AN - GIDDORY, GIDDORY, OH HOW ADORE THEE! Lol, Mish just made that up!
Disclaimer - We do not own HP, but Mish does own 1 ½ Frankfurt's, which mysteriously disappeared… Cai's a veggo :)
Lilly walked around the main courtyard, looking for a spare space. She managed to seat herself on the edge of a bench. Most people were sharing with others; it was too snowy to sit on the ground.
Lilly brought out her book and opened it to her book mark. She was trying to finish all her work, because in a few days was the Yule Ball, and Lilly didn't want to have anything to hold her back from having a great night.
As she sat and read, Lilly could see a blond head bobbing in the crowd. She knew who it was instantly and glanced over the top of her page.
Draco was with Crabbe and Goyle, like usual, and they were just talking casually, laughing occasionally. But, Lilly noticed, every moment or so Draco would send a look her way and the corner of his lips would twitch up.
"Hey, beautiful."
Lilly jumped at the new voice, which was on the brink of deep, but still a little high pitched. A ruffled, cute boy was now sitting next to her, smiling widely.
"Oh, hello," she said quietly.
"My name's Cormack McLaggen," he started, "Your Lilly, right?"
"Um, yes, how did you know that?"
"A friend of a friend, that isn't the point. I also know that you don't have anyone to go to the ball with, that's right?" he moved a little closer.
"Yes, that would be correct," Lilly held back a smile.
"Well, I don't either. Put one and one together…"
"I'll meet you at 5, the Great Hall doors," Lilly finished for him.
"Great, see you then."
He lightly touched her thigh before leaving her as she was. Looking up, she was yet again surprised to see that Draco was fuming. Practically burning a hole through the ground. She knew, by pure instinct, that he needed her. Lilly got up and walked past Draco, mumbling 'follow me' as she went.
Thank Merlin, he had heard, and followed her into the school. Lilly, even though she was dead scared, opened the door to a near by closet and they went in together casually.
"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.
"Why are you going with that git McLaggen?" he spat out.
"Excuse me?" Lilly took a small step back.
"You heard me! He's vile and horrid and just wants to get into you're pants!"
"Maybe I'll let him if it'll piss you off!" Lilly said without thinking.
"Fine, it doesn't matter anyway! Go with him, and end up like Rose!"
Lilly gasped, crushing herself to the wall, which was lined with shelves. Draco seemed to realize what he said, because his eyes grew wide.
"I didn't mean…"
"If you cared so much you could have asked me yourself!" Lilly cried, finally saying what she wanted.
"I can't just ask you out Lilly! It isn't that simple!"
"WHY NOT!" she almost screamed.
"Because, alright? Just… because. I'm sorry about what I said about Rose, that was wrong. I just couldn't handle you getting hurt, too," he admitted sheepishly.
"I won't get hurt if you're protecting me," the words were just coming out of her today.
"Why do you trust me so much?"
"I don't know," Lilly bit her lip.
They stared at each other silently, breathing much too deeply.
"Don't go with McLaggen," Draco finally said.
"Don't go with Parkinson," Lilly replied, "Go with me."
"I wish I could," Draco wouldn't look her in the eye.
He brushed past her, his hand gliding across her arm, before opening the door and leaving her there to think. What did this mean? Did he like her the same way she liked him? So many questions and Lilly had some idea from where to get the answers.
She left the broom closet and went to the Astronomy tower where she knew Rose would be with Cedric. They had been spending every Sunday up there, trying to figure out the golden egg that had left them with broken eardrums.
She climbed to the roof, and was about to push back the door when she heard the two voices of her friends, but they weren't talking.
"Though the days are long, twilight sings a song, of a happiness that used to be," Rose was singing softly, slowly and sweetly. She sounded beautiful, but Lilly didn't know the song.
"Soon my eyes will close, soon I'll find repose, and in dreams you're always near to me,"
There was a sniff, then a quiet whimper. Lilly peeked around the door. Rose was sitting against the balcony of the tower; Cedric was in between her legs. He had his arms wrapped around her sides and his face was pressed into her stomach, his shoulders shaking. Rose was hugging his shoulders, trying to calm him as she sang.
"I'll see you in my dreams, hold you in my dreams. Someone took you out of my arms, still I feel the thrill of you're charms."
