On Saturday morning, the students of Hogwarts filed out of the castle, over the grounds, heading towards the Quidditch stadium.
It was the opening match of the year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, which obviously Harry and Ron would be playing in. Before the boys headed to the pitch, Hermione and Athena gave their good luck.
"You'll be fine Ron,"Athena said, clinging onto Ron's arm as they neared the pitch. Lavender Brown was hanging onto the other rather territorially, pulling Ron towards her.
"Yes you'll be amazing, sweetheart! Absolutely amazing!"she gushed, sweeping her hand through his hair. "Good luck Won Won, my sweet love!" And she rushed off up the stairs to the stands.
"She's driving me up the bloody wall,"he huffed under his breath, making Athena chuckle.
"Malfoy's not playing,"Harry said, sounding concerned for some reason.
"What? Why?"Hermione asked.
"Probably something to do with him being a death eater,"he said quietly so only the four of them could hear.
Athena choked on her own breath. Hermione and Ron didn't seem to react in the same way. She had obviously missed something between the three of them.
"A what?"Athena asked, astonished. "Where would you get an idea like that?"
Harry briefly told her of his theory about Draco being a death eater, which Hermione disregarded while Ron was too nervous about the game to pay much attention to the conversation.
"That's ridiculous! He can't be a-"
"Shhhh!"Harry interrupted.
"Sorry,"she whispered. But before she could say anything else, him and Ron ran off to join the rest of the Gryffindor team.
"Remind me to find Slughorn later. I need to ask him about this theory which annoyingly I'm stuck with. I've looked through all of the books in the library and I just can't seem to..."Hermione rambled. Athena nodded and smiled as if she was listening but couldn't concentrate on anything Hermione was currently saying, as well as her lack of care for whatever it was.
The girls entered the stands and took their places. Athena scanned the Hufflepuff crowd trying to identify where Cedric was sat but he didn't seem to be there yet.
Coming from behind her, she felt a hand gently slap her shoulder. She turned around to see Isaac Shire beaming down at her, red and gold stripes painted on his cheeks.
"Alright Greene?" he asked. "Potter's playing isn' he?"
Athena nodded and smiled in response and turned back around to face the game, only swivelling around when Isaac had something to say to her.
Despite her rushing mind with what Harry had just told her, she tried to relax and enjoy the game. Though this was rather hard to do when everyone around her was shouting and screaming. She started yelling towards the game like everyone else in an attempt to distract and clear her thoughts.
Although Athena didn't play Quidditch, she had a pretty good understanding of it. She could figure out the technique and skills but couldn't put them into practice. This became very clear to her after last Christmas, at the Burrow when they played a few rounds of Quidditch.
Athena was such an awful player. She had been on Fred and George's team, as opposed to Harry, Ron and Ginny. She felt terrible for making them lose, though they didn't seem to mind much, in front of her anyway.
Her and Fred actually ended up making out later that evening, though the day Ron found out about that was the day she would be on her deathbed. Fred still liked to tease her about it occasionally to this day which she just found funny, as well as being concerned that Ron would overhear.
She kept her eyes fixated towards the game, paying close attention, and surely enough could not see Draco flying on a broomstick anywhere. Her eyes diverted, back to where the Hufflepuff crowd was and spotted Cedric immediately. He wasn't hard to point out, being one of the tallest there.
He was cheering exuberantly as Ron just blocked a Slytherin goal, which erupted a verse of 'Weasley is Our King' to be sung among the Gryffindors, Athena and Hermione joining in too.
The game sooner ended as Harry caught the snitch, which erupted in a frenzy of Gryffindor joy and excitement. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws too were celebrating rather jovially, however the Slytherins were doing anything but.
Athena and Hermione left the stands with the rest of the audience, now heading for the stairs.
"I'm nervous,"Athena said quietly to Hermione as they trudged down the steps.
"Why? It was fine last time right?"she asked.
"Yes but last time his friends were there. It's just the two of us today," Athena said.
"Oh so it's like a date,"Hermione smirked.
"Well he didn't say that,"she sighed in mild disappointment.
"Oh there's Slughorn! I'll see you later. Have fun!"Hermione beamed, before dashing ahead to catch up with their professor.
Once Athena reached the bottom of the steps she looked towards the castle entrance, but Cedric was not there yet.
She was trying to compose herself when she felt a tug on her arm from the left of her, which pulled her out of step. Completely caught off guard, she didn't even have time to pull out her wand.
She was grabbed under the stairs that she had just walked down, and pinned against the hard wood, completely out of sight.
"Oh what the fu-" she yelped, before a giant cold hand covered her mouth.
She was glaring up into the pale face of Draco. He removed his hand and placed one finger over his lips to gesture shushing. He had one arm shadowing her, placed firmly on the wooden wall above the left side of her head.
They waited until everyone had exited the stands, when they were alone. His grey eyes rested on hers, when she noticed the redness mixed with darkness casting deep shadows underneath them.
The last person had finally left the stairs.
"Fucking hell. Stop doing that you twat,"she sulked. He ignored this which surprised her.
"You've been avoiding me,"he whispered sternly.
"What—I–"she stuttered. "So what if I have?"
Athena lifted her back from the wall, attempting to wriggle out of this position where her pulse was quickening. He backed away, taking his arm off of the wall.
His cologne was particularly stronger today as the scent drowned her, which aggravated her further. The pure smell of masculinity and mahogany was mouth watering and equally hard to resist.
"Why?"he asked, his voice low and his grey eyes darkening. Her breath hitched slightly.
"Well- I think it's pretty obvious why,"she said, hating herself for even being in this position.
"I don't want to fuck you, Greene,"he smirked wickedly. "You're a mudblood. I wouldn't wanna go anywhere near you."
