keeper → g. weasley [EDITING]

↝nineteen

   "FIRST UP, we have Mr Cedric Diggory facing our simply sickening, Swedish Short-Snout!"

"Ced's first..." Mallie whispered to no one in particular.

A tent standing on the far side of the field flapped open, Cedric emerging from the entrance.

Mallie could see even from her seat in the stands how pale he was, and if she wasn't worried for him: she might've laughed.

The moment the brunette laid eyes on the tall blue-grey dragon, he stopped walking and noticeably began shaking in fear.

The fear momentarily froze him, but seeming to think things over a bit, Cedric began making his way closer to the dragon again.

A loud whistle blew, Mallie's ear seemed to stop hearing and the chains holding the large beast dissolved.

Her hand came up to her mouth, covering it in anxiety as Cedric danced carefully around the Short-Snout.

He didn't dance for long, however. He soon pulled his wand from within his robes and aimed it at a large rock a few feet from him, muttering a spell.

"What's he doing?" George wondered aloud, face scrunched in anticipated confusion.

"I don't know..." Mallie whispered, more to herself.

With an inaudible pop, the small boulder had turned into a blonde labrador, who stood wagging his tail happily at Cedric.

A chorus of "aaww"'s resonated across the stands, which Mallie held no shame in admitting she was apart of.

"Aw, puppy!" She cooed.

"What is it with girls and dogs?" George asked, baffled.

Mallie punched his shoulder.

The dog began bounding towards Cedric in search of play, until it noticed the fifty-foot creature looming over it.

The labrador cowered down and whimpered as he tried to weave through the dragon's legs, keeping the Short-Snout momentarily distracted.

Cedric used the opportunity to lunge for the golden egg that they were supposed to be retrieving and almost managed to get it.

But the dragon quickly grew bored of the dog, turning and spitting tongues of flame down on Cedric, who only just managed to dodge the fire.

Mallie's hand grabbed George's knee and squeezed tightly, her other hand covering her eyes in fear. Every time she lifted her hands and saw the dragon nearing Cedric she would dig her nails into his knee again.

It was only when a warm hand covered hers that she lifted her hand off of her face to look at George in embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry George, I didn't mean ... I didn't realize ..." She started, face flushed.

George shook his head, eyes still down at the dragon, and shrugged.
"It's okay."

He didn't lift his hand off of hers.

She allowed herself a moment give a silent giddy sigh before, too, returning to the tournament.

The battle between Cedric and the dragon continued, the brunette winding around thick scaled legs, trying to avoid hot tongues of flame.

Every once in a while, Mallie's chest would clench in a gasp. But, sooner than maybe everyone would have liked, Cedric dove for the golden egg and, this time, managed to retrieve it: clutching it as though it were his lifeline.

You could say it was.

They watched the judges offer their scores, and then the next three champions. But Mallie sat the whole time itching to see Cedric down at the tent.

As soon as Harry Potter's scores had been called (he won this task), she leapt up, and with George in tow, jogged down to the champions tent.

When Cedric noticed her, he slipped out from under Madam Pomfrey's thumb and out of the first aid tent to meet his friends.

The side of his face was covered in what looked like yellow glue but he grinned wide enough to reach his ears.

As soon as she was an arms distance away, Cedric pulled her into one of the tightest hugs she'd ever experience.

"You did it Ced, so well! So well!" She thrilled over his shoulder once she received her wind back.

"That was ... wow, just... wow!" Cedric seemed to be in a state beyond verbal comprehension.

George, who Mallie had nearly forgotten was there, stepped forward:

"Well done, mate. Some wicked Transfiguration." He shook Cedric's hand.

"Thanks a lot, appreciate it." The brunette smiled at George. When they let go and Scarlette came skipping down the hill, Cedric took the opportunity to lean and whisper into Mallie's ear: "I like him." Then winked.

Mallie pretended she didn't hear him.

West came trailing after Scarlette and leapt onto Cedric's back, "This is my best mate!" He shouted, roughly shuffling Cedric's hair and vigorously patting the side of his face.

West jumped off his back and swung his arm around Cedric's shoulders and their friends - of which Fred and Charlie had since joined - and headed up to the castle, singing.

××××

aloha friends!

Incredibly short chapter, I'm sorry! I had more planned but too much to introduce at the end. Some big plot chapters coming really soon..
So get keen!

Nearly at 3K!

As always, love you all,
-mel