Angelus Candidus

Chapter 2:

The sun was rising. It slowly crept up behind the line of mountains off to the south, tingeing the normal blue sky a rosy pink that promised a beautiful day, while the air was crisp and fresh, laden with morning dew. In the growing light, the Imperial City looked like a great wonderland of ice, the sun sparkling off of every turret, making the drips of moisture that fell look like diamonds, twinkling with promise.

A shadow swept across Lily's vision. She'd been standing on one of the great balconies of the Hall of the Orders, staring wistfully into the sun, thinking what a pity it was that mortals were incapable of seeing the fiery beauty of the great star directly. She'd closed her eyes, letting the light seep into her every being, smiling at the warm red glow and felt the wind on her face, blowing out the long emerald trail and full sleeves of her silken gown behind her. A wind that was neither warm nor cool, but simply was.

Lily opened her eyes in time to see a man land gracefully a few feet to her left. The sun glinted off of his great red, orange and black wings that shone as though they were on fire and his silver armor and mail glowed with a righteous luminescence. In a couple of steps, he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Hello," he murmured in her ear, his voice low and rich.

Lily leaned her head back against his shoulder, her hand snaking behind his neck where she ran it lovingly through his mop of black hair.

"Hi."

They stood that way for a while, neither speaking, as they watched the sun continue to rise, slowly giving life and color to everything, until the Celestial Bells rang out that dawn was passed and that a new day had begun.

Lily sighed and turned her head slightly. "James, Cedric left last night."

She felt more than saw James furrow his brow in slight worry. "Yes, I know. I've been watching." He suddenly moved back a bit and turned Lily around to face him, his hands planted firmly on her waist. His eyes were pained. "Lily, do you think- Can Cedric really do anything to help? You know how Harry is. He takes so much on himself that eventually he doesn't even realize how heavy the burden's become. If he keeps it up, he's going to fall..."

"Hush, James," Lily scolded her soul mate gently. "Have faith in Cedric, the boy has a good heart and a strong will. And have faith in Harry. He's your son and so like you that I sometimes drift off and wonder where Padfoot and Moony have disappeared to when I'm watching him. You wouldn't believe the similarities between the two of you."

James smiled slightly and shook his head. "Yes, I know. The hair-" Lily cut him off.

"No, not that. Similarities in spirit. I've never known anyone so noble or brave. He cherishes his friends and the ones he loves above all else; he's honest, trustworthy and loyal..." Lily trailed off as she saw her husband's cheeks turn nearly as red as the feathers of his wings. "And he blushes just that way, as well." Lily giggled when James gave her sheepish grin, but she turned somber again almost immediately. Lily suddenly hugged James tightly and buried her face in his chest.

"Harry has such a good soul. He doesn't deserve any of it, not our little boy."

James smoothed a hand caressingly over her hair, soothing her and wrapping his soft wings around them both. "I know, I know, Lily. But Harry's strong, he'll pull through, I know he will. If he really is like me, then he's as stubborn as I am as well."

Lily looked up to gaze into James's eyes. They were deep brown and blazed with concern, but with hope as well.

"You'll see, he'll be all right."

Lily's eyes filled with tears. "It's not just that. It's what the whole world expects of him, the future that's waiting for him. We both know what's coming and so does everyone down below; it's inevitable. Harry's going to be faced with all of it alone."

"No, Lily, never alone." James said softly, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Harry has Sirius to watch over him, and Remus and all of his friends and the Weasleys, and they'll all stand by him. The real problem is whether or not he'll let them." He hugged Lily closer, radiating comfort.

Lily felt herself relax in his embrace and she sighed. "Well, I suppose that's what we have Cedric for, although he's in for a harder time than he knows..." A sly grin suddenly spread across her face. "Do you know what he's planning to do?"

James couldn't help but grin as well. Lily's moods had always been infectious, and besides, he did know... "You know, my mother's a redhead..."

Lily's eyes shone with mirth and her smile widened.

James nodded in affirmation. "You've met her. The most brilliant red you could imagine," he said in a serious tone though he looked about ready to bursts out laughing. "I don't know what it is, but Potter men have always been inexplicably drawn to beautiful redheads..."

Lily raised her eyebrows and smirked. Then, leaning up on tiptoes she whispered, "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Potter..."

It was irresistible, and James found himself leaning down to capture her lips in kiss as fiery as his wings.

~*~

Harry yawned as he stared out over the lake on his way back from Quidditch practice. It had been a long and grueling session and he owed it to nobody but himself. He was the Quidditch captain, after all. Although, Harry wondered if he wasn't a bit hard on his fellow teammates... He knew they'd taken to calling him 'Captain Blood' behind his back, but he couldn't help it. Quidditch was one of his few releases from the pressures he faced. When he was in the air, dodging Bludgers, searching frantically for the Snitch, he didn't have time to worry about Voldemort or the events of last year. And as he'd previously discovered, he had fewer bad dreams when he was tired out after practice. However, Harry didn't think anyone else appreciated his tyranny...

