Gunpowder & Daisies (George Weasley x Reader/ Cedric Diggory x Reader)

The Hogwarts Champion

Darkness was already closing in when the Hufflepuff party set off up the sloping lawns. They saw the Durmstrang lot walking up towards the castle, Karkaroff leading them with Viktor Krum at his side. They reached the front doors at the same time and Krum having noticed y/n, stopped and let her and her friends pass, before he and the rest of the Durmstrangs proceeded through them.

Y/n thanked him. Krum nodded, and a shy smile replaced his surly expression. She was seeing him up close for the first time, and noticed that against his strong set of features, his dark eyes were handsome, and radiated a fierce intelligence.

They entered the candlelit Great Hall, which was now almost full. They started walking towards the Hufflepuff table, when a group of Cedric's friends charged at him cheering and clapping.

"Diggory! Diggory!"

Cedric blushed and laughed at this outburst. He waved, signaling for them to quiet down.

"Good luck" said a Veela boy, as they passed the Ravenclaw table.

"I hope you get it, Cedric" added Cho, a fifth-year Ravenclaw and the Seeker of her house's Quidditch team.

Y/n was dumbfounded by all the admiration that Cedric was used to receiving. Girls, gays, and theys alike appeared to be smitten with him, now more than ever.

Cedric was exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, high cheekbones, thick honey-coloured hair, and warm brown eyes. He was princely and tall, broad-shouldered. What made him truly attractive however, y/n observed, was that he was warm, generous and kind-hearted. He seemed to never take offense or hold grudges.

When they passed the Gryffindor table, Fred smiled at y/n sheepishly, while George didn't even glance in her direction.

Y/n regretted the way she had reacted earlier, even though it had been justified. She'd never had an argument with either of the twins before. Should she try to talk it out? Why should she, and not George? He was the one who started it. Y/n still couldn't comprehend why George had suddenly become so hostile. He and Fred got along with everyone. Why did he single Cedric out to dislike and bully?

Nevertheless, y/n felt guilty. She suspected that in an effort to avoid her feelings for George, she'd unknowingly pushed him away, and for the first time ever, they were estranged from eachother.

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Everyone was impatient, fidgeting in their seats. At last, the plates cleared and Dumbledore got to his feet.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said the Headmaster. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he pointed at the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Dumbledore took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting... A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second," y/n whispered.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red and sparks flew from it. A tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - everyone gasped.

Dumbledore caught the parchment and holding it at arm's length, he read in a strong and clear voice, "The champion of Durmstang, will be Viktor Krum!"

A storm of applause and cheering swept the Great Hall. Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table, and walked awkwardly to the door of the champion's chamber, disappearing behind it.

"No surprise there" y/n whispered.

A second piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet, propelled by the red flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

"Look, it's that Veela girl that has a crush on you" y/n teased, as the girl got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

Cedric gave y/n a half-smile. His eyes were set on the Goblet. Y/n could imagine the nervousness and excitement he was feeling. She held his hand under the table. It was warm to the touch, trembling lightly. Y/n squeezed it in support. Cedric looked at her, his eyes locked with hers in affection, and squeezed it back.

Soon, the clapping and chatting died down. This time the silence was so stiff with excitement y/n could almost taste it.

A third piece of parchment shot high into the air.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore called, "is Cedric Diggory!"

Every single Hufflepuff jumped on their feet, screaming and stamping, patting Cedric on the back, ruffling his golden head. Y/n leapt out of her seat and gave Cedric a hug. He gave her a peck on the cheek, and grinning broadly, made his way past his housemates and headed off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables toward the chamber behind the staff table. The applause went on so long that Dumbledore had to wait a couple of minutes before he could speak again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real way to their performances and increase the chances of their success." Dumbledore smiled and clapped, "It is now time for you to go to your dormitories, while we instruct our champions about the first task. Hufflepuffs, I reckon, will have an excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise tonight. Chip-chip!"

Y/n was overjoyed. She hugged her housemates, and chanted along, and jumped. A party was to take place that night to celebrate. She was so excited and immersed in planning, she didn't notice when Fred and George left the Great Hall and went up to their dorms, not joining the other Gryffindors on their way to the celebration in the Hufflepuff Basement.