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rarepair_shortsTitle: Of Trying Hard to be Good, and Writing Proper Tributes
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: homage
Rating: PG
Word Count: 855
Summary: "Depressing, isn't it?" Mari turns at the unfamiliar voice; a somber boy with tousled blonde hair is giving her an odd look. "They can't tell the truth about Cedric at all."
Author's Notes: The first of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
Cedric is grinning at her.
It isn't as though she hates Cedric's grin, and even if she did, she could never think such a terrible thing now, after what's happened. Except for the uncomfortable truth of the matter, which is that Marietta Edgecombe does hate Cedric Diggory's smile, and she always has.
It's not something that can be easily explained, even to herself, so she only shifts in her seat and looks away from the giant banners strung from the ceiling, each of which displays Cedric's smiling face. Marietta looks instead at the girl sitting beside her, who is crying. "You all right?" Mari whispers, clutching awkwardly at Cho's hand.
Cho doesn't even bother to nod; she just keeps crying into her handkerchief, as though Marietta had never spoken at all. But that's all right, for it's a terrible thing that's happened to poor Cedric, and Marietta is trying very hard not to be a bad person today. Her gaze drifts up past Cho and the banners, flickering over the white-haired wizard at the front of the room, who is talking about something great Cedric has done. He's been talking for what seems like forever, and Marietta can't concentrate. None of this feels real; nobody Mari has known has ever died before. Not that she knew Cedric very well, but hating the very smile of a man has to count for something.
After the service, Marietta finds herself standing alone in the middle of the great field where they've laid poor Cedric to his final rest. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory are hovering over the freshly filled grave. One of them is crying; Mari can't tell which of them it is. Cho has vanished into the crowds lingering further back, and Marietta feels very stupid, for she doesn't know what to do. She didn't even want to come to this service, and now Cho has abandoned her once again.
"Depressing, isn't it?" Mari turns at the unfamiliar voice; a somber boy with tousled blonde hair is giving her an odd look. "They can't tell the truth about Cedric at all."
"The murder?" Marietta asks. She doesn't know how she feels about that; her mother tells her not to think about such things, letting the Ministry handle things as they see fit. Cho is defiant about the whole thing, which unnerves Mari, to be honest. It's not down to a couple of teenagers to stop the most evil thing in existence, if it does indeed live.
The boy waves off Mari's words. "Not just that," he says dismissively. "Cedric himself, the person. All these services are the same, a lot of bollocks about how 'brave' and 'compassionate' he was."
Marietta can hardly believe her ears. "You don't sound very supportive of poor Cedric," she says carefully, not yet daring to hope that she is not the only loon on the field.
"He's more than just a stereotype," the boy says harshly, gritting his teeth. "He's not just some poster boy for their heroics. He's not a martyr. Cedric had a wicked sense of humor, and he was fantastic at Charms. He liked turnips, of all things. A true homage to Cedric would mention things like that."
Marietta feels her attention waning as she realizes that this boy is probably nuttier than even she. "Yeah, I need to find Cho," she says, looking away from the boy.
He snorts. "Good luck. I'm surprised she's not cried herself right into the grave beside him."
"Oh, sod off," Mari snaps, angry mostly because she's thought the same thing. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be weeping with the lot of them?"
"I was only wondering," the boy drawls, fixing Marietta with a darkly sardonic smirk, "what you were doing here, when you can't even seem to look at him." At Mari's open-mouthed silence, his grin only broadens. "Yeah, I noticed you avoiding the banners. To be honest, I thought they were ridiculous, too."
And despite herself, Marietta laughs, because they really were ridiculous, Cedric grinning down at everyone like some angel from the heavens above. Ridiculous, and incredibly off-putting. "I really do need to find Cho," she says, blushing, for she shouldn't laugh at a funeral, even if it is Cedric's. "It was...interesting, talking with you."
"I meant what I said before," he replies. "When I wished you luck. You'll need it, with her."
She is angry again in a flash, her mood swings nearly dizzying. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
The boy stares off into the distance for a moment; a sheen of unshed tears coats his eyes, and Marietta feels a rush of guilt for her harsh tone. "It's just hard to compete sometimes," he says, and abruptly snaps out of it, his expression hardening. "I should have given the speech, you know. I'd have written a proper tribute to Cedric."
"Sure," Marietta says uncertainly, moving slowly away. She is not at all sure, having no idea what to make of this strange young man. "See you in school, I suppose? I'm sorry for your loss."
"So am I," the boy replies.
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: homage
Rating: PG
Word Count: 855
Summary: "Depressing, isn't it?" Mari turns at the unfamiliar voice; a somber boy with tousled blonde hair is giving her an odd look. "They can't tell the truth about Cedric at all."
