SORRY

EXCUSEZ-MOI

I know I haven't updated for such a long time…but Bruxelles is painfully draining me of my vital energy. This freaking hysterical weather is making me depressed.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and read, hope you'll be enjoying the next chapter and the next part of the story! And sorry if my english is weird, well, weirder than usual, but thinking in italian and speaking in french is not helping…

14. PHILOSOPHICAL SHORT TALK

There he was.

In all his Hufflepuff-ness, in all his golden-boyishness, in all his perfect- and prefect-ness.

Daphne could not keep herself from thinking that yes, Cedric Diggory was quite a pleasant sight. As pleasant as a Raffaello painting or a Michelangelo statue.

"You." Draco said, breaking the silence that had followed the older boy's greeting.

"You." Added the Greengrass girl, quite bothered.

Cedric ignored the nasty tone of both Slytherins, and kept on talking as if nothing was wrong. "Daphne, I heard you've been sick."

Oh, the cuteness. How much she was enjoying it.

With her most poisonous voice, she smiled her fake smile and replied "I'm sicker now than I was before, Diggory."

"Cedric."

"Diggory."

He sighed, at the hundredth smirk of the blonde Slytherin boy, who had gotten himself more comfortable to enjoy whatever was to come.

"Draco, I don't think that Huffle-stuff came here to stand in front of my bed." She gave him a meaningful look.

"I bet he hasn't, Day" he chuckled, standing up and fixing his uniform.

"And be sure I'll update you, Dra" she said, giving the blonde Malfoy one last look before concentrating on the other boy.

"Diggory. Hadn't I told you not to bother me again?" she said, coldly.

Cedric sighed, knowing that this was going to last long. "Actually that's why I'm here, Daphne. I think we started with the wrong foot."

"Started what?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"Everything" waving his hair with his hand, he took the other Slytherin's place beside her on the bed, and pretended to ignore the evil look in her eyes "every single thing. And I am not talking about friendship or Merlin knows what, more about coexistence, being in the same place without ending up with you hexing me to death."

"First of all, you're not worth the effort of me hexing you to death. You're no one, Diggory. I was perfectly fine until a few days ago, before you ruinously entered my life I didn't even acknowledge your existence, and when you walked down the hall or something you were nothing more than a shadow to my eyes. Can't we go back to that?"

Taken aback, Cedric stared at the girl, eyes wide with surprise. Was she kidding, or she meant to be this mean?! What kind of parents could have raised such a snake?! Hn. Slytherins, of course.

"What, you thought I was one of your forsaken fan girls?!" indignation filled her voice, and he quickly shook his head negatively, before the situation would slip out of hand.

He thought at when he had found himself on the ground, limbs mixed with those of a girl he had never really noticed before. No, liar, he knew who she was, he had seen her around, and had heard his friends talking about her, and she sure as hell had known who he was.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, Diggory. I am no brainless Hufflepuff, no spineless Ravenclaw, and no filthy Gryffindor. I don't want to get mixed with your lot." She spat out. It was scary how she managed to look superior even when she was visibly enraged.

"Your lot? What is 'your lot' supposed to mean? You're no better than anybody, you're not superior, and no one is inferior to you."

"So touching, Diggory, are you finished with your nice guy stereotype words?"

"These words are oh so true, you should fly down Daphne."

"Not my fault I was born in aristocracy and you guys ended up in the wrong side of life."

"Do you really mean what you say, or are you just repeating the words your parents taught you?" he said, beginning to raise his voice.

"And you, do you really mean what you say, or are you just repeating the words your parents taught you, Huffle-stuff?" she replied, imitating his gestures.

"You're not a princess Daphne, in spite of what everyone calls you."

"I have more nobility in little finger than you'll ever have in your whole being, Diggory, yet your demented fan girls call you Prince Charming and stuff. It's creepy, really."

"See, Daphne? That's what I mean when I talk about wrong attitudes. I did nothing wrong to you, and yet you treat me like scum." The boy said, determined not to give up.

"Not so sure about the nothing wrong, plus, I am like this to everybody. No special treatment for you, sorry." Daphne was losing interest in the conversation, like she always did when she was criticized by someone. She began playing with stray locks of hair, knowing this was going to last long.

"You shouldn't." he said, serious.

"I shouldn't." the girl mocked him, her face betraying her amusement.

"You shouldn't. This attitude of yours only helps you in gaining enemies. Isn't it better to have friends to talk to, to count on, to lean on?!" Cedric was not sure about the direction his talk was taking. He had meant to talk about them, as in the two of them, not about her misanthropy.

Taking a few seconds to fully taste the sugar dripping from the Hufflepuff's words, the younger girl broke into laughter.

Again, Cedric was taken aback. He would have expected her screaming at him one of those epithets she seemed so fond of, or to just sit and stare, but... to laugh?

"What now" he growled, frustrated, and beginning to feel uncomfortably hot.

"That's the problem! You completely miss the point, Diggory. You understand nothing at all. Friends?" her words were mixed with laughter, which made Cedric wish he was talking to a boy. He could have hit her, if she had been a boy.

The laughter died. She suddenly turned serious.

"Friendship does not exist. Friendship is useless. That's the point you're missing. Slytherins don't have friends. Friends are an unnecessary burden. Useful acquaintances, Diggory. Not friends. Friendship is not worth the effort. "

"What! But…"

"I am not going to discuss the philosophical concept of friendship with you, Diggory. Actually, I don't really feel like talking to you at all. Move your ass and get out of here." She said interrupting him.

Cedric sighed, and turned his back. Why, just why had he accepted such a stupid bet? Daphne Greengrass was icy cold. If she despised friendship, what would she think about love?! He wondered how, why she had become like this. The girl had probably grown up in a cold family, pure-blood, Slytherin, eww…but this was not a good reason to be so closed!

All of a sudden, he felt that the challenge he had been obliged to undertake was…really getting to him.

He had reached the door, when he turned to look at her. Surprisingly, he found her staring at him. The boy felt his cheeks burn for no particular reason.

"Come with me to Hogsmeade next weekend." He said, not knowing where he had found the guts to do that.

"No." she replied, smiling coldly.

He smirked. He knew she was going to say so. Annoying little brat she was. "The invitation is valid until Friday night. I'll be waiting."

"That'll be the day, Diggory!" she made an impatient gesture with her hand and looked away.

Cedric Diggory moved to close the hospital wing door. "You know where to find me" he half shouted, closing the door right before it was hit by a shoe.