It all started when Hermione Granger couldn't reach a book, in the library. Rationally speaking, she could've used a spell but she was more than a little flustered with the unexpected presence of a certain Quidditch Captain and Seeker clad in yellow and black.
Hermione glared up at her current enemy which sat on the shelf just above her reach and tried yet again to grab it by standing on her tip toes and stretching as far as she could manage. She could practically feel the menacing aura emitting from the boy sat at the table not so far away. She felt embarrassed and under pressure but she couldn't determine why, he was just one cocky boy. One cocky boy that could make her heart do summersaults. She shook her head and tried again. No such luck. She was about to try again but stopped short when she noticed an arm reach out from behind, above her head and retrieved. She turned around and was met with a gaze from none other than the menacing, cocky boy. Cedric Diggory.
"Your determination is unwavering, Granger." He stated with a smirk.
"Thanks for the observation." She retorted, already knowing he was up to something.
"You're welcome." He grinned, the sarcasm going straight over his head. She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you know you could've used a spell, right?"
"Yes, I know that." She huffed, crossing her arms. "I just couldn't think straight."
"Oh, is that so?" He smirked, knowingly. She only glared at him.
"Thank you for getting the book down, can I have it now?" She asked, she knew it wouldn't be that simple.
His smirk widened and he placed a hand on the bookcase next to her head. She was backed up against it, with Cedric in close proximity. She was positive her face was glowing by now.
"What's it worth to you?" He asked mischievously, waving the book with his free hand.
"It's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It's one of the books I haven't gotten to read yet and from what I hear, it's very detailed." She stated, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "It's worth a lot."
His eye's flickered with glint of mirth and he smiled, leaning in, with both hands on each side of her on the bookcase. His lips were millimetres away from hers and her mind went completely blank. Right when their lips were about to meet, he changed course and instead whispered into her ear, his lips touching it as he spoke.
"Then you'll need to steal it from me." He stated in a low voice, before pulling away, grinning and making a B-line out of the library.
She finally snapped out her daze just in time to see him leave through the exit. She shook her head and started running after the boy.
Yep, that's right. Cedric Diggory did not want to be known as 'Hogwarts' Pretty Boy' but rather the schools 'Master of Anticipation'. This was a title he made sure to perfect and prove on many occasions. In the early stages of the pairs friendship, she had soon come to know this fact.
She tailed him, right up until she made it to the doors leading outside. He'd left one open so she'd be sure that's where he'd gone. She hesitated before stepping outside, although, she had no clue as to where outside he was. The snow crunched against her feet, as it was winter and she rubbed her hands together. She was about to call his name until she noticed the book placed between the braches of a tree. She started walking towards it, the whole time her mind questioning the situation. Surely, this wasn't it. She had expected more. Just like in the library, she reached her hand out to grab it but instead of another hand reaching for the book, it reached for her instead. She squealed in surprise and started giggling when Cedric turned her to face him. He couldn't help but smile at her reaction.
"I thought I was supposed to catch you, instead you caught me." She pointed out, a smile on her face.
"I guess I did." He stated softly, smiling back. "Classes have finished for the day and the snow's makes the scenery even more remarkable, I figured I'd lure you out to see it, since you've been cooped up, studying."
Her facial expression soften at his words. "It really does. And yes, I guess I have went a little overboard with studying lately."
"A little?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, okay. A lot." She said, raising her arms in surrender.
He laughed and then the pair made their way up the tree that held Hermione's book. They often sat there when they had spare time together. Jokingly, Hermione had once named it 'Infragilis' and he in turn kept the name going.
"You know, you should have a break every now and then." He said. "I know how important school is but you'll miss all the good things if you keep over doing it."
She was about to reply but was cut off by a sneeze. She sniffled and rubbed her hands, remembering how cold it was.
"Sorry, I didn't even think about the cold." He admitted, sheepishly. "We can go ba-"
"No!" She answered, a bit too quickly. She looked away in embarrassment. "I-I mean no, it's nice not studying."
