A Fluke of Sorts

A Sunshine Fixation

Cedric laughed as he walked up to her, "I was only kidding earlier. How's your cheek?"

Slightly mollified, the frown on her face faded away. "Better, though when I looked in the mirror this morning there's still a faint line."

Cedric stooped to her height, she was at least a head shorter than him, with his hand reached out but paused for a moment to look at her in the eye, "May I?" he gestured to her cheek and she briefly nodded. His warm and slightly calloused hand – from Quidditch, proceeded to its destination and gently touched the faint mark on Hermione's cheekbone. "Looks like it might take another day or so before it goes away."

His voice resounded soft and deep in her ears and she decided she rather liked it, although her awareness of the close proximity between them had her suddenly jerking back from his touch. Cedric stared at her in bewilderment at her sudden retract.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Hermione quickly gathered her composure, "it's just a slight jumpy reflex of my own. Sorry about that."

"Are you sure it's not my presence that created a sudden rush of blood in your veins?" He slyly pointed out.

She raised an eyebrow at his words before bursting into laughter. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you Diggory. Are you always like this?"

"Charming and alluring? Why yes."

She laughed again. "I was thinking along the lines of impudent and smug actually. But if that's what you wish to view yourself, be my guest. "

Cedric laughed. "That's the first I've heard of anyone describing me."

"I'd be more than pleased to tell you that more often." Hermione joked.

"And I suppose I wouldn't mind hearing it every now and then, helps to keep a guy on his feet."

"Oh trust me Diggory, you've gone beyond the ceiling."

Cedric shook his head with a wry grin, "Have you forgotten you are speaking to a seventh year prefect Ms. Granger?" He was very much amused with the boldness the girl before him possessed, and the easy humor that easily emanated from her. Never did he come across someone who treated him in such a casual manner with disregard of his status as Triwizard Champion or Hogwarts' Heartthrob – both titles which he takes no pleasure for, save for his good friend Haden Whitlock. He found himself immensely enjoying the presence of Hermione Granger, all within a period of a day. When he woke up that morning, he hadn't planned on scaring her during breakfast at the Great Hall. Like Hermione, he wasn't expecting anything unusual out of his morning but when he stepped into the Great Hall and saw her studiously looking over a book, his mind recalled of the previous night's event where he had attempted, and failed, to give her a scare. Cedric hated to fail at anything to be honest, so with that justification, he quickly made up his mind to swiftly go up to her before he could have any second thoughts and before she looked up from her book. He knew it was childish but the wide-eyed shock of her features definitely, undeniably, amused him so – not that he would admit it aloud to her. Although Hermione was two years below him, he knew better than to risk her wrath and be countered with her hexes.

"I could have been fooled with that first year stunt you pulled back there Diggory."

"Oh come on Granger, it was all in the good name of fun. I promise lunch's scare would be more mature." Cedric grinned.

"Don't you even dare to try at lunch." Hermione warned.

"Watch me."

"Diggory!"

"Come on, I'll walk you to your first class. What are you having?" Cedric held out his hand for the books she was holding. She eyed him skeptically and Cedric merely gave her his most disarming smile – in his humble opinion, which she replied with a scowl before reluctantly passing a book to him. "Granger, I think you misunderstood the concept of my altruism. You are supposed to allow me take all your books, not give me one out of the four you are holding."