(A/N): My inspiration- Goblet of Fire, pg. 236
"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.
"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student- and he's a prefect."
She spoke as thought this settled the matter.
"You only like him because he's handsome," said Ron scathingly.
"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly.
So I started to wonder...what if there was something more going on between Cedric and Hermione?
Hermione Granger was not having a good day. It was the day of the Quidditch World Cup, but she found it extremely hard to feel excited while trodding through damp woods at six in the morning, looking for a Portkey. Her eyelids drooped as she followed the Weasleys and the Diggorys up the hill.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone walking beside her. She turned and spotted Cedric Diggory, who was also lagging behind the rest of the group. Her pulse quickened, a fact that she was ashamed to admit. Get a hold of yourself, Hermione, she told herself. He was rather good looking, with his brawny physique, dark hair, and stone-gray eyes, but Hermione would neverjudge anyone based on looks. Still...he was a prefect, wasn't he? That meant Dumbledore thought he was a responsible, mature person, and Hermione trusted Dumbledore's opinion.
Cedric noticed her staring, and she cut her eyes quickly away.
"Hi," He said in a friendly tone.
Hermione grinned up at him, then closed her mouth in horror as she realized how her hideous her rabbit-like teeth must look compared to his gleaming white ones. "Umm, hi."
Still trying to keep eye contact with Cedric, Hermione stepped forward and tripped on a tree root. She flailed, catching the trunk to steady herself. "Ugh!" she muttered, quite forgetting that Cedric was there as she brushed a scrap of moss off her cardigan.
"Not having a good day, are you?" commented Cedric.
Hermione jumped slightly, embarrassed. "You could say that again."
"Not having a good day, are you?"
Hermione squinted at him. Surely he wasn't stupid enough to believe that she'd really been asking him to say it again? Cedric was grinning widely. Wait- was he joking with her?
"N-no..." She smiled back, trying not to look fake. "Er...we should hurry, the others are way ahead of us."
"Alright, then."
The two of them rushed to reach the rest of the group, who were gathered around a dingy old boot on the floor.
"Oh, that'll be the Portkey, then," said Hermione, weaving her way into the group and placing one finger on the boot.
Cedric came up beside her, a little too close in Hermione's opinion. His arm was touching hers as they both waited for the Portkey to transport them. Warmth rose to Hermione's cheeks, which she ignored. It wasn't a big deal- she touched Harry and Ron like this all the time, and neither of them thought anything of it.
Suddenly she felt a jerking in her stomach, like she was being pulled forward. Hermione found herself feeling as if she was being plunged into thin air, in a sickening free fall that whirled her head and numbed her senses.
And then- Hermione found herself in a vast campground among many other wizards. She stood still, trying to regain her balance.
"Feeling queasy, Hermione?" asked Fred.
"No, not at all," she retorted.
"Whatever you say," said George.
Hermione's ears perked up when she heard Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, say "Well, it was nice meeting you again, Arthur. Me and Ced are going to head over to our spot. It's all the way on the other side of the campground."
While Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley shook hands, Hermione thought she saw Cedric smile at her. Well, of course he had been smiling at all of them -Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione-, but Hermione got the feeling that he was staring straight at her for a few heart-hammering moments. It's nothing, she told herself. Why would he be looking at you, anyway?
Cedric and his father headed off across the field. A few meters away, Cedric peeked back over his shoulder and waved. Hermione smiled and waved back at him, but she was the only one who did.