For Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments - Term 11, Assignment 1: Photography, Task #5 (Glamour Photography): write about someone who is viewed as, or believes that they are, extremely good-looking and sexy.
For the Through the Universe Challenge at The Golden Snitch Forum (Beauxbatons, Guinefort, 171. grassy).
For MC4A:
Shipping War:
Ship (Team): Cedric Diggory/Angelina Johnson (n/a)
List (Prompt): n/a
Summer Bingo: space E1 (mountain)
Individual Challenges:
Gryffindor MC, Hufflepuff MC, Ethnic & Present, Yellow Ribbon, Yellow Ribbon Redux, Themes & Things A (New Beginnings), Short Jog
Bonuses: None
Word count: 1,372
Warning: mild language
Hiking and Hotties
"Geez, Ced, when you said we were just going for a 'little hike,' I didn't realize we'd be climbing a damn mountain," Angelina grumbled, pausing to drink from her water bottle. The cool liquid tasted heavenly after all the perspiring she had done.
Cedric turned to look at her, his grey eyes bright and his face slightly flushed. His dark brown hair was slick with sweat, yet he somehow looked as handsome as ever. "It'll be worth it, Angie, I promise."
Angelina scoffed and swatted at a bee that was hovering too close. "If you say so."
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, causing her heart to flutter. "It will. I'm sorry I can't do more to encourage you other than promise you that, though. I'd hug you, but I'm so sweaty we'd probably stick together." Angelina laughed, but she was secretly disappointed.
Silence fell between them and they continued their ascent. The trees that surrounded them provided a leafy canopy, but it was hot enough that the shade didn't seem to help much. Angelina sighed. Cedric had said that this would be a "lovely little hike" and that they would have "loads of fun." So far, it had been an hour, and Angelina couldn't see anything lovely about seemingly not being any closer to the peak than when they had started. Furthermore, she was certainly not having any fun. She felt like she was dying.
When she told Cedric as much, however, he merely laughed. "Come on, where's your sense of adventure?"
"How about you take your sense of adventure and shove it up your perfect arse?" she muttered, glaring at said arse.
...
A short while later, Cedric looked down at her and smiled. "Are you enjoying yourself, Angie?"
She stopped to clutch at a stitch in her side. "Um, get back to me later, would you?" she panted, embarrassed by how out of shape she felt and envious that he didn't seem breathless at all.
He walked back a few paces so that he was standing next to her. "I just wanted to show you why I love nature so much. It's so peaceful out here, isn't it? There's so much freedom to be alone and just...think."
The only thing she could do was nod. Cedric was a lot more introspective than he appeared. He was more than just a pretty face—although he had that going for him, too—he was a thinker. And that somehow made him even more attractive to her.
She was still getting to know the former Hufflepuff Quidditch captain after reconnecting with him at work a few months ago, but she had to admit that she liked what she was learning. In all honesty, her schoolgirl crush on him was back in full force. It seemed unlikely that he returned her feelings, however. Sure, he did things like kiss her hand and give her hugs, but she figured he was just being a demonstrative friend. She had seen him give hugs to Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan, and the hugs that he gave her didn't seem any different from those.
...
"Almost there!" Cedric announced, and Angelina let out a groan of relief. He ran a hand through his hair, then looked at it with a grimace. "Blimey, I'm wetter than a mermaid."
Angelina bit her lip. She knew that it probably wasn't intentional, but Cedric had a way of making anything sound sexy. Even announcing that he was dripping with sweat was alluring rather than repulsive.
He had taken his shirt off about half an hour ago, putting his defined body on display. Angelina felt as though she was basically living out one of her fantasies from her Hogwarts days. Of course, in that fantasy, she was relaxing by the lake or stumbling upon him in the shower, not covered in sweat herself. She didn't even want to think about how awful she must smell. When she got home, the first thing she was going to do was have a long soak in the tub.
Cedric didn't seem to notice that he had said or done anything titillating, however. Instead, he grinned at her. "Race you to the top?"
Angelina silently cursed him for taking advantage of her competitive nature. Out loud, however, she said, "You're on, Diggory."
She threw herself into clambering up the wooded trail, ignoring her screaming muscles. She could see a clearing up ahead, and she urged her legs to move faster. When she passed Cedric, she let out a whoop and pumped her fist, letting his delighted laughter spur her on even more.
By the time Cedric reached the grassy peak, she had already collapsed on the ground. He quickly joined her there, settling onto his back. After a moment, he conjured a small black towel and handed it to her.
"Thanks," she said. She sat up and quickly wiped her face and arms. When she was finished, she cleaned it with her wand and handed it back. "Your turn."
He chuckled and proceeded to towel himself off as well. Apparently he could feel her gaze on him as he did so, however, because he asked without looking up, "Like what you see?"
His tone was teasing, but Angelina still felt as though she had been chided. "Sorry," she said quickly. Then she realized she hadn't answered his question, and added, "Fishing for compliments, are we, Ced?"
He had the good grace to blush. "What? I can't ask my girlfriend what she thinks?"
Angelina felt her jaw drop. "Your—"
"Girlfriend, yeah," Cedric said, looking more nervous than she had ever seen him. "I've really been enjoying our time together, Angie. I thought you were too, but if you're not interested..."
"I am!" Angelina blurted out. "I just wish you'd said something. You kind of sprung it on me—"
"You're right," he said, looking at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I should have gone about this differently—"
"Yes, you should have!" Angelina huffed, crossing her arms. The fact that he hadn't consulted her about moving their relationship forward irked her. Maybe that wasn't fair of her, but he wasn't exactly being fair either, assuming that she would feel comfortable agreeing to be his girlfriend while they were alone on top of a bloody mountain.
The handsome former Hufflepuff hung his head. "What can I do to make it up to you?" he murmured, sounding genuinely contrite.
"Ask me if I want to be your girlfriend," Angelina said. "Treat me like an actual person with feelings who can think for myself. I want to be your equal, Cedric, not someone you can just push around."
She expected him to be angered by this declaration, but to her surprise, he simply nodded. "Of course. I understand."
"Really?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"Yes, really," he replied. His head tilted to the side. "Did you think I'd be mad or something?"
"A little, yeah," she admitted, unfolding her arms.
Cedric studied her intently, his gaze roaming over her so unabashedly that it made her redden. "You know what I like about you?" he said at last.
"What?" Her throat was suddenly dry, so she picked up her water bottle and took another sip, trying to hide the fact that her hands were shaking slightly.
"You're not afraid to stand up for what you believe in," he said. "Even at the risk of making someone else mad."
He hadn't said she was beautiful like other men might have—she was both relieved and impressed by his more astute observation. "Thanks," she said, smiling broadly at him.
"Anytime." He took a deep breath. "So, what do you say, Angie? Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. It felt like a testament to her maturity that she didn't squeal or giggle like she might have once upon a time. "I'd really like that."
The dazzling grin Cedric sent her in response made her heart beat a little faster. "May I kiss you now?" he whispered.
She almost laughed out loud. He was a fast learner. "You may."
He was right, she realized as he gently pulled her closer. Climbing the mountain had been worth it.
A/N: Huge thanks to Gwen (wintergreen825) for coming up with the line "wetter than a mermaid." :)
