𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒, cedric diggory ³

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

CEDRIC

i can pinpoint the exact moment my feelings changed towards harlow potter. it was the first day of classes last year, harlow snuck up behind me and said "guess who" in the high pitched tone she used whenever something good happened, like that time during i gave her one of my hoodies during the quidditch season of harlow's first year. which i might add, i have never gotten back.

i don't remember what i said back, it couldn't have been important. it wasn't until i turned around and looked at her and i mean really looked at her that the breath was knocked out of my lungs.

she looked different, her long auburn hair bounced around when she walked. the different shades of red, hazel, and gold blended together to make up the familiar hue of amber, which became my favorite color.

harlow's body looked different from the last time i'd seen her too. her legs got longer and she filled out her school uniform. her skirt was short, too short. if it was up to me, i would've pulled it down for her.

after we went to the other side of the courtyard she gave me a hug, i remembered that part. she hugged me and in our embrace i got a whiff of strawberries. for that moment, she was lo again, the girl i had taken under my wing last year, not the woman she had become over summer.

i remember pulling away when i felt like i was holding on for a little too long. i stared into her eyes, they were gray with different colors of blue and azure mixed in. they squinted, how they did when she smiled and she let out a laugh. that laugh. i could play it repeatedly for hours and never get bored of it.

it was strange thinking of her this way, she's was my friend. most times when we were hanging out i would forget she was a girl, until she would yell at me for something that anthony would've looked over, like burping or sitting with my legs too far apart.

we had meaningless conversation for a few minutes and then i returned to my friends. apart of me wished i'd forget about it. that the moment i turned around again she would be the lo i met the year before. i wanted it to be one of those things you'd forget about. like when you're walking the streets of london and someone catches your eye, then five minutes later you've forgotten all about them.

it wasn't until anthony that i realized how my feelings had changed.  i've never been so protective of someone in my life, not stella, not elora, no one. it was dumb of me to think lo couldn't take care of herself, but i didn't care.

i remembered this one time, around three weeks after that when the two of us were hanging out in my dorm room. she was studying something, herbology i think. harlow bit her lip, like she always did when she was thinking too hard. that was when i picked up a pillow and threw it at her. she scoffed and picked it up, throwing it right back at me. i picked it up once more, throwing it in her direction. she ducked, letting the pillow knock over a cup full of pencils.

"shit." i said.

harlow laughed hysterically, covering her mouth, "oh my god, that was incredibly stupid, ced."

i got up and began picking up the pencils, putting them back in the cup. i felt a hand on my back then saw harlow, squatting down next to me helping. when we were done harlow looked at me and just laughed again.

that was when the door opened and anthony walked in, "what are you guys doing on the floor?"

harlow walked over to him and kissed him. i felt like i'd just been kicked repeatedly in the stomach, like someone stabbed me then decided to twist the knife. i never thought i'd be jealous, actually jealous of anthony, but here i was sitting here like an idiot.

that was when i knew for sure that it would never go back to the way it was before, she would never be just a friend.