Cedric straightened his tie for the thirtieth time.
"Mate, your tie's fine stop messing with it!" Ian exclaimed.
Cedric's shoulders slumped. "Sorry Ian."
Ian sighed. "It's fine. And I should be the one saying sorry here. Maybe if I hadn't agreed to go with Marietta, you'd be going with the one you should really be with."
"No Ian it isn't your fault." Cedric sighed.
"How about we agree it's Brice's fault?" Ian said slinging an arm over Cedric's shoulder.
Cedric laughed. "Sure."
"So you ready to meet the girls?"
"I guess."
!
Cedric walked down the entrance hall to where everyone had agreed to meet their partners. He looked around trying to see if he could find Mimi. But instead he spotted Cho in the midst. She was the only one wearing pure white robes. Cedric put a smile on his face as he came up to her.
"Hi." He said coming up.
"Hi Cedric." She said abashed. "You look nice."
"Thanks, you do too."
"Thank you." Cho said blushing as her friends around her giggled.
"Hey look, isn't that Krum?" Marietta asked cocking her head to the side so that she could get a better look.
"Looks like he asked a Beauxbaton girl." One of the girls said, jealousy dripping from her words.
Cedric turned around to see that indeed it was Krum with an extremely pretty girl on his arms. The girl had a set of periwinkle-blue robes on as well as an air of elegance to her. Her caramel colored hair was styled to frame her face perfectly. Her light make up complimented her gorgeous toffee brown eyes.
Cedric did a double take. Caramel hair and toffee eyes. "Mimi?" He exclaimed as he took several steps forward to the couple.
Krum's date looked up. Her face broke into a smile as she walked out of her date's arm. "Cedric!" She squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh my you look great!" She said smiling.
"Me? You look like a blooming rose." Cedric said placing his hands on her waist. He also had a smile on his face as he looked down at her.
Krum and the people around them stared unblinking. Some of Cho's and Cedric's friends had no clue what was going on.
Ian smiled watching the scene unfold in front of him.
"Her- my-own." Krum said breaking the couple out of their revere.
Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that they were still surrounded by others. Cedric reluctantly let her go.
Several girls and guys around them had their jaw open in shock.
"That's Hermione Granger?" A girl exclaimed, shocked as hell.
"Bloody hell. " Robbie agreed with her.
"Who would've known that was what she was hiding beneath those robes." Brice said.
Brice's date glared then stomped on his foot while Cedric and Krum both glared at him. Ian whacked him on the head. Hermione was blushing furiously.
"Champion's over here. Please!" McGonagall's voice boomed.
Cedric who was still holding Hermione's hand, started to move forward but was quickly stopped by Krum.
"Herm-own-ninny iz my date."
Cedric blushed as he realized that he was planning to walk away with Mimi. "Yes, I for- sorry." His face fell as he handed Hermione to Krum, but as Krum tucked her hand into his, Cedric still hadn't fully let go of Hermione.
Hermione looked up at him smiling. "Don't forget our dance." She whispered softly.
Cedric broke into a boyish grin. "Of course not."
As Krum and Hermione led the way, Cedric turned to face Cho and their friends.
"Sorry about that Cho, I just…"
"It's alright." Cho said softly as she looked down, away from his gaze.
Cedric and Ian shared a grimace.
!
The two couples were quickly joined with Fleur and her date, Roger Davies. Hermione and Cedric shared a look as they noticed that Roger looked a bit… out of it. He was following Fleur like as if he was a bit lost.
"He looks like a lost puppy." Cedric whispered into Hermione's ear as he leaned down.
Hermione gave a giggle as she softly pushed him away. "He's just mesmerized." She said between her smile.
Cedric saw Harry walking towards them and tried to wave but the younger boy looked everywhere but at him. Cedric gave a puzzled look to Hermione. Who just rolled her eyes at her other friend. "Cho." Was all she said to Cedric. He understood right away.
Before Cedric could open his mouth to say anything else, Hermione was led a few feet away so that Krum could have all her attention. Cedric scowled at the Bulgarian.
He was still glaring slightly at the famous seeker as he talked to Cho about classes. The only time he couldn't was when he had to go in front when they entered the Hall. But before he entered he felt Hermione lightly grab his hand and give a squeeze.
He could feel Cho beside him tense up.
They all had to take a seat at the large table as soon as they all entered. Hermione and Cedric grabbed ones right beside each other before their dates had any reaction. Harry also happened to be right across. He looked at the two oddly. Then looked to Cedric's left at Cho who was smiling slightly at him. He smiled back not noticing the glum look on his own date's face.
Hermione ordered Alaskan salmon and sweet potato fries while Cedric ordered lobster.
"Your's looks better." Cedric commented glumly.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she forked a fry and jabbed it into his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully. "Those are good." He said before taking another.
Hermione and Krum talked a bit. Meanwhile Cedric stole fries off of Hermione's plate all the while trying to ignore Krum talking to his Mimi. He tried focusing all his attentions on his poor date but was quite failing.
"Hermy-own." Krum said.
"Her- my- oh-nee." Hermione tried again.
"Her-mine."
"How hard can it be. Her-mi-ne." Cedric muttered under his breath.
Hermione elbowed him lightly.
"Her-my- oh-nee."
"Herm-own-ninny."
"Sure."
"Or can I call you Mimi."
"No!" Both Hermione and Cedric exclaimed together causing people to stare at them.
