a rose by any other name

chapter seven ❃ just a name

I was on the 5th floor and starting to get tired. I was walking past the prefect bathrooms when I heard splashing, and Moaning Myrtles shrill voice. Confused, it was past curfew so who would be in there? Maybe Myrtle was just messing around as she often did. I walked into the bathroom and immediately covered my eyes, mortified. "Oh my god I'm so sorry! I didn't realise anyone would be having a um bath. I thought Myrtle was just messing around." I was facing the wall when whoever was in here with me (I hadn't seen them, only the back of their head, the rest of them submerged in the bubbly water.) They tapped me on the shoulder and pulled me slightly to turn to face them. Whoever it was smelt like vanilla and honey mixed with campfire smoke and a hint of after shave. It was oddly comforting. "It's fine Parisa, I didn't realise it was past curfew." I noticed the voice immediately, before I'd even turned around. When I did, I was met with the honey brown eyes of Cedric Diggory, as I'd expected. I scorned myself for focusing on the colour of his eyes. I didn't really know what to say, what came out of my mouth surprised me. "I have to admit; you weren't terrible in that first challenge Ce-Diggory." I corrected myself, hoping he hadn't noticed. "I mean I'm sure Draco could have done it better but." Cedric was now gathering up his things, included the golden egg for some reason. "Sure, you do Parisa." I interrupted him. "Rosier." Cedric frowned "No, I'm not going to talk to you like I don't know you."  

"You don't", I interrupted him again.

"No Parisa, I think I do, better than you make out. I don't think you've changed much." I started to get annoyed. He always thought he knew me, he always made it out like I was a good person deep down inside. But the truth is I wasn't, as much as I wanted to be, I wasn't. In four months, I was going to be one of the worst people in the magic community. I would be feared and hated by everyone. Including Cedric. "You have no idea what I'm like Cedric!" He took a step closer to me and I took a step backwards my back hitting the wall. "I know what you think about yourself, you think you're bad Parisa it's obvious. But you're not. You may think you agree with your parents but I'm not sure you truly do." Cedric took another step closer to me. "O-oh yeah, only a Blood Traitor would say that Diggory. Don't tell me what I believe and don't talk to me like you know me." Cedric showed a pained expression and looked down, like he had so much to say, but couldn't say it. I felt the same way.

I was way to focused on how close we were, almost touching. I had nowhere to go and I couldn't think straight. Neither of us spoke for what felt like ages the only sounds being our breathing. Neither of us moved. Finally, Cedric broke the silence. "I always wondered what it would have been like." I was confused. "What? What are you talking about you idiot?" Cedric looked up at me "Why do you always act like that? When we first met you were a completely different person. It was only when your mum showed up that you started being horrible to me. I know you had a good day with me in Diagon Alley and I did too. I just always wonder what things would have been like if your mum hadn't found us that day. If you had let me take you home, although I understood why you didn't want to ride my broom, even I get scared at that sometimes." Cedric chuckled and I felt myself smile slightly before I realised what I was doing and went back to a frown. "Cedric. I mean Diggory nothing would have been different you would have still been, well you. A Blood-Traitor like your father I simply can't associate with people like that." Cedric leaned one of his arms against the wall next to my head bringing himself even closer to me, I still didn't move. "So what? Just because my last names Diggory and your father happens to despise mine that means you can't like me? Is that why you call me Diggory? Because if you called me Cedric, you'd have no excuse to act this way towards me? What's in a name? What relevance does it have to who I am. If my last name was Malfoy would you like me then?" I rolled my eyes. "It's not just your name Cedric. We don't believe in the same things; do you know what my parents would do to me if they knew I spoke to you?" I looked at Cedric's face now and I saw his eyes brighten. "So, it's what your parents would do? Not because you don't want to speak to me, you just don't want to deal with your parents' reactions."

Shit. How did he catch me out? I didn't know what to say at all, my mind was completely blank. He'd hit the nail right on the head and I didn't know what to say to throw him off. We stared at each other for a while in silence again, it wasn't awkward, I felt comfortable although slightly tense for some reason. I still hadn't said anything but I had honestly forgot what the last thing he said was. The only thing I could think about was how close we were again. I could feel the heat coming of his arm next to my head, his face was so close to mine if I leant my head forwards even slightly, our noses would touch. We weren't this close before I'd known that. Somewhere in that silence we'd moved closer to each other. But was it him, or me? My head was swimming and I couldn't be sure. My eyes now moved from his eyes to his lips. Why? I couldn't help it; I'd given up fighting how I was starting to feel. How I knew I was starting to feel but had been denying. Then I did the unthinkable. I leaned forward. I knew what I was doing, and I didn't stop myself, and he didn't stop me. I leaned forward and our noses touched briefly, then our lips. His lips were soft and moved against mine in perfect sync. I closed my eyes and felt his hands wrap around my waist gently, barely touching me, just holding me in place. I gave in completely then, I moved my hands into his hair, it was softer than I imagined it would be, he was better at this than I thought he would have been. Why I'd been thinking about that? I didn't know. I didn't know why any of this was happening, and I didn't know why I wasn't stopping it. All I knew was that it felt right. Too right. But it wasn't right. No. It couldn't be. He was a Blood Traitor and that was so incredibly wrong. Worst of all I was – or would be in four months - a Death Eater, and I was kissing a Blood-Traitor. I instantly pulled away from Cedric and ran, leaving him there alone again. I ran all the way back to the Slytherin common room and straight to my dorm. I got straight into bed and thought about what in Merlin's name just happened. What had I just done?

authors note: I TOLD YOU CEDRIC WOULD BE IN IT SOON I'm sorry this is long I got rather carried away. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. But it's 12am for me so that's enough updates for today. Hopefully I will get to update tomorrow, I will try to! Please vote if you're enjoying the story so far!