CEDRIC:

When I awoke Sunday morning and peeled my sleep mask off my eyes, Henry was the only other person left in our dormitory. I stretched and rolled onto my stomach. "Good morning," I mumbled through a yawn, my eyes slowly adjusting to the morning glow. Our common room and dormitories were in the dungeons, but that didn't stop Hufflepuffs from installing windows and enchanting them to reflect the outside world like the ceiling of the Great Hall. Most of us used sleep masks on weekends so the sun wouldn't wake us. This particular morning, a couple of faint rays of sunshine pierced the clouds overhead, and they happened to be hitting me square in the face.

"Good morning!" Henry said brightly, glancing up from the book in his lap. He ran his fingers through his curly hair. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty well, thanks." My eyes sank shut, and I hugged my pillow. "How about you?" I asked, yawning again.

"Same here. Martin and Paul headed down to the Great Hall already. I think they were planning to spend the day in the library making up for the studying they didn't do yesterday. What were your plans?"

I ran a hand over my face, as if to wipe the tiredness away. "I'll see if Madam Pomfrey needs help in the Hospital Wing. If she does, I'll spend my day there, and if she doesn't, I don't know." I opened my eyes and rolled onto my back, lacing my fingers behind my head. "Looks like today will be a beautiful one. I'll probably spend at least a little while outside."

"I'm tired of being cooped up," Henry agreed. "I'll definitely join you if you head outside. We still need to play with the new Gobstones I got for my birthday."

I laughed. "Sounds like a plan." I pushed myself out of bed and grabbed a set of clothes for the day. I showered quickly, and by the time I got out, Henry had already left for the Great Hall. It was just as well, really. I wasn't particularly hungry anyway. More so than that, I didn't want to have to respond to the letter inevitably on its way from home asking how the Quidditch match had gone. I wasn't a sore loser, but my father sure could be. Especially when I was the one losing.

I forced the thought from my mind and made my way to the Hospital Wing, offering a smile to the people I passed in the halls. When I entered the Wing, I found Madam Pomfrey right away, organizing the potions in one of her many cabinets.

"Good morning!" I said. "Do you need any help?"

"Good morning, Mr. Diggory! It's been rather quiet, but if you'd like to take this to the boy in the red striped pajamas, that would be very helpful." She pressed a small vial of yellow liquid into my palm. "Once he drinks it, he's free to go."

I nodded and made my way over to the boy.

"Good morning! This is for you." I smiled, holding out the vial. "Madam Pomfrey says you're free to go once you drink it!"

"That's good," he said with a tired grin. "Say, do you happen to know if Madam Pomfrey has anything for healing scars?"

I studied the boy's face, which was only marked by a small bruise above his left eye and a cut on the tip of his nose. "I'm sure she does, but your face will heal just fine."

"Oh, no, it's not for me." He struggled to uncap the vial, so I reached over and helped twist it off. "Thanks. Anyway, it's not for me, it would be for my friend, Lucy."

"Do you mean Lucy Diggory, by chance?"

He nodded, lifting the rim to his lips and downing the liquid in one swig. "She's my partner in most of our classes. She's nicer to me than anyone else," he added in a small voice. He cleared his throat and put the plug back in the top of the glass. "Everyone loves her, really. That's why Ron punched Malfoy during the match. I tried to get a punch at him, too, but Crabbe and Glyle knocked me out before I got the chance."

I blinked. "What?"

"Yeah, yesterday, Draco tried to punch Ron, but he punched Lucy instead. But instead of saying sorry, he insulted her, so Ron broke his nose."

"Well, I'm glad everyone's alright," I said, quickly looking around the room to make sure Lucy wasn't there. "Thank you for standing up for her. She's brave, braver than anyone I've met, but she doesn't like fighting, even if it would only be standing up for herself."

"Neither do I," the boy said, "but Lucy makes me want to be brave. She told me I was last night, when she and Harry came to visit me. Her eye looked better, by the way, so don't worry. She's okay."

"Thank you, I'm glad to hear that. What's your name?"

"Neville. Neville Longbottom. And yours?"

