“–And then, he puked everywhere! Chunks went flying!” George laughed before shoving some cereal into his mouth.
I cringed at the vivid image. “That’s so gross. You shouldn’t have given a first year Puking Pastilles.”
They both chuckled. “Hey, it got him out of classes. Win, win.”
I shook my head, grinning at my friends. “You two are something else.”
My eyes subconsciously drifted in Cedric’s direction. Cho was nestled against his side, sipping on orange juice. The past few meals I had chosen to sit with the twins at the Gryffindor table. Things were awkward between me and Cedric right now. I figured some space from him would do me some good. It’s not that I was necessarily avoiding him— I was… simply choosing not to be in the same place as him. I had his schedule memorized, so it was easy for me to find ways around him; aside from sharing classes with him anyway. Okay, so maybe I was avoiding him.
“So, Elle. Are you excited for your little date this weekend?” Fred asked, smirking as he brought his milk carton to his lips.
My cheeks immediately heated up. My eyes scanned our table before they landed on Trevor Lockhart. His deep blue eyes locked with mine and he winked, causing my blushing to intensify. I smiled at him sheepishly before averting my gaze. Fred and George both gave me a smug smile, having watched the awkward exchange. I nibbled on a piece of toast and nodded, trying to collect my thoughts.
“Um, yeah. I am. But I’m more nervous than anything,” I admitted.
They nodded in understanding.
“That’s perfectly normal,” George said as he patted my shoulder.
“I don’t know what to expect. I mean, how am I even supposed to act? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I can’t even think of anything to say? What if—”
George cut me off mid-sentence. “Just be yourself, Ellie. Relax and be yourself. Everything will fall into place.”
I found myself nodding. “Yeah, you’re right…” I trailed off before feeling another wave of anxiety wash over. “But what if he doesn’t like me?”
“What if you don’t like him?” Fred challenged with raised brows.
My mouth fell open. “Oh, Merlin. You’re right. What if I don’t like him and then I’m stuck on a date that I don’t even want to be on? I didn’t think of that. Is it getting hot in here? It feels really hot in here.” I started fanning my face with my hand.
They pressed their lips together before they burst out laughing, earning a perplexed expression from me.
“Chill, Elle. You’re getting yourself worked up over nothing,” Fred told me after their laughing fit was over.
“Yeah. Everything will be fine. It’s one date,” George assured me.
I breathed out forcefully. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just… I don’t know. I don’t really know how to talk to guys.”
George quirked a brow at me. “If you haven’t noticed, we're totally guys.”
They laughed in unison. I was quick to join in, my laughter mingling with theirs. All of a sudden, I felt a familiar pair of eyes on me. I would know the feel of those eyes anywhere— They belonged to Cedric. I met his gaze for the briefest of moments, biting my lip before ripping my eyes from his silver orbs.
I ran a hand through my hair, clearing my throat before responding to my friends, “Yeah, but you’re my best friends. That doesn’t count.”
Fred pursed his lips. “What about Cedric? You talk to him just fine.”
I felt my face growing warm at the mention of his name. They noticed my blush and snickered quietly. I narrowed my eyes at the both of them.
“I’ve known him since first year. That’s different,” I breathed out, tracing an imaginary pattern on the table with my finger.
Their snickers continued.
“If you can talk to Ced, who've you’ve been in love with for half your life, then you can certainly talk to Lockhart,” Fred teased in a whisper.
My blushing intensified as my jaw dropped. I smacked his arm in a playful manner.
“Hush! Someone might hear you!” I snapped with a stern glare.
This only fueled their laughter. My eyes instinctively trailed in Cedric’s direction, who was focusing entirely on Cho. His eyes were dancing as she laughed at something he said. I bit my lip in longing as I stared at him. Even from a distance, I could see the tenderness in his eyes as he gazed at her. He never looked at me that way. Knowing that caused my heart to sink.
“Oh, please. The entire school already knows,” George said, wagging his eyebrows.
I felt the heat from my face spreading to my neck and ears. “Don’t say that. Please.”
Could they hear the desperation in my voice? Their obnoxious laughter told me they did.
“Relax. We're only kidding,” George assured me while Fred nodded in agreement.
Both of the twins were distracted as a group of Beauxbatons’ girls walked by. Their eyes widened in sync.
