MANIPULATIVE || Edward Cullen

Cedric

"We've been waiting for you." I turned and stared at Cedric. The room was empty besides the two of us, and after a moment of silence I nodded awkwardly. 

"That's very ominous of you." I replied, making him chuckle a little and shake his head. 

"I'm sorry, you're right. What I meant was that Dumbledore told me you were coming, and that you would need help getting home." He spoke. Somebody knew I was coming? 

"I need to speak to this Dumb-Dumble-dude or whatever you say." Cedric let out an actual laugh at my statement. 

"He will come to you," Cedric winked and I creased my brows once again.

"What does that mean? I don't have time to wait." I insisted, trying to move past him out of the room He stepped with me continuing to block my view. 

"Headmaster said you would be stubborn, but you just have to trust me here, Celia." Even with the accent, my name rolling off that tongue made me shiver. I sighed. Whoever this headmaster was, he knew I was coming and he told Cedric I would need help. It didn't make any sense. Before I could protest more, my stomach loudly rumbled. Cedric chuckled and I blushed a little. I hadn't eaten, or needed, food in a long time. 

"Come on then, it's probably about dinner time." He began to lead me out of the room.

"Wait--" he stopped and turned to me, "--aren't people going to know I don't belong here?" I gestured down to the sloppily pinned robe. Cedric seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, that will be an issue..." He snapped his finger and wagged it, "I have an idea, wait here!" He called, leaving the room swiftly. I stared at the door he shut behind him, wondering what I was supposed to do now. If I was in any danger, I had no clue how to get out of it, and I sure as hell wasn't going to try to travel again and get stuck falling. 

I began wandering around the room. It smelled slightly of teenage boy and I was glad my nose wasn't in vampire-mode. The door opened a few moments later.

"That was quick," I mumbled as I turned to him, only it wasn't him. I came face to face with a younger boy. We both stood and stared, him possibly more surprised than me. I guess if there was a random girl in my dorm room I'd be confused, too.

"Oh," I breathed out, "uh-- hi," I gave the tiniest wave. "I was just waiting for--" 

"Me," Cedric interrupted as he entered the room. He gestured for me to follow him out and I did so quietly. "Keep your head down." He mumbled in my ear, throwing an arm around my back and tucking me closer to his chest, as if hiding me from everyone we walked by. 

We eventually stopped outside of a bathroom. The hall was practically empty besides a couple stray students. 

"There is a girl in there with blonde hair, her name is Luna, she will help." He gestured. I hesitantly nodded and stepped into the ladies room. 

Just as Cedric had said, a small blonde girl stood the the middle of the wash room, staring into a mirror with wide eyes and a look I could recognize. 

"Are you Luna?" I asked softly, making her turn to me. She was younger, but very pretty and kind of reminded me of, well, me. 

"I am, you must be Cedric's friend, Celia." The girl spoke in a dreamy, high pitched voice. I had sounded like that once upon a time, and I wondered if this is what I looked like when meeting people. I wondered if it was possible that I was meeting me in an alternate reality. 

"I am," I replied softly, grabbing a bundle of clothes as she held them out to me. I quickly undressed and redressed myself. I was wearing basically the same thing as Luna and Cedric, robes and a white button up. Except Luna wore a skirt while I squeezed into her slacks, and the tie was striped with blue and silver rather than the yellow and black Cedric wore.