of course."

I think he expected me to laugh. I couldn't.

In the past few weeks alone I had lost so much.

He moved closer to me and lowered his voice. "I put you in terrible danger this year, Harry. I'm sorry."

"Professor, when I was in the graveyard, there was a moment.....when Voldemort's wand and mine sort of connected."

"Prior Incantatem." He said in realisation.

I looked at him in confusion.

He quickly stood up and moved towards me. "You saw your parents that night, didn't you? They reappeared."

I smiled lightly and nodded.

"No spell can reawaken the dead, Harry. I trust you know that."

There was a silence as I looked down.

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy." He put his hands on my shoulders. "But remember this: you have friends here. You are not alone."

He placed his hand on my face and left.

----

florence pov

We all met back up in the courtyard. It was time to say our goodbyes to the Durmstrang and Beaxbaton students.

I hugged Celeste tightly. We both had tears running down our faces.

"I can't believe you're leaving." I sniffed.

"I wish I could stay here forever." We pulled away. "Promise to owl me everyday mon chéri?"

I nodded with a smile as I wiped away my tears.

Ron came up next to me. "Hey Flo, ready to go?"

Before I could answer, Celeste slapped him right across the face. "Ronald Weasley, that is for ditching me at the Yule Ball. Tu as le cul."

I laughed. Tu as le cul = you ass.

He looked taken aback by her actions, as he held his hand to his face.

Celeste turned to face me once more. "I love you. See you soon hopefully."

"I love you too Cel. See you."

She smiled and joined her friends in entering the carriage.

I laughed as Ron started whining about the pain he was in. Such a drama queen.

I love Ron, but he totally deserved that one.

-----

The four of us walked through the train, looking for an empty compartment.

"Found one!" Hermione yelled as she waved us over.

I was about to follow her when Harry took hold of my arm and shut Ron and Hermione in the compartment before us.

"I can't anymore Florence. I can't do this." He said, stilling holding my wrist.

I sighed. Knowing he was talking about us. "What do you want me to do, Harry? What do you want? Closure?"

"I want to look at you and feel absolutely nothing. That's the kind of closure I want." He said. "But I'll never get it. Because every time I look at you......... I want you."

I swallowed hard. "You're making this impossible."

"Good." He breathed. "No one knows you like I do."

"Harry-"

"No one else sees how your eyes light up when someone says 'It might be dangerous', or how the only thing you care about in the world is other people not even yourself, or how you put on strawberry lipgloss every morning because it's your favourite scent, or how the only book you read continuously is pride and prejudice because it makes you feel safe."

I stared at him. Unable to put my feelings into words.

"Want me to go on?" He took both of my hands in his. "For me, there is only you."

I still stared at him. The longer I stared the more I wanted to......

I kissed him and forgot how to breathe. It just didn't seem as important in that moment.

He still held me close as we pulled away. "You think you deserve the pain you're putting yourself through, but you don't."

And for the first time in weeks, I smiled. I didn't think I could again.

"We can't work, Harry." I said, as I ran my fingers through his hair. "This is stupid."

"I like stupid."

And in the middle of the chaos that is my life, there was him. The most insane and sane thing of them all.

I sighed. "We have to be careful."

He grinned. "So careful."

I looked around to make sure it was just Harry and I in the hallway. "I need to tell you something."

I'm done trying to hide who I am. I can't change it, but I can change my view on it.

He looked around. "What?"

So here goes.

"I haven't told you who my mum is yet." I said as I looked at Harry's confused expression.

My heart was pounding in my chest. My hands were shaking. This never gets any easier.

Harry took my cold hands in his. "You can tell me anything. Anything in the world and it won't change how I feel about you."

That gave me the strength to say the next words.

"My mother is .............is Bellatrix Lestrange."

His eyes widened and he froze on the spot. A few moments passed before he finally spoke up. "That's how you're related to Sirius. He's your uncle."

I nodded.

He didn't say anything, he just pulled me into a tight hug. His lack of words made me smile, he really understood me.

We pulled away and I looked at the ground. "What do you think of me, really?"

He tilted up my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You've been born into a family of evil yet still been strong enough to fight for what's right. Do you realise how amazing you are?"

My cheeks turned red. I'd never been spoken about like that before.

"Why do I have to fancy such a complicated girl?"

"Complicated is the easy way to put it." I said through a laugh.

"This doesn't change a thing. Don't you ever think you have to hide who you are around me. I'd fancy you even if you were.......Snape's daughter."

I laughed and nudged him. A real genuine smile.

He squeezed my hand and took a deep breath. "There's something I've