In a school like Hogwarts, news travels fast.
So when someone had heard that Cedric Diggory had his eyes on a certain unnamed girl, the rumors spread like wildfire.
Even the portraits seemed to know about his little crush.
At first, Cedric was panicked; he hadn't planned for anyone to find out. It was a meaningless little endeavor, as he kept it to himself and continued to admire her from afar. That was the expanse of his initial intentions.
But of course, as a teenager, any business you plan to remain secret just happens to reach every other teenager in a mile's radius.
Once he heard whispers of people questioning who the girl was, he was less tense about it. He didn't care as long as nobody found out who it was; he'd feel absolutely awful if she got dragged into this against her will.
Soon the whispers of "who?" faded into whispers of "that's who", yet Cedric always smiled hearing them because each and every one of them was wrong.
It was sort of funny to him, seeing all the girls in school react when he entered a room, or answered a question in class, or even made general eye contact with them.
They all thought it was them, and they all thought incorrect.
Surprisingly, none of the rumors he had heard after a whole week had been right.
But he knew that the girl he fancied wouldn't play into any of these rumors, and people would assume her personality was least likely to attract a guy like Cedric.
Again, they were wrong.
One of the many things that Cedric liked about Y/N Y/L/N is that she stayed out of all the drama. You know besides her Y/H/C hair and how it framed her face, and her Y/E/C eyes that would stare off into space during the long, monotonous lectured in History of Magic, and her kindness that many people just brushed past, it was pleasing to Cedric and he envied that sliver of normalcy.
He himself was surprised that he'd taken a liking to her; he'd never really noticed her before that day in the courtyard.
Y/N had been sitting with a friend in the quad during a free period when Cedric happen to stumble across them. He'd been running from a particular 3rd year trying to force him into taking a box of sweets that he obviously assumed had been poisened with a love potion.
She noticed his panic and called his attention, waving him over to where they sat. Telling him to sit down behind them, the two girls sat up straight and scooted closer together, shielding Cedric's body from anybody in front of them.
Less than a minute later, an innocent looking Ravenclaw skipped into the courtyard. She looked at Y/N and her friend, her eyes asking where the boy had gone.
"He ran past us only a minute ago. Reckon he was headed towards the quidditch pitch. If you're quick enough you can probably catch him before he makes it to the boys' changing room," Y/N had hollered at the girl.
With a smile she skipped off in the direction she had been pointed. After she was gone, Cedric stood and thanked the girls. Y/N nodded in return and offered Cedric a smile; that smile started something he hoped it could finish.
Since that day, she always seemed to just appear in front of Cedric. His eyes would land on her when he was aimlessly scanning crowds, they'd see her standing out in a crowded hall, and not to mention he'd even managed to find her in the quidditch stands from high in the sky.
He never had to look. He'd just find her. So now she was on his mind most the time.
In the future, he saw himself asking her out. But after one simple interaction, Cedric felt odd asking. He'd thought many times about approaching her and starting to get to know her more casually, yet every time he attempted to he would chicken out.
That was extremely out of character for him, and so was the bubbly feeling in his stomach whenever he saw, or even thought about her. That's how he knew he was a little more than just interested in her.
Cedric had no idea how he would approach the situation. He thought long and hard about it for a whole week. Continually, he'd see her around the castle, and his cheeks would flush or his stomach would spin.
The feelings he'd secretly felt for this girl had caused him to consider doing something he'd never done: give up. After what felt like weeks of pining and fear of rejection, he just sat back and came to terms with just admiring her from afar.
There was no cease in rumors; all of Hogwarts wanted to know who Cedric had fancied. The poor boy was getting sick of hearing about it; it reminded about his inability to approach Y/N and get to know her better.
People constantly pestered him. Always dropping hints, bringing it up backhandedly in conversations, being passive-agressive in asking, and some were even blunt about wanting an answer.
Cedric was tired of it, so know he found himself hiding in the library on a Saturday afternoon, jumper hood pulled up on his head with his nose buried in a book on transfiguration. He was desperate to escape the chatter seemingly echoing off the walls of the corridors.
It had been a few hours of Cedric sitting in the library. He was losing interest in his book; his mind kept wandering toy you despite him coming here to distract himself in the first place.
Huffing, he slammed him book closed in his hands and frustratedly stood to put in back in it's place.
"What'd that book ever do to you?" someone laughed out. With his back turned, Cedric's eyes widened at the voice.
Slowly pivoting to face the quiet voice he said, "it's not doing it's job very well" His smile grew as his eyes met hers.
Y/N sat at the same long table as he had, a book in front of her as she grinned widely at Cedric's flushed cheeks from embarrassment about his outburst. He must've been so focused on getting the book to distract him, that he hadn't noticed the exact irl he couldn't get off his mind sit down only a few metres from him.
"And what might it's job be, besides existing for your reading pleasure?" Her laughed rang through the air, but all her time in the library had given her the mastery of keeping it at a volume Madame Pince wouldn't beome angry with.
