Disclaimer: I own nothing except my character Kinsie.

Summary: After getting her heart broken when her crush Oliver Wood starts dating her friend Katie, Kinsie begins to spend time with Cedric Diggory. She begins to think that maybe Oliver was the wrong guy for her all along. A Potions assignment brings Kinsie and Cedric closer and the closer they get the angrier Oliver gets. Much better than it sounds.

AuthorNote: Hey, thanks to everyone for the reviews. I'm giving you a new chapter today because I will be busy Saturday and Sunday. I most likely will not be able to update until some time Monday when my family is gone. Enjoy this chapter, I hope you like it.

CHAPTER 9

Author Note: If you don't remember Sara I vaguely mentioned her, she's the one Cedric thought about asking to the ball until Dustin pointed out the reasons he shouldn't.

Cedric made his way back to his common room. He went straight to his room once he got inside. Dustin was sitting at the desk doing homework.

"Hey!" Dustin said, "How did studying with Kinsie go?"

"Fine," he replied.

"I don't like the sound of that fine," Dustin said. "What happened?"

"I think I messed up," Cedric sighed throwing his bag down and plopping down on the bed.

"Start from the beginning and tell me everything." Dustin told him.

"Ok, So Kinsie walked in the library with Oliver Wood and I asked her about it." Cedric said

"Not jealous are we," Dustin teased.

"Of course not, Kinsie and I are just friends. Anyway apparently Katie dumped Oliver today and she is going to the Halloween Ball with Marcus Flint."

"No Way! Katie and Marcus Flint!"

"Yes Way! Kinsie told me and she heard it directly from Marcus and Katie." Cedric told him.

"Unbelievable" Dustin said.

"I know, So anyway she had her hair down and I like it when she wears her hair down. I might have also been kind of looking at her."

"Ah and she noticed," Dustin stated.

"Yes and I told her I liked it when she wore her hair down. I also told her I thought she looked prettier without make-up."

"And she said?" Dustin asked

"No one else would agree with me and I told her everyone else was stupid and that their opinions didn't matter."

"Just yours, huh?" Dustin asked smiling.

"Yep just mine," Cedric said. "So we decided to go over our notes of everything we've collected so far for our project and I suggested she come and sit next to me instead of across from me."

"Good move, did she?"

"Yes."

"Ok, so she's sitting next to you." Dustin said

"And we check our notes and decide to do some more research so we're both reading and I kind of tilt my head to the side so I look at her and she notices."

"What did she say this time?"

"She said 'You're not reading, your looking at me again," and she asked me why I was looking at her."

"You said?"

"Because I want to and she said that I was crazy for wanting to look at her," he told Dustin, "I told her I wasn't crazy that she didn't realize how many guys were looking at her."

"And?"

"Crazy again" Cedric said throwing his hands in the air and letting out a frustrated sigh, "so I told her to come with me and we left the library. I took her to an empty classroom and made her look in a mirror and tell me what she saw. Basically she hates everything about herself except her eyes. So I told her what I saw when I look at her, how I like everything about her," Cedric sighed "I mean I think she's perfect the way she is."

"I know you do."

"She told me to stop lying to her, I told her I wasn't lying. I would never lie to her about something like that, you know that."

"I know you wouldn't." Dustin said trying to comfort his friend.

"She ran out after that," Cedric said.

"Ok let me show it to you from Kinsie's point of view, ok?" Dustin said getting up and walking over to where Cedric was sitting.

"Ok" Cedric replied

"Kinsie is pretty and sweet and a lot of other stuff. But she has never had a boyfriend right?"

"Right," Cedric answered.

"You're the first guy to show interest and she's not used to being complimented all the time, like you are doing." Dustin explained.

"Yeah I get that," Cedric said.

"You really like her that much is clear, don't deny it," Dustin said. "Tell me the truth, you like her and want to be more than friends with her. Just admit it to me at least."

"Ok, Fine. I LIKE HER! I don't want to be just her friend!" Cedric exclaimed and Dustin smiled.

"She likes you to and my guess is she's scared. It's a new territory for her."

"I didn't think about that. I don't want to scare her away," Cedric said.

"I know you don't. You just have to talk to her, show her you care," Dustin explained. "Jessica says communication is important, not sure if I believe it or not," He added. "Why don't you talk to one of her friends?"

"Angelina, Alicia or Katie. No I don't want to do that."

"Have you thought about just telling her the truth?" Dustin asked.

"Well maybe but if I do think about it, it always ends with her running out and slamming a door in my face."

"You have to do something, you can't go on like this," Dustin told him.

"I know, I know, I'll think of something.' Cedric said.

Kinsie ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower, gave the password to the fat lady and ran up to her room.

"Kinsie what's wrong?" Angelina asked, "I thought you and Cedric were working on your potions project."

"We were" Kinsie answered.

"So what's going on?" Alicia asked.

"He wouldn't stop looking at me and he kept complementing me," Kinsie told them throwing her bag down and plopping down on her bed. "I like it when you wear your hair down, I think you're prettier without make-up," Kinsie said. "What a lie." She sighed.

