cd: golden dreams

• chapter two

As the Hogwarts Express came to a screeching halt, Stella tiredly lifted her head off of Cedric's shoulder where she was sleeping.

"Come on Stell," Cedric whispers, immediately missing the feeling of holding her.

The two Hufflepuff students collected their belongings and headed out towards the castle.

IN THE GREAT HALL

Stella and Cedric were seated together during dinner like always. To make room for the first years, everyone had to scoot closer together.

Stella found her leg pressed against his. She felt her face heat up.

The sorting of the first years was about to commence. Among the first years was Stella's little sister, Jules.

Stella was growing increasingly nervous. Her knee began to bounce up and down. She hoped deep down Jules would be sorted into Hufflepuff. She honestly didn't really mind, as long as it wasn't Slytherin.

Cedric noticed Stella's nerves, so he put a hand on one of hers that was resting in her lap to calm her down.

"Are you okay Stell?" Cedric leans down to Stella's ear and asks her this.

Stella gives Cedric's hand a squeeze and lets out a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Stella replies, looking up at Cedric's grey eyes.

"Jules Abagnale." Calls Professor McGonagall.

Stella's eyes are torn from Cedric's and go to the front where her sister is walking towards the eerie hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The whole Hufflepuff table erupts in a fit of applause and cheers. Jule's cheeks turn a bright red, just like Stella's did at her sorting ceremony, not used to the attention.

Stella stands and loudly claps her hands and cheers, while Cedric gives a loud whistle. Stella looks at him and she begins to laugh.

LATER INTO THE DINNER

Stella and Cedric have their regular chit chat until Cedric chooses to bring up their sorting ceremony.

"Do you remember out sorting ceremony?" Cedric asks looking at Stella whilst cutting into a piece of chicken.

"Yeah, I do," Stella replied with a large smile on her face, thinking back on the memory she feels happened just yesterday.

"You looked so cute with your frizzy hair..." Cedric said. He felt shy saying that, but his face didn't show it.

"C'mon, my hair was perfect!" Stella stated, doing a fake hair flick due to her blonde hair being pinned up in a bun. Cedric smiled.

STELLA AND CEDRIC'S SORTING CEREMONY

"Stella Abagnale," Professor McGonagall called next.

Cedric smiled to himself. "So that's her name," He whispered ever so slightly. "Pretty."

Cedric had his eye on her from the moment he saw her on the platform. He was stuck wondering what her name was, what her favourite food was, whether or not she had any siblings.

He just thought she was so beautiful. Her blue eyes sparkled whenever she moved them, her long, frizzy blonde hair just looked so soft to the touch. He admired the rosiness in her soft cheeks too. He wanted to get to know her immediately.

He now watched her with a slight smile, giggled adoringly as the huge hat went down on her head and covered her pretty blue eyes.

Cedric listened to all the hat had to say about her.

"...Better be, HUFFLEPUFF!"

The hall erupted in applause and cheers. The Hufflepuff table was especially loud.

Stella's cheeks turned bright red, and Cedric thought she was just adorable. He wished hugely that the hat would say the same thing for him.

As Stella was making her way towards her house's table, she noticed a pair of grey eyes looking into hers. She smiled back at Cedric and blushed. "Maybe he'll be in Hufflepuff too," she thought to herself.

She was right.

Cedric walked to the Hufflepuff table, determined to sit beside Stella. He took a deep breath and sat down.

Almost immediately he greeted her. "Hello, I'm Cedric Diggory." He put his hand out for her to shake.

She gladly, but shyly shook it. "Hi, I'm Stella Abagnale." She said with a big smile, looking into his eyes she soon grew attached to.

That was how everything started. Neither of them knew it until a couple of years later, but they loved each other. They were best friends from day one, and were hopelessly in love.

BACK TO THE DINNER

As Stella thought back on memory, she smiled. She remembered his shorter, brown hair that has changed very much, his grey eyes she never gets tired of seeing, and his flushed cheeks that haven't changed at all.

Then, Stella remembered how she felt looking at him for the first time. The way he smiled at her. She was then overcome with the feeling of admiration. Later when he introduced himself for the first time, the feeling of love rushed through her.

Back then, she didn't fully understand why, but she really does now. She was in love with Cedric, and she's known it for a while.

Stella stopped smiling. She was quiet for a long while.

INSIDE THE HUFFLEPUFF COMMON ROOM

Dinner ended not too long ago. Now, Cedric and Stella were in the Hufflepuff common room, talking on the couch as they so often do.

"I don't know about you, but I'm just so ready to sleep!" Cedric said and chuckled straight after.

Stella only gave him a slight smile in return.

His brows were pulled together and furrowed. Cedric grabbed her hand. "You okay, Stell? You've been awful quiet for most of the night."

Stella looked down at their hands, admiring how they fit together so nicely. "If only there could be more of a meaning to this," Stella thought to herself.

She brushed my away the thought quickly and looked up at him.

"I'm fine. I'm actually gonna go up to bed I think, I'm pretty tired." It wasn't all a lie. She was tired, but that wasn't the main reason she wanted to go to bed. She just wanted to get her mind off of Cedric.

"G'night Ced." She gave Cedric a quick hug like they do every night before they go to bed.

"Night Stell," Cedric whispered and looked at her. Stella got up and i left to the girl's dormitory without a second glance at him.

Cedric was left on the couch, his brows still furrowed. "Maybe things'll be a bit better tomorrow," he thought.

A/N HI GUYS! I hope you enjoyed! More updates will be coming soon, and if you liked this part or the story in general, comment and say so if you'd like because it genuinely means so much! Happy reading!
-Liv <3