The common room had been packed with crazed students all afternoon. Even Amara found herself growing a little more excited by the minute as she got dressed. The dress the Nott family had gifted her was absolutely stunning. A simple black silhouette with rich green embroidery laced throughout the dress. Her hair was neatly tucked into a near half-up-half-down hairstyle hair parted by a simple braid falling onto the straight loose hair.
His cold hands touched her bare shoulders, smiling into her reflection in the mirror. "Are you ready yet? The others have headed to the Hall already." She nodded her head, giving him a comforting smile as she stood.
There were even more people waiting outside the Great Hall just trying to get in. Amara took her time though making sure to observe all the new decorations put up. Thomas was talking with Pansy over something having to do with Quidditch and Theo was talking up his date.
The crowd outside had grown in size and parted down the middle when some of the champions and their dates began to arrive. Viktor looked confident next to the fourth year, Hermione Granger. Fluer was smiling along with her date and Harry was shuffling his feet anxiously next to one of the Pavarti twins Amara couldn't remember. Her eyes searched for Cedric, who in turn had been standing a couple crowds before her talking to one of the professors as they instructed them on what to do.
It was getting hard to pay attention to what he was being told when all Cedric wanted to do was look around and see if she was here yet. He felt awful thinking about Amara while Cho looked up at him with the biggest grin but he couldn't help it. He wanted to see if Amara looked as pretty tonight as usual or even more. After the professor had left the two Cedric excused himself from Cho upon seeing Amara not far behind him.
Amara watched him lock eyes with her, telling something to Cho as he came in their direction for what she could only hope was to see her. Was it wrong of her to have such an interest in Cedric?
He smiled down at her unable to sputter out a single word as he admired the beautifully embroidered emerald green dress she wore. His breath hitched, "Amara... you look lovely tonight."
Her lips parted ready to speak when a hand came down around her shoulders drawing her into them as Thomas smiled up at Cedric.
"Doesn't she?" Thomas asked looking down at her, "She didn't believe me earlier in her room so maybe you'll convince her of her beauty tonight."
Amara didn't say anything, standing awkwardly between the two unsure if she should speak. And if she were to speak would she thank Cedric or agree with Thomas? Cedric only nodded his head forcing the pant of jealous in his chest away as he let out a sigh, "I'll see you inside?"
At the start of the Ball, Amara watched all the champions walk in with their dates and smiles on their faces. She watched them parade down the middle in a clearly planned out entrance and begin a dance.
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When Cedric walked past her he didn't bother to conceal his joy in seeing her as he flashed her a smile. Cho squeezed his arm in excitement and it was enough to draw him back in. He seriously regretted his decision to ask Cho to the dance.
Not because he didn't like her or didn't think she was pretty but in the simplest sense it was because she wasn't Amara. He'd driven his hopes so high in thinking he actually had a chance with the Rosier that he'd waited too long before actually asking. By the time he'd found courage it was too late and she was confirming her plans with Thomas Nott.
"Are you alright, Cedric?" Cho had asked him when he'd missed a step in their choreographed dance and accidentally stepped on her heeled toe. He sputtered out apologies trying to find an excuse to hide the fact he'd been looking for Amara in the crowd when she flashed him a smile.
"Doesn't Amara look amazing?" Cho suddenly asked looking back to her friend as she laughed with Thomas and Theo. Cedric looked over eyes grazing down the silhouette of the dress and the way her hair cascaded down her back in waves. It came out breathy and off tune, "Ye-es."
Cho looked to him, a sigh drawn out of her pouty lips and she was nodding. She knew something was off. She could tell even when Cedric had asked her. It had felt rushed, unplanned and definitely not what he'd originally wanted to do. She tried to brush it off as paranoia but she couldn't act like she didn't see the way his eyes followed Amara every time they were in the library. Or how he'd left her just moments ago so he could go talk to the 'Slytherin Princess' as everyone else referred her as.
Maybe Cho should have agreed to go with Harry instead? Unlike Cedric, Harry had clearly shown an interest in Cho from even before news of the Ball and yet the second Cedric had even looked her way she was caving. She just couldn't help it, he was so attractive and charming and when he had asked her to the ball so abruptly all she was thinking about was saying yes.
Now she thinks that might've been a mistake because clearly his eyes were somewhere else. It was to the point where Cho pitied Cedric a little, all because she could see how he felt about Amara and how seemingly unapproachable she was.
She also remembered Amara saying she'd go with Cedric to the Ball too if she didn't plan on attending with Thomas and it left Cho thinking. Maybe both Amara and Cedric had feelings for each other but neither one of them had a clue what to do.
Cho searched around for her again finding her sitting alone to the side while Thomas and some other seventh year Slytherin boys talked amongst themselves. She looked to Cedric, "Poor Amara, I haven't seen Thomas ask her to a single dance yet. Do you think she's waiting for someone to ask?"
Cedric looked back at her, watching the way she sat amongst herself staring down at the goblet in her hands. Cho nudged his arm, "You're her friend, right? I'm sure she wouldn't mind dancing with you at least."
He shook his head quick to try and turn it down but Cho was pushing him forward, "Just go, I see Harry's date left him so I'm going to keep him company in the meantime."
Cedric froze, eyes locked on Amara's as she looked up at him and he was debating taking a run for it in the opposite direction. Did he seriously want to risk being publicly rejected?
Taking in a deep breath of courage he hurried through the crowd to where she sat lonesome and with another breath he spoke, "Care for a dance?"
::. I know I dipped for a while and I wish I had an excuse but I don't lol anyways there will probs be another chapter posted today but I figured I'd post what I had since one person commented on it today and it reminded me I had this story oops