"Distraction," Cedric said waving the book in the air slightly before dropping it back into his hands.
She smiled kindly and pulled out the chair next to her, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Well maybe I can help," she encouraged.
His heart jumped and stopped for what felt like an eternity. How could he talk to her about the situation? It was exactly what he'd been trying avoid this past week or so, and now he was in the scenario he'd hoped to stay away from.
It was almost like this was meant to happen; now Y/N was here and he didn't need to work up the courage to talk to her. He may have gotten past one obstacle, but now there was another one standing, or I guess sitting, right in his way.
There was no way he'd be able to tell her; she'd obviously heard the rumors and Cedrc didn't feel like embarrassing her by dragging her into it.
"I doubt it," he chuckled, hoping she'd change the subject. Of course though, Cedric knew it wansn't in her personality to.
"Try me," she challenged with a smirk. Y/N sat up in her chair and leanered her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hands. She locked eyes with him and smiled, silently urging him to speak.
"It's just these rumors. I'm not sure if you've herd them," he said with nervously with a slight cringe, because he knew she most likely had, "I can't seem to get away from them."
She nodded and lifted her head from her nad and crossed them across her chest, "I could see how hat could be frustrating. Everyone trying to pryin into your private life all the time must get quite annoying at timed."
Cedric couldn't help but laugh. From the outside, that is definitely what it looked like and she would've pinned itright on the nose if it was any other day. But Cedric was upset for a whole other reason.
"Close, but not it." Y/N's confidence turned to confusion. Cedric continued, "it's not about the rumors themselves."
She lifted an eyebrow, "So they aren't just rumors, are they?" He shook his head.
"No, and I really like her, I just don't want to drag her into any of this drama. Not to mention I'm too scared to talk to her." Y/N laughed. He was confused, why would she be laughing?
"Cedric you're scared of talking to her? Any girl would literally kiss you on spot if you told her how you felt," she laughed quietly, "there's nothing t be scared of."
"Well she's not just any girl, and I like her, a lot. Like more then I've liked anyone. But we barely know each other and I don't want her to reject me." He blushed knowing that e was infact talking about her, but he wanted to see her reaction to what he had to say first.
She smiled, "she wont reject you. If you like her this much I think it's be beneficial to tell her. It'll take the weight off your chest, and if she says no, it's not the end of the world."
There was a pause, filled with heavy and awkward glances. Cedric fiddled with his fingers before he said, "What would you say? Well I mean- if it was you?"
A thin lipped smile spread across her face and she hesitated, "it's me isn't it?"
Cedric's eyes shot up from his lap, "What? Why would-" she cut him off.
"I'd say that I like you too. But I'd also say that you'd need to tell me properly instead of being passive aggressive about it. That would be my one condition if were to agree on a date," she grinned playyfulled with a furrowed brow.
The shocked boy say there with his mouth hung open, looking at the girl who had read him like a book. "How did you know?"
"Well you aren't very slick about it. I catch you staring at me a lot, and after that day on the courtyard, you magically started appearing around me much more. I knew it wasn't a coincidence. But I don't mind," she blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "because I think there's a part of me that likes you too."
Cedric grinned so wide that the corner of his eyes crinkled in delight. She was right; a weight had lifted from his chest. "So about that date..." he trailed.
She sarcastically turner her nose up, "Nope, not until you tell me you fancy me properly." she looked at him and laughed. He shyly smiled, adjusted his tie and cleared his throat, The look on his face turned serious and he locked eyes with her.
"Y/N Y/L/N," he started, before getting ontop of the table, "I think you are absolutely gorgeous and one of the most intelligent and kind people I have ever had the pleasure of coming across," he continued shouting in the middle of the silent library, "will you do me the honor of allowing me to accompany you for a butterbeer this upcoming weekend in the lovely village of Hogsmeade?" he finished theatrically.
Her cheeks were bright red, and she locked eyes with Madame Pince, who was glaring daggers at her with her finger pressed up against her lips to tell Y/N to shut the boy up.
Laughing she reached up and grabbed his hand to drag him down off the table, "yes, alright! You've made your scene now hop down before neither of us are never let back into this library again!"
As Cedric descended the table he smiled joyfully at her, their faces centimteres apart, as he softly grabbed her shoulders, "Now, I recall you saying something about 'any girl kissing me on the spot if I ever told them how I felt' and I'm pretty sure I just told you how I felt..." he smiled, now whispering quietly.
"Well, it's only fair since you kept your promise," she shrugged.
"Oh yes, it's only fair." Cedric smiled as they both leaned in, their lips connecting.
Who would've thought that something good could come out of a rumor?
This is unedited, so I'll find some errors here and there and come back to change them. I installed a grammar checking program into my computer and lot of the times it changes things into completely different words and it doesn't tell me when something is wornd. Like there's no red line. Its be causing me lots of trouble lately.
So I just started school and have already had lots of work. Now is the time of the year when my updates are gonna be lots more spaced out on both my books, so just a heads up.
Anyway, enjoy :D
xxQ