Messy Ties and Loose Ends {HP}

Chapter 26; Volts of Electricity

While I'm walking the corridor for lunch I try to see if I can find a member of the Quidditch team. Ralph I know I'll see at lunch but he'll be secretive around Cedric.

"Looking for someone?" Draco stands at the corner of a hallway I just scanned for Hufflepuffs.

"No not really," He wouldn't care even if I did tell him who I'm looking for.

"Where's your birthday boy? Thought you two would be inseparable today," Draco smirks at me.

"Um probably at lunch by now," I say, looking around him to see if anyone useful is coming up the hall.

"I hate when I don't know what you're doing," Draco runs his hand through his hair and mutters this under his breath.

I give him a peck on the cheek and start my way to the Great Hall since I'm probably wasting my time.

When I do make it to the table I see the same old same old. I plop down next to Ralph again because I know I'm not getting near Ced during all of this.

I roll my eyes at how many people pretend to be interested in his birthday in hopes of becoming relevant by association. I'm not just making this up because I'm displaced by this phenomenon. One girl followed Cedric around and gave him a gift for his birthday and now she's technically in our crowd since Cedric appreciated her so much. Friends, a boyfriend on the Quidditch team, etc. none of which she had before.

Elizabeth joins us. She looks at me and dramatically rolls her eyes.

"When are we gonna do our stuff? This is so boring," Elizabeth says loud enough so that Cedric can hear.

"Well we can't go to Hufflepuff until tonight since there's scheduled maintenance," Ralph says back, so bad at lying it makes even me cringe.

"Oh yeah I heard about that. Didn't some 1st year throw up? Riggs?" Cedric takes a moment to reply to us.

"Oi! It wasn't me!" Little Riggs shouts at Cedric from a few seats down.

Ralph, Elizabeth, and I start laughing at this little first year.

"He's so cute!" Elizabeth whispers in my ear.

I only laugh more. He has chubby cheeks and dimples and when he yelled at us his face turned the color of a tomato.

"Ced?" I ask for his attention, not sure if I'd get it.

"Yes Allison?" Cedric turns to me with an eyebrow cocked up in curiosity.

"To get the rest of your gifts, can you meet us in the garden after classes?"

"Works for me," Ralph says beside me.

"I think that works for Lionel and me. I think he's studying currently so he should be free later," Elizabeth chimes in.

"Yeah, of course, I'd love that," Cedric gives me his big genuine smile. When he turns to the Gryffindor girl to his right I see it fall into his fake people-pleasing smile.

Lunch wraps up uneventfully and so do my classes. I honestly was on autopilot anticipating this party. I'm excited because I'm actually in a good mood. All kinds of scenarios for tonight run through my head as I mindlessly make my way to the garden.

"Ally?" I knock right into Ralph.

"Sorry! I was watching my feet," Ralph swings an arm around my shoulder and brings me over to where the others are already sitting.

I pull the book about Quidditch wrapped in sliver paper from my bag and place it in front of Cedric. He smiles up at me with that golden retriever smile and I take a seat next to Ralph.

"Well go on! Open them!" Lionel persists from his shady spot a few feet away from us.

"Alright!" Cedric picks up the huge misshapen present with a bow on top.

"That one's from me," Ralph smilies.

"Oh no way," Cedric laughs.

He tears off the paper to reveal a huge broom rack. Cedarwood and it came with a little automatic cleaning rag that you enchant to wipe the broom when you need it to be cleaned.

"Ralph! This is amazing!" Cedric leans over and bear hugs Ralph, who's smiling ear to ear.

"Ally already reminded me we don't have Quidditch after this final match but we need to be prepared for next year!" Ralph shouts at all of us.

"Mine next!" Elizabeth interjects.

Cedric picks up the pink box with a pink bow and mutters something about it being adorably wrapped. He pulls one side of the ribbon and opens the box to see a Gryffindor hoodie. Cedric's look of confusion matches mine.

"Allison is always wearing your stuff but her clothes never fit you. I was thinking you'd like to have something that is relatively hers," I hug Elizabeth, it's quite sweet in a "married couple" sort of way.

"No yes! I love it! I'll harass Ally and every Gryffindor with this! Thanks so much, Liz," Cedric laughs and moves the box from in front of him.

Cedric picks up the silver packaged gift from me and raises his eyebrows.

"Obviously it's not going to top the cactus but I thought it was pretty cool," I avoid eye contact with him so I don't blush.

He quickly tears off the paper.

"Quidditch Maneuvers and Various Other Topics," Cedric mutters.

"Allison I think it's a bit boring but thanks anyway," Cedric's words don't match the overwhelming smile.

I scoot over to him and take him down with a hug. We're both laughing and I prop myself up a bit. He's laying on his back and I'm just a few inches above him. My knees on either side of him, I start to realize the suggestiveness of it all. Cedric gets this smile that I haven't seen before, a mix between happy and seductive. Fuck me. I quickly move off of him and back to Ralph's other side.

"Holy hell we thought we were going to have to leave," Ralph finally speaks up.

The electricity that just ran through my veins throws my head in a loop and I can't focus enough to recognize what Lionel got Ced. I can't make eye contact with Cedric or anyone for that matter. My head is swarming with ideas as to what that just meant.

"Allison? Ally?" Ralph shakes my arm just a bit.

"Sorry what?" I ground myself and try to remember what they were saying.

"We were asking if you wanted to hang out in Gryffindor or somewhere else," Ralph repeats.

"Um yeah let's go to Gryffindor until dinner's available," I get up and immediately start moving towards commons, not waiting for anyone.

How am I supposed to be around them and Cedric when what I really need is a quiet minute alone.