𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕲𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖓
* * *
September 1994
The Order of the Phoenix had many members and allies. When the war came to an end, those who settled down hoped for their children to have a relationship similar to the strong one they developed themselves over the years.
And for a long time, it was the case.
Andromeda and Edward Lupin, Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Kyra and Lola McKinnon-Meadowes, the Weasley kids, and Rowan Prewett all grew up together.
They all were in different houses, most were Gryffindors, two were in Ravenclaw, two were Hufflepuffs and one was a Slytherin.
The Houses' competitive nature never caused them to be on bad terms, though they were almost all certainly up each other's throats when it came to Quidditch. Otherwise they had a beautiful friendship no one could really understand. But that's how they grew up, how they were raised, without prejudice on other houses.
Perhaps that was why Romy had never been afraid to disappoint her Gryffindor parents because she had ended in Hufflepuff. They expected her to anyway.
Now, something that did separate the lot of them was the rivalry and hate between Cedric Diggory and Romy Lupin. Unaware of whether they should take sides or leave it be, they just watched awkwardly during their little gatherings and would avoid to see the both of them at the same time for a long period of time.
Romy felt guilty about it. Cedric didn't care. Both were too stubborn to change. It didn't help that they were both the only ones of their childhood group friend to be in Hufflepuff, they saw more of each other than they liked.
But at least, Romy met Primrose Valentine in her first year. Rosie was her roommate and best friend in the world, and with her, she never felt alone, despite what Cedric did so many years ago. She still held a grudge because he never apologised.
He could have apologised. They could have still been friends.
~
"I will strangle him." Romy stated, glaring at an empty space.
"You've got to admit, it's pretty creative." Kyra smirked.
Romy noticed another laughing student pass by her, stealing glances at the poster she had been glaring at the entire time. It held Hufflepuff colors, and said "welcome your new prefect, airy-fairy Romy!" with stupid doodles drawn all over the little picture of her face.
Andromeda didn't care if she was laughed at, that was whatever, she would have probably laughed too if it wasn't her. But knowing that Cedric was behind this childish act... Now that made her angry.
Not only that, but she suspected he had told some boys she would do them inappropriate favors if they would ask her on a date. And they did. Andromeda was asked out many, many times in the space of an hour. To the point that she was tempted to grab a marker and write "NO" on her forehead.
The worst part was, she slightly had trouble rejecting people, always had. It was hard for her to say no. Now she was sticking by Kyra's side because everyone was too scared of the Ravenclaw to approach her anymore. She could have stuck by Rose, but Rose got dragged to detention by Juliet Potter after Cedric snitched on her for skipping class on her first day.
"It's condescending and irritating. A bit humiliating too, but I would not give him that much credit." Romy glared at her friend that gave her her best sympathetic look.
She noticed Kyra glancing at something behind her before she spoke up again. "Well, I suppose now is a good time to put those threats to effect."
Romy turned around, seeing Cedric smugly leaning against the wall, a few steps away. One glance at the badge that was an exact copy of the poster, laying next to his prefect badge, and Romy lost it. She stood up abruptly, stomping towards him and snatching the badge off his uniform.
"Easy, sweetheart, you're going to ruin my shirt." He stated, his mischievous grin never leaving his lips.
"What is your problem?" She asked him, frowning.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You think it's funny, nitwit? What a good fucking use of your only two brain cells! I swear to Merlin, I better not see any more of these stupid badges or I'm stabbing you with the pins!"
He whistled. "Language."
"Bit-"Romy raised her voice before being stopped by Kyra who stepped in.
"All right, enough now. At least have your little friends stop asking her to shag them in Flitwick's office. Arsehole."
Cedric paused, turning to the Hufflepuff girl. "Hold on, they did that? That wasn't my doing."
"Yeah right, like I'd believe that." She rolled her eyes.
Kyra watched Cedric's frown, understanding that he didn't know about it, he even looked upset. "Whoever it was, took advantage of your joke to play off theirs. Now the boys are not taking the hint, and Fred and George got scolded for pushing back a very insistent lad."
"Yes, and I'm not a slag and you're not my pimp! So go tell them to stop, you're good at spreading the word after all." Romy taunted him.
Cedric knew it was a jab at what he did in their first year and glared at her.
"You realize I don't owe you anything, right?"
"You caused this!"
Luna, who just came around the corner approached the free with her usual carefree smile. "Hi Romy. Older Ravenclaws are looking for you. Something about the best night of your life?"
Watching the younger Ravenclaw walk away with her jaw reaching the floor, Romy abruptly turned to Cedric, seeing red.
"FIX IT!" She yelled at him.
"Okay! Alright!" He gave in, raising his arms in surrender.
Andromeda turned to Kyra, clearly trying to calm herself. The Ravenclaw looked back at her friend who took short breaths in an attempt to appease the anger.
"Let's leave." The Hufflepuff girl said, turning her back to walk away, being stopped by Kyra grabbing her arm.
"Hey, hold on a minute." Kyra said, turning to Cedric with a raised eyebrow, still holding onto Romy. "Get to it. You've had your fun. I shouldn't have to scare away a group of lads that are pushing it too far."
"I said I'd deal with it, alright? Give me a break, it's not even that deep."
Romy clenched her jaw, pulling away from her friend and walking away. She hated him. The only thing consistent about him was his good grades and how he kept stabbing her in the back.
"When did you become such a dickhead? If anything happens to her, it will entirely be your responsibility." Kyra turned to Cedric with a frown.
"What can possibly happen to her? She's getting attention, is that not what she usually wants?" He scoffed with venom in his words.
It wasn't. Not that she wanted to be invisible either, Romy never really cared about stares and opinions on her, she was taught to live on without being constantly influenced by her surroundings. Her parents were huge personalities of the Wizarding World, she was always going to attract attention so she only had to live with it somehow.
"You have no idea, do you?" She stared at him in disbelief. "Cedric, do you know what happens to a girl, a pretty girl, who's surrounded by people who think she's an easy piece of meat? Worse case scenario, she gets assaulted. You wanna face her parents after that? Face her?"
When he said nothing and simply stared with a startled face, she decided to simply leave and go after the Hufflepuff. Somebody needed to snap back at them because Romy would end up crying if she was too overwhelmed with the demands she wasn't willing to do.
No one said anything but they wished the war between those two would be over already.
* * *
idk how to write a rivals to lovers story, bear with me