Disclaimer: Not mine
I smacked my hand away from the mirror in my book bag for like the seventh time since I walked into the Charms classroom. Myra and Michelle had used their wands to curl my hair so that it hung in long ringlets just above the middle of my back. I had to resist the urge not to run my hands through it like I did when it was just straight down.
This is why I hate dressing myself up; I get really self-conscious when I try to look nice.
For the past five minutes, thousands of questions have simultaneously run through my head: Is Cedric going to like it? Is it sticking up in places right now? Are my curls falling out? What if Cedric doesn't even show up? What if he shows up and he hates it? What if he realizes I'm trying to impress him? What if –
'What if the sky falls and our noses burn off?'
I sighed, trying to calm myself down by remembering that one phrase, that one thing my mom used to say every time I was feeling crazy nervous. Gosh I miss her.
The door opened and Cedric came rushing in with all his gloriousness. His hair looked windswept, as if he had been running, which was probably true.
"Sorry, I'm late," he said, letting his bag drop to the ground. "I was busy getting ambushed."
I smiled. "You're only like five minutes late, Cedric, its fine. Let's get started, okay?"
"Right." Cedric sat down in his seat, reaching for his bag. I think that was when I noticed that he never actually looked at me. While he was looking down, I swung some of my hair over my shoulder, picking up my pencil and pretending to write.
"So, how is planning for the Tournament going innyhoo?" I asked. I lifted my eyes to meet his slowly, like Daniel had told me to do.
"Well it's –" Cedric stopped, looking at me. And when I say looking at me, I mean he was actually looking at me. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Nothing, I mean. . . ." Cedric smiled. "You just look . . . different is all. I can't put my finger on it."
Sigh. Boys were so freaking oblivious to the world (or the hair) around them sometimes. I shrugged lightly, smiling back. "So, how is planning?" I asked again.
"Its fine," he said, setting down his own pencil.
"Just fine?" I asked.
"Well, if you really want to know. . . . I'm scared out of my mind."
I stared at him in shock. "Really?"
"Of course. People have died in this thing. I don't know what I was thinking when I let my friends talk me in to putting my name in that Goblet."
"You were thinking about bringing honor to Hufflepuff and to your family. There's nothing wrong with that."
Cedric looked at me again, his smile back again. "Thanks, Evelyn. I haven't been able to talk about this with anyone."
My heart swooped at the sound of my name coming from him. It was so wonderful. "Anytime. I happen to specialize as a tutor and psychiatrist. Plus that, I'm your friend so that counts too. Oh, and by the way, my friends call me Evie."
Cedric's smile widened. "Alright then, Evie."
I picked up my pencil, tapping it and trying to fight the blush coming to my face. "Anything else you want to talk about?"
"No, no, no, it's your turn now. I've already told you something about me."
"Well, what do you want to know?"
"You're Muggleborn, right?"
My eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Yeah."
"So, what was it like when you found out you were a witch?"
I opened my mouth, ready to tell him what I also tell people when they ask that question back home: 'It was wonderful and such a surprise.' But instead what spilled from my mouth was something I don't even think I ever told my friends.
"I was horrified, really. My dad, he's very . . . conservative. He intended church every Sunday and dragged my mum and me along with him. When he found out I was a witch, he practically disowned me. I wasn't about to come because I couldn't stand the thought of him hating me but. . . ." A small smile came to my face. "My mom told me to go. She was so, so proud."
"Was?" Cedric asked, concerned.
I looked away from him only to feel his hand fall across mine. I looked back up to see him looking at me, sadly. "I'm sorry. How did it –? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. . . . Sorry."
"Its fine, um . . . she passed away fourth year with liver cancer."
"Why didn't your dad try to keep you home after she . . . passed away?"
"He didn't want me around anymore. He kept asking me if magic was so great, why couldn't we fix my mom. Every summer he works all day and doesn't come home until late and every September he stops the car long enough for me to get out and get my trunk. . . . I'm sorry, that was way too much information to just dump on you like that."
"Hey, don't worry about it. . . . It's fine. You know, I'm your friend too. You can talk to me about anything, if you'd like."
I smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Anytime. . . ."
I opened the door to Daniel's dormitory where my three friends sat on Daniel's bed. "Well?" they all said, at once.
I stared at them for a moment before breaking into a huge grin, letting my bag fall to the ground and lifting one hand to my heart and the other to my head. "Catch me, Daniel. I'm swooning."
"Right away, darling Evie," Daniel said, hopping from his bed. I spun slightly, falling backwards into Daniel's arms. The girls laughed, jumping up also and picking me up, dragging me back to the bed.
"What happened?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah, spill," Myra said.
"We just talked," I said, smiling.
"Yeah, for an hour over the normal hour and a half study period," Daniel said, smirking.
"Seriously," I said, getting up, grabbing my bag, and heading for the door. "We just talked. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, if you'll excuse me . . . I now, take my leave."
With an exaggerated bow, I left, my friends screaming at me. Normally, I would have told them what Cedric and I had talked about but now . . . this is just something I wanted to keep to myself.
Of course, my friends didn't get that though, seeing as how they chased after me with the sort of vegance you only see in movies. I tried to run but they caught me, making me sit down on the stairs. "Look, girl, if you don't tell me what went on in that room after Myra and I spent an hour doing your hair, i will personally make sure you don't have any hair in the morning," Michelle said, glaring.
"Nothing went on!" I said, laughing. "I'm telling the truth, really! We just talked."
"Yes but about what?" Myra asked.
"Just stuff. I'd ask about the tournament, we'd go on about that. He'd ask about being Muggleborn, and we'd go on about that. . . . We talked about quidditch, but not nearly as much as when Fred and George are around. It was just . . . nice."
"Sounds dreamy," Daniel said, grinning. "You didn't bring up Charms did you?"
"Didn't even put pencil to paper," I replied, smiling back.
"Did he notice your new look at all?" Myra asked.
"He noticed something, but you know how boys are sometimes," I said.
My three friends sighed simultaneously. "Leave it a boy to not notice a brand new hairstyle," Daniel said.
Myra, Michelle, and I stared at him for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter. As the three of us got up to go for the girls' dormitories, Daniel stared at us confused. "What? What did I say?"
I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the most wonderful person, Danny."
He grinned. "Of course I am, love."
"Aren't you lucky to have friends like us?" Myra and Michelle said.
I grinned, throwing my arms around their shoulders. "Unbelievably lucky."
A/n: So second chapter is a little more serious than the first but still good, right? I hope you guys liked it. Stay tuned for the next chapter.