"I mean…Sorry Viktor but…"
"I have the patent for the name." Cedric said seething.
"I just don't want it to be a trend. If you start then so will everybody else and then…"
Viktor nodded but still gave Cedric a funny look.
"You ate half my food." Hermione hissed as she looked down at her plate for only the second time that night.
"Sorry." Cedric gave a sheepish grin. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, a smile tugging on her lips.
!
The lanterns had all gone out, signaling that it was time to dance as the Weird Sisters began their first song of the evening. Unfortunately all the champions were expected to lead the first dance.
Even though he tried his best to pay attention to Cho, his gaze always wondered back to Hermione. He hated to admit it but it looked like she was having fun. Krum kept twirling her and lifting her up causing her to laugh. He couldn't say the same about Harry though as he and his date stumbled.
Eventually the other students surrounded them as the music got faster. He could no longer spot Mimi in the crowd. Before he knew it they were surrounded by their friends.
Two more songs went by before he finally caught sight of Mimi walking towards the tables.
Him and Ian found each other's eyes. Ian winked. "Go." He mouthed before taking both Marietta and Cho's arms to twirl them together. The two girls laughed.
"Thanks." Cedric mouthed back. He escaped the dance floor and looked around.
"Don't call him Vicky!" Cedric heard Hermione yell as he approached. He caught sight of her just before she stormed off through the doors.
He ran quickly to catch up to her.
"Mimi!" He yelled after he made it out of the doors.
Hermione whirled around, her eyes watery.
Cedric ran to her and engulfed her into his arms. "You okay?" he asked softly.
"Yeah." She said her mouth a bit muffled from Cedric's robes. He let go of her a bit so that she could breathe.
He looked down as Hermione settled her chin on his shoulders. "Ron's just being a prat…like always." She said burying her face into his shoulder.
Cedric gave a laugh. "Oh that's all."
"Yeah." Hermione said smiling into his robes.
"You had me worried there Meems." He kissed the top of her head.
"Sorry."
"It's fine." He sighed.
The two of them stayed like that, all wrapped up into each other's arms for at least ten minutes.
"Let's go back, Viktor is probably worried."
Cedric made a face."I don't like him."
"Yeah I couldn't tell." Hermione said sarcastically as she straightened his tie.
Cedric just grinned down at her.
!
Cedric and Hermione walked back into the Hall talking to each other and paying no mind to the eyes that were trained on them.
"How have you never eaten gelato even though you've been to Italy three times?"
Cedric shrugged.
"Oh my god. I'm taking you one day even if it's just to try some authentic gelato."
"Okay deal." Cedric said smiling.
"I'll get some drinks." Cedric said after they both found seats at an empty table.
"Okay." Hermione said softly.
!
"Hey sorry about earlier Cedric, I didn't realize that you were smitten with Hermione Granger." Brice apologized, coming up beside Cedric.
"Nah it's fine." Cedric assured his friend.
"Good, then no hard problems. And… oh sheesh not good." Brice said.
"What?"
"The girls' have Hermione cornered."
"What!"
!
"Look you already have your own date. Don't steal someone else's."
"Seriously and stop going through the champions like a… Slut!"
"Yeah and Cedric likes Cho that's why he asked her out, not you. Stop hanging all over him. It's disgusting."
Hermione pursed her lips at the girls. She raised her brows at them as she honestly had never met most of them before standing up to walk away from them. One of the girls though grabbed her however, preventing her from leaving. Hermione turned around to see a hand flying toward her. She closed her eyes on instinct. But the impact never happened.
"That's just taking it little too far girls." Ian said coldly as he spat the last part. In his grip was the girl's hand.
All the girls there stared at him.
"Go now." He hissed.
The three girl's scrambled away.
"You okay Hermione?" Ian asked concerned.
"Yes, I'm ok Ian. Thanks." Hermione said giving him a half smile.
"No problem at all. I always seem to forget that girls can be so bitchy to one another." He sighed.
Hermione gave a laugh.
"The last part you know, they lied."
Hermione looked up at him puzzled.
"He wanted to ask you out but the whole group had already gotten dates with each other. Everyone but Cho and Cedric that is."
"Oh." Hermione said, unsure where the conversation was going.
"They peer pressured him into asking her. When it seemed that he wasn't going to, even after all the peer pressure. Cho became embarrassed and tried to run away. But Cedric has this hero complex. He asked her out to save her from the humiliation."
Hermione was speechless.
Cedric was having a hard time getting through the crowd whom all seemed to be working against him to keep him away from Hermione.
When he finally got away. He saw Ian say something to Hermione that caused her to gasp.
"Ian, Meems!" He yelled.
Both looked up at him. Ian gave him a wave. Hermione just stared at him.
"You okay? Did the girls do anything, cause I swear…"
"No it's fine, Ian got here just in time."
"Oh." Cedric said. "Thanks mate." He said to Ian.
Ian smiled as the two fisted. "No problem mate. You can't always be the knight in shining armor." Ian joked. "Now I have to go back to my date and tell her why I caused her friends to cry. Oh joy."
Both Hermione and Cedric laughed at him.
"Are you really okay?" Cedric asked turning to her after Ian left.
"Yes." Hermione smiled as she stood up. "I feel better than ever."
Cedric gave her a confused look.
"Dance with me." Hermione said at last. Cedric smiled as he took her hand before leading her to the dance floor.