Rather taken aback by his words, she was going to form a defence and prove that this was not in her thoughts at all, but she had something else in mind.
"Well that wasn't your attitude the other night,"she returned his wicked smirk. He frowned, taking his eyes off of hers.
Neither of them spoke and his eyes were glued to the floor. Athena grew extremely irritated due to his unnecessary disruption to her day.
"Now is that all? Because if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be,"she said. His eyes fluttered back to hers.
"Where are you going?"he asked.
"Oh wouldn't you like to know,"she sniggered, which made him scowl. He put his arm on the wood behind her again, making her back press against it.
"Where are you going?"he repeated, his voice matching her frustrated tone, mixed with impatience.
"None of your fucking business,"she sneered, piercing her eyes into his.
"Watch your mouth young lady,"he smirked, patronisingly. This made her cringe internally.
"Why would I wanna sleep with you anyway? I'd rather pitch myself off of the Astronomy tower,"she said.
"Well that wasn't your attitude the other night,"he echoed her, that wicked smirk forming on his face again.
It was her turn to look away.
The magnificent stench of his cologne consumed her as his body leaned into hers. The musky odours of mahogany fulfilling her cravings.
She glanced back up at him, when his giant hand grabbed her face and his lips smacked into hers. The cool metal of his ring burned against her skin.
Her brain was screaming at her to push him away, but her body was saying otherwise. Her lips responded immediately, moulding into the rhythmic flow that resembled the one of the other night.
His hand that was not pressed on the wood, snaked around her neck in a roughly gentle choke. Her chest ignited, glorious flames kindling her insides. The feeling she had desired for days, was back in an instant.
His hand detached from her neck and instead found its way under her t-shirt, their lips still in rhythm.
His hand slipped under her bra and began kneading pleasurably on her breast, making her moan slightly. With his thumb and his finger, he gently pinched her nipple, causing her to moan into his mouth.
Her body wanted more.
It needed more.
However, her brain caught up with her body and her lips tore away from his. He removed his hand from under her top, stepping back. He stared at her, caught off guard.
"What the fuck?"she said.
"You kissed me back,"he smirked evilly.
"Oh- just- piss off!"she yelled, ripping herself away from him, extremely aggravated.
She trudged towards the castle, trying to control her unfathomably frustrated mood. She definitely didn't want Cedric seeing her like this.
'What the fuck is wrong with me?' her thoughts screamed. 'I hate him. I hate him so much.'
She managed to contain her anger just before seeing Cedric's happy, handsome face, which seemingly resolved her irritation immediately. As soon as he saw her, he started walking towards her.
She felt so ashamed. She thought if he knew what she had just been doing, he definitely would not want to be going anywhere near Hogsmeade with her.
"Hi,"he smiled, before giving her a hug.
"Hi, enjoyed the match?"she asked, pulling away from the hug.
"Yeah, did you? You look flustered,"he chuckled.
"Oh- er- yeah just-um- Quidditch match excitement, you know,"she said. "Gryffindor won after all."
"Yeah, but us Hufflepuff will beat their arses in our game,"he chuckled jokily, which had her laughing in response.
As they began to make their way down the path to Hogsmeade, Athena glanced over to the stands where she had just been.
She caught a glimpse of the outline of Draco, standing in the shadows, looking towards her and Cedric.
Athena looked away immediately, focussing on the path ahead.
"So where are we going in Hogsmeade?"she asked, pushing her thoughts away from Draco.
"Three Broomsticks? Or Madam Puddifoots? You know, the teashop," he suggested.
She had been to Madam Puddifoots before with Dean. It was the place couples seemed to go when they went to Hogsmeade. As much as Athena would have wanted to go into that teashop with Cedric, she could not stand to be surrounded by snogging couples at this moment.
"Three Broomsticks sounds good. I really fancy a butterbeer,"she chuckled.
"Three Broomsticks it is,"he smiled, then smoothly intertwined his fingers with hers.
They were walking down the path holding hands. As much as Athena should feel excited about this like any other girl of her age, she couldn't bring herself to be. She couldn't help but feel guilty even though her and Cedric weren't even together.
His hand was soft and warm, even in the cold October temperatures, which she found comforting.
When they arrived at the Three Broomsticks, Athena sat at a small table which would perfectly fit two people, while Cedric ordered the butterbeers.
"Here you go,"he smiled, passing it to her.
"Thank you,"she returned his smile, taking a sip of the butterbeer. Instantly the warmth spread through her body, replacing the cold, desolate feeling riddled with the shame and anger she was containing within.
"Much better,"she let out a breath of relief.
They spent hours talking, laughing, drinking butterbeers and ate the lunch they ordered at noon. Athena was shocked to see the time when she checked her watch.
"Blimey its already four o'clock! We've been here hours!"she said, finishing off what may have been her fourth butterbeer of the day.
"Well you know what they say. Time flies when you're having fun,"he chuckled. "But we should probably get going. I figure you'll make it back just in time for the end of the celebrations."
They grabbed their coats off of the back of their chairs and wrapped up warm before facing the bitter cold outside. When they set off, he held her hand again which made not only her hand warm, but her body warm too.
"This evening some of my mates are coming to the Hufflepuff common room for some drinks. Elias has got a crate of firewhiskey bottles stashed in his room. Wanna come?"he asked. "I understand if you're sick of me already."
"No don't be silly, it sounds fun. I'll be there,"she beamed.
"Great. Come to the common room at eight o'clock. I'll wait outside to let you in."
The rest of the journey back went smoothly and Athena almost didn't want to go back to school. She found herself wanting to stay in Hogsmeade with Cedric, not having to face the realities of her life.
And more specifically, not having to worry about Draco Malfoy having a stubbornly profound effect on her.
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eighth chapter complete :)
i hope you're enjoying so far!