"How long?" Sage asked in joyful surprise. "My whole life." He flushed red in embarrassment. "You've loved me your whole life?" She covered her mouth. "Yes, I know. It's pathetic." He sighed.
"No, Ced. I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever told me." she planted a soft kiss on his lips. "When did you realise you loved me?" He cupped her face. He wanted to hear her talk about him with admiration, he wanted to hear her say again, that she loved him.
"I don't know. Perhaps forever, perhaps it's only been since our trip to Italy, but, one thing is for certain. I've always cared more deeply for you than anyone else in my life, and I was never able to understand it until now." She smiled.
"What will Harper think?" Cedric asked as they made their way back to the common room, hands intertwined. "I think he'll be happy for us. I returned his heart." She informed him.
"You what?" Cedric frowned. "Never mind." She laughed. "Harper understands we aren't meant for one another. Perhaps he and Jill would make a nice couple." Sage shrugged.
"Why not Olive?" Cedric laughed. "Because Rowan and Olive are so obviously meant for one another." Sage scoffed and Cedric pushed her shoulder playfully. "I was really worried you were in love with him." Cedric changed tones. "I was never in love with him. It was simply attraction." She assured him. "At that Ravenclaw party.. I was so sure." Cedric's voice trailed off.
"I was trying to make you jealous." Sage rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel anything for Harper then." She paused. "How cruel of me." She sighed sadly. "I hurt the both of you on the way to achieving my own selfish goals."
"How is it fair that you've done nothing wrong, you've simply misunderstood. And, yet, I've been constantly angry with you, blaming you." Sage continued as they reached the common room. "I'm so sorry, Ced. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Please don't apologise, you've misunderstood too. I'm overjoyed that you feel the same way as I do, and nothing bad that happened before today means anything to me anymore." Cedric squeezed his hand affectionately.
As they entered the common room, Sage was met with a dilemma. "Cedric." She whispered. "Are you my boyfriend?" She flushed red, it felt like a silly question, but her friends would surely question their sudden closeness. Sage didn't want to lie, but she didn't know what to label them.
Cedric stopped and thought for a moment. "Will you be my boyfriend?" Sage bit her lip in embarrassment. "I'd love to." He grinned, and kissed her again. "OLIVE!"
Cedric and Sage pulled their lips apart at the sudden outburst, turning to face Jill, who was pointing at them in utter disbelief. She looked as if Merlin had come back from the dead, but it was only the sight of her two friends kissing.
"What?" Olive trudged unhappily down the stairs, she was greatly fatigued from being in the sun all day. "SAGE AND CEDRIC JUST- JUST.. KISSED!" Jill didn't move, she simply stared at them in awe.
Sage and Cedric looked at one another, both evidently holding back a laugh. "We're dating." Cedric beamed with pride, taking Sage's hand again and kissing her on the cheek. "Oh. my. god." Olive looked on the verge of passing out.
"It's finally happened." Olive wandered closer to them, as if she didn't quite believe they were really there. "Jilly.... Jilly, it's finally happened." Olive retreated, grabbing Jill's arm to support herself from falling over.
"You guys are so dramatic." Sage laughed.
----
It was the day before the end of school. All exams had been cancelled and majority of the professors were off school grounds searching for an explanation to the events of the Triwizard Tournament.