He smiled at her and the next thing she knew, she felt an added weight as Cedric draped his robes around her.
"C-Cedric, you'll get cold." She stuttered, her cheeks turning pink.
"It's fine." He replied, casually. "The cold doesn't really bother me."
"Lucky for some." She mumbled and he turned to look at her.
"You know," He said, pulling the corners of each side of his robes and buttoning it. "I gave you this to keep you warm."
"O-Oh, right!" She said and then started laughing, snuggling into the warmth of his robe. She missed the look he gave her. Silence.
"You know, I'm not just the 'Master of Anticipation'." He started, looking straight ahead at the falling snow. "I'm also just a boy who is in love."
She was stunned but quickly recovered. "Interesting."
"What do you mean, interesting?" He asked, it certainly wasn't the reply he was expecting.
"I mean, you take your title pretty seriously that it would make it pretty hard to believe, especially for the recipient of your feelings to trust that it's true." She said, looking straight ahead as he had previously done.
She wasn't an idiot, she knew the exact answer to all her emotions and reactions towards this close friend. It's because she didn't want him to be just a close friend. So, it was only natural that her heart felt an overwhelming amount of pain at the fact that he loved someone, right? It was probably Cho Chang. Maybe Alicia Spinnett. Lots of scenarios started whizzing through her mind that she hadn't noticed the tears threatening to fall from the rim of her eyes.
"Hermione?" Cedric questioned, worried written all of his face. It seemed she hadn't heard his reply and now she was about to cry.
"H-Huh?" She blinked the tears away and forced a smile. "Sorry, I forgot that I told Neville I'd help him with Potions homework."
"Hermione." He said, but she didn't seem to hear and continued to jump down from the tree, and he followed.
She spun around, his robe in hand, hiding the tears. "Thanks, really, for keeping me warm all this time." She said, practically throwing them at him and dashing off.
He stood there, in utter shock, as if time had stopped. All he could do was watch her leave. He had a feeling that her words meant much more and he knew that this misunderstanding was the cause of her hidden tears.
Days later, Hermione had avoided Cedric at all costs. She didn't know if her heart could take facing him just yet, after all she didn't want to be in the way of his happiness. She was back at the library, trying to get Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them back on the shelf but just like last time, she wasn't so fortunate. Unnaturally, she felt like giving up but tried one more time. She got up on her tip toes and stretched with the book in hand. She was still just too short. She was about to pull back when a hand overlapped hers and she was pulled back against someones chest. She knew it all too well. She suddenly found herself able to reach the shelf and together they put the book back. Still shocked, she looked down to see that she was pulled back so she was standing on feet. She was about to hop off but haulted her movements when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her.
"The Master of Anticipation is Cedric Diggory. Cedric Diggory is the Master of Anticipation." He said, releasing her. She hopped off and turned to face him. She found herself backed against the bookcase again, their positions the same as last time. His hands at either side of her. "Cedric Diggory still has a heart. I still have a heart."
She was pretty confused as to what he was trying to say to her but she was happy, so she just listened intently.
"And my heart tells me to never let you go." He said, looking her straight in the eyes.
"Cedric..." She choked, holding back tears.
"That day I made you cry, I was trying to tell you that I really like you - I think I love you, Hermione." He said, a stray tear making its way down his face.
"Cedric..." She sobbed, tears of her own streaming down her cheeks. She looked up at the startled boy and smiled through her sobs. "I'm so happy."
He sighed in relief and she reached out a hand and wiped his tear away, once she was done he grasped her hand at his cheek, brought it down to his lips and kissed it.
"No jokes, no teasing, just plain me." He said, looking her in the eye.
"I like you either way." She smiled.
He cupped her face, rubbing away the tears and kissed her so gently that she thought she might faint from the love she felt.
The day Cedric left Hogwarts, an owl appeared at the window of Hermione's dorm room. Ginny was the one to alert her that it was there. She looked at the young, beautiful owl confused and took the note attached. All it read was:
Infragilis
They could no longer share their Infragilis tree and so he'd sent her an owl they could share in its place.
She was so happy.