Chapter Three: Come Fly With Me

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin' to get by
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy
But he was looking to the sky
And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize that everyday he finds
Just what he's looking for,
Like a shooting star he shines

"Ordinary Day" -Vanessa Carlton


Wednesday brought ferocious winds swooping down over the highlands, across the lake and into the quidditch pitch. Much to the annoyance of the entire Huffelpuff quidditch team the gale was very much enjoying slapping them around as they tried to gain some progress with their practice that evening. To say the least, it wasn't going quite as well as they would have liked. Shandie McAndrews was standing in the archway leading off of the pitch and towards the Huffelpuff locker rooms. She had hiked around the grounds towards the field about ten minutes earlier in a frustrated rut at having failed her second Arithmancy test in a row. The only numbers she had ever been very handy with were the ones she used when counting beats and steps out on the dance floor, otherwise she was useless. It seemed the harder she tried the worse she got and it was starting to frustrate her near to tears. Oddly enough the first person she'd thought to go to had been Cedric.

Shandie didn't go outside much, though her light tan seemed to state otherwise it was more from dancing in the warmth of her studio's sunlit windows than from making any kind of acquaintance with mother nature. She didn't even attend most of the quidditch games, preferring instead to use her spare time as she always did: dancing. She knew she was predictable but she didn't mind so much as long as she was happy. And at the moment she was…somehow or another.

Gracing nature with her presence on purpose perhaps about ten times a year meant she wasn't used to strong winds or weather that wasn't temperate. This had caused her to bundle up something fierce against the harsh winds of winter that permeated her many layers of clothing regardless. She'd felt somewhat silly at first as she watched the bullets of canary yellow shoot across the sky in scant else but quidditch robes. But after a while she realized they were sweating from working out so hard whilst she merely stood and watched and therefore they wouldn't need as much protection as she. Even after that thought faded she still felt funny just standing there, watching them. She wondered if any of them saw her and wondered what she thought she was doing. To her mild disgust she soon realized there were small groups of girls scattered through the stadium seats and it didn't take much common sense to realize why they were all giggling and whispering to one another. The lot of them were watching Cedric practice. They were fanning themselves as they sat and watched him sweat. Those girls fantasized about him in the same way she had been doing lately. And somehow, she hated them all. She wanted them to leave her Cedric alone.

Her Cedric? This was getting ridiculous…

As Shandie really began to watch him though, the girls (along with the stadium, the rest of the team, and hell, all of Hogwarts) seemed to fade away into disillusionment. He seemed so concentrated, so graceful up in the air. Her eyes traced every zig-zag and loop and dive as though he were a bumblebee of sorts. Although she'd never seen a bumblebee quite so attractive…

Shandie laughed softly at herself, suddenly finding the flags standing guard around the pitch very interesting to stare at. Thankfully she couldn't blush since her cheeks were already red from the harsh wind but the realization that she had just been fangirling over her school's prominent golden boy and campus catch made her feel very ill-at-ease.

"Alright, we did our best today. Good work everyone, I'll see you all bright and early Sunday morning." Practice was over and Shandie came back from her thoughts just as Cedric was dismissing his team. "Shandie, is that you?"

He broke out into a grin and jogged over to where she was standing.

"Hey, it's good to see you again." he threw his arms around her in a tight but short lived hug.

"It's good to see you too."

"What are you doing here?"

A sigh escaped her lungs as her shoulders seemed to sag under an invisible weight called discouragement. "I needed someone to talk to."

He smirked, throwing an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the locker rooms, "I can relate. Just give me a few minutes to shower and get changed." he told her as they entered the flap of the saffron and black canvas tent. "I'll be done in a few minutes and then I'm yours for as long as you need me."

Shandie's stomach flopped at his words, 'Oh, don't say things like that Cedric!' she thought.


Twenty minutes later and the team had finished with their own showers, dressed and left by then. Even the girls, who were forever fixing their hair and finding some imperfection to correct, had since been satisfied with their appearances and left for dinner. Finally, hair still slightly wet and amazingly (yet charmingly) out of place Cedric entered the small room allowed him as captain of the team. The office space included a mildly cluttered desk, a swinging chalk board already clad in an array of quidditch plays, a small bookshelf, and a framed map hanging on the wall which was unlike any Shandie had ever seen as it was unusual for muggleborns to own two dimensional pictures containing moving images such as broomsticks, quidditch pitches, fairy folk, dragons, choppy waters or shooting stars.

