Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Becoming a Fool (Cedric Diggory)

Let's start 2020 off with the energy that we want throughout the entire year - in terms of this book it means that I actually want to post regularly (at least once a week unless there's something stopping me). I'd really like for 2020 to be the year that I complete this book - which is insane considering that I started this book in November 2013. It's gone through a lot of changes, including being completely rewritten twice so it's taken longer to finish this book than I would've liked. But I really hope to finish this book before it's 7th birthday. Currently, I plan to put out a volume 2 - and the extended versions of the stories so it's going to take a long time to properly work through them. 

As of right now, it looks like I'm only going to do 2 volumes because I feel like 400 one shots (and therefore 400 extended stories) is enough. If I ever put out a volume 3, it'll be because a couple of ideas beat me over the head and demanded I write them. But honestly, I still can't get over the fact that I've written over 100 of these stories. If anyone cares - this is the 169th one shot 

This one was requested by anne2cold who asked for Cedric and a muggle reader. Honestly, I didn't think many people liked muggle readers, but I hope you like it! 

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Quite what I'd done to be stuck with babysitting, I wasn't sure. With my cousins visiting for the holiday, my parents had insisted that we take them out to show them around London. Of course, I didn't mind, not when I hadn't seen my cousins in what felt like years. But I wasn't too pleased about being the unofficial babysitter for my youngest cousin. Lucia, having just passed her third birthday was a rambunctious ball of energy who refused to listen to anyone. She was, for lack of a better word, a brat who had stuck herself to my side the moment she'd met me and because she was just a little better behaved when with me, I was the designated babysitter.

I stood behind my father, watching as he took pictures of my aunt and mother as the two sisters posed, seemingly not caring about the children that were looking bored out of their minds beside them. Lucia, clinging to my arm, continued to tug at my arm and tried her very best to convince me to go exploring with her. I remained firm, insisting we wait until her mother was finished so we could head to the London Eye just as everyone had planned to this morning. Clearly the refusal was too much for her.

Harshly tugging her hand away from mine, with a strength I was surprised she possessed, she darted into the crowd without so much as a backward glance. I gave quick chase, shouting out over my shoulder to the adults that I'd look after her. Lucia easily navigated her way through the small gaps in the crowd, laughing as if we were playing a game and unaware of the curse words echoing around my mind. She was in danger of becoming my least favourite cousin.

"You need to stop running," I insisted loudly, only for my concern to be returned with more laughter.

My cousin, laughing as if she'd been told the funniest joke in the world, paid no attention to where she was running and collided headfirst with someone. The impact had her falling to the floor with a grunt of surprise, the ice cream the person she'd bumped into tumbling to the floor beside them. Rushing to her side, I squatted down beside her in time for her to burst into shocked tears. It served her right; what was she thinking, running ahead without looking where she was going?

"It's alright," I assured her softly, lifting her hands to get a closer look at them. They were reddened and scratched slightly from where she'd used them to break her fall. Gently brushing them clean, I lifted her to her feet and insisted, "You'll be alright. But you shouldn't run off like that, Luce. What would we have done if a bad person decided to snitch you up?"

"I'm sorry," she sniffled, wiping at her dripping nose with her sleeve. Forcing myself to hide my grimace, I reached into my bag for my packet of tissues. Pulling one out, I helped her blow her nose.