Disclaimer: I still own Ainsley and Jada. The rest are JK's.
The next morning I awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed, despite my worries the night before. I rolled out of my bed and pulled my arms above my head, stretching. I went into the bathroom and turned on the water to the shower. After taking a quick hot shower and getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror studying myself. What on earth was I going to do with my hair? My makeup? Of course I wanted to look good, but I didn't want to appear desperate to catch Cedric's attention. I don't even want anything to happen with Cedric. I put my hands over my eyes.
"I really need to stop thinking about Cedric." I said aloud.
"What was that?" Angelina appeared in the doorway
"Uh. Oh nothing. I was JUST talking to myself." I tried to be smooth with it. Angelina just looked at me as if I'd gone bonkers.
"Okay." She said and walked into the showers. I sighed and shook my head. I settled on pulling my hair up into a loose, messy bun and applied green eyeshadow over black eyeliner. I met the girls in the common room and we headed to breakfast in the Great Hall. Upon our descent down the marble staircase we noticed that a huge crowd was congregated at the bottom.
"What's going on?" Katie asked a second year Hufflepuff.
"They've put a sign up about the Triwizard Tournament." He responded. We pushed through the crowd and read the sign.
Triwizard Tournament
The Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half and hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.
"Mmm. How exciting." I said and started to walk towards the Great Hall. As soon as we walked through the doors everyone turned to look at us. The girls were giving me the nastiest looks anyone could possibly give. Oh no.
I sat down at Gryffindor table and discretely scanned the Hufflepuff table for Cedric. Finally our eyes met. I gave him a look as if to say 'did you tell anyone?', which he shook his head. I could feel the eyes of lots of girls burning into me. I tried to eat breakfast quickly so I could hurry out of there. Potions was definitely better then this. When I was almost done I saw Cedric get up to leave. If I left now, then everyone would really think that there was something going on. Which there wasn't. I waited five minutes, and finally hurried out the door, telling my friends that I would see them later. As I was walking down to the dungeons, someone grabbed me and pulled me into a dark hallway. I tried to scream, but they were covering my mouth.
"Shhh." Cedric whispered and he left go of me. I rested against a wall and breathed a sigh of relief.
"You fucking scared the hell out of me." I said panting.
"I'm sorry, but I thought that this would be the only way we could talk and not have someone bother us." He continued to whisper.
"What is there to talk about?" I asked him quietly.
"Everything Ainsley. Who told, why everyone is weird." He paused and looked into my eyes. "And us."
"Well Cedric, Malfoy told because it was only him and Jada and I don't think Jada told." I said to him. "Everyone is weird because you are the most loved boy in school. Don't tell me you didn't notice almost every girl in school drooling over you. And what about us? I don't think we are anything, and I don't know if we should be."
"What?" he asked.
I sighed. "After everything that has happened so far this year, I don't want you to get involved."
"Ainsley, I..."
"No. I have a horrible feeling that something awful will happen." I looked at the floor. "Are you still signing up for the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Yes, but..."
"See you'll have that to worry about, and I don't need to be a burden."
He grabbed my hand. "But what if I want to be involved? What if I want you to be a burden?"
"I...I don't know if that's such a good idea Cedric." I stuttered and he kissed my hand. He lowered his head so his lips were right by my ear.
"Ainsley." He whispered and kissed the skin behind my ear. That was enough to send me over the edge. I bit my lip and ran my hands over his strong chest. I couldn't do this.
"No Cedric." I pushed him away. "Can I think about it and we talk tomorrow?"
"Yes of course. We need to get to class. Let me make sure the coast is clear and I'll let you go in first. Then I will wait and come in later." He looked out into the hallway and made sure no one was coming. He then motioned me to go ahead to class.
The next morning I awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed, despite my worries the night before. I rolled out of my bed and pulled my arms above my head, stretching. I went into the bathroom and turned on the water to the shower. After taking a quick hot shower and getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror studying myself. What on earth was I going to do with my hair? My makeup? Of course I wanted to look good, but I didn't want to appear desperate to catch Cedric's attention. I don't even want anything to happen with Cedric. I put my hands over my eyes.
"I really need to stop thinking about Cedric." I said aloud.
"What was that?" Angelina appeared in the doorway
"Uh. Oh nothing. I was JUST talking to myself." I tried to be smooth with it. Angelina just looked at me as if I'd gone bonkers.
"Okay." She said and walked into the showers. I sighed and shook my head. I settled on pulling my hair up into a loose, messy bun and applied green eyeshadow over black eyeliner. I met the girls in the common room and we headed to breakfast in the Great Hall. Upon our descent down the marble staircase we noticed that a huge crowd was congregated at the bottom.
"What's going on?" Katie asked a second year Hufflepuff.
"They've put a sign up about the Triwizard Tournament." He responded. We pushed through the crowd and read the sign.
Triwizard Tournament
The Delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half and hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.
"Mmm. How exciting." I said and started to walk towards the Great Hall. As soon as we walked through the doors everyone turned to look at us. The girls were giving me the nastiest looks anyone could possibly give. Oh no.
I sat down at Gryffindor table and discretely scanned the Hufflepuff table for Cedric. Finally our eyes met. I gave him a look as if to say 'did you tell anyone?', which he shook his head. I could feel the eyes of lots of girls burning into me. I tried to eat breakfast quickly so I could hurry out of there. Potions was definitely better then this. When I was almost done I saw Cedric get up to leave. If I left now, then everyone would really think that there was something going on. Which there wasn't. I waited five minutes, and finally hurried out the door, telling my friends that I would see them later. As I was walking down to the dungeons, someone grabbed me and pulled me into a dark hallway. I tried to scream, but they were covering my mouth.
"Shhh." Cedric whispered and he left go of me. I rested against a wall and breathed a sigh of relief.
"You fucking scared the hell out of me." I said panting.
"I'm sorry, but I thought that this would be the only way we could talk and not have someone bother us." He continued to whisper.
"What is there to talk about?" I asked him quietly.
"Everything Ainsley. Who told, why everyone is weird." He paused and looked into my eyes. "And us."
"Well Cedric, Malfoy told because it was only him and Jada and I don't think Jada told." I said to him. "Everyone is weird because you are the most loved boy in school. Don't tell me you didn't notice almost every girl in school drooling over you. And what about us? I don't think we are anything, and I don't know if we should be."
"What?" he asked.
I sighed. "After everything that has happened so far this year, I don't want you to get involved."
"Ainsley, I..."
"No. I have a horrible feeling that something awful will happen." I looked at the floor. "Are you still signing up for the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Yes, but..."
"See you'll have that to worry about, and I don't need to be a burden."
He grabbed my hand. "But what if I want to be involved? What if I want you to be a burden?"
"I...I don't know if that's such a good idea Cedric." I stuttered and he kissed my hand. He lowered his head so his lips were right by my ear.
"Ainsley." He whispered and kissed the skin behind my ear. That was enough to send me over the edge. I bit my lip and ran my hands over his strong chest. I couldn't do this.
"No Cedric." I pushed him away. "Can I think about it and we talk tomorrow?"
"Yes of course. We need to get to class. Let me make sure the coast is clear and I'll let you go in first. Then I will wait and come in later." He looked out into the hallway and made sure no one was coming. He then motioned me to go ahead to class.