Keep Your Promises (Cedric Diggory x Reader)

Congratulations! You're Hogwarts' Next Prefects!

"Ms. Middlebrook. Mr. Higgs. If you would kindly follow me, Professor McGonagall has requested to see you both, at once," Professor Snape drawled. You stared at him blankly, while remaining seated in defiance. What could McGonagall possibly want with the two of you? You weren't Gryffindors! It made you sick just thinking about it. Professor Snape crossed his arms, shooting you a look of warning. You sighed, getting to your feet and allowed your dull-faced professor to lead you out of the Slytherin Compartment. Terence Higgs fell into step next to you as Snape led you towards the back of the train. You gave your best friend a questioning glance, but all he did was shake his head and shrug.

    You reached the end of the narrow corridors, still wondering what you were doing there in the first place. Snape stood in front of you, busying himself with unlocking a separate compartment. The Prefects' Compartment. Realisation hit hard as you turned to face Terence. His expression must have mirrored your own, as he appeared to be in shock.

    Professor Snape ushered you through the sliding door, where you were met with by the solemn stares of six other students. Figures, you were late. Terence shifted behind you, uncomfortably as he chewed his lower lip. Professor McGonagall smiled, gesturing to the last pair of empty seats. "I would have had them here earlier, Minerva, but Ms. Middlebrook isn't the most cooperative of people," Snape commented, harshly. You rolled your eyes, sending a sneer in his direction, your irises beginning to burn with pale flame. Was it really necessary for him to call you out like that? What were you thinking, of course it was, this was Snape.

    "That's quite alright, Severus. They're here now and that's what matters," Professor McGonagall replied, kindly. You took your seat quietly, as Terence echoed your actions. You  sighed, shifting uncomfortably, as you felt a pair of eyes trained on the back of your head. Through your peripheral vision you caught a glimpse of his taffy coloured curls, making you roll your eyes in irritation. Why was it that he magically appeared wherever you were? It was driving you crazy. You felt as if you couldn't spend a single moment without him.

    As much as you loved your boyfriend, you felt as if you were going to lose your mind. Cedric was always there when you needed him and he was so unbelievably attentive. The only problem was that, he was always there, even when you didn't need him and he had a tendency to be too attentive, too overprotective. After having spent so much time together over the past Holiday, you were beginning to feel a bit trapped. The relationship was beginning to feel confining and it felt as if you didn't have enough time to yourself. You couldn't ignore the fact that it felt personal, like he was constantly monitoring you every move.

    You looked down at your lap, cheeks burning, feeling instantly ashamed. Cedric wasn't here because he was stalking you. He didn't have a choice. How was he supposed to know that this was going to happen. This wasn't his fault. He was just as clueless as you were. You sighed, embarrassed for having ever thought that. Cedric would do anything for you and everything he did was what he thought was in your best interest. He always put you first. He was the most selfless person you knew and you weren't being fair. The guilt set in as you reminded yourself that the moment the term began, your time with him would be significantly diminished, and then you would be complaining that you didn't get to see him enough. How ironic.

    "You may be wondering why I've called you here today, but, if you are aware of what compartment we are in, then you may have already figured it out," Professor McGonagall started as she looked around the room, giving you all a warm smile. You rolled your eyes, impatiently, already bored. "As I am sure you all are aware, our extremely successful graduating class left us last year, taking their new skills and talents into the real world. However, with them, they also took all of our previous prefects, which left us in need of their replacements. Therefore, your professors and I have hand selected you eight, to be our newest prefects! This is an incredibly important title and I am certain that you will all handle this honour with great respect and responsibility! So, all that leaves me to do, is commend you and your hard work! Congratulations! You are Hogwarts' next prefects!"

