𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐄

Chapter 2

When my fingers clamped around the Golden Snitch I heard the crowd erupt into a loud roar. Beaming from ear to ear, I thrust the hand in which the Snitch was enclosed up in a gesture of triumph. The crowd had spilled out into the field, many shouting words of congratulations and cheers, but my mind wondered.

The overwhelming cheers enveloped me as my feet touched the ground, my eyes following the new 'Boy-Who-Lived' as he stalked off of the pitch. I made up some excuse to avoid the swarming crowd, muttering something practically incomprehensible about feeling ill from the altitude.

Hoping for peace, as I walked to the changing rooms my fingers clamped around the door frame, the startling bang heard from the inner confines of the room was enough to scare any human being, to make them want to flee. Focusing on the minute movement, I inched the door open a fraction, only to see the Hufflepuff captain sitting on one of the wooden benches, the wrought iron framework behind him bent into an indescribable shape. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, it was still damp from the shower he'd had only moments ago.

"Knock knock", I called, alerting him to my presence but automatically regretting it; seeing him look up, his face change quickly, with a smile beginning to spread across his face, only to be replaced by a mutilating frown.

"What do you want Malfoy?" he spat, I expecting harsh words on the cheating ways of Slytherin's. Breath hitched in my throat as the Hufflepuff stepped closer; I vaguely wondered how long I'd liked Cedric. I could feel that familiar swooping feeling in my stomach and my heartbeat had rapidly increased.

I leant against the doorframe, arms crossed as I surveyed the room, attempting to portray some of my usual self-confidence and arrogance which seemed to have all but disappeared.

"Well?" he turned, pulling a folded towel from a shelf and walking calmly away. "Close the door Malfoy, there's a draft."

I pushed away from the wall and obeyed, slamming the wood hard. A pile of shin pads beside me jumped as if surprised and toppled, spilling across the floor. From the shower stalls he heard a laugh and a muffled "Temper, temper."

Which of course didn't help.

Muttering curses, he stripped off his muddy robes and glowered at the pile of clothes Potter had left on the bench near his stall. They were clean.

"Do you sing in the shower Malfoy?" he heard over the sound of water.

"What? No." Draco hung his towel on a peg then turned the tap and stepped under the spray. Diggory's laugh rang through the changing rooms and echoed off the tiled walls.

"There is a God!"

I growled and raked fingers through my hair, combing out the mud and dirt I'd collected after losing an airborne duel.

Fragmented lyrics from some obscure song floated through the steam as water beat aches from his shoulders.

Eventually there was a squeaking noise as he turned the taps and shut off the water. I remained in the shower for a minute longer than I had to, not wanting to find him in a compromising state of undress. Because although it could be fun to mock him, I would also be in nothing but a towel, and such a state of affairs was more than I felt I could handle, considering my current situation.

Noticing my fingers pruning, I turned off the shower and grabbed my towel, slinking out into the open.

Cedric was already dressed in his clean pair of jeans, drying his hair. Unnoticed behind him, I paused. I could see the shape of bones under his pale skin, shoulder blades casting shadows over protruding ribs. Muscles slid fluidly as he kneaded the towel through his hair, and suddenly I couldn't look away.

But I didn't, and only snatched up my things and retreated behind a row of lockers to get dressed.

I quickly pulled up my trousers and fastened them as Cedric stuck his head around the row of lockers.

I turned away, picking up a shirt and snapping the creases out of it. I hurried to yank on my shirt and get it buttoned up but in my haste one arm became stuck. As several threads gave way, Cedric laughed again and caught my bare shoulder, his fingers leaving burning trails on the skin there.

"Let me help," so saying, Cedric turned my around, straightened the tangled sleeve of the black cotton shirt, pulled it up over my shoulders, and began fastening the buttons with exaggerated care.

I couldn't move. I knew very well that this was just a joke, I knew very well that I'd suffer for this later, but all the same he couldn't brush aside his hands and step away. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he brushed down my shirt, his hand lingering on my stomach, before swiftly turning and leaving the changing rooms, grabbing his kit with a swing of his arm without looking.

I sat down heavily on a bench, absently pulling on my socks and shoes while I cursed myself for complying with his torturous game.

As I proceed to run my fingers through her hair And forget everyone who's jaded, 'cause they don't matter And I don't care