Sunflower | Cedric Diggory

Two

2                 Invisible

1990 October

He couldn't concentrate on the assignment, there was too much going on elsewhere. His friends was on about whoever they fancied, mumbling about whoever was the most fittest. Cedric had no troubles with girls, they swooned just by sharing a glance, but he didn't brag.

  "Come on, Ced, you must fancy someone." Cedric didn't budge, he tried write the last of the paper with the inc cautiously. He could feel the eyes of his friends burning holes in him, forcing him to give in. "Well, that girl - what's her name - the pretty and short one." He

  "Tosser, that could be anyone."

Hushed voices interrupted before Cedric could even think of an answer, catching all the attention. "Bloody hell, it's Valerie." Luke voice muffled whispered as he tried desperately to hide behind a book, grabbing one swiftly from Cedric's pile. Valerie, the chuffed girl with her head always high, and her fiends in a tow, always revolving around her.

They walked past the table they had conquered, Valerie taking the lead not sparing a single glance. Mage waved to Luke, then Cedirc, and had a fit of giggles, surpassing their table gracefully. Lastly, was a tower of books walking with it's own legs accompanied by another, spawny girl. Cedric, certainly curious about the walking tower, crocked his neck to catch the glance of a small back with long, luxurious dark curls.

"Ced?" He has his glance following it's target, afraid he would never see the face of it, until it disappeared among the rows of books. "W-what?" He breathlessly stated, suddenly back on planet earth. "Blimey! Do you fancy Mage? Bloody hell." Gareth nudged Cedric playfully with his elbow, wiggling his eyebrows and created roars of laughter.

A little further away, with perfect hearing distance from the lousy boys, the girls was shamelessly eavesdropping. "That bloke fancies me?" Mage spat in disgust, not entirely understating the "fancy someone" stage yet. She combed through her thick, black hair, feeling the pearls of sweat sneaking upon her.

One at the able felt her heart drop, eyes wandered to the book instead, with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. She had never talked to this famous Cedric Diggory, yet she felt like she had. Her nightmare was coming true, yet Cedric was a dream. Elena was a dreamer, she had never been much into the reality, but now she felt even the imaginative world was destroying her.

"What's with Elena?" Lucy was the only attentive, she had this peculiar way to always be, even though Elena would have preferred not to. "The main character was killed." She mumbled, feeling her chest tightened at the thought of Cedric.

Lucy nodded, apologised for asking before entering the world of Herbology, yet not entirely sure. "Cedric is wonderful, you should be glad someone fancies you, Mage." Valerie tried, for a hundredth time, reasoning with Mage, yet again failing. "Excuse me?!" Mage exclaimed but hushed her voice, after earning a stern glance from Madam Prince.

"I don't want anyone to fancy me." She stated sincerely, her voice hushed as she leaned closer to the middle of the tabled. "Certainly not a boy with just a pretty hair." Mage had dreams, no romantic in any of them, she had a taste for adventure, and not the mystery of love. She loved mischief, to escape the claws of Filch, enjoying the adrenaline pump through her veins. There wasn't a persistent urge for love, or any intimate relationship.

Elena now understood the idea, she even aspired to follow Mage's path. She had no reason to believe any boy, especially not anyone with just pretty hair, would pay attention to her. She was mediocre, far from the beauty other possessed, with the freckles on her cheeks, frizzy hair and short legs. Being invisible wasn't Elena's plan anymore, she was tired and sick of it.

She had to forget about the pretty boy with golden hair, he was no prince of hers anymore. Cedric Diggory was certainly not anyone Elena Silverthorn would ever fancy, again. Instead she viewed it like Mage, he was an enemy, a useless obstacle avoidable and not at all handsome.

"It's just a boy, he'll get over it. He isn't in love with you, Mage." Valerie, very well educated in the department of the opposite gender, scoffed, casually rolling her eyes. "Thank Merlin for that, I sure hope so." Mage laughed it off, determined to make him loathe her. "We should..." The smug look Mage had was not a surprise, neither abnormal, this was her ready to battle face.

"I'm all in." Elena suddenly raised her voice, the girls snapped their eyes to her face. "Woah, little goody two shoes is up for some action." Mage had never been more impressed, not even when Lucy dared to sing in front of the whole school, she was astonished. Valerie claimed she was the most surprised, piercing Elena with bulging dark eyes.

Mage was already deep in thought; finding the best way to exceed the expectations. She had done many mischievous acts, throughout the years before. "We'll do it tomorrow morning, he won't suspect a thing." Valerie shook her head, Lucy eyed her but Elena smiled. "That sounds lovely." That made Valerie goggle her eyes at Elena, suspiciously, she couldn't help but smile.

  "Let's start studying."  Valerie suggested, more like demanded, smacked her book on the table. "Alright, mum." Mage sniggered, giving Elena a side-glance.