Shipping E5 - Stuffed Animal

Fall B4 - Goat

Setting A2 - Tournament

Stacked With: Set; FaB; Ship; FPC; BAON; ToS; SIN; NC; PP; SoC; Star; Fence; Shower; ER; AV; MLG; Cluster; T3; O3; TY

Individual Challenges: Short Jog (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Bard MC; Neurodivergent (Y); Rian-Russo Inversion (Y); Ethnic & Present (Y); Setting Sail (Y); Hold the Mayo (Y); Lunar Era (Y); Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Magical MC x2; Green Acres; Old Shoes (Y); Go Fluff Yourself; Kinder (Y)

Primary & Secondary: Getting On; Second Verse (For the Vine; Spinning Plates; Not a Lamp); Chorus (Some Beach; Vid Tangent; A Long Dog; Tomorrow's Shade; Mouth of Babes; Machismo)

Tertiary & Generic: O3 (Orator; Ox); T3 (Tether); TY (Enfant)

Word Count: 3198

Warnings: Mentioned bullying

~o0o~

Hermione rested her arm on her "tower" window and watched as a fair was set up in the fields behind her aunt's house. It was on the edge of town. It was a beautiful Victorian style home all black and purple. Her bedroom was in a tower on the side of the house. She picked it because it seemed like the type that would lead to an adventure like she read about in her books.

Though, the fair and horse show seemed to be the most exciting thing this town had to offer. Booths were being set up, there was a maze made out of hay stacks, and there were a lot of animal trailers. Her aunt Dahlia, who worked at the insurance office in town, was practicing baking pies and hoping to win a blue ribbon this year.

Hermione didn't really care. She was just counting the days until she could go to Hogwarts University of Magic. Magic was what she excelled at and her family just didn't understand it.

A goat with foam pool noodles on its horns ran from the crowd, chased by a boy in dirty dungarees. His white stetson flew off his head.

"Come back!" he yelled. "Bloody goat!"

The goat skidded to a stop below her tower and whirled around. It scraped its hooves against the ground and charged him. Before he could react, he was headbutted in the stomach and collapsed to his knees. The goat bleated and danced around him.

"How dare you make a fool of me," the boy wheezed and pounced, wrapping his arms around its middle. "I'm going to chop you up and cook you in a stew!"

The goat twisted around and chewed on his hair.

"You can't sweet talk me! I mean it this time!"

It was probably mean, but Hermione laughed. She shouldn't have, the movement jostled her broken arm.

"Are you alright?" she asked, adjusting her sling.

He looked around then up. "Oh! You saw that?"

"All of it."

He shifted the goat under his arm and backed up so he could see her better.

"I didn't know anybody except Miss Dahlia lived here," he said.

"She's my aunt. I'm visiting, I arrived a couple days ago."

"Oh, right? I live in that farmhouse on the hill. Our paths will likely cross, I deliver milk and eggs here every Monday. I'm Cedric."

"Hermione," she said.

"Really? I was going to guess Rapunzel."

She snorted, then touched her short hair and winced. She had just figured out how to style and maintain it properly and now it was all gone. Her parents wouldn't even let her buy a potion to grow it back.

"How long are you in town for?" he asked.

"Don't know."

Someone from the crowd called out to Cedric.

"Er, I have to get back," he said. "See you around, Hermione."

She waved and watched him leave. He seemed nice. Boys weren't typically nice to her unless it was to get her to help them with homework or just to be mean later. Maybe she was just too far away for him to decide that she was funny-looking and therefore didn't deserve basic human decency and respect. She refused to get hurt again.

The fair was completely set up the next day. Hermione considered skipping, but Aunt Dahlia pushed her to go just to get some fresh air.

"You can't stay inside with your books all day," she had said.

So, Hermione had put on a white blouse, brown pinafore, and boots she didn't mind getting dirty. Buttoning up the blouse one-handed had been difficult, but she managed. It would have been easier with her wand, but it had been confiscated until she could "learn how to control her temper" which didn't seem fair. She had controlled her temper for ten years of public school and one slip-up was grounds to take her channel for magic away?

