Expecto Patronum || Cedric Diggory x Hufflepuff Female Reader

~ s e v e n ~

TW: I honestly don't know how much detail there needs to be for a trigger warning but there is an extremely small mention of abuse.

A week has gone by since the quidditch match and I'm preparing to get ready to go into Hogsmeade. It's the first week that students in third year and above get to go. I was going to browse some shops with Cedric for a little bit and then meet up with Sofia and Leona who were shopping with their boyfriends while I was with Cedric.

I slowly take off my robes, making sure my dorm room door was locked. I roll up the sleeves of the white shirt underneath and gently rub my pointer finger on the many scars and bruises that line my arms. I look at myself in the mirror. Just your average popular girl from the outside. Just that Hufflepuff who is simple and just pretty, many a couple brain cells here and there. Yeah, just that girl. Nobody cares what happens in the comfort of her "home."

I snap out of my self-pity session and look at the clock. It's almost time so I grab a yellow long sleeved shirt and throw my winter jacket on top of it and finish the look with my Hufflepuff scarf.

I meet Cedric at the entrance to Hogsmeade. He's wearing a light green jacket and a red hat with his Hufflepuff scarf around his neck.

"Hey y/n," he greets me when I see him.

"Hey Ced," I smile.

We go through a couple of stores and are just talking and wandering around. He asks me to go to his house for the holiday break and of course I say yes. After a little bit, he says that he has to go meet up with some of his friends so we split paths. Having still an hour before my meetup time with Sofia and Leona, I wander around a bit. Soon I realize that I hear a familiar voice.

It's Hermione talking to a red-head. I assume it was her friend Ron Weasley who she talks about on occasion. They're looking out on the Shrieking Shack.

I was about to go up to her to say hi really quickly before I see a blond boy and two other shorter brunettes run up to Hermione and Ron.

"You two shopping for your new dream home?" the blond boy says. "A bit grand for you isn't it weaselbee? Don't your family sleep in uhhh one room?"

"Shut up Malfoy," Ron says.

Malfoy? I wonder. Draco Malfoy?

"Let's show weaselbee here how to respect his superiors," he puffs out his chest.

"Hope you don't mean yourself!" Hermione steps in front of Ron with an angered look.

"How dare you talk to me you filthy little mudblood!" Draco snaps at my friend.

That's when I step in and cross my arms in front of him.

"Who are you?" Draco asks.

"Nice to finally meet you too, Draco Malfoy. I'm y/n Freeman. Hufflepuff 5th year prefect," I show off my prefect badge a little too much.

"Wha- What do you want?" he's stumbling on his words.

"I sense trouble so um, I have to take care of it and break it up."

Suddenly a snowball hits Draco in the head. Everyone looks at where the snowball would have been thrown from. And in comes another snowball which hits Draco square in the face again.

An invisible force drags the three Slytherins around the area, sparing Ron, Hermione, and I. The three of us are roaring with laughter, even though I'm not supposed to be condoning this behavior.

After the bullies run away, Harry reveals himself. He and I had talked on occasion since the quidditch match and had gotten to know each other reasonably well.

"Harry!" I laugh. "I didn't know it was you!"

"That was brilliant though!" Ron laughs.

"No kidding," I say, the four of us laughing at our antics.

"I shouldn't condon sneaking into Hogsmeade..." I begin. The three of them look at me. "But you guys are my friends so... I guess it's ok."

They smile. "But don't tell anyone about this," I lower my voice.

"We won't," Hermione assures.

I turn toward Ron. "I don't think we've properly met yet."

"Ron Weasley," he shakes my hand. "Third year Gryffindor."

"y/n Freeman. Fifth year Hufflepuff," I smile.

"Nice to meet you," I say, the four of us coming together into a group hug.

"I'll see you three later. I gotta head out," I wave them goodbye to go meet with Sofia and Leona.

The three of us had already made up a while ago. They promised that they would try not to bring their boyfriends in with quality girl time.
The three of us go in and out of shops, some of them already ones I went in with Cedric. But I didn't mind. It was nice to finally have girl time since the last time didn't exactly work out.

"So what are you guys doing for winter break?" Sofia asks as we look around Zonko's joke shop. She had promised to get some pranks for George and Fred, the fourth year Gryffindor twins in the year below.

"I'm going to see my cousins. Like every holiday," Leona says, taking off her jacket. Leona had always had low heat tolerance and Zonko's was hot to her even in the dead of winter.

"Nice. I'm going to Canada to see my grandparents. I can't imagine not doing magic for two whole weeks," Sofia touches a nose-biting teacup still in its packaging, therefore, making it ok for her to touch.

"Even if your grandparents weren't muggles you still wouldn't get to use magic anyway," I shrug. "Like for me. But I'm going to Cedric's this holiday."

"You always go to his for holidays. You sure you two aren't dating?" Leona laughs.

"Leona!" I hit her with my Hufflepuff scarf. "Keep your voice down!"

"Notice how she didn't deny it," Leona says to Sofia who laughs, finally picking up the nose-biting teacup and making her way to the checkout counter.

"Well we aren't. Besides, if we were, you two would be the first I would tell," I assure Leona who's still smirking.

"Well if it happens during break make sure to owl us," Sofia says. Leona puts on her jacket and we leave.

"Speaking of owling, I have to owl my parents that I'm spending the holidays at the Diggory's. I'll see you guys later." We say goodbye and they continue their way to Honeydukes.

At my dorm, I settle down at my desk taking out my quill.

Dear father and mother,
I hope all is well. I am writing to let you know that Cedric has asked me to stay at his place with his family for the holidays and I hope it is ok that I said yes. I will see you for summer break.

Happy holidays,
y/n.

It was a short letter but I think it's enough. I made sure to specify that I had already said yes because my father would never take me out of a plan I had already said yes to.

Which means that summer was going to be absolute heck but I really want to spend the holidays with the Diggory's so I was willing to give up my summer.

Besides, there's a chance that Sirius will be caught before summer, therefore making my father's temper less strong.

After sending my letter off, I begin to pack my trunk, getting ready for a hopefully fun two weeks with my best friend.