THE SWEET AND THE GOLDEN // cedric diggory

02. ROMY'S LITTLE CRUSH

She had to patrol for the first time the previous night, and guess who was her partner? That's right, Cedric Diggory. God, he found simple pleasure into annoying her to the core.

"It's reciprocated don't worry." Fred snickered.

"I don't know why you hate him so much, I think he's cute." Angelina shrugged next to her.

"That's because you don't know him as I do." She scowled.

"None of us know him like you do." Rose rolled her eyes.

The two Hufflepuffs had made it an habit to join Gryffindors at their table for lunch or dinner at least twice a week.

"Practice at two. Don't be late." A voice interrupted them as they all looked up to see Oliver Wood standing behind the twins.

Alicia, Angelina and Katie reassured him they wouldn't be as the Quidditch captain let his gaze fall on the two Hufflepuffs at their table.

"Hello, Andromeda." He nodded at her, and she blushed furiously. He seemed not to notice though, or perhaps he was indifferent. "Valentine."

"Hi, Oliver." She responded shyly, fiddling with the unfinished sweater under the table.

"Wood." Rose nodded back at him.

Romy has had a few conversations with Oliver Wood. He was a big fan of her mother and her uncle. Said they were phenomenal at Quidditch and it was a shame they didn't pursue their careers as players. Andromeda didn't know much about Quidditch but she adored how passionately he talked about it.

She watched him with heart eyes when he got overly excited when he heard that the Regulus Black, seeker for the Montrose Magpies, was her godfather. But of course, no team was better than Puddlemere United in his eyes.

And sometimes, while she watched him, she liked feeding into her own delusions that just because he called her by her name, perhaps he didn't totally dislike her. He called everyone else by their last names after all.

Once he had left, the twins shared a glance before they started making kissing noises.

"Oh, Oliver, kiss me under the moonlight!"

"Oliver, let's watch the sunset together!"

"Will you two shut it? He could hear you!" She kicked their shins, getting "ow"'s in response, her best friend laughing next to her.

"I didn't know you had a crush on Oliver, Romy?" Katie smirked.

"How did you not, it's pretty obvious, I don't know how the oaf hasn't realized yet." Angelina rolled her eyes.

"It's obvious?" Romy's eyes widened as she turned to Angelina.

"Girl..." Rose shook her head in a mix of disbelief and disappointment.

"So obvious even Diggory can see it." Alicia pointed out.

All followed her stare, noticing the scowl on Cedric's face as he glared at Romy, looking away when he noticed the number of eyes on him.

"My, my, could Ceddy be jealous? What do you think, Georgie?" Fred grinned.

"I think that's quite correct, Freddie."

Andromeda brushed the whole incident off, returning to her task. "Jealous of what?"

"The way your eyes sparkle the second you see Oliver Wood, for one." Katie giggled.

"I wonder if he thinks bothering you is a way to show you he likes you." Rose pondered.

"That's a silly thought." Romy shook her head.

Cedric didn't like her, or he wouldn't be doing all the things he did just to make her miserable. That's not how you show love. She knows love. She's seen her parents' love.

"It's a shame that Oliver believes Quidditch is his only love," Alicia commented.

Immediately, she had gotten elbowed, and she realized it may have sounded insensitive once she noticed Andromeda looking like a sad puppy.

But her expression did not last long, she was quick to shake her head, fiddle a bit under the table then stood up, walking a few seats over to where her brother and cousin sat with their friends.

She noticed Oliver talking to Harry but decided not to pay attention.

"Arms up." She ordered Teddy.

"Oh, come on! It's not even that cold."

"You have practice, mum said it gets colder up there around this time of the year." She forced the sweater over his head as he complained. "Or do you want to take this up with her up there?" She pointed at the Professors' table where their parents sat.

"You're so annoying." He gave in.

"You'll thank me when you won't wake up with a fever."

"A fever could set back our practices... Andromeda, could I pay you to make one for the whole team?" Oliver jumped into the siblings' conversation.

"Oh, these two already have a few." Romy pointed at Teddy and Harry. "But, I'll gladly make more for the whole team! And you don't have to pay me."

The entire school knew Andromeda sold a whole lot of the things she made, but when it came to her friends, she insisted on not taking their money. It's not like she needed it anyways. Kyra and Lola would still sneak the money into her pockets somehow though. She liked to think of Oliver as a friend at least.

"No, I insist, that's a lot of work."

"It's nothing. Really. Plus, they're my friends. You can just pay me back in some other way."

"How?"

Andromeda froze. She hadn't realized what she said. She heard Ron snicker and she felt her cheeks go red.

"I... I will let you know if I think of something."

Oliver shrugged. "Alright." Then he left.

"Don't tell me you like my captain." Teddy turned to face her with a disgusted expression.

Andromeda rolled her eyes at him.

"That's so sweet! You could ask him on a date as a way to pay you back!" Hermione butted in excitedly, Ginny next to her nodded in approval.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. It would be forcing his hand into something he's not interested in." She shook her head.

"Yes, so don't do it." Teddy grimaced. "My sister and my captain? Ew."

"You, mind your own business." She shoved him before walking back to her seat.

* * *

sigh I love Oliver