warmth - cedric diggory

chapter twenty three

athena rosewood and cedric diggory finally spotted one another outside the great hall, both dressed to their full potential. as soon as cedric laid his eyes on her, the candle lighting from above framing her face flawlessly, he knew that he was utterly and truly hers. he knew his heart would always belong to athena and this is the love story every person chases in their lifetime.

"you are looking quite handsome tonight, cedric diggory." athena allowed a wide smile to grow on her face as he got closer, immediately cupping her face in his hands. handsome was the understatement of the year because cedric diggory looked perfect.

"and you are the most beautiful girl in the world, athena rosewood." her cheeks grew red as he held them softly, a small giggle escaping her lips. "my beautiful, beautiful girl." his words were low like he was speaking to her in an empty room.

cedric couldn't help but stare at the beautiful brunette before him, admiring the way her face radiated while glancing up at him, the way her eyes sparkled against the ambient lighting, enjoying the knowledge of her being the most elegant girl in the room, and knowing that she was all his.

after many moments of her hands on his, his hands on her face, caressing it with his thumbs, he finally led her to the main entrance and spoke to people as they walked in. they spoke to harry and cho, neville and luna, blaise and his date, hermione and viktor, and a few other couples.

another of the four triwizard champions came up to them, fleur delacour, with her date and made small talk. athena admired the way she held herself and how elegant she was with the way she moved.

"hello, i'm fleur delacour." fleur held out her small hand to athena like she actually needed to be introduced. "you look so beautiful, cedric is very lucky." her french accent was strong as she spoke, smiling and shaking her hand.

"thank you so much, fleur. i'm athena rosewood and i'm so pleased to finally meet you. you look stunning." athena could feel her hand almost shaking from the intimidation of being around such an interesting girl, but she still felt very comfortable around the french girl.

"now, i need you all to line up in the procession, please." professor mcgonagall walked up the group of students quickly, waving her hands around in a stressed manner. the two couples looked at each other and smiled, following behind her.

athena wrapped her arm within cedric's and smiled up to him, watching as the rest of the student body piled into the main room. she couldn't help but be a tad bit nervous walking in front of everyone, but with cedric being the triwizard champion, he had to get the special treatment.

"this is quite exciting. wouldn't you agree, darling?" cedric leaned down to athena with a goofy grin and watching as people began forming a line. athena let out a breath of fresh air, feeling slight nerves growing inside her.

"it really is," she pulled him closer. "are you just as nervous as i am?" her voice was softly shaking but still as proper as it could be. all of the people looking at her while clapping and cheering with smiles across all their faces.

cedric shuffled in a comfortable manner before meeting her eyes once again. "i might be even more nervous, honestly." they both shared a giggle to one another, enjoying the presence of having one another.

hermione granger and viktor krum stood before them, her hand loosely within his. they whispered small things to one another, nothing that athena could pick up. athena could definitely pick up on the nerves the gryffindor girl was feeling but also how excited she seemed to be.

"hermione, you look wonderful." athena reached in front of her to lightly touch the girl's shoulder, a warm smile across her glossy lips. hermione jumped a bit at the touch and brought her face from viktor's.

"thank you, athena." a smile instantly formed across her mouth when their eyes met. "you look absolutely astonishing." the girls shared another smile and thank you before the doors to the ballroom opened.

cedric let out a breath of air he wasn't aware that he was holding before smiling down to athena, trying to make sure she was comfortable but also seeking comfort within her. she held the same radiant smile as before and looked up to him, mirroring his expression.

as the large golden doors opened, loud trumpets began to play. the door revealed the large group of people waiting for them, clapping and sending small cheers within themselves.

fleur and her date led them in a row as they walked through the crowd. immediately, friends of every person could be spotted with grins on their faces.  everyone appeared to be already laughing or giggling with one another, making the space feel much more comfortable.

athena and cedric wore goofy grins as they walked beside each other, clumsily but properly leaning into one other. everyone glanced in awe at the couple who not only looked absolutely beautifully together but also radiated pure joy inside and out.

"i believe everyone is cheering for you, love." cedric said to her, a small snicker in his voice. which cedric did believe this to be true, how could you not applaud and cheer for someone as beautiful as her.

athena gave him a light shove and rolled her eyes with a smile as they continued to walk through the open area within the crowd. the two easily spotted their friends who found their way to the front. belle and luna clapping politely with small cheers, edmund loudly cheering while leaning into his date to tell her that those are his best friends when the couple walks by, cedric and athena giggling over that, draco standing behind ivy while clapping and smiling, and ivy allowing herself to yell the couples names while jumping.

what did she do to deserve being so loved, athena thought about before finding her spot with cedric on the ballroom floor. while thinking about how loved she was by her friends, she looked up to cedric to see the one she loved most of all.

"what did i do to deserve you?" cedric suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts but almost like he was reading them. athena's cheeks couldn't help but warm up at his words, astonished because she thought it was the other way around.

"and what did i do to deserve you, cedric diggory?" she responded almost immediately with a smile up to him as her hand found his shoulder. cedric wore that goofy smile he always did as he admired her and found her waist.

the waltz began too quickly, as well as loudly, as it played through-out the room. before athena could think another word, they were all dancing lightly to the sound of the band.

many days were spent trying to perfect this dance for most of the people on the dance floor, all except for harry potter. athena couldn't help but glance to see the way he clumsily moved across the floor.

with all eyes on them, athena and cedric tried their best to hold eye contact, trying to be an image of a perfect couple. they, of course, didn't even have to try.

looking into cedric's eyes was definitely not a problem for anyone that could see. with flushed flawless skin, soft grey eyes, and delicate pink lips, one couldn't ever complain.

athena's mind was running around everywhere as she thought about the boy in front of her. the moment almost felt it was in slow motion. the band playing in the background, the love of her life within her own hands, and the feeling of being a princess made athena take a sharp breath followed by a large smile.

cedric almost immediately smiled back, his eyes not leaving her once, and not being able to contain the warmth within his stomach. cedric couldn't help but think about how the night just started but he already knew he'd want it to last forever.