Head Boy // Cedric Diggory

9. A Happy Christmas

Phoebe found herself motionless, staring up at the canopy of her bed. She felt as if she had been tossing and turning for hours, Cedric's expression plastered on the front of her mind.

There were several things Phoebe was cursing herself about. Firstly, she felt as if she had made an absolute fool out of herself shouting out his name in the corridor. Like a lost child in a mall that had lost their mother. How could she have let herself stoop to such a degree? What level of desperation had she attained?

Secondly, that she couldn't even find the words to apologize to Cedric. It had been mortifying enough having him refute everything she thought to be true. But she knew she at least owed him that, even if it chilled her to the bone.

Thirdly, that she had grabbed him, without a word, and kissed him. He was the last person she ever found herself to be interested in, but in that moment there was nothing she had wanted to do more. It was terribly confusing, but she couldn't ignore the urge. She had almost never felt anything so strong in her life. But him? And why now? After everything? He obviously hadn't felt the same, the two had been sworn enemies for nearly 4 years. And now, she had to go about the rest of the year with him as her potions partner, unless he would go to Snape and ask to be reassigned. Or maybe she should do that, to avoid the absolute mortification. But the two were in Dumbledore's Army, and there was no avoiding confrontation there.

Replaying the hovering and loaded silence between the two as she tried horribly to escape the common room was enough to make Phoebe scream. And so, she pulled her pillow over her face and did.

Phoebe spent the following week resigned to the Gryffindor Common Room and Flitwick's office, neither of which would ever fall in what she thought would be Cedric's paths about the castle. They were the only two students that remained behind for the holidays and Hogwarts was certainly big enough to guarantee they wouldn't cross paths.

As for meals, she would peak around the corners of the Grand Staircase and Great Hall to ensure that Cedric was not around, dash into the room, retrieve the plate of food, then return back to the Gryffindor Common Room to eat in front of the fire.

Occasionally, she would venture out into the grounds, which had been packed with at least a foot of snow since everyone had left for home. Hagrid still hadn't returned, so she resorted to company from his varying creatures that resided in his hut. She figured someone should take care of them. But when the, what she believed to be, father of the family of bowtruckles nipped her finger, she abandoned the idea and trudged back up to the castle.

Phoebe pushed the huge doors open to the entryway of the castle and found herself face to face with who she had avoided for so long. She knew she should've gone in a side door.

"Hi," Cedric addressed her, clearly flustered.

"Hi," Phoebe echoed, stomping the layer of snow from her boots.

"Cold out?" he asked, immediately wincing at his words.

"Yep," she replied plainly, assessing her best mode of escape.

The tree in the center of the foyer glistened, adorned with ornaments of small angels and fresh holly berries. A smell like Phoebe had never experienced was wafting from the Great Hall and her stomach growled at the idea of food.

"Hungry?" he asked kindly.

Phoebe nodded and he gestured his head toward the room. Her feet unconsciously led her past him and she felt his hands reach around her shoulders.

"May I?" came his voice from behind her, but before she could agree, he peeled her snow-soaked coat from her arms.

She didn't turn, but rather continued into the hall where there lay one table, neatly adorned with a small but extravagant feast.