"That's a very interesting map, Mr. Diggory." she informed her company as he made his way to his desk. Her arms had been folded over the front of her sweater as she stood just about a foot from the wall and observed it with her neck craned back. Her scarf and cloak had been left folded in the chair in front of the captain's desk when she had first been left in the room twenty minutes earlier.

"Oh, thanks." Cedric chuckled at her fascination, "Helps me feel more at home, I brought it from my room."

"It's neat, I've never seen a map like that before."

"You haven't?" he looked at her funny.

She shrugged, taking her seat once more as he took his own across from her. "Both my parents are muggleborn wizards so there's not much magic at my house. They never pursued magical careers either, so that didn't really help."

"What do they do?" he asked, flipping through and half heartedly organizing some of the papers on his desk.

"My mother's a ballet teacher and my father is a librettist."

"A libertiest?"

"Librettist." she emphasized the word with its proper French accent, "That's the title of someone who writes ballets."

Cedric nodded, "Should have seen that coming."

Shandie rolled her eyes, "Yah, and what do your parents do, golden boy?"

"Hey now, no name calling." looking up from his papers to offer her a flirtatious smile, Cedric was quick to go back to his work, "My father works for the ministry."

"That's right. He's come down to the school a few times, how could I have forgotten?" she shook her head and smiled at her scattered brain.

"It's alright. I like my mom's job better anyway."

"Oh? And what's she do?"

"She works as a Healer for St. Mungo's."

"That's lovely. Demanding job though, is she around much?"

"She's around enough to be a good mother, which is more than my father can vouch for. But enough of that. You came here to talk about your life."

"Right. Well, I've been having a spot of trouble with Arithmancy. Actually it's more than a spot; it's like a huge, permanent ink stain on my favorite blouse."

Cedric laughed loudly at that, "Nice analogy."

Shan snorted, albeit while smiling. "I don't know what to do anymore Cedric. It's like the harder I try the worse I get and no matter what I do I keep hitting more road blocks. It's frustrating me to tears."

"Have you tried getting a tutor?" he asked.

"Sort of. None of my friends are much help, they're Ravenclaws, remember? They're all too busy doing work of their own and even when they do try to help me they get frustrated when I can't grasp the material like they can."

"Well, I'm not a Ravenclaw and I'm actually fairly good at Arithmancy. I can help you if you like." he offered.

"Would you? I'd really appreciate it!" she confessed with a heavy emphasis on her words.

"Okay, we can start right away if you want."

"Actually I was kind of hoping to take a break and relax a bit. You know, get a handle on my nerves." she explained.

"Right, that sounds better anyway. I'm still a bit worn out from today's Transfiguration lesson to tell you the truth. Bloody McGonagall had us turning cats into stools."

Shandie laughed softly, "It's not so hard really. Just yesterday we were transfiguring piles of bricks into ovens."

"Say, if I help you with Arithmancy do you suppose you could help me with Transfiguration?"

"Well…" she hesitated, "I can try. I'm not quite sure I'll be much of a good teacher, though. I'm afraid I'm just as impatient and assuming as my friends." she blushed lightly.

"Well I'm a pretty fit student. I learn quickly, you shouldn't have too much trouble with me." Cedric flashed a smile and she returned it.

"Okay, I owe you for agreeing to tutor me anyway." she nodded compliantly.

"It's settled then. So what would you like to do before we study?" he questioned.

"I dunno," her shoulders gave up a shrug, "Any suggestions?"

Cedric tilted his head to the side and his gaze went to rest on the map tacked to his wall as he gently bit his lower lip in thought. Shandie wished he wouldn't do that…it was far too attractive.

"Come fly with me." he smirked at her, a charming glint in his gray eyes.

Shandie nearly laughed. "I haven't been on a broomstick since first year! And that was a train wreck just waiting to happen. Madame Hooch still regards me as one of her worst students."

"Oh come off it, you can't be so bad. You're graceful enough on your toes." he insisted.

"On my toes, yes! It's not so hard when you're on solid ground! In the air you haven't any thing to balance yourself upon!"

"Shandie I'll help you along. C'mon, it'll be fun, I promise!" he was grinning like a cat at her juvenile resistance.

"I don't even have a broom." she informed him triumphantly.

"Not a problem, we have plenty in the shed. How do you expect students who can't afford new ones to play on their house teams?"

"Cedric…" she whined hesitantly.

"Oh stop that!" he chuckled, "You need some adventure, some daring!"

