We Meet Again(Cedric/Edward)

31-Radically Changed

The house was quiet when I woke up. It was not unusual—Dad was always off at the police station investigating something. But, for some reason, I felt that this aurora's reigning silence wasn't a pleasant or habitual one—it was eery and uncomfortable.
As I had done every morning during these past few months, I prepared a simple breakfast—with magic, granted—and ate alone, at the dining room table. The wooden surface of it was long and smooth; it could easily fit six people around it. And yet, only one sat at its angles.

I routinely got dressed and walked out the main entrance. Outside, the air was humid and cold. Not a single snowflake fell from the cloudy sky. Not a single leaf was covered in ice. Even hail had not graced Forks with its presence. And the street seemed unusually silent today.
As I dragged my feet towards the bright truck, a low cracking noise sounded from behind me. Immediately, I turned to it, but no one was there.
It took a few minutes for my heart rate to decelerate, and only when it did did I finally enter my vehicle.

As per routine, I walked to the library to meet Leo. He was there, reading a book with a scowl on his face. The expression he had was familiar, yet seemed unfitting for Leo's features. I'd never seen him scowl before. I hesitantly strutted over to him and sat down. Immediately, he looked up with a sharp movement.
"Good morning," I said, trying to smile.
"Morning," he said, and for a second I thought I saw his jaw clench.
"What are you reading?" I asked, approaching him to get a glance at the page. But, to my dismay, he harshly flinched, as though I were some rabid cat bouncing up to scratch his eyes out.
"Just some m-"immediately, he froze and his icy eyes widened.
"Sorry?" I asked.
"It's called The Giver."
"The Giver?" But you read the book just last month, as I recall," I replied, amused.
"Oh, did I? Well, I decided to reread it. I've been trying to catch mistakes in it. So far, unsuccessfully."
"Oh. Alright," I answered vaguely.
I had no idea what had happened to provoke such a radical change in this boy I had thought to cherish. Now, he just seemed cold, reserved, and unpleasant to be around. Thoughts of breaking off our relationship swirled in my mind, when, all of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my head. I brought my hand to it and rubbed over it repeatedly.
"Er..." Leo awkwardly said.
I looked up at him curiously.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, but I couldn't shake off the impression that he was forcing himself to.
"Oh, yes. I just got a headache."
Leo looked down, and for an instant, his lips curled upwards into a discreet smirk.
"What is it?" I asked, grinning.
"What is what?" he retorted.
"Why are you smiling all of a sudden?"
"I... I found a mistake. In the book."
"Bravo, Leo," I replied ironically, as he smiled unnaturally.
After a moment, the two of us grew silent.
"Say... How about you come over to my house after school today? My father won't be home."
"Your father? Now, who's speaking like they're from the 1920s?" I asked, chuckling quietly.
Leo just stared at me, then gave me a smile and nod once I started laughing.
"But, erm... Yeah! Sure. My Dad won't be home since, you know, he's the chief of police, so..."
"Right then. I'll see you then," he answered, and for the first time today, he offered a genuine smile.

The day seemed to drag on for much longer than it really was, but school finally did end at some point. I walked towards the school gate, only to see Leo already standing there, waiting for me. I smiled and strolled over to him. He grabbed my hand a bit stiffly and led me out of the school grounds. As we walked, I leaned into him slightly, but retreated when I noticed his figure grow stiff.
After a few seconds of unbroken silence, I said:
"Leo, is something wrong?"
He kept walking, but his long legs sped up a little.
"Wrong? Of course not," he paused, "Darling."
I let out a small chuckle, to which he asked:
"What's so funny?"
"Since when do you call me Darling?"
"Since today."
"Alright then, Handsome," I said, grinning.
I looked up at him, and noticed that his cheeks were pink. I looked down and grinned.
"You are blushing," I said quietly.
"That's ridiculous. Of course I'm not blushing."
I just laughed in response, and, all of a sudden, we were standing at his door.
"Ladies first," he said opening the door and leading me in.
"Thank you," I said, grinning.
Leo made some tea for both of us, poured some mixture into his own cup, and we sat down on the living room sofa.
"I thought you didn't like tea?"
"Oh-well, tastes change. I enjoy this one," he answered, before taking a long sip from his cup.
"Edward Cullen's quite odd, isn't he?" he asked.
"He definitely is odd."
Leo paused and looked at the floor for a moment.
"What do you know about him?"
"What do I know about him? Er... He has reddish hair, pale skin, and likes eye contacts."
"Eye contacts?" Leo asked, intrigued.
"Well, as he stares at me so much, I sort of notice... One day his eyes are completely black, and the next, they're sort of golden. Like Madam Ho-" Immediately, I stopped myself. "Like a teacher I had back in Scotland."
Leo's lips curved upwards, and he even chuckled. I wondered what was so funny. It seemed I would never understand males.
"Has he told you anything about himself?" Leo asked, again about Edward Cullen.
"Er... Not that I remember... But I do know he has unusually good hearing. One time, I whispered something and he heard me from across the room!"
   "That is odd, isn't it..." Leo questioned, more to himself than to me.
Suddenly, he turned to me, and his icy irises stared at me with an intensity so strong, that it almost felt like he was searching through my mind. Almost subconsciously, I performed Occlumency—an impenetrable protection from anyone trying to delve into my brain. I had gotten so comfortable at Forks that I'd stopped using it completely, over time.
Leo smiled and came closer to me, cupping my cheek a little awkwardly. I smiled as he looked down at my lips.
   "You're beautiful," he said after a moment.
   "Thank you," I said, breaking out into a breathless chuckle.
   "It's true," he whispered before smoothly applying his lips onto mine. And the fireworks inside me erupted all over again. They were so explosive that I felt like something inside of my head was banging repeatedly against a wall, or screaming. Shouting, fighting to be let out. But that didn't matter. I felt comfortable and safe with him.