CEDRIC
XLIII
"I see you and Harry are good friends."
That was what Cho said when he returned with the last broom and placed it on the ground next to the rest. Cedric half expected her to continue, but that was it. No "when did it happen?" or "that's great". With that neutral tone, there was nothing that could refer to whether it was a positive or negative comment.
It sounded like an observation.
Correct.
"We are," he nodded, still confused by what had happened with Harry a few minutes ago. "Do you... do you like him?" he dared to ask, not anticipating his sudden embarrassment.
Was he trying to find out her opinion of Harry...?
Why? Was he going to play Cupid?
He had gotten upset with his friends for that and now he was doing the exact same thing. Perhaps he had been too harsh with them.
Cho's expression remained unreadable.
Strange, she was usually expressive.
"You don't like him?" he realised, a heavy feeling taking place in the middle of his stomach. He didn't understand how anyone, especially one of his close friends, could dislike Harry. Cedric wanted them to get along, because he appreciated him and maybe also because of Harry's feelings, which would be hurt if he knew. "Why?"
It wasn't like they had spent a lot of time together either.
What could have happened between them for Cho to think like that?
Could that be the reason for Harry's acting weird?
"He didn't take the match seriously."
Cedric let out a laugh, unable to stop it. Was that it?
"He's practically let me win," Cho continued, with a frown. "I don't know if he thinks he's the best and hasn't even bothered to play for real. Or he thinks we weren't a real opponent, which sucks because Angelina and Katie were amazing. And they're on his own team."
"Harry doesn't think that way," he stated too quickly. "He doesn't believe..."
"How can you know?"
Cho's raised eyebrow was a sign of her distrust.
"I know him," Cedric repeated, with a certainty that didn't change his friend's expression. "He doesn't think he's the best or anything like that. He is surprisingly humble, in fact. You'd like him if you knew him better. I'm sure."
Several alternatives later the situation seemed to have improved.
«We don't know what happened to him.»
«Perhaps he was tired and that's why he didn't play at his 100%.»
«It was a game for fun. Maybe that's why he didn't take it so seriously.»
"You should ask him," Cedric finally suggested, as they finished loading everything to the storage space on the field, in one of the towers.
That conversation had been quiet.
The softness in Cho's eyes as she nodded with approval reminded him more of the thoughtful girl he knew, the one with whom he shared points of views, who were always willing to listen to each other and tried not to be stubborn with their opinions.
"I may have misunderstood it," she muttered unhappily, after Cedric locked the door with the key he had as captain, and they headed back to the castle. "I feel awful. I ignored him when he was about to speak to me."
Cedric thought that it was a good reason for the visible discomfort Harry had shown before. One that Harry hadn't wanted to share with him, and one that he could understand.
Who wouldn't feel bad if the girl you like ignored you?
Cho said that she would talk to him to clear things up.
HARRY
LII
He thought Cedric would be alone.
Kind of silly of him, because of course he had company.
He spotted Cho a few yards away, in the field, looking at them curiously. Harry had to leave before she got close, because he just didn't want to be there with them.
Interrupting.
He ran to catch up with his friends, whom he had left halfway towards the castle, assuring them to continue without him. He had been convinced that he would stay talking with Cedric and return to the dorms later. There he was, again, breathless, under George's startled gaze.
"I didn't notice that you were gone," he told him, looking around. "Where is Cedric? I thought he was coming with us too."
Angelina and Katie laughed out loud at how clueless he was.
"He stayed in the field," Harry explained, and because he had a feeling George would ask, he added, "with Cho."
George put an arm around his shoulders and resumed their previous conversation.
CEDRIC
XLIV
When he returned to his room that night, he asked Malcolm if he had a good time, considering that he had been in the stands for most of the afternoon. If he had been bored, what did he think of the match and the Gryffindor players. Cedric's curiosity was immense and his best friend was a source of experiences and anecdotes that he liked to be able to share. Zacharias was in his bed, not making any comments, with a book in his hand and didn't seem to be paying attention to them.
Cedric had invited him, of course.
Zacharias wasn't interested in playing with other teams as he proposed, but he had reserved his opinion. Even when Cedric could see it in his face, he appreciated it. He felt uncomfortable discussing the events of the evening with Malcolm so openly and loudly. Not only because of some sensitive information that he might say, but also because they were disturbing his reading. He considered offering to go to the common room, because it would be empty enough to have privacy.
Especially to discuss the situation of their friends.
He thought it might be rude of him to do so, and they stayed in the room. It was late, anyway, and they were too tired to move from their beds.
Hermione turned out to be a great company, Malcolm told him. She was an interesting and intelligent girl, with a lot of opinions that she had no problem expressing when she often disagreed. She hated (the art of, an aspect Malcolm liked to emphasize) Divination in the loudest possible way, and she had kept him at bay as much as she had offered a debate. And she turned red when he asked about Ron, which Malcolm took to be a dead giveaway on her feelings.
In addition to really wanting to watch him play.
The girl seemed to be the redhead's first fan.
"You could be a substitute for chaser," he told Cedric as well, settling back on the pillow. "Not that I'm very knowledgeable about Quidditch, but it seemed like you knew what you were doing. And if Cho hadn't caught the snitch, you would've won."
Cedric had to admit that he had enjoyed playing in that position.
He noticed Zacharias looking at them for a moment.
"So did you play as a chaser?" he asked with interest.