Shan rolled her eyes, "If it's adventure we're after why don't we just go and ask Hagrid for an extra credit Care of Magical Creatures assignment, yeah?"

It was Cedric's turn to roll his eyes, "You really are a Ravenclaw aren't you?"

"Quite! There's a reason Gryffindors are known for their adventurous natures and Ravenclaws aren't."

"It'll help you relax." he sighed.

"Relax?" she nearly choked on the word, "How do you expect me to relax? Shriveling up my nerves in numerous, stress-filled attempts not to fall off a stick of wood and land forty feet later on the ground is not what I call relaxing. No, I believe that's what I would label a death wish."

"Shandie!" his shoulders were shaking with mirth, "You're being ridiculous! Now, I swear if you do exactly as I instruct you you'll be safe. No one's every died in quidditch after all." Cedric stood and walked around his desk to open the door to his office.

"Not yet…" she grumbled as she stood and followed him with her arms crossed over her chest, "But they've come pretty damn close."

"Well Madame Pomfrey can heal concussions in a heartbeat so you've nothing to fear." he assured her.

"Oh lovely, I feel boatloads better now."

By the time the two of them got outside the wind had only gotten fiercer and the temperature had only dropped along with it.

"I really don't know if this is a good idea…" Shan moaned.

"Alright, you mount your broom like this…no, you have to keep it pointing up…there you go. Now just, kick off." In a flurry of wind he had shot up into the middle of the pitch with at least 50 feet separating him from the grass below.

Bracing herself, Shandie tried to do the same thing but ended up performing a wonky sort of jump which only caused her broom handle to smack her in the chest when she landed a foot later.

"Well…?"

"I tried! It's not working!" she shouted up to him. With the same grace she usually exerted in her dance studio Cedric glided back down to her. He got off his broom and held the handle of hers with a strong grip.

"Alright, imagine yourself flying. Pull every particle of your being upward and just let yourself fly."

She closed her eyes, half heartedly trying. Nothing happened.

"Cedric this is useless."

"Just keep trying. You're a hard worker when you want to be."

"Exactly! When I want to be."

"I know you want to fly with me." He gave her a serious and mildly exasperated look. "You need to give this to yourself. Let yourself want it and then let yourself have it. That's all it is." He told her patiently.

She gave him an appreciative yet doubting smile and held her handle firmly once more. This time around she pictured herself soaring through the air and laughing, enjoying herself with Cedric far and away from the curious eyes of the school.

"There see!" he laughed.

Her eyes opened once more and a laugh of her own burst from her throat. She was hovering about three feet off the ground and the vibrating of her broom told her it wanted to go further, faster still.

"Now follow me!" he called over his shoulder as he whooshed past her back to his previous position.

"Wait!" yelped, falling a bit in her doubt, "How do I do that!"

"Lean forward and will yourself!" he shouted back.

Filled with more faith than last time she followed his advice willingly, directing all her desire and frustration into soaring high above the castle amongst the sea of stars hosting that evening's sky. Remarkably it worked…only it worked a bit too well. With a shriek, Shandie went bulleting up into the sky, nearly colliding with Huffelpuff's quidditch captain on her way past him. Cedric frowned in the direction she'd gone in. The encroaching night around them had seemingly swallowed her when yet another shriek filled the air and the poor flyer found her way back into his company.

"That was absolutely exhilarating-woah!" she laughed loudly, nearly falling off her broom as she shook with mirth. She felt the giddiness of relief and excitement alight in her veins.

Cedric chuckled at the sight before him. What a clumsy thing, he thought, it's a wonder she's so good on her feet. He couldn't deny himself the luxury of looking at her, hair whipping in the wind as she laughed at herself. There was something so imperfectly beautiful about how she didn't know what she was doing at all. How she needed his help up here. How she wanted to be by his side instead of showing off. It was something he hadn't been allowed in a long while.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Shandie soon calmed down, her cheeks pink from not getting enough oxygen in between laughs.

"Thank you." She sighed after taking a deep breath, a grateful yet playful smile on her lips as she guided her broom closer to his (which took some very noticeable effort).

"For what?" he asked, too engrossed with her to think about what she could have possibly been talking about.

"For being a jerk and forcing me to face my fears."

"You're thanking me by insulting me?" he smirked.

"Well that ego of yours does need some deflating…"

Cedric rolled his eyes, "You're welcome. Sorry for being a jerk."

"Yah, it's okay every once in a while. When it's for my own good, ya know." She explained.

