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One
There is a loud cheer of jubilation in the Great Hall and Hermione glances around in curiosity. She wants to ask Cedric why he decided to enter the Triwizard Championship. Did his mates pressure him into it? Does he think that it's going to be a bit of a lark? Cedric Diggory with his grey eyes and quiet manner has never seemed the sort to crave eternal glory and adulation.
Two
The library has always been Hermione's place of refuge. Now and then when she encounters Cedric, she is aware that her face turns slightly red. She can feel the heat across her skin.
She's always rather fancied the tall Hufflepuff - his intellect is as appealing to her as his sporting prowess is to other girls.
When his eyes met hers across the library and the expression in them is always unreadable.
Hermione wishes she had the courage to ask Cedric what's on his mind when he looks at her in that way.
Three
It's the Yule Ball.
Most boys with someone as pretty as Cho Chang at their side wouldn't have had eyes for anyone else.
As Hermione waits for Viktor to get her a drink, she sees Cedric giving her an almost imperceptible nod of approval as his eyes travel over her hair, her blue dress and back up to her face.
Hermione wants to ask Cedric why he keeps glancing her way.
Four
Harry tells her that while he was in the lake, he watched Cedric pull a knife out of his pocket and cut Cho free.
He says that after relasing Cho, Cedric hesitated and reached out his hand to cut Hermione free.
"He did?"
"Yeah.
Hermione listens as Harry tells her of how half a dozen mermen had pulled the young Hufflepuff away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing.
"You take your own hostage," they had told him. "Leave the others ..."
The same thing had happened to Harry when he tried to free Hermione.
Hermione knows why Harry tried to save her but she wishes she could ask Cedric why he tried to save her...
Five
Hermione stands by Harry's side and her eyes are stinging. The Great Hall is silent except for Dumbledore's words. She thinks about the waste of a precious and brilliant young life.
"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
At the end of all things, she wants to ask Cedric if it was really worth it.
Hermione adds her question to the list of questions that she will never be able to ask the Boy Who Died.
End