Battle of Blood

Chapter Two

"Delia!" Cedric shook her awake, his hands gripping her tightly "Hurry up!"

"Geez" Delia said groggily. She looked outside the window, and saw the Hogwarts train station was coming up. She shot up, panic in her eyes "My uniform! I've got to change!"

Cedric handed her her Slytherin robes "Cho and I have been looking for you everywhere. I thought you'd been kidnapped, Delia"

Delia motioned for him to turn around, and he did so with no hesitation "Cho?" Delia shimmied out of her jeans and quickly buttoned up her grey skirt.

"Yes. She found me after you left. Why'd it take you so long, anyways?" He fiddled with her tie, which was still in his hands "The trolley woman said you never came up to her"

Delia stopped buttoning up her shirt "I.." She resumed buttoning it, more slowly this time "I got sidetracked. You can turn around now"

Cedric turned back to her as she sat on the seats to put on her shoes and robe "Sidetracked with what?"

Delia chewed her lip "Nothing. Not important" She slipped on her shoes over her socks, messing with the hem of them as she did "I just needed some air"

"That's a lie" He sat down next to her "You can tell me, Delia"

His eyes stared straight into her, and Delia wanted to shrink back into the wall. She hated when he did that. It felt like his stare forced words she didn't want to say out of her mouth with no quarrel from her brain. But on this subject, she had some autonomy. 

"It was nothing. I handled it" She took her tie from him and began putting it on "Where is Cho, anyway? Is she dressed?" Delia flicked her eyes to Cedric's robes, and wondered if they had.. No. Not on the train, at least.

"She was still checking compartments last time I checked" He shrugged, and picked up Delia's street clothes "We should go get your bag"

Delia nodded, but the door slid open. Cho stood there, her smile faltering when she saw Delia. Cho stood a few inches taller than Delia, and very much intimidated her. She was all things beauty and kindness, despite how much Delia wanted to dislike her. 

"Hey" Cho said with a weary smile "Found you"

Cedric chuckled brightly, shoving Delia's clothes at her to embrace Cho "I was hoping you would"

"Hi Delia" Cho said, content with Cedric's arm around her waist "Are you okay?"

Delia nodded "Oh, yeah. Just got a little motion sickness" She made a circular motion with her finger "You know, with the train and all"

Cho nodded "We should go, Cedric. I'd like us to be in the same carriage"

Cedric smiled at her warmly "Me too. Bye, Delia. See you in there"

The pair left before Delia could even say goodbye, leaving her alone.

Delia morphed into the crowd of students flooding into the Great Hall. Candles lit the large dining hall, and all the professors sat at the back on a raised dias. She spotted a large fluff of hair at the Gryffindor table and made her way through the throngs of students. 

"Hermione" Delia tapped her friends shoulder "How are you?"

Hermione turned and smiled brightly "Delia! I've been wondering where you've been. I was hoping to see you on the train"

"Sorry. I wasn't feeling well. I sort of hid away in a compartment alone" Delia sighed "How was your summer?"

"Eventful" Was all she said, but Delia didn't miss the far away look in her eye. She stood to be eye level with her friend "Might I have a word? Before dinner?" Delia nodded, and the pair locked arms as they moved outside the Great Hall with their heads hung low.