"Well, then I think I'm going to have to be a jerk again because if I don't correct the way you're holding your broom, pretty soon you won't have anything to hold on to at all." He floated a bit nearer to her, reaching out a hand and gently repositioning her own.

Before she could process what he was about to do his hands were over hers and her eyes instinctively shot up to meet his.

"Sorry-you just needed to…"-

"No, it's alright. You just…my hands are so cold and yours are so warm it just…surprised me is all…" She trailed off into awkward silence.

"Well, come on then." His smile returned and he started off slowly. Though readjusting the direction of her broom handle was difficult, she managed it in the end and caught up with Cedric's slow pace.

"So how are things with you and Cho?" she questioned half hesitantly. Shan didn't want to resurface any bad feelings had a fight occurred, but she half wished there had been a fight so she could be there for him. It was a selfish wish and she knew it. But that didn't falter its presence at all.

"I haven't had any trouble with her…but I haven't really had much progress either. She's been pretty busy…"

"We're all 'pretty busy', it's whether or not she makes you a priority that counts."

"But she's a Ravenclaw. She's consumed with her studies, Shan. I've just got to give her her space."

"I'm a Ravenclaw too if you've forgotten and I make time to dance every night. Like I said it's a priority issue."

"Look, what am I supposed to do? Just feel worse because I'm not a priority in my girlfriend's life?"

"No, you're supposed to not put up with it." She mumbled, feeling guilty for not having anticipated how her words would affect him. "I wasn't trying to make you feel worse, you know that's the last thing I want."

"How should I know?" he gave her a funny look while his mind screamed to know exactly how she felt. He wanted to know she didn't want to hurt him at all because her feelings towards him surpassed those of friendship.

"Because…we're friends, right?"

Cedric didn't know whether to be disappointed or not, "I like to think we are." He played along as though that really was what he liked to think. As though snogging Shandie in the prefect's bathroom had absolutely nothing to do with what he liked to think.

"Then you should know that I'm only trying to make things work for you. I only want what's best for my friends and if that means trying to make them see that a little heart ache now might save them a lot more down the road then so be it." She explained, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Her skin wasn't used to the harsh conditions thrust upon those who ventured outside of the castle and her fingers were already numb from the cold.

"I really appreciate that." He murmured, looking over at her. She only nodded, seeming rather sad. "What's the matter? I haven't been a jerk again have I?" he joked, trying to make her smile.

He succeeded but only for a flickering moment.

"No, you're wonderful. I'm…I'm just cold-look, perhaps we ought to get back. It's already dark, dinner will be served soon. Everyone will wonder where we are and"-

"I don't really care what they wonder, Shan." He told her solemnly.

"I don't want to…but I can't help it." She followed him as he began descending. A convulsive shiver racked her shoulders when the wind billowed around them as they flew against it.

"Jesus, it's so cold." She shivered again, albeit not as violently. Without a word Cedric undid his quidditch cloak and fitted the thick, canary yellow material around his companion's reasonably smaller shoulders. His fingertips brushed her neck as he tied the bit of black rope near her collar to secure it, causing her breath to hitch and their eyes to meet for a fleeting moment.

"Thank you." She said quietly as his body warmth permeated her skin, melting the cold that had dug itself into her bones. The scent of butterscotch filled her nasal cavity once more and she seemed to be melting. It was almost like her skin was drinking butterbeer.

"Come on." He laid a muscular arm around her shoulder and ushered her back to the locker rooms in silence. By then the heat of the moisture from the showers the team had taken after practice had dissipated and all that was left was condensed fog on the mirrors in the bathroom and a roaming chill throughout the tent. Once again they found themselves in the Captain's quarters and Shandie stood like a church mouse as he got his things together and handed her her own. Trading cloaks, they left for the castle, both with words to say, both knowing that it wasn't worth it to say them.

They stopped just before the front doors to the castle and faced one another.

"Thank you again. For everything."

"For being a jerk?" he attempted to elict a smile from her. His plan succeeded, just not quite to the extent he had hoped.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow? For Arithmancy?"

"Oh, umm, yah, sure." In all truth, he had completely forgotten by this time. "I'll see you in the library after dinner?"

She nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"Alright then."

"I hope things get better with Cho."

Cedric nodded, not trusting his tongue. Lifting her bag onto her shoulder more firmly, Shan leaned forward and kissed his cheek-then left him surprised, confused and hopeful on the front steps as she made her quick, silent way through the doors.