𝓛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 (𝒞𝑒𝒹𝓇𝒾𝒸 𝒟𝒾𝑔𝑔𝑜𝓇𝓎)

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟢

Author's Note: Heyy, look at that, I'm back! I hate ninth grade. I have a big bunch of homework to do in these two freakin' days. I have a cold.

Yay life.

 ᗩ ᒪETTEᖇ ᕼOᗰE

"Er - we have issues?"

Ariana was having an internal battle. 'What do I say, what do I say?'

"Ummm..."

She mentally kicked herself all the way to London. Why the hell did she say that? That just makes it sound like they have multiple issues!

Cedric's eyebrows were raised slightly while he tried to read her. She had too many emotions flashing across her face. Anger, confusion, frustration, and others he could not interpret. None of the ones he could understand were reassuring him in any way.

"I - no! We don't have any issues," Ariana hurriedly exclaimed. "You're my...friend."

When she said the word 'friend', she sounded so upset that Cedric felt like his heart had just been run over by a stampede of elephants. And deer. And zebras. Add some buffalo. And wildebeest too.

"Oh," he said in a broken voice.

Ariana's eyes widened. "No, Cedric, it's not like that! I was just thinking of what to say, and - and - we don't have any issues, Snape just doesn't understand..."

Ariana had a fleeting image in her mind of Snape trying to cast spells with an asparagus, then give up and starting to munch on it instead.

She shook her head desperately, trying to get rid of the thoughts that would make her laugh in the one moment she knew she should never even think of laughing.

 "He...didn't know! He just thought that we don't get along because of that accident in Potions," she added. "But we do!" 

Cedric's expression softened a bit. He removed the deer and zebras, as well as the buffalo. But, the elephants and wildebeest remained.

"Then, why did that accident happen in the first place? And, it's not just that. It's literally almost every single Potions class we've had so far. Someone who was so amazing at Potions back in June can't just drop to being between Outstanding and Acceptable, especially during O.W.L. year.

"Unless it has something to do with that persons partner." Cedric finished. "I admit I am not the best a potions, but I still wouldn't blow up my cauldron..."

Alexis, Anthony and Austin were all awkwardly standing behind Cedric, trying to start conversations with each other to try and pretend to block out Cedric and Ariana's conversation.

"I was distracted." Ariana blurted. 

She had never wanted to drown herself more.

Cedric furrowed his eyebrows and said, "You've been distracted for two months? In the classes I'm your partner? And by what, exactly, have you been distracted?"

You

Cedric's pupils dilated and that was when Ariana realized she had said that out loud.
Alexis, Austin and Anthony were no longer trying to ignore them.

Fighting the biggest blush in the history of blushes, Ariana somehow added in almost a whisper, "...know exactly what."

Cedric's eyes sort of went back to their normal shape and size, then he shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

Ariana thanked God with all her might that she'd managed to think of this.

"You know, my favourite colour?" She breathed.