Year 1 - Dynamics - A Harry Potter Fic.

Part 32 - Jay's POV

(Boys Hufflepuff Dorm) (Jay's PoV)

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It's long past the end of the Halloween feast, long past Quirrel screaming about a troll in the Dungeons, and long past when Jay should be asleep.

He's not sleeping, he hasn't been sleeping, he's spent the night staring up at... well nothing really. . He's felt uneasy since Dumbledore sent them to finish the feast in their common rooms. Uneasy since the prefects escorted the Common Rooms. Uneasy since he remembered where the Slytherin common room was. That's where Vyla and Malfoy were.

He let out a long sigh and pushed the covers off of him. It wasn't any use trying to sleep now.

He put his slippers on and clumsily made his way to the common room. The Hufflepuff common room never lost its homey feeling but at night when it was dark, the fire was out, and no one else was sitting inside. It felt off.

He slumped onto one of the couches and stared out the windows that were littered just above ground level. When the fireplace wasn't crackling and the windows were open, the common room smelt like dirt. Not the bad kind, it smelt like fresh soil when it had just rained.

Jay liked it, he found it oddly relaxing. His mind raced about the well-being of his friend and well...

Are he and Malfoy friends?

He thought back on the last few weeks. He wasn't exactly kind to Malfoy, nor did he even give Malfoy a chance from the first interaction they had. Jay cringed, he's been a real bitch lately, hasn't he?

"You're awake?"

Jay jumped and relaxed when it was only Cedric.

"You scared the shit out of me Cedric," Jay said, he quickly sat up and patted the seat next to him.

"Sorry," Cedric whispered, taking his seat next to Jay. "Why are you up?"

"Worried about Vyla and... Well, to some extent, Malfoy." Jay confesses.

"Why are you worried? Slytherin has some very fine witches and wizards. They'll be fine." Cedric comfortingly -and somewhat awkwardly- pats Jays back.

"I know," Jay sighs "They're probably fine, but my brain won't shut up..." 'And I haven't exactly been kind to Malfoy.' Jay bites his tongue, he doesn't know how Cedric sees him yet. He can't spoil that yet.

They sit in awkward silence.

"How about you?" Jay breaks the silence, "What keeps Cedric Diggory up at night?"

Cedric lets out a light laugh, "You know, the usual, school, Quidditch, worried about my family."

"Oh! Quidditch! I've completely forgotten about that. How's our team doing?" Jay asks.

"Well, not great. The last game we had Gryffindor practically won in the first five minutes." He hangs his head in defeat, "That Harry kid is pretty talented."

"Harry Potter? I wouldn't know. I haven't been to any of the games but he's a decent conversation." Jay yawns. They sit in silence again.

"Hey, Cedric?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"So let's say," Jay reaches for the proper words, "That there's this person. And I'm not sure we're friends or not but we hang out quite a bit. Except I, well I haven't exactly been very kind to this person. How would I go about that?"

Cedric thinks for a moment, "Well kid-"

"I'm not that much younger than you!" Jay interrupts."

"Yes, you are!" Cedric sends a devious grin, "Anyway, it's never too late to do the right thing. If I were you, I'd try to make up for how I've acted."

Jay nods, "Alright."

They go silent again.

"Is it the Malfoy kid?" Cedric breaks the silence.

"How'd you know?" Jay asks, bemused.

Cedric shrugs, "Magic."

Jay rolls his eyes, "Yeah right, Cedric."

"Try not to be too much of an ass to Malfoy. I know he's a little twit but his father was a Death Eater and still holds those ideals. He doesn't know any better." Cedric expresses.

"Uh.. what exactly is a Death Eater?" Jay asks.

Cedric looks at Jay like he's a monkey in a zoo, "You don't know what a Death Eater is?"

"No, I don't." He confirms.

Cedric takes a deep breath, he looks deadly serious, "When 'You-Know-Who' was in power, his followers were called Death Eaters. They believed that they could 'purify' the wizards by killing all muggles and muggle-born wizards."

Jay felt tense with the sudden realization of how serious this was. And how terrifying it was that he'd never heard of this before.

"So... they're still around?" He asks.

"Sadly? Yes, but lucky for us, they don't hold power anymore."Cedric said getting up. "So you don't need to worry a bit." He ruffled Jay's hair.

Jay chuckled, Cedric's reassurance made him feel slightly better. "Thanks, Cedric."

"No problem, kid." Cedric stretches and yawns, "I'm going back to bed. See you in the morning."

"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning." He watches Cedric go back to the dorms.

Jay sits there in silence, just staring out the windows and what he could see of the stars. He liked stars, and Astronomy had been canceled tonight due to the troll.

As the hours passed, Jay watched the moon go across the sky, and eventually golden rays from the rising sun leak through the window. Jay sighs.

He pushes himself off the couch and goes to grab his shampoo and body wash. If he's lucky, maybe he can finish bathing before anyone wakes up.