Trees ||𝐶.𝐴.𝐷.

Chapter 6

Juniper's POV:

"Oh my go-"

I don't let Hannah finish as I leave the Great Hall. Cedric and his best friend just had a fight god dayum.

I go to the Hufflepuff common room, sitting on the couch in front of the fire place. No one else is here at the moment, but I expect someone to come in soon. I just sit there, staring into the flames. I cant figure out if I should be happy or completely mortified. He cleared up the rumor that's for sure, but he told the whole school about it. Not on purpose of course, but now kids like Draco have something to talk about and twist in their minds.

My head sinks into my hands. People will stop talking about it soon, it hasn't even been a month since you came back.

"Miss Granger," I turn around and face Professor Sprout, a kind lady with graying hair and bright eyes. "I believe someone would like to talk to you."

I look at her in confusion, furrowing my eyebrows. "Pardon?"

Cedric comes into the room from the common room door, awkwardly standing next to Proffered Sprout. "Uh, hey, Juniper."

"...hi."

"Well," says Professor Sprout, her eyes darting between Cedric and I. "I'll let you two talk."

Cedric nods at her as she leaves the room, standing there, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Can I-"

"You can sit, you don't need to ask."

He nods and I scoot over, making more room for him.

"So..." he starts. "How's your day been so far?"

"Uh," I say. "It's been...different than usual."

"...Juniper," he grabs my hand, making me flinch. Another bright light flashes, just like the one time on the train. I can hear him screaming my name like he's been doing in the dreams.

JUNIPER GRANGER LET ME HELP YOU!

The light goes away almost as quick as if came. Apparently Cedric didn't notice, because he's still looking at me with sorrow in his eyes.

"I just wanted to say...I'm so so sorry for what just happened. This entire situation is my fault-"

"No it's not," I say. "It's that idiot David's."

He hesitates. "He...he's not usually like this, I don't know what happened over vacation, because this isn't the David that I became friends with in my first year, June."

June.

"June?" I ask, looking at his hand on mine.

"Sorry-"

"No, no, I kinda like it," I say, a hot feeling in my face. I look up from our hands and meet his face, looking at everything but his eyes. I study the structure of his jaw and nose, identifying the rosiness in his cheeks as embarrassment. "It's cute."

"I- well- uh, thanks. I mean- not thanks that's not the right word-"

I giggle at his lack of words, squeezing his hand for a second.

"Um," he says, scratching his neck with his other hand. "Anyways, I'm really sorry about telling the entire school about everything. And I'm even more sorry about all the things David said about you."

"It's fine," I say. "And...you shouldn't be apologizing for him. He's the one in the wrong, not you. You were just being a decent human being and stood up for me. Thank you, by the way...for what you said in the Great Hall. I heard every word of it."