ALOHOMORA | CEDRIC DIGGORY

29〝twenty-nine〞

BY THE TIME ELLIS EXITED the Great Hall, she was full to the brim with turkey, potatoes, pudding, eggnog, knowledge of dragons, and a fresh determination to work with them. She had never really considered what she might do upon graduating from Hogwarts; all she knew was that she would get the grades, which would leave her plenty of options when the time came to decide.

Now, she seemed to have made up her mind...

"Hey, wait up!"

Recognizing the voice, Ellis obliged. Cedric drew level with her in the Entrance Hall, his party favors forgotten, but a festive hat still perched lopsidedly on his head. She forced her laugh back where it came from. He noticed nonetheless, and yanked it off hastily, tucking it into his back jean pocket, where he kept his hand.

"Um..."

Cedric hesitated; she watched him jam his other hand into the other back pocket as he chewed on his bottom lip.

Incredibly, they had not spoken once directly throughout the course of the three-hour meal they just shared. In fact, they had spoken practically nothing at all outside of the Quidditch pitch since their encounter in the kitchen corridor. She had half expected him to shower her with questions, but he did nothing of the sort. He didn't even ask for Seeking tips, though she couldn't be sure if it was because she had caught him out earlier.

Heart hammering and illogically nervous, Ellis felt her palms perspiring and was sure the ink that addressed her upon Professor Kettleburn's envelope was smudging as their silence prolonged. She resorted to staring at the wizard chess set that had come out of her cracker, waiting for him to go on...

"Well...I had a lot of fun today...flying," said Cedric eventually. "We should do it again sometime..."

"Mm-hmm," she told his knees.

"How's tomorrow?"

"Er...I've got...homework...actually..."

That was a lie. Ellis had long finished her homework; the teachers didn't seem to set much for the first-years, by her standards anyway.

Why couldn't she have just said "great"? It wasn't like she didn't want to... She had had a fun time too...

"Of course you do," said Cedric, in a would-be casual tone that set something tugging painfully inside her chest.

"Maybe some other time..."

"Right, some other time," repeated Cedric, regaining some of his cheery air. "I'll see you at the bash, then?"

As it turned out, Kettleburn had planned a birthday bash for Allister the unicorn, who would be fifteen come New Year's Day, and had extended invitations everyone at the table, in addition to Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.

This time, peering at him, Ellis answered more straightforwardly.

"Yes."

"Perf—I mean, all right," said Cedric. He smoothed his hair awkwardly, his wide smile, however, not shrinking.

"All right."

"All right."

Ellis felt mean for giggling. Cedric ran his fingers through his caramel locks once more.

"All right, um...well...have a good night."

"Good night," said Ellis, drinking in his all-too-perfect features before pivoting off.

She leapt up the spiral staircase, the Baron's moaning growing louder all the time. Halfway along, however, she turned on her heel and bounded down instead, deciding she did not want to see the ghost after all. She didn't care for his advice anymore; it was his advice that landed her in this sticky situation in the first place...