─── chapter two.
❛ QUICKSILVER ❜
THERE WAS ANOTHER THING TO ADD TO NOVA'S HATE LIST, and it was traveling by portkey.
she felt like her heart had dislodged from its place and was now stuck in her throat. not to mention the complete and utter embarrassment of having gripped the ever-loving fuck out of cedric diggory's arm — yes, of all people, cedric diggory! — in order to keep herself from toppling over.
it didn't help at all that he'd gently placed his hand on the gap between her shoulder blades and soothingly patted her until she didn't feel like she'd taken a pint too many of firewhiskey. it was mortifying when his kind and deeply concerned eyes locked with hers and asked her those humiliating three words — "are you okay?"
clearly, nova was not okay — she was on the verge of splinching herself so she'd never have to face cedric's pretty face ever again (especially not with that expression, it left a funny burning feeling in the pit of her stomach).
"i'm fine," nova brushed his hand away (seriously, who was he to touch her?!) and broke the intense eye contact.
it was as though cedric suddenly remembered who nova was (ahem, miss i-hate-everyone-and-you-won't-have-fingers-anymore-if-you-touch-me-again nova aetos) and he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"er, okay then." with a small smile, he shuffled a few centimeters away, yet continued with her to catch up to the others.
they had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. in front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards talking to their group, one of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. both were dressed as muggles, but to nova, they looked like hooligans and nuthouses.
the man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho.
"morning, basil," said mr. weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used portkeys beside him.
nova was getting increasingly irritated that cedric had yet to leave her side, despite his own father standing a few feet away. elliot's eyebrows had shot up and his blue eyes twinkled when he'd spotted the two standing together (though in his eyes, nova was laughing very heartily to a joke cedric had said) and turned to nudge his wife gently.
"hello there, arthur," said basil wearily. "not on duty, eh? it's all right for some...we've been here all night. you'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the black forest at five fifteen. hang on, i'll find your campsite... weasley... weasley..." he consulted his parchment list. "about a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. site manager's called mr. roberts. diggory and aetos... second field ... ask for mr. payne."
"thanks, basil," said mr. weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him.
"mum, can i please go with the weasleys?" claire turned to clementine with the biggest puppy dog eyes she could manage, enlarging her great blue eyes to the size of saucers. "ron's dad said it was okay!"
"well..." clementine frowned, looking at the other redheaded family. "i don't know — elliot?"
nova's father looked thoughtful for a moment. "i don't see why not...as long as you don't go anywhere by yourself."
claire's face lit up with happiness and she gave her parents a hug each. "i won't, thanks!"
and she ran off to catch up with the weasleys and harry and hermione.
"can i —?" began nova, but her mother quickly shot her down.
"heaven knows what kind of trouble you and those twins will get into if you're left alone." clementine shook her head. "plus, you have this lovely young man to keep you company. i'm sure cedric wouldn't mind having a friend, would you, cedric?"
cedric smiled at nova's mother. "of course not — i'd love the company."
elliot mumbled into his wife's ear something along the lines of "you're only saying that because you want them to get together."
"my intuition is never wrong." she replied, kissing her husband on the nose.
and just like that, nova was back to being irritated as cedric chatted her ears off with talk of hogwarts and quidditch and a whole bunch of other things she didn't have to patience to listen to.
just great.
AT LONG LAST, after walking for what seemed like miles thanks to the directions of mr. payne (a muggle with a dainty mustache), they finally found an empty place big enough for the aetos and the diggorys to put up their tents. it was right beside a small clutter of trees and a water well.
"you two run along now — explore!" clementine ushered the teens with a smile. "but don't get into too much trouble. we'll put up the tents!"
nova had never realized how pushy her mother was (it really made her want to tie a rope to the nearest tree and hang hersel—)
"shall we go, then?" cedric asked with that stupid grin crinkling his eyes.
"whatever," nova shot her mother a withering stare and slowed her pace, leisurely walking to the clutter of trees.
the phantoms of wind kissed at nova's cheeks as she ducked her head further against her scarf to hide her scowl, kicking the tufts of overgrown grass as she and cedric walked into the miniature forest. he seemed rather cheerful (the scumbag) to spend time with her, which was certainly a surprise.
nova aetos was not one people usually... liked being around. of course, this did not include the weasleys, who made the business of literally anyone that looked closely related to them theirs as well (which was part of the reason she could hardly tolerate them).
yet there they were, walking side by side, cedric's shoulder so close his jacket almost brushed against hers. so close nova could turn and map every faint freckle that dusted his nose.
cedric didn't speak as their shoes crunched on fallen branches, occasionally passing the soft and soundless dirt. there was no chirping of morning birds singing their symphonies or
crickets their lullabies. only a placid silence, which neither of them could really hear because of contrary reasons (and of course, nova's was due to the constant voice yelling in her head to 'leave!' because she really didn't want to spend time with diggory — or anyone, for that matter).
"you're very famous around campus, you know." began cedric, almost too exuberantly as he skillfully stepped over a rather mushy pile of rotting leaves.
"wow, i hadn't noticed." nova replied flatly, her eyes trailed on the spindling branches of the crooked trees. the air was clouded over in mist, hiding the sun in its ghostly tint.
"everyone calls the sleeping dragon of gryffindor den." he hummed in response, turning to gaze at nova through those silvery eyes.
nova gave him a look.
"out with it, diggory. what do you want to know?" she scoffed, all too used to the curiosity filling his beautiful (did she say beautiful? she meant hideous) grey eyes.
cedric gave her a look she could find on some obedient dog, head tilted and hair curled around his forehead like a halo. he was too bright — too hard to look at. it annoyed nova. everything about this wretched boy infuriated her.
