Since I had given the glove back to Scott, the hufflepuff boy was very friendly with me. He would greet me when we meet in the corridors, and even sometimes, he would even come to the Gryffindor's table to talk with me.
"What's going between you two?" Ron suspiciously asked me one morning. His look was implying such nasty thoughts! "You don't even know what you're talking about" I responded. "So just keep your mouth close Ronald. Right, Harry?" I turned to my friend.
He cautiously glanced up at me with a guilty look. I widened my eyes in surprise and gasped. "Not you too! Don't tell me that you agree with him" I spat without giving a glance at Weasley. Harry frowned. "Hermione, Scott has been behaving weird...I mean, he barely knew who you are two weeks ago, and now he talks to you, and even looks for you in the castle just to greet you..."
I bit my lower lip: Harry was right in a way, Scott's behaviour towards me had changed a lot. But, they weren't supposed to know that I had shared a very special moment with him, that had created a kind of bond between us. "Scott is a nice guy...and a good friend" I hesitantly answered, not sure if I was right to use the word ' friend '.
"How can you be so sure of you? I mean, he's maybe looking for more than a friendship" Ron exclaimed "Or maybe, that's just a dare between him and his gang" he added in a lower voice. I gasped, outraged, while I saw Harry rolling his eyes.
"Tell them to bugger of" Cedric teasingly said when he appeared next to me. "Especially him". He pointed his finger at Ron, only inches away from the tip of his nose (he sounded a little more firmly). I quickly shot a hard look at Cedric who innocently grinned at me, then I looked back at my two friends.
"You don't know him, Ronald. So stop saying rubbish" I insisted. Then I turned to Harry who looked more neutral and more clever. "Scott and I have something in common. That's all" I murmured "You trust me, right?" Harry hesistated a bit then his face softened. He was obviously giving up.
At that moment, Ron erupted. "What's wrong in your head? He's probably fooling around with you."
"Tell him he's a jackass!" Cedric exclaimed.
I sighed. "I'm a big girl now, Ronald. And most importantly, I already have a mother. So stop acting like one, pleaseI" I hissed "Scott and I are good acquaintances. Just deal with it."
"But he's not even in Gryffindor" Ron answered like he just gave me the most unquestionable argument. "This bloke is shady"
I heard Cedric snort. "Please, tell him he's a jack-ass" he said emphasizing the last word.
I turned a deaf ear and glared at Ron.
"Okay, I don't listen to you anymore. Keep on acting like your usual prat and leave me alone" I got up and grabbed my bag.
"And so what, you really think that he talks to you just because he likes the bookworm you are?"
"Ron" Harry shouted. Cedric shot him a killing glare. There was a time I would have cried all day long just because of his stupid and rude words, but now, I was kind of immuned.
"Ronald Weasley, you're the biggest jerk I've never met in all my life" I turned my back at him but then I saw Cedric's face. Before he could mouth anything, I glanced back to Ron and added. "Oh and by the way, we are two people thinking you're a jackass"
"At last!" Cedric exclaimed with a victorious fist. "Thank you" he contently sighed. Ron was frowning. I quickly made my way out of the Great Hall, but before I reached the doors, I could hear Ron say. "Who is supposed to be the second person?"
I smirked with satisfaction and gave a conniving look at Cedric.
We walked out of the castle. The park was covered with a big white snowy carpet. Cedric and I had planned to go to the meadow for the morning.
"Are you alright?" Cedric asked hesistantly "About what happened with Ron ". I glanced up at him and shrugged. "I kind of got used of him. He has always been like that with me. I can't really say that he is the perfect friend "
Cedric seemed hesistant to voice his next words. "Maybe because he wants to be more than a friend; or let's just say he still doesn't know that, yet" I stopped on my way and widened my eyes in surprise. "Ron? No, you're certainly mistaken. He's such a prat with me."
Cedric giggled. "Well, isn't this the biggest proof?". I frowned. "I saw him...we all saw him that night during the Yule Ball ", he added. "He was sick of jealousy".
I huffed. "So you too, when you fancy a girl, you're looking for a way to hurt her?". Cedric smile. "Of course, not. But well, Weasley looks more uncomfortable with all these feelings of love"
I felt my cheeks burn. I was embarrassed that Cedric used the word "love" to talk about my relationship with Ron. "I don't lo... like him" I coughed "Not like a boyfriend"
Cedric longly observed me as if he was trying to decypher my words and read between the lines. Maybe I was wrong, but I felt a hint of contentment in his look.
"Granger !" I heard. Cedric and I turned and saw Scott walking towards me. "Good morning" he said with a genuine smile. "How are you?" I asked. "I'm good" Scott, looked hesitant. "You were speaking alone, weren't you?" he asked. I bit my lower lip. "I like thinking out loud" I answered. "Did you try your gauntlet?" I asked to changing the subject. Scott frowned. "Not yet...I'm not sure if it's a good idea. I mean Cedric took it from me for a good reason. I don't think he would like me to use it during games" he explained "What do you think?"
I turned to Cedric, waiting for him to give me his answer. He barely gave me a trusting smile. What was I supposed to answer him? Should I say what I'd like him to do, or just what Cedric would?
