Misunderstood | Cedric Diggory

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chapter six - rewritten

Of course, Alissa would have to have her say on the Cedric rumours. The gossip had filled the school - Cedric and Elise? Now - dating? It was a surprise to all, primarily as I had once been known as the friendless loner of my year, rumoured to be weird and as loony as Luna Lovegood. But now, one of the most eligible boys in the school was showing me interest, and now everyone was.

And my arch-rival Alissa wasn't happy about this. She stormed over to me after my last class of the day, as I finished some notes off. Everyone else had left the room, including the Professor, leaving just me and her. She slammed her books down on my desk to grab my attention, and she did not look happy.

"Look here, Mudblood. I don't know what little tricks you're pulling on Cedric, but I want to let you know that I see through this. And if you don't leave him alone, I'll find proof that you're using some kind of love potion or spell on him. Then expose you for what you are - a filthy no good Mudblood who will never be loved or liked by anyone." She spat in my face, walking out before giving me any chance to defend myself or respond.

I sighed, continuing to finish off my notes before meeting Harriet for lunch as planned.

"What's up? Something's happened I can tell," she asked pretty quickly, I guess I was quite the open book.

I sighed, "Just some drama with Alissa, but it's nothing."

Harriet stopped walking, pulling me over to a bench and sitting down, allowing her to look me straight in the eye as I sat down next to her. "It's clearly not if it's still bothering you."

"It's just how she accused me of using magic on Cedric to explain his sudden interest in me, and I'm just afraid everyone else thinks the same," I admitted, awkwardly breaking eye contact as I spoke. This was quite vulnerable for me, and I didn't do vulnerable.

She stroked my arm for comfort, "Whoever believes that is jealous because Cedric has finally seen how lovely and beautiful you are."

"Thank you, Harriet." I blushed, but a part of me felt the urge to tell her the real reason. In some ways, I hated not being able to open up to anyone about my conflicting feelings for Cedric. But I didn't think I could without telling them everything. "Can I tell you something?"

Harriet nodded, "Of course, you can tell me anything."

"It's just," I sighed, "there is a reason for Cedric suddenly showing an interest in me."

"Oh." she breathed, almost as if it was something terrible. I guess it was, but nothing shocking in the way Alissa intended.

"Back, last summer. We were both out on a walk in the forbidden forest and happened to bump into each other, and then we bumped into Professor Trelawney."

Harriet continued to nod, confused about course. It must have been nowhere near whatever she expected.

"And she had a prediction-vision thingy, which involved her saying me and Cedric must fall in love or 'bad things' will happen," I admitted, nearly everything out in the open.

She was shocked, her mouth forming the shape of an 'o'. "That's not what I expected, but, surely that says that you and Cedric might be, like, soulmates or something, if you appear in a prediction like that together?" Harriet suggests, attempting to make light of it and only adding more pressure onto my next few words.

"And while Cedric seems to be very interested in me, I can't find any interest in him." I let out, which felt like a massive breath of fresh air to admit it.

"Give it time; love doesn't happen straight away." Harriet comforted me, which was all I needed.

I smiled, "Yeah, I guess. Maybe I just need to flirt back, see how it feels getting closer to him."