Cherry [A Harry Potter Love Story]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 ➪ 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝

"𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙮."
☟︎☟︎☟︎

After everything that had happened at the World Cup—the chaos, the screams, the chilling glow of the Dark Mark etched into the night sky—the rest of the holidays seemed to slip by in a blur. The excitement of summer faded quickly under the weight of those dark memories. But soon enough, it was time to return to Hogwarts.

My brother Cedric was entering his seventh and final year, the last stretch before he would graduate and face the wider wizarding world on his own. For me, it was my fourth year, and I couldn't wait. The castle, the magic, the friends — it all felt like home.

Before term started, Cedric and I had to make a quick trip to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things. The Hogwarts letters had mentioned we needed to buy dress robes for a "special event" the school was hosting this year, though they didn't give any more details. So our first stop was to find those robes.

We Apparated into the bustling, familiar chaos of Diagon Alley, the sharp scent of fresh parchment and roasted chestnuts filling the air. Cedric disappeared toward the boys' section of the robes shop while I wandered among the girls' dresses, running my fingers over soft silks and delicate lace. Every now and then, I'd lift a gown from its hanger, hold it against myself in the mirror, hoping to find the perfect one — but nothing quite caught my eye.

Then I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Turning, I saw Hermione's bright smile, her eyes lighting up like they always did when she saw a friend.

"Hermione!" I beamed, pulling her into a quick hug.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Good, good. And you?"

"Yeah, I'm good, just struggling to find a cute dress for this 'special event,'" I huffed, feeling a little frustrated.

"I was just about to start looking," she smiled warmly. "Want to look together?"

"Definitely."

We spent the next hour laughing and chatting as we sifted through racks of dresses. Hermione's meticulous eye helped me spot details I might've missed — the perfect cut, the right shade. Cedric finished quickly and texted me that he'd meet me later at the ice cream shop.

I was starting to feel a little bored, glancing at the same styles over and over, when suddenly I spotted it: the dress I'd been waiting for.

It hung there, soft and shimmering in the light — a delicate pale blue, the fabric almost floating as I lifted it from the rack. Layers of lace formed gentle ruffles, a graceful gathering of fabric at the chest that seemed to breathe with movement. The dress was strapless, with a flowing skirt that brushed the floor in soft waves.

I gasped softly, holding it against me in the mirror. It was absolutely perfect.