Aunt Dahlia hurried on to submit her pie, leaving Hermione behind. So, she followed the crowds over to where the horse show was. A girl was already riding a brown horse over hurdles.

Deciding this was as good an idea as any, Hermione found a seat in the bleachers.

"Next up: Cedric Diggory and Daffodil," said the announcer.

Most of the crowd cheered for him.

The boy from yesterday came out on a massive clydesdale the color of gold. Unlike some of the other riders in the show who wore proper rider coats, trousers, and helmets, he wore denim jeans, a white button down rolled up to the elbows, and a brown cowboy hat.

The timer began and he kicked off. He had great control and the horse's hooves seemed to shake the ground. A lot of people in the crowd cheered for him. Clearly he was the local favorite. And as big as she was, Daffodil just seemed to soar over the hurdles like she had wings. He didn't even lose his hat.

As they jumped the biggest hurdle, Hermione almost swore Cedric looked at her. Oh, she was being silly. She got crushes like nobody's business and it drove her mad. It didn't matter if the person was even kind to her, she just got feelings for them and that hurt her even more when they turned out to be horrible.

"That's our boy!" the announcer cheered. "Best time of the day!"

Daffodil trotted around looking about as pleased as any horse could look. Cedric patted her shoulder and led her out so the next person could take their turn.

There were plenty of good riders, but none of them made it seem as smooth and effortless as Cedric had. And the judges seemed to agree because he won the blue ribbon and the prize money.

"The next event will be tomorrow," said the announcer. "This space will begin the pony rides shortly and you're welcome to queue up. Have fun everyone!"

Hermione waited until more of the crowds left before following. It wasn't fun trying to elbow through a crowd with a broken arm. A woman rode out on a massive black mare and drew a wand from a holster. She flicked it and the hurdles marched themselves around to create a fence within the space. The sun was starting to set, so she also lit the newly created fence with glowing gold baubles.

Hermione stood and walked out. She could hear the sounds of games and the ferris wheel that wasn't there yesterday was full of people.

Instead of going into the crowd, she wandered over to where the horses and ponies were saddled up for rides. There were young kids bouncing for the chance to ride a horse. Hermione had never even been near a horse in her life.

Helping the kids was Cedric. Up close she could see how handsome he was with sandy skin and raven hair and sharp cheekbones.

He spotted her and… he lit up. Nobody had ever reacted that way before. Typically her approach was met with dismay and annoyance. Even by family members.

"Hello," he said. "Hermione, right? You're staying at Miss Dahlia's house."

"Yes, she's my aunt," said Hermione, suddenly wishing she were anywhere else. He was probably a horrible boy. Someone who would charm her and make her believe she had a friend and then he would turn around and betray her in some way. It happened many times in all sorts of ways.

"What brings you here to Ottery?" he asked, helping another kid onto a horse.

Just get it out of the way. Let him learn what a mess she was so he can reject her and she can move on.

"This boy cut my hair in between classes," she said bluntly. "He'd been bullying me for years and I had enough and punched him in the nose. He and his cronies attacked me and broke my arm so I hit him with a stinging hex. Got expelled and my parents grounded me from using magic."

Cedric frowned. "But he cut your hair and broke your arm. How are you in the wrong?"

"Exactly! Thank you!" she said. Wow, was this what it felt like to be validated? What a rush.

Oh, now she just dumped her baggage on him. She should have kept her mouth shut. She hesitated on what else to say and wondered how fast she could run back home.

"Sounds to me like you need some cheering up," he said, sending the kids on their laps around the track while the woman on the black mare supervised. "Come on over and meet Daffodil."

He led her to his horse, who was even more massive up close. She was tall and stocky like her owner. Hermione tentatively touched her nose.

"I've never seen a horse up close," she said, patting the beautiful creature.

"So I guess you've never ridden before," said Cedric.

"Not unless you count a carousel."

"Well, if you're interested, Daffodil is very steady and docile," he said.

Hermione looked up apprehensively. "Er… no, I'd probably just injure myself more and I'm wearing a dress and all."

"Well, let me know if you ever change your mind," he said.

