In My Eyes

Chapter 4

.................

Alyce walked into The Forbidden Forest. 'What could be so forbidden about it?' thought Alyce.

She remembered talking walks with Cedric, holding hands outside the forest, and at the lake.

The cool wind inside The Forbidden Forest made Alyce's spirit rise. She felt calm and peaceful.

When she was younger, Alyce was in a muggle shop, and she was listening to a CD. It had The Nutcracker Suite on it, and it played in Alyce's head, and she danced around, the music playing in her head. She felt so alive. She did high split jumps, twirls, everything really. It made her feel so good.

She had went to ballet in the Summer, and she practised her airs and graces, jumping here and there. Then she stopped, she had used a lot of energy up.

She came to a fork in the dirty path. She took the right lane, walking with her head high, not a care in the world.

Then she thought she heard Cedric say something. "Go back Alyce, it isn't safe here."

"It's perfectly calm and safe," said Alyce, outloud.

"Please Alyce," begged the voice. "Turn around, go back to the castle, it is too dangerous."

"Leave me alone. I am perfectly safe, nothing can hurt me."

"Alyce."

"LEAVE ME!" Alyce shouted, frightening some birds roosting in the trees.

'Wait,' thought Alyce. 'That can't be right, it's the morning, why would the birds be roosting?'

Alyce looked up. It was very dark. It was like a Winter's night. Alyce rubbed her arms. She was feeling cold.

'This isn't right,' she thought. 'How can this be possible?'

She heard a raucous noise in a bush. Alyce screamed, and ran as fast as her feet would go. She turned many corners, getting to forks and running through the right lane.

Alyce stopped. She had come to a small clearing. In the middle, was a large, clean looking pond. She walked over to it. It was a beautiful shade of dark blue, looking like the same shade of her eyes.

She looked into the blue water. She saw her reflection. The mirror Alyce smiled, she was standing next to a boy with brown hair and grey eyes.

Alyce gasped. He looked so real. She turned her head to the left. And standing right next to her, was a tall boy, with a strong build. It was Cedric Diggory.

***

Alyce opened her mouth to scream, but Cedric's hand covered it. "Sh," he said putting a finger to his lips. "Don't scream."

"Cedric?" Alyce asked, her eyes going watery. Cedric put his hand down.

"It's me," he answered smiling.

"But......but you're....."

"Dead?" Cedric asked.

"Yes, you were killed. You-Know-Who killed you, you can't be alive, it's impossible."

"I saw how sad you were, Alyce. I love you, I didn't want you to be upset or angry. I can't explain how, but I come alive for 2 hours every week here, at this very pond."

Cedric was about to say more, but Alyce stopped him, with a gentle kiss.

He pulled her closer, and made the kiss more passionite. Alyce felt whole again, like her body had been smashed, and Cedric had put the final piece back together again.

When they stopped, Alyce cuddled into her love, her arms around his broad neck. Cedric put his arms around Alyce's waist, as if protectively.

"Was that you who told me to turn back?" Alyce whispered into Cedric's shoulder.

"Yes, there were dangerous creatures near you, but you were to distracted to notice. I made that loud sound so you would run. But you somehow found this place, I don't know how, but I'm glad you did."

"I didn't mean what I said, you know, when I said 'Leave me.' I didn't know it was you, Cedric. Please, don't leave me," Alyce begged, near tears.

"I can't, Alyce. If I had the choice, I would stay with you forever. I love you, I want to be with you. But I can't. That's how it works."

For the first time in her life, Alyce cried, properly, into Cedric's shoulder. She hated You-Know-Who for killing Cedric. And she also hated whoever stopped Cedric from being with her, Forever.

"Don't cry, my love," Cedric whispered into her hair. "Somehow, I will come back and stay with you for the rest of your life. I promise you that I will find a way for me to live again. With you."

Alyce had stopped crying, and she lifted her head, and kissed Cedric, softly.

"Goodbye, Alyce. It is time for you to leave."

***

Saturday 1995

It wasn't a dream. Cedric was there and real. He must have transported me back here to the dormitory magically. Next week, I will find the clearing. Even if it takes me all day to find it. And Cedric will be there, waiting.......

