glow. // cedric diggory

10

CHAPTER TEN

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

On the way back to the castle, Ellie and Minnie were talking and laughing about many different things, the match being one of them.

"I think Richard did great," Ellie said.

"Oh, of course," Minnie replied. "Richard's one of the best Keepers our team has ever had. The amount of shots he blocked today was crazy. He's been practicing over the summer; you can tell." She glanced at the ground and suddenly looked over at Ellie. "Hey, did he tell you yet?"

Ellie tilted her head. "Did who tell me what?" she asked. "Richard? Was he supposed to say something?"

"Did Cedric not-" Minnie blushed. "I guess not."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "Minerva Nicole Bellrose, did Cedric not tell me what?"

Minnie winced. "I really can't tell you. Cedric would kill me. My headstone would say 'death by conditioning' and I'd really rather it say something just a little bit cooler."

"I really need you to tell me," Ellie pleaded. "Please Minnie? You can't just say that Cedric was supposed to tell me something and then just not tell me! Especially after he didn't."

Minnie groaned. "Ellie, if I tell you, you need to swear to me that you won't tell anybody. Not even Cedric. Okay?"

Ellie nodded. "I promise. Is it really that bad?"

"It isn't bad, per se, but it's definitely not something he wants you knowing," Minnie explained. "I personally think it's great news, but you might not think so. Everyone else thinks it is, though-"

"Just tell me, please," Ellie pleaded.

"So, Cedric kind of likes you," she said quietly. Ellie's mouth dropped open into the shape of an O. "And I know this is kind of shocking to you, but to the anyone else, it really isn't. That's how he found the Snitch, you know. He was looking at you while you were watching the game and saw it fly right in front of your face."

Ellie couldn't say anything. She had no idea what to say or do. There was no way Cedric liked her. They had hated each other ever since they were little and often wondered how on earth the other was in Hufflepuff. Their personalities never matched up--at least, not as far as Ellie knew.

Eventually, she just laughed. "That's hilarious."

Minnie frowned. "I'm not lying, El. You're all he talks about. That's why he went to find you earlier today before bringing you to the tent. He was going to tell you--or, that's what we all thought. But he really does like you. A lot. It's not hard to see. Merlin, Ellie, you're about as oblivious as those two Gryffindors Harry Potter is friends with."

Ellie still didn't know what to say. Was it true? Did he actually like her? There was no way--it just wasn't possible. The two had never been friends, and Ellie thought they never would be, but hearing about this made her feel bad for how she treated him sometimes. She'd always thought he felt the same way about her and that the way they acted towards each other was just their dynamic, but now she was doubting that dynamic and felt bad.

If he really did like her, she could only imagine how he felt when she would tell him she hated him or would blow him off and see him as a pest. Maybe she didn't like him and probably never would (right?), but that didn't mean she wanted to hurt him. She was still a Hufflepuff, after all.