CHAPTER THREE
❛Hold me back, Ced,❜
The Diggory Manor always had a joyful atmosphere to it, from the everlasting smell of chocolate chip cookies to the sun shining in from all of the windows. And the morning of the Quidditch World Cup, the entire Diggory family and Hope sat at the table together.
"Hope, Cedric, you need to be dressed like muggles." Amos explained for the millionth time, causing Cedric to roll his eyes. "We'll be going out in public today, around them you know."
Cedric took another bite of bacon before speaking up. "Dad, we know. You told us all about it last night."
"I just want you two to know the plans--"
"Amos, quit it." said Jessica Diggory, smacking her husband playfully on the shoulder. "They don't need to be reminded all the time."
Jessica Diggory was a kind woman, who Cedric resembled greatly. There was almost never a frown upon her face and there was never a time where Hope or Cedric had seen her be furious.
"Thanks, Mum."
Hope looked up from her plate of food. "Breakfast is quite lovely, Mrs. Diggory. It's very good."
"Hope, you've been here enough times to know you can call me Jessica, Mum even." the mother spoke to the teenage girl with a smile. "Mrs. Diggory was my mother-in-law."
Amos let out another groan as he read the Daily Prophet. "I wish Cedric could apparate. It would be so much easier. Portkeys are such stupid things."
"Are you two finished?" asked Jessica, ignoring her husband's complaining. Once they both nodded she smiled. "Teeta! Can you come get these plates please?"
Within a second, a small house-elf appeared in the dining room. She grabbed the plates quickly and looked at the Diggory woman. "Anything for my mistress."
"Teeta, you can call me Jessica--"
Before her words even got said, the house-elf was gone. Cedric only chuckled and turned to his friend. "You would think that she knows she doesn't need to call Mum that. Teeta's like part of the family."
"Kreacher is kind of similar." said Hope, but scrunched her nose. "But he's very grumpy and mean."
Jessica Diggory turned back to the teenagers and pointed down the hallway. "You two go get ready for the day."
Cedric and Hope dashed down the hallway and into Cedric's bedroom. Pictures of dragons and different mythical creatures lined his walls, with a few Quidditch posters. And on another wall, there were a bunch of pictures of him and Hope.
As Hope went digging through her bag, she turned back to her friend. "Ced?"
"Yeah?"
She grabbed two different t-shirts, one being a yellow sweater and another being a pink shirt with white stripes. "Which one looks better?"
"Wait a minute," he narrowed his eyes before recognizing the yellow one. "J, that's my Hufflepuff sweater. I've been looking for that."
"Is it?" she looked at it, and then realized there was a small badger in the corner. "Pink it is."
Cedric laughed and picked up the sweater. "You could wear it, Hufflepuff pride."
"I'll stick with pink."
He narrowed his blue eyes playfully before folding it back up and placing it in Hope's bag. "You can still keep it, in case you change your mind. Or if you come to one of my games."
"Who do you think is going to win?" she asked, applying a coat of mascara to her eyes. "Bulgaria or Ireland?"
Cedric placed a finger to his mouth, struggling to come up with a response. "Hard to say. Bulgaria has a brilliant seeker, but Ireland has a great team. And as we both know--"
"It isn't just about the seeker."
"Correct."
In that moment, Jessica Diggory strolled into the room with a smile. "Hope, would you like help with your hair?"
"Yes, please." she answered quickly, thankful that she offered. "I don't really know how to do anything with it."
"I'm quite a good braider, cause I always wanted a girl." the mother spoke playfully as she began to dutch-braid Hope's long blonde hair. "But, Cedric is just as great, lets me braid his hair whenever--"
Cedric quickly opened the door to his bathroom, now dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. "Mum--"
"Ced," Hope said through her fits of laughter. "You probably look fabulous with braids."
"I'm going to throw a pillow at you, J."
Jessica looked to her son quickly and raised her finger. "You will not, Cedric Amos. You are going to go get on your jacket."
As Cedric walked over to his closet to grab his jacket, Amos walked in, ready to go. He turned to his wife and two teenagers. "Cedric, Hope. Are you two ready to get going?"
Both Cedric and Hope nodded and Jessica Diggory turned to the two. "I packed some lunches for you two. Whenever you get back, I want to hear about how it went."
Amos led Cedric and Hope down the grassy trail surrounded by many tall trees. The recent rain made the trail more muddy than usual. Cedric Diggory just stared at the trees with disgust as they went up a hill.
"It's such a long hike." he groaned, dragging his feet. "I hate hiking. Stupid trees, stupid dirt, stupid--"
"Stop complaining." interrupted Hope, breathing in the fresh air. "It's putting a dent in my mood."
"It's ruining my entire mood." Cedric spoke in a low voice, barely above a whisper. "Walking this long should be a crime."
Hope turned towards her best friend as if he was insane. "You're literally a Quidditch player, you workout more than this."
"On my own will." he defended, bending down beneath a tree. "This is against my own will."
Amos Diggory suddenly came to an abrupt stop and raised his hands above his head. "Arthur Weasley!"
