Denying Draco

40 - The Opposite Of Draco

Sunday was the day Poppy vowed to focus on self-care and push through the painful feelings that were still consuming her. She told herself that it was time to move on from Draco and everything that had happened between them. Laying in bed crying, not eating, not sleeping, not making the most of the one and only year she had at the place she'd always dreamed of being wasn't fair on herself and only made it feel like she was letting Draco win. She couldn't let one bad experience ruin the rest of the year, so she got up early, bathed, dressed, took herself to breakfast and actually ate something, leaving the castle to head for Hogsmeade before any of her friends had even woken. Most students slept in on Sundays, so she used it to her advantage to get some alone time and refresh her mind.

She took her time strolling through Hogsmeade, making a few small purchases to make herself feel better, including new clothing, books and some sweets too.

Wandering into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, she found some beautiful and rather expensive parchment that she admired as she tried to work out how much money she had left. She wanted to write a letter home, addressed to her father of course, and she took the parchment under her arm as she continued down the aisles, thinking up all of the positive and wonderful things she planned to tell him so that he could pass onto her mother that she was having such an enjoyable time, which she was - besides the bad stuff.

Admiring some large, fancy Quills, her eyes fell onto a beautiful white one of pheasant feather with small black markings. The day was all about self-care and putting herself first again, so she didn't overthink it and took it over to the counter.

The owner of the shop, Scrivenshaft, greeted her with a polite smile. 'Will that be everything for you today, Miss?'

'Yes, thank you,' she replied, pulling her purse from her satchel.

He rang the items through and carefully packaged them up, placing them into a little paper bag and he placed it on the counter. 'The total comes to exactly six Galleons, please.'

Poppy fumbled through her purse and felt the embarrassment hit her. 'Oh...I'm so sorry. I thought I had more in here...' She glanced up at Scrivenshaft and he offered her a polite and sympathetic smile. She shrugged quickly and pointed to the bag. 'I may have to just put the Quill back.'

'Of course,' Scrivenshaft replied, reaching for the bag.

'I'm so sorry,' Poppy repeated. 'I didn't realise I'd spent so much already this morning. I'll still take the parchment.'

'Not to worry, I can cover that for her.' Poppy and Scrivenshaft turned to see Cedric Diggory standing there and he held something up in his hand. 'Plus my father's usual ink please, Scrivenshaft.'

'Certainly, Mr. Diggory.' Scrivenshaft took the ink and rang it through the till.

'Cedric, that's extremely generous, but I couldn't possibly let you do that,' Poppy told him, feeling her cheeks grow warm. She turned back to Scrivenshaft currently looking torn as he glanced between Poppy and Cedric not knowing what to do. 'Please, if you could just put the Quill back, I will pay for my parchment.'

'It's fine, Poppy,' Cedric chuckled. 'I really don't mind.'

'I do mind,' Poppy replied. 'I could never expect that of you.'

'It's just a friend helping out a friend, okay?' Cedric said, nodding to Scrivenshaft. 'It's fine, bag it all up.'

The older man placed the ink into a separate bag and smiled uncomfortably. 'The total comes to eight Galleons.'

'Thank you very much, Sir.' Cedric handed him the money and Poppy shifted awkwardly.

Scrivenshaft handed her her bag and Cedric his, thanking them both as he turned to the next customer waiting.

Poppy walked alongside Cedric as they left the little shop and once they were back outside in the snowy village, she turned to him and smiled. 'I really appreciate that, thank you so much but you really didn't have to!'

'Oh, don't worry about it,' Cedric said, politely.

'I will pay you back,' she said. 'The next time we bump into each other, I'll make sure I pay you for mine.'

'If you want to but I won't hold you to it,' he laughed. 'What are you doing here alone anyway?'

'I just wanted to have a little me time,' she replied, shrugging softly.

'Spending all of your time in the castle constantly surrounded by others, going to classes with them, sharing a dorm with them, having all your meals with them...I suppose it does get a bit suffocating,' Cedric said, nodding in understanding.

'Yeah, but I can't complain because this is my only year at Hogwarts and I'm really embracing everything about it,' Poppy told him. 'It's just been a rough few days.'

'Has Malfoy been bothering you again?' Cedric asked.

Poppy felt the jolt in her chest that made her instantly feel sick and want to run away from Cedric the second he mentioned the name. She composed herself, taking steady breaths and blocking out any intrusive thoughts that dared to drag up the memory of his cruel words. Looking back up at Cedric, she quickly forced on a smile and shook her head. 'No, he hasn't bothered me. I just stay away from him.'

'Good,' Cedric replied. 'He's trouble. You can do better than him anyway.'

Her cheeks flushed again and she let out a nervous giggle, feeling even more embarrassed by how childlike it had sounded. 'Umm...it's not like that with him.'

'Oh...sorry, it just seemed that way in the joke shop that day,' said Cedric. 'I thought you two were...'

'We aren't,' Poppy informed him. 'Trust me, I'd sooner be locked away in a cell at Azkaban than be involved with him.'

Cedric laughed and his eyes almost closed when he did so, a pretty and adorable sight. His bright, warm smile made her compulsively smile back. It was infectious and she liked how it made her feel.

'Are you in a rush or anything?' Cedric asked. 'Do you need to get back to the castle?'

'No...why?' Poppy replied, curiously, but she could feel butterflies starting to move around in her stomach as she sensed what was coming.

'I was going to stop at Madam Puddifoot's for a cup of tea,' he said, his smile now apprehensive. 'Would you like to join me?'

'Join you for tea?' Poppy questioned, feeling slightly excited at the thought but then a feeling of darkness clouded over it. Draco's stern face appeared in her mind and she instantly imagined his reaction to seeing her having tea with Cedric. She knew he wouldn't like it. She also knew that he had made it quite clear he wanted nothing more to do with her and Sunday was Poppy's day of self-care and focusing on herself. 'I would love to join you.'

'Well, great!' Cedric turned and nodded up the street. 'Right this way then.'

She nodded and walked alongside him, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the difference between Cedric and Draco. Cedric was a gentleman through and through and it felt strange to constantly be addressed by him in such a kind and respectful way. He was the opposite of Draco. He knew how to treat someone properly. He was the kind of person she deserved and who deserved her too.