𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗻, cedric diggory

˗ˋ 26

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH HE WANTS ADVICE

. . .

"Cedric, hey." Rosie smiled, practically bounded out of the portrait hole, surprising the Hufflepuff boy that was stood there. Gryffindors stared at him, wondering why exactly someone from that house was there.

Whilst the relationship between the two houses had been repaired slightly, it was still somewhat tense - due to Cedric and Harry competing against each other.

Meaning it was still rather uncommon to see a Hufflepuff and Gryffindor together so openly - especially the very person that Harry was against.

"You look happy." Cedric smiled slightly, and Rosie shrugged, the smile still on her face. "Did something good happen?"

"Fred asked me. And it wasn't anything special, but it was nice. I didn't really need anything big - he just asked me, you know?" Rosie continued, and Cedric nodded, happy for her, even if something ached inside.

"But what's up? You don't usually venture to this part of the school at this time." Rosie joked and Cedric nodded, a slight frown on his face. The smile on Rosie's face dropped, the girl looking serious. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing.. I'm just confused about Cho." Cedric said. Rosie had become someone who Cedric trusted a lot - and he had a feeling that he would come to her with pretty much anything and she would help him - that was just the person she was.

Ever since the night of the Quidditch World Cup, and upon their bet being made as they returned to Hogwarts, Cedric and Rosie had been friends - of course, ignoring the small section of time where Cho's words had hurt Rosie to the point she ignored Cedric.

There was just a level of understand between them - most likely enhanced by the endless hours of practising for the first task, an amount which would grow as Rosie tested various things for the next trial.

"You came to me for romantic advice?" The girl looked slightly skeptical, before sighing. "I'll just pretend it's not Cho - that way I can give you unbiased advice."

"No.. No I think it needs to be Cho." Cedric said, and Rosie's eyes widened, having figured that her offer was something that would be completely fine for the conversation.

"I see.." Rosie said, before taking Cedric's hand and pulling him onto one of the moving staircases. "Let's go talk somewhere quieter. I don't want little Miss Jennie Parker telling Cho." Rosie glared up at the Gryffindor door.

"Sorry?" Cedric asked, and Rosie stared at him for a moment.

"Jennie Parker? Little busybody from Ravenclaw, is always in everyone's business. She appeared just after you mentioned Cho." Rosie shrugged.

"Oh.. I haven't seen her around before." Cedric murmured, and Rosie shook her head, a slightly endearing look on her face as she extracted her hand from Cedric's.

"You know for a Quidditch player and the Hufflepuff champion, you can be a little clueless." Rosie smiled, stepping off of the staircase and leading the pair down a corridor, walking a short distance before they reached the old rickety bridge that would lead them down to Hagrid's hut.

"I know I can. I try my best." Cedric chuckled, as Rosie sat down on the stone step, the cold night air ruffling her hair and causing her to pull her jacket closer around her.

"So what's up?" Rosie asked, eyes bright in the amber light that shone over them, it's source being the lantern that hung above them, separating them from the outside world and the bridge.

"I keep thinking about what Cho said to you.." The boy said, and Rosie looked confused. "Now that I don't have to worry about a task or any school or anything I have a lot of time to think."

"Oh Ced." Rosie sighed, and the boy couldn't help but let his heart race just a little quicker at the nickname. "What she said was horrible, trust me, I know. But all you have to do is keep your promise and be her date to the Ball, then you don't have to speak to her again."

"But what if she blows up on me, thinking I led her on? I don't want her to hate me." Cedric frowned, and Rosie leant against the wall, looking across at him with her legs pulled up to her chest, shivering slightly.

"I could have asked you - it would have made a lot more sense. The way you've been helping me prepare - even if it was just for a bet. Besides, I actually like you." He continued.

"You do?" Rosie couldn't help but let a corner of her lips tilt up into a smirk, an eyebrow raised.

"You know what I mean." Cedric replied, but his response didn't stop a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"As much as I would love for you to go with anyone else, we both have dates now. Keep your promise to Cho, then gently break things off with her. Me and Fred are going as friends so he won't mind if we dance together once or twice." Rosie said.

"That sound about right, trust you to know how to fix this as well." Cedric smiled, and Rosie knew that it wasn't anything bad.

"You give good advice, Kersey." Cedric told her, after a few minutes of silence.

"You should trust your gut more - I know you already knew what I was going to tell you. But thank you." Rosie replied, smiling.

Sometimes it was nice to forget the world around you, and just live. And that was what Rosie and Cedric did that night, they just lived.

Being normal teenagers, having fun and enjoying each other's company. Perhaps unlikely friends, if you looked at it from afar.

But friends all the same.

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