Tuesday morning, Fred sat with George, Jackson, and Angelina as his family owl came flying in, dropping a red envelope in front of him and his eyes widened when he realized what it was.
"Weasleys got himself a howler!" Lee laughed out from farther down the table with Gigi, Elle, and Cedric. Fred sent him a glare before going to open it, immediately hearing his mother's voice.
"Fred Weasley! How dare you do such a thing to Elle! I am disgusted with your behavior! Don't think for a second I will forget about this by the time you arrive home for Christmas break. I am absolutely appalled! No son of mine treats anyone the way you have, especially someone like my sweet Elle! Just wait until you get home! You'll regret everything you've ever done to this sweet girl when you see the list of chores you have at home young man! Oh, hello George, Jackson, hope you two are doing well." The howler yelled before turning to Elle later down the table. "Oh, and Ellie dear, just because Fred has been an idiot doesn't mean that you aren't welcome to the burrow anytime! Please, don't be a stranger, I still have that famous Weasley brownie recipe to show you!"
Fred threw the howler onto the table as he turned to send a glare to George.
"I can't believe you sent an owl to Mum about what happened with Elle! What is wrong with you?" Fred yelled at George.
"Even though I should have since you hurt my best friend, it wasn't me." George shrugged, sending him an eye roll as Fred turned to look down the table to see Ron and Ginny in a hushed whisper.
"Ron!" Fred yelled out as Ron and Ginny shared a look of horror.
"It was Ginny's idea!" Ron shouted out, pinning the blame on Ginny as she sent him a harsh whack on the arm.
"I am not going to let you break her heart because you are a stupid boy!" Ginny sassily told him as Fred stormed out of the great hall as Elle hid her red face from people's stares.
//
That afternoon, Fred had pulled George along to spy on his ex-girlfriend in the library as she sat with a new guy, the delight of George's afternoon.
"It feels wrong to spy on Cedric and Elle." George huffed out.
"Will you shut up? I have to make sure Diggory doesn't try to make a move on Elle." Fred shushed his brother.
"I'm sure he already has, but why do you care? You broke up with her and you are taking Angie to the ball." George reminded him as Fred sent him a glare.
"I still love her..." Fred softly said.
"But didn't she ask for space from you? Meaning, she wants nothing to do with you?"
"Oh, give it a rest George. You are starting to annoy me. Besides, I never agreed to that 'Let's have some space' bullshit." Fred shrugged.
"You are starting to sound like a stalker ex-boyfriend. Time to respect her decision..." George suggested, feeling bad for his brother.
"Shut up."
//
Wednesday in Potions, the atmosphere was very tense as Elle sat at one table with Lee and Cedric, while the table beside them seated Luke, George, and Fred while they began to work on their group potions assignment, which was to make Amortentia.
Elles' group had already finished it as all three of them were very skilled at potions, no matter how much Snape would refuse to admit it.
"Ellie, what do you smell?" Lee asked, getting ready to write it down for their report.
"Let's see..." Elle said, leaning over to the cauldron to get a good whiff, "I smell fireworks, broomsticks, marshmallows and I think cinnamon?... Why are you both looking at me like that?"
"You just described Fred..." Lee trailed off as Elle looked up to make eye contact with a smug-looking Fred before she turned to look at Cedric who stormed off, Elle quickly following him out as she felt bad.
"Cedric, Cedric wait!" Elle yelled, running down the hall to catch up with him. Cedric didn't stop as he briskly walked down the hall, and Elle only got him to look at him when she grabbed his elbow to make him face her.
"What Elle?" Cedric quietly asked, the hurt evident on his face.
"I, uh, understand how that could have been taken the wrong way but-" Elle started.
"Elle, come on, you don't like me like I like you and that's fine, it just hurts. Do you want to know what I smelt? I smelt your daisy perfume, your citrus hair wash, and even the smell of Sirius's damn grilled cheeses, which is linked to you as well. I can't even think of a grilled cheese without thinking of you." Cedric huffed out, running his hands through his hair.
"Fred and I just broke up... and I am trying to get over him, I really am, or else I wouldn't have agreed to go with you to the ball but I need you to be patient because I do like you..."
