polaroids (cedric diggory)

eight

"so innocent, it's adorable"

October is starting and the initial excitement of a new school year had worn off and, unfortunately, prank season had begun.

Aria had resigned herself to the fact that she would have to take points away from her own house when it came to dealing with Fred and George, through Cedric had intervened at almost every time she had needed to.

They had coughed more and more students out of bed the further into the term they got, mostly first years who still wanted to explore the castle at night.

Aria walked out of the Common Room, after making sure it was empty, going down the staircases to the Great Hall.

"You got any plans for the weekend?" Aria asked when she met Cedric infront of the Hall.

"Ethan and Bella are dragging me to Hogsmeade for my birthday on Sunday." He smiled, "You?"

"I'm sorry?", Aria gasped, "Did you forgot to tell your prefect buddy it's your birthday?"

Cedric chuckled, "I don't like making a big deal out of it."

"That's fair, but still you could've told me." Aria said, lightly punching his shoulder.

"Fred and George always thought they could use their birthday as an excuse to pull stupid pranks."

"I know you live with them and all, but why do you hate their pranks so much?"

Aria sighed, "When we were little, Ginny had this doll that she loved so much, she thought it was real. She used to sleep with it every night and she always took it for tea parties with me and mom. George once transfigured it into a giant snake, scared Ginny to death. And now she is terrified of them."

Cedric smiled sadly, "That's actually really sweet!"

Aria looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I thought you were just worried you would get slime in your shoes or something." He ran his hand through his hair, "But you don't like pranks because of what it did to Ginny."

Aria shrugged, "Ron always says I was too uptight."

"No, you just care too much. Are you sure you are not a Hufflepuff?"

-

She returned to the Common Room a few minutes past eleven, sneaking up to the dormitory, trying not to wake anyone else and frantically searched her suitcase for and loose galleons she could find.

Aria didn't wanted to admit it, because she knew Tayla would laugh at her, but she felt obligated to buy Cedric a present.

Groaning quietly when she found nothing, Aria slipped into her pajamas and then through the curtains of her four poster bed.

-

Aria and her friends were happily exiting a classroom since it was the last class of the week, when Aria turned in front of them, and started rambling about how she hated this lesson. No one was listening to her, they were looking behind her, several of them masking smiles, "Hello? Are you guys even listening to me? What?"

Her eyebrows knitted together as she turned, before Cedric came into view and waved at her. Her friends walked beside her, giving both of them some smiles and winks.

"Oh hi Cedric, what are you doing here?" Aria said when she walked over to him, "Did you need something?"

Cedric didn't move for a moment, before he shook his head, "Yes! I was wondering if you wanted to come with my friends and I to The Three Broomsticks this weekend?"

Aria had to stop her jaw from falling open, but quickly compased herself, "Are you sure it wouln't be weird if you're the only one I know?"

"Nonsense, the twins are dying to meet you."

"You talk to your friends about me?"

Cedric rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Yeah, I was telling them about us patrolling together."

Aria smirked, "Okay, what does that include?" She asked with a grin.

"Well you know..." he said shyly, "who we catch and if something funny happens." He was rambling on and on and Aria just started laughing and quickly stopped him, before he could say anything else.

Aria got many questioning looks from her friends when she pitched up to lunch with Cedric. No one had seen either of them since the end of the last lesson..

"See you this Sunday, Cedric."

"See you, Aria!"

-

She swung her legs over the bench next to Tayla and Katie Bell, wordlessly tucking into a bowl of carrot soup, occasionally stopping to butter her bread.

"Where have you been?" Tayla asked smirking, "With Diggory of all people?"

"Cedric and I were talking about plans and some random stuff, why?"

"You were gone a long time. We started to wonder, if the bathroom was put in a good use." Katie said smirking.

"I will flush you two down the toilet, in that 'bathroom' if you guys don't shut up about this." Aria said emotionless.

Katie patted Aria on the shoulder, "You're so innocent, it's adorable."