𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲

twenty-nine.

29. A PRIMARY ROMANCE

  CEDRIC DIGGORY HAD known he loved Thealyn de Oro since she flew around the fields on a broomstick during their first flying class and he had told her he would marry her one day. At least, a part of him had known. The other part of him had been in denial until last year when he and his friends discovered the hell Dominic Edwards had been putting Thea through, and Cedric was absolutely enraged. He could have sworn he felt his heart physically breaking at the sight of her that day. Red and puffy eyes that were filled with pain and sorrow, body frozen with fear, and the perfect smile that Cedric fell in love with nowhere to be seen.

Since then, he knew he loved her. She was how he knew that love was real. He barely left her side the remaining months of school, but then summer came. Cedric came home, and saw the first love he knew: His mother and father. Their story was how Cedric knew what love was. He saw the way his father loved his mother, how he took care of her—

And he was terrified that he couldn't give Thea that.

He couldn't love her in the way she deserved. To him, she deserved the world, and sure as hell deserved better than him. Thea shouldn't have to worry about anything for the rest of her life, and the only look on her face should ever be her stunning smile.

So after spending the summer with his parents, Cedric made a decision. He wanted Thea to love someone else— To love someone else in the way he loved her. Yes, it would hurt him, heavily, but if she was happy, then it was okay. He would be okay.

So, now Cedric sat in the Great Hall for the first dinner of his fourth year at Hogwarts. Micah, Silas, and Wesley sat near him while they waited for the girls to arrive. More and more upperclassmen were walking in and the first years would all be walking in together soon.

Cedric wasn't sure what his plan was exactly— He didn't want to completely ignore Thea, but he wanted her to be like someone else.

His head turned towards the door when he heard her joyful laugh, but a frown appeared on the Diggory boy's face to see the girl walking in with Louis Malfoy. Cedric sighed, doing his best not to feel jealous. Thea and Louis were always good friends, but anyone could see that the boy had feelings for the girl.

Cedric tried not to tense up as Louis placed a hand on Thea's shoulder, smiling at her before the two separated, walking towards their house tables. Poppy, Noelia, and Eva quickly caught up to her, and the four friends began to talk amongst themselves.

"Ced!" Thea smiled, bringing the boy's mind back to Earth as she sat across from him. Cedric tried not to smile, his heart skipping a beat at the nickname she's called him since first year. Ced. "How was your summer?"

"Good," He answered, nodding his head. "How was yours?"

"Okay," Thea shrugged, but the smile on her face still there. "I'm glad to be back."