Dear Diggory

chapter 44

The next day Evelyn, Maisie, Dakota and I were in the stands of the quidditch stadium, cheering Hufflepuff on as they fought Slytherin. They'd already been fighting it out for an hour and it certainly wasn't an easy match.

Slytherin were ruthless as usual and they pushed Hufflepuff's patient nature to the edge. Evelyn frequently yelled expletive insults at them as Max nearly fell off his broom from their aggressive onslaught.

I mainly focused my attention on Cedric, who was busy battling the Slytherin seeker.

He desperately fought to stay upright on his broom as his opponent kept shoving him in the side, even slamming him against the edges of the stadium now and then. He grinned smugly every time Cedric wobbled and I considered joining Evelyn in throwing insults

That was the thing about playing quidditch against Slytherin, it wasn't enough to just be quick.

They resorted to dirty tactics more often than not, especially when they thought Madam Hooch wasn't paying attention. Although the witch was extremely sharp eyed, they still managed to slip some tricks past her.

Currently the score was 140 to Hufflepuff and 160 to Slytherin. They needed Cedric to catch the snitch now more than ever and I felt bad for him.

He had already seemed stressed enough on Friday about winning for the team and I didn't want him to be harsh on himself if they lost.

He kept pushing the broom to it's limit as it sped forward through the sky. Even under pressure, he was an elegant flyer and I couldn't help but find it attractive.

I looked over to the other side of the stadium where the Hufflepuff house stood and saw many of them holding signs rooting for Cedric. I wondered if I should have made one too, but Evelyn hadn't made one for Max and she was his girlfriend.

"This is so intense!" Dakota yelled over the roar of the crowd.

"It wouldn't be so bad if Slytherin weren't being so harsh. I can't believe Hooch isn't fouling them!" Evelyn screamed in anger as Max was nearly hit with the bludger.

I cringed in fear and turned back to Cedric. He was lower down now, weaving around the posts of the stadium and across the crowd. We ducked slightly as they came over our head and I felt the breeze brush through our hair.

Both seekers were nearly at the snitch and reached out their arms. There were mere inches between them as they sped closer to the golden ball and I couldn't guess who might win.

The tension in the air was thick, the students from the competing sides screaming at one another across the stadium. I was surprised no one had drawn their wands yet, although Snape seemed to be on an extra careful lookout for any foul behaviour.

The tempo of the crowd raised in panic and my eyes flitted back to Cedric.

Suddenly, both the seekers lurched forward, colliding against one another as the snitch was snatched from the air.

It was impossible to make out who had won amongst the kerfuffle, there was just the sound of broom wood splintering from the impact.

I yelled out in fear as the boys fell from their broken vessels, tumbling down onto the field like toys thrown out of a pram.

I jumped out of my seat, gripping the wood of the spectating fence, terrified to death that Cedric was hurt.

They rolled a few times before ending up on their backs, splayed out. Cedric stood up quickly like it was nothing and I was relieved to see he wasn't injured.

He raised his hand into the sky and revealed the snitch in all its glory, wings still fluttering in the breeze.

"Hufflepuff wins!" The announcer yelled, causing an uproar.

We all clapped and cheered until our throats were hoarse. The Hufflepuff zone exploded with pride and I heard clackers being spun around as the marching band music began.

Cedric looked up into the crowd, seeming to know exactly where to find me as we locked eyes and he smiled. I grinned back, raising my pinky in the air as a gesture of our promise.

A few moments later the rest of the players came floating to the ground as the match finished and a lot of the crowd began to disperse, eager to return to the castle either to wallow in their loss or celebrate the victory.

We followed, making our way to the bottom of the hill where the boys had told us to wait. They could still see us from where they stood and Evelyn blew a kiss to Max.

"That was totally amazing!" She smiled, turning to face us.

"They did so good, it was really close for a second there." Maisie added.

"Cedric is the best seeker this school has, no wonder Hooch decided he should be captain." I spoke gleefully and the others nodded in agreement.

"Hey stranger!" I turned to see Draco coming over to us, wrapped up in his usual luxurious winter attire. Blaise was with him and I grit my teeth slightly. We hadn't spoken since I rejected him and I hoped he wasn't still upset about it.

"Hey guys, did you enjoy the match?" I teased, mocking their house's loss.

"Not exactly," Draco flicked my shoulder, "it's not so much fun when you lose."

I laughed and we chatted for a while about the events of the match, debating if round two next term would be any different.

Evelyn waved into the distance as the guys began to walk towards us. They all looked ecstatic from their win, clapping one another on the back.

But Cedric wasn't joining in, sticking out like a miserable statue with a twisted scowl on his face. His expression was not so subtly directed at Draco and I wondered if they didn't get along, though neither had ever mentioned such a thing to me.

Draco and Blaise began to say their goodbyes as they saw the boys approach.

"Can't be seen hanging with the team who beat us can we?" Draco smiled at me and I nodded in agreement. They skittered off, quickly making their way back to the castle.

The boys reached us then and Evelyn jumped into Max's arms, kissing him in congratulations. Cedric came to stand in front of me and I looked up at him anxiously.

"What did they want?"

I was surprised at his abrupt tone and realised he was still staring after the Slytherin boys.

"Nothing much, we just chatted about the match." I shrugged.

He nodded but didn't seem any happier about what was bothering him.

I leaned up on my tip toes to kiss him on the cheek swiftly and pulled back smiling.

"Congratulations on your win. You did great out there."

He beamed at me, saying his thanks, and his mood seemed slightly improved from the compliment.

He took my hand in his and I blushed slightly at the thought that the others might see, but he didn't seem to notice my embarrassment as our group made its way back to the castle.