tell me you love me (cedric and draco)

twenty one

You always looked out for me. Always.

One detention. That's all I got for slapping Pansy, which was totally worth it. It was even better that I was given detention with Hagrid, so really I didn't even have a punishment. And, he adores Hermione. He wasn't exactly pleased that I slapped her while in his class, but he did tell me good job once I was off the hook.

I walk to Hagrid's hut after dinner, the sky already a dark blue. A few stars sprinkle the atmosphere shining brightly through the clouds that have arrived.

"Stargazing?"

I jump at the voice and spin around, my wand already pulled from my pocket. "Lumos."

Cedric stands a few feet behind me, hands raised in defense. "Just me."

"Bloody hell, Cedric, you nearly gave me a heart attack. His smile falters slightly and he coughs as he lowers his hands, uncomfortable. "What are you doing out here?"

"Have to go down to the quidditch pitch for a meeting on the final task," he says quietly.

"And you're over here because...?"

"Harry told me you had detention with Hagrid, so I thought I'd come and say hi."

"Just hi?" I ask, raising a brow.

"And that I miss you. A lot," he adds sheepishly. I bite my lip and look at him, trying to figure out what's happening in his head. "I miss you, Lulu," he says again, walking closer to me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him, tucking my head under his chin.

"Can we talk about everything tonight?" I ask, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"Of course," he murmurs. "Meet me outside the Hufflepuff common room at 9?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." I pull myself from his arms gently and shiver at the sudden coolness.

"Take this," Cedric says lightly, wrapping his scarf around my neck in absence of my own.

"Now I look like a Hufflepuff," I joke. "But at least it smells like you." He smiles for the first time in a while.

"I'll see you tonight, okay? Now I'm going to go, or else we'll both be late," he laughs. He pushes his lips against my forehead before turning back around and walking to the quidditch pitch.

I keep my wand in front of me, still lit, as I walk the rest of the way to Hagrid's. Only once I see the light of the hut do I murmur "nox."

"Since when are you a Hufflepuff?"

I jerk forwards and turn my wand onto whoever had just spoken into my ear. "Did I scare you, darling?"

"I am not your darling," I say, readjusting myself. "Did you follow me here?"

"Not everything is about you, Lolo. I've detention tonight with the oaf, Hagrid."

"Don't call him that," I hiss.

"Sorry," he mumbles. We walk silently next to each other, the only noise our feet on the ground. "You and Diggory good now?"

"What? Oh, um. We're working on it," I tell him meekly.

"You two ready for tonight?" Hagrid bellows from the door of his hut, Fang by his side.

"Yeah right," Draco mutters and I elbow him in the side.

"Shut up," I laugh. Out of the corner of my eye I see him smile, a real, genuine smile.

"I don't really 'ave anything fer yer to do," Hagrid says when we arrive on the step. "Well, maybe yer could plant more gold for yer classes tomorrow..." he thinks aloud. "Yeah, we'll do that... let's see..."
He walks back into his hut and grabs a few bags of leprechaun gold. "Here yer go," he says, dropping the bags into our hands. "Now just burry these in that patch there, the one we used right there today."

Draco and I walk to the patch to plant the gold. I get down on my hands and knees to do this, since we can't use magic.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I retort, looking at him.

"I don't want to get my robes all dirty," he scoffs. I roll my eyes.

"Sorry pretty boy, but you can't use magic." I smile at him. "You'd better start now before I'm already done and I leave you here."

"You wouldn't do that."

"I would, and I fully intend to do so if you don't get your arse over here and help me." I hear him sigh and he slowly sinks to the ground besides me. "What did you have detention for?" I ask, trying to make conversation to make time go faster.

He smiles. "I put a skunk in the Slytherin girl's dormitories."

I snort. "Why would you do that? And how did you even get in trouble? I thought you were Snape's favorite."

"Well, I kinda am," he smirks. "But, when the skunk then pollutes our entire common room, well.... anyone would get into trouble for that. As to why I did it?" he pauses. "Pansy. I saw what she said about you in that interview."

I stop burying the coins for a moment. "Wait- so you did that for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I don't do anything for any girl, even you Lolo," he winks.

I smile to myself and go back to digging in the dirt, wanting to finish early so I can change before I see Cedric.

Suddenly, a silver phoenix swings through the air and into Hagrid's hut. "Patronus?" I say aloud, to no one in particular. "Dumbledore," I whisper, so quietly I'm not sure Draco even heard. I stand up and start to run to where the patronus was cast from , ignoring Draco yelling. I finally reach an area in the trees where I can see someone, though they don't look like Dumbledore. Then I run into something.

"Lauren?"

"Harry?" I back away from his chest and he looks down at me. "Did you see a man? Barty Crouch?"

"From the ministry? Wait- I thought Percy said he was ill?" I drop my voice in case someone is near by.

"I know, but-"

"Lauren! You can't just- oh, 'ello there 'arry."

"Why were you with Hagrid?" Harry asks.

"Detention. Was that Dumbledore's patronus?"

"Yes it was, Ms. Miller," Dumbledore says, appearing from thin air. "Hagrid, I need you to grab Professor Karkaroff for me immediately. Then, please find Professor Moody-"

"No need, Dumbledore," someone wheezed from behind me. I turned around quickly to see Moody, hobbling over on his peg leg. "Would've gotten here quicker if it weren't for this damn leg," he curses. "Snape said something about Crouch-"

"Crouch?" Hagrid says blankly.

"Karkaroff, please!"

"Oh right." Hagrid turns on his heel and disappears into the trees, Fang trailing.

"It is essential we find Crouch," Dumbledore tells Moody, who grunts that he's on it. He moves into the woods where Harry had seen Crouch go, and Dumbledore turns to Harry and me. "You two will need to return to the castle. I can trust Ms. Miller to escort you, Harry?"

I nod. "Good. And letter sending or talking you may want to do tonight can wait until tomorrow, Harry. And visiting others tonight, Lauren. Straight to the common room."

We start to walk back, our path lit with our wands. "How did he know I wanted to send a letter to Sirius?"

"How did he know I was meeting Cedric?" I sigh. "He's going to think I ditched him. Great, just great. But you," I say, pointing to Harry, "are telling me everything that happened tonight before I showed up. Right now."