WHEN FIRE DANCES WITH SILK || DRACO MALFOY x OC

Chapter Four- Cedric and the First task

Sienna POV

***********

The shrill alarm clock yanked me out of a fitful sleep. My head throbbed like a wild heartbeat. I slammed the alarm off, squinting against the morning light cutting through my window. It was the damned day of the first task.

Dragging myself up, I stumbled towards the bathroom, determined to shake off the ache. After dressing, I stormed downstairs into the common room, where the air was thick with the reek of triumph and anticipation. Cedric Diggory, that golden boy, stood at the heart of the crowd like a gladiator in the arena. His followers clung to his every word.

Our eyes locked, and he beckoned me over with a crooked grin. "Hey Stuffy!" His voice boomed over the hubbub, a reminder of a childhood filled with pranks and secrets. I still had my stuffed animals and Cedric wouldn't let me live it down when he found out.

"Hey, Ced!" I replied. I walked over to the tall attractive boy with messy hair. He was the only friend I had in Hogwarts. My aunt was really good friends with the Diggory family so we grew up together. He was like my older brother.

"Ready for the first task?" I asked, cutting to the chase

"About that, I'm ready but I was wondering if you'd wear my sweater to cheer me on?" He asked. His request caught me off guard, but the honor rolled over me like a tide.

"Of course, I'll wear it, Ced." I couldn't help but beam, accepting the sweatshirt like a badge of allegiance. He enveloped me in a bear hug, a promise made in the rough fabric.

"Good luck, Ced," I murmured.

"Thanks," he replied, and we headed towards the site of the challenge. Playfully, he hooked his arm with mine, He was taller than me and he had to bend to make it happen. I giggled in spite of myself, grateful for the distraction.

At the tent, Cedric knelt down, pulling me into another tight embrace. "Stay safe, Stuffy," I whispered, my voice tinged with concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." His reassurance was a lifeline.

I found my seat, perched perfectly for a view of the spectacle. The task erupted into chaos, and Cedric emerged as the lead player against a raging beast—a Swedish Short-Snout. The dragon's fire was a blistering wall, but Cedric stood firm, a knight in his own right. I clung to every word of the commentator's voice, my heart racing with the same tempo as Cedric's desperate dance.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow" . . . "He's taking risks, this one!" . . . "Clever move — pity it didn't work!" And then, after about fifteen minutes, the stadium erupted with a deafening roar. I jumped up and cheered. Cedric had narrowly gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting.

I jumped up and ran towards the tents. Madame Pomfrey was putting a paste on his face to mend the burns he had gotten.

"Ced!" I exclaimed

"Hey stuffy," he said weekly. I flung my arms around his neck and gave him a big hug.

"Ow," He said. instantly regretting it as he winced. I stumbled back, words of apology on my lips, but his laughter defused the tension. I frowned it him, biting my lip ot wanting ti laugh at his cruel joke. In an attempt to make me laugh, he swept me up over his shoulder, my world flipped upside down.

"Ced!" I yelled hanging upside down, "Put me down"

"No!" he shot back, racing out of the tent and into the open air. Laughter erupted from deep within me, the world momentarily forgotten as he set me down gently, a smirk on his lips.