A Dozen Fallen Roses // Cedric Diggory

chapter six. the mudblood.

I spent about three hours in the corner of the library focussed on potions. Last year, I almost failed the class, putting me on Snape's bad side, so I decide to devote extra time to the subject this year. I haven't even had the class yet, but I am two chapters ahead and have a new sense of motivation.

Just before dinner, I pack up my books and head back to the common room. I wander through the halls until I see Malfoy, clearly in a rush, heading straight towards me. I don't move out of his way, expecting he'll eventually move out of mine, but we collide, despite both of us seeing one another coming a mile away.

"Watch where you're going, mudblood," he spits at me.

"Get the fuck out of my way," I retort. He stops dead in his tracks, turns around, and rushes towards me. Wrapping his hand around my throat, he pulls me into a side corridor, pinning me against the wall.

"You better learn to hold your tongue," he says, seething. His ice cold hand stays around my throat and I feel his silver rings digging into the back of my neck. I can't breathe, but I don't show it.

"Yeah, well, you suck, Malfoy," I say, unable to come up with anything else on the spot. He laughs, inching closer to me, loosening his grip on my neck. Any closer and our lips would be touching. I can smell his expensive cologne and feel his hot breath on my face.

"Good one, Rootes," he whispers in my ear, and then he's gone. I stand there for a moment, catching my breath. The only time Malfoy has ever touched me was when he pushed me down the stairs last year for making fun of him getting attacked by Buckbeak. He's also never been that violent, Something must be going on I think to myself, making my way back to the dorms. I kinda didn't hate it, though. My thoughts are interrupted as I run into Hermione just in front of the fat lady.

"Gosh, Ava, are you alright?" she asks as a look of extreme concern washes over her face.

"Yeah, I'm good, why?" I say, trying to convince myself as much as I am her.

"Your neck! Did someone hurt you?" she says, touching where Draco's hand must have left marks. I pull up my robes to cover my neck.

"Balderdash," I say to the fat lady, rushing into the common room and up the stairs to my room. Hermione follows. I cross to a mirror and examine the defined handprint of black, blue, and purple around my neck.

"Shit," I mutter to myself, reaching into my makeup bag. Hermione closes the door to our room.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell happened?" Hermione pushes.

"Oh, nothing, just some fun with Cedric," I blurt out before realizing I've never told anyone about us. Goddamnit, Ava.

"Cedric?" Hermione says, sitting on the bed out of shock. I drop the foundation I've been covering my neck in and cross to her.

"Hermione, you cannot say anything about Cedric or my neck. Please, we promised we weren't going to tell anyone." I say, pleading with her.

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me you're dating Cedric Diggory!" she says, astounded.

"The Hufflepuff sweater on my bed didn't give it away?" I smirk, gesturing towards his sweater that I left out to dry while in the library. "And, to be fair, we aren't dating, we're just having fun." I say, crossing back to the mirror and resuming my attempt to cover up the handprint on my neck that becomes more obvious by the second.

"Whatever you call it, I just wish you would've told me," she says, taking the foundation out of my hands and applying it on for me.

"I promise, as soon as we decided to tell other people, you would've been the first one to know," I say, reassuring her. "I love you, Hermione, you're one of my best friends."

"I know," she says, confidently. We laugh. "There," she steps back, admiring her handiwork and I turn to look in the mirror.

"You're a little too good at that," I say, jokingly. She shoves my shoulder, offended at my insinuation.

I decide to put on a turtleneck under my robes to make sure the bruises aren't visible and Hermione and I head down for dinner. I sit across from Hermione and Ginny while Ron and Harry sit on either side of me. I don't see the twins, but I imagine they're too embarrassed to show their faces for the rest of the night after what happened with the goblet.

An entire pan of homemade macaroni and cheese appears in front of us and we dig in. Ron shovels in huge mouthfuls, dropping pasta everywhere, then picking it up and eating it again. Hermione stares at him, disgusted as always.

"We really should have a manners class," Hermione mumbles to herself. I snort, inhaling my water. I choke for a moment and Harry pats my back. I look over at him, making awkward eye contact and I kinda smile as if to say Thank you.

"Can we talk later?" he blurts out. The whole table falls silent for a moment, then resume their conversations, aware of what's going on and avoiding making things worse. They all know what happened and don't care to intrude anymore.

"Sure."

The two of us finish our dinners in silence, only slightly engaging with the others. As we leave the Great Hall, Harry grabs my hand and leads me to the clock tower garden where I danced with Cedric just hours ago. I sit on a bench, but Harry stays standing. He seems a bit nervous, shifting back and forth on his feet and biting his lip.

The sun has long set and I see the stars poking through the clouds, a giant full moon in the distance, lighting the campus with a soft glow. The same dark blue to black sky looks like an oil painting and I look up to admire its beauty.

"Look, Ava, about last year-" Harry starts.