“Close your mouth. You’ll catch flies,” I teased with a grin.
They laughed in unison.
“Those Beauxbatons' girls are… Wow,” Fred said to George, who nodded in agreement.
“They sure are,” George agreed with a smirk.
The Beauxbatons school, as well as Durmstrang, would be spending the school year here at Hogwarts for the TwiWizard tournament. All of the Hogwarts' boys were drooling over the Beauxbatons’ girls, while the Hogwarts' girls swooned anytime one of the boys from Dumstrang looked their way. The excitement was building due to Headmaster Dumbledore announcing the Goblet of Fire. You had to be seventeen to put your name in the Goblet of Fire, for which I was grateful. I knew how dangerous the tournament could be— It was downright life-threatening. The thought of some of the younger students putting their life in peril caused my heart to sink, so I, for one, was pleased about the rule.
“It’s a shame you have to be seventeen to put your name in the Goblet of Fire,” Vinny, a fifth year Gryffindor, said to the twins.
Fred and George shared a knowing look and a smug smile. “What a shame,” they said in sync, elbowing each other in jest.
I narrowed my eyes at the both of them suspiciously. I knew them well enough by now to know when they were up to something, and they were definitely up to something.
***
As I was making my way to the courtyard, a hand on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks. My stomach automatically erupted with butterflies, so I knew who it was before I even turned around to be met with his kind, dancing eyes. Cedric’s lips tugged up at the corners in an attempted smile before dropping his hand to his side and falling in step with me.
“What are you up to?” His voice washed over me.
I cleared my throat nervously before responding, “Oh, uh— I’m just going to study for a bit and get some fresh air.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him nodding. “Can I ask you something?”
I started chewing on my lower lip— a nervous habit of mine. His voice had an edge to it, so I knew something was on his mind.
“Of course,” I told him, flashing him a timid smile.
He stopped walking abruptly, causing me to spin on my heels to face him. I looked up at my best friend who was towering over me. He pursed his lips in thought, catching my eye.
“Have you been avoiding me?” He asked; I could detect a faint hint of amusement in his voice.
I felt a blush creep to my cheeks. “Wha-? Um, no. Of course not, Ced.” He quirked a brow as if to challenge me, causing me to go on a nervous rant. “W-Why would you think that? I’m sorry.. I-I wasn’t avoiding you or anything. I mean, yeah, I’ve been giving you space and stuff, but I wasn’t necessarily avoiding you. You’re my best friend and—”
He cut me off mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he spoke, “Giving me space? We've been over this, Elliana.”
I felt my entire face and neck getting warmer by the second. “You get where I’m coming from though, right?” I asked him, raising my brows in questioning.
He tilted his head to the side in an adorable manner. “What do you mean?”
I sighed, nibbling on my lower lip before I responded, “Well, how would you feel if I had a boyfriend who didn’t like you? You’d feel uncomfortable too.”
His lips parted in surprise, which, once again, caught my eye. His lips were the perfect shape. They looked so soft. Shut up! I can’t keep having these thoughts about him.
He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “Cho doesn’t dislike you, if that’s what you’re implying.”
I gave him a disbelieving look. “She doesn’t like how close I am to you. And to be honest, I can’t really blame her.”
Especially given the fact that I was in love with him. I was certain Cho wasn’t oblivious to the fact. Cedric’s frown slowly turned upside down; I could practically see the light bulb flickering in his brain.
“You two just haven’t gotten to know each other properly..” He trailed off, his smile broadening.
I started shaking my head. I knew where he was going with this and I didn’t like it. “Ced, no,” I muttered, my cheeks reddening.
“Please, Elliana. Just give her a chance. Sit with us at lunch and actually talk to her.” His voice was pleading. His grey eyes danced with emotion before he added, “For me?”
My lower lip quivered as I gazed into his eyes that resembled stormy skies. “Okay,” I found myself agreeing, despite myself.
“Thank you!” He beamed at me, his smile highlighting his flushed cheeks and making his eyes dance.
“Anything for you,” I breathed out, trying to ignore how my heart stuttered in my chest.
His smile grew at my words. “There’s actually something else I need to talk to you about as well.”
My interest was piqued. My heart was fluttering wildly; I feared it might fly away. This boy was going to be the death of me.
“Oh?” My voice wavered nervously.
