Someone To Take Her Home

Chapter One

I was running, laughing and dodging the bits of snow flying at me from behind. I darted into a crowd of people, hoping to remain hidden, and smacked into something, hard. Someone, make that. We both fell down, I landed on top of my victim.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped out, still breathless. I lay there for a moment, catching my breath, then awkwardly climbed off the man underneath me, and extended my hand to help him up. He clambered to his feet, and I looked up into his face. My second apology died in my throat as I looked into his eyes. I'd recognize them anywhere.

"Hermione? Where did you disappear to?" Harry called, skidding to a halt behind me when he finally caught up. He glanced between myself and the man in front of me, nothing but confusion in his eyes.

"What did you-" He stopped speaking as quickly as he had started. I knew he would figure it out soon enough. "Cedric. Hi." He said quietly, as though the realization of who I had tackled had knocked the wind out of him.

Cedric looked at the two of us, surprised. I cant blame him, even though it had only been two years, we had changed. I had seen him night after night, the moment I closed my eyes, and Harry…well, I don't think Harry could ever forget Cedric. Cedric looked between us, back and forth, until finally he looked at me, and I knew he remembered.

I leaned my head on his shoulder, resting it between his neck and jaw. He put his head down, and I could feel his hair, rubbing across my neck and jaw. It was rough, but the tenderness of the moment was enough that I wouldn't dare move away from him. He raised his head to look at me, and I leaned in, our lips almost touching…

"Hermione? Is that really you?" I looked down, and nodded. He was even more beautiful than in my dreams. I could understand his disbelief, I had changed a lot since fifth year.

"I cant believe it, you look great! What have you been doing? Besides knocking people over I mean." He asked, making light of the situation like only he could. Being the suave, confident individual I was, I managed to choke out the phrase

"I… um… you know, school…" I shrugged. Cedric looked at Harry. "Harry Potter. How are you doing? Haven't seen you in a while!"

Harry shook his hand then let go as quickly as he could without seeming rude, then muttered something quietly.

"I have to go. Hermione, I'll come find you later. Cedric… I'll see you around. Bye." Cedric nodded, and lifted his hand in goodbye. I turned, wrapped my arms quickly around Harry's waist, and whispered in his ear.

"Don't worry. Please." He nodded then walked away swiftly. I looked at Cedric. I hadn't seen him since I was fifteen. He left at the end of my fifth year, his seventh, taking my heart with him, to go see the world with his dad and study abroad. I stayed at Hogwarts, studying and growing and changing, but things were never the same.

I clung to his arm, laughing like a madman. I looked up, and he looked down at me, serious in contrast to my giddiness. I quieted down, gazing into his dark eyes. The dark brown and moss green vortexes, usually soft and jovial, were deep and filled with something unreadable. I tucked a loose curl behind my ear, and raised my eyebrow, questioning the pensive turn our moment seemed to have taken. He looked at me, searching, then reached out towards me. I instinctually leaned in, and our lips met in the middle. His hand caressed my jaw, while the other knotted itself in my thick hair. His lips were soft and probing, every caress full of the unasked questions between us.

"Are you busy? I mean, would you be willing to get a butterbeer or something?" I blinked up at him, surprised, then gathered my wits and answered.

"Yeah, uh sure, that'd be great. Now?" He nodded, and I straightened my hat and waved my arm in front of us, gesturing that we should probably get a move on it, if we wanted to get back to campus on time. As a seventh year, I was allowed to leave and go to Hogsmeade as I pleased, provided that I was back on campus by ten every night, at latest. We slowly made our way to Hogsmeade, and walked through the town, entering the Three Broomsticks with a wintery gust of wind. The door slammed shut behind us, and we sat down after ordering our drinks.

"So." He began. I shut my eyes, waiting for the questions. "How have you been?" I paused, to see if that was all for now, then answered.

"Well, I've been okay. Things have been good, quite busy you know, with school and everything. But things have been good. What about you? I mean… how have you been? You look good and all…" I said, flushing a deep rosy color as he looked at me and grinned.

"I've been good. Traveling was incredible, but those are stories that can wait for another day. I really missed you though… you've changed. What's different?" He looked at me. It was that same look he gave me all those years ago.

"Hermione, honestly. Just tell me what's wrong, come on." I shrugged, then whispered as quietly as I could, "I saw you. With Cho, by the lake. I just thought, maybe, we…" I trailed off, and he gave me that look. I couldn't stand it, that face he made. It spelled out, clearly, every one of my faults. When I looked into his beautiful eyes, instead of seeing love, I saw my own insecurities reflected back at me. It was the face he made when he was trying to figure out what I was thinking, but all it did was make me question every single thought in my head.

"Don't look at me like that!" I exclaimed, probably a little more abruptly than was necessary. Cedric looked up, surprised, and opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"Don't look at me like we are still stupid teenagers, in love. I know that face, and things are different now, Cedric. I'm not the same person, and I'm not sure I ever even knew who the hell you were. But don't you dare waltz in here, unannounced and expect me to be the same girl you left here, two damn years ago." He looked at me, stunned, then raised his eyebrows.

"Things aren't the same anymore, Cedric." We sat in silence for an unbearably long time. I didn't want to break the silence, and either way, I had no idea what to say. I silently chastised myself for bringing it up.. I knew that we would, eventually, have to deal with our past, but I probably didn't need to call attention to the elephant in the room by ordering the thing to trample on Cedric. I mean, after all, we've only been talking about twenty minutes…

Cedric cleared his throat, dragging me out of my revere.

"Well, I guess we both knew this was going to come up. I had admit, I hoped once maybe you had warmed up to me again, you'd be more amiable to discuss it, but I guess now is as good a time as ever, hmm?" He looked at me, and I looked down at the table, blushing to the roots of my hair. I had imagined this scenario time after time, but I had never imagined it this way.

I guess I was pretty naïve. Fifteen and in love, Cedric was 17, with grand plans that I wasn't really a part of. He took me under his wing though, and we became friends. He felt something for me, although I couldn't say for sure what, and we made it work, as well as we could. When he left though, I was stuck here. Everybody thinks I am over it, but to be honest… I really am not sure. The way I felt for him… I have never felt that way for anyone else.

Cedric took a deep breath, and began again.

"Hermione… I know I just showed up here, out of the blue. The story is that I'm here again for an internship in teaching. But, the real reason I'm here… is you.