My eyes slowly fluttered open and instantly, I placed my left hand over my right. I raised it up and saw that the snake bite was pretty swollen but nevertheless, not that painful anymore. With blinking eyes, I glanced over my right shoulder and saw a gash mark just right next to my collarbone. Then everything came rushing back to me.
Medusa, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Gryffindor's sword, the chamber of secrets, the kiss, Draco.
I turned my head sideways as I pull myself up to sitting position. My body was still aching all over but it was manageable. I saw Cedric sitting on a chair with his head on the bedside table. I smiled a little as I stroke a few strands of hair from his face. He stirred in his sleep and made me pull my hand away quickly. I was still watching him when his eyes flew open. He gave a slight grin and chuckle before stretching and yawning a bit.
"Rise and Shine!" I exclaimed.
He laughed at this before perching his elbows on my bed. "How are you feeling?"
I shrugged and answered "Good I guess.. I couldn't say fully recovered but I'm much better than yesterday. Hey wait a minute, it was yesterday right? Or last night? How long have I been out?"
"About a day. When we brought you here, it was almost sunrise. We waited for you to wake up but I guess you took a slight break from the happenings, which you truly deserve after saving all of us. So, yes. You've been asleep for 24 hours. Oh before I forgot.." He said then handing me a bowl containing what seemed like a massacre of sea foods. I gave an uneasy look at the dish before looking back at Cedric.
"Is that even edible? It's supposed to be eaten right?" I said, looking at the bowl, unconvinced.
He let out a chuckle and said "Yes it is. And believe me, it's awesome. Hermione brought that for you. It's called bouillabaisse. Go on. eat up."
I glanced at it one more time and said "Fine. I'll take your word for it." Then I ate a spoonful of it. He was right it was delicious!! Within just a few minutes, the sea food massacre was gone.
"So? Did you like it?" He asked.
"I would care for seconds." I said, grinning.
We talked for a few while, mainly me, filling him in on what happened with Medusa. We shared a few laughs before his tone turned serious as he faced me. "Renee, listen. We need to talk about something. I'm doing this for you and a friend. Be completely honest with me. Why did you pull away?"
I shot him a puzzled expression "What? Pulled away? Where?"
He heaved a sigh and smiled lightly "You were gone for a day. I have no one to talk to with what happened so I had a little chat with Draco."
My heart leaped to my throat and I tried to gulped it down. "Wh-What did he say?"
"He told me everything. Now answer me, why did you pull away from that kiss you shared?"
I shifted uneasily on the bed and looked away "Because..." I started "Because I hate him. I hate his guts, I hate his everything. He made my school life miserable, Cedric. You know that."
He turned my chin to face him "Are you sure that's just it?"
I nodded, without looking at his eyes, knowing that I'm keeping the truth from him.
He crossed his arms over his chest and looked thoughtful "Hmm.. I have a suspicion in mind..The real reason why you pulled away. Let me ask you a question." He said before sitting next to me. "Renee, Surely I did not make your school life miserable, did I?"
"No.." I said slowly, aware on how he was leaning closer and closer to me.
"Then.." He said breathtakingly with a smirk "If I..Right here, right now.." He continued leaning forward, my back almost touching the bed. "I kissed you.." Then suddenly he grabbed my wrist and pulled me on upright sitting position, with our noses touching, "Would you pull away too?"
I shut my eyes completely and let out a small "EEP!"
He then released me and fell out of the bed laughing. I was mad at one point because I really thought he would kiss me! I throw a pillow down at him and I watched as tears streamed down his face from laughing so hard. That's what cracked me up. When he finally got over his laughter, he sat straight up on the chair with a silly grin on his face.
I stared at his messily cute hair and shook my head. No. "What did you do that for?!"
"To confirm my suspicion." He said like it was the most obvious thing.
"What exactly is your suspicion?" I asked, avoiding rolling my eyes.
"Guess what.." He said, with a sly grin.
~He did TRY to seduce me didn't he? Maybe he thought I pulled away because I still have feelings for him which was partially true..But..~
"Oh no.. no no no..That was wrong.." I muttered.
"What wrong?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"You thought that I pulled away from kissing Ferret boy because you thought...you thought I still like you?" I asked carefully.
I was pretty sure that if he was drinking water at that moment, I would've been drenched in it. I was scared that he would have another laughing fit but he just sat there, like kinda surprised.
"No.. that's not it.. and you're right.. it was wrong.. Gosh Renee..that's..that's disturbing!" He exclaimed.
I swat him with a pillow again and he laughed. "What?! You were the disturbing one here! Imagine 'almost' kissing me?! And you couldn't blame me if I thought that way. You tried to seduce me!" I said, crossing my arms and sticking out my tongue.
"Have I succeeded?" He asked while wiggling his brows.
"Cedric!!" I exclaimed.
He laughed again before saying "Okay seriously, I'll tell you what I think."
I nodded as if urging him to go on.
"Well.. I conclude that you're just being yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"What I meant is you're being your usual self. The Renee that was scared. of almost everything. You were afraid to fall for Draco because he made your life miserable. Tell me. If a person makes your life a living hell, does that mean that there is no possibility that he likes you?"
I almost choked on what I've heard "Are you serious!? Draco, liking me? oh boy..that's I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E!"
"Nothing's impossible here on Hogwarts." He said, smirking.
"Tell me the point, Diggory. Stop with your mind games."
"Okay okay.. remember the time when the two of you fought? The time before he gave you the pumpkin juice and sandwich?"
My eyes widened "How did you know about that?!"
"How can I get to the point when you keep answering my questions with questions?"
"Sorry." I muttered.
He grinned and continued "Well, after your dramatic exit, guess who burst out crying? Draco. If he didn't do that, I would've ended strangling him for everything he said but then the tears.. It gave everything. Then he told me about all the things on his mind. How scared he was. Not just because he was the 'heir' but because he was scared that he wasn't good enough for you. That he might lose you. That's when he told me how much he loved you Renee. His exact words were, more than my life and I'd do anything for her."
I was dumbfounded. "WHAT?! If you're kidding me, drop it. But if you're not..well..that's kinda impossible. If he did like me then..then why did he made my life a living hell?"
"Good question. In fact I asked him that myself and he told me that it was your fault. Which, later on, I understood."
"My fault?! why me?!" Things cannot get more bizarre than this.
"Well, you see. He pulled all those pranks on you to get your attention. He's a guy, Renee. He needs your focus."
"But he could've done that in a nice manner couldn't he?" I asked, a bit irritated, but curious.
"Answer that yourself. Whenever he did good things to you, how do you respond? You simply shrug it off or what? You think it's another prank of his, when he was sincerely trying to help you out. Renee, he deserves a little love. he did that because of you. if you were nicer to him, perhaps he never did those things on you. It pained him doing so but it's the only way he can think off." He explained.
I stared down at myself, thinking and reminiscing of the past. He was right. I never look at him in the brighter side. All I know is that I've been burning in my mind that he was just some jerk who wants to ruin me. But why did I do that? Because, again Cedric's right, I was scared. Scared to fall in love with someone who wouldn't even take a second look at me and with someone who I thought, hated me.
I was scared to fall for Draco Malfoy, the biggest bully. But now I know, I'm not terrified anymore. That's when I decided it's time. Time to make things right.