Alyce lay on her bed, looking through her diary. She hadn't written much, mainly about Cedric and Cho. She was confused. Who was she to be friends with now. Cho would have got the other members of their girl gang on her side. Now Alyce was alone. 'No you're not,' said her mind. 'You have Cedric.'

Cedric.........

***

It was only 10:00 am. Alyce was suprised. She decided to go to the library. Nobody would disturb her there. Simply because of the 'No Talking' rule, which Alyce was glad of.

After giving her dark hair a brush, Alyce walked down into the common room. Her fellow Ravenclaws were laughing, joking around, and some were desperatley trying to do homework.

She went out through the portrait-hole, curtseying to the distinguished gentleman in the portrait. He liked it when young women did that, and lifted his hat at her.

Alyce hurried along through the corridors. She occasionally went through tapestries, for it seemed that she knew more about the castle than Filch!

She was soon at the door of the library. She opened it up carefully, as if not wanting to be seen. She sat down at an empty desk near the door, and opened up her potions book.

Alyce couldn't concentrate on any page in her book. She kept on thinking about her mad social life. First of all, there was the fact that she had a dead person for a boyfriend. Secondly, her 'former' best friend, now known as Da Big Bitch, had taken all of Alyce's friends from her, leaving Alyce like some tramp. And thirdly, she had all the stupid secrets that Cho had told her.

'Just a tick,' she thought, cunningly. 'I can threaten her now.' Alyce pretty face made a ghastly broad grin.

***

Cho Chang decided to a walk to calm herself down, after the 'incident' that had happened.

A boy with messy black hair came toards. She recognized him instantly.

"Hi Harry!" beamed Cho.

"Em....er.....hi," said Harry, weakly.

Their conversation went rather s-l-o-w-l-y, as if Harry was German, and knew only a few English words.

Cho was deperate for a boyfriend, even if he was a toy-boy. Soon, they were walking back towards the castle, with Harry a beetroot colour.

"Oh dear God," said Cho, nervously. Hanging on a flag pole were her Wonderbra's, (all different colours, including lime-green), with writing in bright, flashing paint: 'Property of Cho Chang, the girl with the black hair, and a flat chest. Mainly known as the Ravenclaw seeker.'

Alyce, who had squeezed her lavanist amethyst, watched with delight as many people pointed to Cho's lingerie, then to Cho, and back again. Cho turned bright-pink and ran of into the castle, crying.

All Harry could do was laugh, nervously.

Alyce thought 'Slytherins are so useful nowadays.'

***

'Why does it have to be so bloody cold?' thought Alyce. It was 11 o'clock, on the dot, and minus 2 degrees.

Alyce had squeezed her amethyst, and only had her thin, silk cloak on. Problem was, being a shadow does nothing for your body temperature.

She heard a sound: "Alyce? Alyce, are you there?" It was her brother, Malcolm, calling her. Alyce squeezed her amethyst yet again, and appeared faster than the speed of light.

Malcolm too, squeezed his lavanist amethyst. "Lovely day for a chat, eh?" he said, grinning.

"Why did you want to speak to me, and what does my new Krup look like?" demanded Alyce.

"The Krup looks like any other, and I am here for 2 reasons. My first, is that Dad got us tickets for the Wilbourne Wasps game. Secondly, I want you to know that, that,"

"That what?" asked Alyce impatiently.

"That, thatdracofanciesyou," Malcolm said quickly.

"What?"

"Gotta run, see ya!" shouted Malcolm, and he sped towards the castle.

"MALCOLM!" Alyce screamed. She hadn't heard what he had said, but it must have been important if he got her to come out near midnight!

Alyce sighed, she would never understand her sibling. After giving her amethyst a squeeze, Alyce walked towards the castle, feeling colder than ever. It was weird, she was never cold. Again, she sighed, and began murmuring under her breath.

She was still invisible when she came into her dormitory. She walked past all the beds, looking at her room-mates individually. All of them had been like her best friend, (discluding Cho), and in her heart she still loved them all, (with the exception of Cho Chang).

She walked over to the mirror. Though no one could see her, Alyce could see herself in the mirror.

She didn't know why, but Alyce began singing to herself, and she had a beautiful soprano voice:

"Turn back the clock, spirit please, hear my pray,

Return the light, oh return the light of day,

The gates of Death, the gates of Death unlock.

