Messy Ties and Loose Ends {HP}

Chapter 22; Birthday Wishes

I have to head to dinner and then hopefully back to my comfortable bed to just wallow in self-pity. I drudge myself up from my bed and check my appearance in the mirror, my uniform is creased. I quickly take off my cloak, vest, and throw on a pair of slacks and a Gryffindor hoodie. Nobody cares anyways, it's just dinner.

On my way to the Great Hall, Draco spots me, probably mopey looking. He gives me a questioning look and walks right past me. Who cares really? My best friend is avoiding me on my birthday.

When I'm seated in my spot next to Elizabeth, I see Ralph over at Ravenclaw. Chatting and laughing, I don't bother hiding my dismayed face. I look two to the left of him and there's Cedric, all happy with his arm around Cho Chang. She's probably so happy. Fuck them both. I look down at my choices tonight and gag. I grab a little slice of shepherd's pie and some carrots and sip on my water until I can leave without seeming rude to Elizabeth. As she drones on about how her day has been and how badly she was craving carrot cake, my mind can only wonder how my birthday would've gone if Cedric didn't hate me.

An amazing gift no doubt, probably sweet gestures through the day, but today was nothing to him. I was nothing to him.

"Do you think you'd have time to hang out after dinner?" Elizabeth says randomly.

"No actually I feel like laying in bed for the rest of the night."

"Please? A bunch of Hufflepuffs are walking out to the Quidditch pitch to drink, since it's a school night Sprout is super strict."

"No Elizabeth I don't want to go drink with your trashy Hufflepuff friends."

"Cedric and Ralph are going?"

"More reason not to go," I stab my shepherd's pie and quickly get up from the table.

Her eyes dart to Ravenclaw, Ralph giving her a look.

"Ralph obviously doesn't want me to go and I don't really want to be with them anyways. I'm leaving."

I walk out, hearing Elizabeth's footsteps following behind me.

"Allison you have to come it'll be fun," the light-hearted tone all gone but the words still imply the tone should be there.

I turn around to face her.

"Please just leave me alone, Jesus. None of you can be bothered to remember it's my birthday but I'm just supposed to want to hang out with you? Go to hell." I turn back around to the stairs till I hear someone else call my name.

"Allison, you have to come tonight," Cedric's voice fills my head.

I turn to lock eyes with my best friend, the only one who always makes me feel seen.

"Why in fucks name would I ever want to hang out with you again? I've never met a bigger prick. You should go back to the Ravenclaw table and never speak to me again, you were doing pretty well up until now," I spit these words at him, not giving a shit how he felt.

"Listen it's for your birthday, please just come with us?" His face is unchanged.

"My birthday? For my birthday? All I wanted for my birthday is to spend time with my fucking friends. But no apparently you had more important things to do. Seriously fuck off."

I turn and start to head up the steps as I feel a hand grab my wrist.

"I was setting up your birthday gift, I didn't want to fucking ignore you. Haven't you realized this by now? You're my best friend, if I'm avoiding you then there's a pretty good god damn reason," Cedric says this under his breath so that only I can hear him.