Princess; George Weasley

twenty-six

Claudia's pov

I sit on the familiar stone bench. The vines that once crawled up and down the surface are laying flat on the ground. The few cold days we have had has been enough to freeze them off completely. We're lucky we haven't gotten snow yet, temperatures would only drop more.

Goosebumps on my bare arms don't distract me from my racing thoughts. Does Cedric want to tell me something important, or does he just simply want to talk? Is a simple t-shirt fine?

I've been waiting here for a few minutes, and I can't help but wonder if I'm in the wrong place. I can only hope this courtyard means as much to him as it does to me.

Who am I kidding? I hope I mean as much to him as he does to me.

My hands grip the edge of the bench, and my feet bounce up and down. Should I tell him how I feel? Is it too soon? He probably doesn't feel the same way, despite what Opal said. What if I tell him and he rejects me? Will I ruin a friendship?

My heart aches at the thought of losing someone else. Cedric and I were perfectly good friends, and now my heart has to mess everything up. I feel stuck. I have two options— Tell him and face the consequences, or try and hide everything and move on.

"Claudia!" Cedric yells.

His face emerges from the archways in front of me. His radiant smile turns into a frown as he looks me up and down.

"Where's your jacket?" He asks.

"Oh!" I laugh, "I figured I wouldn't need one, the warmth from the castle—"

Cedric shakes his head and unzips his light, black jacket. Without a second thought, I take it from him and my goosebumps fade away.

"Better?" He asks, taking a seat next to me.

I nod, his jacket feels a lot like his quidditch uniform, and I'm reminded of the moment we shared on the pitch. He ignored the fans around him and came straight to me. He gave me a hug, and said he'd cover for me.

In this moment his citrusy scent is the only thing I can focus on. I blush, watching his eyes scan the cobblestone beneath our feet. I can't be the only one feeling this way.

I'm going to tell him—

"I have good news," he says suddenly. "Great news actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah... so yesterday—" he stops mid sentence, and his smile fades once more. "Are you alright? You looked like you got jump scared by Fred and George."

His question takes me aback. What do I tell him? I definitely can not tell him how I've been working up the courage to ask him out for a few weeks now. I can't tell him about the giddy feeling I get every time he looks at me.

"Of course!" I say, putting on a smile. "I was just reminded of all of my Herbology homework."

"You sure you don't have anything in ancient history of trolls?" He questions, a satisfied smile on his face.

I hit him square in the chest and he bursts out in laughter. His soft, gray eyes seem to shine in the light. His laughter calms down as he runs his hand through his light brown hair.

"Where we're you this morning?" Cedric asks, "I missed you."

I feel my face getting hot as I hide my flattered smile. Cedric noticed me being gone whereas the girls didn't even question it. He took time to notice me...

"I ate with Opal," I say, trying to sound relaxed. In reality, I'm fighting my own battle. Telling him how I feel will change everything. For better or for worse.