Star Girl | Cedric Diggory

|*| Eighty Five |*|

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When the train pulled in at the King's Cross Station, Aquila couldn't wait to spend her picture perfect holiday with Cedric. She had sent her brother an owl saying that he could join them with the Diggory's, but Nash politely declined. In his owl, he sent a reply saying that he would be spending the Christmas at the Whitman Manor.

"I can't wait to build that snowman!" Aquila cheered as she pulled her boyfriend out of the compartment. The two found themselves amid a sea of students pushing past each other to get off the train. Eventually, they were able to make it out of the train, and they found their bags.

"Where's Dada Diggory?" Aquila asked Cedric. "I can't find him."

"Maybe he's running late," Cedric said. "I wouldn't put it past him."

The crowd of people gathered at the station was dwindling down, but Amos Diggory was still nowhere in sight. "Should we take the Floo Network to your house?" Aquila asked. It was clear that she was growing impatient from standing in the middle of the station, watching other families leave.

"He'll be here, Quil," Cedric told her. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her up against him. "Be patient."

"It's cold," she stated. "And my feet hurt, and my nose is turning red. I hate the color red. It reminds me of Gryffindors."

"And what's wrong with Gryffindors?" a girl dressed in red asked, walking past up to them. She stopped in front of Aquila and Cedric and put her hands on her hips.

"I have a list of things wrong with Gryffindors," the green haired girl told her. "Number one: they butt in on other people's conversations. Number two: they're loud and obnoxious. Number three-"

Aquila stopped talking when she saw a familiar face walk into her view. "Hey, Richard," she said, waving at him.

Richard walked over to Aquila, Cedric, and the interrupting girl. "Hey, Aquila!" he greeted. "What's up?"

"I was just listing all of the things I hate about Gryffindors," she told him. "Care to take some notes?"

The gay Gryffindor laughed. "Take notes? Quil, please, I'm flawless." He snapped his fingers at her, and Aquila couldn't help but laugh.

"I see you've met Hannah," Richard said, motioning to the Gryffindor girl who had interrupted their conversation. "Remember, I told you about her at the final Triwizard task last year. She plays the tute."

"It's a fluba," Hannah corrected. "I swear to Merlin, Dick, you just like saying 'toot'."

"And you just like saying 'Dick,' so it looks like we both have our faults," he countered in his signature sassy tone.

Aquila looked at Cedric's confused face and sighed. "Excuse the Hufflepuff, but Cedric here has no idea what either of you are talking about."

"I'm in the band," Hannah told him. "I play an instrument that is a mix of a tuba and a flute. It's called a-"

"Tute," Richard finished.

"Fluba!" she exclaimed.

"Whatever makes you happy," he said, rolling his eyes. "Well, Aquila, it was nice talking to you, but we've got to go. My moms are driving Hannah and I home because her parents are at work. We're going to have a sleepover!"

"That sounds like a fun time," Aquila said.

"Yeah, for her," Richard said with a sigh. "She just loves talking about her crush on Sydney Hunter."

"Me?" Hannah asked. "No, you're the one with the crush on Sydney Hunter. I think he's repulsive."

"I think I see my father," Cedric said. "Come on, Quil. We should be going."

"See you later, Richard," Aquila said. "You're the only cool Gryffindor!"

"Hey!" Hannah yelled. "I'll fight you-"

"Not now, Hannah!" Richard exclaimed, pulling the girl away. "See you all at school!"

Once the two Gryffindors were gone, Aquila looked around again for Dada Diggory, but it seemed that Cedric lied when he said that the man was there. "Where's your dad, Ceddy?" she asked. "You said you saw him."

"In all honesty, Quilly," he said, "I just wanted to get away from them. They're a tad bit obnoxious."

"True," she said. "So when is he going to get here? Now we don't have anyone to talk to, and I'm starving."

Cedric sighed. "Quil, why are you always so difficult?"

"Because it's easier than being not difficult," she responded. "I swear on Merlin's eyebrows, if your dad doesn't get here soon, I'll-bloody chipmunks!"

By some stroke of luck, Amos Diggory had managed to Apparate to the spot right next to Aquila and Cedric with a loud crack that scared the Slytherin girl. She jumped backwards, falling down and pulling Cedric to the ground with her. Amos looked surprised upon seeing the two seventh years on the ground, and he pulled the two of them up, immediately wrapping them both into a hug.

"Dad," Cedric greeted, returning the hug.

"Dad!" Aquila cheered, crushing both her boyfriend and Amos into a hug.

Amos smiled brightly at Aquila and Cedric, and with immense delight, he said, "Oh, my children, I'm so happy to see you two again! Come on; let's get home so you can unpack, and we can catch up on the school year so far! Here, grab my hands."

Aquila and Cedric both grabbed one of Amos's hands, and they Disapparated to his house. Covered in snow, the Diggory household was even more beautiful than Aquila had remembered. A small trail of smoke lead from the chimney, and the wooden door called her inside. From the window, she saw Cedric's mother baking in the kitchen, and through another window, a fire was burning in the living room. She looked up at Cedric and smirked. "Race you to the door!" she called, running toward the house.

"No fair; you got a head start!" he shouted, taking off after her. He was able to catch up, and both of them stepped foot on the porch at the same time.

"Tie," Cedric said smugly. "And you even had a head start. Who's the real Hogwarts Champion?"

"Let's pretend I won, Champion," Aquila decided, smiling at Cedric whose hair was a mess from the frosty wind. She brushed some of the snowflakes out of it for him, standing on her toes to do so. She had lost her footing for a second and slipped, but he caught her in his arms before she fell.

"I almost died there," she said dramatically. "You saved my life. Is there any way I can repay you, Sir Ceddy Bear?"

"Oh, fair Lady Aquila," he said gallantly. "There is one way I can think of for you to repay your debt."

"And that is, good Sir?" she asked.

"Let's pretend that I won the race," he said.

"This kills me inside," she said, "but I suppose I can fulfill that wish. Let us seal our deal with a ki-friendly handshake."

Cedric furrowed his brow before realizing that his father was standing right behind him. He nodded at his girlfriend and shook her hand. "Congratulations, Champion," Aquila said.

Amos unlocked the door with a wave of his wand, and he, Cedric, and Aquila walked into the house. "The kids are home!" the man called to his wife. He then walked into the kitchen to see if she needed any help.

"Good save back there," Cedric whispered to Aquila once Amos was gone.

"I have a feeling that going to happen a lot over this next week," she told him. "I swear, your dad is everywhere and nowhere at the same time."

"Get used to it." Aquila gasped; Amos walked back into the room smiling at the two of them. "Come on, kids," he said. "There're some cookies in the kitchen."

Aquila smiled, "Yes! Cookies!"

Aquila spent the night in the kitchen talking to Cedric and his parents and thinking that her life couldn't get any better.

|*| I'll let this one end happily for now |*|