𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 | 𓆙

chapter twenty-seven

      It had been a few weeks since you had the argument with Draco. The two of you still weren't on the best of terms, meaning  any time you crossed paths he would simply just act as if you didn't exist. You wanted to talk to him about what happened, but figured that it would be best to give him his space so that he could cool off and see things a bit clearer. You had felt so guilty when you saw how hurt Malfoy was at the thought of you kissing Potter. Even if it wasn't true, what else was he supposed to think after you had spent the night in Harry's bed? 

     Draco had always been in your life, and now that he was gone you realized how big of a part he played in your happiness. You sat at the end of the Slytherin table far away from the Slytherin boys you were once so close to. Draco stared at you blankly as you ate your breakfast alone and read the Daily Prophet which was still booming with news about the Triwizard Tournament. The next task was coming up in only a month, and you began to wonder if Harry and Cedric had made any progress with planning out their next moves. 

    You hadn't spoke to Cedric since that night of the Yule Ball, and you hadn't spoke to Harry since the Gryffindor New Years Eve party. However, you were pretty sure that the two of them hadn't heard about your make out session you shared with Malfoy and avoiding the two boys seemed easier than explaining the situation. Not to mention the fact that Draco was seemingly on the brink of blowing up again, and you knew that if he saw you with either of the boys it would easily set him off. 

Suddenly you felt someone tap on your shoulder. As you turned around you saw that it was Cedric, looking concerned to say the least. 

"(Y/N), I haven't spoken to you in weeks. Are you alright? I feel like you've been avoiding me in the hallways. I've walked every morning too and I never saw you at our tree," Cedric said softly. This broke your heart more than anything. Cedric was such a sweet boy and he didn't deserve any of this. 

"Cedric-" You started to say with a frown before he cut you off. 

"Was it something that I said or did? Maybe at the ball or-"

"No, no of course not. You were perfect. I've been avoiding everyone I care about lately. Sort of as a punishment to myself for how I have been treating people," you muttered, trying not to tear up. Cedric only looked more confused and flustered. 

"Do you want to go somewhere more private to talk," Cedric almost begged. You glanced over to Draco who was zoned out and staring down at his food while Blaise and the others were entranced in conversation around him. 

You felt so horrible seeing as he had looked that way for weeks. As if all of the happiness and color had been drained from his life.  You cleared your throat and looked back to Cedric, nodding your head yes. He reached out his hand to you and you grabbed it, letting him take you out into the courtyard and to the spot you had met with him time and time before. He still insisted on holding your hand, although you knew that once you told him about New Year's night, he would surely want to let go. 

Cedric had laid down his robe on the snowy ground so that you could lay down comfortably. The two of you laid down underneath the tree for a bit in a comfortable silence before he asked what you hoped he wouldn't. 

"What has been going on with you lately," he said softly as he rubbed your hand. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

You couldn't bare to look at him, all you did was stare up into the snowy branches, thinking of how a couple months ago you were having your very first actual conversation with Cedric Diggory underneath this very tree, only then the leaves were a variety of hues of red, orange, and yellow. And soon your connection with the Hufflepuff boy would surely wither away just as those leaves had. You wished that you could just not tell him about what was going on, but you knew that the truth would somehow reach him. And Cedric valued the truth.