Chapter seven

Chapter seven

The corridors of Hogwarts were beginning to get colder each day as they were digging deeper into winter. Cedric didn't really fancy stepping out into the brisk cold weather, so he walked around the castle for some alone thinking time. He always found it so much easier to think when he was either on his broom with the howling wind lapping at his cheeks.

He came to a window set inside a large alcove, it wasn't huge nor medium sized like a majority of them in Hogwarts. Actually it was extremely small. This window was quite quaint in itself; it was isolated not surrounded by a single thing not even a painting.

Cedric walked up to the window pressing his pink nose up close. The window began to steam up in a lung shape when his nose was. Flakes of snow began to fall from the large white fluffy cloud in the barren sky. A large shadow was caste above the iced over black lake. Cedric watched the flakes fall singly, in clusters and as the winds began to pick the flakes up and bash them against the window.

It seemed to have been hours that Cedric was watching the snow flakes fall and fall. He found the sight beautiful. And wished that more days could be like this one, he smiled to himself and took his nose away from the cold window his nose seemed to be pinker than it was before it was more of a beetroot now. Cedric began to walk back to the dungeons from the fourth floor. As he looked out from the windows, it did not seem to be snowing at all he thought that is must have just stopped. As he went through corridors upon corridors it seemed like snow hadn't fallen from the skies what so ever though the black lake was iced over.

This confused Cedric deeply but he ignored it, maybe I dreamt the snow he thought. He shook his head slowly and walked towards the Library. Madam Price was sat at her usual desk near the front of the large room. She looked up from her desk, her semicircle glasses half way down her nose she gave Cedric and nod and pushed them back up to the bridge of her nose.

Cedric wasn't really sure what he was looking for here, just something to read. He knew that it would take time to get used to the shelves like he knew the ones at home but he would do it he knew. The amount of time he spent in the on at his house just wanting to know more he knew that he could so that here so much easier with all the different types of books here.

He ran his finger along the shelves that was level with his chest and walked along them stopping at a large book covered in dark leather he stroked the spine before taking it from the book case. As he lifted it from the case he had to use his other hand due to its heavy weight, the book was clasped with what looked like gold the floral patterns covering the book were also gold. Cedric wasn't sure whether it was plated or not, he ran his fingers following the pattern until his fingers reached the title of the book, rare facts about potions and spells.

Cedric took the book from the library that evening and took it back to his dorm. None of his dorm mates were inside the common room or dorm he guessed they went looking for him or down for dinner. Cedric hide the large book at the bottom of his trunk underneath a pile of clothes and went to the Great Hall to find Albert, Alex, Charlotte, John and the rest of the people in his year.

As Cedric walked into the great hall and looked towards the Hufflepuff table he automatically spotted his friends. As soon as Cedric was seated Albert was the first to ask where the hell he had got to.

"I went to check out the library. Oh and had a stroll around the castle", he answered truthfully.

"Really is that all you did?" Charlotte asked worried.

"Yep, why do you ask?" Cedric was confused.

"Oh it's just you were an awful long time that's all. I wasn't sure you could spend so long in a dusty old library." She said.

The other boys nodded.

"Oh well you know I just love books I can spend forever in there", Cedric chuckled and lied. He wasn't sure if they could tell or not but they were all eyeing his suspiciously.

Soon after Cedric's worried friends asked him about all the details of his 'journey' they tucked into their dinner, of steak and mash potatoes with a selection of vegetables on the side, all drizzled with gravy.

The next day was a Sunday, Cedric decided that he would lie in because he'd done all of his homework on Friday and the day before, unlike the rest of his peers.

A Few hours later he looked over to the grand farther clock that was pushed against the far wall of their dorm. The hands showed half past ten, Cedric was just in time to catch the last of breakfast if he was quick. He chucked on some clothes and ran down to the great hall; he was about the only one there other than a girl on the ravenclaw table who had platinum blonde wavy hair, tied back in a loose blue ribbon. Cedric thought that he would go sit with her as she was sat alone on her table.

Cedric stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to the girl until he was facing her dreamy eyed face.

"Hey do you mind if I sit with you?" He asked politely.

She snapped out from her day dream. "Oh…no not really" she said in a dreamy tone. Her eyes had not changed from that dreamy stare.

Cedric sat down and poured himself some orange juice into a goblet and grabbed a slice of the remaining toast.

"So…." he began.

The girl stared at him with her milky blue gems.

"What's your name?" He asked the young girl.

"Niamh Fortune, yours?" she answered.

"Cedric Diggory, so it that Irish?" he asked intrigued.

"Oh yes it is" She smiled "How did you know?"

"It was my Great Great Aunt's name, she originated from Ireland." Cedric answered her question and munched on a slice of toast.

"So are you a first year too then?" Niamh asked quietly.

Cedric finished his sliced of toasted and nodded. He wondered why the girl was sat alone she seemed so kind and caring. He could not see how anyone could have a thing against her.

He knew it was not his place to ask her though, as his mother said it was not polite. Though he should ask if she wanted to hang out, Cedric hated to see people alone with no one.

"So do you want to hang out?" He asked her.

Niamh nodded slowly.

After they had both finished eating they got their cloaks and met up at the main entrance to Hogwarts. Niamh and Cedric stood out into the harsh cold winter air. Cedric closed his eyes and let himself be absorbed by the cool air and winds that were weaving themselves around his body.

They walked silently down to the very edge of the grounds close to the Forbidden Forrest.

"I like to come here to think sometimes" she said as she stroked some moss that had engulfed the trunk of a large Oak.

Cedric smiled and exhaled steam protruded from his mouth where warm air met cold.

Cedric followed the girl to a small clearing they sat down together. Niamh looked at Cedric and smiled, she was happy inside that someone had spoken to her. Not that she minded she had the creatures and nature surrounding her every step of the way. She didn't need friends or people to talk to. She had herself and that was all that mattered though having someone actually talk to her had a warm feeling drawing up from the tip of her toes to the crown of her head.

She started to talk, as if just thinking allowed. "No one has ever been a friend to me. I tried to make friends but they all just ran away. Even when I was little even since I was seven, I've distanced myself away from people. Only caring for Nature at least I know it's the one thing that won't betray me or leave me within a blink of an eye."

Cedric found it interesting the way she talked about nature being a person, He felt the same way with his books. Though it was not the same thing paper came from trees did it not?

A/N: Okay I have to admit I haven't updated in a while and this chapter is not really one to expect great things from. But whilst I have been waiting to post this one I have also written a few more chapters.

Also any mistakes please point them out etc; I need a Beta readers if anyone is interested please send me an e-mail,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter:

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