I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read this story so far. I hope you keep enjoying it. Reviews are much appreciated. Positive or negative.
Chapter 7
The next morning Cedric and his roommates were up early. They lounged around in their room for a while just messing around like 13 and 14 year old boys do.
"Hey Ced when are you gonna throw your fan club a bone and date one of em?" Herbert teased.
"Yeah you practically have the whole female population of Hogwarts chasing you and you haven't snogged one of them yet. What's your problem?" Malcolm chimed in.
"Maybe the problem is he wants to snog Potter instead." Anthony laughed and everyone else joined in.
"You're all just jealous that you don't have your own fan club." Cedric said ignoring his stupid friends.
"Well why don't you prove that you don't want to snog Potter and ask one of those birds out?" Anthony said.
"Come on Anthony don't be a prat." Herbert said.
"No he's Mr. big shot with all the girls chasing him. I want to see if he's got the bollocks to ask one of them out." Said Anthony.
"Come on we all know he wants to snog that little Granger girl. Is that why you haven't dated anyone? Are you waiting for her to go through puberty!?" Malcolm said unable to contain his laughter before he finished his statement.
"Bugger off. We're just friends so leave her out of this." Cedric said grumpily.
"Oooh looks like you hit a nerve Malcolm. I'd say you're right." Said Anthony.
"Fine I'll ask someone out! Can we please just stop talking about this!" Cedric shouted not being able to hold it in anymore.
His roommates laughed.
"You're a bunch of stupid gits." Cedric told them as he left the room.
For Hermione that morning wasn't going much better. Hermione got up before breakfast and was in the library trying to find out as much as she could about Nicolas Flamel. Do you think anyone was helping her? No of course not. Harry and Ron wouldn't be up for hours and the same was probably true for Cedric. Or so Hermione thought.
Hermione had a stack of books next to her so high that you couldn't even see her if you were standing next to her but Cedric knew she was there. Who else would be up this early with a stack of books that big?
"Morning sunshine!" Cedric said loudly in the quiet library.
Hermione jumped a mile out of her skin and put her hand over her hammering heart. "Merlin do you think you could just say hello like a normal person!?" Hermione yelled.
"That's no fun. My way is much better. How's the research going? Need any help?" Cedric asked sitting across from Hermione.
"If you want to, but don't you have something better to do on a Sunday?"
"Are you kidding I want to find out what's in that trap door as much as you do." Cedric said grabbing a book from the giant pile. "And I come bearing gifts." Cedric said putting a paper bag on the table.
Hermione opened it and took out two bagels and two bottles of orange juice.
"You can't work on an empty stomach. Do you prefer butter or cream cheese?" Cedric asked.
"Cream cheese please." Unless you want it.
"Nope the butter is mine." Cedric said snatching the bagel off the table and taking a huge bite of it.
"If you're going to eat like a barbarian then you can leave." Hermione said taking a small bite of her bagel and not even looking up from her book.
"Don't be mean to me it's too early. Besides I'm here to help you. I don't see anyone else here doing that." Cedric said smiling and taking another huge bite.
Hermione didn't look up, but her face dropped.
"I'm sorry." Hermione said.
"What?" Cedric asked confused.
"You're right. You are here trying to help me and I'm giving you a hard time when no one else wants to help me."
"Hermy I was just kidding around with you. I like when you give me a hard time." Cedric said trying to cheer her up.
"Why doesn't anyone like me?" Hermione whispered looking at Cedric with sad brown eyes.
"What are you talking about? I like you, Harry likes you, Ron certainly likes you, the twins like you, Neville likes you, and I'm sure a bunch of other people do too."
"No they all tolerate me. None of the girls like me. They all think I'm stuck up and a know it all."
"Hermione listen. You go to the library at ungodly hours of the morning, you have read more books than there are in this library, you are smarter than most seventh years, and I guess it just takes a special kind of person to appreciate all that awesomeness. It's not easy to find another person willing to do research at 7:00am on a Sunday you know."
Hermione giggled. "You're here."
"Well I am special and awesome." Cedric said.
"I guess I shouldn't think on stuff like this, but Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson and their friends all make fun of me. I hear them when I walk by them in the hallway."
"Anyone that makes fun of you is either a git or doesn't know you well enough to see how special you really are. Trust me and don't worry about Potter and Weasley. They're good friends, and especially don't worry about Malfoy and Pansy. If they start to like you then it's time for you to worry."
Hermione laughed. "I guess you're right.
"Now let's find out who this Flamel guy is shall we." Cedric said beginning to read.
"Thanks Cedric. I'm glad you're here."
"Anytime Hermione."
They read for about an hour and Cedric was trying so hard to keep his eyes opened and focused. He gave up on trying to read and began to draw on a piece of paper.
When he was done he was a little too proud of himself.
"Hey Hermy check it out." Cedric said showing her his drawing.
It was a moving picture of Malfoy falling off his broom and crying on the floor.
Cedric laughed. Herbert told me that this happened at tryouts this year. I would have given my right arm to see that." Cedric said sighing.
"If you are going to make immature drawings instead of helping me read then this is going to take even longer than it should." Hermione said not amused.
"I know you wish you were there too. How about we take a break? We could go play some chess or whatever you want. I can't take this much longer." Cedric whined.
"Then you can leave." Hermione said.
"No, I'm not going to leave without you so you can either take a break with me or make me suffer in misery and stay here." Cedric said.
