𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭 ; 𝐂𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲

Chapter 36- Is This Just Love?

February 13
Cedric's POV-

Am I going insane? Or is this just love? No, no. I don't love y/n. She's just really pretty and funny and I have fun hanging out with her. That's not love. I think.

I have been throwing this damn ball at my ceiling for probably thirty minutes now and I still have no conclusion.

Maybe I should blow off some steam with Zach after school. Yeah, quidditch will take my mind off things.

Realizing my lunch period is over, I get my herbology book and go out into the common room.

"Hey Zach, you wanna practice for a little after school?" I ask as we both leave the common room.

"Sure." He shrugs and we part ways.

Once I get to Herbology I take my seat next to y/n. I'm surprised they still let us sit together after everything. I glimpse at her and smile. She still looks as beautiful as ever. Happy, even. I wonder if she's better without me.

"Okay, class!" Proffesor Sprout directs the classes attention to the front of the room. "If you turn to lesson fourteen in your book, you will see that we will be studying a special plant associated with Valentine's day!" She gives a proud grin and the class claps, dully.

"This will be a partner project so you will need to speak to each other." Y/n and I look at each other before quickly averting our eyes.

I follow Sprouts directions and open my book.

"Pst! Pst!" I turn to y/n and she scoots her stool close enough that our shoulder are touching.

"What time are you going to the Hogsmeade thing?" She asks and I shrug.

"Um like four, I think." I say quickly before averting my eyes back to my text book.

"Hey, you don't have to act so weird all the time." She says, slightly annoyed.

"I'm not acting weird." I run my hand through my hair.

"We're allowed to talk in this class. Plus, you're like my best friend, Cedric. I miss you."

"Yeah. Uhm- so, I guess we're supposed to plant these seeds in-" I point at the medium sized pot in front of us and she smiles.

"We've been doing this for a while, Ced I'd hope you'd be ok touching the thing." She moves the pot in front of her.

"Hey, it's not my fault that everything in this school is destined to explode in your face." I say and she lets out a hard laugh. The kind that is clear and makes her eyes crinkle.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about Seamus. Harry took this picture of him in first year when he burnt off his eyebrows. Anyway, I know you're worried about losing your perfect eyebrows but I'm sure this little thing couldn't hurt you." She holds up her text book and points at the willowy plant with blooming heart petals.

"I suppose you're right. So, what do we do?" I lean my head in my hand and she sits up proudly.

"Very simple. Not like those plants you were watering at Thanksgiving." I smirk.

"You were really watching me, huh? Even in times of great stress you still have a moment to check me out." I lean my face closer to hers and widen my smirk into my best cocky grin.

"Oh shut up." She rolls her eyes and tries to hold back a smile.

"I bet you even knew what I was wearing." She holds up her text book, blocking me from seeing her face.

"Oh, don't be like that." I say.

"Y/n, Cedric! I hope you're being productive." Proffesor Sprout says, walking past our table.

"Of course, Proffesor." She says and motions for me to walk over to the shelf of supplies.

"Here, we need this." She shoves a bottle of something green in my arms.

"These just look like a bunch of spices." I say.

"What do you think we do in potions?" She says.

"Good point." I nod.

"You look good." I say and she laughs.

"I look the same as always, Cedric." She rolls her eyes before moving some hair out of my face.

"I like your hair longer." I turn my head to hide my scarlet cheeks.

"I just haven't had the time for a haircut." I say.

"Well, it looks nice." She gets one last jar and we walk back to the table.

She takes the ingredients and grinds them into a small bowl. I put in a spoonful of pink sludge and mix it all together.

"Looks appetizing." She says and I nod in sarcastic agreement.

She scoops the sludge onto the soil and a tiny stem blooms before our eyes.

"We'll have to wait until Valentine's Day for the heart petals but look at the cute little plant." She says in a baby voice and we both laugh.

- February 14 (y/n's POV-)

I tighten my scarf, the frost bitten, February wind running over my face. I glare at the group of first years trailing behind Cedric and I. I open the door to honeydukes, which seemed to be the only place they wanted to go.

"I can't believe I'm spending Valentine's day with a bunch of first years." I whisper to Cedric.

"Geez y/n, don't be such a sourpuss. Look how much fun their having." I look around at the group of twelve year olds and sigh.

"I'm glad at least someone's having fun." I give a half hazard smile and walk over to a bowl of peppermints.

"Y/n?" A small first year walks up to me.

"Yes?"

"Will you walk up to the counter with me?" She holds out a bag of candy and I nod.

"That's the spirit." Cedric whispers to me and I jokingly roll my eyes.

I walk up with the first year and she pays for her candy, tearing into the bag right as we walk away.

I go outside with the rest of the group and Cedric gives me a bright blue smile.

"Ced, why do you have blue teeth?" I laugh and he takes another lick of his lollipop making his teeth flash rainbow before going back to his natural white color. 

"Pretty cool right." He says as we lead the kids to Zonko's joke shop.

Once we start to go back to Hogwarts Cedric takes my hand and squeezes it.

"You seem tense. Is everything alright?" I stare at him for a moment, slightly surprised.

"No, no it's not." I sigh. I mean there's no point in lying to him.

"Why? Is there something I can do?" I hold his hand tighter.

"Everything is just kinda weird right now. My dad and I have been sending these letters-" I pause, trying to figure out how to tell him as little as possible without sounding cryptic.

"-Since the beginning of the year. But things are all twisted at home so I don't know if we'll be able to talk for awhile." Cedric nods as if he's letting my words linger in the air.

"I'm sorry, y/n. He should make time for you no matter how twisted things get. He's still your parent."

"Yeah. But I don't think he'll have some type of epiphany any time soon." I say and Cedric tilts his head in agreement.

"Is everything alright with you? You've looked pretty off in your own head recently." I ask and he runs his hand along the side of his face.

"I guess that's where I'm kinda at right now. Nothing and no one left to distract me. My grades have been amazing though, with all this extra time to study." We both laugh as we go up to Hogwarts.

"Hopefully everything will be as it once was." I let go of his hand and we walk in.