Something Magical

Chapter 6

Romantic, Diggory?

The night before the first Hogsmeade weekend Millie was sitting with the twins, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Ron discussing Mad-Eye's lessons the first few weeks. The twins and Ron concluded that Mad-Eye was some sort of genius talking about he "knows" what is out there but the rest of them were disturbed at Mad-Eye's tactics, especially showing them the Unforgiveable Curses.

"Honestly, though, how can you lot even like him after those lessons though? Neville's face after it...there's a reason you get sent to Azkaban for using any of them." Millie interrupted Ron's dialogue about how amazing Moody was because it was starting to get ridiculous. Fred, who had Millie's feet in his lap and was lightly massaging her calves every now and then, looked at Millie with a slight smile, enjoying how she spoke her mind.

"Well, since Amelia is clearly on the verge of giving us a talking to on the level of one Hermione can give, let's change the subject. Who all is going to Hogsmeade tomorrow? Do you lot want to get butterbeers at The Three Broomsticks together?" While Harry was innocently trying to change the subject, Millie internally groaned because she had successfully avoided discussing her date with anyone other than Hermione or Ginny and, in turn, the boys had mostly forgotten about it.

While everyone else nodded in agreement to getting a butterbeer, Millie slid her feet off Fred's lap and turned towards the others, trying to catch Ginny's eye for help but she was distracted by Muffin laying on her lap.

"Ames? The Three Broomsticks? Are you in?" Fred got Millie's attention back, as well as everyone else's, because they wanted to see the reaction when Millie revealed that she couldn't go with them because she would be with Cedric.

"Yeah, Millie, you in?" Ron joined in, smiling at her obvious discomfort.

Millie discreetly gestured rudely at Ron before taking a deep breath and, looking at the ceiling, replied, "Um, I can't. I have plans with... someone else."

"Oh, I didn't realize... who-who do you have plans with?" It seemed as if everyone else in the room had just disappeared because Fred was talking solely to Millie and she was completely caught up in trying to answer him to notice how intently all their friends were watching the exchange.

"Erm... Cedric asked me on a date and I, um, I said yes."

"Oh, that's- that's nice. I hope you have a good time."

"Uh thanks, I guess."

"Well, I'm just going to head off to bed then. Goodnight, you lot." With that, the group watched Fred go up the stairs to his dormitory alone and upset. Millie groaned and flopped face first into the cushion dramatically.

"That went well, didn't it Mil?" Ron asked, chuckling with Harry but stopping abruptly when Millie sat up and glared at him with a look that could kill.

"Ronald Weasley, you should fear for your life because I am going to kill you for that!" Ron and Harry hurried upstairs after that, and Hermione and Ginny decided not to test their luck with the infuriated Millie.

"Soooo..."

"Please don't start George, I'm begging you." Millie sat up and pet Muffin as she jumped in her lap.

"You just weren't going to tell either of us about the date?"

"Well, I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal."

George laughed, his body hanging over the side of the couch, but focused back on Millie when she sighed in annoyance. "You didn't think it'd be a big deal, eh? I've told you all summer Amelia, Fred bloody fancies you!"

"Well when he doesn't do anything about it, I can't help that someone else does! It's not my fault that someone else fancied me enough to actually ask me out, and it's not fair for you to make me feel bad about it!" Millie finished thought staring George in the eyes, his attention completely on her and no longer laughing.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I'm sorry, mate. Listen, I'll talk to Fred and make sure he doesn't act like a dick tomorrow to ya. Goodnight."

George gave Millie a hug but headed up the stairs, knowing his twin would still be up and waiting to hear his own report on what else Millie had said about her date. Millie, though, she stayed in the common room until it emptied out and Muffin abandoned her in favor of her usual resting place at night, and she ended up falling asleep on the couch watching the dancing flames in the fireplace.

Millie laughed at Cedric's joke about the house-elf, goblin, and centaur, spilling a little bit of butterbeer on the table at the Three Broomsticks in her hilarity. He smiled at her clumsiness.

"So, what do you think of the tournament?"

Millie swallowed her gulp of butterbeer before she answered, knowing that Cedric was considering entering the tournament. "I don't know, honestly. From what professors have told us and what my uncle warned me about, I am surprised that they are even bringing it back given the dangers that it poses."

"Well if they're going forward with it, they have to be confident that it's safer than before."

"I guess, I just hate the idea of you getting hurt in some silly tournament." Cedric smiled at Millie's concern and reached for her hand, taking it before leaning in to give her a quick kiss. After he pulled away, they awkwardly giggled a little. Millie used her free hand to cover her blushing face for a second.

"Hey, come on. Don't hide your pretty eyes from me, love."

Millie moved her hand and took a drink of her butterbeer, rolling her eyes at Cedric's compliment, before teasing him. "Don't tell me you're a romantic, Cedric?" He laughed, running his hand through his hair and started to reply when they were interrupted by none other than Draco Malfoy.

"What's this? Romantic, Diggory?" Draco sneered, stopping next to their table. Millie let go of Cedric's hand to smooth her skirt down to have something to do with her hands.

"Draco, just leave. We are having a nice time, try not to ruin it." Millie asked of her friend, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do that because the decent side of his personality could only be found when they were alone.

"Don't tell me you're actually on a date with Diggory, McKinnon. You could do so much better than a Hufflepuff." Millie looked at Cedric apologetically, who missed it because he was standing up to face Draco and his face was reddening in anger. Draco looked quite excited to actually face off with Cedric but his excitement turned into annoyance as Millie stood up and slid in between them. She faced Draco with her back touching Cedric's chest and looked at Draco disapprovingly. "Come on, Cedric, I think we have better things to spend our time on than Draco's childish games. Draco, once you remove the stick from up your arse you can come find me and apologize for your behavior for the ten thousandth time."

Millie grabbed Cedric's and led him out of the pub, passing Harry and the others on the way out. Millie smiled at them and nodded in acknowledgement but kept going because she could feel Cedric's anger still from Draco's pointless taunting.

"Why are you even friends with him?" Cedric had tugged on her hand to stop her after they had walked a little way away from the pub. Millie sighed, swinging their joined hands between them before answering him.

"It's sort of a long story, but, honestly, away from everyone else, he can be a decent person and a pretty good friend."

"I just don't see how someone as wonderful and lovely as you..."

"You really know how to flatter a girl, Diggory."

"...could be friends with an arsehole like him. All he does is bully other people, and mainly your friends, right?" Cedric finished, but grinned at Millie's interruption, still very interested in finding out how she could be friends with Draco.

"You know, we could be doing so many other, better things than talking about Draco Malfoy..." Millie leadingly said, moving closer to Cedric and twining her arms around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her softly. They became intertwined as their kiss got deeper and more passionate.

All Millie could think though was what it would be like if it was Fred kissing her instead...