theboywhodied: (Default)
Cedric Diggory ([personal profile] theboywhodied) wrote in [community profile] trans_92011-10-02 04:11 pm

Spared [Open]

"Reducto!"

Cedric had found a spot in the grass of this strange city's park from which to work on his spellcasting, starting with some target practice. He'd pushed back the sleeves of his plantsuit as far as was possible and made long movements with his wand, alternating between creating fast streams of bubbles and shooting them down. The almost childish game of bubble-popping was a simple diversion from the stream of thoughts that was flowng just as fast, one that hadn't stopped since the moment he realized he was alive: I'm about to die. It was hard to comprehend, when it seemed like his life had been going so well just hours ago.

Yet these Ohm had thrown everything off balance. Cedric had gone straight to Stacy to ask for his memories restored, as he'd never rest until he knew the truth of what happened. It had been just as hard to remember as that unicorn princess had predicted. Sure, the curse that was meant to kill him had been thrown off by another attack, but he'd heard awful yells. Harry's. When the sedation had worn off and he'd opened his eyes, he'd had to struggle not to scream.

That was what had happened to disrupt the course of history. For now, he had been given days, weeks, maybe months or a year or two to live, that long until he left this crew behind and met his fate. People had talked about their worlds being restored after the war. The Ohm were supposed had something that would fix things as they were meant to be, and 'meant to be' was his death. If he didn't die during the war, he'd be meeting his end immediately afterward. Time couldn't be changed, not even with a Time Turner. It had to happen.

Cedric was living on borrowed time. No one knew how long it would be until they won. They were going to win, he was sure. A small selfish part of him hoped that it would last a while, that he would have time to finish his unfinished business and learn more, but that was unfair. He couldn't allow the needless deaths to hang over his conscience any longer than necessary. The countless innocents killed during the Ohm's attack needed to live, not him. Billions of lives resurrected in exchange for his death, that was fair. He was the spare, not them. No matter what his father said or the Goblet decided, he wasn't special in the eyes of the universe, was he? He was just...

The spare who had been temporarily spared. A bubble waiting to be popped. Pop, pop, pop went the bubbles as his wand moved more precisely. If this was all the life he had left, he might as well do it right.

[identity profile] carrieswar.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah! She just woke up. Sounds like I'm not the only one, either!"

[identity profile] myboggartismoon.livejournal.com 2011-10-05 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"I did see someone the last time we went through this, but he was taken back to the pods soon after." He wasn't prepared to get his hopes up yet, both because of Ron's swift return, and because everyone seemed so frankly disheartened by their appearance here.

[identity profile] carrieswar.livejournal.com 2011-10-05 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh ... damn, really?" He frowned; he didn't know that had happened. "Sorry."

[identity profile] myboggartismoon.livejournal.com 2011-10-06 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"If it is better for someone to be there, then I can't complain," he said philosphically, "though of course I hope it doesn't happen again."

[identity profile] carrieswar.livejournal.com 2011-10-06 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, let's hope it doesn't? So one of your students, right?"

[identity profile] myboggartismoon.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Two of my students, and one of my friends, though there's some time differences involved," he said, the awkwardness in his voice just a hint of of how truly bizarre the whole situation was.

[identity profile] carrieswar.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"Woah, three? Talk about a luck-out!" Time difference be damned, even.

"Is it a problematic difference?"

[identity profile] myboggartismoon.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"That is hard to say at present," Lupin said with a bemused smile. "The years he is missing, he spent in prison for a crime he was innocent of, and I spent reluctantly believing him to be guilty of that crime."