Draco Malfoy's Burning Desire (WATTY AWARDS 2011)

Chapter 17: Keep Calm & Get Revenge!

I haven't published in ages, and I'm terribly sorry about that. But here it is, chapter 17.

"Are you alright?" he repeated. I opened my eyes, then closed them again. The sunlight was too much.

"You can open your eyes," Cedric laughed, "No one's going to hurt you."

"It's it that," Catriona explained, "It's the sun."

The next second, she felt a hand covering her eyes, so she slowly began to open them. The hand slowly began to lift, and before she knew it, she was exposed to the full sunlight and didnt mind one bit, because Cedric Diggory was still holding her in his arms.

"Ready to land?" Cedric asked, "Your boyfriend's giving me scary looks..."

"Of course," she laughed, and the pair started descending, and in a few seconds, Catriona was on her feet.

"Thank you," she smiled, and she meant it. Of course, Draco had been watching this all unroll before his very eyes. He had no idea what took over him, but Draco started running across the field, arms flailing,

"Are you ok?" he panted, once he'd reached Cat, but stood with his back against the Hufflepuff.

"I'm fine," Cat hugged him, then looked at Cedric, "Cedric here saved me."

Draco turned around, forced himself to smile at Cedric, and took Catriona by the hand and they walked together to the school.

"That was awfully nice of Cedric," Draco tried to sound his most delightful, but it was hard to. The look Catriona had given Cedric.. That was the look that was supposed to be reserved for Draco, and Draco alone. It was as though someone had just ripped out his heart and had a giant stomp all over it. He felt crushed. 

"It was, wasn't it? Thank God," she replied, grinning like an idiot. Draco tried his best to be happy. After all, hadn't Cedric just saved his girlfriend? He's a Hufflepuff, and all he was doing was a kindness. He didn't mean anything by it.

"What do you say we go for a walk around the lake?" Draco suggested. Anything to get this whole day behind him.

"Sounds like a plan," she stopped and kissed Draco on the cheek, "But I am never riding a broomstick again."

This made the two laugh, and onward they set for the lake, holding hands.

                                                                                   ***

Back at the field, Ronald Weasley had watched the whole thing unfurl. He'd watched Catriona fall, watched Cedric catch her and land, watched Draco stumble and take Catriona by the hand. The whole time, he was smiling. Once the couple had left, he'd approached Cedric Diggory, who'd been putting away the equipment. 

"Oi! Need some help, Diggory?" Ron offered. Cedric turned around and smiled.

"It would be appreciated," Cedric said. "But you don't have to if you don't want to," he added in hastily, not wanting to sound greedy.

"Nonsense, I offered, didn't I?" Ron picked up a quaffle and placed it in its box.

"Just saw what happened there," Ron said, hoping Cedric would take it as an attempt at small talk.

" Tell me about it," Cedric laughed, "Catriona's not one for the broom, I can tell you that."

"You know Catriona?" Ron asked. He'd known this, of course. But he wanted to confirm it.

"Yeah, she's a great girl," Cedric smiled. Ronald felt his ears go red, and hoped that no one would notice.

"Yeah," Ron didn't know what else to say. Was it possible Cedric  had feelings for Catriona? He couldn't, he liked Cho Chang.