Backfire • Cedric Diggory [✓]

• THIRTEEN •

    The Great Hall shone as the morning sun beamed through the windows, Holland was comfortingly stroking Harry's cast as she vocalized how proud of him she was. At this time of day, it was expected that owls come sweeping in and dropping parcels down onto their owners. Holland having received a second batch of letters from her mum and Tonks, she was quite happy despite the fact that no word had still been heard from her father. Even when Holland had asked, her mother seemed to not want to answer where her father was. It was bothersome, but Holland just had to trust when her mother said that her father was merely busy. Then she realized she had so much more to tell them, making a mental note to take another quick trip to the owlery later that day. She hadn't even explained about how she'd made a new friend. But then again, how could she fill them in on the story if she wasn't able to include the major point of how it even began? Not without getting into an enormous amount of trouble at least. Knowing her mother, she'd have a stroke if she found out that her quiet Holland was actually a well-known troublemaker in school. Dora would be nothing but amused, had the boy not been a former house and teammate. Because Nymphadora Tonks was a Hufflepuff when she'd studies in Hogwarts, Holland couldn't figure out how she'd take the news.

"I see you two are talking again," Holland comments, noticing that Ron and Harry were sitting next to each other after what seemed like ages. Harry purses his lips as an attempt of a smile, clearly uncomfortable with all the sappy stuff with Ron. Ron, however, was visibly ecstatic that he and Harry were speaking again.

"Yeah," Ron smiles sheepishly, knowing he'd been a bit crazy thinking the way he did. "I never actually hated Harry, you know." Ron begins as all the girls rolled their eyes.

"Could have fooled me," Ginny says quietly, earning a look of amusement from Holland. Ginny quickly returns the smile, giggling.

"Same here," Holland agrees, smiling as the table falls into a comfortable silence. Holland admires the hall, almost as if experiencing a high. After weeks seeing the hall so dark in gloomy when it had been the times she'd dreaded the first task, it felt like somebody had opened the curtains and let the entire school sparkle as if it were new again. It was nice being able to relax and breathe again. Hogwarts had been buzzing with news and excitement over the recently finished task, all the Harry Potter Stinks badges long gone and everyone coming up to Harry every now and then for a handshake. Nearly-Headless Nick had happily told Holland and Cedric that days of tasks were excused, as Cedric needed time to rest. Even then, the two met up anyway.

"It was brilliant seeing how proud my father was," Cedric admits, almost hugging Holland the fifth time that day. Holland was lenient about the hugging, not comfortable with Cedric being comfortable himself about taking the liberty to hug her as much as he pleased. But the boy had been scorched and chased around by a fucking dragon! Holland realized she needed to let loose, just a bit.

"I told you," Holland tells him quietly, still testing out the waters with the boy. It had been about the fifth time they'd spent an hour together, the potion still seeming to be at an high effect. Cedric would have moments of stability, just talking to the girl, but one wrong move on Holland's end and the boy relapses terribly. Holland would be convinced that the two had really developed a great friendship for a bit, until she says something that eggs the boy on, then he's completely ballistic for her again and wanting nothing but to smother her. This had been the most patient Holland had ever been. That night, the two two didn't spend time together too long, briefly chatting about the first task and eating another snack made by the elves before quickly returning to their common rooms.

Holland watched Harry wince as she'd turned to face Ginny and accidentally hit his arm, quickly apologizing and stroking his arm once more. "Does it hurt terribly, Harry?" She joked, knowing how annoyed Harry and Ron were when it was Pansy asking Draco that exact question last year. Draco had decided not to pay attention to Hagrid in their Care for Magical Creatures. Harry had successfully ridden and befriended a hippogriff and that didn't sit well with Draco. Draco decided to shove his way through the class and have a frank talk with the hippogriff, the mammal not feeling to warm with the encounter, had accidentally scratched his arm. Holland knew there'd bit minimal blood, but when Draco played it off saying he could have lost his arm, she knew he'd been faking it all along.