Alissa was the talk of the school after her public humiliation asking Viktor Krum to the yule ball. Whispers quickly exchanged; I suppose people had observed the closeness between Alissa and Viktor in the weeks that had passed through the love potion had worn off, and only Alissa was left heartbroken.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl, which felt utterly and truthfully ridiculous considering the amount of ridicule I had suffered on her behalf. Perhaps the love potion wasn't the smartest move a person could make, and her Ravenclaw peers had scoffed to that. But to change onto the right path, you must first walk through the consequences of the previous routes.
So we watched the once-mighty Alissa sink into shame and humiliation, as Viktor Krum took her heart and tore it into two. I took her to the side after class, and we snuck out into Hogsmeade for a butterbeer and a pastie.
"I don't know why you're so nice to me, Elise." she whimpered, her eyes sorrowful as she wiped the crumbs from her cheeks.
I shrugged, "I used to think Cedric was egotistical and arrogant, though I started to get to know him and discovered a completely different person."
"I've been horrible to you, though; there's no way to misjudge me."
She was undoubtedly pretty, even with a painful frown and self-hatred on her face. It was the insecurity that was rooted deep inside of her, the fear and the hate. She reminded me of the girl I was before, who stuck to herself as she was scared to let anyone in, whose own mother hadn't even of wanted her; the girl who made judgements about people as excuses not to let them in. People had thought I was snobbish and cold.
"That doesn't matter. We're both misunderstood, and people like us have to stick together in this world. That's the only chance we have."
This year would change me for the better. It had brought a new relationship, unexpected friendships and a change of attitude, a sense of belonging and being understood. Though I brought Alissa into an embrace and told her it would all be alright as if it was myself a year ago, I had been saying those words to.
Having Alissa hanging out with our group was awkward at first. Some of the boys had never been particularly fond of her, primarily due to her on-and-off flings with Cedric and previous attitudes. It took a lot of persuading for me to convince them to open up, see her as a changed person.
It was a Friday evening when we had all gathered in the Prefects bathroom that they began to open up. Our group had sat at the edge of the bath with a couple of bottles of firewhiskey and tipsy secrets to spill.
I was thrown entirely off though when in truth and dare when Anthony asked Alissa why she had given Viktor Krum a love potion when she opted for the truth. Immediately I turned to her, "You don't have to answer that."
Alissa took a breath in, swallowed and smiled, "No, I will." Alissa took a swig of the firewhiskey and spoke. "I was brewing potions at a seventh-year level, if I wanted to try it out on someone why would it not be Viktor Krum." she chuckled, playfully, as if the sharpness and brutality of the question had disintegrated. "I think what I did was naive and foolish, though I don't believe it's unforgivable."
From there, people loosened up, laughed and enjoyed Alissa's company. A part of me felt accomplishment in her success in our group, undeniably proud of myself for looking beyond Alissa and I's past and giving her the helping hand she needed. Cedric had been critical at first, due to their previous affairs and her attitudes to me. Yet, when he opened up, we all did, and I couldn't imagine a time before Alissa was in the group.
On the lead up to Christmas the group had been closer together, Cedric promising he wouldn't worry about the second challenge until after the holidays. Perhaps it seemed unwise, but being stressed and over-pressured was the last thing Cedric needed during this time. Besides, spending time with his friends was making him more jubilant than ever, and his lack of assignments left him with too much free time.
"Cedric seriously, I need to revise." I nudged my boyfriend, as he tried to distract me with his head on my shoulder, planting soft kisses where he could reach.
He chuckled into my neck, sending warm vibrations and fluttery feelings throughout. "But baby I'm so bored." we were huddled into a corner of the library, distant enough for our whispers and giggles to be safe.
"Seriously." I pulled away, focusing back onto my potions flashcards in front of me. "I've got my newts to pass, not all of us are getting a free ride this year."
He slumped back on to the table, resting his head and staring at me from beneath. It had become almost impossible to ignore him.
Though I had to, he had gotten me out of revision too many times already this week. However, Cedric was getting restless for some sort of attention, I ended up giving mercy, sliding my hand onto his lap and intertwining it with his. He took it softly and stroked it affectionately. "If you let me revise, as soon as we break up for Christmas I shall not do an inch of revision for the entire holidays, okay?"
His eyes lit up, "The whole two weeks?" he knew the revision freak I could become, it had been years since I spent a whole break so unproductively.
