Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 69

It was only a couple days before the second task, Céline told Daphne and Tracey about her encounter with the DuPont cousins. They were livid with them and were ready to storm over there and hex them both, but Céline stopped them.

They scolded her for walking around by herself, but also told her how proud they were for being able to confront them. She also told them about everything Hannah has been telling her about Cedric and Cho and how it had been bothering her that the two of them have been so close.

Then she told them how she and Cedric are spending dinners together now, since she had asked him to spend more time with her. The dinners have been good, but it was still having dinner with him at his table with his friends, She decided to tell him that she wanted to have dinner with just him before the second task.

That evening during dinner while eating dinner with Cedric she suggested they had a picnic dinner in the Astronomy tower the evening before the second task, which he happily agreed to. This made her excited for the next day.

The next evening, right after classes, she quickly snuck into the kitchens and asked for a picnic basket with fruits, pastries, and little sandwiches and some juice. Which the house-elves happily obliged, making everything for her excitedly. She said hello to Dobby and Winky, before heading up to the Astronomy tower with her freshly made picnic basket. She felt excited, it had been a while since they had done anything like this together. 

They rarely ate alone, since they were usually always surrounded by his friends. Céline and Cedric had been in a relationship since mid November, and barely got time together other than to study. Normally she didn't mind it, but since she had recently been insecure about his friendship with Cho, she felt as though this would make her feel better and maybe strengthen her relationship with him.

When she got to the Astronomy tower, she let out a sigh of relief that it was empty. She placed the basket on a nearby table and walked over to the large aperture where the telescope pointed out towards the evening sky.

She looked out into the scenery and waited for Cedric to come up.

After a while, she looked at her watch to check the time. It was thirty minutes after the time they had agreed to meet. She decided that instead of continuing to wait, she would go get him herself. She tucked the basket in a corner, just in case someone came before they came back and started down the stairs.

It took her a while to find him, but when she did, her stomach did a flip. There he was walking towards the Greenhouse... with Cho. This time she decided not to sit back and say nothing. She was rather upset now, because he had promised her they would have dinner together.

She strode after them with determination, then took a deep breath and changed her frown to her fake smile.

"There you are Cedric." She called to him. They both stopped and looked back at her. "Are you ready for our dinner?" She asked him sweetly.

He was smiling at her, but when she said that his eyes widened. That look by itself hurt Céline. Her smile faltered a little. "I'm so sorry Cél, I told Cho I would help her with her Herbology during dinner today. I completely forgot about our picnic date." He said.

Céline's smile had completely vanished, "you forgot?" She glanced at Cho, who looked slightly embarrassed to be in the middle of this. She sighed, "I suppose it can happen, forgetting. Well then, let's go." She said to him. He stood there for a second looking back and forth between her and Cho.

"Oh, er— can't we have our picnic after the second task... maybe as a celebration picnic." He asked.

"Are you joking right now?" Asked Céline, her eyebrows furrowed. "You're seriously blowing me off right now. To help her with Herbology?" She looked over to Cho again, who was shifting uncomfortable next to Cedric. "I'm sorry, Cho, but can't you ask someone else to help you? You see, my boyfriend promised me we would eat dinner together. I understand that he's fantastic in Herbology, but I'm sure there are plenty others here to help." Said Céline, flatly.

"Oh er— yeah. Sorry, Céline. I didn't know he had plans already." Cho said softly. She looked at Cedric with a small smile, "I'll go to back then." She said before awkwardly stepping away, back towards the castle.

After a moment watching Cho's silhouette getting further away, Cedric sighed.

"What was that about, Céline?" Asked Cedric, with one hand on his hip.

"I could ask you the same thing, Cedric." She responded.

"It was just one night without dinner, she needed help-"

"Then she could have asked someone else!" She said sharply. "Just one night? Cedric, you promised me this. I feel like you've been blowing me off for Cho for a while now."

"Nonsense." Cedric said, slightly surprised by Céline's tone. Her heart clenched at his word. "It's just one night, we could have a picnic another day."

"It's not even about the stupid picnic! It's the fact that you promised me something, something I was really looking forwards to by the way, and then doing what you said you hate doing the most and that's going back on your word! When you were so adamant about not going back on your word with helping Cho, but forgot or didn't even think twice about your word with your actual girlfriend..."

Cedric paused, completely taken by surprise by Céline's demeanor. The girl he had been dating for the last few months, who has always been sweet and cheerful, now looking hurt.

"You think I haven't noticed?" Asked Céline, quietly, looking at him incredulously. "The amount of time you spend with her—"

"We're just friends." He cut her off.

"I see how she looks at you, Cedric, I have eyes!" Her voice raised a little. "I know you're not blind."

"What about you then?" He shouted back. She flinched back at his tone. "You with Harry?"

"You told me to keep supporting him, to keep being there for him!" She yelled back.

"And Draco?" He said hotly.

"What about him?" She groaned in annnoyance. No

"You don't ever notice how he burns holes into my head when I'm with you, or how he treats you differently than any other girl?" Said Cedric.

"Draco is a dear friend of mine, who has been there for me through some of the hardest moments in these last couple of years." She said, her voice shaking with anger. "Can I say the same for you and Cho?"

Cedric rolled his eyes and scoffed, "you're being a child—" he immediately stopped, realizing what he said.

Céline looked at him shocked and wounded by his words. The thing she dreaded ever being called by her own boyfriend. She never wanted to look childish by her actions when she was with Cedric, especially with everyone commenting about her being too young.

"No," Cedric sighed, "Céline, I didn't mean that.." he took a step towards her, but she took a step back.

"But you said it rather quickly, didn't you?" She said quietly. Her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to spill.

"Please, Cél. You know I didn't mean it." He tried taking another step towards her, but she shook her head and stepped back.

"You know what, go ahead and help Cho out. I'm no longer hungry..." she turned away, "good luck on the second task tomorrow... be safe.." she said, her voice breaking slightly. He reached out to her but she started to walk back towards the castle.

As soon as she walked back into the castle, Hannah Abbott called her name from atop of the staircase, "Céline!" She shouted cheerfully, "there you are!"

Céline quickly composed her face and gave her a polite smile, "oh Hannah. Did you need something?"

"Professor McGonagall was asking for you in her office right now." She said.

"Oh, thank you. I'll be right there." Céline said, before sighing. She just wanted to go back to her room, but she knew she couldn't say no to this. So she headed towards Professor McGonagall's office.

Author's note::

Oof! Poor Céline! I've had this argument in my head for a long time!

Can't wait for you to read the next chapter! It's might be a long one too.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tell me what you think of it!
As always, thanks for reading!

Xoxo-Mari