𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗻, cedric diggory

˗ˋ 49

CHAPTER FOURTY NINE
✧
-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE AVOIDS CHO

. . .

"There's something funny, though."Hermione said, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. "How could Rita Skeeter have known..."

"Because she's Rita Skeeter, silly." The heads of the three fourth-year Gryffindors shot up, looking surprised when they saw Rosie peering over them. "Wit-sharpening potion, nice." The girl nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Ron frowned. Rosie flicked his ear, and the younger Weasley yelped, quickly shutting up. The pair had very much assumed the brother-sister type friendship, as a result of Rosie's long term friendship with the twins. She was practically one of the Weasleys, and had been for some time. 

"Got to talk to Snape about my next class.. which is first thing tomorrow. And I don't have any free time and I currently have a free period, and in between me doing other homework I thought I would come visit this lovely place." Rosie looked rather disgusted as she looked around the dark classroom. "Anyways, continue Hermione." 

The sixth year slipped into the spare stool on their table, waiting for Snape to finish doing something with some other students.

 "No, it's just... how did she know Viktor asked meto visit him over the summer?" Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this and determinedlyavoided Ron's eyes. 

"What?" said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk. 

"He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake," Hermione muttered. "After he'd got rid of his shark's head. MadamPomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me awayfrom the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doinganything over the summer, would I like to —"

"Whilst this is absolutely riveting conversation and I do expect to hear the rest of the story later, Snape is now staring at me and although seeing Ron being jealous is funny and the twins will love to know, I must be going." Rosie slid off of her school. "Oh - and when you're cutting up the newt spleen, for this particular potion it needs to be super thin and sort of slanted. And add it one bit at a time - that's how George lost his eyebrow." 

Rosie moved across the classroom, engaging in the.. exciting conversation with Snape about the class she had the next day, and her lack of ingredients needed. Of course, as surpising as it was, she was one of Snape's favourites students, but only because of her love and knowledge on potions. And this got her into the potions storage cupboard, where she took several more things than she was needing, before dashing away.

She made it up to the Entrance Hall, her overflowing pockets creating a clinking noise as shee dashed up the stairs. And just as she reached the top, she noticed a certain dark haired Ravenclaw stood nearby. 

"Oh for crying out loud." Rosie exclaimed and turned around to try and find a different way. She decided there wasn't much she could do, and so disappeared down one of the quieter corners, sitting down on a bench. 

"Who are we avoiding this time?" Rosie had only been sat there for a couple of moments when someone sat beside them. A quick glance showed the person to be Cedric, and Rosie shrugged, turning in her seat to face him. 

"Cho? Theo?" Cedric began. "I've only really gotten to know this year but I'm thinking you've had something with that seventh year Slytherin before-"

"It's Cho." Rosie quickly said, her cheeks turning pink at the mention of her past relationship/fling with the older Slytherin boy named Xavier. 

"And you're avoiding her why?" Cedric said, and Rosie looked confused. "You have the upper hand here, why are you avoiding her?"

"Because certain types of confrontation terrify me." Rosie said, very matter-of-factly. "How did you know I was here, huh? Gotten into the habit of following me around, Diggory."

"Don't think I don't see you changing the subject. But actually I wanted to ask about our training sessions and when exactly they're starting again." Cedric said, and his eyes widened as Rosie let out a string of curse words.

"I knew there was something I was forgetting." She hissed. "I'm so sorry Ced, I would've said something sooner, I just completely forgot. Fred and George have me running around getting Merlin-knows-what from the potion cupboard and I've just been-"

"Hey, Kersey." Cedric interrupted, and Rosie fell quiet. "It's only been a couple of days since we made up, I wasn't expecting anything straight away anyways. And if you need anyone to help you out with all of that, I'm always free - well not anymore, hopefully?"

"Every day after school?" Rosie put forward a time for their lessons, "On the hour, no more being late. No more making out in closets with people we're not supposed to be with-"

"Alright, I get it. It was a lapse in judgement, on my behalf." Cedric chuckled. "I'll see you later - and I promise I won't be late. Oh, and my offer will always stand, if you need help just ask."

"Thanks Ced." Rosie smiled, jumping up from the bench and leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. "Now I need to give these ingredients to the twins and get some books from the library, because trust me Diggory, an 'E' on majority of your OWLs and a pretty face isn't going to get you very far in this competition."

And with that, she disappeared down the corridor, leaving Cedric with a smile on his face, feeling maybe as if they had returned to the way they had been before, the way they had been until he fucked it up.

He would pay her back for all of this, one day. All the help she gave him, everything she had to deal with because of Cho, Cedric would somehow find away to pay Rosie back for that. The Kersey girl might try to not accept this, but he would get her to, somehow.

But for now, he could just turn up to practise on time, and she would be happy.

✧