Look at Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 1)

08 - The Ferret's Scheme

The next couple of weeks passed without notice. Hufflepuff, along with the other houses, had rallied against Harry, claiming that Cedric was the one and only champion. With the help of Ellie, Cedric turned them down, claiming that the goblet already made its decision and that Harry was still a champion regardless if what he said was true.

Much to Ellie's disappointment, Hermione constantly spent time with Harry, finding out that Ron had shunned his friend away after the choosing of the champions. Despite their limited time together, Ellie and Hermione were able to squeeze in a few sessions of stargazing as an escape from their constant interactions with their friends.

—

Ellie sat in front of Cedric at The Three Broomsticks, mugs of Butterbeer set on the table. It was the first time Ellie had been to Hogsmeade, and Cedric eagerly took her at the first Sunday of November.

Ellie took a sip of her drink, licking away the foamy mustache that formed at the top of her lips. Cedric did the same, and their mugs clanked down on the table at the same time.

"Cedric, I have a question," Ellie started.

"Go for it," he encouraged as he leaned his body forward to listen.

"Do you ever feel... like no matter what try to do to stop it, you find yourself liking a person more and more with every passing second? That even despite barely hanging out with them, there's always something about them that makes your heart skip a beat. Or that it seems like everything's keeping you two from being together, like bitchy friends or time restraints, or maybe even hatred if the relationship went public."

"Woah, woah, woah. There's a lot to unpack here," Cedric started as he scooted forward in his chair, intrigued at the conversation's topic. "Are you telling me that you have a crush?"

"See, that's the thing. I'm not entirely sure yet," Ellie admitted with a sigh. "I mean... I can't have a crush, especially right now."

"How come?"

"It's just difficult. Especially with the whole chaos of the tournament and everyone's concerns, it isn't practical to have a crush at this time. Besides, it seems like the universe is keeping us apart."

"Do you know if he feels the same?" Cedric questioned.

Though Ellie wanted to correct him, she made a mental note to change Hermione's pronouns to accommodate the conversation.

"I don't know that either," Ellie ranted.

"Why don't you ask him?" Cedric suggested.

"Are you joking? You're got to be mad to do that," Ellie scoffed. "What if sh- he says the feelings aren't mutual?"

"There's only one way to find out. It can't be that hard," Cedric shrugged as he took another sip.

"What do you mean 'can't be that hard'? Haven't you ever gotten a crush? I'd like to see you try and tell her."

Cedric laughed as he tried to conceal his blush, pretending to take a sip of his Butterbeer to let the tint subside.

"You're right. It's not that easy," he admitted. "But I mean, who wouldn't like you back? You're everything a person could ever want."

"So is she," Ellie muttered under her breath as she dazed about the Gryffindor.

—

It was November 13, 1994.

The school was abuzz with the upcoming first task in just eleven days. Hufflepuff were in the highest spirits, and Ellie noticed that the majority of them wore badges imprinted with Cedric's face reading the slogan: Support Cedric, the Real Champion. The badge suddenly swirled to turn green, showcasing Harry's face with the slogan: Potter Stinks.