"Prepare to suffer." Hermione said reading her book.
"Ugh." Cedric groaned.
Just then Marietta Edgecombe came into the library and walked towards them.
"Hello Cedric fancy seeing you here." Marietta said.
"Oh um yeah. What are you doing here so early?" Cedric asked her nervously.
"I could ask you the same thing." Marietta laughed. "I just came by to tell you I how excited I am for our date tomorrow night." Marietta said looking at Hermione as she spoke.
"Oh hello Hermione. I almost didn't see you there behind all those books. Did Cedric tell you about our big date tomorrow?" Marietta said emphasizing the word our.
"Actually he didn't mention it, but I hope you guys have fun." Hermione said too nicely.
"Oh we will. I'll see you later Cedric. Bye Hermione." Marietta said as she kissed a surprised Cedric and walked away.
There was silence for a minute before Cedric broke it.
"Well that was bizarre. I guess I should clear all that up." Cedric said laughing nervously.
Hermione shrugged. "If you want to." She said
"You mean you're not mad?" Cedric asked.
"Mad? Why would I be mad? It's not like we're dating or something." Hermione scoffed at the idea.
"Oh yeah well I guess I just thought… I don't know. I asked her out at breakfast this morning. She seems alright." Cedric said with a shrug.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You're such a romantic Cedric."
"I don't know she's just not … I'm just glad you're not mad." Cedric said.
"Not at all." Hermione said and returned to reading her book.
Cedric also turned back to his book and they continued reading in silence for a while longer. The mood seemed more somber than it was before Marietta made her little visit. The silence was beginning to get to Cedric who had officially reached his breaking point.
"Merlin this is so much worse than I thought it was going to be. We've been at this for hours and all we know is that this guy is ancient and the most boring wizard in the universe." Cedric said letting his head fall onto the book in front of him.
"That's it Cedric!" Hermione shouted.
Cedric jumped from her sudden outburst. "What? What did I do?"
"It says here Nicolas Flamel is 665 years old. Don't you find that a little peculiar?"
"I guess, but he probably just made a potion or something to keep him alive." Cedric said with a shrug.
"Exactly! Don't you see: whatever he made is what Vold…He wants. It can keep him alive."
Cedric finally understood. "That's brilliant Hermione. Now we just have to find out what is keeping him alive."
It only took ten minutes more for Hermione to find that Flamel is 665 years old because he made an elixir of life from something called the philosopher's stone.
Cedric remembered skimming through a section about the philosopher's stone so he found that section again and read it thoroughly this time. He found that it was made by Flamel and Dumbledore.
"Well it looks like we found what Fluffy is guarding." Hermione said smiling at Cedric.
Cedric smiled back and stretched as he got out of his chair.
"That was too easy." Cedric said as they left the library.
"Yeah, okay." Hermione said in disbelief.
"What?" Cedric said confused.
"You: I think you were about to cry if we had to stay in that library for one more minute." Hermione smiled.
"Alright I admit I was going a little stir crazy, but I was NOT about to cry." Cedric said.
Hermione gave him an incredulous look.
"I'm going to go to my common room for a while. Harry and Ron are probably there so I'll tell them what we found." Hermione said.
"Alright I'll see you later Hermione." Cedric said.
"Bye." Hermione responded as she walked away from him.
When Hermione got to the Gryffindor Common room Ron of course was the first one to grab Hermione and tell her the big news going around Hogwarts. Harry was not far behind him.
"Did you hear Cedric is going out with Marietta Edgecombe . Apparently he asked her this morning." Ron said way to excited.
"Yeah he told me in the library." Hermione said.
"Oh, well I'm sorry Hermione. I know you like him." Ron said not sounding sorry at all.
"Don't be daft Ron. He's my friend. I don't like him like that." Hermione said.
"I have to tell you something important that Cedric and I found." Hermione whispered.
They went to Ron and Harry's room for privacy.
"Nicholas Flamel and Dumbledore made something called The Philosopher's Stone. It can make an elixir of life. It made Flamel live to 665. We think you know who wants it so he can come back to life." Hermione said.
"Brilliant Hermione. That must be what he's after." Harry said.
"Well done Hermione. Now I don't know about you two but I'm starving. I'm gonna go to the Great Hall for lunch. Do you want to join me?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione.
"Yeah sure go ahead. I just want to get something out of my trunk." Harry told Ron.
Ron nodded and left the room. Hermione was about to follow him when Harry called to her and made her turn around.
"Are you really okay?" Harry asked her.
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Hermione asked.
"Because Cedric is going out with Marietta Edgecombe." Harry said.
"I don't have feelings for Cedric. He can date whoever he likes." Hermione said.
"Ron and Cedric might believe that, but I know you really like him. You don't have to hide it I promise I won't tell anyone." Harry said.
Hermione looked shocked for a moment and then her shoulders slumped.
"I'm so stupid." Hermione sobbed.
"No you're not." Harry said awkwardly patting her back trying to comfort her.
"Yes I am. I'm stupid to think he would ever like someone like me. I'm just a stupid first year with bushy hair and buck teeth. He could never like someone like me." Hermione cried.
"I wouldn't say never Hermione. You're a beautiful girl on the inside and out, and one day you'll find someone that'll make you believe that. I promise." Harry comforted her.
Awww poor Hermione. Don't worry its only year one after all. Don't forget we still have the whole Cho Chang faze to get through... yuck :)