Gold Blood - Cedric Diggory

Chapter 7 ➵

"Diggory" Oliver nodded as a greeting, frowning as he looked back toward me.

The Hufflepuff boy, Cedric, goggled with his mouth slightly ajar, as though he was the one who was embarrassed that he'd just walked in on someone he didn't know shouting his name. Cedric was a tall and extremely handsome young man with chiseled features, dark hair, and bright, captivating grey eyes. I'm not sure if it was just the concussion but I was stuck for words, it was like time had frozen whilst I was ogling at him. I was face to face with the guy who had given me silent grief since the beginning of school, creating a pit in my stomach every single time we crossed paths, which granted was not often, but it was enough to leave a lasting memory of him in my head recently.

To my surprise, Cedric began to step closer; "Wood" He nodded back, quiet and humble like, as though there was a sleeping baby in the room that he didn't want to wake.

"Saw what you did to Malfoy..." Oliver was so casual about speaking to him in his rich Scottish accent; "He must have really pissed you off"

Cedric stood a couple of feet away from the bottom of my bed, not seeming to want to get too close. He forced a single laugh "Yeah well, someone needed to teach him a lesson".

"I do not disagree with that" Oliver sat back in his chair; "It seems as though he's got it in for everyone. Especially Via lately, ey?" He nodded over to me, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I noticed that" Cedric hummed under his breath, barely audible.

I averted my gaze down, making sure I had just heard correctly whilst trying to subtly stop my breath from hitching.

Did he just say he had noticed? Was he in The Great Hall that day that Draco pulled his wand on me?

Oliver frowned, his eyes scanning between the two of us as though he was trying to figure out what was going on in my head.

"Anyway, I've got to go. Professor Sprout has got me on the ward duties. Beats a month of detention I suppose" Cedric awkwardly chuckled, avoiding even looking at me at this point and walking away to the potions area to begin organizing "I'll see you around, Wood"

"Maybe you should fight Draco more often" Oliver grinned as Cedric walked away, looking back and smirking at Oliver before disappearing through the wooden door at the back of the wing.

I continued to stare at the space where Cedric disappeared as though I'd been petrified, seeing Oliver out the corner of my eye trying to suss me out again.

"Via, what's going on with you?" He finally spoke.

I swiftly turned my head to look at him, biting my lip with slight worry.

"You look like you've just seen Nearly Headless Nick completely headless" Oliver laughed and sat forward in his chair "Did Cedric do something to you?"

I shook my head and blinked a little "No, no I don't think so"

"Then what?" Wood spoke, frowning but still keeping a little smile as though I was making no sense.

"I-i just-maybe he's..." I was lost for words which was good because Harry and Ron came walking quickly through the ward and to my bed.

"Via! You're awake!" Ron fussed over me.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, just a little sore" I reassured.

"Bloody hell, I thought you were a goner" Ron spoke, kneeling next to the bed.

"Please, it'd take more than one of his Quidditch lessons to kill me" I managed a half exhausted smile at Oliver who huffed from his nose and smiled back, looking up at Harry who was not sharing in the light-heartedness; "What? What is it?"

Harry swallowed peering down to the bottom of the bed sheepishly before looking back up at me; "Something happened to Malfoy"

"Yeah, we saw" Oliver spoke up; "Diggory gave him a seeing to"

Harry nodded a little; "Yeah well, I think I might know why"

"Malfoy is loathe-some evil little cockroach, I can already understand why" I looked over to Ron for confirmation but his head was bowed slightly and he looked pink in the face; "How do you know?"

Harry sighed a little "I saw him do it, Via. I think he did it because of you"