A/N: Okay, so this is the absolute last of this story. This is the promised chapter 20 in Cedric's POV, and I'm actually really nervous about it. I've never written solely in a man's POV before. Thank you again for reading, and I hope that you like my other stories as well =) Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.
Falling at my own pace
Cedric's POV
It was March. Really, it was amazing how fast the year had gone. It felt like only yesterday that I stepped off the train at Hogsmeade, excited for the new year. It was then that I saw Ava. She was waiting for a carriage with her friends, stroking the hair from her face the the wind kept blowing in the way.
I still couldn't believe that she loved me. She was by far the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and it wasn't only her physical appearance that had drawn me to her. It was the way that she tripped over everything, the way she didn't fuss about her looks every minute of the day like so many other girls, and the way she stood up for her friends.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when Tara sat down opposite from us, waving the morning paper in our faces and exclaiming, "Look at this!"
Ava took it from her, and I peeked over her shoulder. It was the interview with Rita Skeeter, and I read through it quickly. Hatred filled my body for Skeeter when I read the false information about Ava. About what happened at the Yule Ball. After reading it, Ava looked up at me, shock written all over her face.
"How did she found out about Dylan?"
Tara's eyes bulged out of her head. "It's true?" she said, her voice a bit to loud for my liking.
"At the night of the Yule Ball, he tried to rape me in the Astronomy tower," Ava replied low, and I gently stroked her back. "Don't fret on it Tara, it was almost three months ago. I'm over it." Ava looked out over the Great Hall, and her eyes turned to Harry. With a low sigh, she stood up. "I'll be right back."
I looked after Ava as she went, and noticed that most of the sudents were looking after her too. I wanted to shout at them to leave her alone, that they didn't know anything. But I didn't. She wouldn't want me to.
"Is she really okay?" Tara asked, and I turned to look at her.
"I think so." My gaze was turned back to Ava just in time to see her cover her mouth with one hand and running out of the Great Hall. Frowning, and I stood up and walked hastily after her.
I found her in the bathroom on the first floor, where she was emptying her breakfast into the porcelain powl. Squatting next to her, I pulled her hair back from her sweaty forehead and rubbed smooth circles on her back. After a few minutes she leaned her forehead against the toilet and took deep breaths of air.
"Are you okay?" I asked, unable to hide the concern in my voice.
"I'm fine. Must have been a stomach bug or something." She looked up at me and brushed away a few tears that had escaped from her eyes. "I'm gonna skip Hogsmeade."
I nodded. "It's probably for the best if you rest. Come on, I'll walk you back to the common room." I grabbed her hand to help her up, and she rinsed out her mouth a couple of times before we went to the common room.
"I'm gonna crash in your room if that's alright with you," she asked, and I nodded.
"Off course. Stay as long as you feel like it." I kissed her forehead, stroking her hair gently. "I'll see you after lunch, okay?"
"Have fun." She gave a weak smile, and lay down on the bed.
--
I took a few moments to look at her before I decided to wake her up. I'd never seen beauty until I saw Ava sleeping. I woke her up with a soft kiss, and a crooked grin came onto my lips as she opened her eyes. "Happy anniversary," I smiled, and was awarded with a smile from her.
"Happy anniversary." She leaned up to kiss me again, a bit harder this time. When I felt her tongue slightly caress mine, she suddenly pushed me away and made a bee-line to the bathroom. I heard her throwing up, and felt a tugging on my heart. I didn't like to see her sick. I got dressed, and was just finished when she came back out, looking pale and sick.
"You need to go and see Madam Pomfrey about that," were the first words out of my mouth, and she nodded.
"I was planning on doing it after lunch."
"I could go with you if you want," I offered, stroking her hair lightly.
"I'd prefer going alone, actually." She smiled slightly at me. "Let's get down to breakfast, okay?"
I could hardly concentrate through my classes, and McGonagall nearly gave me detention for not paying attention. I met up with Ava outside the Great Hall, but she told me that she was still feeling sick and that she would just skip lunch. I agreed with her and gave her a kiss before she went up to the Hospital Wing. Lunch was uneventful, I hurried the food down my throat before I headed of to the common room to do some homework. I had an essay in Arithmancy that was killing me, and I wanted to go over my answers at least two more times to make sure I got them right.
About an hour later I was still sitting in the common room, my nose buried in the book. Suddenly I felt a sort of magnetic pull, and when I looked up I saw that Ava was standing there. A crooked grin appeared on my face. "How did it go with Madam Pomfrey? Did she know what was wrong with you?"
At first she didn't answer, and I noticed that she didn't look too good. She was still pale, and looked like she had the world on her shoulders.
"We need to talk." Her voice was uncharacteristically cold, and flat. Like she didn't have any emotions left. "Can we go to your room?"
I gave her a confused look, but gathered my books and followed her to my room. Once we were inside, I cast a silencing spell over the door and locked it. I sat down at the bed, still looking confused at her. She was starting to scare me, with the blank look in her eyes.
"Ava, what's wrong?" She didn't answer. "Please say something, you're scaring me."
"I'm pregnant." She blurted out, and I could feel my eyes turn wide.
"P-pregnant?" I stuttered. "How did this happen?"
"I think we both know how this happened, Cedric," she said dryly.
"But we used protection." This was a mistake, it had to be. We had used protection every time, I was sure of it.
"Not on my birthday," she sighed, and ran a hand through her hair.
I could only stare at her. She was actually pregnant. Carrying my child inside her womb. Then a feeling of fear went through me. What if she didn't want the baby? It wasn't exactly something we'd talked about. I knew I wanted this baby, as well as her. It seemed like my plans to propose finally would be set into action. Knowing that I'd probably regret it, I spoke up. "Are you keeping it?"
Her temper flared, and her eyes narrowed at me. "Off course I'm keeping it. Do you think I could just kill my baby like that, our baby?" She paused for a second, and then her eyes got wide. It was like she finally grasped the situation, and tears flooded in her eyes. "Oh my god," she whispered. Within a fraction of a second, I stood up and pulled her to me, placing her on my lap as I held her tight. Her thin body was shaking with sobs, and I could feel my eyes pool up with tears as well. Tears for this situation, for us. When Ava noticed that I was crying too, she hugged me closer and stroked my hair. Together we sat like that, holding each other as we cried.
--
The next evening when we were about to go to bed, I asked her the question that had been on my mind since she dropped the bomb on me yesterday.
"Ava?" I said low, and she 'hmm'ed. "I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday."
She looked up from the book she was reading, and stroke away her fringe from her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"When I asked if you wanted to keep the baby."
She frowned, and moved closer to me. "It's nothing to apologize for; it's a legitimate question."
I shook my head. "It came out wrong, luv. I made it seem like I don't want this baby, which I do. I just wasn't sure if you did. I mean, it's not like we've talked about it or anything."
Ava smiled and snuggled up close to my side, tangling her legs with mine and resting her head on my chest. "You're amazing, you know that right?" she looked up at me, her dark blue eyes glinting in the low lights.
"What do you mean?"
"Name one 18-year old you know that would stand my his 17-year old pregnant girlfriend."
I chuckled. "I see your reason. But that doesn't make me amazing, it just makes me me."
A wide grin covered her face as she crawled on top of me, straddling me. "And you, my love, are amazing." She pressed her lips against mine softly. I gave a contened smile against her lips. Could life possibly be any better?
Yes it could, a voice in the back of my head said. It will be better when she has a ring on her finger.
As I rolled us over so that I was on top I thought; soon my love. Soon.
Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know