"Cedric Diggory," I said, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you." I cleared my throat and took the vial from his hand. "Well, Neville, if you're feeling better, you're free to go!" He rose from the bed slowly, and I noticed for the first time the toad sleeping soundly in the boy's chest pocket. I smiled. "What's your toad's name?"

"Trevor," he answered, smiling back.

"That's a nice name. You know, I've always wanted a toad. Lucy and I used to catch them when we were younger, but our parents always made us return them to the wild, saying that if we kept one, we'd have 37 before we knew it."

Neville laughed. "Trevor is a good pet, but I wouldn't want 37 of him. One is more than enough for me."

After helping Madam Pomfrey for most of the morning, I set out to find Lucy.

When it came to finding my sister, I was something of an expert. I knew that when she was upset, she liked to isolate herself, but that she was always glad for my company whether she admitted it or not. At home, she would either sit at her bedroom window or climb a tree when she was upset.

At school, she had far more options, but the Quidditch Pitch still seemed to be her favorite spot. I couldn't blame her; it was far from the castle and offered many options for hiding, from the stands to the stairs to the commentary box. It was my escape too. I liked sitting in the stands and taking in the sheer scope of the stadium. Every problem I faced seemed small in comparison to the towering stands and expansive sky. It seemed only natural that my sister settled for the same haven most of the time. So, naturally, the Quidditch Pitch was where I headed.

As expected, I found her at the top of a flight of stairs about halfway up the whole staircase, wand in hand and a book balanced on her lap. She didn't seem to hear me coming, perhaps due to the intense concentration written all over her face. I could see a faint blue mark beneath her eye, and I was relieved it wasn't any worse than that. After a moment, she slammed the book shut and tucked it under her leg, pulling the hood of her robe over her head. She pointed her wand toward the ceiling.

"Metelojinx!"

Instantly, a small thundercloud formed above her head, a couple raindrops trickling out of it and a couple small streaks of lightning flicking like snakes' tongues around the cloud.

"Whoa," I couldn't help but murmur. "Lucy, that's incredible!"

She jumped, a slight blush rising to her cheeks as she saw who had spoken. "Hi, Cedric." With a flick of her wand, the thundercloud disappeared. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you." She lowered her hood and brought the book back onto her lap.

"It's okay, I wanted to see what you were practicing. I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, hopefully Fred and George aren't either. George turned my eyebrows purple last night at the party, and I've been working on this for a couple of weeks now, so I came out here to practice by myself before taking revenge."

"Just George? I don't think I've ever seen him and Fred apart. What was Fred doing?"

"To quote George, he was 'flirting his face off' with Angelina Johnson."

"Interesting."

"Yeah. Quidditch practice should be funny later. What brings you here, Cedric?"

"You," I answered honestly.

"Me? Why?"

"I volunteered in the Hospital Wing this morning, and Neville Longbottom told me what happened yesterday during the match. I had to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've gotten quite good at the healing charm you taught me. How'd you know I was here?"

"Neville said Malfoy insulted you, and I figured you'd rather contemplate on your own than have to pretend to be unbothered around your friends." I cracked a smile at her slightly stunned expression. "Lucy, you're forgetting that I've known you your whole life. I know you like to be by yourself when you're upset. But," I added, stretching my legs out in front of me, "I'm your brother, and while I wasn't around yesterday to punch Malfoy like Neville and Ron, I'm here now. What did he say?"

"Nothing worth fighting over," she said softly, her fingers tracing the letters of the book in her lap. "It was nothing."

"If it was nothing, you'd be using that perfectly good jinx against the twins instead of practicing by yourself out here."

She hesitated. "I don't want to talk about it, Cedric."

"And that's okay. You don't have to, but I also can't help as much if I don't know what he said."

Lucy smiled, looking up from the book. "I appreciate your willingness to help, but it would be a little odd for my brother to tell me I'm not ugly." She held up a hand as I opened my mouth to protest. "I don't want to hear it. I know he's right and I won't believe you no matter what you say so save your breath. It truly doesn't bother me that much, but I really, truly, genuinely don't want to talk about it."

I pouted, making her smile even wider. "Well, I need to make you feel better somehow. It's my job."

"I thought you were a Seeker," she teased.

