Poison | Cedric Diggory

4: never

{ 4: never }

dedicated to candymandy13 for being my Eddie Redmayne fangirl buddy and for agreeing to watch The Theory of Everything with me

_______

With that, Oleander turned on her heel and stalked down the hall. Once she turned the corner and was out of Cedric's sight, she bit her lip and chastised herself. What was that? she thought. Why would I try to kiss him? Cedric Diggory. Him of all people. I don't love him. I can't love him.

"Oleander!" She looked back to see Claire Darnes, one of her closest Slytherin friends, running down the hall towards her. "Ollie!"

"What is it, Claire?" Oleander asked in a slightly impatient tone.

Claire stopped just short of running into the blonde, bending down to tug on her knee-length socks. "I...came to tell you...what I overheard," she panted. Claire was a big eavesdropper.

"And what was it?" Oleander caught her friend's eyes.

"It was Cedric. He was talking to some of his friends outside the Hufflepuff dorms once you left...guess what he said?"

"What?" Oleander snapped. "Get to the point, Claire!"

"He said you confuse him!"

Oleander paused.

Claire's eyes were dancing, her grin wide. "Isn't that great?"

"What about that it great?"

"Because if you confuse him, it means he wants to know you better. Right? Am I right?"

Her dark brown hair was coming out of its braid, and Oleander fixed her eyes in it as she replied. "No, it doesn't. That's not what it means at all. And why are you so excited about what Cedric said about me? It's not like I have any interest in him."

Claire's eyebrows shot up. "Is that so?" She met Oleander's gaze and squeezed her hand. "I think you need to rethink that statement." Her eyes were wide, her voice low. "Ciao!" she said loudly, skipping away.

Oleander let her hand drop, groaning. How can she be so happy when I'm so...not? The one person I love is entering the Triwizard Tournament.

Wait...no.

I don't love him.

Do I? Really?

___

In the Slytherin common room after classes, Oleander sat at a small desk in the corner by the cold stone fireplace, reading a book. Despite her very active love life and no interest in school, there was nothing Oleander loved more than a great novel.

"Ah!" she yelped when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders unexpectedly. Behind her, Claire doubled over, laughing. Oleander glared at her and smacked her with the book she was holding. "Not funny."

Claire nodded, clutching her stomach. "Yes. Very funny."

"Oh, shut up."

Claire leaned again the chair Oleander had been sitting in, her tone growing serious. "Hey, I heard that Dumbledore's gonna be announcing the Triwizard Champions tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Oleander exclaimed. "Why so soon?"

Her friend shrugged. "I guess he wants to get it over with."

Cedric's fate could he sealed tomorrow, Oleander thought. And if so, there would be nothing I could do to save him.