polaroids (cedric diggory)

seven

"Age Line"

The tables in the Great Hall had all been pushed to the side, with the Goblet of Fire proudly sitting in the middle of the stone, a white line dancing around it.

Aria and Tayla were watching various sixth and seventh years put their names into the blue flames.

"Go Cedric! Put it in!" a group of Hufflepuffs came roaring into the Hall, dragging their Quidditch Captain behind. They shoved him forwards, across the line.

Cedric smiled at his friends, before turning around and putting his name into the blue flame.

His friends greeted him with applause as joined them again, noticing Aria and sending her a friendly smile.

Cedric led his friends over to where she was sitting, taking a seat next to her.

"Looks like you have an admirer!" Tayla whispered to her.

The rest of them climbed onto a bench, most of their friends sending him similar remarks about the Weasley.

Two Gryffindors suddenly ran into the Hall, holding pieces of parchment aloft and yelling as they went.
Aria groaned and face palmed herself, "Oh bloody hell!"

Cedric and their friends laughed beside her as they did a lap, high-fiving everyone until coming to a stop in front of Hermione.

"It's not going to work!" she sang.

"Oh, yeah?"

"And why is that, Granger?"

Hermione pointed to the Age Line, "You see this? This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?"

"So," Hermione began snapping her book shut, "A genius like Dumbledore, couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"But that's why it's so brilliant!"
"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted!"

Smirking, the twins stood up on the bench, shaking the vials of their potion excitedly.

"Ready Fred?"
"Ready George?"

They pulled the stoppers, linking their arms with bottoms up they drank.

Aria rolled her eyes, as they paused before throwing themselves across the line. After a second of silence the whole Hall broke into loud cheers.

"This isn't going to end well." Aria muttered shaking her head.
Cedric smiling down at her, her gaze fixed intently on her brothers as more cheers erupted as parchment hit the blue flame.
Blue swirled from the Goblet and engulfing the twins and throwing them across the Hall and onto the floor. As they set up, everyone realized they now have sprouted white hair and beards.

Fred looked at George angrily, the pair rolling around on the floor as most people athered around them, clapping furiosly and yelling: "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The Hall fell into silence as Igor Karkaroff accompanied Krum into the Hall, saying nothing as he submitted his name, earning no cheers when the parchment hit the flame, only casting a smile at Hermione as he left.
It took a few moments for conversation to spark up again throughout the hall, most of the students deciding to turn in for tonight.

-

Patrolling the corridors now was much more easier, than the first few times.
It nearly was the end of their shift and neither Aria, nor Cedric, had encountered anything that would be considered out of ordinary at almost eleven in the evening.

Comfortable silence seemed the norm for the pair, they fell into it easily and neither felt awkward about it. But when they weren't in silence, they spoke about practically everything, classes, Quidditch, the weather, families.

Some of it didn't matter, but it was just as important as the rest. Patrolling with Cedric was, oddly relaxing.

While they were walking down the Library corridor, Aria started dancing subtly. Just doing some unnoticeable dance moves, hoping Cedric wouldn't see her.

"Hey Cedric, what time is it?" She asked, still doing some dance steps with her legs.

She hadn't noticed Cedric has been watching her with a smile.
"Hmm, what time is it?" She hummed, asking again. And turned her head, waiting to see him, but he wasn't beside her anymore.

She got confused and turned around, noticing Cedric stopped walking a few steps back and was looking at her with a smile on his face. She looked at him with curiosity, "Did you got lost? Come on." She said with a smile, motioning him to join her.

She huffed slightly when he didn't answer, "Cedric?"

Shaking his head, he was pulled back to reality, "Sorry," he smiled in embarrassment, "what were you saying?"

"I was asking what time is it?" He ran his left hand through his hair, while he looked down at his watch.

"We have ten minutes left." He said shyly, Aria nodding.

It took a few minutes to check if the Library was empty, both of them moving onto the Charms corridor. Moonlight peaked through the windows, creating shadows on the floor.

"I hope you get selected for the Triwizard Tournament," Aria suddenly chirped, before stuttering over her words, "Wait, no, that sounds weird. If you do get selected, you'll be the best Hogwarts Champion."

Cedric chuckled, "Thanks Aria!"

Now it was her cheeks that flushed with embarrassment, she felt her face being hot, even her palms.

"It's ten minutes past eleven, we ran over." Cedric said, glancing at his watch.

Even though secretly neither of them minded spending few more minutes with each other's company. They headed back to the Grand Staircase, where they would part for their separate Common Rooms.

But as Aria turned to say goodnight to the Hufflepuff, she realized that he wasn't heading in the direction of the kitchens.

"Aren't you going to bed?" She laughed.

"I was going to walk you back to your Common Room." He said smiling, offering her his arm.

"Cedric, you don't have to." Aria pouted.

"No, but I want to." They smiled at each other, "And besides, I need to make sure you don't fall asleep on the way there. I saw you leaning on a shelf in the Library." He chuckled.

Aria linked her arm with Cedric's, laughing quietly as they walked up the stairs to the Fat Lady's portrait. Cedric not leaving until she was safely in the Gryffindor tower.

When they parted, both of them were smiling at the thought of spending extra time with each other.