Tangled Web

Chapter One:

"Diggory is gorgeous, isn't he?" Alicia said quietly, casting a lustful glance towards the Hufflepuff table. "Just look at his eyes. I mean, really, can you find a cuter guy in this school?"

"Yes," I replied, taking a huge bite of wheat toast with orange marmalade. "Ty Davis, the new American exchange student in Ravenclaw. His accent is to die for."

"Not to mention his biceps." Angelina added, looking at the Ravenclaw table.

"Well, thanks for the compliment, Ange, I have been working out." said a Scottish voice, standing behind Angelina. Quickly, the three of us turned around to see Oliver Wood standing behind us, looking absolutely devilish. "I thought I was gaining some muscle, but I didn't know you three had noticed. There is no greater compliment than to know that your three best girl friends are checking you out."

"Sod off, Oliver." Alicia cried, swatting at his arm, "We weren't talking about you. Don't be ridiculous."

Talking about Oliver in any way other than that of a best friend is perhaps the most grotesque thing ever, though it hasn't always been that way. Since we were first years Alicia, Angelina, Oliver and I have been best friends but all three of us girls have gone through a time when we were absolutely infatuated with him. What the fuck were we thinking?

"Kate, you've gained some weight, we better start practice soon or I'm going to have an elephant riding a broom instead of my girl." Oliver said teasingly, as he tried to squeeze onto the bench between Angelina and myself. He didn't seem to notice, or care, that there was plenty of space on the other side of the table.

"You git," I said, pushing him off the bench. "Don't you bloody talk about my weight. It's not my fault that you seem to only be able to date girls that are so thin that you can see through them."

"Speaking of Oliver's ridiculously small girlfriends…" Angelina trailed off.

"Hi girls!" Sasha said, over enthusiastically. "Oliver would you like to walk me to Herbology?" she asked, giving him an obvious wink and smile.

"I would love to." Oliver replied, a wide grin spreading on his face. "We'll be taking the long way, I assume." Sasha just smiled suggestively in reply. "Bye girls." Oliver said, grabbing the toast out of my hands and practically running out of the Great Hall, with Sasha at his heels. It was no secret in Hogwarts that Oliver was a bit of a "sex god" but, really, you think he could be a little less obvious about it. They should have just shagged right here, in the Great Hall. Oh Merlin, I'm going to have to go cast a memory charm on myself; that was an awful mental image.

Angelina sighed in disgust, "He's changed a bit since first year, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," I replied, still shuddering from the thought of Oliver and Sasha together. Ange and I both turned towards Alicia; expecting her to add her thoughts. She was, once again, staring obviously at the Hufflepuff table, and Cedric Diggory, in particular. "Alicia," I said, quietly, trying to break her out of her trance. No response. "Alicia!" I tried again, a bit louder this time.

"Alicia, Diggory's planning on stripping stark naked on the Quidditch pitch in twenty minutes." Angelina said, off-handedly.

"Yes!" Alicia exclaimed her eyes wide with delight, until she saw how hard Angelina was laughing. "Aw shit, don't do that to me." She moaned, tossing a piece of toast at Ange.

"If you like him that much, why don't you just go talk to him?" I asked.

"Well," Alicia began, "I heard that he likes someone and if it's not me, I'd be so embarrassed, I can't just go talk to him."

"Do you want me to talk to him for you?" I asked, feeling like we were in our third year again.

Alicia nodded, looking hopeful, "You'd do that for me, Kate?"

"Of course, Alicia, I would do anything for you."

"Don't get involved." I heard Angelina hiss next to me.

"It'll be fine." I whispered back. I looked up to see if Alicia had heard, but her attention had already returned to Diggory.

"Hey Diggory!" I called, trying to get Cedric's attention on my way to Herbology.

"Yeah, Kate?" he asked, slowing down and turning around. "What's up?"

"Well, Diggory. I have a friend," I stopped, suddenly struck by how potentially awkward this situation could be, "Well, I have a friend who likes you… a lot. And I said I'd talk to you to see if you felt the same way."

"Oh, really…" he began, looking me straight in the eye, "And who would this friend be?" Wow, he really does have beautiful eyes, green with these gorgeous speckles of blue and gray. "Katie?"

I broke out of my trance, "Alicia." I stammered, "Alicia Spinnet."

Diggory looked surprised, "Alicia? But I thought…" He trailed off and looked at me.

"You thought what?" I asked, perplexed. "My only other friends are Angelina and Oliver. I have no idea what is going on in Ange's head half the time and for some reason I just don't think you're Oliver's type."

"Yeah, I like Alicia. I was thinking about asking her to Hogsmeade, but… there's this other girl…" once again, he trailed off sheepishly.

"So there is another girl!" I exclaimed. "Alicia thought so. Diggory, trust me; Alicia is one of the most wonderful people I know; you'd be a fool not to date her. There is no girl out there that is better than Alicia."

The bell sounded, signaling that we were late for class. Cedric gave me one long look before he started to run towards the greenhouse. "What about you Kate? What about you?"

What about me? I kept asking myself this question during Herbology. Cedric, with his dazzling eyes, and shy demeanor likes me? I would have thought I had imagined the whole thing, but every time I noticed him looking at me he would bow his head and blush. He is adorable when he's embarrassed.

"So," Alicia whispered. "What did he say?"

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet." I replied, in hushed tones.

"But, I saw you talking to him on your way here." She insisted.

Damn, she had seen us. "We were discussing other things. It just," I paused, "Didn't come up?" I bent over and pretended to be tying my shoe. I definitely needed more time to think through this situation.

"Didn't come up!" Alicia exclaimed, incredulously, "What else do you guys have to talk about?"

"Plenty." I replied, shortly, even though we both knew it wasn't true.

Alicia just gave me a long hard look. "Fine, Katie, be that way."

"Ange, we need to talk." I said, as soon as we had exited the greenhouse. Alicia had pushed her way to the front of the queue, and I could barely see her stalking towards the castle. Merlin, she was mad.

"I gathered that." Ange replied, calmly. When would I learn to keep my nose out of everyone's business, like she does?

"Cedric does like Alicia." I began.

Angelina raised her eyebrows, "So, what's the problem?"

"Well, he likes someone else too," I paused. "Me."

Angelina stopped and looked at me surprised. "Diggory likes you and Alicia?" she looked at me and finally said, "Well, do you like him?"

I had never really considered Cedric as a candidate for a boyfriend. But the more I thought about it, the more I concentrated on his beautiful eyes, kind manner, and the respect he shows everyone, the more I realized that he is exactly the sort of guy I have always wanted to date. "Yeah," I finally replied, "I think I do."