You Know I Love You, Right? (Cedric Diggory x Reader)

Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry that these past few chapters have been really short!  The ones I am currently writing are a bit longer, so stay tuned for those!

The school year started and it was actually much easier to avoid Cedric now that he was busy with Cho Chang.  So much for 'Cho will just have to live with the fact that I can't be away from my best friend'.

Draco and I would walk together from class to class, on some days we wouldn't be able to stop talking, on others we wouldn't say a word to each other.  I didn't mind this, I liked our dynamic that we had going on.  It was nice to spend time with the only person who could get my mind off of Cedric.

The cool winter air flowed through the school during the month of January.  Students eagerly awaited the next Triwizard task, although it was a month away, nobody could stop talking about it.  It seemed like none of the champions had figured out the clue from their egg, I just hoped that the next task would be safer than the last one, although I knew that it was unlikely.

As I strolled the castle grounds with Draco I had run into Cedric for what seemed like the first time in ages.

He looked at the two of us and rolled his eyes, "It's getting tiring seeing the two of you break up and then get back together again."

"It's fine, we've decided to just stay friends."

"I honestly don't care whether the two of you or dating or not, but someone had to tell you how annoying it is when you fight and then go back to being buddy-buddy."

His words hit me like a bat.  He didn't care.  Before he had been so nosy about my relationship with Draco but now he doesn't care at all.

I looked at him, trying to hide the pain in my eyes.  I couldn't figure out the right words to say, he seemed so distant, and cold.

I decided not to reply, I just continued going on my way and so did he.  It was weird because this was the first time we had split up without having a fight, we just grew apart all of a sudden.  I guess that's what eventually happens to most friendships, but why did it happen to ours?

I couldn't let it happen to ours.

"Cedric wait!"  I called for him right as he was about to exit the hall.

He turned towards me, "Is there a problem?"

"Yes.  This is a problem."  I pointed towards the two of us.

Draco whispered 'goodbye' to me in my ear before leaving Cedric and I alone to sort out our issues.

"Oh I'm sorry it's not like I'm the one who's been avoiding you."  He sneered.

I curled my lip, he had a point- I didn't even greet him when he returned after break.

"You're right Ced.  I shouldn't have been avoiding you.  There's a reason I haven't spoken to you since you left, I just can't bring myself to tell you."

I wished I'd taken back what I said, now Cedric was going to bombard me with questions and I wouldn't be able to give him an answer.

"Whatever the reason was, you can tell me.  I've been your best friend for nine years, we shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"There are some secrets that you don't need to know Cedric."

"Yeah like what?"

"I can't tell you!"

Frustrated, he clenched his fists and walked back and forth around the hallway.

"Fine, if you can't tell me your secret then I guess we're not as close as I thought."

I panicked, I wasn't going to let us have another fight, especially not before the second task. Suddenly, an idea sparked in my head, I knew how to save our friendship.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

His expression morphed from anger to excitement in an instant, he always loved hearing my secrets.

"The truth is, I know the way to get the clue from the golden egg."

This was a lie, but I didn't have any other choice.  It was that or I could actually come clean and tell him that I have feelings for him, but that option seemed worse than the Cruciatus Curse.

"How do I get it?"  He asked, his mannerisms similar to a puppy-dog.

"I can't tell you right now, just meet me at the common room at 12 o'clock PM, and I'll show you what to do from there."

He sprang up and gave me a warm hug.  It had been a while since he'd hugged me, and everything felt right when I was in his arms.

"You're the greatest friend I could ever ask for."  He kissed me on the forehead and then went off, however I was frozen still.  I couldn't believe he had just kissed me.

Snap out of it!  I told myself.  He had a girlfriend, I couldn't forget that.

I was relieved, I had single handedly avoided having another fight with Cedric.  It seemed like this year our friendship had been so much shakier than usual, and I had no idea as to why.

In the midst of my inner crisis, an awful realization had dawned on me.

I just lied to Cedric Diggory about the second task, and I had no idea how to solve the clue.

I decided to ask Harry about the clue, to see if he had any insight as to how it could be deciphered.  Maybe I could try to play matchmaker with him and Draco as well...