The woman who set up the ring walked out. Hermione figured she must be a relative of Cedric's. They looked so similar, though her hair was covered by a scarf similar to a tichel and she wore jeans, a black turtleneck tunic, and thick work boots.

"That's my mum," said Cedric.

"I've got the pony rides handled if you want to go into the fair, habibi," she said.

"You sure?" he asked.

"It'll be alright, we've got plenty of help," she said, smiling.

"Alright, but let me know if you need me to come back," he said. "Oh, this is Hermione. She's Miss Dahlia's niece, she just moved here."

"Nice to meet you," said Mrs. Diggory, placing a hand on her chest and nodding her head.

"Nice to meet you, too," said Hermione.

"You kids have fun. Cedric be back here by nine to put the horses away."

"Yes, Mum." He turned to Hermione. "Have you ever been to a fair before?"

"Not unless you count reading about them in Charlotte's Web," she said.

"Oh, that book was my favorite when I was little," he said. "Of course, the author is mistaken about both the size and sweetness of pigs. Even runts can get to three hundred kilos."

"That's huge!" Hermione whispered.

He nodded. "So, where are you from?"

"London. Ever been?"

"Sort of," he said. "My dad works at the Ministry of Magic and I get school supplies from the magical center Diagon Alley. I'm in my last year at the Devon School of Magic."

"I was in my last year at London Academy of Magic," said Hermione. "Of course, I was in all night classes because my parents wanted me to continue my Muggle education and aim for a "respectable" career. And now… I don't know what I'll do."

"Well, you could apply to Devon," he said.

"I'm sort of on a magic ban," she said. "Aunt Dahlia has my wand locked up. I'm just here until my parents know what to do with me."

"That bites," he said.

"Yeah. Just so you know, I'm telling you all this so you can find out I'm a nutcase early on."

"I find you rather interesting," he said.

"Well, I'm just not. I'm very odd."

He made a high-pitched hum. "Mm, probably not as odd as my cousin, Luna. I love her to bits, but she is eccentric. I think as long as you're nice to the both of us I see no reason why we can't be friends."

"Huh… you're very odd too, aren't you?" she noted.

"At least I'm not boring," he said.

"No," she agreed and paused, sniffing the air. "Something smells good!"

"Is it the elote stand or the chrusciki stand?" he asked.

She looked at the hot, spicy street corn and the stand that was selling fried dough in the shape of flowers and topped with icing sugar.

"Yes," she decided and got in line for the chrusciki first. When it was nearly her turn, she reached for her wallet to get it ready. "Oh, no! I forgot my purse."

"Don't worry about it," said Cedric. "We'll call it a welcome to Ottery St. Catchpole gift."

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't offer," he insisted.

"Well, thank you."

They got a bag of the chrusciki, which were the most wonderful thing Hermione had ever tasted. They were crisp and sweet and she felt she could eat a million of them. Then they got the corn, she stashed the bag of sweets in her sling for safe-keeping and she decided the grilled corn covered in mayo sauce and chili powder and lime was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted.

"How long have you been riding horses for?" Hermione asked.

"Since I was really little," said Cedric. "I've been the horse show champion for five years running with Daffodil."

"You're really good at it."

"Thanks! Though, really, the horse does most of the work. What do you like to do?"

"I'm the academic decathlon champion," she said. "Since primary school."

"What else?"

"Er… I read and well, I like dancing, but I've only ever danced in my room. Anything else… I don't know. I never really tried it. I've read all sorts of books, though."

"I like books," he said. "I don't get to read as much as I like though. Too busy, see."

"I can see that." She threw her corn cob in a bin and fished out another chrusciki.

"Hi, Cedric!" a pretty girl broke off from a gaggle of pretty girls and sidled up next to him, hooking her arm with his. "Congratulations on winning the blue ribbon. I bet you'll win again tomorrow with the trick shot."

"I sure hope so," he said.

Hermione didn't like the look the pretty girl gave her. Like she was something on her shoe.

"You know a bunch of us are hanging out by the ferris wheel. Why don't you come?"

"No thanks. Have fun though!"