    The compartment remained deadly silent as you took in the information, trying to process what had just occurred. A prefect? You had to admit, that was probably the last thing you would have expected in regards to your 5th year. A faint grin tugged at the corner of your lips, as you knew that your mother would be incredibly proud. Your father wouldn't care, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat softly, regaining your attention and shaking you out of your own thoughts. "Tonight, after the Sorting Ceremony, we will be making the announcement. You will all be receiving your official badges from Professor Dumbledore at this time. Are there any questions?"

    Percy Weasley's hand shot up, faster than you could blink. You sighed in exasperation, knowing that this meeting wouldn't be ending any time soon. You, absentmindedly, spun the thing band of your ring around your finger, lost in thought. To your left, Terence nudged you, making you glance at him in confusion. He gestured to the ring on your finger, as you fidgeted with it anxiously. "Where'd you get that from," he asked.

    "Um... It was a gift... From my Aunt Ella in Paris," you lied, feeling as if the tiny engraving was burning against your skin. Terence gave you a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. Could he tell that you were lying? "What," you snapped, scowling.

    "Oh Nothing. I just thought that maybe you'd gotten from a boy, but certainly not with that attitude," he teased, as you sneered, smacking his arm.

    "No, keep it up, Higgs and I may just be in search of a new seeker this season," you smirked, innocently. Terence rolled his eyes, scowling. He crossed his arms, clearly unamused by your threats, as he knew as well as the next person, the sheer power you had over the Quidditch team. You were the team captain, after all.

    Professor McGonagall clasped her hands together, regaining your attention. Evidently she had answered all of the question Percy Weasley could think of at the current moment in time. "Thank you all for your cooperation and patience. I will see you all at the ceremony this evening and once again, congratulations! You are free to go," she announced. Everyone stood, stretching, as it felt like you had been sitting for hours, when in reality, only 45 minutes had passed. Cedric caught your eye and cocked his head toward the Hufflepuff Compartments. You sighed, but gave him a slight nod. You leaned against the table, waiting for everyone else to clear out as Terence looked back at you in confusion. You waved him away, nonchalantly. "I want to Talk to Professor McGonagall. I have a few questions of my own. I'll catch up with you in a bit," you stated simply. He gave you a suspicious glance but nodded, as he left you alone in the Compartment.

    You sighed, as the door shut behind him, quickly making your way towards the Hufflepuff Compartments. Before you got too close, a hand reached out and pulled you into an empty cabin. Your boyfriend looked down at you in concern as you have him the biggest smile you could muster. He sighed, shaking his head.

    "I'm not stupid, (Y/N). You don't think I can tell the difference between a genuine and a fake smile? Even a fool would be able to see right through that," he commented as you collapsed onto the bench behind you. He mirrored your actions, placing his hand on your knee, squeezing lightly, and making your heart race at the sudden contact. "I didn't hear from you at all after you left for Paris and that was a month ago. What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"

    You exhaled tiredly. You could feel the train losing momentum, signaling that your destination was only minutes away. You didn't have time for a long heart-to-heart conversation, not to mention, you weren't in the mood for one. "Not now. Terence is already suspicious and we don't need to take careless risks. I need to get back to the Slytherin Compartments. We don't really have the time to talk right now," you sighed.

    "Fine. But we are going to talk about this eventually, whether you'd like to or not. What do you say we have one more Midnight Meeting before the term officially starts," he asked, grinning. You shrugged, averting your eyes. His face fell and you were instantly consumed with guilt knowing that you had hurt him. "(Y/N)? My love? What's wrong," he asked, gently, his blue eyes looking over at you in deep concern, You shook your head, standing. He got to his feet, following your movements, releasing an exasperated puff of air. He looked down at you, his eyes full of adoration, as he reached for you hand. You pulled back, making him frown.

    "I'm sorry, Ced. This isn't a good time. I have to go. I'll see you tonight," you whispered, dryly as you turned and walked out of the cabin, leaving him standing there, stunned and hurt. You didn't know what had come over you but it was certainly uncalled for. You hurried back to your own House's Compartments, ashamed. What was wrong with you?