The week seemed to melt into the same days as Elle had been extremely focused on studying for her midterms, as there was only a small amount of time left before the Yule ball and then going home for Christmas as well as actually performing her prefect duties as she had been really slacking and she knew Cedric could only cover for her for so long.
Cedric had been covering for Elle for her prefect duties for a while, but he understood and knew she was in a bad place in her life and was always feeling really down, whether she admitted it or not. Cedric had gone for many solo walks around the castle for his prefect duties, telling Professor Sprout that Elle always accompanied him in hopes that the blonde got the slack Cedric so thought she deserved.
It was currently Friday night, and Cedric alongside Dylan, Ian, and Olivia, were going to the Gryffindor party. Cedric and his friends walked into the common room to see most of the people already there were wasted, and only getting drunker with every shot or drink they had. The HUfflepuffs soon realized they were all fashionably late to the party as it seems by all the scattered booze bottles around, the party had been going on for a while.
Olivia was quick to bid the boys goodbye, going to find Luke in the sea of people as Cedric's eyes continued to scan the crowd.
"Hm, I wonder who Cedric is looking for?" Dylan teased, lightly elbowing Cedric in the side as Cedric just playfully shook his head.
"Shove off, do you see her or not?" Cedric asked over the loud music.
"Looks like she's right there with Gigi." Ian pointed out the blonde in a sea of people.
Cedric was quick to start walking towards Elle and Gigi, Dylan and Ian not too far behind as the three boys picked up drinks on the way.
"Cedric, you're here!" Elle happily slurred out, tripping over her own two feet as she started walking towards him. Cedric let out a laugh as he quickly reached out to hold on to her and make sure she didn't fall.
"Hey Ellie, you look like you are having fun." Dylan laughed at the girl, beginning to drink his own drink.
"So much fun!" Elle giggled, now leaning her entire body against Cedric as he gently held her up.
"You want a drink?" Ian asked the two girls as they both nodded, watching him now walk towards the drink table.
Elle seemed like she was in her own world as she leaned against Cedric, absentmindedly trailing her fingers up and down his arm that hung loosely around her waist.
"What are you drinking?" She asked, leaning her head up to look at Cedric as he sipped his own drink.
"Vodka and orange juice." Cedric told her as she hummed in delight, "You want some?"
"Yes please." Elle nodded, allowing Cedric to slightly tilt her head back as he began to pour the liquid down her throat.
Dylan and Cedric made eye contact while he was pouring and Dylan looked at him with a large smirk. Cedric knowingly rolled his eyes before bringing his glass away from her face, using his thumb to wipe away the liquid that escaped her mouth as she sent him a cheesy grin.
"Better?" Cedric hummed as she nodded.
"Much."
Ian was soon back and passed Elle and Gigi their own drinks, which they soon found out was orange juice and tequila before Gigi whisked Ian away to dance with Olivia and Luke while Cedric, Elle, and Dylan were left to continue talking.
"How much have you drank tonight?" Dylan leaned down to ask Elle as she shrugged.
"A lot."
"Gee, really? I could never have guessed." Cedric laughed out as she burst into a fit of giggles.
"Come on boys, let's dance!" Elle giggled out, pulling Cedric behind her as Dylan watched with a proud smirk on her face. Dylan watched as Elle and Cedric danced together, the pair a giggling mess as he twirled her around.
Dylan's eyes scanned the rest of the room to see Olivia perched on Luke's lap on one of the chairs, making out, Jackson and George playing each other in beer pong with Ian, Gigi, and Lee dancing in their own little group. Dylan's eyes continued to watch the crowd, after letting out a small laugh at how Cedric had become a lightweight and had increasingly became buzzed over the short time they were there, and he could tell people Cedric and Elle were subconsciously becoming very handsy with one another and across the room, staring at Elle and Cedric, was Dylan's least favorite Gryffindor, Fred Weasley.
Dylan watched, with a bit of a giggle to himself, as Fred watched Elle and Cedric with pure jealousy, obviously not liking how close the two were. Elle and Cedric were getting much closer, especially with Elle newly single and Fred, at least to her knowledge, sleeping around with Angelina of all people, and anyone who saw them together would think they were together... or at least liked each other and Dylan thought it was evident with the way Elle leaned into Cedrics touch, or the way Cedric draped his arms around her like they were made for each other and obviously seeing the pair made Fred pissed, and Dylan was glad it did.
He was never particularly close with the redhead, much more favoring his twin over him as he knew how much Cedric liked Elle, and thought Cedric could treat her better, which was now obvious to a lot more people as time went on and they could see Elle not behaving the same, happy, way she used too. Elle was never a dull light but since Fred broke her heart, she seemed dull.
In Dylan's eyes, Cedric was the best choice for Elle. He knew her a lot better than most, was able to be there for her, protect her, makes her laugh, and every time the two were together, whether it be studying, or prefect duties, or when Cedric dragged Elle out of bed in the morning because he was the only one who could, their eyes both lit up. They were able to genuinely be themselves together and Dylan could only hope Elle would one day wake up and realize his best friend was the best choice for her.
After a while of Cedric and Elle drunkenly dancing together, Cedric noticed Elle's eyes begin to leave him and wander around the room before they landed on someone. Before Cedric could even turn to look at who Elle was staring at, she took off in a drunken stumble in the opposite direction of where Dylan stood.
Cedric was quick to turn and follow after her, knowing that when Elle was drunk she could make some questionable decisions and he wanted to make sure that just in case, he was there to ensure Elle was okay.
Elle continued to stumble through the crowd until she was in front of Fred and by the looks of his face, he was pissed... and it pleased Elle to know that he was hurting as much as she was.