Harry glanced up towards the castle, with its towering gray pillars and steeples. It was late afternoon and the rain from the previous night had stopped in the morning. The sun was now shining pleasantly in the sky and it was just warm enough to be comfortable without a jumper. He didn't feel much like going inside just yet; it was too nice out and he had a lot to think about, so Harry sat down on the grass near the lake, putting his Firebolt down gently next to him. He yawned again.

Quidditch practice wasn't the only reason he was tired. He'd been up until very late with Ginny in the kitchens last night where they'd spent an hour creating a huge mess and trying to avoid making a racket lest any of the house elves realize something was amiss. Harry had been relieved beyond belief (which he felt slightly guilty about) that none of the elves were up. He didn't think he could handle Dobby just then.

He'd been worried at first what on earth he was expected to talk about with Ron's little sister, but he really hadn't wanted to stay in the common room by himself, spending the remainder of the night staring gloomily into the fire. They'd walked through the corridors in silence, praying they wouldn't be caught, and Harry had nearly kicked himself for not bringing his invisibility cloak. On the other hand, he was pretty sure Ron hadn't told Ginny about the cloak, and he supposed it would be better to keep it as much of a secret as he could.

The kitchen with Ginny had been an adventure. There was no other way to describe creeping on tiptoes through the rows of counters, opening and closing cupboards, nearly having a heart attack when a pile of dishes clattered from a table and fell with a deafening crash to the floor, all the time in search of the perfect snack. Harry hadn't been particularly hungry at first, yet as time went by and Ginny still hadn't had any success in uncovering something she was in the mood to eat, his stomach took control and he found himself searching just as eagerly as she was. He'd wanted one of those chocolate eclairs Ron was so fond of, but there hadn't seemed to be any left...

In the end, they'd both settled for fudge cake and hot chocolate. Ginny had declared that when in doubt, one should always turn to chocolate and it would share its wisdom. Harry had snorted into his mug and Ginny had gone into a fit of giggles that she'd tried desperately to contain, but the only thing she'd succeeded in doing was giving Harry the giggles as well. They were both soon gasping for breath and tearing at the eyes for no reason whatsoever, and Harry discovered, with a jolt, that Ginny wasn't so bad after all.

He'd regretted it all in the morning.

How could he have? What gave him the right? Harry had really enjoyed himself and he felt terrible. Laughing about absolutely nothing, drinking chocolate, talking happily, forgetting...

There was one thing Harry had promised himself he'd never do, and that was forget. Forget the sacrifices made. Forget the endless battles and fear. Forget Cedric. Yet that was what he'd done. How could he be happy knowing that there were so many people in pain?

A light breeze ruffled Harry's hair. The lake looked calm enough, but the wind caused little ripples across its surface, making it look as though there was more activity under the small waves than there was. The waters reflected the sunlight and Harry had to look away from the bright glare.

He was torn, he realized as he picked at the grass next to him. One side of him had really enjoyed himself last night with Ginny, the side of him that had been pleasantly surprised to discover the vibrant and vivacious person he hadn't known existed before.

The other side of him simply wanted to hurt as much as he could. He knew he deserved it and he hated himself. He'd always deserved it; he'd never caused anyone anything but trouble. Even the Dursleys, Harry thought, with an ironic grin that looked more like a grimace than anything else.

The worst of it was, it was usually this side that won out in the end. Harry sighed and let himself hurt.

~*~

Cedric observed the scene before him. There was Ginny, walking cheerfully out of greenhouse five, headed towards the castle. And then a ways off, near the lake, was Harry. Cedric felt him there. He always felt when Harry was around.

He grimaced in pain again as another flash burnt through his chest. Cedric swore loudly. If he wasn't dead already Harry would have been killing him...

He stood up straight, ruffling his wings, trying to ignore it. He wasn't going to miss his chance. He had the perfect situation in mind too...

Before Ginny could get too far away, Cedric sought the calm he needed to work. Everything seemed to go silent about him for a moment and then he grinned before blowing softly in her direction.

"Fly," he commanded in a whisper.

~*~

A gust of wind caught Ginny by surprise and before she could do anything, her hat had flown off her head, the wind blowing it towards the lake.

"Hey!" she cried indignantly. "Hey! Get back here, you- you hat!" And she set off to chase after it.

It seemed to be getting even further away from her and Ginny gave a frustrated yell as she launched herself faster. Hats didn't grow on trees and she knew her mother would have something to say if she lost hers.

She was nearing a clump of bushes when she thought she heard someone call her name from behind. Ginny turned around for a moment, not stopping her pursuit, but no one was there. She turned back just in time to realize it was too late to stop...

