"The eye?...The information you are looking for resides in the restricted where you are not welcomed nor allowed, girl. Now leave my library!"

-Madame Irma Pince

Chapter 11: I Won't Be Kissing Cedric Diggory

Hannah Abbott

Susan Bones

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Meagan Jones

Ernest Macmillan

Leanne Merrymount

Mary McGowen-Smith

Zacharias Smith

These were my housemates- NOT club members- who's names we were all forced to memorize. Professor Sprout said housemate bonding was very important.

But then they all went up to their dorms and I, deemed unfit to share a room with the other girls, was put on a cot in Professor Sprout's room. She snores.

It's been a month since I've been here at my new school and things were…different, than what I expected they would be. We took most of our classes with Ravenclaw but when Gryffindor had Transfiguration, Herbology, and Divination with us, Dean would sit with me. He sat next to me. Seamus would come too. They had become friends and I guess my only friend and my only family being friends wasn't so bad. The only thing is it seemed Seamus didn't like school very much. Or he was like me and just couldn't pay attention because he was always talking during lessons and making things explode by mistake.

I tried really hard in class. I mean, I was no Hermmy Granger- she's the really smart girl in all my Gryffndor classes. Smarter than all those snotty Ravenclaws I think. But I was really paying very close attention. Still, Professor Snape seemed to notice. I don't know how. He kept me after class and offered me witch medicine. It was a bottle of a clear syrup-like potion he said would help me focus. I think he really might be nicer than people think. He reminds me of what I always thought a real witch would look like. Dressed in all black and ill tempered. We even use cauldrons in his class! Still, I didn't want to use the potion. If it's anything like the time Mama gave me Ritalin, then I didn't want it. It helped with my focus for sure, but I couldn't really…think. I couldn't draw anything! I didn't even dream anymore. So, I only pretended to take them long enough for her to think they didn't do me any good and the medicine stopped. I accepted Professor Snape's potion and thanked him because he didn't have to get me anything at all. But I was determined to do this on my own. And if Dean or anyone found out that I needed to take medicine because I wasn't smart enough, they would laugh at me about more than my accent. So I stayed up later. Using the super cool Lumos night light spell, I could read in the dark after Professor Sprout fell asleep.

Every day, I tried hard to pay attention to all my lessons. It was definitely easier than math class- paying attention I mean- but sometimes I would catch myself thinking about home. About how jealous they would be if they found out I was here learning to turn mice into teacups. Who would need that stupid broken tea set if I could grab a rat out of the wheat field and- And then I would snap myself back and dig my nose into my book.

Every day, after class, the Hufflepuff first years would all get together and Professor Sprout would show us some new weird plant or a new spell and we couldn't leave until we got it right, We were forced to do our homework together in one of those little rooms down that hall our prefect led us down our first day. I didn't want to seem like I couldn't keep up. Ernie and Hannah caught onto things pretty quick. Ernie was especially kind. He helped me with any questions I had about potions things or witch things. He, Justin, and Hannah seemed to get along really well. Not that we didn't all get along. They were all pretty nice. I got along with the boys just as well as any of the girls did. But the girls all seemed so…close. They giggled and had inside jokes. They all slept in the same room. I slept with Professor Sprout.

Everyone was kind. Everyone was helpful. Everyone got along.

And then it happened. The day we were assigned a Guide. I learned that day the reason why Cedric Diggory seemed to follow me around. He was constantly mother-henning me. Everything from fixing my tie, mending my cloak, and seeming to be around to catch me every time I almost hurt myself. He even appeared with an umbrella the day Dean, Seamus, and I were out playing tag by the lake. I hadn't really noticed how he was always around until Dean pointed it out. Which prompted Seamus to begin teasing me about my "new boyfriend".

Later after lessons Cedric plucked my out of the Hufflepuff common room. The first years usually stood in a group tucked in a corner and out of the way until one of the prefects escorted us to our private lesson room, but that day there was only Cedric waiting for me. "Took you long enough. Where were you?"

I was nervous at being chastised. Did I miss our lesson? They gave us an hour break and so I decided to spend it with Dean in the Charms hallway playing Slap Jack. He had a deck of cards from home and he was really good. Good in the sense that he slapped his hand down so hard it made me hesitate to go for it for fear that the back of my hand would end up red. But I wouldn't say this to him because it was nice having a friend to play card games with.

Cedric pulled me out of the Common room and dragged me along until we reached an empty classroom. "Sit." I sat.

"Did I…Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes." Then he shook his head. "No. Just, be quiet." He ran a hand through his hair in what seemed like frustration until he finally sighed and smiled at me. His smile didn't reach his eyes. He did not look like he liked me very much. "I'm your Guide." I wanted to ask what he meant but he told me not to talk. He already looked annoyed with me. I think he is tired of fixing my tie. "Every seven years, Helga Hufflepuff chooses one first year student to lead the Clan. One young Boar or Sow is groomed to carry out tasks for the purpose of maintaining the balance between light and dark magic." Cedric sat down at the table beside me. I knew who Helga Hufflepuff was, but she was dead. Did I hear wrong? Oh no, Mary, were you not paying attention again? "For this purpose, each first year is assigned a guide." Cedric's chest seemed to puff out. "A Hufflepuff that has shown considerable promise in their academics and social skills. Luckily, Professor Sprout assigned me to you."

