𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡50⎦

The next day I decided to sit with Hermione, Ron, and Harry at the Gryffindor table. Hermione was reading the newspaper, Ron and I were eating, and Harry was... looking Cho. When she smiled he spit a little juice from his mouth. I looked at him with disgust, however, Cho and her friends thought it was cute.

"Look at this!" Hermione slammed the paper on the table. "I can't believe it! She's done it again. Miss Granger a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow."

I shook my head. Damn that Skeeter.

A young boy with a parcel walked up to Ron.

"Parcel for you Mr. Weasley," he said.

"Thank you, Nigel," Ron said taking the parcel. Nigel stood still gazing at Harry in admiration. "Not now Nigel. Later. Go on." Ron nudged Nigel a little.

Nigel got one last good look at Harry before turning around and leaving. Hermione gave Ron a look.

"I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph," Ron said opening the parcel. "Oh look mum sent me something."

He opened the box and pulled out some sort of clothing that was indescribably ugly. Ron stood up and inspected the thing.

"Mum sent me a dress?"

People around the room started laughing.

"Well, it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?" Harry asked reaching into the box. "Aha!" He pulled out a lacy thing.

"Nose down Harry," Ron said, walking towards Ginny. "Ginny these must be for you."

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly," Ginny replied.

Hermione and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"What are you two on about?" Ron asked.

"They're not for Ginny!" I answered.

"They're for you!" Hermione said. Everyone started laughing.

"Dress robes." We said together.

"Dress robes? for what?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged and I stood up. "See you in class guys." I grabbed my bag and walked to the first class. The Yule Ball. Oh, my.

. . .

I met with Cedric in the dungeons to check on his burn when I realised Cedric was staring off into space.

"Pretty Boy, what's wrong? You know I'm always here for you." I asked eyeing his face. He looked at me with unrecognisable, sullen eyes.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to live up to being one of the Hogwarts champions. There are high expectations and I don't think I can do it. Plus my father has faith in me and I can't let him down."

I cupped the sides of his face and made him look at me. "Cedric, you have what it takes to win this. You already passed the First Task remarkably. And don't do it because everyone wants you to. Do it for yourself."

"Thanks" he whispered. "How come it seems you've only helped me prepare for Tournament? Why not Potter?"

"Well, Harry has Hermione and come on, it's Hermione Granger. The brightest witch of her age. And you're my friend." And the one I love. "So I'm helping you."

Cedric smiled sadly at me.

"That isn't the only thing on your mind is it?" I asked.

Cedric sighed and said, "Well there's this girl I really like, no I love her, and I don't think that she actually has ever thought about loving, much less liking, me back."

"Oh, so it's a girl problem." I tried to say with no emotion. "She's probably too shy to talk to you and-"

"But that's the thing, Hazel. She isn't a shy person. We talk almost every day."

Just tell him what you feel but don't say it as yourself.

Before I could stop myself I said, "Then I'm sure she likes you a lot but she's too afraid to know what you think of her or to that learn you like someone else besides her. She probably just fears rejection from you. So many girls like you that there is a one in a million chance you might actually like her back compared to the other girls. She probably doesn't believe that you like her back and she tries to push the feeling into a pit where she will never have to fathom going through the torture where you tell her you don't have feelings for her and end up with a different girl. I know how you feel. I love a guy who I know won't ever love me back and I recently just heard he loved another girl. You should talk to her."

"Hazel, don't you get it? I love you"

I gasped. Cedric loved me. I couldn't believe it. He slowly walked up to me. I couldn't move or breath. I stared into his eyes. When we were a close enough he placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck and could feel my heartbeat against my rib cage. Our eyes were glued to each others. Cedric pushed a piece of hair away from my face and placed his hand on my cheek. He glanced down at my lips and back to my eyes. Cedric started to lean in. Nervousness blossomed in my stomach. Once I could feel his breath on mine, I leant in and closed the distance softly placing my lips to his. He kissed me back, tangling his hand in my hair. I did the same, lacing my fingers in his hair and closing my eyes. We finally pulled apart and he placed his forehead on mine.

"I love you so much, Hazel. Every once in a while I thought about you since the day we saw each other at the Honeydukes trolley 2 years ago," he said.

"Well, since the day you let me order first on the train I couldn't help but think about you once in awhile. You're so kind and you're not jealous of Harry being another Hogwarts champion and you don't take advantage of girls who like you. Everything about you makes so happy."

He smiled and brought his lips back to mine.