Diggory Is A Loser

28- Taking It Slow

Celia headed down to the Gryffindor table at breakfast the following morning, so that she could talk to Harry.
She wanted to know if anyone had found Crouch, or whoever had attacked her the night before.
"Well, we asked Moody, and he said that he didn't find anyone" admitted Harry.
"That's a shame. At least the attack wasn't on the front page of the paper this morning" replied Celia.
"That's one thing to be glad about I suppose. How are you doing anyway?" Asked Harry.
"I'm fine. I was only Stunned after all".

"I suppose. Oh, by the way, Snape cornered me yesterday and accused me of stealing ingredients from his private stores. But I denied doing so" revealed Harry.
"At least he doesn't think I was involved in helping you break in to get the Gillyweed" replied Celia.
"No, you should be safe. But I said that I would take the fall for you even if we were discovered" reminded Harry.
"Yeah, I know. But now we have to focus on preparing you for the final task. Getting through the maze will not be easy"
"I know. And I was thinking it through all last night, and I've decided it would be best if you didn't help me with this task".

Celia frowned, "Why not? Don't you want me around anymore?".
"No, I do. And I still want to hang out with you. But your OWLs are coming up very soon, and I don't want to distract you from your revision" informed Harry.
"I'm sure I can help you and revise for my exams" admitted Celia.
"But I don't want to put your future in jeopardy, when you've already done so much for me"
"I suppose if you don't want my help, I won't force myself on you"
"I also don't want to permanently ruin your relationship with Cedric. Helping me with the Gillyweed at the last minute is one thing, but working alongside me for weeks, while I train for the maze, is another thing entirely"
"I think mine and my brother's relationship is too far gone. There's no patching up our relationship".

"Speak of the devil" mumbled Ron, as he pointed to the entrance hall.
Celia spun around and saw Cedric enter the great hall and come charging towards her.
"Eugh, this can't be good" groaned Celia.
"I expect he found out about last night, and wants to see if you're O.K" admitted Hermione.
"Seals, can we talk?" Asked Cedric, when he arrived at the table.
"I thought we were done talking" replied Celia.
"Please, I must speak to you" insisted Cedric.
"Fine. But don't be too long, I've got Potions in a few minutes".

Celia followed Cedric out of the hall and joined him in an empty classroom.
Once they were alone, Cedric flung his arms around Celia, crushing her in a hug.
"I've been so worried about you" he admitted.
"I'm fine" reassured Celia, as she extracted herself from her brothers arms.
"Viktor just told me what happened last night" admitted Cedric.
"I was wondering how you found out"
"You should have told me yourself"
"I couldn't have told you, even if I had wanted to. Because Dumbledore told me and Harry to go straight to our towers last night and he forbade us from leaving".

"But I'm your brother. Someone should have told me that you'd been attacked" insisted Cedric.
"I wouldn't exactly say that I was attacked" mumbled Celia.
"Someone Stunned you from behind, and left you unconscious on the floor. Anything could have happened to you" replied Cedric.
"Yeah, but nothing bad did happen. I'm fine, honest. Neither me nor Viktor suffered anything more than a minor headache"
"It could have been a lot worse... This tournament is getting more and more dangerous for those involved and those around us"
"Yeah. You would have to be mad to willingly put your name into the Goblet of Fire"
"I'm sorry O.K. I didn't mean to bring you into all this. And I certainly never wanted you to get hurt because of me".

"I know you didn't. But we are nearly at the end now. Soon this will all be over" sighed Celia.
"Yes, and then everything will go back to normal" promised Cedric.
Celia shook her head, "Nothing is going to go back to normal. This tournament has changed things forever".
"I wish that it hadn't" Cedric said quietly, as the period one bell began to ring.
"Do you wish that you had never entered?" Questioned Celia, who made no attempt to move and head to her first class.
"Yes. I would happily retract my name from the Goblet, if we could be as close as we once were".

"We will never be close again. We aren't children anymore. Sooner or later, everyone has to grow up" admitted Celia.
"I don't want to lose you Seals. I know that you hate me, and I'm going to leave home soon, since I've only got one year of school left. But I don't want to stop seeing you" replied Cedric.
"I don't hate you. I know what I said before. But deep down, I don't hate you. I just hate how people treat you better than me" revealed Celia.
"I wish that they didn't treat us so differently"
"I know that. You have a pure heart Ced, and a good soul, I have never doubted that".

"Thank you... Look, I know that you are helping Harry prepare for the final task, which I'm fine with, because like you said, he needs help to get through these tasks. But I was wondering if you could help me as well?" Asked Cedric.
"The mighty Cedric Diggory is asking his little sister for help?" Questioned Celia.
"I am" replied Cedric.
"Well, if you must know, I'm not helping Harry as he doesn't want to get in the way of me and you, and he wants me to study for my OWLs"
"I'm glad that he cares about you, and wants you to do well in your exams".

"Yeah, I guess it's sweet of him to care about me and my life" agreed Celia.
"If you aren't helping him, then does that mean you'll help me?" Quizzed Cedric.
Celia smiled but shook her head, "You don't need my help to prepare. You're a bright student, who can train on his own. You are only asking for my help, because you want to spend time with me".
"You saw through my ruse then?" Questioned Cedric.
"I may be slow on the uptake, in social situations, but even I figured out what you were trying to do".

"Well, if you won't train with me, will you at least stop giving me the cold shoulder, and talk to me from time to time?" Begged Cedric.
"I don't know if spending time with you is good for me. Because being around you, just makes me feel bad about myself" admitted Celia.
"I don't want you to feel like that" replied Cedric.
"I know, but it's just a flaw I have; intense jealousy... How about we take things one step at a time? I'll smile at you when we pass in the corridors and exchange pleasantries with you, but I don't want to hang out with you just yet".

"I'm willing to take things slow, if that's what you need" said Cedric.
"Thanks. Anyway, I'd better get going since I'm late for class. I'll see you around Ced" replied Celia.
"Goodbye Seals, have a good day" smiled Cedric.
Celia nodded before running out of the room and heading down towards the dungeons.
She was quite a few minutes late when she arrived at Potions.
"Sorry I'm late Professor" mumbled Celia, as she passed Snape and headed to her desk.

"I wonder what the bastard was doing today that made her so late" said one of the Slytherin girls in her year.
Celia said nothing as she took her seat, since she knew it was best to just ignore the awful Slytherin girls.
Snape said nothing to Celia and continued teaching as if he hadn't been interrupted by her entrance.
For some reason he seemed to like Celia, as he recognised a fellow outcast in her.
He never rewarded her good behaviour, but he never took points from her, which showed that he had a soft spot for her, underneath his tough exterior.