"You're probably right. Cedric knew that you didn't need this glove to be a great player. Maybe you should go on in this way. "
Scott grinned at me, apparently satisfied that I agreed with him.
"I have to go. The team is practicing this morning. You should come and have a look, someday"
"Oh" was my spontaneous. Should I tell him that I hate Quidditch? "Thanks. I'll try to come". This was my polite final answer.
Scott nodded and ran towards the field. "I think he likes you" Cedric said, smiling. He probably noticed my raised eyebrow because he added as a friend, I mean". I took a wondering look. "He likes you" I corrected "Scott sees with me a way to keep a connection with you although he doesn't know the truth about your state".
Cedric considered my words then half-smiled.
Three days later I was in the library, writing a Transfiguration essay particularly complicated.
It was december, and my biggest worry was to find Christmas presents for everybody. I still had no idea of what I would buy, but I was sure of one thing: I wanted to offer a very special present to Cedric. Something that would make him happy, but also, something that he could use and completely enjoy - and this last part wouldn't be easy to fulfill.
"Ready for Christmas?" Cedric asked, standing next to the table with a big smile on his face.
"Christmas is only in three weeks" I answered.
"You said it! Only". Cedric laughed. "So it means you didn't buy your presents yet, did you? "
"I've planned to go to Hogsmeade with Harry, tomorrow" I said.
Cedric nodded. He walked behind me then bent over my shoulder to take a glance at my essay.
"I can help if you want" he proposed.
"I don't" I answered "That would be cheating".
Cedric huffed and sat on the table. "You're not funny, Hermione. And technically, it's not cheating, it's...helping out"
I sighed. Even if Cedric was a sweet and polite boy, he had this annoying vice of always searching for the easiest way (even if it's not the best one) to get what he wants.
"Hermione!" I heard.
Ginny was running accross the library. Madam Pince looked daggers at her, but the girl was too excited to notice it. She sat on the bench next to me, with a grin on her face.
"Oh Merlin! Oh Merlin!" Ginny hyperventilated.
Madam Pince noisily exhaled. "You will never guess what happened today" she said with a low voice. I glanced at Cedric who was smiling at us, curious to hear about the news, too. Ginny cleared her throat and sat cross-legged. "He almost did it! The headmaster was about to kiss me."
"What?" Cedric and I exclaimed in shock at the same. Madam Pince hit her desk. I rolled my eyes when I realized who the headmaster was. Ginny giggled. "I was in the park and he came to me. We talked a bit...and then he leaned in. We were only a few inches apart but then... " she scowled " ...Snape showed up and ruined everything".
"It's too bad" I said with an untruthful voice. Ginny mused a couple of minutes and then erupted."I have to find Lavender. She'll be so excited".
No sooner said than done, Ginny was already rushing out of the library, making madam Pince's happiness.
Cedric's eyes followed her with a smirk, and then fell back down on me.
"I assume the headmaster" he mimed quotation marks "is not Dumbledore, right?". He sounded compeltely amused, maybe even fascinated.
I glanced up at him and sighed.
"Headmaster is a code name for Dean Thomas"
Cedric frowned. " Why headmaster? "
"I don't know. I really don't know." I sighed, shaking my head "This is just...beyond me. All those snakewood things are so childish and so not for me"
Cedric laid down in front of me, over my parchment, his flank on the table as he 'rested' his temple upon his chuckle.
"Are we done, here? You're comfortable, now?" I said as I peered at him. He stared at me with a smile. "Why are you so afraid of what you could feel?" he started getting back to the previous topic of conversation. "I'm not" I defended "It's just that I don't like it".
Cedric sighed. " Have you ever opened your heart to somebody?". I looked him deep in the eye. He looked focused and quire serious, waiting for a honest answer. After a second, I glanced away. "I have this essay to finish" I complained.
"You've got used to hide yourself behind this bookworm facade, haven't you?" he continued, murmuring. Of course, I wasn't good at displaying my feelings, this was pretty obvious. I was known as the bookworm, the know-it-all, and it was good like this...most of the time
I felt exposed face to Cedric. "Well, that's the only thing I can do" I answered with an almost inaudible voice. Cedric's gaze softened. "Idiots" he sighed after observing me longly "they haven't been able to see beyond the surface."
"Who?" I asked. "Everybody who thinks that you're just a bookworm. There are so many other interesting things to find out about you".
"How can you be so sure of you?" I said, as I scribbled over a piece of parchment. "Because the few I've already seen makes me want to discover more, I guess" he answered like it was the most simple answer in the world.
I stopped the scribbling and looked up at him. He was staring at him with an affectionate and genuine smile. I smiled too. So, this was it? Being completely exposed, displaying my feelings and my fears to someone I completely trusted in without being scared to be judged? I didn't know if it was, but I liked it. I liked this idea of being completely transparent and honest with somebody.
I flinched when I felt more overwhelmed by my feelings than the usual. I tensed up and glanced at him with a serious and firm look. "Could you now please let me finish my work?" I asked with an annoyed voice.
Cedric grinned at me with a content look, and obeyed. Obviously, he had gotten what he was looking for.
