Emerald [Cedric Diggory]

Chapter Fourteen

"Vandalism, Maya, really?" the little man asked, as he sat down in his chair.

"It's nice to see you again too, Professor." Maya said mildly as she shut the door to his office. She turned around to face him with an amiable smile. "That's a gorgeous tan you've got. Go anywhere interesting over the holidays?"

"I went to Hawaï for a Charms convention. I was the keynote speaker." he replied distractedly. "And don't try to change the subject!"

Maya sighed. "Very well." She walked up to the chair across from Professor Flitwick and sat down. "On a scale of Snape to McGonagall, how shocked are you?"

Flitwick's lips quivered despite himself. "On a scale of Snape to McGonagall?" he asked.

Maya nodded. "Snape seems to have accepted that Damien and I are, and always will be delinquents. Professor McGonagall on the other hand, went into a tizzy as soon as she heard." Maya said, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly as she remembered the shock on the Transfiguration teacher's face. "She couldn't speak for a few minutes, and when she did, her voice was as shrill as Madame Hooch's whistle."

Professor Flitwick laughed, and even Maya couldn't keep the amusement from her face.

"On a scale of Snape to McGonagall, I'm a Dumbledore." he replied after a few minutes, as two teacups and a teapot set themselves on the table in front of them. Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" she asked, pouring herself some tea. She turned her head to look at him. "Dumbledore was amused."

"As am I."

"But how could you know that he was amused?" Maya asked.

"Dumbledore is always amused." Flitwick replied. Maya let out a rather undignified snort.

"Touché."

"How did your fellow students react?" Flitwick asked eventually.

"Surprisingly." Maya admitted, taking another sip. "The Slytherins are nastier than usual, no surprise there, but with the rest of the houses, Damien and I seem to have acquired a semi-hero status."

All week, quite a few people from different houses had been grinning at them, or giving them approving glances as if to say well done. The rest looked more scared of them than ever, choosing to speed up, and keep their heads down whenever they spotted the two Slytherins. Although with the outlandish rumors that had been popping up about that night, no one had actually dared to approach them.

No one except a certain Hufflepuff, Maya thought, her lips pursed.

"Did you really blow up the Slytherin common room?" Cedric asked her the day after the incident. Maya was sitting in the courtyard, book in hand. When Maya glanced upwards to look at him, she noticed around three Hufflepuff boys hovering at his elbow.

"Of course not." Maya replied calmly. Cedric's shoulders sagged, as though in relief, but she was sure she caught a little disappointment in his eyes, so she added, "Just the entrance."

"So, it is true." he stated with an amused smile.

"In a manner of speaking." she allowed, her eyes already going back to her book.

For the second time since they had met, Cedric sat down next to her uninvited. Maya stiffened, but kept her eyes glued to her book.

"Can't imagine Snape was too happy." he said idly.

"No."

"What's the verdict?"

"Detention for the rest of the year, and a maddeningly long essay."