Accidentally Dating Cedric

5

"Admiring the view?"

-

I do my best to avoid Cedric throughout the rest of the night, though there were several times during the game that he tried to talk to me. Thankfully, with a great amount of self control, I kept my responses short and simple.

As much as it kills me to do it, I have to make him hate me.

We've just arrived back to the tent after the Quidditch game, which was the most fun I've had in awhile.

"Alright you lot, go get in your pj's and meet us in the living room in exactly ten minutes!" Fred instructs to everyone, ushering us all to our rooms.

Hermione, Ginny, and I enter our room, each of us heading over to our separate trunks and pulling out comfier clothes.

"Cedric was getting pretty frustrated with you at the game, you know," says Ginny as she pulls on a light pink cami.

"He seemed normal to me," I shrug.

*Flashback* two hours earlier

We finally make it up the long flight of stairs to our spots for the game.

The view is incredible. We can see the entire field, plus all the people and seats below us. Everyone finds open spots against the rail, leaning over and admiring the view in awe. I take a spot on the very end of everyone next to Hermione, but Cedric decides to take my other side.

"I'm so excited to see a Quidditch game. My dad's been talking about Quidditch ever since I was little, so when I didn't receive my letter, I was so upset I'd never get to play. I'm definitely gonna try out for the team when school starts." Cedric smiles enthusiastically. He's talking to me I'm assuming, since there's no one on his other side.

"Cool," I shrug.

I hate this. I want to converse with him and get to know him better, but I just can't.

I can easily see myself falling for someone like him, but I just can't allow that to happen. It would be a different situation if he was in my original reality, but that's just not the case.

I can't imagine the pain of falling for someone in a completely different reality, and then having to leave them and go back home.

He turns to me with his eyebrows raised. "Cool? That's all I get?"

I look down in an attempt to hide the guilt I'm feeling of being so cold towards him.

"I don't know what else you want me to say, Ced," I state, looking straight ahead at the field.

He chuckles. "I don't know, maybe just engage in the conversation? If you don't wanna talk about me that's fine of course, but at least tell me something about you."

Why does he have to be so nice? This would be so much easier if he was an asshole.

"There's nothing about me worth knowing," I shrug.

He takes a deep breath to compose himself, and turns to me.

"Bella, I'm really trying to make an effort here. It would be nice if you could help me out a bit," he says, a bit of frustration in his tone.

"I never asked you to make an effort, Diggory. Why don't you go and talk to someone who's worth your time?" I snap.

I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.

I can be cold towards people when I need to, but that doesn't make it suck any less.

"Fine, but this isn't over," he retorts, using the same tone as I did, and heading over to the twins who are a little ways down.