"Amos!" yelled back Arthur, turning towards the Diggory man. And then turned towards all of the Weasley children plus Harry and Hermione. "This is Amos Diggory everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"
Fred eyed Cedric up and down, clearly not liking his presence. "Pretty boy Diggory."
"Fred. Quit."
George continued to stare at Cedric from beside Fred. Cedric only glared back at the Weasley twins while Hope put her face into her hands.
"Cedric, would you stop--"
Cedric looked down at his best friend, and pointed to the twins. "He broke your heart, made you cry."
"That is in the past." she muttered, only loud enough for him to hear. "Can we just leave it be?"
"One punch?"
Hope's grey eyes widened quickly as she looked up. "Cedric Amos--"
The Diggory boy raised his hands in defense but narrowed his blue eyes. "J, I feel like it's hypocritical that you, out of everyone, is telling me not to hit him--"
Before he could continue, Amos made a huge gesture towards Cedric and Hope to Arthur. "I'm lucky to just have Cedric, Hope is staying with another family. But her and Cedric are so close that she stayed at my home."
Arthur nodded and smiled to Hope. "Why yes, I know--"
"All these yours, Arthur?"
"Oh, no. Only the redheads." replied the Weasley man, gesturing to the lot of teenagers behind him. "This is Hermione, Ron's friend. And Harry, another friend--"
Amos' eyes practically popped out of his head. "Merlin's beard, Harry Potter?"
"Here we go again."
"Cedric's talked about you, of course. Told us about playing against you and Hope last year." boasted Amos, pointing back at the two teenagers. "I said to him, Ced that'll be something to tell your grandchildren that will. You beat Harry Potter and then saved your best friend!"
Harry eyed his godsister and her friend with widened eyes, as Cedric spoke up. "He fell off his broom, Dad. I told you, it was an accident."
"And Hope fell off her broom too." said Amos, causing Hope to pinch the bridge of her nose. "She still scored, then again, she always does."
Arthur forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, I too know Hope. She's quite good friends with my children."
"I did not know that." admitted Amos, quieting ever so slightly. "Cedric and Hope have been close friends since his third-year. She's quite the respectful girl, my wife adores her."
Hope and Cedric shared an annoyed look, before Cedric spoke uo. "Dad, can't we get going? I'd like to get settled in before the game."
Arthur jumped up and nodded. "Yes, Cedric, quite right. We'd better get going."
Hope looked to her boyfriend with an anxious look clear on her face. "Have you done this before, George?"
"Once or twice, it's fine. It's not anything difficult." he replied, giving her a comforting smile.
"But a boot?"
Fred let out a laugh and nodded his head. "Random objects, Little Lupin, random objects."
And then, everyone touched a finger to the moldy boot. And after exactly seven seconds, the world around them began to spin and the last thing anyone remembered being told was to let go of the boot.
Hope Lupin-Black walked next to Cedric Diggory in the grassy field where hundreds of tents were set up. As they walked in the middle of the path, they looked at the many international families attending.
"Good Merlin," breathed Hope, stifling a laugh. "Who styled that woman's hair?"
Cedric glanced over in the direction Hope was looking and chuckled. "Looks like Professor Kettleburn's hair--"
"Mixed with Binns--"
"And a tiny dash of Hagrid?" finished Cedric, finally taking his eyes off of the woman and turning back to his best friend.
Hope clapped her hands together and nodded. "Yes! But like at least they rock the hair, she's just kind of--"
"Terrifying? Scary?"
Both the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff burst into laughter, almost falling over in the process. And as they continued to walk, a voice caught the two best friends off guard.
"Hope?"
Cedric and Hope glanced up to see Alfie Lupin-Black walking towards the two of them, a clear look of confusion clear on his face. Along with slight fear and guilt as he knew that he had been caught by his own little sister.
"Alphard?" asked Hope, widening her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"You know," he spoke nervously, biting his bottom lip. "Just hanging with Lex and Cormac. Enjoying my summer."
Hope nodded, furrowing her eyebrows. "You didn't ask Papa or Dad if you could go--"
"I did, I definitely did."
Suddenly, Alexa Willard walked up next to the Lupin boy. Her bleach blonde hair in a bun on-top of her head. She wore a Bulgarian team sweater and a fake smile on her lips as she came up next to the three people.
"Hope, sweetie," she spoke with a sickly sweet voice. "Are you enjoying the game?"
"Not now--"
Cedric then burst out into a fit of laughter, causing Alphard to glare at Cedric. "I'm sorry, how about we just move on our way--"
Alexa held a finger to the boy, causing him to raise his eyebrows. "What is your issue with me, Lupin?"
"Did she really just ask that?" questioned Hope, smiling forcefully. "Did she really--"
"Yes, you heard her." interrupted the Diggory boy, trying to defuse the situation. "You're not deaf, you have ears."
Hope narrowed her grey eyes in disgust. "You told my brother I slept with George. Which I don't know why you did--"
Alexa raised her hands and put on another smile. "Oh? That wasn't true?"
"Hold me back, Ced, I'm going to lose my--"
Cedric grabbed his best friend by the arm and narrowed his eyes. "Willard, you know very well my best friend throws an amazing right-hand swing. I bet you she's willing to practice right now."