"I consider being a Seeker as more of a side job or a hobby, because my real job is being your brother. Besides, Harry's a better Seeker than me, but I'm a better brother than he is."

"He happens to be an only child."

"And?"

She laughed. "You're right. You're a better brother than he is. You are a talented Seeker, though, Ced."

"Harry set a record for catching the Snitch yesterday, but thanks for thinking so."

"You're a better Seeker than I am!"

"You happen to be a Chaser."

"And?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, you got me."

Lucy grinned. "I suppose I did." She sighed. "I'm guessing you want me to go back to the castle with you?"

"I'm sure your friends would like to see you. Neville's been released from the Hospital Wing, but I'm not quite sure where the others are. The library, most likely?"

She shrugged. "We finally found what we were looking for, so I'm not entirely sure what they're doing."

I cocked an eyebrow. "You were looking for something all that time?"

She nodded, offering no further explanation. I was about to press for details, my curiosity piqued, when she tucked her book under her arm and rose to her feet. "I'm actually fairly hungry. Are you?"

I nodded, also rising to my feet. We started toward the castle together, silently at first.

"How close were you, Cedric?" she asked suddenly.

"Hm? How close was I to what?"

"Catching the Snitch. I missed the end of the match."

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling sheepishly. "To tell you the truth? I didn't stand a chance against Harry. That broom of his is something else, no doubt, but he's incredibly talented, too. But don't worry." I jokingly bumped her shoulder with my arm. "I'll catch it next year."

She turned to me, a wicked grin on her face. "Only in your wildest dreams."

Truthfully, the hardest part of Lucy's transformation for me was rarely the night of the full moon itself. I still took the potion for dreamless sleep every month, and even then, I knew that whatever happened in the night, I would be there first thing in the morning.

The days following the transformation weren't the worst part either. She was exhausted, of course, but it was sweet watching Lucy's friends look out for her, from the way Hermione always checked the Hospital Wing first thing in the morning to make sure Lucy was okay to the way the twins sat a little closer to her at meals to make sure she didn't faceplant onto her plate if she fell asleep at the table.

The worst part of every transformation had to be the days leading up to the full moon. When we were home, it was easy enough for her to hide in her room, protected by spells that blocked all light and sound from entering until one of us came to fetch her in the late afternoon before the moon came out. But at school, I watched as she flinched at every sudden sound or movement or touch. I watched as her face gradually grew redder and redder, and as she had to fight harder and harder for a sense of normalcy. I had to watch her go from bouncing her leg up and down at meals to picking at the skin of her hands to try to curb the restlessness. All of this, all while wondering why on earth the first round of wolfsbane potion hadn't worked after it had always worked at home.

March was no exception. The day before the full moon, I glanced up from my dinner just as Lucy jumped up from her table.

"I'll be back," she said to whoever was watching, making eye contact with me for a split second before hurrying from the room, one hand on the back of her neck and the other closed into a tight fist.

Henry had followed my gaze and offered a gentle look. "She didn't look too good. If you want to follow her, I'll bring food to the dorm for you."

"It's okay, I'm not very hungry," I said, rising from the table. "But thank you for the offer. I'll be right back."

I found her quickly. She was hiding behind the fountain in the courtyard, in the very spot I always lost to Henry at Gobstones. I rushed over and was about to rest a hand on her shoulder when her hands flew to her face and she squeezed her eyes tightly together.

"I'm fine, Cedric," she squeaked.

"No, you're not." I pulled my hand back, sitting cross-legged a little less than a meter away from her. My voice was no more than a whisper, so it didn't overwhelm her. I knew she didn't need to see me to know I was there. She knew my scent. I extended a hand, ready for her to grab when she was ready. "But it's okay. I'm here."

She relaxed slightly, but kept her eyes shut tight. Her breath came in ragged gasps. I inched my hand forward.

"Breathe," I whispered. "Just breathe. I'm here."

A flash of red in the moonlight caught my attention. The twins had followed, and they sported identically concerned expressions. I shook my head, hoping to discourage them from coming any closer. They didn't come closer, but they also didn't leave.

