Misunderstood | Cedric Diggory

xii

Cedric's POV

When Cedric had returned from Hogsmeade that day, he went straight to find Elise, eager to spend the rest of her birthday with her. He kept trying to get hints on her dress for the ball, all he got was the colour to make sure they would not clash. Deep red. He thought about how the colour would compliment Elise's light brown, auburn toned hair. Already he was getting excited to see her, and the ball was weeks away.

The rest of her birthday they spent on the balcony in the astronomy tower, wrapped up in blankets and eating eclairs Cedric had stolen from the kitchen, as well as other various snacks. Cedric had been with other girls before, but he had never felt as comfortable with them as he felt with Elise. Initially, he was only pursuing her to save his life, now, he would be doing the same with or without a death sentence.

Elise had revealed everything that happened between Macie and Harriet, and Cedric couldn't help but despise the girl. How could she be a Hufflepuff? The sorting hat must have gotten something wrong because the girl was nothing but a kind, hard-working, trustworthy soul. She was a manipulative bitch.

The next day, Cedric had gotten to potions early. Elise had been catching up with Harriet, so he took to the morning with a walk around the school grounds. Cedric hadn't been alone since becoming one of Hogwarts' Triwizard champions, so the opportunity appealed to Cedric more than anything.

Arriving in the empty classroom, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Macie making out with a particular Slytherin in the corner of the room. Usually, he would have walked out and minded his own business. But he remembered everything Macie did, and he couldn't hold himself back.

"Really? Isn't it a bit too soon, Macie?" the two quickly broke apart, at first panic, but then frustration when they realised it had been Cedric, rather than snape.

"Fuck off Diggory." Macie rolled her eyes, desperate to return back to her lover. It was disgusting.

"Do you not feel any guilt?" Cedric chuckled, "are you really that cruel?"

Nathan instantly got up, squaring up to Cedric. "don't you dare talk to my girl like that."

"Considering how she talked to my girl, I think we're even." Cedric spat back. Usually, he wasn't like this, confrontational. Though there was something about that girl which made her blood boil. And he couldn't back down now.

"Your girl? The Mudblood. I don't blame her." and Cedric didn't even feel himself as he threw the first punch, knocking Nathan out cold on the ground. A rush of panic hit as he saw professor snape standing behind in the doorway.

"Diggory, come with me." snape demanded, and shamefully Cedric left the room. Panic rising about what would happen next.

Elise's POV

When Alfie came running up to me as I walked to potions class, I didn't quite know what to expect. "Els, did you hear? Cedric was in a fight!"

Her heart rushed, is he alright? My question was answered by Alfie. "He knocked the guy out in one punch, man, I wish I was there!"

It had turned out Cedric had punched Nathan Dearden before potions class, later he told me it was because he had called me a Mudblood. I felt myself shiver at the world, but smile at how somebody as harmless as Cedric would punch someone cold for me.

Turns out he got away with little punishment, as professor snape has heard Nathan call me a mudblood and Cedric's action was considered a 'justified reaction' and he got away with losing only ten house points.

After that, Cedric's popularity skyrocketed. I suppose being quidditch captain and tri-wizard champion meant he was popular already, but winning a fight against Nathan Dearden in one punch, getting away unscathed? Considering Nathan's reputation, he might have been a hero.