"I'm all yours baby." I felt his heart racing, teenage boys were so predictable. It was hard for me not to give in right there when he bit his lip, a smug smirk forming on his pretty face.
I met Cedric later on for dinner with the rest of the group, sliding in between him and Roger at the Ravenclaw table. When the feasts weren't official, we tended to switch between house tables for where we sat. As soon as my plate appeared with shepherd's pie, I shamelessly dug straight in.
"No gravy?" Cedric questioned, gasping as he looked at my plate like it was the worst sin someone could commit.
"Eh, I feel like it ruins the taste." I shrugged.
Cedric nearly spat out his whole mouthful, josh snickering and muttering underneath his breath: "Here comes their first fall out."
"Gravy has been bestowed to us from the heavens, and you choose to refuse its divinity like this?" Cedric playfully argued, causing me into fits of giggles. "This is no laughing matter, Elise!"
"If there is anything that's going to get in the way of Cedric and Elise," Roger began, playfully smirking, "it would be Cedric's love for gravy."
I watched next to me as Cedric poured a flood of gravy onto his second shepherd's pie serving, "It's a British delicacy." a couple of mouthfuls in, Cedric changed the topic, "Anyways Roger, what is this I have been hearing about you and Miss Delacour?"
"Roger and Fleur sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." Anthony and miles chorused from the opposite side of the table, making heart eyes at a blushing Roger.
He rolled his eyes, "Can't a guy just talk to a girl?"
"Not when that girl is Fleur Delacour!" Josh chimed in; all of the boys were more than familiar with the French Veela.
"She was asking about Quidditch, kept on insisting how much she wanted to learn." Roger dismissed like it was nothing.
Anthony coughed, "Dude, she was so flirting with you. I was there, and it was more than a broom she wanted to be riding."
Instantly there was an eruption of roar and wolf whistles from the boys that brought a small amount of attention from throughout the hall. "You gotta ask her to the Yule Ball." Cedric insisted.
"Really, we saw what happened when Weasley asked." Roger tried to back out, and his modesty around the subject was somewhat adorable.
"Roger, it sounds like she likes you," I turned to face him, giving him the genuine response he needed, "go for it."
9he passed me on a soft, honest smile. "Thanks, Els, maybe I will."
"Get in Davies!" miles yelled, a bit too loudly when the whole of the Ravenclaw table turned to stare at him.
In the midst of all this, we hadn't even noticed Alfie and Alissa walking in seeming suspiciously close and flirty, it seemed as if they were being torn apart when they split to sit on opposite sides of the table. "What's going on?" Alfie smiled, his cheeks were rosy and flushed.
"Roger's asking Delacour to the ball." josh nudged Alfie, smiling pleasedly at his raven-haired friend.
Alfie's face lighted with joy, "Finally, she's been giving you the 'fuck me' eyes since they flew in!"
After that talk of the yule ball followed, how Cedric and I would have to do the first dance and the rumours that the weird sisters would be performing. I felt excited just talking about it, seeing Cedric in a suit and spending the night with my friends. Never in a million years did I expect this to happen, but it seemed like everything was brightening up for once in my life. I felt Cedric's arm wrap around my waist. "I can't wait to have the prettiest date at the ball," he whispered into my ear, causing me to melt into his sultry, soft voice.
"Look at the lovebirds!" Alfie yelled from across the table, causing to hide into Cedric as we were forced back into the group's conversation.
"I need help," Alissa said abruptly while me, her and Harriet were chilling in our dorm. We were able to sneak Alissa in, as we decided we'd practise hair and makeup for the upcoming ball. "I like Alfie."
My face lit up, remembering how Alfie had acted around her during dinner. We had grown quite close over the few months, so I knew this behaviour was abnormal for Alfie. "That's so cute, he definitely likes you too."
"You think?" Alissa said without hesitation, and doubt on her face when it came to a guy was something I never thought I'd see. She must really like him.
"The boy practically has heart-shaped eyes when he sees you, you should ask him to the ball," Harriet said before I could, causing a pink blush to coat her face.
"Maybe." she tastefully smiled, as she continued to apply her pink lip gloss to finish her soft makeup look.
I, on the other hand, was utterly stuffed when it came to makeup. "I don't know how you do it, I literally couldn't tell mascara from the eyeliner.
