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

12 - A Disappointed Hufflepuff

It was November 21st, 1994.

Since kissing Cedric, Ellie had avoided him whenever she could, even if that meant eating alone and sneaking up to her dorm after hours. She watched as he waited for her by the barrels every morning, without fail, in hopes that Ellie would magically appear by him. It broke her heart slightly, and she couldn't bear to imagine how he felt. The Hufflepuff girls had completely shut her out, not one of them greeting her or making conversation. Ellie didn't mind though, as this action let her enjoy her free time by herself, unbothered and untouched.

The majority of the students were out and about, spending their weekend at Hogsmeade with their friends. Hermione had promised to meet up with Ellie later that afternoon for Butterbeer, explaining that she needed to stay behind to retake her test for a higher score.

Ellie walked alone on the pathway to Hogsmeade, her hands buried in her pockets as she hid behind the warmth of her scarf. She advanced with a slow pace, patiently waiting for Hermione as she inched closer to the town.

She heard the quick sound of footsteps behind her, and Ellie turned around with a smile, expecting to see Hermione. Much to her disappointment, it was Cedric. He seemed to have been running for a while, his cheeks flushed to a pink tint as he panted heavily.

"Hey, Ellie," Cedric greeted as he placed his hands on his hips to catch his breath.

"Hey," Ellie mumbled as she avoided eye contact with him.

It was silent for a moment as Cedric's breathing started to slow, finally managing to spark the conversation.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Cedric asked bluntly.

Ellie sighed as she finally looked him in the eye with a sorry expression.

"You have..." he realized, a saddened tone replacing his usual chirpy one.

"Look, Cedric. I know it's about the kiss. And I know what you're going to ask," Ellie huffed.

"Yeah, it is. But my question is... why? Why'd you do it?"

"It's complicated," Ellie replied simply in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the conversation.

"I can handle complicated," Cedric reasoned as he folded his arms over his chest. "I just need to know why."

"That kiss... it didn't mean anything," Ellie answered hastily. "I didn't want to kiss you."

"What do you mean?" he frowned. "You can't just go up to a person, kiss them, then leave."

"Cedric... that kiss didn't mean anything. Look, I don't want to give you the wrong idea. And I just-"

"But you're not answering my question," Cedric interrupted impatiently. "Why'd you do it? Why did you kiss me?"

"It was Malfoy," Ellie blurted reluctantly. "He put me up to that. He was blackmailing me all along, and I couldn't say no."

Cedric's face dropped, a heavy weight seeming to be released from his shoulders.

"Oh. I see," he muttered as he looked away from Ellie to hide his disappointment.

"Cedric, don't let this get to your head, okay? It isn't that serious," Ellie trailed with an apologetic tone. "We're still friends, right?"

"Of course we are," Cedric inhaled as he plastered a warm smile. "I get it, Ellie. Don't stress about it."

Ellie smiled up at him as she outstretched her arms. Cedric embraced her with tight arms as he looked over Ellie's head to push past the devastating rejection.

"Well, uh... I've got to catch up to things," Cedric dismissed as he broke away. "The task is in three days, and I don't want to miss out on some extra practice time."

"Right. But you'll do amazing, I'm sure of it," Ellie encouraged.

"Thanks, Ellie. I'll see you later," Cedric smiled, though this time, it was genuine. He proceeded to jog off into the direction he came, waving to another figure approaching Ellie.

Ellie smiled with satisfaction as the figure grew nearer, revealing herself to be Hermione. The Gryffindor approached Ellie with a confused expression, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked back to the faint figure of Cedric.

"Hey, Hermione," Ellie greeted in a cheerful voice, her smile reaching the corners of her eyes.

"You're extra happy today," Hermione observed, though her tone didn't match Ellie's. "You were with Cedric?"

"Yeah, I was. We talked for a bit. I explained what happened last week and that the kiss didn't mean a thing. It was quite relieving, actually. Having to avoid him everyday was getting tiring," Ellie chuckled.

"Oh, that's brilliant," Hermione commented with a much more happier expression. "I just didn't know what you two were talking about."

"If I'm being honest, I don't think he's entirely okay with me shutting him down. But he'll get over it," Ellie shrugged. "After all, girls are practically swooning over him. Imagine how they feel now that he's free."

Hermione laughed at her statement, though she couldn't help but relating to the girls Ellie was referring to. If Hermione lost all self control, she too, would be swooning over Ellie.

The laughter died down quickly, and Hermione's face grew serious. Ellie raised an eyebrow, catching on quickly. She lead Hermione to a nearby bench, scooting in closely to maintain their body heat.

"I'm scared, Ellie," Hermione complained as her fingers neared the Hufflepuff's, gesturing her desire to hold it.

Ellie naturally took hold of Hermione's hand, resting them onto her lap casually. She knew her effect on the Gryffindor, smirking as her thumb rubbed over the back of Hermione's hand.

"I'm worried about Harry. The first task is just in a few days. What if he gets hurt? Or worse, killed?" Hermione whispered at the last word as if the mere oral delivery was cursed.

Ellie shifted her entire body to face Hermione, one leg flattened against the bench as the other rested on the ground.

"He'll be fine, Hermione. If he can survive You-Know-Who, or Voldemort, or whatever you call him, I'm sure Harry can survive a few tasks."

"Yeah, but his decision-making skills are terrible!" Hermione reasoned. "Okay, maybe not that terrible, but... not the best."

"They didn't name him 'The Boy Who Lived' for no reason," Ellie shrugged as she flashed a reassuring smile.

Hermione's lips curled at the corners as she giggled at Ellie's words, eventually invoking Ellie to join her. The two quieted down as they accidentally caught each other's gaze. They stared at each other admirably, gazing into the similar shades of brown eyes. Ellie broke the connection quickly, realizing the close proximity they had traveled in just a few seconds.

"Ahem..." Ellie cleared her throat. "So uh... how's Harry preparing for the tournament?"

"H-He's good. He's fine," Hermione stammered as she drew back promptly. "I've helped him with a few spells, that's all."

"Right," Ellie nodded stiffly.

Hermione didn't answer, making the situation all the more awkward. She still held onto Ellie's hand as she attempted to casually observe her surroundings.

"Do you want to go Hogsmeade now?" Hermione finally spoke up in attempt to break the awkward tension.

"Can we stay here? Just for a little while longer," Ellie mumbled, not wanting to return to the spotlight.

"Of course," Hermione replied softly. She proceeded to close the distance between their two bodies and rested her head on Ellie's shoulder. Ellie squeezed Hermione's hand slightly as she smiled to herself, enjoying the physical interaction.