"well — " he fixed her with a lopsided grin — god, nova hated this man (she meant loved, she just doesn't know it yet) "you're really quite nice, so i don't understand...why."
"why what?" nova snarled. all of a sudden, that boiling, endless fury ignited in her like a wildfire, sparking her eyes like flints on steel.
"why you're always angry. doesn't it get tiring?" cedric asked, and he sounded so genuine and interested that nova actually regretted lashing out. but come on, this was cedric she was talking about — he was the embodiment of her hatred!
"no. it doesn't." nova seethed, fully wishing she was back in bed and not next to this brainless bumbling idiot.
"is there a reason why you hate everyone?" cedric swung his arms as he spoke, eyes flittering in every direction as he watched a stray butterfly looping around the trees.
yeah, because people like you exist. "they're just annoying. and judgy."
"how so?" ugh, seriously, will this man stop prodding into what's none of his concern?!
nova laughed humorlessly. it was such a stupid and naive question — of course cedric diggory, of all people, would never understand. he'd never been overshadowed, or cast away, or excluded. he was the center of all attention — a sun in which planets circled around endlessly, because he was so bright and so magnetic people just naturally gravitated towards him.
"they just are." nova shrugged — she really didn't want to talk about feelings (ugh) with this imbecile. especially not about hers.
cedric only nodded, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets.
'finally,' nova sighed, rolling her shoulders as she enjoyed the still and almost silence.
but of course, when you're with cedric 'i have no brain-to-mouth filter' diggory, silence isn't really a prerequisite.
"want to climb a tree? i hear there's a lovely view." he offered, and that stupid fucking smile lit up his face once again (seriously, the guy looks like christmas came early).
"oh yeah?" nova raised her eyebrows, shaking a fiery curl away from her eyes. "and where'd you hear that from?"
"oh, you know. heard it on the walk here." because he certainly hadn't been aching to climb up a tree and asses if nova's eyes glowed like embers in the sunlight. (seriously, what was up with him today and wanting spend time with the nova aetos?)
nova slapped a hand to her forehead. this was going to be a long day.
OFTEN TIMES, when nova rethinks her life decisions, she reserves a special hatred for moments where she lets her guard down (embarrassing, right?). which is why, she absolutely wanted to release her grip on the tree branch her arms were currently glued to and simply fall to her death.
i mean, what had she been thinking — agreeing to climb a tree with cedric because he offered? what has the world come to?
"i hope god decides to strike this tree down right now." nova muttered as her wobbly legs felt like giving out on her at any second. cedric only watched with amusement at her struggle, obviously glad that there was nothing she could do about his chuckles as she was gripping onto the tree trunk for dear life.
whose idea was it to let a dragon climb a tree anyway?! that's so absurd!
"oh, come on, aetos. it's not that bad." cedric laughed as he walked gracefully over to her, his abnormally long legs having no difficulty crossing from thick branch to branch.
"are you fucking kidding?!" nova replied, fright lingering in her eyes and mixing with that ever-present fury as she gulped and closed her eyes.
she felt lightheaded — out of control (which was kind of weird, since dragons aren't supposed to be afraid of heights. seriously, people picked the wrong title for nova).
nova had once lived without that fear, at least up until her third year (the year after she tried for the team). there isn't much she was afraid of, but heights were sort of a sore spot for her. that chest tightening, fear inducing feeling where she felt hopeless — far too vulnerable. that's what it did to her.
"nova. are you alright?" suddenly it was like her ordinary planet-self had orbited too close to the sun — it had grown too warm for the chill that was still in the air.
cedric was looking at her with that look (at least it wasn't pity) of concern, with his eyebrows scrunched and his perfect hair falling over his temple and curling around his eyebrows.
nova shook her head violently. what had she been thinking, climbing a tree when she was very much afraid of heights!?
"there's nothing to be afraid of." he said, even more softly.
'oh, yeah,' nova thought bitterly. 'easy for you to say.'
"yeah right. and i'm the nicest person in the fucking world." she spat.
man, if only nova knew how to apparate, then none of this would've happened in the first place (thanks a lot, diggory!) but this was nova speaking, because her stubbornness and need to prove herself better than others ultimately led her to making rash decisions — hence, why she's currently 20 feet up, indulging in the not-so-fun activity of tree hugging! in the end, she'd been stupid enough to climb that tree (her idiocy would really be the death of her) so the blame was on nova and nova only.
"come on, i'll get you down." cedric gently placed his hands on nova's shoulders (there's that surge of burning anger in her chest again!)
'dont fucking touch me,' is what she wanted to leave her lips, but the words never made it past her throat before they were cut off by a yell escaping her lips.
cedric had turned around and hauled her arms over his broad back, making nova's head collide with his mess of wavy hair. oh my fucking god. nova aetos was being given a piggyback ride by cedric diggory.
"hold tight, okay?" his charming (scratchy like nails on a chalkboard, nova reminded herself. not charming) velvet voice floated to her ears as cedric turned his head to smile reassuringly at nova.
and there it was again.
nova thought she'd just been paying too much attention, but there was certainly a blueish green tint to cedric's beautiful eyes, mixing with the metallic mercury under the sun. he was like a statue made from the hands of a sculptor who knew the true embrace of warmth and kiss of appreciation — one surrounded by endless love and happiness.
his eyes shone like quicksilver under the glow of the morning sun.
cedric diggory truly was her heart's worst enemy.
# LOVE, RAY !
live laugh love cedric
i don't know how to write emotionally constipated characters or consistently!!
posting this bc i have a shitload of assignments to turn in so i probably won't be uploading anything until finals are over