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"Cedric!" I yelled as I spotted his overgrown brown hair down the hallway. "Y/n!" he shouted back and ran towards me, lifting me up in the air and giving me a huge hug.
"You're so tall now!" I giggled up at him. He could easily rest his head atop mine now and I was 5'7"! "You're so beautiful now," he replied, "but you were always beautiful," he whispered in my ear.
God, I had missed him. He was like my little ray of sunshine. "Are you excited for quidditch tryouts, Captain?" I teased elbowing him gently. "Of course, of course. You better up your game to make sure you don't get replaced."
I gasped, "But Ced, how could you ever find the snitch if I wasn't distracting everyone on the field with my incredible flying skills?" "That is why you are my favorite chaser, y/l/n" "And you're my favorite seeker," I replied with a smile.
We had finally reached the field. I clasped my broom tighter and took a deep breath. "You'll be amazing y/n," Cedric said with a reassuring hand squeeze. "As will you," I replied, squeezing his hand back.
Cedric and I had been best friends for as long as I could remember. As a Muggle-born, I didn't know anyone from the wizarding world until I arrived at Hogwarts. Even before we were both sorted into Hufflepuff, Cedric sat with me on the train, telling me all about growing up with magic and how I was going to be an amazing witch. He even bought me a chocolate frog.
He was the one who taught me how to play quidditch, which soon became my favorite pastime. As soon as we were old enough to join, we soon became the star players of the Hufflepuff team.
The announcers called us Double Trouble, as I would often circle around the other team's seeker to distract them as Ced grabbed the snitch. I met most of my friends through quidditch, including Harry, Ron, Fred, and George.
Even though they were my enemies on the field, we would often play jokes on people in the stands during breaks in the game and catch up in the locker room.
People at school have always told me that Cedric and I should date. While I can admit that he has gotten dangerously hot over the holiday, I just can't imagine dating him. He's like my brother and the idea has always seemed so weird to me.
I feel like I should have dated someone at this point though. I am sixteen years old and I haven't even kissed someone. I've never been asked out before; I don't really think guys see me that way. Cedric has always called me beautiful, but I've never really seen myself that way I guess.
I've struggled with eating disorders and self confidence for a while now, but Ced has always been there for me. I think that's why he always calls me beautiful, to try to help me not spiral again. I don't know if that's truly what he thinks of me, but I appreciate it anyways.
The one place where I don't think about any of that is on the field. I am there for one purpose only. Destroy the other team. The Hufflepuff team often gets a bad rep, I guess people think we're too nice to be good at quidditch, but I disagree. When I'm on the field, I'm not thinking about choosing my words kindly, or avoiding violence. I will wreck anyone who is in my way. It's just me and the game. Ced's like that too.
I guess that's the other reason people call us Double Trouble. We are pretty nice off the field, friends with a lot of people, but when we're in the game, we are ruthless.
Ced's voice knocks me out of my trance. "All right everyone, board your brooms. Tryouts have begun."
I meet back up with Cedric in the locker room after tryouts. "So, did I get on the team?" I ask him with puppy dog eyes. "Yes, of course you idiot. You're the best one on the bloody team. Plus, without you, I'm just trouble, and that sounds stupid." I laugh as I grab my normal clothes to change back into.
The Slytherin team starts to wander in, as they are having their tryouts now. "If it isn't Ced the sloppy seeker. What misfits have you got on your team this year?" Draco sneered as he entered the locker rooms.
"Hey, don't talk to him like that," I scolded him. "Oh, I'm so sorry Y/N, I didn't see you behind all of Cedric's mediocrity. Looking forward to being the world's slowest chaser for the third year in a row? That's quite an accomplishment I'd say."
"I don't know Draco, are you looking forward to yet again being the only seeker to get in solely on Daddy's money? How does he pay the Slytherin team, in gold or in hair grease? The Malfoy family appears to have plenty of both."
"You wouldn't know anything about riches or talent, you filthy little Mudblood."
"That's it, Malfoy. You're dead." "Cedric stop!" I yelled, but not before his fist made contact with Malfoy's face. "Oh my, Saint Hufflepuff's playing dirty. You'll pay for that Diggory." he said swinging back at Cedric. Draco's eye was starting to puff up and Ced's nose was gushing red.
"STOP," I screamed getting in the middle of the two of them, not being able to stand seeing them both hurt. They both stopped abruptly as to not hit a girl. "It's not worth it; we can settle this on the field this weekend."
That seemed to be a good enough settlement for both of them. "Go have fun at tryouts Malfoy," I said sarcastically. "Oh I will," he quipped back. As he passed me on the way to the field, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "We all know I'm your favorite seeker."
As he walked away, I felt goosebumps form on my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "What did he say to you," Cedric snarled, his nose still bleeding. "Nothing important," I replied quickly, "Let's get you to the infirmary."
