Accidentally Dating Cedric

15

"Why don't you make me"
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Draco's stare pierces through me like a knife. I find myself feeling guilty, though I have no reason to.

I don't like this. Him looking at me like I owe him an explanation. Like he owns me.

I push past him. I don't owe him anything.

"What were you two doing?" He asks
suspiciously.

"None of your business, Malfoy," I retort as I start walking down the corridor with Cedric's hand in mine.

"I think I have a right to know," he says from not far behind us.

I whip around.

"Why on earth is that?"

He crosses his arms.

"I've hardly seen you all day. We usually meet up in between periods and in study hall. We never hang out anymore," he whines.

"Malfoy, we've been hanging out all week and it's literally only 2 pm. You're acting like I've been ghosting you. Besides, we have next period together and houses can't mix tables at dinner, so obviously I'm sitting with you,"

"Yeah, but-"

"Not to mention, we all have to be back to our common rooms every night by 7:00 so you, me, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise will do what we always do which is just hang out for a couple of hours and chill," I finish.

He seems to have no further comebacks from his silence and the defeated look on his face.

I walk up to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Look Draco, you know I love you, and I love spending time with you, but there are going to be times when there are other people in my life that I also want to spend time with, and you're just going to have to accept it,"

"I know that," he scoffs.

"Then why are you so upset by this? You didn't seem to mind nearly half as much when I started hanging out with my Gryffindor friends," I ask.

"Because they're just friends to you, but there's something different about you and Diggory. I could tell, ever since I saw you two talking for the first time on Monday, there's no way you two are only going to be friends," he explains.

"What's it to you? You know there are no real feelings between you and me. You're not my boyfriend, nor my ex, so why do you care?"

His face hardens as he processes what I said.

"You're right, I don't," he sneers.

Cedric stiffens beside me at his tone.

"I don't care about you, I never have and I never-"

"You should leave Malfoy. Now," Cedric interrupts in a threatening voice as he steps between us.

His tone is firm and angry, but, at the same time, it's at a normal level volume, making it all the more intimidating. I hope I never get into an argument with him where he uses that voice because it is really quite frightening.

Draco rolls his eyes as he looks up at Cedric.

It's funny, Cedric towers over Malfoy by around four or five inches, causing Malfoy to look like a child.

Draco seems to notice this, and his face turns into a terrified expression for a second before he masks it.

"Whatever," he scoffs as he stalks away.