Lucy chose that moment to shoot her hand forward and squeeze mine. She opened her eyes slightly, so I quickly looked away from Fred and George so she didn't know they were there.

"Better?" I asked.

She shook her head violently. Her hand, too, trembled as she gripped mine.

I moved slowly and settled down next to her with my back to the fountain, never once letting go of her hand. "Look at the stars," I whispered. "Can you find Gemini?"

Lucy blinked a couple of times, squinting at the sky. She lifted her right hand, the one not holding mine, and pointed.

I nodded. "Good, good. Now, is that your sun sign, or mine?"

She pointed to herself.

"That's right. Good job. Now can you find Libra?"

She found mine more quickly, pointing with more enthusiasm.

"You did it! Good thing it's March, huh?"

Lucy nodded, taking a deep breath. Her grip on my hand relaxed slightly.

"Can you show me any more constellations?" I asked.

She nodded, and spent the next couple of minutes silently tracing shapes in the stars overhead. Her head slowly sank onto my shoulder, and soon, she was completely calm again. I hazarded a glance over my shoulder. The twins were still there, now looking rather impressed. I turned back to Lucy, prying my fingers free from hers so I could put my arm around her shoulders. I slowly rubbed my hand up and down her arm, and a couple minutes later, she was down for the count.

"She's asleep," I called quietly over my shoulder. "You can come now."

The twins immediately rushed over, dropping to their knees in front of us.

"What happened?" they asked in unison before splitting apart into their own thoughts.

"She seemed jumpy all day, but we didn't think much of it-"

"Then all of a sudden she just jumped up and sprinted out-"

"And Hermione was going to follow her when she saw you get up and go-"

"But we offered to instead."

They finished together with a muted "What happened?"

"She gets anxious," I said softly. It wasn't too far from the truth. Hermione and I had agreed that it would be this month's excuse for her absence, and had spent a fair amount of time working on an explanation while she was at Quidditch practice. "Really anxious, as you can see. I'm the only one who can calm her down, really. She gets herself worked up to the point of nearly exploding, then crashes. She'll probably need a couple of days to herself before she's back to normal."

"How can we help?" they asked immediately. I bit my lip. I hadn't really been expecting that question, though in hindsight, I definitely should have.

"Right now? I need the password to get her to her dormitory somehow."

"We can do that."

"But what about tomorrow? How can we help tomorrow?"

I wracked my brain. How could they help? "Hermione already knows about, well, this. She knows how to help, and she knows how to find me if Lucy needs me. But for tomorrow, she'll be best if you just treat her like you always do. She thinks the world of you two, and she'd probably be embarrassed if she knew you knew about this."

They exchanged a glance before turning back to me.

"We can do that."

"Easily. Whatever will help her."

"What about Quidditch practice tomorrow?"

"She probably shouldn't play, right?"

"Does Skye know?"

"Should we tell her?"

I nodded. "I'll talk to Skye tomorrow. For tonight, let's get Lucy to bed. She doesn't normally sleep when she's like this, so it's something of a miracle and I don't want to screw it up."

"Understood!" they whispered in unison. I looped my arm around her sleeping form ad scooped her up princess-style.

"Good thing she's a deep sleeper," the twin to my left remarked as we headed to the castle.

"We were initially glad because of the endless prank potential it posed," the twin to my right agreed, "but it's good to know it helps her too."

"Speaking of pranks," I said, smiling in spite of myself, "you two better be careful once she's feeling better."

"Oh, we know."

"She's becoming quite the little mischief manager."

"Don't you mean mischief maker?" I inquired.

"Nope!" they exclaimed in unison.

Once we reached the top of the many, many stairs, I passed her to George while Fred held the portrait hole open. When it swung shut, I took a deep breath, held it, and released it in a sigh. For tonight, Lucy was safe and well.

I made my way down to my dormitory. It was empty, but a small bowl of soup waited on my nightstand. A small note was scrawled next to it.

I know you said you weren't very hungry, but I know you better. If this bowl isn't empty by the time I get back from the library, I'm dragging you to the kitchens myself and I don't care if it's after curfew. -Henry

I smiled as I lifted the bowl to my lips. Henry may have forgotten a spoon, but I still couldn't have asked for a better best friend.