Star Girl | Cedric Diggory

|*| Nine |*|

The entire school year went by with Star Girl insults, a few scolding letters from her parents when she got detention, hexes, horrid insults made up on the spot, and Aquila still not finding out her friend's middle name.

Aquila was glad to leave Hogwarts because she hated schoolwork and being called Star Girl. She wasn't going to miss Carlos or the twins over her break, and she secretly wished they'd magically vanish.

However, she would miss Cedric. She'd miss the way he called her Star Girl and when he laughed at her horrid jokes. She's also miss calling him eyebrow sweat and trying to guess his middle name.

But she couldn't contact him or even mention him over break. Her parents weren't accepting of Hufflepuffs-or anyone except Slytherins-so the two couldn't send letters or meet up.

However, Aquila still tried to be sneaky about it. On the train ride back to London, she sat with Cedric, and the two students tried to come up with clever ways of staying in contact.

"Maybe I could pretend you're a Slytherin!" Aquila suggested. "You can be Xander Clark! It's brilliant. I'll address all of my letters to Xander Clark, and you'll be able to keep in touch with me!"

"How am I supposed to explain that to my dad?" Cedric asked. "He's nice and all, but I don't know how that'd blow over with him."

"Hide the letters?" she suggested.

"He checks all of our mail," he said. "There's no way that could work."

"We can meet up at Diagon Alley before school starts," she tried.

"But we might not go on the same day."

"You're so pessimistic sometimes," Aquila sighed. She fell back into her seat and thought really hard. Soon, she had an idea. "This might sound totally bizarre and unrealistic, but maybe we can communicate through the stars."

"How?" Cedric asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, go outside or look through your window every night," she said. "Find the Archer. Just above his head, there's a cluster of stars. Just look at them and think really hard. My hope is that your message translates to the sky."

"Have you ever done it?"

"No, but there's a first time for everything, and I think the stars will love you. And, if this works, I'll call you Star Boy and then we can be the Star Twins."

Cedric laughed, "It still sounds impossible."

"Just try!" Aquila said. "All I'm asking is for you to give it a chance. Tonight at eleven."

"Eleven," he repeated. "Got it. Just above the Archer."

"So you'll try?"

"I'd try anything for you."

|*|*|*|

Saying goodbye to Cedric was so hard, yet so fast. She hugged him and they promised to try to use the stars as a messenger, then they parted ways to meet with their families.

Vega and Regor smiled as Aquila skipped over to them with Nash walking briskly behind her. She hugged her mother and father, "I missed you!"

Her mother smiled, but looked around at the other families, "Not now, Aquila. You're making a scene."

Aquila sighed and stepped back. She followed her mother and father to the barrier, then the family found the nearest fireplace and used the Floo Network to get back to the Whitman Manor.

Aquila went back to her room and unloaded her trunk. She couldn't wait for that night when they tried out the messaging.

She barely listened to her parents ramble on about how smart Nash was and how disappointed they were when Aquila got herself in trouble. They were disgusted that Aquila had dyed her hair, and insisted that she change it back, but she refused.

She already hated being home, and the only thing that kept her out of her bedroom was the hope that she and Cedric-or Xander Clark as she told Regor and Vega-would be able to talk that night.

|*|*|*|

It was ten till eleven, and Aquila snuck out of her bedroom window. Her room was on the first floor of the house, so the drop from the window to the ground wasn't to far. She quickly ran to the open field and found the Archer. He seemed to smile at her, and she smiled back. She looked at her watch, and waited until exactly eleven o'clock.

When it was finally time, Aquila concentrated hard on the stars. Cedric. She thought. Cedric. Cedric. Cedric.

She saw his name start to take form in the sky, and she smiled brightly. She jumped up and down and danced around. Her cheer helped the stars shine brighter, she only hoped he saw the message.

|*|*|*|

"Did you make any friends?" Amos asked Cedric at dinner that night.

"Yeah," he said. "Her name's Aquila Whitman."

"Is she in Hufflepuff too?" his father asked.

"No," he said. "She's in Slytherin-"

"A Slytherin?" Amos asked, almost chocking on his food. "You're associating yourself with that sort?"

"She's really nice, Dad," he said. "Strong too. She stood up for me on many occasions."

"A nice Slytherin?" his dad asked.

"Yeah," Cedric said. "You have got to meet her sometime!"

Amos was very interested in Aquila and Cedric's friendship, finding it odd that a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff could get along so well. Cedric was happy that his father was understanding and didn't judge her based on her house. The two Diggory's talked about Hogwarts for the rest of dinner.

At eleven o'clock, Cedric looked out his window. It took him a while to find the Archer, but he couldn't miss the stars that seemed to form his name.

Cedric.

The boy gasped. He thought really hard and focused all of his energy at the cluster of stars. Aquila. Aquila. Aquila.

But no matter how hard he thought, her name never appeared. He watched the bright glow of his name slowly fade, and the sky seemed to go black.

Aquila was talking to him, but he couldn't reach her.

He sat cross legged on his floor crying softly. He wouldn't be able to talk to her all summer, and she probably thought he'd forgotten her.