The Badger **Seamus Finnigan Fanfiction**

1:9 The Truth

I ended up sitting outside Dumbledore's office, while Professor Sprout explained the whole situation to him.

It felt like hours had passed. Different teachers going in and out of the office. Professor McGonagall shot me a sympathetic look when she went in. But Professor Snape failed to meet my eyes.

I sat awaiting my fate hoping it wouldn't bring me complete embarrassment for the next 6 years. "Oh well look what we have here." I look up in horror. It was Flint and his goonies. I suck in the gasp I want to let out. "You would be foolish to do anything here. Outside the headmaster's office." I say, not letting slip that I tattled. This could be his last words to me, I try to calm myself.

Flint laughs his hardy laugh that has haunted me for the last few months. "Is that so?" he pouts his lips moving closer to me. I squirm further into the wall.

"Yeah. It would be truly regrettable." shouts a familiar voice.

"This doesn't concern you, Diggory." "Yeah, run while we give you the chance." the two other boys laugh.

Cedric marches past them right up to Flint. "I think you should be the one running."

I can tell just by Cedric's voice that he is pissed and that he and Flint have some kind of ugly history. My guess it stemmed from Cedric attempting to be his noble self.

Flint laughs again. "Aww does little Ceddy have a girlfriend?" Cedric rolls his eyes. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have picked a dumb and dirty house mingler." Flint says with confidence.

Cedric's face turns a bright red. Smoke practically coming out of his ears. I finally think maybe I should say something. "Cedric, don't. Please." I beg.

Cedric ignores my request and suddenly raises his fist and it makes contact with Flint's stomach. Flint hunches over to the ground, falling to his knees. But one of his friends tugs Cedric by the shoulder and punches Cedric square in the nose. "Please stop!" I cry.

The third boy is raising his wand. I immediately lunge for his arm, forcing his arm down, but he didn't drop the wand. Instead he reaches over and grabs me. "No, no, no." I struggle as his grasp tightens around me and he pushes his wand into my cheek. "Hey Flint. We could have a real good time now."

Just in the nick of time, Dumbledore and McGonagall emerge from the chamber stairs. "Oh my goodness." McGonagall cries obviously surprised at the sight. Flint still hunched over on the ground. Cedric laying down with the other Slytherin on top of him, about to beat his face. While me and the third boy obviously in our own circumstance.

"Let them go at once!" Dumbledore near screams. I've never seen him angry, but I'm guessing this is it. Once I'm released from the sleazeball's grasp I rush to Cedric's side. His attacker now standing to the side.

I pet his hair soothingly. His nose is bleeding and he's got a good size bump on his head. "Are you alright?" I whisper. He nods. "What were you thinking?" I shake my head. "Miss Sigler, would you be ever so kind as to escourt Mr. Diggory to the infirmary?" I nod, even though I know Cedric would rather bleed out right here in the hall then go to the infirmary.

"And the 3 of you. My office." None of them move. "NOW." he barks. The three of them move to the stairs. Dumbledore and McGonagall disappear with them as the stairs turn and go up to what I assume to be Dumbledore's office.

I help Cedric to his feet. "Come on. Let's go the bathroom and clean you up. Then we can talk about the infirmary." I say gently. "I'm not going there. Nope. NO WAY." Cedric insists. His brother's death left with him with this irrational fear of doctors and hospitals and anything remotely like that.

I bring Cedric to the girl's lavatory on the 2nd floor, because nobody ever comes in here. He sits on the sink counter. I get two cloths. One with super cold water for his bump. And the other with temperate water for his nose.

I reach towards his face to start wiping. "I can do it." he mumbles. Then he gets up and stands to look in the mirror. "Why didn't you tell me, Charlie?" he asks sounding slightly hurt. 

I roll my eyes. "You literally just got your butt whooped in a fight with them. Do I really need to say more?" Cedric huffs and wipes more blood off. He's struggling cuz he's got one hand on his head and other on his nose. So I step behind him. "Here." I whisper and just hold the cloth to his bump.

He turns and faces me. I can feel his breath as I try to clean him up. Both of us forgetting I'm actually the baby.

I realize I'm alone in a girl's bathroom with my best friend. I can probably tell him the truth. "I didn't want to burden you. I'm not yours to keep safe you know. Besides you would have just told me you were right. I was making enemies."

"You still should have told me. How long have they been bothering you?" I just pretend to ignore him and focus on keeping the cloth in place. "Wait a second!" Cedric exclaims. He spins around forcing me to drop the cloth. He's facing me, hands waving in the air- something he does when he's emotional.

"Wait just one damn minute. Is that why you avoid the Great Hall and skipped all those dinners?" I just sigh in response. Cedric's nose has stopped bleeding so he looks like his normal self, just a little bruised. "Lottie, are you kidding me? I've been on you for weeks about why you did that? And you lied to me repeatedly night after night about being stressed and busy and just not hungry! I should have known those were lies, I mean since when are you not hungry!" he's shouting now. It's true I'm always up for food.

"I just assumed that it was first year stress or awkwardness, but now that I know he could have hurt you..." Cedric trailed off.

"I've handled it, okay. Professor Sprout was talking to Dumbledore today so Flint would be punished. It's under control." I try to insist. "How long?" he asks again. "Cedric." I whisper. "Come on, Lottie. HOW LONG?" he pushes.

"Just before Christmas."

"CHRISTMAS! IT'S APRIL!"

"STOP YELLING!" I yell back.

Cedric sighs. "Sorry." then looks me up and down. "I just don't want you to get hurt, you know?" I stay silent. Cedric reaches for my hand. "Let's just..put this aside for now. We can go get dinner yeah?"

I nod, a smile creeping to my face. "Well you know I am hungry." Cedric just chuckles and puts his arm around me as we head to the Great Hall together for the first time in a while.

*******************************************

Hey guys! Lottie's first year is almost over! I have big plans for 2nd year! Thanx for reading!