SEVEN

LETTERS WERE JUST INK ON parchment. But the contents were anything from sonnets of love to heart break or the death of a loved one. Rory enjoyed letters. She liked to keep every letter she ever received. It was her way of holding on to people long after they left. Her father wrote her a letter once. About a year after he left. It was an apology of sorts. It began with: You're far too young to understand. We'll meet again when the time is right, when it's safe. Nearly ten years later and the time wasn't right yet. She figured it never would be.

Fred and George and even Ginny sometimes would write to Rory during her summers. Occasionally she would exchange with Angelina, Lee, and Marina, just to check in. She kept them all in a box in her closet and read them sometimes when she had nothing better to do.

Through a letter, Fred and George gave Rory her ticket out of suffering the rest of the summer with her mother. The Quidditch World Cup was approaching and Mr. Weasley had been able to get tickets. Of course, her mother didn't care and Aaron was a bit jealous, but didn't really say much. Rory wasn't really speaking to Aaron for the time being anyways, not after what he had done to her during one of the first weeks of summer.

"Rory's got herself a boyfriend, did she tell you, Mum?"

"Aurora doesn't tell me anything about her life." Her mother sighed.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Rory protested.

Aaron laughed, "Really? So you're just friends who like to snog in the common room then?"

"Aurora, I thought I raised you better than to do things like that with boys!" Christine snapped.

Rory got up furiously, "No, I don't think you did, actually. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a bit of fun!"

"Yes well I'm very disappointed in you. Snogging boys around the school you're not even properly dating? It's embarrassing for the family."

After that, Rory wrote to Cedric, a letter filled with apologies. Maybe her mother was right. Rory liked being with Cedric but couldn't look him in the eye and slap a label on it. So, she told him exactly that.

Dear Cedric,

I like you, I really do. I'm not sure why I can't seem to bring myself to be your girlfriend. Maybe because I think it's too good to be true, or because I believe I'm far too young and too adventurous to be held down. So please, know that I'm sorry. You're far too young and far too eligible to be held down yourself. I think we're great friends. We're very good at being there for each other and I would hate to tarnish that with the pressures of a relationship. I really hope you don't resent me for choosing this. Maybe one day I'll be ready to settle down, but it's not fair to you if I'm not ready now.

Rory

Cedric wrote back quickly.

Rory,

I understand. I sort of figured you were going to tell me this sooner or later and I'm just glad you did it sooner. You're truly a spectacular girl and I would hate to limit your greatness. I would love to remain friends, I can't imagine not speaking to you or hearing your jokes when I'm having a bad day. I'm not going to hold anything against you, we can't control our feelings. I'll see you at the World Cup.

Yours,
Cedric

They still wrote back and forth for the remainder of the summer, even when she arrived at the Burrow in early August, they exchanged words. Rory also kept his scarf from their very first date, he told her to because as he said "Yellow looks so good on you." Ginny couldn't believe her ears when Rory told her she'd broken it off with Cedric. The twins on the other hand were trying to bite back a smile.

However George and Fred were a bit too busy over the summer to pay much mind to Pretty Boy. The idea came to George in a dream. Their very own joke shop, just like Zonkos with original products all designed and produced by them. Rory thought it might've been because they hadn't done too well on their O.W.L exams. They both only got three each, meaning they failed about half their classes. According to their letters, Mrs. Weasley had been hard on them about it and it had begun to upset them. However, they put their energy towards creating products which Rory agreed, was better use of their time than Astronomy homework.

Mrs. Weasley disagreed, once she found out about their ambitions after they used one of their inventions on Harry's cousin, Dudley, making his tongue grow and touch the ground.

That day, Rory remembered hearing Mrs. Weasley yell at the twins as she hid upstairs with Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They relocated to Ron's room which, for the time being, would be shared with Harry and the twins while Charlie and Bill were in town for the Cup. The poster Rory had got him for Christmas the year before was hung up next to his bed. They sat there and waited for the arguing to die down.

The tone in the Burrow shifted after that. It was a bit more uncomfortable than usual, but Rory tried to be there for the twins and keep their spirits up as the World Cup approached.