Why was I nervous? Whatever he had to say, I knew it wouldn’t be what I wanted to hear. So why were my palms sweaty and my heart racing? Because he's Cedric. That’s why.
He placed his hands in his pockets. “I, uh—” I watched as his gaze fell to the ground before he continued, “I’m thinking about putting my name in the Goblet of Fire.”
Just like that, my world stopped spinning. My mouth ran dry. My heart stopped beating before picking up its rhythm, beating against my ribcage like a drum and echoing in my ears. I felt my eyes grow wide as I started shaking my head incessantly.
“No. Cedric, no. NO!” I continued shaking my head. Tears sprung to my eyes at the thought of his life being in peril. “Please don’t. It’s dangerous. You-You can’t do that, Ced. Please. I’m begging you.” I didn’t bother trying to hide the desperation in my voice; my voice shook with fear.
His smile instantly vanished from his face, which was replaced with a concerned frown. His brows knitted together. He placed both of his hands on my shoulders and kneeled down slightly. My heart was still thumping wildly, but it was now for a different reason.
“Elliana,” he breathed my name before a faint smile flitted to his lips. “Breathe.”
I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to get a grip on the many emotions coursing through me.
“I haven’t made up my mind yet. But that prize money would really help my family out, you know,” he told me with a forlorn smile.
I exhaled loudly before nodding. “I know, Ced. But it’s not worth risking your life over. Trust me. Just.. Please don’t do it. Promise me.” I was begging at this point.
He pressed his lips into a thin line before sighing. “We’ll talk about this at lunch, ‘kay? With Cho. I wanted to speak to both of you about it before I made any decisions.”
The tangled knot in my stomach eased up at his words. I was certain Cho would agree with me. Surely, if his girlfriend and best friend were both against it, he would listen to reason, right? I was quick to nod as I processed my thoughts.
“Okay. I’ll be there,” I assured him with a forced grin.
***
My stomach was in my throat when I spotted Cedric sitting with Cho in the middle of the courtyard. Her head was leaning against his shoulder as she bit into an apple. Seeing them together from afar was one thing, but having to actually sit with them? To say I was dreading it was an understatement.
Cedric’s gray eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw me, and I couldn’t stop the butterflies that fluttered about violently in my stomach at the sight.
“Elliana,” he greeted me with a bright smile as he gestured towards the empty seat in front of him. “How was Xylomancy?”
Cho narrowed her eyes at me as I sank into the seat in front of them. I offered her a half-hearted smile which she hesitantly returned.
“It was fine,” I breathed out. “Have some homework I have to catch up on later though.”
“I really don’t know why you chose to take that class,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Professor Trelawney says I have ‘a gift’.” I used air quotes, frowning when he flashed me a mocking smile.
“Oh, yeah? Have you predicted anything yet?” He teased.
“Have you?” I shot back with a smirk.
He took Divination with me, though I wasn’t sure why. He was never a fan of the subject. Occasionally, I would see flickers of green light in my crystal ball, but I haven’t seen anything substantial. Still, it was more than most students have seen thus far.
“What do you think?” He quipped, chuckling lowly.
Cho was frowning at the interaction between the two of us. “I have a strong love line,” she spoke a bit smugly before locking eyes with Cedric. “Professor Trelawney told me so.”
He breathed out a laugh as he looked down at his palms. “I have no idea how to read palms,” he admitted.
“Let me see,” I told him as I held my hand out for his.
The second he placed his hand in my mine, my heart skipped a beat. I flipped his hand over to study his palm. My fingers lightly traced the creases in his palm. I could feel him studying my face as I did so. Cho took a bite out of her apple and started crunching quite loudly.
“Your love line is quite strong, Ced,” I spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
“Of course it is.” He winked at Cho, causing me to stifle an eye-roll.
My eyes furrowed of their own accord as I stared at his life line. How odd.
“Um..” I trailed off, squinting at his palm as I traced his broken life line.
“What is it?” He asked with raised brows.
I looked up in to his stormy grey skies and chewed on my lower lip anxiously. “Your life line.. It’s broken.”
“Broken?” He questioned a bit sarcastically.
I nodded. “See here.” I traced the line with my index finger, leading to the disconnected line. “It breaks… Squares off..” I circled the square, trailing over to the next line. “Then starts again.”
