Make Me.

Book 3 - Chapter 11

Ellie's hands were wiping themselves frantically on her - on Fred's sweater as she weaved in and out of students sitting down for breakfast. She was unsettled by the sickly feeling that was making a home in her stomach at the moment, because never before had she felt anxious to talk to Fred Weasley, or any Weasley for matter of fact. It was just Fred, nothing to be scared of, just -

One of the benches of the Hufflepuff table clipped Ellie in the side of the leg as she was moving towards the end of the isle. Ellie's knees teetered to the side as her body knocked into the backs of a few students sitting at the table on her other side. Merlin, that was embarrassing, Ellie thought, knowing Fred was watching her every move. At least I didn't fall -

Another Hufflepuff bench sent her face first into the floor. Thankfully, Ellie's hands hit the floor before her nose did, but in that moment she couldn't decide if it was more or less embarrassing that she had fallen without getting hurt.

Ellie's sweaty hands gripped easily onto the dusty stone floor, pushing her cheeks and upper body away from the dirt. She could feel too many pairs of eyes on her back for her liking and as she got to her knees, she felt a hand wrap around her arm and help pull her all the way up.

"You alright? Sorry about that," the owner of the helping hand asked. Ellie was looking down at her clothes, too busy dusting them off and trying to diffuse the pink tint on her cheeks before she looked up and around at the faces surrounding her.

"Yeah, I'm alright. It's no problem." Ellie looked up. "Thanks for helping me up -"

"Dracula, are you okay?" It was Fred, he must've sprinted over to her. He had grabbed onto Ellie's other arm, the first still being held by the other student. His voice was frantic with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about it," Ellie responded, feeling a little awkward about the seizure of both of her arms. She felt like a doll being told what position to stand in. As soon as Fred noticed that he wasn't the only one holding onto her, his face stiffened.

"Diggory, you could've killed her. Watch where you're kicking your benches out, she's fragile," said Fred, his voice growing louder than it had been when he addressed Ellie.

"Fragile?" Cedric Diggory, was a fifth year, the same year as the Weasley twins, a Hufflepuff prefect, and the Captain of the HufflepuffQuidditch team. Ellie had never once talked to him, but she knew who he was, and apparently he knew who she was. "Ellespeth Dracula - fragile? That's not the word I'd choose to describe her, mate," he said with a chuckle.

In an instant, every teenage girl in the vicinity laughed, as if Cedric Diggory had said the funniest thing on the planet. There was a reason Ellie knew who he was. Every girl that went to school with her, from first years to seventh, was obsessed with him. To be fair, he was tall and even Ellie could admit he was extremely, conventionally, attractive, thanks to his chiseled features, dark hair, and bright jewel green eyes.

Cedric let go of Ellie's arm.

"You are alright, right? I wouldn't want to be the reason you're sent back to the infirmary. For my sake, not yours." His voice was naturally low and smooth. Again, a chorus of high-pitched giggles followed his words.

"Yeah. I'm alright," said Ellie with a smile. She was just happy one of her arms was freed. "Thanks, again." Ellie stepped into Fred and began leading him away from the table, allowing Cedric to get back to his breakfast without the ginger staring him down with daggers. "Fragile? Fragile Freddie? We both know I'm not fragile," Ellie's voice was half-joking, half-annoyed that he had called her that.

"You're fragile to me," was all he said in response as they walked, Ellie leading the way to the Gryffindor table.

"I'm not fragile," said Ellie sternly.