"Oof!" Ginny toppled over whoever it was that had been sitting there, hidden behind the bushes and landed quite unceremoniously on top of him. The person gasped as the breath was knocked out of him and Ginny looked down in horror to find herself sprawled on top of the Boy Who Lived.

"Ugh, Ginny..." Harry groaned, squinting his eyes shut as he grimaced.

Ginny knew she should get up, but she was frozen in place, half from the extreme panic coursing through her and half because, well, she didn't really want to... Her mouth was agape, her eyes wide, and Ginny found herself pleading with her muscles to move before she died of embarrassment, yet her body seemed to have a mind of its own which was currently arguing right back that it was perfectly happy where it was.

Harry opened his eyes to find Ginny's horrified expression looking right down at him. Ginny watched in fascination as his shock from being bowled over gave way to realization of their situation.

"Er, Ginny?" he said softly, his face turning a brilliant shade of crimson.

Ginny stuttered for a moment, still not moving, before she finally managed to say something. "M-my hat." Well, that explained everything.

Harry shifted under her and Ginny thought her heart would jump right out of her chest. He lifted his hand, then, her hat clutched safely in his fingers.

"This hat?"

Suddenly, Ginny seemed to return to her senses. It was as if she'd been watching from the side and had suddenly been slammed back into herself. In a frantic struggle, she began trying to get off of Harry, only to find that her robes had tangled around her legs and she was making a fool of herself. Then she accidentally kneed Harry in the stomach.

"Oh! Harry! I'm so, so sorry!" Ginny finally managed to scramble up, sitting on her knees, while Harry sat up, clutching his stomach.

He shook his head. "You were looking for this?" He held the hat to her and Ginny took it, blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Er, yes. The wind caught it up. I was chasing it and I thought I heard someone calling me, so I turned around to look, only no one was there at all, and then I didn't see you, because you were behind the bushes, and I really am sorry. Did I hurt you badly?" Why was it that she always had to chatter away when she got herself into these situations?

Harry actually looked rather amused, which brought back memories from the night before. She'd had so much fun, more fun than she'd ever believed she'd have with Harry. And he'd actually laughed...

"Don't worry, I'm fine. You're the one who fell, are you all right?"

Well. Wasn't that just like Harry? Never caring about himself and only worrying about everyone else. Ginny had her thoughts in connection to that particular trait, but she didn't say anything at the moment.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. You, er, cushioned my landing..." Had she just said that?!

Harry seemed to be wondering the same thing, as his cheeks turned pink in a way that Ginny found adorable and he stared at the ground.

The accursed wind was blowing Ginny's hair all over the place, so she turned to face it. Harry's voice suddenly came uncertainly from behind.

"If you're already here, do you want to..." he didn't quite seem to know how to finish.

Ginny felt herself smile in spite of her embarrassment. "Keep you company?" she finished for him, proud of her steady voice. "Of course." She sat back next to him, her hat held firmly in her lap.

There was silence all around them, save the whispering of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees of the forest. She didn't know about Harry, but Ginny felt that the silence was companionable rather than awkward; there was something about the way the wind was blowing and the way the sun reflected in the ripples of the lake that put her at peace, slowly making everything that had just happened disappear. Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath, sighing it out in content.

"Ginny?" Harry sounded as relaxed as she felt and she wondered what magic the air held today that made everything seem so tranquil.

"Hmm?" she answered, her eyes still closed.

"About yesterday..."

Ginny opened her eyes abruptly and sat up straighter. There was something in Harry's voice that made her feel as though he didn't feel quite right about it. She'd had the most wonderful time herself. She'd never imagined she'd find herself sneaking around the castle at night with Harry.

Everyone had known of her crush on the green-eyed boy, and everyone had called it childish and thought she'd grow out of it. In a way, Ginny supposed she had grown out of her little schoolgirl crush. But it was more that the crush had grown into something so much bigger than anything she could explain. She'd always felt some sort of connection to Harry, and it had only got bigger as time passed. Ginny had learned to hide it as well as she could yet every so often, Harry did something that caused a blush to rise to her cheeks. It didn't even necessarily have to have something to do with her. It was the way he treated people. He was kind and caring and courageous and at the same time so humble, as though anyone would do the things he did. It was that belief, that most people were just like him that made him so... Harry. He didn't even realize how special he was, and Ginny loved him all the more for it. For that was what her crush had developed into.

Ginny would never admit it, but she loved Harry with all her heart, every part of him; the sweetness and the stubbornness, his kind-heart and his anger, his maturity and the impossible boyishness that there was to him. It was all part of a whole that made him who he uniquely was.

And now, Ginny hoped desperately that he didn't regret having fun last night. But she knew him. She'd been thrilled when she'd managed to get him to laugh but Harry was so chivalrous, he probably felt guilty about that now as well.

