glow. // cedric diggory

27

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

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"Are you sure you're alright?" Ellie had been asked that question a total of at least twenty times since she'd been pulled out of the Black Lake earlier that morning during the second task. She'd reply with the same phrase repeatedly: "I'm quite alright, I promise. Thank you for asking."

Dinner that evening was a cheerful meal for the Hogwarts student body, seeing as both of the school's champions had placed first and second in the task. Despite Viktor Krum surfacing before Harry, apparently one of the merpeople had informed Headmaster Dumbledore that Harry had indeed arrived first, even before Cedric himself, and that the only thing that prevented him from winning first place easily was his insistence that all the hostages be rescued. He was worried for them all, especially seeing as Hermione Granger was his other best friend. This made Dumbledore agree that Harry Potter deserved second place.

Now, he and Cedric were tied for first place in the tournament with 85 points each. 

At dinner, Cedric received multiple congratulatory wishes from students of all houses and even from some of the Beauxbatons girls. The Beauxbatons girls that came up to him were all batting their eyelashes and giggling in their high-pitched voices while twirling their hair around their fingers, some even touching his shoulder.

Cedric remained stiff and awkward throughout those interactions, but he was still polite and smiled at them, thanking them once they'd finished. All the while, Ellie would scoot just a little bit closer to Cedric, twining her hand with his under the table and ensuring her arm was touching his. Eleanor Campbell wasn't known to be a jealous person but what could she say? He had Veelas practically drooling over him, and Ellie was no Veela herself. Once the interaction was over, he'd turn to Ellie and give her a kiss on her temple or her cheek and squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"Are you sure you don't feel even the least bit under the weather?" Cedric murmured in her ear, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. She slapped his wrist aware and glared at him.

"Cedric, I'm fine, I promise," she said sternly. "If I didn't feel well, I'd go see Madam Pomfrey."

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her shoulders and a chin planted itself on top of her head. She touched the person's hands, only to feel Frankie's familiar thin silver band on her middle finger (she often used it to emphasize when she would flip someone the bird).

"Frankie!" she exclaimed, turning quickly to jump up and give her best friend a hug.

"Oh, El, you have no idea how scared Flora and I were," Francesca murmured as she squeezed Ellie's shoulders tightly before pulling away. "Flora might have just broken my hand with how tight she was squeezing it." She flexed her fingers and smirked.

Ellie smiled brightly and fixed a fallen strand of Frankie's hair. "Where is Flo?" she asked. "I've yet to see her."

"She worried herself sick," Frankie said with a laugh. "The poor girl wasn't even a part of the task and managed to put herself in the hospital wing! She's alright, though. Madam Pomfrey wrote it off as nerves but is letting her take a nap. I'm sure she'll be down to the Hufflepuff common room before curfew." She looked sideways at Cedric to make sure he wasn't looking before mouthing, or probably after.

The brunette laughed. "You do know I'm a prefect too, right?"

"Yeah, but you're no snitch," said Frankie, squeezing Ellie's cheeks. She swatted her hands away before grinning. "Anyways, I just wanted to come and say hi." She turned to the boy sitting beside her best friend. "Congratulations, Cedric. Really. Thanks for keeping Ellie safe."

Cedric gave her a smile and a nod. "Of course. See you, Frankie."

Frankie waved as she ran off back to the Slytherin table and Ellie retook her place next to Cedric, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into his touch and smiled up at him. "So, have you got any plans for Valentine's Day?" she asked. Outwardly, his face expressed a small smile as he shook his head no. Inwardly, he was grinning widely at the plan he had put together with Flora and Frankie and the rest of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

He didn't fail to notice the way Ellie's smile dropped just a little. "Oh," she said, more quietly this time. She sat up straighter, no longer sitting against him as she ate the food on her plate. "Don't you have the game against Gryffindor? That's fun, isn't it?"

"You'll come, right?" Cedric asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Ellie replied hesitantly, not meeting his eyes. How was she supposed to somehow convey the message that if he wasn't going to do something with her for Valentine's that she had no desire to come to his game? She didn't really feel like sitting out in the snow if the day wasn't going to be special. "I kind of have a lot of school work to catch up on."

"You have no missing assignments," he deadpanned.

Oh. "Well, I'd like to get ahead of the curve. Nothing wrong with that."

Cedric smiled. "If you can't come, that's okay." What? Why wasn't he fighting her on this? He didn't even care if she came or not? The thought of him not caring enough made Ellie frown. You know what, maybe she would go to the game. Not for her boyfriend, but for the whole team. Valentine's Day is a day where you express your love to your favorite people, and some of Ellie's favorite people were on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Granted, her most favorite person was on the team, but it didn't seem like he cared enough to beg her to come. Fine, then. Whatever.

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AUTHOR'S CORNER

I'm such a sucker for Valentine's Day, it's not even funny. What's the craziest gift you've ever seen someone give their partner for Valentine's? I'd have to say for me it was when this girl gave her boyfriend a super expensive pair of Jordans only for him to break up with her the week after.

Anyways, thank you all for reading! Love you to the moon and to saturn!