"Yeah. It requires a lot of strength," Cedric mused, leaning out to see him. "I'm tired. It's exhausting, I don't know how you do it."
Zacharias found it amusing. "It's much more active than being a seeker."
Boy did he have a point.
That was going to hurt tomorrow.
"I usually sleep early to recover," he commented, turning back to his book.
He wasn't sure if it was a suggestion to keep them quiet or a genuine piece of advice. Although it sounded real, it wasn't Cedric who refused to listen, but Malcolm, who continued to talk about a variety of issues.
Cedric recalled one in particular he really wanted to know.
"How did you get along with the Weasleys?"
The short delay in his response would not have caught the attention of anyone else.
Not that Cedric was going to point it out under those conditions.
Just as he'd thought it would be, Malcolm did like them.
"Actually, I spent all the way here talking to Fred. I didn't realise that you had stayed in the field."
"I had to put things away," Cedric explained, keeping in mind that Malcolm wasn't on the team, so he didn't know about his habits and responsibilities as captain. Tam was usually the one who waited for him so they could return together. "I had to lock up, just like I do after every training session."
"Who was with you?" he asked, rising onto his elbows. "I'm sorry I left without asking if you needed anything or didn't wait for you. I got distracted."
"It's okay, Cho kept me company."
He hoped Malcolm wasn't going to joke about it, which he did not. Just one smile and they fell asleep after a while.
XLV
The strangest thing happened the next morning.
Oliver Wood greeted him in the corridor between classes.
Out of surprise, the only reason he had a chance to return the gesture was because Oliver approached him. "I heard about the friendly match yesterday." Cedric nodded, not knowing what to answer. "I couldn't go, but the boys told me it was fun."
They continued talking about the team members in what seemed like regular conversation until Oliver said, "This is my last year, and I didn't want to leave without telling you that I've underestimated you."
Someone admitting that they had underestimated a Hufflepuff was unusual.
"I know a lot of people think you're just a pretty face, and they're not wrong about that. You're very handsome," he admitted, looking into his eyes and Cedric managed to hide the astonishment in his expression thanks to the fact that he continued with no break, "I didn't think you'd be any good. I thought you were chosen because of your popularity. Because people noticed you, then they would notice the team too. I don't really know if that was the case, but you're a great captain. Not that you need my recognition."
He was stunned.
It couldn't be real.
Did people really think that was why he had been chosen?
It sucked that he wasn't entirely sure it hadn't been that way.
But now he knew something that the day before he didn't.
"You're right," Cedric conceded, bewildering himself as much as Oliver. "I don't need it, but I do appreciate it. Thanks."
What difference did it make what others believed? He didn't have to prove his worth to them, because he had already proven to the most important person that he could be anything he wanted. A captain, a prefect, a friend. A human being who tried to do his best, put his heart into everything he did and he wasn't afraid of hard work because he trusted that he could do it.
Even if no one else did, he would bet on his own person.
He himself was the one that truly mattered.
XLVI
The words that the previous Gryffindor captain had said were already enough to leave Cedric reminiscing about the scene for the rest of the day. Or the week. He found himself thinking back to how Oliver had also mentioned that it was a shame they hadn't met sooner and that he could write to him if he wanted.
For advice or whatever.
Something was different in his way of saying that, somehow peculiar.
He told everything to Malcolm, who cracked up after the part about the letters. "I can't believe it." Cedric asked him what he meant, but his laughter wouldn't let him speak. "The Gryffindor captain flirted with you."
"What?" Cedric blurted out with what must have looked like the biggest confusion he'd ever manifested. "No, there's no way that's how it went."
Malcolm was one of the most patient people he knew. He lived up to his qualities as a Huffepuff and a researcher, because he took the time to come up with an impromptu list of evidence that supported his corroborated hypothesis, these being the strongest reasons:
1. The shameless admission to his face that he found him handsome.
2. The compliments and recognition.
3. "It's a shame I didn't meet you sooner" was, in his opinion, a clear expression of desire.
4. Telling someone they can write to you for anything sounded like a suggestive invitation.
Cedric wanted to get a second opinion.
The problem was that Tam wouldn't have that level of analysis and Willow would just find it amusing. And none of them would ever forget it.
"Oliver's cute," Malcolm stated as if it was another item on the list. "A bit obsessed with Quidditch, but cute."
"And is Fred cute too?"
At least Cedric wasn't the only one embarrassed anymore.
XLVII
He almost wanted to find out if Oliver had meant something by that. Asking someone if they've flirted with you was rare, and in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not that he had a problem with it. True, Oliver was cute, which made him a little nervous noticing it when he saw him.
Merlin, was it his imagination or had Oliver winked?
The second time, he confirmed it.
He didn't tell Malcolm so it wouldn't go to his head.
Instead, he finally asked how he knew Willow reciprocated Tam's feelings and if he'd ever discussed it with one of them. He told him it was obvious, from the way she looked at her, and because in first year... Willow introduced them to Tam, and Malcolm had thought that the former was jealous of the latter because she was into Cedric, and Tam and he got along wonderfully. Later he realised that she was jealous of Cedric because of his close friendship with Tam. Then they all became best friends and Malcolm forgot about the whole thing because Willow had dated a boy in fourth year until they broke up and...
Okay, so Malcolm had followed the whole story.
Cedric had only noticed a few suspicious interactions.
Such as his last exchange with Harry, which he couldn't get out of his mind.