"I know, I'm sorry... it's just hard." Cedric sighed as Elle nodded, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him as he rested his arms on her shoulders.
"It's hard for both of us, trust me." Elle sighed, "Why does everything have to be complicated?"
"Well if it makes you feel better, you are the least complicated thing in my life."
//
The night of the Yule ball was already here, and Elle had spent hours getting her look perfectly together before going to meet Cedric down by the Great Hall entrance, knowing that the four participants in the tournament had to start off with a huge dance number before anyone else did, and even though she felt nervous, she felt confident due to how well she knew she looked.
"Elle, you look stunning." Cedric grinned at her, bringing her in for a huge hug as she checked him out as well.
"So do you Ced, you look great... I love the pink tie." Elle giggled out as Dylan walked over with Ian and Gigi behind him.
"Well don't you two look cute." Dylan smiled at the couple as Cedric sent him a slight eye roll.
"You boys clean up nice..." Elle smiled at Dylan and Ian, ignoring Dylan's comment before turning to look at Gigi, "Gi, you look so hot! I love the purple on you."
"Thanks babe, you too." Gigi grinned before Professor McGonagall walked over to the group.
"Mr.Diggory, are you and your date ready?" McGonagall asked as Cedric nodded.
"Yes Professor, me and Cedric are ready." Dylan teased, throwing an arm around Cedric as the group let out a laugh watching Cedric shove him away.
"Stop trying to steal my date, Dylan." Elle laughed, pulled Cedric towards her by his suit jacket.
"Hm, yes, humorous, let's go you two." McGonagall said, ushering Cedric and Elle to follow her.
Elle and Cedric were soon swept into the great hall, beginning to do the dance as all the other Triwizard champions danced around them, Elle letting out a small squeal when Cedric lifted her, causing him to let out a small laugh, and before they knew it, everyone was dancing.
Elle spent most of her time dancing with Cedric and the Hufflepuff boys, as Luke, Olivia, Jackson, and George danced between Elles group and Fred, who was dancing with Lee and a few of his other friends.
Elle giggled around during one of the fast-paced songs as Dylan and Ian took turns twirling her around before the music changed into a slower pace and she felt arms snake around her waist, pulling her gently into her chest.
Elle giggled before turning around to see Cedric holding her close.
"May I have this dance?" Cedric grinned out as she nodded, putting one hand in his and resting the other on his shoulder as they began to slowly move around the room, slowly becoming entranced with each other as if there was no one else there but them.
"Are you having fun?" Cedric hummed out as she nodded, "My feet kill but besides that, it's fun."
"I'm glad."
Cedric and Elle continued to dance closely before they spent the next two hours dancing fast around with their friends, giggles and chit chat could be heard from all of them.
Almost three hours later, Elle and Cedric sat at their table with Dylan, Ian, and Gigi, taking a small break after dancing the night away. Cedric poured both him and Elle a drink that they both quickly drank before Fred stumbled over to the table.
"Elle! There you are!" Fred drunkenly said as Elle sent him an eye-roll.
"Are you drunk, Fred?"
"Perhaps, perhaps. I can't lie to you Elle, I've been drinking for a few hours, snuck in my flask." Fred grinned, pulling his flask out of his suit pocket to show her.
"You seem like you are having a spectacular time then." Gigi laughed at him as Fred nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, I am. I actually came over here to ask you if you wanted to dance Elle?" Fred asked as Elle's eyes went wide as she made eye contact with Cedric.
"What?" Elle spluttered out.
"Come on man, leave it alone." Cedric sighed, so sick of Fred constantly intertwining in his relationship with Elle.
"Mind your own Diggory." Fred dismissed him, as Cedric stood to face Fred, causing Fred to slightly shove Cedric.
When everyone saw Fred shove Cedric, the four people at the table stood, knowing this would end badly.
"Come on Fred, stop this." Elle sighed, standing in between the two boys as they had an intense stare-off.
"I'm not going to fight you Fred, but I think you should listen to Elle and stop." Cedric said, his jaw slightly clenching.
"So I suggest you don't place your hands on my buddy again." Dylan said, stepping up beside Cedric.
"Dylan, shut up for once in your life and mind your business, huh?" Fred mumbled out as Dylan raised his eyebrows.