"Maybe he's not lying," Angelina suggested.

"But then we started studying, he suggested I come and sit beside him so we could see what we had gathered so far about our project, so I did."

"Ok then what happened?" Alicia asked.

"We decided to do some more research, so we started reading, but he wasn't reading he was looking at me!" Kinsie said frustrated throwing her hands up in the air. "He said he likes to look at me, that's a lie!" she said and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Maybe its not," Angelina said.

"He said he likes everything about me, basically he likes everything I hate."

"Kinsie, he likes you, I mean really likes you." Alicia said.

"No he doesn't," Kinsie said stubbornly.

"But you like him, as more than a friend," Angelina said.

"No I don't," she said still being stubborn.

"At least admit it to us Kinsie, we're not going to tell anyone," Alicia said.

Kinsie sighed. "I might like Cedric as more than a friend" she said.

"Might?" Alicia said.

"Ok I like him, I want to be more than friends with him, are you happy now!" she exclaimed.

"Very," Angelina and Alicia said smiling.

Kinsie was getting ready to meet Cedric, he asked if she would study with him for their Ancient Runes class because they had an essay due. It wasn't like she would ever tell him no. She stood in front of the mirror fixing her hair. She pulled it up in a ponytail and looked at it and what Cedric said echoed through her mind, "I like it when you wear your hair down". She took her hair down and shook her head and then ran her hands through her hair.

"I like it to," she said to herself. "I'm going to wear my hair down and not just because Cedric likes it down." She added to herself and grabbed her bag and left.

When she got to the library Cedric was already there.

"So, you beat me here again," Kinsie said and sat down beside him.

"Yep," Cedric said and Kinsie smiled and pulled her book out.

"Kinsie" Cedric said, "About last time when we were in the library."

"Its ok Cedric," she told him.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything like that," he told her.

"I know you didn't and its ok Cedric, don't worry about it," she told him.

"But I did mean what I said," Cedric told her.

"Ok but can we not talk about it," she said.

"I guess so, but I don't get you Kinsie," Cedric said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Most girls like to hear that they are pretty, like for guys to pay attention to them," Cedric said.

"Well I'm not most girls," she told him.

"Yeah I know," he said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked offended.

"Nothing!" Cedric exclaimed and a Ravenclaw girl at a nearby table shushed him. "Nothing," he said more quietly. "I like the fact you're not like most girls."

"Sure you so," Kinsie said sarcastically.

"Mackenzie,"

"And you know that I don't like to be called Mackenzie!" she said getting upset and the girl shushed her.

"Oh stop it, I'm leaving" Kinsie told her and put her book in her bag and stood up.

"Kinsie," Cedric said as she started to walk away. He quickly put his stuff in his bag and took off after her. "Kinsie stop," Cedric said running out of the library. "Kinsie!" he called out finally catching up with her, he grabbed her arm.

"What?" she asked.

"What did I say that got you so upset?"

"I'm not like most girls?" Kinsie asked

"You said that," Cedric pointed out.

"But you agreed with me!" she shouted.

"So," Cedric said, "Did you ever think that maybe it was a good thing?"

"How is being different good?"

"It is good, at least it is to me," Cedric told her.

"Just because I don't seem like other girls doesn't mean I don't want the same things other girls want," she said softly.

"I know you must want what other girls want but its not like I know what girls want," Cedric pointed out.

"WhatI want is not that difficult Cedric, I just want someone to appreciate me and love me for who I am and not try to change me or anything."

"I've never tired to change you and I like you the way you are, you know that." Cedric told her.

"But you and I are just friends Cedric," Kinsie said.

"I know that but still Kinsie," Cedric said.

"Still what?" She asked, "Never mind I have to go anyway." she said and ran off.

Cedric went back to his room and Dustin was there.

"Your back early," Dustin stated.

"Yeah," Cedric said throwing his bag down.

"Did you meet Kinsie?"

"Yeah" Cedric answered.

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah," Cedric replied.

"Can you say anything but yeah?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah," Cedric answered sitting down on his bed.

"What's going on?" Dustin asked.

"Every time I open my mouth lately I say the wrong thing and it makes Kinsie mad," Cedric said and put his hands on his head. "I mean why am I even trying?"

"Welcome to my world," Dustin said cheerfully.

"Thanks," Cedric said sarcastically.

"Just think she's not your girlfriend yet," Dustin pointed out.

"I know, things have to get better. I mean it wasn't like this at the beginning of the year."

"You had different feelings for each other at the beginning of the year and now things are changing," Dustin pointed out.

"I know, I know." Cedric said. "It's just…"

"What did you say?"

"She said she's not like other girls and I agreed with her," Cedric said.

"You didn't?" Dustin asked shaking his head.

"I meant it in a good way."

"I know that but she doesn't," Dustin said.

"I told her that I liked that she was different," Cedric told him.

"Doesn't matter, there was nothing you could have said in that situation that wouldn't have made her mad." Dustin pointed out.

