A Change in Fate || Cedric Diggory [1]

Chapter 21: Sweets

"It is beautiful," Daniella commented. "A bit drafty, but beautiful nonetheless."

"The food is delicious, too," said Jacqueline.

"I'm glad to hear that," Analeigh smiled. "I was afraid that the excessively prim and proper crowd had gotten to you and that you wouldn't like the castle."

"Hey, you were once like that," Natalie reminded her with a laugh. Before Analeigh could defend herself, her younger cousin continued, "Congratulations on being selected as a champion, by the way. I'm sorry I never wrote to you to say it earlier."

"It's not a problem. Hey, how about I show you three around the castle today?"

"Would that be okay?" Daniella asked shyly.

"Don't you have class?" Jacqueline added.

"Did you skip class?" Natalie said teasingly. "Don't tell me you've become a rebel now that you're in Hogwarts."

"I didn't skip!" Analeigh insisted, nudging the younger girl playfully. "I still value my education. I have free period right now before lunch time, if you must know."

"Analeigh, I was just..." said a new voice from behind, trailing off when he noticed that the person he was lookin for was was speaking to people he did not recognize. "... looking for you."

Analeigh had barely turned her head to the right when Cedric had appeared next to her, a warm smile on his face. Before she could ask him what he needed, he said, "Who are these young ladies?"

She could practically see hearts form in the eyes of her younger cousin and her friends when they took a good look at Cedric's face. Rolling her eyes in amusement at how quickly they were charmed by him, she answered, "This is my cousin Natalie and her friends, Jacqueline and Daniella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you three," Cedric greeted them. The young girls curtsied in unison, much to his amusement. "I'm Cedric Diggory."

"Cedric Diggory?" Natalie repeated in English, voice thick with her accent. "Zis is ze other 'ogwarts champion?"

"That's correct."

"You're so lucky to be friends with such a dashing man," Natalie giggled.

Analeigh scoffed, saying, "He's too old for you."

Cedric blinked in confusion at their exchange, wondering what they were saying.

"What's going on?" asked Cedric. "Care to translate?"

With a sigh, Analeigh said, "As much as I don't want to inflate your ego any further, she just said I'm lucky that I'm friends with someone as... handsome as you."

"Wait —" Natalie began abashedly.

"Friends?" Cedric raised his eyebrows at Analeigh before facing Natalie who still looked embarrassed for being exposed. "I'm your cousin's boyfriend."

The three girls gasped and Analeigh felt her face grow hot at how blunt Cedric was being. Of course, they were clear about how they felt about one another, but she was still not used to how easily he talked about things like that to other people.

"Seriously?" Natalie placed her hands on her hips and faced Analeigh disapprovingly. "Why did I not know this?"

"We don't exactly write to each other during school, do we?" Analeigh shot back sheepishly. "I would've told you the next time we saw each other, which I thought was going to be in the summer."