Author's Notes: The first of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
Cedric is grinning at her.
It isn't as though she hates Cedric's grin, and even if she did, she could never think such a terrible thing now, after what's happened. Except for the uncomfortable truth of the matter, which is that Marietta Edgecombe does hate Cedric Diggory's smile, and she always has.
It's not something that can be easily explained, even to herself, so she only shifts in her seat and looks away from the giant banners strung from the ceiling, each of which displays Cedric's smiling face. Marietta looks instead at the girl sitting beside her, who is crying. "You all right?" Mari whispers, clutching awkwardly at Cho's hand.
Cho doesn't even bother to nod; she just keeps crying into her handkerchief, as though Marietta had never spoken at all. But that's all right, for it's a terrible thing that's happened to poor Cedric, and Marietta is trying very hard not to be a bad person today. Her gaze drifts up past Cho and the banners, flickering over the white-haired wizard at the front of the room, who is talking about something great Cedric has done. He's been talking for what seems like forever, and Marietta can't concentrate. None of this feels real; nobody Mari has known has ever died before. Not that she knew Cedric very well, but hating the very smile of a man has to count for something.
After the service, Marietta finds herself standing alone in the middle of the great field where they've laid poor Cedric to his final rest. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory are hovering over the freshly filled grave. One of them is crying; Mari can't tell which of them it is. Cho has vanished into the crowds lingering further back, and Marietta feels very stupid, for she doesn't know what to do. She didn't even want to come to this service, and now Cho has abandoned her once again.
"Depressing, isn't it?" Mari turns at the unfamiliar voice; a somber boy with tousled blonde hair is giving her an odd look. "They can't tell the truth about Cedric at all."
"The murder?" Marietta asks. She doesn't know how she feels about that; her mother tells her not to think about such things, letting the Ministry handle things as they see fit. Cho is defiant about the whole thing, which unnerves Mari, to be honest. It's not down to a couple of teenagers to stop the most evil thing in existence, if it does indeed live.
The boy waves off Mari's words. "Not just that," he says dismissively. "Cedric himself, the person. All these services are the same, a lot of bollocks about how 'brave' and 'compassionate' he was."
Marietta can hardly believe her ears. "You don't sound very supportive of poor Cedric," she says carefully, not yet daring to hope that she is not the only loon on the field.
"He's more than just a stereotype," the boy says harshly, gritting his teeth. "He's not just some poster boy for their heroics. He's not a martyr. Cedric had a wicked sense of humor, and he was fantastic at Charms. He liked turnips, of all things. A true homage to Cedric would mention things like that."
Marietta feels her attention waning as she realizes that this boy is probably nuttier than even she. "Yeah, I need to find Cho," she says, looking away from the boy.
He snorts. "Good luck. I'm surprised she's not cried herself right into the grave beside him."
"Oh, sod off," Mari snaps, angry mostly because she's thought the same thing. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be weeping with the lot of them?"
"I was only wondering," the boy drawls, fixing Marietta with a darkly sardonic smirk, "what you were doing here, when you can't even seem to look at him." At Mari's open-mouthed silence, his grin only broadens. "Yeah, I noticed you avoiding the banners. To be honest, I thought they were ridiculous, too."
And despite herself, Marietta laughs, because they really were ridiculous, Cedric grinning down at everyone like some angel from the heavens above. Ridiculous, and incredibly off-putting. "I really do need to find Cho," she says, blushing, for she shouldn't laugh at a funeral, even if it is Cedric's. "It was...interesting, talking with you."
"I meant what I said before," he replies. "When I wished you luck. You'll need it, with her."
She is angry again in a flash, her mood swings nearly dizzying. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"
The boy stares off into the distance for a moment; a sheen of unshed tears coats his eyes, and Marietta feels a rush of guilt for her harsh tone. "It's just hard to compete sometimes," he says, and abruptly snaps out of it, his expression hardening. "I should have given the speech, you know. I'd have written a proper tribute to Cedric."
"Sure," Marietta says uncertainly, moving slowly away. She is not at all sure, having no idea what to make of this strange young man. "See you in school, I suppose? I'm sorry for your loss."
"So am I," the boy replies.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-19 09:21 pm (UTC)Great first piece!
Oh, and happy belated birthday. I wanted to at least gift you a mail, but I ended up in hospital. So sorry. :(
no subject
Date: 2011-05-21 02:17 am (UTC)Thank you for reading, and for the birthday wish! It seems I'm all about Cedric here lately, aren't I? I'm already having fun writing Marietta and Zacharias together, they make for the best dialogue. :)