Chapter Two

Enticing Offers

9:44 P.M.

Cedric had circled quickly through the school before he came across a sobbing, periwinkle heap. At first glance, he thought it was just any girl. Only at a second did he realize that it was Hermione Granger, that "beautiful date" of Viktor Krum. Digging in his pocket for the tissue Cho had implored him to keep for emergencies, he knelt beside her. "Hey," he murmured, his deep voice melting through the hallways, "I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"I'm sure it can," she sobbed stubbornly.

"Here."

She raised her red-rimmed eyes to his face. They glowed with anger at first, and when they landed on his face, the coffee swirled pupils softened – but only slightly. The air of stubbornness still surrounding her, she snatched the tissue and wiped her eyes. "Thanks…I guess."

"You guess?" He wasn't quite sure how to take it. Usually he was able to charm any female into happiness. It was one of his great joys, to be able to make people happy. And tonight, he just didn't seem to be able to do that. If a charm-knob existed, he would have sworn that such a knob had been turned off.

"Well, I may have wanted to continue crying." Hermione answered. She was very, very stubborn when she was upset. She could hold a grudge unlike any other girl in Hogwarts.

"Then I'll leave you to it," he responded genially, leaving her an extra tissue.

His step was slow and unfocused and the sorrowful footfall made her stomach sink. "Cedric," she implored lightly. As he turned, she fumbled for words that would justify her implied request. "Uh…thanks for the tissue."

He threw a, "No problem," over his shoulder and continued walking.

"Please don't go," she finally said. "Well, at least, if you're returning to the ball, let me accompany you."

He turned and regarded her with an arched eyebrow. "I was actually planning on just roaming the school some more."

"So you're not having a good time either?"

"Not exactly."

After a pause, she found some sort of response. "I always thought dances were stupid. I heard about them in school and-"

"Muggle school?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Muggle school." She hadn't thought that Cedric would be one to dwell on bloodlines or anything like that.

"I didn't know you attended Muggle school."

"Well, you must not pay very much attention to the gossip in the school. Draco Malfoy has harped on me about being a…well, a Mudblood since about third year."

"You're third year?"

"Yes."

He laughed tightly. "Apparently, not much gossip reaches Hufflepuff." A small smile spread across Hermione's face. "Ah! I knew I could do it."

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied sheepishly, moving to leave again.

"Cedric, you can't leave until you tell me what exactly you did."

"Maybe at midnight," he joked, taking a few steps down the hallway.

"And if I can't find you at midnight?"

"Well then, why don't you join me?"

"At the ball? But you're there with Cho and I'm supposed to be there with Viktor and-"

"Who said that I was going back to the ball?"

He offered her a smile and his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, she accepted both.