I am singing to the Deep, not for power, not for gold,

I am singing to the Deep, not to stop me growing old,

I am singing, let me keep, one small life.

Let time unwind, to the moment when the knife,

Cut the thread, cut his precious thread of Life,

And I was left, and I was left behind.

I am singing to the Deep, not for power, not for gold,

I am singing to the Deep, not to stop me growing old,

I am singing, let me keep, one small life,

One small life, one small life."

Alyce felt better, squeezed her amethyst, got unchanged, and got into bed. She slept easily that night, a long, dreamless sleep.

***

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. The warm thrill of Summer had gone, and now the cold breeze of December had settled at Hogwarts. Every week, Alyce would go to the pond, and meet Cedric, the only thing that kept her together.

One particular Saturday, after Alyce and Cedric had embraced, Alyce began talking about how Cedric could come alive.

"For the past 4 months," Alyce began, "I have been searching through the library, including the restricted-section, about how we can resurrect you. There is just one negative thing. We need a sacrifise. Someone must be killed to take your place in death. It will never work without one."

"Who must it be?" Cedric asked. "Which unlucky person will be chosen to take my place in death? You could be sent to Azkaban for this."

"What the Ministry doesn't know, cannot be used against us."

"But they will find out, Alyce. We are permanatley watched, we can't do anything without them knowing. It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible."

"How will you explain when I do come alive? I can never go into public. I would have to hide in a forest or something, because people know I have been killed. It's been posted world-wide, I don't want you to be locked up, just so I can walk the Earth alive."

"I want what you want."

"I want you to be happy, and for me to stay like this. I know I promised I would find a way, but I can't. This can be the only way we will be together."

"It's more likely that you don't want to be happy again. To be free, to be happy, to have me. Don't you want this? I am giving you a chance...."

But Cedric cut her off.

"You may be giving me a chance to be a living human, but that means taking someone else's. I'm sorry Alyce, I can't do that," said Cedric, looking at her painfully.

"I'm sorry Cedric."

"Why?"

"I don't know what's happening to me, I've not been myself. I feel so.........strange, like this isn't me, in my body. It scares me." said Alyce, her head down.

"All I seem to know is that, that I love you." she said, looking into Cedric's grey eyes.

"I love you too Alyce. You're everything to me. I just, I just don't want someone to die so I will live. That's like I'm mudering to stay alive. I can't live like that. In fact, I can't live at all." Cedric chuckled slightly after he spoke.

"Mmph," muttered Alyce, nuzzling her head into Cedric's chest. He put his arms around her, kissing her hair.

"Remember that song you used to sing?" whispered Cedric.

"I'm wishing on a star," Alyce sang. "To follow where you are.

I'm wishing on a dream, to follow what it means.

And I'm wishing on all the rainbows, that I see.

I'm wishing on the people who live in dreams.

I'm wishing on a star, to follow where you are."

"Yeah, I loved that song," said Cedric, smiling. "And your voice always makes it better.

Alyce smiled up at him. She wanted to be with him always. But she couldn't. It was like what Cedric had said: 'That's how it works.'

***

It was weird, when Alyce woke up. She did not write in her diary, because now she had no diary. She had burnt it, when she walked in on Cho opening it on Sunday. Strangely enough, Cho had marmalade poured down her neck that very same day at breakfast.

***

The Ravenclaw table had a normal breakfast on Wednesday. There was no porridge or marmalade poured down people's back, which was a start.

Alyce was buttering her toast. Fortunatley, it was raining so there was no singing birds or cooing pigeons. She looked at the Slytherin table. Malcolm was obviously telling a story, because there was much laughter and hand movement involved.

She saw a pale, blonde boy with grey eyes like Cedric's looking at her. She didn't know who he was, but she returned to her toast ignoring him.

She took a small bite of her toast, she wasn't very hungry. While she nibbled, she could hear Cho talking to Jemima.

"What are you doing for the Christmas Holidays? My dad is taking me to Switzerland to go skiing. I'll bet you 7 galleons that I'll get a boyfriend in less than a day!" Cho said, vainly.

The nice way of putting it, was that Jemima was a very disturbed little girl. "Oooh," she said, mysteriously.

