"Cool, huh?" Cedric said as they hovered on the brooms in the sky. She was admiring the sleek design.
"Yeah." She admitted. "It is pretty cool."
"Race you?"
"Your Lightweight's hardly going to keep up."
"Alright then. Challenge accepted." He said. "All the way to the forbidden forest and then back to the astronomy tower. Deal?"
"You're on." She said. They both steered the brooms to face the forest. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" They sped off, Alex clearly giving it her all as she zoomed past him. A look of determination crossed his face as he tried to catch up to her. He almost did, just as she reached the edge of the forest but then she turned around swiftly barely slowing down the broom and raced back to the astronomy tower. He chuckled before flying after her again. "I win." She grinned.
"Yes, you did."
"Bet I could beat you, even if you were on the Nimbus." There was a glint in her eyes and he looked dubious.
"Alright. And let's make it interesting. I win, we make this a weekly thing."
"And if I win?"
"You get the Lightweight." He said. The Lightweight wasn't the most well known of brands, but it was a solid broom and pretty good.
"Deal." Alex said. They switched brooms. "All the way from here to the edge of the forest and back?"
"Sounds good to me." He said. They both took a window, ready to fly out. "On three. One, two, three." They both flew off, though Alex was a little behind this time. She held the broom a little tighter, angling it slightly down. She began to reach Cedric, though a few feet below him. She twisted on the broom, before angling the broom back up. Instead of making a 180 to the side once she reached the forest, she curved upwards, and was upside down for a few seconds before righting. She pressed herself closer to the broom as she raced back to the tower, reaching it mere seconds before Cedric.
"You are a formidable opponent, Miss Weasley." He said, as they learn against the wall, panting.
"I grew up in a house full of quidditch lovers. I may have picked up on some tricks or two."
"I'll say." He said. "Congratulations." She shook her head as she held the broom back out to him. "That's yours now, remember?"
"I'm not going to take your broom."
"You won it. Fair and square, it's yours." He said. "And besides what am I going to do with two brooms?"
"I don't know."
"Seriously, Alex. Keep it. It's yours now."
"I guess I'll need something to thrash your arse again, next week." She grinned.
"Next week?"
"Well, seems a waste that I should get a new broom only never to use it. So same time same place next week?" He grinned and nodded. "Thanks for the broom." She smiled and reached over to kiss his cheek, before walking away.
Alex managed to make it to the Gryffindor rooms, and saw Ginny about to enter too.
"Alex!" Ginny said. "Hi."
"Hello." She replied. "Uh, could you call Hermione for me? It's really important."
"Sure, everything okay?"
"Yeah. I think. I, uh- how are you doing? Settling into Gryffindor alright?"
"Yeah, absolutely."
"That's good. I never got the chance to tell you I'm happy for you." Ginny beamed. "And I'm sorry Ron missed your sorting ceremony."
"Thanks." She said. "Means a lot coming from you."
"Hey, if you ever need anything. You can come to me. Pretty sure Hermione'll always know where I am."
"I'll keep that in mind." Ginny said. She noticed Alex holding a broom. "Why do you have a broom?"
"Uh, won it?"
"You won a broom?"
"Kind of, yeah."
"It's the Lightweight XS!" She said.
"Yeah. Cedric got a new broom and uh, we bet on this one." Ginny's jaw dropped.
"Oh, wow!" Alex blushed a little.
"We can talk about it later, but I really need to see Hermione right now. Can you send her out?" Ginny nodded, and disappeared behind the portrait entrance. She came back out a few minutes later, Hermione in tow. "Bye, Ginny!" Alex said before leaving with Hermione.
"Hey, how was flying?" Hermione asked.
"I got a broom out of it." Alex grinned. "And I really need to talk to you, so uh- vanishing room?"
"I don't know where it is."
"Alright, I'll show you but you have to keep it to yourself. Deal?" Alex said and Hermione nodded. "Come on." Alex jogged away, running down to the seventh floor, walking through corridor after corridor, until they got to the right one. Alex paced back and forth three times with only one thought. 'I need someplace private to talk to Hermione'.
The room materialised and she pushed Hermione in before her.
"Okay, what has you so frantic?"
"I kissed Cedric." Hermione definitely wasn't expecting that answer and froze.
"You did what?"
"I kissed him. Right here, on the cheek and then left and oh my god, H. What did I do? What if he hates me forever and ever now?"
"He's not going to hate you. He likes you!"
"As a friend, maybe kind of. He doesn't even know me."
"You have to stop that. He does know you. Sure, he doesn't know what happened two years ago, but he knows who you are. And, he likes you. As a friend, and as more. I mean, really, how do you not see it?"
"Because it's not there! Cedric doesn't like me."
"No? Then why've you got his broom?"
"We raced, and I won. He has a Nimbus 2001, now."
"And he gave you his old broom? Just like that?"
"Well, yeah. He said I could keep it if I won."
"And if he won?"
"We'd make flying a weekly thing."
"Huh. And you still don't think he likes you?"
"It's not like that. Just to practice. You know he's obsessed with quidditch."
"No he's not. You're the one always bringing it up."
"Aren't you supposed to be my friend?"
"Look, if you're unsure, then don't bring it up. You know. Pretend nothing happened. See what he says."
"Yeah. I can do that."
"He gave you his broom, huh?" Hermione said excitedly.
"Yeah."
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Okay so 👀 And for you Halex shippers.... sorry 😬