Cedric sobbed again, and turned his head to the left so his cheek rested on her shirt. Lilly could see his wild, blood shot grey eyes, and felt something stir in the pit of her stomach.
What's wrong with Cedric?
Lilly pushed the door open a little more, and it creaked. Rose's eyes snapped up from Cedric's head, going from loving so cold in a heartbeat.
"Oh, Lilly," she said, and it almost sounded like she was still singing.
"I didn't mean to interrupt, I'll leave," she said quickly, already half-way out the door.
Rose didn't reply, so Lilly headed down the stairs. She was nearly at the bottom when Rose's voice stopped her.
"Lilly, wait a sec!" she called.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about that, Cedric's going through a really hard time right now," she explained.
"Will he be okay?" Lilly asked anxiously.
"I hope so. He can't figure the egg out, and he… he misses his mother," Rose's eyes were swimming with tears, "I can't break down, I have to be strong for him! I have to be strong!"
Lilly rushed to Rose as she slouched, catching her in her arms and hugging her tight. Lilly rubbed her friend's back, feeling quiet shocked.
"Rose, what's going on?"
"There's so much pressure, Lilly! If Cedric doesn't win, everyone will hate him! Then there's Harry, and his mother, and me, and his father! Oh, his father! He's putting so much on Cedric's shoulders, Cedric can't handle it…" Rose was crying into Lilly's neck.
"If I believe in anything, it's that Cedric Diggory can not fail. Weather that means he wins or not, he could never fail you, Rose," Lilly whispered.
"I never will."
Rose sniffled, turning slowly to face Cedric, who was standing at the bottom of the staircase. She bolted at Cedric as he opened his arms for her. They hugged tightly, and Cedric looked over Rose's shoulder and mouthed 'thank you' to Lilly.
She nodded, and left the couple. So, she didn't get any answers, but more questions. Who else was there to talk to?
Her friends were in major stress, Draco didn't want her, and she had no idea what to do about it.
Rose entered the library alone. She knew that she would find Cedric in here, snooping around for something on the egg. Ever since both their mini break downs, Cedric had been even more determined to find information.
She found him leaning over a book, his brows furrowed. She tapped his shoulder lightly and he looked up.
"We're going," she said.
Rose tugged on his sleeve, silently telling him to stand. To her surprise, he did. He looked so very tired, she noticed. Rose led Cedric around Hogwarts, hoping her plan would work.
"Where are we going, love?" Cedric asked.
"Just somewhere to relax," she answered.
Cedric readjusted his book bag on his shoulder, struggling to stay in step with Rose. They reached a door, and Rose gripped the handle.
"Beozar," she said.
The door opened, and Rose pulled Cedric inside. They were in the prefect's bathroom, he realized.
"What are we doing here?"
"Taking a bath, honey."
"I don't have any bathers."
"Me neither," she glanced up at him before slipping her shoes off.
Rose padded her way over to the main tap and turned it on, causing all the other to flood out with heavy streams of over bubbled, warm water. She went back to Cedric, who looked a bit worried.
"Is this okay?" Rose asked.
"Um, I don't know, I just… are you okay with this? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I won't be."
Rose let her robe drop to the floor, and Cedric's followed hers. She threw off her jumper and loosened her tie. Cedric just let himself enjoy the show, and watched. Slowly, Rose unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders. Reached down, she unzipped her shirt and it pooled at her ankles. Rose also let her hair loose so it spilled around her shoulders and down to her bra-clad breasts.
"You're turn," she whispered.
Cedric nodded, and took his tie off. He struggled with his shirt buttons before Rose giggled and helped him along. He blushed and ducked his head down.
"You're too cute," Rose mumbled.
He blushed harder when she reached down to unbuckle his belt. Her hands in that region weren't going to help either of them. He forced himself to grab her hands and stop their movements.
"I, um, I can do that."
Rose nodded and backed off. After hurriedly taking off his belt, Cedric undid his pants and looked at Rose.
"Go on," she urged.
He let his pants fall, making the bulge in his pants even more obvious. Rose looked him up and down, practically drooling. His body was muscled from the years of Quidditch, and was lightly tanned.
"Come on," Rose took his hand.