"Always willing."
Alfie suddenly raised his voice loudly. "Shut up, Hope. Please just shut up for once."
The Lupin-Black girl stared at her brother almost at a loss for words. "You're defending her, over me? I'm your sister, your own blood."
"And she is my girlfriend."
Hope looked from Alexa to Alfie multiple times. "Oh? She's your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, she is." snapped the brother of the blonde girl. "Deal with it, Hope. Get over yourself."
She glanced back up to Cedric, then back to her brother. It took multiple times of doing that before Cedric spoke up. "Look, there's Ginny and Hermione. How about you go unpack in the tent?"
"That's a good idea, do you want to come with?"
He shook his head quickly and smiled. "No, you go. I'll catch up with you after the game."
Hope Lupin-Black walked away from the crowd of people. And as she walked away with Ginny and Hermione to the tent, she could hear Cedric yelling at her brother in the distance. All that she could hear was Alfie and Cedric screaming in the distance.
Once the three girls arrived to their tent, Hope began to unpack her bag inside. Ginny plopped down on the couch while Hermione sat in a chair with a book in hand.
"Who is that girl with your brother?" questioned Ginny, fixing her ponytail.
Hope made a fake gagging noise before saying. "His bitch of a girlfriend, Alexa Willard."
"That one who spread that rumor about George and you?" the Weasley girl whipped around to face her friend, nose scrunched up in disgust.
"That's the one."
"She's hideous, J." Ginny replied, before having a smirk come onto her face. "How about we invite her to the top of the Astronomy tower, when school starts, and push her off?"
Hermione quickly put down her book and widened her eyes. "Ginny, I don't think--"
"I love that idea!" exclaimed Hope, clapping her hands.
The Granger girl looked from Ginny to Hope many times before speaking up. "It would kill her--"
"Not if there's a charm at the bottom that catches her." said Ginny, in a sing-song voice. "We can just have that nice feeling of pushing her off."
The Lupin-Black girl turned towards her younger friend and placed a hand on her heart. "This is why I love you Ginerva Molly Weasley."
"The love is returned Hope James Lupin-Black." she replied, giggling in the process. "Well, that is if you help me get a boyfriend."
Hermione sat on the chair, awkward as can be. It was obvious that she was very different from Hope and Ginny, the two of them were avid Quidditch lovers with deep knowledge of each other's fears and interests. It was likely said that Ginny and Hope were each other's female best friend.
"So, how do you feel about the World Cup?" Hermione spoke up, interrupting Hope and Ginny's fits of giggles.
"I'm excited." gushed Hope, smiling wide. "Ireland has an amazing team."
Ginny nodded furiously. "Such breathtaking chasers, too."
"And the best beaters."
Hermione continued to look confused, as she had never seen Ireland play. But Ginny continued to talk. "J likes this German team better though. But Ireland might be her second favorite."
"Why a second favorite?"
Her smile widened as she pointed to her friend. "Because it's George's favorite team--"
Hope suddenly leaped from her place on the couch and tackled Ginny onto the floor, trying to clasp her hand over her friend's mouth. Hermione just furrowed her eyebrows at the scene unfolding.
"Ginny! You're supposed to keep it a secret!"
Ginny's eyes widened suddenly. "She doesn't know, does she?"
"You and George are together?" the Granger girl spoke through confusion. "Isn't he two years older than you?"
"I'm fourteen, he's sixteen." she replied, not quite seeing her point. "It really isn't that big of a difference--"
Hermione continued to speak loudly. "Do your families even know?"
"No, but--"
"Well, I for one don't think it's a good--"
Ginny groaned loudly, which caused Hermione to go silent. "You know, Hermione, it's not really up to you who my brother or my friend date. They're happy together. The end."
"But what would your parents say? Her--"
"George and J are going to tell them on their own terms, Hermione." snapped Ginny, clearly fed up with Hermione's attitude.
Hermione looked from one girl to the other and just forced a smile. Then she stormed out of the tent, wanting to leave the situation there. As soon as she exited, Hermione came face to face with Ron and Harry who were walking.
"You look angry--"
Hermione raised her hands in the air. "I decide to hang out with the two of them. I took time out of my day--"
Ron cocked an eyebrow at his friend before asking. "Who?"
"Hope and Ginny." she exclaimed loudly. "You didn't tell me the two of them were best friends, they're so close."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Well, Ginny and Hope are just very close--"
"It's like they read each other's minds." she spoke slowly, glaring at the two boys. "They're like best friends."
"Ginny is Hope's only female friend besides the Quidditch girls." said Ron, pausing and frowning. "Even then, Ginny hangs out with Angelina, Katie, and Hope."
Harry nodded but gave Hermione a sympathetic look. "Hermione, you don't have to be upset. You're just not like Ginny or Hope--"
"Then who am I like, Harry? Who?"
Ron rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "You're you. You're not like Ginny or Hope, and that's fine. Now, can we continue walking? Or do you want to complain some more?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes but forced a smile. "Fine."
hey guys! goblet of fire will have a lot of drama, but also lots of good stuff. i love hermione's character dearly, just needed a little tension and to shine light on ginny because i love her character.