The girl huffed and flounced away. Hermione wished she could flounce prettily like that.

"You don't have to be nice," she said. "I should probably head home anyway. You can go with her."

"Don't want to," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"No?"

"No," he confirmed. "She and all her friends used to bully me all the time."

"They did?" She couldn't see him being the type to be bullied. "Why?"

"Probably because I was homeschooled and I smell like a barn and my mum is Muslim and my dad is Jewish and I was fat and I say odd things and talk to animals and my favorite color is pink. There's a bunch of things. And they only like me now because I got muscle from farm work and cheekbones and I'm Captain of the Quidditch Team and my fashion sense is suddenly cool." He lifted his hat and carded his fingers through his hair. "I'm still hurt by what they said about me and I know that once they realize I'm not the person they've built up in their heads they'll reject me again, so why set myself up for hurt?"

"I know exactly what you mean," she said.

They walked in silence for a couple moments.

"Want to go play a game?" he asked.

"Sure," she said. "Though I probably won't do very well. I'm left-handed, see."

"That's alright, it's just for fun anyhow. You know, my mum can heal your arm for you."

"I don't want to give her any trouble."

"It's no trouble, just a poke with a wand. I'd do it myself, but I'm afraid I've only done some fingers and noses. I don't want to make it worse."

"Well, only if she doesn't mind," said Hermione.

She shook the bag of chrusciki and was sad to find only a few crumbs left. She tipped and poured them in her mouth only to get a face full of powdered sugar. She spluttered.

"Are you okay?" Cedric asked before laughing.

She was surprised to find herself laughing with him instead of feeling embarrassed.

"Didn't quite work," she coughed and dusted herself off.

"Here." He wiped the sugar off her cheek with a napkin.

Once she was mostly cleaned up, they stopped at the first booth, which was a bottle-knocking game. Hermione went first and only got the top bottle. Cedric did a fancy little throw and knocked down the entire tower.

"Wow, and I thought these things were usually rigged," said Hermione.

"Nah, just very difficult," said Cedric, selecting a stuffed panda. "My dad taught me how to win at them. He's out on business this week, he works in the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Here. For you."

She blinked in surprise. Yes, she had been casting longing looks at the adorable panda, but…

"It's your prize," she said.

"I know and I'm choosing to give it to you."

"Let me guess, another welcome present?" she asked.

He just smiled and she accepted it with a soft, "thanks," suddenly feeling very shy and hyper aware of how awkward she was. Not to mention the cynical part of her that just felt that it was all some sort of trap.

"I er… I think I oughta find my aunt," she said.

"Yes, of course. She's probably chatting with my mum actually. They play pinochle with Mrs. Weasley and Uncle Phil once a week."

Hermione followed him to the horses and sure enough Aunt Dahlia was chatting with Mrs. Diggory.

"Hello, Auntie," Hermione called. "How did your pie do?"

Aunt Dahlia looked sour. "Second place again. I just can't compete with Molly's pies."

"There's always next year," said Mrs. Diggory, patting her shoulder consolingly.

"Mum, do you think you could fix Hermione's arm?" Cedric asked.

"Of course! Easily." Mrs. Diggory drew her wand. "Do you consent, dear?"

"Oh, yes, please," said Hermione. "It's been hurting something awful."

The woman nodded and tapped it. It hurt for a hot second and Hermione hissed as her bones fused back together. She flexed her fingers and the numbness faded, so she handed the panda to Cedric and slipped off the sling, testing her mobility.

"That's much better," she said. "Thank you!"

Mrs. Diggory nodded. "Just keep it in the cast a couple days longer to make sure it all sets properly. Other than that you'll just have to wait for the bruises to heal."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"See you tomorrow," said Cedric, giving her panda back. "We'll play more games."

He was so earnest Hermione found herself unable to give a vague response or back out or convince him she was better off alone. Even with Aunt Dahlia present.

"Er, right," she said, feeling her cheeks heat up. "See you tomorrow."

Could he have looked more pleased? She almost wanted to be annoyed at him for that. Even so, as Aunt Dahlia pulled her away, she looked back over her shoulder at Cedric and smiled.