"Oh Fred, the things I would love to say to you about how much I dislike you, and how I think you are a major prick, and how everyone that knows you, knows that you aren't able to keep it in your pants, even when you have a great girlfriend like Elle, says enough about you." Dylan spat out as Fred sent him a glare.
"Dylan, don't I have some things to say to you too-" Fred started.
"Which you won't, goodbye Fred. Come on." Elle sighed out, grabbing Cedrics hand and Dylan's elbow as she pulled them away from the group, Ian standing to follow after them to make sure they were okay.
Fred let out a loud sigh as he flopped into the chair beside Gigi, her turning to look at him.
"You know Fred, sometimes you can be such a dick."
"I don't want to hear anything about how I deal with Elle from someone who is in love with my girlfriend." Fred said, turning to look at her as her eyes went wide.
"What?"
"Yeah. I heard you and Lee." Fred nodded.
"You can't tell anyone." Gigi spluttered out as Fred stood, backing away from her with a smirk on his face.
"She's not your girlfriend Fred." Gigi recalled as he shrugged.
"Nor is she yours, or will she ever be." Fred reminded with a slight wink before disappearing into the crowd.
Elle didn't feel much like partying after that, she and the three Hufflepuff boys deciding to call it a night as they walked towards the stairs as they saw Hermione crying to herself on the steps.
"Give me a minute, okay?" Elle asked as the three boys nodded, letting her walk towards the young girl in tears.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Elle softly said, taking a seat beside her as Hermione let out another strangled sob.
"Boys are stupid." Hermione said as Elle slightly nodded with a laugh.
"You can say that again, but boys will suck, again and again, but sometimes they don't, and when they don't, it can be really great." Elle comforted, comfortingly rubbing her back.
"Especially Weasley boys." Hermione added on as Elle nodded.
"I agree, but what did Ron do?" Elle asked.
"He got mad at me for going to the dance with Viktor, even though he couldn't pluck up the courage to ask me until I was his last choice." Hermione cried out.
"Sometimes guys can take a while to see how they messed up, and sometimes they can make the wrong choices but Ron does care about you Hermione, he might just not know how to express his feelings yet. Try to talk to him, okay?" Elle said as Hermione sniffled, giving her a quick hug before going up the stairs.
Elle stood to walk back over to Cedric who stood alone.
"Where did the other two go?" Elle asked.
"Up to the common room."
"You could have gone too, you didn't have to wait." Elle said as he shrugged.
"I wanted to wait, and I didnt want to interrupt you and Hermione, she seemed like she needed you." Cedric smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they began to walk together.
"How sweet of you."
"Shall I walk you up to the Gryffindor common room?" Cedric asked her as she shook her head.
"I don't really fancy hanging out in there right now." Elle sighed out.
"Understandable, come to Hufflepuff then?" Cedric suggested, going to offer her his hand which she gratefully took, letting him pull her towards the Hufflepuff common room and into his room.
"Here, I'll give you some sweats to wear." Cedric said, passing her a big t-shirt and sweat shorts as she went into his bathroom to change, coming back into the room to see that he had changed as well.
"I set up the TV-" Cedric started as he laid in the bed.
"Breakfast club?" Elle excitedly asked, flopping into bed next to him.
"Of course." Cedric grinned as the two watched the movie, chatting quietly throughout it until it was late in the night, and Cedric turned to look at her.
"What?" She hummed out once she saw him staring.
"Elle, I think I'm falling in love with you." Cedric confessed as Elle's eyes widened.
"Cedric-" Elle started before Cedric cut her off by leaning in to press his lips on hers before she withdrew from the kiss.
"Oh god, I shouldn't have done that-" Cedric panicked as she gave him a small smile.
"Ced, Ced, stop, it's okay, I just... Fred and I only broke up not that long ago and I'm not over it. It wouldn't be fair to kiss you-"
"-when you're still not over Fred, I got it." Cedric nodded.
"Thank you for being understanding while I try to get over the breakup." Elle sadly sighed at her.
"I told you I would wait for however long I needed to." Cedric told her as she leaned in, planting a soft kiss on his cheek with a smile before whispering, "Should we watch Dirty Dancing next?"