𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 | 𓆙

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦-𝑜𝑛𝑒

      The long array of staircases that led to the Great Hall's main entrance were torture due to the heels that you wore. You felt your heart start to beat faster and faster as you got closer to the last staircase that would lead you to the rest of the champions. You inhaled deeply, taking the turn. You saw Harry chatting with Parvarti Patil, his face expressionless.

      Diggory, who had been standing by the large wooden door, glanced up to you. His eyes widened slightly as his lips parted. You grinned at him, lifting your dress slightly as you began to go down the stairs carefully. Diggory walked over to meet you at the end of the marble stairs, still with a stunned expression fixed on his features. Potter had turned around after Parvarti grinned and pointed a finger in your direction.

     As Harry gazed at you in awe, Diggory held out his arm for you to link onto. You took it gratefully and decided to push everything else from your mind. Harry, Draco, Potions, the tournament, your father, and the massive amount of homework all of the fourth years had been assigned over the winter holiday, and just focus on having a nice, peaceful, drama-free night for once.

"You look breathtaking," Cedric exclaimed, snapping you out of your resolution-making and sounding as though you might actually have taken his breath away.

"You're not half bad yourself," you reply, trying to sound nonchalant and not as though you'd just received the most genuine and sweet compliment you ever had, even though he really does look more charming than ever in his tidy, clean pressed dress robes and black bow tie. He laughs and shakes his head, his grey eyes wrinkle at the corners, and there is such a soft fondness shining in his eyes that you lose track of your surroundings for a moment. You hear Harry gasp from behind you, and everyone turns to face the grand staircase once again.

      You too turned to see a dressed-up Hermoine begin her descent, just as slowly as you did, assumedly for the same reason of a sense of discomfort in the unfamiliar heels, as neither of you normally wore them. You could see why Harry had gasped. She looked stunning. She was wearing a long, feather-light periwinkle dress, the large chiffon skirt trailed elegantly behind her on the stairs, but the tighter silk bodice flattered her petite waist. She wore her hair straight, as you'd never seen it before, and twisted up into an elegant updo, and her eyelids were done in the same shade as her dress, though you're sure the blush is quite natural, a reaction to all the staring eyes on her.

"She's gorgeous," you comment to Cedric, who remains silent, seemingly quite unsure of how to react appropriately to you. "You're allowed to say she's pretty, you know," you tease him, chuckling as he blushes at you calling him out.

      Krum approaches Hermoine as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, assumedly to gush his own complement, as the rest of you turn away to allow them some sense of privacy, suddenly realizing all at once how long you'd all been staring. You turned to Cedric, about to strike up a conversation when MCGonogal reentered the hall to make an announcement to the Champions and their dates.

"I need you all to line up in the procession, please," Minerva said as she frantically attempted to station the champions into rows beside their dates.

      You and Cedric stood, arms linked, just behind Hermione and Viktor as you heard Parvarti and Harry settle in behind you. As you listened to the band start up, the doors of the Great Hall swung open. You gulped as you were faced with the entirety of Hogwarts students that were of age to attend the ball, all lined up to observe the grand entrance. As you began to walk past the sea of watchful eyes, Cedric glanced at you and smiled reassuringly. As you walked, the students surrounding you erupted with claps and cheers. That is all but one group of Slytherins near the end. Malfoy glared at Diggory, his eyebrows furrowed in fury. Cedric's beaming expression did not falter, as he gave Malfoy none of the anger he thirsted for.