"Yeah, it is so cool, isn't it?" Cho said, swinging her black hair. It was a bit tuggy, due to the marmalade.

Alyce shook her head. 'She'll never learn.' she thought.

The blonde Slytherin snickered, as if reading her thoughts.

***

Alyce was sitting next to Calisto, one of the girls who had not ditched her for Cho. Calisto had long, blone hair, which shined like golden sun-rays. She had brown eyes, and a 'strong' nose. She had a build like a model. Calisto was pretty, and she knew it. She wasn't vain, but she didn't complain about herself, either.

Calisto smiled at Alyce. She always thought Alyce was better than Cho. She didn't act like some blonde bimbo, which Cho did, minus the blonde part.

They still had a few minutes before Professor Flitwick came in. Calisto felt like bitching.

"Oh...my...God," she said slowly. Alyce looked at where Calsito was looking at. Cho had come into the classroom, with....

"A Slytherin?!" spat Alyce, quietly.

"That's what it looks like. Maybe that marmalade go into Cho's thick head, and damaged her tiny, useless brain," drawled Calisto, sniggering.

Alyce giggled, Calisto was always her favourite in the old gang.

Neither of them knew this Slytherin's name, but they knew she was ugly. She had curly, thick, unbrushed ginger hair, and a nose the shape of a pea-pod. Her cheeks swelled out into beach balls, and she had big eyes, but tiny iris', so she always looked horrified. Her hands were huge, with dirty, bitten fingernails. And the strangest thing was that her arm was linked with Cho's.

"I knew you had no decency, Cho, but pur-lease hide it from those of us who do," bitched Calisto, with one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows raised.

The whole class were in fits of laughter, both Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Cho walked past, ignoring them all, sitting at the desk at the very back of the room. Her Slytherin friend, however, had not budged.

"You're jushed jealish," she said sticking her nose up at them. She also had lime-green braces.

"Hey, aren't they the same colour as your favourite Wonderbra, Cho?" asked Alyce. The whole class turned to look at Cho. She had her head down, her face pink, looking at her book with a stone expression. 'This,' thought Alyce, 'Used to have control over my life. Now, she is nothing.'

"Let's ignore these pieces of slime," said Calisto loudly. "After all, they're not worth thinking about."

She was about to say more, but Professor Flitwick came in, and Calisto closed her mouth, sharpish.

***

At dinner, Alyce sat next to Calisto. The two of them enjoyed each other's company.

Alyce was about to eat a bit of steak pie, when the other 3 girls of Alyce's old gang came over. Looking down the table, Cho was eating silently, by herself.

"Alyce? Calisto? Would you like, mind, if we like, you know, all sat together?" said Serena, her dark-blue hair shining in the candle light.

"Whatever," said Calisto, without much enthusiasm.

"Wow, it's like, us again, except, you know, without her," said Gabrielle, pointing with her thumb.

"She tries to hard," reported Sky.

All five of them were different looking. Alyce had black hair and dark blue eyes. Calisto had blonde hair and brown eyes. Sky had chesnut hair and light blue eyes, hence the name 'Sky'. Gabrielle had bleached hair and green eyes, and Serena had (dyed) blue hair and grey eyes. All of their hair was silky, long and straight.

"Well, the girls and I, we like, hate her, she is like, such, you know, bitch! Then we were all like, thinking, 'Hey, weren't we, like, happier with like, Cal and Alyce?"

"Are we still friends?" asked Sky.

Calisto looked at Alyce. Alyce smiled at her friends. "Of course, who said we broke friends?" asked Alyce.

The others smiled back. Alyce felt normal. For once.

***

"So, you are all friends again? Minus Cho?" asked Cedric.

Alyce and Cedric were lying on the ground in the clearing. Alyce's head was perched on Cedric's neck. He was always so comfortable.

"Yeah, minus Cho," replied Alyce, dreamilly. It was the day of the Christmas Holidays, and out of the five, only Alyce and Gabrielle had stayed.

***

When Alyce had left, she went into the dormitory, and found Gabrielle, reading. The first thing that made Alyce gasp was the fact that Gab hadn't any make up on. The second thing was reading. Gabby hadn't touched a fiction for years.