"Harry," she said abruptly, cutting off whatever he was about to say, "I know what you're going to say. But you're wrong."

Harry looked at her incredulously, but Ginny plowed ahead, knowing she couldn't just stand on the sidelines and watch Harry hurt himself anymore.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stop blaming yourself for whatever happened last year. I know you probably think it's not my place to butt in, but I can't do this anymore. You're hurting yourself, Harry, and no matter what did happen, no one deserves being punished as much as you're punishing yourself. And you know? You're hurting your friends as well. Do you how much it bothers Ron and Hermione that they can't help you? And they know what happened! Imagine how it is for everyone else that loves you and cares for. We don't even have that much to help you with. We can't even help you take some of the load. You think you're doing everyone a favor by hiding what happened? By tormenting yourself? Instead of being the hero, you're causing everyone more pain and grief."

Ginny's face was flushed. She hadn't realized how strongly she had felt about this but now that she was letting it all out she couldn't stop. Harry, on the other hand, was staring at her in shock, his eyes growing rounder with each word out of her mouth, confirming what Ginny thought. She was getting it all right. She knew Harry Potter, she felt she always had, and just because he didn't talk to her all that much, or because Ron didn't include her in anything, didn't mean that she couldn't watch him and wish. It was in the way he held himself, and the way he treated his friends and her family. She knew Harry Potter as well as the back of her hand.

Ginny suddenly lowered her voice to a sorrowful tone. "Harry, Cedric is dead. You didn't kill him. I know that more than I know anything. I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, it definitely wasn't your fault. Do you think you're helping Cedric, wherever he is? Because I assure you, Harry, there is life after death and you know it. You knew Cedric. Do you think he'd be happy knowing you were blaming yourself for something that couldn't be helped? I don't think so and if you'd think about it, I think you'd come to the same conclusion, eventually."

The sudden silence that surrounded them as Ginny finished speaking seemed to ring in her ears. Had she really just told him all of that? Ginny had wanted to say some of those things for forever, but she'd never intended to, and now, when she looked at Harry, he looked even more hurt than usual. Ginny immediately knew that she'd gone too far, speaking to him so harshly. She'd been much too negative and instead of helping him, she knew she'd done a lot more damage. Now Harry had to worry about how much he was hurting everyone else, and he'd feel guilty about that as well. Not only that but how could she have been so blunt when speaking of Cedric?! Ginny wished she'd just kept her mouth shut, but it was too late now.

Harry seemed even smaller and more alone than he had before and Ginny couldn't help the tears that threatened to spill at his expression. Before he could see her cry, she got up and ran as quickly as she could back to the castle.

~*~

Cedric grimaced and clutched at his side as he watched Ginny race away. What had gone wrong? He'd agreed with everything she'd said, but Harry hadn't taken it so well. Actually, he hadn't taken it well at all.

Ginny disappeared behind the great doors to the castle, still crying and Cedric turned back to where Harry was. Cedric was a ways off, but he could see him, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chin and his arms wrapped around them. Cedric didn't have to get any closer to see that Harry was absolutely miserable.

The situation was getting worse every day and Cedric didn't know what to do anymore. Ginny was so shy and Harry so reserved, it was driving him mad.

Cedric sighed. He couldn't give up hope, not yet. He had to have faith and he'd do everything in his power to make those two clash together as often as he could. If they bumped into each other enough, they were bound to say the right thing in the end. He didn't care if it took him thirty years. He'd do it.

Cedric turned to leave, ignoring the pounding headache that had become a constant since he'd come down, but he froze in his tracks when he found himself face to face with Cho.

She didn't see him. She couldn't see him. That was the first thing he realized, and it hurt him more than anything Harry felt. Then, the next moment, she'd passed right through him. Electricity shot through every inch of him and he shivered at the sudden warmth that banished the freezing cold he felt as long as he was there. In a moment, it had passed, and he spun around to watch her leave.

But Cho was looking behind her in confusion, at the exact place he stood. Her eyes were filled with grief yet a sudden spark of hope shone as she seemed to look straight at him. Cedric's heart gave a wrench and he found he couldn't stand watching her and not being able to- to...

In a flash of white light he was gone.

~*~

It had been like a summer breeze and it had smelled of- him. But when she looked, there had been nothing there at all. Immediately, the glimmer of hope had been snuffed out. She'd turned to go, yet before she left, something compelled her to look down.

There, laying softly on the grass, was a great white feather, that shone almost too brightly in the sunlight. She'd never seen anything like it before; it looked as though it reached from her elbow to the end of her fingertips.

Slowly, and with much trepidation, she bent down to pick it up. It was as warm as the breeze had been and so soft, she almost didn't feel it, and for some reason, it made her think of-

Cho started in surprise as the feather melted away in between her fingertips.