Hope's POV:
It's been a few weeks since the ball and the second task is in three days. Today also happens to be my date with Cedric. My first date. I'm panicked as I race around the room, trying to figure out what to wear while Hermione and Ginny sit on Hermione's bed and watch me.
"Hope, calm down." "I can't Hermione, this is my first date. I have no clue how to do this." I say, holding up different shirts, trying to find the right one. "Hope, relax. You'll be fine. I'm sure, no matter what you wear, the date will be perfect." Hermione assures me. I sigh.
"You're right, I am over reacting. I just need to breath." I say. I look at what I'm wearing now. A burgundy sweater and ripped skinny jeans. This'll do. I go over to my trunk and take out a white knit scarf and brown heeled boots. I put them on and turn to the girls. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful, now go. Cedric should be waiting outside by now." Ginny tells me. I nod, smiling at them as I exit the room and head down to the Common Room. "Hey Hope, where are you going?" Harry asks when I pass him and Ron.
"Oh, well, Cedric asked me out the night of the ball so we're going on a date." I say, looking down slightly. "Oh, well, have fun." Harry says, all enthusiasm leaving his voice. I feel like I need to say something, to explain myself, but I shake it off. I don't need to explain myself.
With that I walk toward the entrance to the portrait hole and exits the Common Room. Cedric is in fact waiting me. When he sees me he grins. "Hello Hope." "Hey." "Shall we go?" He asks. I nod and loop my arm through his. Together we walk down the stairs and out of the castle.
By the time we reach the Black Lake where a blanket and a basket are waiting we still haven't said a word to each other. I'm way too nervous to start the conversation and it appears he's in the same predicament. As we sit and eat the picnic he set up we don't talk. This is horrible.
I would think that the asking and getting asked was the worst part of a date, but we haven't said anything to each other and it's driving me mad! I just want to talk normally with him, but it appears that we can't do that. After about thirty minutes I've had enough.
"This is ridiculous." I mumble, shaking my head. "I know, it's like it's different to talk to you now when it really isn't." He says. "It's weird. Shouldn't it be easier to talk to the person you're on a date with and not harder?" "It should be, shouldn't it." He agrees.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous right now. We've been friends since the start of the year and now it's like we met at the ball and you randomly asked me out." I explain. He nods in full agreement.
"I know, I don't like it. We're still the same people who have gone on two Hogsmead trips together and came back hours later still having things to talk about. We even went to the ball together and talked for hours there. I'm sorry it's like this." He says.
"It's fine, really. It's not you and it's not me. It's just...us. We're great as friends. Amazing in fact. Friendships like ours only go two ways. Dating or a brother/sister relationship. I think we're the latter."
"I think so too. I feel so stupid now that I think about it. I wasn't even going to ask you out until I saw you at the ball." "You know what. I think we owed it to ourselves to try, but now that we have I think we both see who we are supposed to be in each other's lives."
"I think the same thing. If this is what our relationship would be like then I'm glad we realized this now. I don't want to lose you as a friend because we can't get on in a relationship." He tells me.
"I feel the same way. I'm glad you're my friend Ced, but I think that's what's you'll always be to me." He nods, smiling down at me. "So, would you like to go back to your Common Room or are you willing to stay for a friend date?" He asks. I laugh.
"Well, seeing as there's no more pressure that an actual date has, yes, I would love to stay." He grins and with that we continue on in a different conversation. This is so much better than it would have been if we were still trying to make this date work out.
I like this Ced, not boyfriend Ced. After our lakeside picnic we head up to the Astronomy Tower to star gaze. We point out different constellations to each other, having the time of our lives. I'm glad we figured this out early on.
Today was amazing, just different than how I thought it would be. A good different. I clear different. It's clear to me now that I don't like Cedric that way, but it's also clear to me that I do like Harry that way.
Me realizing my true feelings for Cedric brought to life my true feelings for Harry. The feelings I have for the two of them are completely different. Hell, my feelings for Ron are completely different than the ones I have for Harry. Good news, I only like one guy.
Bad news, he doesn't like me and he currently thinks I'm on a date with another guy. I knew things would only get more complicated. Why didn't I listen to myself. I never listen to myself and when I actually do its a bad idea. Why does life have to be so freaking complicated?