Stuck Without You | Cedric Diggory

Chapter IX: 1 AM

"Oak," Lily said as she tried to pull her best friend out of bed by the wrist. "You have to come to breakfast. You can't avoid him anymore! He's still your boyfriend! This was what you wanted,"

Oakley didn't tell Lily about the letter. Though her short, skinny stature made her look frail and weak, Lily was extremely feisty, especially when it came to protecting her friends. This in mind, she would go totally mad if she found out about William's blackmail, so Oakley thought it was best to keep it a secret. 

"I know. You're right," Oakley lied, standing up and walking over to the bathroom. "You know, it's quite nice not having Pansy around. Have you noticed how much cleaner the room is?"

Pansy had continued to stay in her fifth year friend's room. Her and Oakley had been avoiding each other to no extent which cheered Oakley up a bit considering "Pansy is the worst human being to walk the planet". 

Oakley brushed her hair and teeth before pulling on her robes, spritzing herself with vanilla perfume, then exiting the dorm with Lily. When she walked down the stairs, she saw William and Carter waiting for them. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to fake being in a happy relationship.

"Morning Will," she said with a convincing smile. She walked over to him and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. She already hated this. Just being in the same room as him made her think of him and Pansy, but she stood tall and held her head high. "Shall we?"

The group of four made their way to the Great Hall. As Oakley stepped through the doors, Cedric's illuminating smile caught her eye. He waved to her and she looked straight to the ground and walked swiftly to the Slytherin table. 

Ignoring him again made her feel sick. He was the last person she wanted to avoid, but she had no other choice. She tried to stay confident in herself and the control she had over her emotions, but deep down she didn't know how long she would be able to keep this up.

As Oakley looked away from Cedric, he got worried. Is she okay? he thought, Why is she walking with William again?  His heart began to burn. His biggest worry was unfolding right before his eyes. How could she forgive him? Throughout breakfast, he tried to make eye contact with the girl, but her gaze never shifted up from her plate. He noticed she wasn't eating anything, either. They had potions first period, so he hoped to ask her if everything was okay once they were there. 

Oakley could feel his beautiful gray eyes on her. She wanted to look at him, convince him she was okay, but William was watching her like a hawk and she knew he would catch even the smallest glimpse between the two. She also knew that if she looked in his eyes again, she wouldn't be able to look away and that would make this whole ordeal harder than it already was. When it was time to leave for their first class, Oakley told Lily to go straight to potions while she dealt with something quickly.

"Fred! George! Wait up!" she called after the twins as they walked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. 

"Well, if it isn't Oakley Adams," Fred smiled.

"What can we do you for, my dear?" George asked, leaning on the railing beside him.

"Do you guys have anymore puking pastilles? I really need to get out of class," she asked eagerly.

"Of course," George said, nodding.

"Follow us," they both demanded, running up the stairs with Oakley trailing quickly behind.

They reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and told Oakley to wait outside. Not a minute later, the two returned with an orange and purple pill.

"How much?" Oakley asked while reaching for the coins in her pocket.

"Usually four sickles," Fred stated.