She sank her body into the steaming water. Cedric watched as she got goosebumps, which trailed from her arms down to the sensual dip of her waist…
Cedric swallowed deeply, his Adam's apple bopping.
He stepped into the water, which was boiling hot, but nice at the same time. Once his body was fully in the water, Cedric could feel himself becoming less tense. Rose swam over to him, wrapping her arms around his chest.
"Feel better?" she asked.
"Yes, thank you," he kissed the top of her head softly.
Suddenly, Rose pulled him under the water, wetting both their heads. Cedric gasped as him came up, glaring playfully at Rose.
"You're gonna get it now!"
He pounced on her, dragging her around in the bath as she giggled. With a hand behind her head, he brought his lips upon hers roughly. They kissed desperately, allowing themselves to forget about the outside word and just be with each other.
Cedric pushed Rose against the edge of the bath, and Rose shivered as the cold tile met the over-heated skin of her back. Cedric let his lips trail down her neck, tasting her skin.
"Cedric," it was a barely there moan that formed around her lips, but it was more than enough for him.
The raging 17 year old hormonal side of him was screaming for him to take her, for him to hurry this process up, but he wanted to savor every moment. His hands grabbed her ass and hoisted her further up the wall, exposing the tops of her breast to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist to help him.
He could feel the sweet, wonderful pulling in his stomach, but he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Rose, so he forced himself to stop kissing her.
"You okay?" Rose asked, panting.
"Yeah, just need a minute," he replied.
Rose felt something in the back of her mind tugging at her. Something about Cedric's book bag…
"Cedric, what's in you're bag?" Rose asked.
"Uh…books, parchment, quills, the egg…"
"That's it!"
"What?"
Gently, Rose pushed Cedric off her. He looked disappointed, but allowed her to move. She climbed out of the water and Cedric admired her ass for a moment before looking down again. She ran over to his bag, shivering from the cold, before grabbing the egg and jumping back in the water.
"I'm so confused, love," Cedric smiled.
"Just… listen to it, under the water," Rose said.
"I would like to hear for the rest if my life, thanks."
Rose rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. She dived under the water and opened the egg up. Instead of the screeching, there was a wonderful singing.
"Come seek us where our voices sound, we can not sing above the ground, an hour long you have to look, to discover what we took…,"
Rose resurfaced, grinning smugly at Cedric, "Do it," she tossed him the egg. Cedric went under the water and rose a minute later with a wild smile on his face.
"You're amazing!" he cried, hugging Rose.
He kissed her hard and fast on the lips before diving under the water again to listen to the message. Rose giggled and sat back against the tiles, watching Cedric under the water. He came up again, a now thoughtful look on his face.
"What does it mean, Goldie?" Rose asked.
"I dunno," he sat back next to her.
Rose rested on her knees, standing up on them to play with Cedric's dripping wet, now dark brown hair.
"Mmm, I like you're hair wet," Rose whispered.
"I like you wet."
Rose laughed again and Cedric groaned. She just realized her cleavage was right in front of his unwavering gaze.
"You're such a man."
"I know, you love it," he rubbed her waist.
"Yeah, I do."
She kissed the top of his head as he hummed in content. They sat back together, thinking about the message in the egg.
"So, they can only be seen in the water, clearly. The closets large area of water would be the black lake, so that would mean the mer-people, right?" Rose said after a few minutes.
"How did you figure that out?" Cedric raised an eyebrow.
"Logic thinking, I am smart you know."
"I think I have to look for something under the water, and I have an hour to do so," Cedric said.
"Makes sense, but what would you used to breathe?"
"Bubble head charm, we got taught that one at the start of the year. Maybe Flitwick is cheating for me," Cedric smiled happily.
They enjoyed the water a little longer, splashing about and sharing sweet kisses, until Rose realized that she had to get ready for the Yule Ball.
"So, meet you at five?" Cedric asked as the dried and dressed.
"Yeah, can't wait to dance, baby," Rose winked.
He pulled her into his strong arms for one last peck that turned into a full, blown make-out session.
"I love you, Rosie," he pressed his lips tenderly to her forehead.
"I love you, too, Cedric."
She slipped out of his arms and headed to the Slytherin common room. She had exactly two hours to be perfect for Hogwarts, their guests, and their golden boy.
AN - Next chapter will be the Yule ball my friends!