"So she would have gotten upset anyway?" Cedric asked.

"Afraid so. You agreed with her and she got mad, if you disagreed with her it would have made her mad and if you had said nothing it would have made her mad." Dustin said.

"So no matter what I would have done, she would have gotten mad?"

"Welcome to my world," Dustin said again smiling.

"I don't know if I want to be in your world if this is how it's going to be. If Kinsie going to be mad at me all the time," Cedric sighed.

"She won't be. She'll go to her room and talk to her friends who will point out she was being a bit defensive, she'll argue then realize they were right and you two will make-up." Dustin said, "It will just be an apology instead of the other stuff."

"You think so?" Cedric asked.

"I know so, just wait and see." Dustin told him. "I bet she apologizes tomorrow."

Kinsie went straight to her room once she got to Gryffindor tower.

"You're back early," Angelina said.

"So," Kinsie replied.

"What happened?" Alicia asked.

"Nothing," Kinsie said but it was apparent that whatever nothing happened to be it was bothering her.

"Did something happen while you were studying with Cedric?" Angelina asked.

"Why don't you tell us what happened," Alicia suggested.

"Well he apologized for last time because he thought he made me uncomfortable," Kinsie began. "Then we'rearguing and I don't even remember what it was all about," She continued. "Some Ravenclaw shushed us and I left, he followed me."

"Ok I don't understand what he did wrong," Alicia said.

"He said, well he didn't exactly say it but he agreed with me when I said I wasn't like other girls."

"And that upset you?" Angelina asked confused.

"Well Yeah."

"Maybe he likes that you're different," Alicia suggested.

"He said that he did but I know he doesn't."

"Kinsie will you just take a minute and listen to yourself, your mad at him for no reason. He hasn't done anything wrong," Alicia pointed out. "It's like you're looking for a reason to be mad at him."

"Go ahead take his side," Kinsie fumed.

"We're not taking sides Kinsie, just think about it ok," Angelina said. "I'm going to meet Fred" she added and left.

"I'll leave you to think," Alicia told her and left as well.

Kinsie pulled her hair in a ponytail and laid down on her bed and began to think over what had happened.

Am I over reacting? Maybe especially since I can't remember why I am upset.

Was Cedric insulting me? No he has never tried to change anything about me and he said he liked me the way I am.

So why am I mad at him?

"I have no idea," she said to herself. "I think I owe him an apology."

The next morning Kinsie got up early and didn't even bother putting her hair up. She wanted to get to the Great Hall so she could talk to Cedric.

She waited outside the doors for him. Finally she saw him coming.

"Cedric," Kinsie said.

"Hello Kinsie," he said, it was apparent he was still upset about yesterday.

"I need to talk to you."

"About what?" he asked.

"Last night," she told him. "I overreacted a little bit. I think I realized it when I was trying to explain why I was mad and I couldn't even remember why I was mad," she told him. "I'm sorry I got mad for no reason, I'm sorry I yelled at you and I'm sorry we didn't get any studying done because I stormed out." Cedric stared at her and said nothing.

"Ok," Kinsie sighed "Apparently you are still upset and have nothing to say to me, so I'll see you later." She added and turned to walk inside.

"Wait," Cedric said grabbing her arm. "It's ok," he told her. "I don't know what happened last night, but its over now, so lets put it behind us and move on."

"That's it?" Kinsie asked and he nodded, "I don't deserve a friend like you," Kinsie said softly.

"Yeah you do," Cedric said and pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Kinsie laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Cedric started to run his fingers through her hair. They were to busy getting lost in how it felt to in each other s arms that they didn't see someone walk by glare at them.

"Its ok now," Cedric told Kinsie, "Lets forget about what happened last night and just move on. Ok?"

"Ok," Kinsie said.

"Don't even think about it anymore."

"I'll try," Kinsie said.

"And don't cry," Cedric said softly.

"To late," Kinsie told him and Cedric pulled away and looked at her and she was crying.

"So why are you crying?" he asked.

"You're to good to me, ever since the train. You've kind of held me together this year," she began. "And I yell at you for no reason, I know I'm difficult to put up with sometimes, but you still forgive me and just let everything go." She said confused.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Because we're friends and that's what friends do."

"Well thank you," Kinsie said.

"So breakfast?" Cedric asked.

"Yes" Kinsie said and they walked inside the Great Hall together.

Meanwhile Sara walked inside the Great Hall. Sara basically had nothing wrong with her looks wise, she was perfect. The perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect eyes. perfect everything.

"So Dustin," she said in a sweet voice.

"What do you want?" Dustin asked clearly annoyed that she spoke to him.

"What's going on with Cedric and that Gryffindor girl?"

"Kinsie," Dustin told her. "He likes her, they are going to the ball together."

"Oh, I thought he would ask me," she said.

"Why would he?" Dustin asked. "He doesn't really like you at all."

"She's not right for him," Sara said.

"She's perfect for him, you are the one that is wrong for him and you better not mess things up Sara," Dustin said and he looked up to see Cedric and Kinsie walk in together.