lies || cedric diggory - under heavy editing

chapter ii

After a long dreaded supper, Camellia sat in her own little corner of the common room, a book rested in her hand and her occasional glasses pushed up high above the bridge of her nose. She was a sight to see, especially with her body wrapped in a light pink tank-top and black shorts, her hair pushed back in a loose braid. She was quiet as a mouse but her mind whirled with thoughts from the earlier events in the Great Hall. They had introduced Alastor Moody, an auror, as their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. God help me, she thought, looking up from her book when she had remembered Moody limping in from wherever he went to towards his chair. He was a product of a child's worst nightmare. The female shuddered when she had remembered when the professor had glanced her way before laughing to himself. But that wasn't the worst part of the evening, it was when they had announced that the school will be hosting the TriWizard Tournament, and with the knowledge that it was dangerous, they had put an age limit for any participants.

The female sighed and chewed on her bottom lip, she was nervous, knowing that her brother would be stupid enough to think that the TriWizard Tournament was going to be fun. She could already see it, him and his whole crew thinking about putting their names in the Goblet of Fire just for the fun of it. Though her brother was a genius, he had those moments that he becomes irrational. He becomes selfish and he just decided to think about what he's going to do for himself without thinking that the people who care about him are going to get hurt. That was her brother. And she was glad she
didn't grow up to be exactly like him.

Everyone knew that Camellia was selfless, sometimes too much. She was too giving that it sometimes became a problem. Her happiness was the last in her mind which made her build that impossible wall around her, knowing that if people approached her, all of them were just going to get hurt. She wasn't perfect, she didn't want to be. She knew she was bound to hurt someone, and she did. Even ended up hurting herself in the process.

The female went back to reading, her mind more occupied with the words written on paper that she didn't hear him enter. Well, he hadn't noticed her as well anyway. He was too exhausted to think that maybe one of the students were still up. He mindlessly pulled off his robe, his tie and his jumper before crashing onto the couch, which caught her attention. Camellia caught herself before she could stand up and help him to his dormitory, she just looked at him, silent. When the female was sure that he was asleep, she went back to reading her book. The room was filled with light snoring and the soft sounds of the pages being turned. Her hands were sweaty and quivering with anxiety. It had been two weeks since she saw him (well, apart from their encounter this morning), she had specifically avoided being in the same room with him, as much as she could but it seems like fate was just not playing her games today.

Giving up on trying to understand the paragraph she kept rereading since he came in, Camellia stood up and closed the book, catching the male's attention. Cedric immediately sat up. He hadn't noticed her - he had forgotten she would sit at that quiet corner to read every night, maybe it slipped his mind because she never did it during the summer. His chest tightened when she didn't bother to look at her. The male merely stared at her in awe, she was more beautiful than the last time they've seen each other, more attractive than what her brother had described when he asked about her. It was true she had bags under her eyes, but nothing changed. Her hair was shorter, he noted, and her eyes lacked that sparkle he had once grown to love.

"Camellia?"

Cedric surrendered and called her name. The moment their eyes locked, the breath was knocked out his lungs. Damn, he had missed those eyes, missed those lips, missed her body pressed against him. He missed her. Everything about her.

"Yeah?" she responded and it took everything she had so she wouldn't sound too excited.

"Can we talk?"

Crap, she thought and merely smiled at him. She wanted to sit down, wanted to talk to him and tell him everything that had happened throughout those weeks without him. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. This was for him.

"I'm really tired, Ced. Can we talk another time?"

It nearly killed her to see the hope die from his eyes. She wanted to reassure him it will be fine, wanted to tell him that everything will be all right and that she would never leave him. But... that would be impossible.

"Okay then," he responded, his lips stretched into a small smile. "I'll see you around then, Ell."

Camellia smiled again before walking up the stairs, dragging her body into the dormitory. When she was tucked into her bed, her head pressed on her pillow, the tears came. She didn't stop them. And she sobbed until she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-

The next day, Camellia woke up to Lilia's worried voice. The blonde hadn't wanted her to attend classes, she didn't want to either, but her pride forced her to. She wouldn't want anyone to think that she was going to slack off the whole year. She took a quick shower, pushed her hair back with her usual hairband, shoved her things into the new maroon bag she was using and finally sat in front of the vanity and took her time to apply light make-up.

They came into the Great Hall rather early, Lilia still asking if she was okay with going to class with her eyes puffy and her voice still cracking when she spoke. She made excuses that it was probably her seasonal allergies kicking in and luckily, Lilia believed her. When she sat down with Lilia's circle of friends, she didn't bother to hold a conversation with any of them, she merely filled her bowl with cereal and studied her schedule, making a mental note to go back and grab their book for Herbology during lunch break.

After thirty minutes and a couple of glasses of milk later, Lilia and Camellia were already on their way for their first class. Their walk was filled with inane chatter, though the brunette didn't mind because Lilia was always careful with her words. She can be talkative at times but her stories were always harmless.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something regarding the TriWizard Tournament." Lilia's words caught her off guard, and with few minutes to spare, both stood outside the classroom.

"What is it?" Her voice was anxious, she heard it herself, and tried her best to calm down.

"Well, do you think I'm fit to join?"

Camellia pressed her lips into a thin line and Lilia instantly hissed, raising her hand up in surrender, knowing exactly what her friend was going to say. That joining was suicide and that she was bound to get hurt.

"Alright, alright, calm down. I was just joking." Lilia laughed and began to walk for their classroom, laughing and muttering to herself.

"I swear if my brother even thinks about putting his name in the Goblet of Fire I will slit his throat to make it a more painless death." Camellia muttered, earning a laugh from her companion.

But her smile disappeared upon seeing that there were little to no seats left inside the classroom. Lilia was called in by one of her friends from Gryffindor, and with an apologetic smile she was left alone to find a seat that will keep her insanity in tact for the whole year.

Cedric nearly screamed when he saw that the chair beside him was the only vacant one inside the classroom. He had never cheered so hard and never prayed so much in his life. When Camellia looked towards their table, he gave her a small smile and gestured for her to come over. Seeing that she had no other choice, the female obliged and sat down between her brother and Hogwarts's Golden Boy.

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Akk, i'm very sorry if the ahm - descriptions? What do you call those? - are very long. The character isn't very verbal just yet. You all probably know what Cedric and Camellia had. But stay tuned for more please😆

Vote and comment what you think. Love y'all💙

-🎩☕