Misunderstood | Cedric Diggory

viii

chapter eight - rewritten

I stood at the edge of the lake with Harriet, my head pressed against a tree as I loudly sighed into it. A sigh of frustration. Harriet just chuckled softly, facing my exasperation before following with her own sigh.

"I can't tell him, I just can't tell him I don't love him. It'll break his heart." I ramble, speaking almost too quickly for my words, causing a few of them to fail.

Harriet came over to me, standing in a place where I was forced to give her eye contact. "I know it's hard Elise, but considering the situation, I think you have to open with him."

I sighed, again, "I know, I fucking know, I just can't." I slammed my hands against the tree, annoyance running through my veins.

"Then don't, and maybe you'll finally find love for him," Harriet suggested, and it was selfish of me to try and force her to tell me what to do when she couldn't.

I did it anyway. "What do I do Harri? What do I do?"

"I'd tell him, but it's up to you, I can't." Harriet struggled, her fingers fiddling with her curls. Eventually, her eyes flicked up, spotting something in the distance. "Cedric's coming now, so good luck, whatever happens."

As Harriet leaves, I stay hugging the tree, almost scared to turn around and face my boyfriend. "You alright love?" Cedric sniggers, coming up and hugging me from behind, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I turn around, in his grasp, leaning back against the tree as his arms trap me. "I-I'm a bit of a treehugger."

"I can tell." he chuckles, before leaning in to kiss me all over my face, before ending on my lips. I pull away before the kiss can deepen, causing Cedric to furrow his brows in confusion. "What's up?"

"I-I" I stumble, his deep grey eyes staring into me with intensity, causing me to lose my words, but I push through "I just need to be honest with you."

Cedric breaks his lean against the tree, now holding himself up, our distance broken. He looks me curiously, motioning for me to continue speaking.

"This whole relationship thing, I'm really struggling with a-and," I stop as I see Cedric's face drop, almost as if he thinks I'm going to end things. "I want this, and I want to be with you, b-but,"

"What love?" Cedric, who is now reassured, questions. His hand softly cupping my cheek.

"Am I attracted to you? Yes. Do I care about you? Yes. But do I love you? No, and it's scaring me so much." and as deeply intense this is for me, Cedric just begins to laugh.

"Oh Elise dear." he sighs, smiling at me with all the love in the world, yet I can't seem to understand his reaction. "Love doesn't just happen as soon as you're in a relationship, it takes time." his other hand reaches for mine, interlocking softly. "don't worry."

A massive weight it took off my shoulder as I breathe out with relief, "Really?"

"Really." Cedric nods, still chuckling. "That was adorable, though."

I blush massively, and Cedric notices as his hands reach for my hips, lifting me up as he resumes the kiss that I prematurely ended earlier, and as his breaks, the kiss from my lips all he can whisper is, "So, you're attracted to me then?"

Snape, unexpectedly, had set another one of his gruelling potion essays for homework, this one tougher than ever and I was very much surprised that Macie had asked me to work together on ours. So we sat together in the library, Harriet eagerly doing the extra reading on Ancient Runes, as we discussed possible points and what to include.