Alex bumped into Luna on her way out of the forest.
"You missed class." Luna said.
"I went to breakfast but Kichiro got sick so I had to come back. He's doing a lot better than yesterday. But don't cast any more heating charms. He overheated yesterday. If he looks like he's poorly, feed him this." Alex handed over a leaf. "He can nurse now, so you don't have to worry about milking his mother."
"Is this a whispering peppermint?"
"Yes. I found some earlier. Anyways I have to go before I'm late. I'll come back after the quidditch match later."
"Okay, bye." Luna waved and Alex began jogging back towards Hogwarts.
When the match finally came around, Alex stood in the stands with Hermione. They both wore Hufflepuff colours. When the team flew out onto the pitch, Hermione elbowed Alex harshly.
"Ow!" She yelped.
"This is the bit where you cheer!"
"Oh, right." She said before cupping her mouth. "Yeah! Whoo!" She yelled, clapping along with her housemates. Cedric caught her eye and she waved.
The game lasted a while. Eventually it finished 340-170 in Hufflepuffs favour and this time Alex didn't need Hermione's prompt to cheer. Cedric had performed a wronski feint, just like they'd practiced. She watched as both teams returned to the ground, watching as Cedric shook hands with the other team's captain, Macy Woodstock. She saw Cho Chang- the Ravenclaw seeker hold her hand out to Cedric too. She said something and he laughed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. It was something he did when he was nervous, Alex realised. She saw Cho smiling at him and reach out to touch his broom.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, and Alex turned to her.
"Of course." She replied.
"You know, this could all be resolved if you would talk to Cedric and tell him how you feel!" Hermione said, in exasperation.
"Easy for you to say." Alex said. Cedric and Cho were still talking to each other.
"Is that love blooming on the quidditch field? How romantic, seekers of rival teams, drawn together by their love for the sport." Lee Jordan commented. "Oh, to be young and-" he was cut off by McGonagall terminating the sonorus charm.
"Come on." Alex said, dragging Hermione out of the way.
"But we should stay and congratulate him, at least."
"We won't get a chance until we get to the common room."
Alex and Hermione sat in a small alcove underneath the circular window in the Hufflepuff common room. It was the best seat in the place. A flutterby bush had been planted right outside the window, and its pleasant scent worked wonders in calming one down. Not to mention it wasn't too far from the fireplace so it was never cold.
"I still think we ought to have waited for Cedric."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the one who fancied him."
"What?"
"The amount of times you go on about him."
"No, definitely not. It's just the only way to get you to talk."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
"Do you fancy anyone?" Alex asked. "I never really see you with boys like that."
"No." Hermione didn't get to say anything more, because the door opened and suddenly the room was overflowing with whoops and cheers.
Alex looked at them, watching them all pile in. But no Cedric. "Good game!" She called and they all looked over in delight, hollering and laughing. One of the beaters, Maxine walked over to them. She was in the year above, Alex knew.
"Thanks." She said.
"Just keep up the wins. Hufflepuff may even win the house cup this year." Maxine grinned, pulling a chair up to sit with them.
"We'll try our best."
"Where's Cedric?" Alex asked, as though just realizing he was missing from the group.
"He ducked away with Cho earlier." She shook her head. "He can be such a boy sometimes."
"Right." Alex answered. She didn't really know why Maxine was sitting with them. She'd never actually spoken to her properly before.
"But he said you helped him with his arithmancy. I have to say, we were all surprised. He's never really gotten higher than a sixty before. Then again, not many in the class have."
"You take arithmancy?"
"Yeah. Actually, a few of us were hoping you'd join our study group. We're all basically floundering in class. I mean, you probably have better things to be doing than-"
"Sure." Alex cut her off. "I happen to like arithmancy. My brother's a curse breaker in Egypt, so I learnt a lot from him."
"Great! Thanks. We meet Fridays at 4 in room 7A."
"I'm not sure I'll be able to join in for a couple weeks but after that, definitely." Maxine nodded and left and Hermione looked at Alex, her eyes wide.
"Since when are you so social?" Hermione asked.
"I tried the no friends thing last year, but somehow I made some. You, Cedric, Charlie, Susan, Megan, Hannah. Even Ernie, I think. So I give up. I'm not going out of my way to get people to hate me. If, one day, they decide to, then I'll cross that bridge then."
"Oh, so it's not because Cedric will very likely be in that class?"
"Relax, H. I'm not that pathetic." Hermione had to concede to that point.
"Then why?"
"Shouldn't you be thrilled that I'm not being mean to people?"
"Of course I'm thrilled. I'm also afraid. You've never willingly spent more time with anyone than you had to."
"Okay, I don't see Cedric and I have to go."
"Go where? All of your friends are in this common room right now."
"That's not very nice."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I love mean Hermione." Alex grinned. "But I really can't stay any longer. And don't worry, I'll take some food from the kitchens for dinner."
"Where are you going?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Sometimes." Hermione shrugged.
"Then trust me on this. It's not something I'm ready for anyone to know about and I don't want Snape to legilimise you again."
"Oh, okay."
"I promise, as soon as I'm ready, you will be the first person I tell. But tell Cedric congratulations for me."
