I'm not a coward, just shy (Hogwarts fanfic)

ch 13- unexpected

I bit my nails down to stubs as I watched Cedric's match. He had transfigured a rock into a Dog and I was muttering the future a second beside Charlie who had was helping with the Swedish short-snort.

"Taylor please stop that and stop biting your nails" Charlie sounded annoyed but he was good hearted about it.

"Sorry, I'm little on little on edge, Watch the tail" I said just before the tail start to swing, just missing Cedric's head. He got to the egg but it slipped in his hands and banged to the rocks, bring the Dragon's attention back on Cedric. Cedric dashed for the golden egg, scooping it up, running for his life to the exit, just managing to duck under the Dragons fire. The crowd erupted in cheers. I gulped, harry was up next and the paths were started to blur together. I am getting to panicked and I felt bile raise in my throat. He was going to be fine, he had to be. I looked over at Ron, who was sitting with Dean, Seamus and Ginny. He looked extremely pale and like he was also going to lose his lunch. I watched as they let loose the Hungarian Horn-tail. The Dragon was coal black with burning yellow eyes. They weren't like those of a Basilisk that I had faced two years ago. They will like mine, I realize with gasp. The Horn-tail was the largest of the dragon in pure muscle mass, It's tail swinging with its ball of spikes on the end. It roared at the crowded, flapping it's powerful wing.

"She beautiful aren't she" Charlie asked.

"I can see why you adore them. her eyes... their the same colour as mine" I said and Charlie chuckled.

"Yeah, I noticed that two, she arrived at the reserve same month you arrived at the burrow. Mum snapped a picture of you and sent it to me and I was surprised to by the similarly between them. she was half grow, about 5 years old we can guess. She had been in a fight and lost she had a nasty gash across her stomach" He pointed out the scar tissue just viewable if you knew what to look for.

"We named her Temper because if she doesn't like you things get ugly quick" he smiled, I gulped seeing harry getting slammed by Her tail and not sure if it was a vision or not.

Soon everything was in place and the gong was sounded and a nervous quickly sneaked into the ring. He was care full not to make a noise however he didn't watch his footing kicking a rock with made a noise that seemed to echo. It was too late he had gotten unwanted attention by Temper. She roared shaking the standing and everyone in them.

"ACCIO FIREBOLT!" Harry yelled and shocked we watched Harry dodge while nothing happened. Then out of nowhere Harry's Firebolt had whizzed though the air and into Harry's out stretched. I watched with a mix of fear and excitement that twisted in my gut with every dive and dodge Harry made. He finally managed to grasp a hold of his prize however in the process his shoulder just got clipped the tail. It didn't look to bad and as he retreated into the safety of Exit, his robes where smoking. It all happened so fast it was hard to register what was happening even with my foresight. For once I felt truly caught in the moment. I cheered with everyone else as Ludo's voice was drowned out.

I almost leaped from my seat going to see how harry was. In my heist I stumbled down the stair, a strong grip on my arm saving me from a possible trip to the hospital wing. I turned to see a familiar shock of red hair.

"Ron" I said tensing a little. We still haven't talked much. "Thanks" I mumbled. It was silent, the only noise from the crowd behind us.

"Look, Taylor... please... you don't have to forget about what happened but please forgive me" He said. I opened my mouth but he continued. "I know I can't replace what I broke and you were right I was acting like a child and harry would have entered himself into something like this. I mean, he had to fight a dragon..." He babbled on and I couldn't help but smile. He finally noticed my expression.

"What are you smiling for?" He asked, only making my grin widen.

"I just missed you" I answered turning to continue on. "Come on, you and harry have to make up".

We got to the tent were the champions lay, recovering and getting medical attention. I looked over to harry and asked if he was ok without words. He nodded and I let him, Ron and Hermione have so privacy.

"Hey" I said knocking on the Curtin were Cedric lay. "Can I come in?" I asked popping my head round.

"Taylor, hey, I saw you in the stands" He beamed his trade mark smile.

"And I saw you in the arena, Dragon got you pretty good I see" I said looking at his arm with was covered in a thick green pasted. "I hope it doesn't scar" I said my hand subconsciously to my own scar which started on my jaw line.

"I don't know, girls seem to dig it" Cedric chuckled.

"What does that mean?" I asked sitting in a folding chair which had been sat by his made shift cot.

"You becoming quite the talk, even girls in my year are calling you dark and handsome. Plus the scar makes you look dangerous" I flushed pink.

"Your just tensing, plus the scar is from a stupid mistake, I just got to close to the whomping willow and I am not dark just... shy" I said slowly turning redder by the second making Cedric laugh.

"That makes me wonder, who is your crush", I turned redder. My mind flashed to Luna and I felt my spirits grow heavy.

"Luna Lovegood" I sighed.

"Interesting choice" He said but only waited for more information that I would reluctantly give in the end.

"You're like a teenage girl" I sighed, "I like her in a way but lately, I am coming to realize that we will only ever be friends" I said thinking back to the day on the Hogwarts express.

"How so?"

"A gut feeling" I smiled reluctantly. "It's not in my path, otherwise I would have seen it" I looked up at Cedric had sat up. "What about you?" I said changing the subject. "Who are you chasing?" I asked.

"There is one person..."

My heart leaped in my throat... blood rushed in my ears... heat spread though my body starting from the point of contacted. Being kissed was not what I had expected. I didn't expected some kind of explosive passion, but I didn't expected it to felt so wrong and yet so .... Right. he pulled back and looked at my face. For once there was no static, no sound, just his warm brown eyes. Cedric just kissed me.