Going Unnoticed || Cedric Diggory

Chapter Eight - Raining Dresses

NOTE: The dress that Caitlyn gets in the parcel is displayed at the side :)

Chapter Eight - Raining Dresses [UNDER EDITING]

November slipped quickly into December and it was getting colder; frost, sleet and ice was now becoming a regular feature in the school grounds, sprinkling trees like sugar on a cake, and attacking exposed skin with a nippy bite. Worse than the cold, Cedric had not gotten very far with the egg. We had discovered that it wailed like a banshee whenever you opened it, and unfortunately neither of us could speak banshee, so we couldn't understand anything it emitted. We were really putting our heads together whenever we could, desperately trying (and failing) to work out what the high pitched wailing was all about. It was rather disheartening, and of course extremely painful. 

On many occasions I, and most likely Cedric, honestly felt like letting out the occasional wail like the egg. Coping mechanisms, we figured.

I was sitting at the breakfast table, Hogwarts: A History in my hand, when I felt someone sit next to me. I looked up from the yellowing pages to see gentle eyes and a caramel curl falling out of place. He smiled at me warmly, as if this was all perfectly normal. I tried not to notice the looks he was gaining from his Hufflepuff friends and the people near us on the Ravenclaw table.

"Morning," He whispered, not paying any attention to the confused expressions of his friends. 

"Good morning Cedric, um, have you...have you gotten anywhere yet?" I asked him. He shook his head solemnly, smile flickering.

"It doesn't make sense, it's just mixed up screeching you can't understand. Do I have to battle a banshee or something? I don't know." He said, sounding exasperated, maddened even.

"Well, we'll have to do research into the different animals that communicate by wailing and—" I was cut off by the owls flying above our heads, delivering the letters and parcels. "And that's one of them," I sighed as owls screeched and cawed at their owners. Putting down my butter knife, I looked into the descending blend of moving greys, whites and browns, trying to spot my delusional owl. But I didn't really need to search hard, or even search at all, as within a couple of seconds a box came hurtling down suddenly from a few meters above us and hit Cedric on the head, clattering to the floor with several quiet thuds.

"Ow!" Cedric exclaimed, rubbing the crown of his head and looking up, squinting at my owl, who promptly fluttering down and started picking at my toast, as if proud of his aim. I gave my owl a disappointed look before picking the box up from the floor. It was quite big and rather flat. Wrapped with paper and tied with a string, it didn't really look like a regular letter from my mother, or package of paper and quills from my father. 

Cedric watched as I ripped the paper off of the box swiftly, eager to take a look inside. I took off the lid and gasped. What on earth? Inside was a dress folded up, a pair of dark blue black flats sitting on top of it. I exchanged a look with Cedric, who shrugged. He was still clutching the top of his head.

"Oh, come here. Surely it can't be that bad." I said, sliding closer to him and sitting up straight and feeling his head. His caramel brown waves were so soft, I almost sighed. I couldn't feel any lump or bruise, but Cedric winced when I touched the crown of his head. "Honestly, I have dresses attack me from all angles everyday, I can't see what you're complaining about." I said as I flicked my wand, curing the pain.

"Thanks." He said, sounding slightly embarrassed about being attacked by a box, "What's this for?" He then asked as I pulled the dress out of the box. It was strapless and had some sort of sash around the middle. below that it flowed down with flower patterns covering the actual skirt of the dress.