"Lucky? So you're not upset?"

Cedric's grin waned a bit but didn't fall. "Well…you're not exactly what I expected but that's hardly your fault. They told me about your…condition." I winced at the mention of my outbursts and I looked down at my lap. I sat on my hands again out of habit. "But that doesn't matter. McGowen's are special witches and wizards with strong blood ties to the House of Hufflepuff. They're said to be direct descendants of Helga Hufflepuff herself. And legitimate Smiths have produced some of the greatest wizards and witches to come out of Europe."

"But Zacharias said-"

"Zacharias Smith and his relations are a bunch of sniveling lying bastards. Some idiots may believe their rubbish, but I don't." Well that wasn't nice. I mean, if I had to measure anyone as the least friendly, Zach would be it. He always talks over me by mistake while I'm saying things, but my voice can be pretty soft sometimes, so I don't think he does it on purpose. Cedric didn't seem to like him very much which was weird because I don't think Cedric has spoken two words to him. Witches really do take last names serious. "Every seventh year that has had a McGowen in its group of eligibles- which has been quite often until recently with the family being wiped out and all- sorry- a McGowen has always been the one chosen. You are practically guaranteed to be crowned Queen Sow. I just have to make sure you do." Maybe I didn't know what guaranteed meant. It just didn't sound like it fit in that sentence, but I nodded anyway. I think he could tell I was confused. "Are you sure Mary? Are you sure you understand? It's important that you tell me if you don't. The bond between a Guardian and his Seventh is very important. It's based on honesty and trust and commitment."

Where had I heard those words before? In church! The bond in a marriage is more than love. It's based on honesty, trust, and commitment. My parents didn't seem to have any of those, but they were married just the same. "Like a marriage?" I tested, but regretted when Cedric's face grew so pink, it reached his ears.

"No! I mean- not like that!" He seemed to be thinking. His unibrow folded on itself when he frowned. I think his unibrow was pretty cool. It looked the same as the woman's on the poster in our art class. Frida Kahlo. I remembered because I really like our weekly art class. "It's different. Like a friendship. But best friends. Closer than anyone else in the world. Closer than married people even."

I nodded but he stared at me. "I understand. Really. My parents- er, my fake parents? They weren't so close. But I'd like to be friends. Dean's my friend too. I think he might even like me better than he does Seamus but I can't tell sometimes because they're boys and-"

"Please, Mary, we don't have a lot of time." He seemed happier though. "It's good that you're making friends. Very good, in fact, as it's one of your tasks. We'll discuss that later. Right now I need you to understand the relationship that you and I need to have. I need to be your best friend, your very best friend, for this to work. We have to accept each other, because tomorrow night, we're going to be making a very sacred vow to one another. An unbreakable one."

Vows. He said it wasn't like a marriage, but it really did sound like one. But I've never had a best friend before so maybe having a best friend was like having a husband. But the good kind like in the movies where they chase after taxis and run in airports and yell things like "It was you! It was always you!" before kissing each other.

It was the kind of kissing that made me think I might want to try it one day.

It was the kind of kissing I found Mama doing with not her husband.

I looked back at Cedric's chapped lips and thought, maybe he can't help that. But maybe I didn't want to be kissing him either. I'm already going to hell, so, I don't think being a little judgmental would hurt any at this point.

"If it means we'll be best friends, I'd be happy to make the Unbreakable kind of vow with you Cedric. As long as we don't have to kiss'r nothin'."

Cedric looked worried but I was proud of myself. I was studying. I was remembering to turn in homework. I was remembering to DO homework. I was WANTING to remember and WANTING to do homework. And now I was making all kinds of friends! Older boys wanted to be my friend. Boys my age wanted to be my friend. Mama said the kind of girl that had a lot of boy friends was a tramp but what did she know? She didn't have any friends either.

And when I returned to the Hufflepuff common room, it was only to find that I went from having ten friends, to two.

(Lidia- I don't have much by way of reviews but I can see the views so thank you to everyone that has continued to read up until now! I know it isn't always easy or interesting having to sit through OC character building before you get to meet characters you're actually familiar with. The fact that there are 8 Hufflepuff first years will be explained in "I Still Won't Be Kissing Cedric Diggory" or I Won't Be Kissing Cedric Diggory Part 2.

Ted: Yes, I plan on taking her through every book so there will be things involving the Golden Trio that Mary will have a chance to view or possibly participate in. But the majority of what I want to focus on surround Mary and her involvement in Hufflepuff House. I have the story posted on the HPF site too but chapters go through being validated so I won't post additional here until the same chapter posts officially there. Thank you for the reviews! I am happy you like the character :) )