𝐈𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 (𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐱 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

12: Facing Dumbledore

CEDRIC'S PERSPECTIVE

Upon seeing the photos, Y/N wrenched her hand out of my grip and took off running towards the hallway, still in my pajamas. I ran after her, shoving my way through the sea of Hufflepuffs who were either slapping my back in a congratulatory fashion or sneering disgustedly in my direction.

Y/N flung open the barrel door and ran down the corridor. I could hear her whimpering over the slapping of her bare feet on the cold stone floor.

"Y/N, wait!" I yelled. I ran faster, and ducked through a secret archway that spilled out just in front of where she was running. She stopped, startled to see me in front of her.

Hot tears were running down her cheeks as she stared up at me miserably. She buried her face in my chest and sniffled.

"Who could have done such a thing?" she cried out. I held her tightly in my arms and stroked her hair gently. "I don't know," I murmured in response. I was more focused on calming down Y/N at the moment than I was on being angry at the photos. 

We both looked up as we heard footsteps approaching down the hall, so I pulled Y/N back into the shadows of the secret archway for some more privacy.

"I bet everyone has seen them," she continued. 

I grasped her shoulders and held her out in front of me, placing a finger under her chin and tilting her head up so she looked me in the eye.

"Whoever did it, I'll find them. I'll make sure they get in big trouble for what they did," I assured her, and wiped a tear from her jawline with my thumb.

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

A cold shiver went down my back as the voice dripping with poison emerged from the darkness.

Professor Snape.

"Professor, I have something to report," I remarked boldly, puffing out my chest and standing up tall. Snape looked up his hooked nose at me, being much shorter than I was.

"No need," he spat, "everyone already knows. Come with me, you two ingrates. You have some explaining to do,"

I looked at Y/N and gulped. 

★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

Y/N PERSPECTIVE

Before I knew it, Cedric and I had been dragged through the corridors by Snape and found ourselves sitting in two rather uncomfortable chairs in Dumbledore's office. 

Snape peered down over his nose at us and grinned maliciously. He was definitely enjoying this.

The clicking of heeled shoes on the stone floor behind us alerted us to Dumbledore's presence.

He appeared in front of us and sat down slowly and gracefully in his chair.

"Professor–" I began, but stopped when he put his hand up.

"I know," he replied softly, "I know."

He looked past us.

"Severus, you may go," he murmured. Snape huffed in annoyance, threw his cape out behind him, and whisked out of the office.

Dumbledore's eyes fell on the two of us. I gulped.

"Public... indecency... is a very serious offense, I hope you both know," he began.

Cedric jumped up.

"We don't know where those pictures came from. It wasn't us! We didn't plan this!"

I chimed in. "You have to believe us, sir!"

He nodded gently, and our voices faltered. Cedric flopped back down in the chair.

"What are you going to do to us, sir?" I asked meekly.

"For starters, all the pictures have already been removed, and Hufflepuff students are going to be required to undergo a minor memory altering charm. There will be no evidence of this event."

I sighed in relief. 

"However..." he continued, "until the culprit can be found and proved guilty with absolute certainty..." he peered over his half moon shaped glasses at us.

"The two of you are not to be seen together in public. Innocent until proven guilty, yes, but you are not quite off the hook."

Cedric shot me a glance.

Dumbledore stood up. "Now, off to class, both of you. Oh, and miss Y/N?"

He turned to look me up and down.

"Change into your robes, please." 

I blushed in embarrassment. "Yes sir."

★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★