"Fredrick! We need to talk!" Elle drunkenly yelled, stumbling forward towards Fred's chest as he gently caught her, securing her on her feet as he sent a glare to Cedric.
"Elle, you're drunk. I would love to talk to you when you are sober but-"
"What? You're not drinking for once?" Cedric's drunken thoughts accidentally stumbled out and interrupted the redhead as he received a glare.
"No, I'm not-"
"I feel so sorry...I feel so sad. I tried to help you, be there for you but you broke me! I loved you so much, more than anyone else has, and, and I loved everything about you-" Elle began to ramble rather loudly, causing people surrounding them to look and stare as the girl's eyes began to well with tears.
Cedric took this as a sign that Elle had enough to drink and she needed to go up to her room so that the entire Gryffindor common room doesn't see her cry so he gently hooked his one arm around her waist, tugging her slightly towards him and away from Fred, which Fred didn't like too much but didnt know what to even say.
"Come on Elle, you're drunk." Cedric softly told her, pulling her away from Fred and up the stairs to her room. She let him pull her with ease, having no reason to stay and talk to Fred anymore and now only wanting the comfort she knew Cedric would provide for her as she let a few stray tears run down her cheeks.
Cedric opened her dorm door, walking the two through before shutting it behind him, leading both of them to her bed as they sat on the edge in silence.
"I'm such a drunk idiot." Elle muttered out as Cedric shook his head, turning his head to look at her and softly bringing his hand up to tilt her head towards his so he could wipe away all the stray tears.
"No, you aren't Elle. Drunk words are sober thoughts... I guess this is just something you needed to say to Fred." Cedric comforted her as she let out a small sniffle from the tears before turning to fully face Cedric, gently grabbing the side of Cedrics face as she leaned in to kiss him, wanting the comfort as she was drunk and knowing Cedric would always be there for her.
Cedric let out a quick sigh as he turned his head, allowing Elle to kiss him on the cheek as she brought back her face to look at him.
"Elle... you're drunk, it wouldn't be right to kiss you." Cedric told her.
"What? Oh, yeah.... I am. Cedric, you are way too good for me." Elle drunkenly giggled, her mood being able to shift so quickly due to the alcohol in her veins before she laid down to go to sleep.
Cedric let out, yet another sigh, before grabbing her comforter and pulling it over her body to tuck her in as he let out a small mutter of 'I would love to be anything to you' as he watched the motion on her face switch again and now she was beginning to cry for real, for the first time in front of anyone since the breakup.
Cedric didn't know what else to do but lay down beside her as she turned to cry into his chest, his arms hung loosely around her body.
//
The next morning, Elle woke up with a pounding in her head as she sat up and saw she was curled up with Cedric in her bed. She let out an internal groan as she began to realize what her drunken self did the night before, including yelling at Fred as she cried and then trying to kiss Cedric and him denying her. How embarrassing.
She tried to get out of her bed without waking Cedric but she knew she had failed when she heard Cedric groan in a stretch before sitting up, sending her a sheepish grin.
"Morning Ellie." Cedric nodded at her.
"Morning." Elle yawned out, feeling incredibly awkward to be around him right now.
"We should talk..." Cedric trailed off as Elle let out a small, sad, sigh.
"We don't need to, really." Elle said as she began to occupy herself by finding a sweater to put on.
"Ellie... come on."
"What? I embarrassed myself by drunkenly yelling at Fred and then I tried to kiss you, which you denied, and now I'm here. Embarrassed... no, no, mortified." Elle sighed out as she watched Cedric stand with a smug, stupid, little smirk as he walked up to her.
"You didn't embarrass yourself... at all, and you were drunk, I would never want to take advantage of you. If you ever want to kiss me while you aren't drunk, I'll be here. Now can you not be awkward?" Cedric laughed out as her face turned red but nonetheless sent him a small smile and nod.
"Good, c'here. I got to go." Cedric said, bringing her in for a hug before leaving her room and letting her let out a dramatic sigh before flopping onto her bed.
Not even a minute later, she heard her door swing open once again and without looking, shouted over her shoulder, "Cedric, did you forget something?"
"Not Cedric." She heard Olivia's voice ring out as Gigi's giggle echoed in the room.
Elle turned to see both girls flop on her bed and look at her expectantly.
"What?" Elle asked, a grin on her face.
"Want to tell us why Cedric was leaving your dorm so early in the morning?" Gigi teased as Elle playfully rolled her eyes.
"What, were you guys stalking my door?" Elle laughed out loud.
"Oh no, we sat in Gigi's room and waited to see when he would leave." Olivia shrugged.
"And after your public bashing of Fred last night, I wanted to check on you." Gigi told her as Elle let out a groan.
"That was embarrassing."
"He had it coming to him. You should have done worse." Olivia encouraged.
"And after Cedric brought me upstairs and I tried to kiss him." Elle revealed as the two other girls' eyes went wide as Elle hid her face in her hands.
"And what happened?"
"He denied me because I was drunk."
"He did?"
"Hmmhm."
"Consent king! That's so sweet." Olivia grinned.
"Looking back on it, it was definitely nice what he did. It just hurt my ego a tad." Elle bitterly laughed out.
"Did he say anything this morning?" Gigi asked as Elle nodded.
"He said if I ever wanted to kiss him while I wasn't drunk, he would be here."
"And what, you guys say you are just friends?" Olivia mused out.
"We are!" Elle argued back.
"Friends don't look at friends like that." Olivia argued again.
"It's the same way I would look at Gigi! So yes, just friends."
"Yeah, just friends." Gigi muttered out, the three girls filling each other in on what their nights were last night.