"Not all of us have beautifully clear skin and natural prettiness Elise!" Harriet instantly clapped back as she applied her eyeshadow.
"I want to make some effort though, for the ball, I'm walking in with Cedric and doing the first dance!" I argued, wondering how I could look with makeup on.
Alissa finished off her makeup, coming over to the mirror I sat by with her bag and tools. "See, I'm thinking a loose updo with a few curls coming down to frame your face," Alissa began as she started to shape my hair, "Then a soft glossy lip and eye look, minimal foundation, we want to keep those gorgeous freckles of yours. But a bit more eye makeup will make your blue eyes pop."
It didn't take Alissa too long to finish, and I could barely believe myself when I looked in the mirror. She was right, the blue in my eyes was stronger than ever before, piercing even and the hair had framed my face beautifully. If there was one person you could trust when it came to hair and makeup, it was Alissa.
There was a knock on the door. "Hey is els-" Harriet ran to the door as soon as we heard Cedric's husky door from behind. "Hello Cedric, I'm afraid this isn't a good time."
"What why, what's going on?" Cedric chuckled, peeking through the door in an attempt to see me.
"We're practising our hair and makeup for the yule ball, and we don't want to ruin anything for the night." Harriet chirped, attempting to push the door even more shut on Cedric.
"I must say Diggory though, Elise is quite the catch, you're a lucky guy!" Alissa called out, causing a groan from my boyfriend to escape.
"I want to see her now." he frowned, so I started to take my hair out and remove my makeup. Luckily there wasn't much, as I quickly approached the door.
"I really am going to have to wait for the night aren't I." Cedric moaned, folding his arms. I noticed his slightly damp hair and clothes that clung to his body, causing my body to flush with heat momentarily.
I chuckled, "What does my ever-so-needy boyfriend want now?" I playfully teased, causing Cedric to gasp jokingly back.
"I need to show you something now. Bring your swimsuit." Cedric's tone turned urgent, as I immediately headed back in to grab my stuff.
"Diggory, your sexual needs aren't as important as our girls night." Harriet joked though I knew that there was more to this.
Cedric chuckled, "I'll let you know that Miss Griffin and I are restraining from such activity until the break so she can focus on her studies, this is of quite the urgency."
"It has to be!" Harriet responded, "As that's the only way you're taking her."
I thought I saw things when Cedric brought me into the Prefects bathroom, flooded with bubbles as a familiar golden egg rested on the side.
"Cedric, you promised me you weren't going to think about the challenge until after the holidays." I folded my arms, watching as Cedric took off his shirt and got back into the bath. It was almost as if he was purposely trying to get me to give in before we broke up, though I stood my ground.
"I wasn't, though I've been keeping the egg in my locker here for room purposes, and then it came to me."
"What did?" I answered, edging closer to the side of the pool as Cedric grabbed the egg from behind him.
He breathed heavily, "I wasn't going to tell you, but I had opened the egg before when I was having a bath a few weeks ago. The waiting was killing me, and I couldn't help but worry that the others had a clue and had an advantage on me."
I was slightly disappointed, though he did have a point. I just hope he hadn't been losing sleep over the clue that he had been given. "Anyways, when I opened it, there was just a loud, unbearable screech. I got it out again tonight, just to make sure it hadn't changed. And then I accidentally dropped it in the water."
"Cedric please don't tell me you broke the damn thing."
He turned to face me, his eyes lit up instead of ashamed: "Even better, I solved it."
Immediately I went to change into my swimsuit, getting into the warm bath with Cedric as he held the egg. The last thing I expected was as we went underwater that the egg would start singing.
"Diggory, you are the clumsiest genius I have ever met." I laughed, in pure shock and amazement at his new discovery.
Pure happiness brimmed from his eyes, "I really think I have a chance Els, I doubt any of the others have even thought of putting the egg underwater." He hugged me tightly, allowing all his emotion out in his embrace, which was slightly suffocating.
I gave him a quick peck on the lips as we separated. "How about a night's exception for your genius of a boyfriend?" he murmured into my ear, beginning to plant soft kisses down my neck and onto my collarbone.
"We only just made the deal today." I sighed, somewhat reluctant to make him stop as he furthered down my body. I was perched on his lap now, my legs straddling his waist as his lips explored my body in the heat of the tub.
"I've never been good at deals." Cedric moaned into my skin, as his hands began to wonder my body.
"Me neither."