Best Fake Smile ⊳ Harry Potter

13 | FIRE IN MY BONES

    ESTRELLA SIGHED raised her hand once more. Then with a flick of her wrist the dual begins. Cedric smirks, delivering another spell against her while she reflects it with ease. The two of them shared the same giant smile as the friendly dual continued.

Then Estrella yelled the incantation 'Incendio!" She said, sending red flames towards Cedric.

He protected himself with the counter curse 'Aguamentis!" He replied. However, Estrella's flame was stronger, but like a true Hufflepuff he persisted. At the end Estrella pulled down her wand just as he did.

"I will call this a tide." Estrella said before laughing. "If you have those reflexes, maybe you will stop the dragon's flame. But you can't keep it for too long though." Estrella pointed out, stretching out her wrist.

Cedric leant on his knees, chuckling at her. "Yeah, I know." He said to her, as he too caught his breath. "You were winning though." He pointed out to her as he stood up once more.

Estrella shook her head. "You were winning when you stopped. My pride wasn't going to be hurt." Cedric told her. "Nor was I going to be burned." He added, knowing what most of the fear she had was hurting him. Like Estrella herself, he spotted the little things. He always listened.

Estrella still acted as if it had been something else. "Can you call you, Ella? Or do you prefer Estrella? I never asked before." Cedric said to her.

"You can call me Ella. You are nice." Estrella said to him.

Cedric nodded back at her, passing her bag to her. "Ella, whether it is me or someone else behind that spell, you don't let go. Not even when you know you are winning." Cedric said, picking up his own bag.

"I wasn't being cocky. I just..." She began but Cedric continued it for her.

"Letting me win." Cedric said to her. "Be as tough as you were on the dueling someone else, even Malfoy." He said to her.

"Well....maybe not as Malfoy." Estrella said to him quietly. Cedric chuckled at her.

"Don't stop, period. Get used to it, because it can mean the difference between life and death." Cedric told her. He was very hesitant about the last set of words.

"I didn't know you will realize it." Estrella admitted to him as they two of them walked back to the castle. She had a small embarrassed look on her. "Where you able to transform those rocks into mices? A distraction will work, but if it doesn't you need at least a plan be." Estrella said to him.

"I was able to. I don't know how difficult it will be under pressure." Cedric told her.

"Can you take things inside with you? Maybe you can bring some with you. They can be small." Estrella said in thought.

"Will the dragon see it though?" He asked her. The two of them grew silent. "We can only bring our wands. Nothing else." He answered her.

Estrella sighed. "People die in these things, that what Dumbledore said on the first night." She said with worry. "I have had this dreadful feeling since the very beginning." She quietly added so that the incoming students passing them wouldn't hear her.

Cedric sent her an encouraging smile. "Going to miss me?" Cedric asked her.

Estrella sighed, looking up at him. "You know what, yeah. I would have." She admitted to him. She considered her words carefully. Cedric was quick to spot on her hesitation. "You are very kind. You are talented, fair, and good heart. You are nice to me, and....and you helped me that day in the hall after we were taught the unforgivable curses. Those actions showed me who you were more than anything else." Estrella admitted to him. She clutched her bag tighter, feeling a bit more self-caution than before the confession.