Harry Potters Twin Book Three

The Marauders Map ~not edited~

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry and I in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. We didn't argue or complain, but we wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of our Nimbus Two Thousands. I knew we were being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but I couldn't help it; I felt as though I'd lost one of my best friends.

I had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering me and Harry up. Hagrid sent us a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit. I laughed at him for hours.

The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told me (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame me in the slightest. Ron, Hermione, and Bonnie left our bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make me feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling me.

I thought that I liked Seamus, but when Cedric came to visit on Saturday right after Ron, Hermione, and Bonnie left I was confused.

"Hey, Nixie," Cedric sat next to me. Luckily, Harry was asleep at this time. "I came to see if you were feeling better."

"I am," I said, blushing. "Madame Promfrey just insists that me and Harry stay for the whole weekend."

"I'm sorry about the match," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't know about the Dementors, I was too far up..."

I smiled. "I don't blame you. It was a fair game. I just wish I could get out of the Hospital Wing, its boring."

"It can't be so bad, you get out of going to classes," Cedric reasoned.

"Yes, but Hermione insists on bringing me all the work we do there, so its practically going to class but without the Professor." I said, gesturing to the stack of books and parchments on my bedside table. "At least I got out of Snape's detention."

.We were silent, but it wasn't awkward, it was... sweet. I felt much more comfortable around Cedric then I did with Seamus. I mentally slapped myself, why did I think that? I had a crush on Seamus since first year, I can't just change my mind because of one conversation-

"You play Quidditch really well," Cedric said, breaking me out of my reverie. I looked at him from under my eyelashes, and he was grinning at me. "You know, for a third year."

I laughed. "Shut up, you know if we played under better conditions I would have beaten you in three minutes flat."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Yes, yes it is," I said, smirking at him playfully. "Do you except?"

Cedric considered me for a moment, then nodded, sticking his hand out. "Shake on it."

I shook his hand, and felt as though my insides had gone warm. Butterflies fluttered furiously in my stomach and I tried hard to hide my tamatoe blush that came up. It was either he didn't notice, or he pretended not to, because he didn't say anything.

"End of the year," I said, noticing that he hadn't let go of my hand.

I fell asleep that day with his hand in mine.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where I was forced to think about other things, even if I had to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.