He pursed his lips, appearing to be deep in thought. “What does that mean?”
I trailed my fingers across the strange line once again before he yanked his hand from mine as if I had burned him. A sigh escaped my lips as my eyes connected with his.
“It could mean many different things, Ced. I’m not sure,” I admitted with a frown, tucking a stray curl behind my ear.
“It probably doesn’t mean anything,” Cho spoke up, narrowing her eyes at me once more.
He looked at me apprehensively, causing me to shrug my shoulders. “It’s hard telling.”
After a moment of silence, a glorious smile spread across his face. It was enough to take my breath away, and it would have—If Cho Chang wasn’t watching the two of us with scrutinizing eyes.
“If you really thought it was something, you’d be freaking out,” he said to me with a dry chuckle. “So, I’m not worried.”
He was right. He knew how much he meant to me; he just didn’t know to what extent exactly. Cedric Diggory hadn’t the slightest idea that my love for him went beyond friendship.
“You’re right. I would be,” I was quick to agree with him as I folded my arms on top of the table.
“Speaking of freaking out….” He trailed off with a smirk before locking eyes with Cho. “I’m thinking about putting my name in the Goblet of Fire.”
Her chestnut eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”
He nodded once, his smirk growing. My stomach churned anxiously. I was on pins and needles as I awaited her reaction. Surely, she would be on my side with this? I watched in horror as her eyes lit up with excitement.
“That’s… Wow, Ced.” Her tone was approving as she looked him over before nodding enthusiastically. “My boyfriend— The Hogwarts Champion?”
My heart dropped to my stomach. Cedric’s grey eyes danced with delight.
“So, you think I should go for it?” He asked with a cheeky grin.
I started shaking my head frantically. He already knew my opinion on the matter. I hoped with all of my heart that my opinion, his best friend of six years, would mean a little more to him than Cho Chang’s— who he has only been dating for a few months. But his heart was in his eyes as he stared at her, and I feared that her opinion was the only one that mattered whatsoever.
“Absolutely!” She beamed at him. “That would be such a great opportunity for you and the Hufflepuff house in general. You’re so brave.” She batted her eyelashes at him, causing me to stifle an eyeroll.
Normally, I wasn’t one for confrontation, but I couldn’t bite my tongue. “Do you realize how dangerous the Twiwizard Tournament is?” I asked her in a stern tone.
She narrowed her eyes at me. Cedric was looking between the two of us with a worried expression.
“He. Could. Die,” I spoke each word as though it was its own sentence.
Cho folded her arms across her chest and scowled. “Your lack of faith in him is pretty insulting, if you ask me.”
My jaw dropped. Cedric quirked a brow at me.
“I’m just looking out for him. It’s not worth him putting his life on the line for a thousand galleons and a moment of fame.” I clenched my fists tightly at the very idea of him being involved in the tournament.
“You don’t think I can handle it?” He asked me; I could detect the sadness in his voice.
I was quick to shake my head. “No, no, Ced. It’s not that. If anyone can do it, it’s you. But I just don’t think it’s worth it. Anything could happen to you,” I explained softly, locking eyes with him.
Emotions were swirling in the depths of his pupils. “Anything could happen to any of us at any given time, Elliana. Life is about taking chances—Taking risks. Life is about actually living—Having adventures and putting yourself out there. I don’t want to live in the shadows for the rest of my life. I want to experience everything life has to offer.”
His words washed over me, causing a lump to form in my throat. I didn’t want to hold my best friend back; of course not. I just couldn’t bear the thought of him risking his life; the thought made me sick to my stomach.
“I get that,” I breathed out. “But I have a really bad feeling about it.”
“Elliana, I’ll be fine,” he said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
I could feel the anxiety taking root in me and had to stop myself from full-on panicking.
“So, you’ve made your decision then? You’re going to do it?” My voice wavered slightly.
Cho quirked a brow at him as a smug smile sprung to her lips, and I had to stop myself from full-on glaring at the girl. Cedric pressed his lips into a thin line before nodding.
“Yes,” he spoke with finality. “I’m going to do it.”
My heart dropped to my stomach while simultaneously being in my throat. I felt tears spring to my eyes as a dark, unsettling feeling washed over me. Without saying a word, I swiftly stood up from the table and practically ran in the opposite direction.