I Know And I Don't Care (Cedric Diggory x Reader)

Chapter 32

Who knew classes could reach another level of boring. I felt more like Ron on the spectrum between him and Hermione. I now knew the side of her the boys had seen for the last four years. I owed dad a letter thanking him for instilling the importance of my education to drive me enough on my own. It had been a week of Hermione barely pulling me but I could sense the kicking and screaming was going to start soon.

"The summoning charm is extremely meticulous but that shouldn't stop anyone from giving their wand a good flick," Professor Flitwick winked. I didn't have to look away much from my gaze out the window to see no one smile at the teacher's reference to his name. Normally, I'd oblige his jokes, knowing they were far from a normal tone of his, but I didn't have it in me.

I didn't have much anything left in me. How I got to class was beyond me. My mind had been consumed by so much since my little chat with McGonagall. Her robes had barely swished around the corner when breakfast ended. I didn't stick around for Hermione to interrogate me or Cedric's bedevilment. Instead, I went looking for the answers they wanted. An owl nearly poked my eye out with a letter from Dad even before my foot crossed the threshold of the owlery.

The contents of the half sheet didn't live up to the almost-injury. While he explained that he had been sent home from his work trip (to which I sighed in knowing he was safe), he didn't detail much on the work he finished. It didn't take long for me to start pondering if his work had truly finished up or if there had just been too many loose ends to tie up.

I wanted to summon him for a full report on what was going on outside of the palace grounds.

The door to Classroom 2E flourished open so suddenly, I only looked up to see if Dad had actually appeared. My magic powers must've worked immensely well had I needn't even performed the spell. Or learned it for that matter.

Standing at the door was not my father. It was just another man I held much too close to my heart. Instead of warming at the sight, my heart instead dropped to my stomach.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Cedric said confidently. His perfect-prefect smile didn't reach my eyes as I found interest in the window again.

"Ah, if it isn't Mr. Diggory. The fellow Hogwarts champion," Flitwick referenced Harry and even with my eyes on the trees, I knew the entire class looked our way. "And the best Charms student I think I've ever had. Or will ever have for that matter!"

Cedric chuckled and I swore Lavender melted across the aisle. Hermione turned back to share an eye roll.

I caught my laugh in my throat, just in time to hear Cedric say my last name, in his Golden Boy tone. I had hardly caught the first part of his sentence, asking permission of my teacher to borrow me for a moment.

Flitwick, unable to read my mind, granted his ask with a smile brighter than the sparkling snow of the Yule Ball. Adding that I should just take the rest of my things as the class was soon to end, I wanted to summon something hard and heavy to fly into the room towards his head.

Rather than opening my book to learn the words to grant my wish, I followed instructions. I packed my bag, managed a smile at a still slightly defeated Harry, ignored both an intrigued Hermione and jealous Lavender (and clueless Ron) and made it out of the class with only giving Flitwick a low "Thank you, Professor.", prior to following Cedric out the door.

I questioned my own composure once again when Cedric's hand flew to cradle my back on our way out, and I somehow waited till the door slammed behind us to react.

I turned around not six feet from the door to look at the boy who had disrupted my sleep, and now my school. "Resorting to taking me out of my lessons? That has to be some prefect violation, Ced."