These boots are made for walkingAnd that's just what they'll doOne of these days these boots are gonnaWalk all over you

- "These boots are made for Walking" by Nancy Sinatra

Chapter 3

"Selene!", Cedric turned and said with obvious relief in his voice and in two long strides he crossed the room and enveloped her into a hug. Selene found her face planted directly into the middle of his chest, her nose almost squished into the hard planes of his chest. But she didn't complain. After a whole month of no contact from anyone, any contact was good. Another part of her mind was very aware of how the hug was longer than the hugs she recieved from Ron and was now focused on the width of his arms and that he smells like some kind of wood, and fruit and spice.

"I was so worried! Where were you?!", Selene's nose regained its full capacity to breathe as she found herself a foot away from Cedric, his hands holding her arms firmly but not tightly. It was now she noticed the pinched expression on his face.

She tried to focus on his pinched expression and not to stare into his eyes for too long. She also tried to ignore the frantic way he checked her over to make sure she was okay.

"Play ground, it's near the house", Selene replied, even her voice sounded a bit dazed.

"You were told to stay in the house.", Cedric rebuked. Selene immediately lost any positive emotions she held. Her former anger rose again at his scolding. How could he scold her when it was she who saved his life in that graveyard? How could he scold her when he hadn't even bothered to write back to her? How coul-

Aunt Petunia loudly cleared her throat.

Selene jumped, Cedric dropped her arms and stepped away. Selene hadn't realised how close they had been standing. Or how long they had been staring at each other while she had been stewing in her anger.

"Aunt Petunia, this is Cedric Diggory", Selene introduced waving her hands, "He's my friend from school. My Aunt, Petunia Dursley."

"Your friend from school?", Aunt Petunia asked calculatingly.

"Her Boyfriend, Mrs. Dursley", Cedric said with a charming smile, Selene turned her head towards him so fast that her neck cracked, "It's nice to finally meet you?"

"Pleasure", Aunt Petunia replied, clearly torn between smiling and sneering. Selene imagined it was probably difficult for her Aunt to be rude to attractive people even if they were magical. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Selene?", she added, her tone now had an edge that Selene was trained to recognise.

"Yes!", Cedric said beaming, Selene found herself pulled under his arm again, "Well, it's still very new! We've only been dating for a few months!"

"Is that so?", Aunt Petunia said coolly, Selene decided to play along and fixed a smile on her face.

Cedric released her shoulder but immediately grabbed her hand.

"I hope you don't mind if I take Selene out for a bit, Mrs. Dursley", Cedric said in a charming tone of voice and with a smile that Selene could tell he used on people whenever he needed someone to do something he wanted.

How exactly they managed to get out of the clutches of her Aunt ("You are to be back by 8:30!") she would never know. Cedric wasn't bothered at all though. His hand was still holding hers as he led her out of Privet Drive and in the direction of the park Selene was in before he showed up.

Selene noticed the eyes of Aunt Petunia's gossipy neighbour turn her head almost 180 degrees to stare at them as they passed. Her eyes zeroed in on their linked hands.

The moment they turned the corner, Selene pulled her hand from Cedric's grasp.

"I didn't realise my name is Cho Chang", Selene said with fake lightness, her narrowed eyes trained on Cedric.

"Sorry", Cedric said shrugging, not looking sorry at all, "She wouldn't let you leave any other way and it's a good excuse as any"

Selene scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. She stared ahead as they walked down the street, the silence between them awkward.

Selene wanted to ask Cedric if he was doing okay. She wanted to know if he was having nightmares like she was. She wondered if he was angry all the time too. She wanted to know that she wasn't the only one feeling this. At the same time, she hoped he wasn't.

"Not that I don't appreciate that you came Cedric", Selene said finally when they had reached the park, "But why are you here?"

A/N- Updates and chapter length are going to be sporadic