glow. // cedric diggory

13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

With winter break having started, the common rooms were often the go-to place for everyone to hang out, seeing as the courtyards were blanketed with thick, glittering snow. Many students had gone home for the holidays, despite the rumors of an upcoming Christmas ball being confirmed, so the castle was never too crowded. 

A few people even made the rather unwise decision of doing what Muggles called "polar plunges" in which they found a large body of water and went swimming in it while it was freezing outside. Mostly Gryffindors and Slytherins attempted it, and most came back to the castle with blue lips and chattering teeth.

One evening, while Ellie was eating dinner with Frankie, who had decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, when Hagrid lumbered over to her. His beard was snow-spotted and his big coat shone with ice crystals. "'Scuse me, Frankie. Can I borrow Ellie from you?" he asked.

Frankie grinned up at him and nodded. "Of course."

Ellie smiled up at Hagrid and said, "What's going on?"

"Your Mooncalf is ready to be seen," he told her with a happy gleam in his eyes. "I've already let Diggory know. He's asked me to tell you to meet him in the common room after you get changed. We've got a small venture into the Forbidden Forest, you know. Best bundle up before heading out."

Ellie nodded. She turned to Frankie and said, "I have to go. But I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sounds good," Frankie replied. "See you."

"Bring Diggory and meet me here outside the Great Hall," Hagrid said.

She gave him a thumbs up and set off in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room, which was a short ways away from the Great Hall. In the common room, she saw Cedric warming his hands by the fire, sitting in a plush chair. The tip of his nose was red and his cheeks were flushed. Dampened gloves were sitting on the end table next to him. It looked like he'd already been outside.

"Give me one second, Cedric," she said, hurrying up the stairs and into her dormitory, where she layered on a shirt, sweater, and then a large jacket with a Hufflepuff house beanie. She grabbed the habit log Hagrid had given them on the first day when they were assigned a creature and made her way back into the common room, where Cedric was exactly where he was earlier.

"Hi Ellie," he said happily when she walked over to him. When she grinned, he cocked his head. "What are you all smiley about?" 

"Nothing," she replied nonchalantly. "You've just never called me Ellie, that's all."

"Would you prefer Eleanor? Or Campbell?" he asked, smirking a little.

She sighed and shook her head but could feel her cheeks rushing with heat at the way he said her name. "You're something else, Cedric. You know that?"

His smirk only widened. "You flatter me, Ellie."

"Come on already," she muttered, the blush not leaving her face. "Or Hagrid will start to worry."

He stood up and picked up his gloves from the end table, following her out of the common room and to the Great Hall where Hagrid was standing, tapping his large foot against the stone floors.