Harry Potter Imagines

Cedric Diggory - Golden

TW: Food

One paragraph. You were supposed to write a three-foot long essay about the use of boom berry in modern potions, and all you'd got so far was one measly paragraph. Open books lay haphazardly on the table you'd claimed for the evening, their pages void of any relevance to your assignment. You rested your forehead on the parchment in front of you, letting out a frustrated huff. How were you going to finish in time when you couldn't find anything useful? You didn't normally leave homework until the day before it was due, but school had been so busy lately, plus there was a quidditch match that you wouldn't miss, even if it meant detention with Snape.

You loved the thrill of matches, students sporting their house colours, energy radiating from every stand. You donned as many yellow clothes as you could, full to the brim with Hufflepuff pride. For this match you and your friends had made a giant banner depicting a badger that was enchanted to dance when Hufflepuff scored a goal. Holding the banner up made your arms ache, but it was worth the pain to see the Hufflepuff team mimicking the badger's dance on their brooms. But even that couldn't beat watching the way Cedric's face glowed as he became absorbed in the game: eyebrows slightly furrowed, cheeks flushed from flying, hair sticking in all directions. You were convinced he was born to be a seeker. You were so lucky to have him as your best friend, and seeing him so full of life made you feel complete. The most wonderful part of all was after Cedric caught the snitch, earning a Hufflepuff win. Instead of enjoying a victory lap, he flew straight over to the Hufflepuff stand to share the win with his house, grinning at the first years who were so full of excitement they were jumping up and down. After holding the snitch in the air, erupting a cheer from the crowd, he turned to where you and your friends were standing, beaming up at him.

"Nice banner Sunshine." He winked at you before joining his team, a chorus of cheers calling after him. You had tried to ignore the way his nickname for you made your heart race.

A poke on your shoulder pulled you out of your thoughts and back into the musty library, where you lifted your head with a small grunt.

"Whaddya want-" You stopped abruptly at the sight of the Golden Boy himself grinning down at you, holding a plate of steaming food. Much to your dismay, your stomach let out a loud groan as the smell of casserole hit your nostrils. Cedric laughed good-naturedly.

"I noticed you weren't at dinner and figured you'd be here." He shrugged. "Sounds like it's a good thing I came." He let out another chuckle, and you silently willed your stomach to be quiet. Noticing that the table was occupied, he placed the plate carefully on your lap and sat in the chair beside you. You took the cutlery he handed you with a nod of thanks, your heart swelling at his thoughtfulness. Sustenance was exactly what you needed right now. In fact, Cedric always seemed to know what you needed: when to bring you hot chocolate and a blanket because you were so absorbed in studying that you didn't notice you were shivering. When to crack a joke because you hadn't smiled in a while. When to hug you because sometimes words weren't enough. Suddenly you were overwhelmed with a rush of feeling that made heat rush to your cheeks. Your stomach flipped in a way it never did for anyone else. But Cedric was your best friend, and you treasured that friendship with your whole being. You would never want to risk what you already had.

Realising you'd been still for too long, you started shovelling forkfuls of the delicious meal into your mouth. Cedric was perched at an angle so he could face you fully, watching with amusement as you wolfed down the food. "Graceful." He remarked.

"Shuddup." You replied through a mouthful, gravy dripping down your chin. You wiped it away shamelessly with the sleeve of your cloak.

Glancing at your parchment, Cedric shook his head. "Did someone spend so long making banners they forgot to do their homework?"