Rory was quite nervous about seeing Cedric. Although their letters were like nothing had happened she knew seeing him in person would be more uncomfortable.

The morning of the cup, Rory wasn't even at the breakfast table a full minute before George ran down the steps and yelled, "Rory, guess who we're seeing today —"

"Pretty Boy!" Fred joked.

"Oh shut it and eat your eggs, both of you!" Mrs. Weasley snapped entering the kitchen with her wand clutched in her hand. The twins just laughed and sat down on either side of Rory. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Percy sat across from them and Ginny sat at the head of the table. Everyone else had eaten already so it was just the kids. Rory ate a piece of toast with some jam and couldn't eat anymore. Her stomach was engulfed with butterflies and left no room for any more food. She watched as the rest of the Weasley's, Harry, and Hermione ate while making small talk.

"It'll be okay, Rory. Don't get yourself worked up about it." Fred sighed during an awkward pause.

Rory looked at him and sighed, "I know."

The girl rubbed her eyes and took a sip from her glass of juice. It was extremely early. And Rory was not a morning person. After joking with the twins (mainly Fred), while the others ate, waiting for the tip of the hour when they'd begin heading down to the Portkey. A Portkey was like a magical portal Wizards used to get from one place to another.

Rory ran upstairs and double checked to make sure she looked as good as she felt, went back downstairs, and followed Percy out the door being the last one out. After hearing the door creak closed behind her she jogged slightly to catch up with the twins.

"I've missed Cedric. He was honestly growing on me." George sighed.

"Yeah I miss him too, Rory. Promise you'll still bring him around the common room?" Ginny asked with a wink.

"Only if these two can behave themselves." Rory groaned.

The walk to the Portkey in the ungodly hours of the morning was not ideal, especially with the anxiety of seeing Cedric creeping over her. George made it fun though. He was a morning person like no other. Early morning Quidditch practices were only bearable because he was so cheerful and enthusiastic. He loved to overly cheer when someone on the team made a good play in order to get them more into it. By the time they reached the top of the hill, everyone was excited and awake.

"Whew," panted Mr. Weasley, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time — we've got ten minutes... Now we just need the Portkey. It won't be big... come on."

Rory didn't exactly know what to look for, so she walked beside Fred as everyone else spread out in search of the Portkey. It wasn't long before the Weasley family and the three friends were called over by Mr. Weasley.

And there he was. The tall, handsome, Hufflepuff. Rory's stomach dropped, but she smiled. Because Cedric always made her smile.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr. Weasley. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And you know his son, Cedric?"

"Some of us more than others," George muttered under his breath, giving Rory a nudge.

"Hi," Cedric said, looking around at everyone, locking eyes with Rory for a moment and giving her a small nod with a smile.

Everyone said hi or hello in response. Rory nodded back. Their unspoken dialogue was as if to say "It's okay".

"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father, Amos asked.

"Not too bad," said Mr. Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still... not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons — and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy...." Amos Diggory peered around at the three Weasley boys, Rory, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"

"Oh, no, only the redheads." said Mr. Weasley pointing out the children. "This is Rory, a friend of the twins. And this is Hermione, friend of Ron — and Harry another friend—"

And then came the classic reaction of Harry's existence. Eyes wide and jaw dropped. But this time it came with some parental bragging from Amos Diggory. The man went on and on about how Cedric was a better Seeker because he beat Gryffindor in the match last year. To be completely fair, Harry had fallen off his broom, but Amos just took that fact and ran with it. Cedric, of course, defended Harry.

"Hey, Rory." Cedric said quietly as the fathers spoke. "It's really good to see you."

Rory nodded, "It's good to see you too Cedric. Listen, I —"

He shook his head quickly, "Don't explain. You don't need to. Let's put it all behind us, alright?"

"Yeah. Good idea. Thank you." She said softly.

Rory felt a weight lift off her chest. And now she could enjoy the World Cup in all its wonder. Where nothing would go wrong and she could have one amazing summer night with her best friends being engulfed in her favorite pastime.

Well, she was wrong.

END OF PART I