Ok, I know I promised to be better about posting, but I'm a busy girl...Well, not really. Especially not now that school's out. I'm sorrrryyy. puppy pout Forgive me please? I blame not having Math every day to not pay attention and write. Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to my friend Jana, because one of the lines I used, she said during one of our IM conversations. That line shall be bolded. :) Enjoy! and reviews are always welcome.


Chapter 10

Mack became increasingly paranoid over the next week. He refused to go anywhere alone and wouldn't get within 10 yards of the Forbidden Forest. Which meant that Cedric and I had less alone time, seeing as Mack felt he was safest with Cedric.

"Honestly Mack," Jules scolded him. "Just because you're with someone else does not lessen your chances of being bitten by a werewolf. Besides, maybe you're the reason the werewolves turned good and attacked You Know Who." That seemed to cheer him up.

"Having a werewolf for a best friend could be pretty cool," Cedric pointed out.

"Yeah, look how awesome Lupin was!" I agreed.

"You have a point," Mack nodded. "Lupin was the best teacher we've ever had for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"He probably could have used more training when he was bitten though," Jules pondered.

"I'll ask Moody today if he knows any good spells to ward off werewolves," Mack decided on our way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Good. Now you can stop badgering us to go everywhere with you. For a lad, you take far too many trips to the loo," Cedric answered. Mack glared while Jules and I burst into a fit of giggles.

"I was too lazy to make a lesson plan for today," growled Moody as he clunked his way into the classroom. "So tell me what you need help with. We'll make it a N.E.W.T. review day." Mack's hand flew into the air causing many people to stare. Mack usually slept during class or else played paper football (the American kind) with Cedric. Moody blinked for a few seconds then nodded to Mack.

"I was wondering if you knew of a good way to fend off a werewolf that's trying to attack you," Mack said with confidence. I admired him for his ability to not care what others thought of him. I was obsessed with what people thought of me, although I had gained confidence since dating Cedric.

"Well, there is one spell that was invented by Markus A. Wolverius about fifty years ago. It's extremely hard to master, one of the most difficult. If you hit your target it will immediately stop attacking and will avoid you hence forth. I doubt that a student of your…ability would be able to master it though." Mack looked crestfallen.

"What brings about this curiosity?" Moody questioned, studying Mack with both his normal eye and magical eye.

"No reason sir," piped Mack innocently. Moody continued to keep his normal eye on Mack while his magical one swiveled around, surveying the class room.

"Let's get on with the lesson then," barked Moody. Mack was quiet until the bell rang and was the first to leave.

"You should go talk to him Cedric," I said as we walked towards the common room. We were having one of our many breaks as 7th years. "You're his best friend." Cedric nodded and ran to catch up with Mack. I looked over at saw Jules grinning at me stupidly.

"Oh what?" I cocked my eyebrow at her in a suspicious manner.

"I was just wondering…" she started off slowly. "When you and Cedric are going to take your relationship farther.

"What in the world are you talking about Jules?" I moaned.

"You know what I mean Lark. Farther. As in…." I stared at her with my jaw slightly dropped.

"That's personal Jules," I replied smoothly.

"Larkkk," Jules whined. I refused to say anymore and stalked to the common room where I found Cedric sitting alone on the couch by the fireplace.

"Did you find Mack?" I asked, situating myself next to him. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer, shaking his head.

"He's no where to be found," Cedric answered. "Maybe leaving him alone right now is the best way. Finding out you're a werewolf in the future has to be hard." I nodded in agreement. Jules crossed her arms over her chest and gave both of us an impatient look.

"I'll go look for him then," she huffed, when neither of us responded.

"What's with Jules?" Cedric questioned me.

"I dunno, she hasn't really been the same since the storm. She seems to genuinely care about Mack now."

"Well," Cedric nodded, "I know we both saw the chemistry between Jules and the older Mack. Or at least the way he looked at her. Something must happen between them. Something that forever causes them to care about the other."

"I'd love to fathom into the future of Mack and Jules, but I'd rather talk about us."

"What about us?"

I smiled and kissed Cedric softly. He pulled back and stared at me with an intense look in his gray eyes. I could read past that look and into his soul. I could tell he wanted to be with me in a way we'd never experienced before. I felt my cheeks turn red and looked away, tears springing to my eyes. Cedric lifted my chin up, causing me to face him, his eyes set with concern now.

"What's wrong Lark?" he whispered.

"I want to give you everything Cedric," I answered, my throat laced with tears. "But I just can't. I'm not ready." I pulled away from him and ran up to my dorm room. I threw myself onto my bed and burst into tears. It felt like a stupid thing to cry over, but something in my heart told me that Cedric would just stop loving me if I didn't… My conscience told me I was stupid. I was so conflicted about whether to say myself or give myself to Cedric. I loved him, I truly loved him, but I really wasn't ready.

He loves you too, My conscience said. He'll love you no matter what. And if he doesn't, then he isn't worth your time. I simply cried harder. What kind of a sappy person was I? Was this really that big of a deal? I suppose I was just afraid of being hurt. Or perhaps I was afraid that I had read Cedric all wrong and that he would reject me. Teenage love was so stupid, I didn't know how to make sense of anything.

"You're not stupid Lark." I felt Jules sit down at the end of my bed. "According to your calendar though, you are PMSing." I lifted my head. That certainly explained a lot.

"How do you know?" My voice was raspy.

"You mark the date with a sad face," she replied, taking my hand. "He loves you Lark. And he would love to tell you himself, but the trick staircases won't allow guys up here." I pulled my hand away and wrapped my arms around my legs, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Did you talk to Mack?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Fortunately Jules let me slide.

"Yes," she answered, sighing dramatically. "He told me to leave him alone, that I couldn't possibly understand and that I had never liked him anyway."

"And what did you do then?" She grinned.

"I kissed him," she answered. My jaw dropped.

"Jules, you shouldn't have played with his feelings like that!" I accused.

"That's what he said. So I kissed him again. Didn't stop me the second time," she continued. "Now he's walking around the school grinning like a moron and snapping at anyone who asks why. I think he's caught between pouting and lust."

"Ever think a guy might actually like you for your brains and not your body Jules?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine," Jules smirked at me. "Pouting and like. Happy?"

"I'm just saying," I rambled on. "You always tell me not to put myself down and yet you don't believe a guy would ever like you for your personality."

"I never said that…"

"True," I gave her a look. "But you're my best mate and I know what you're thinking. Just like you know what I'm thinking. I'm sure Cedric didn't understand why I ran."

"No," Jules shook her head. "He told me what you said, and of course I knew what you meant. You've got to be straightforward with him Lark, guys don't understand girl speak." We both gave a dramatic sigh and plopped backwards onto my bed.

"Boys," I said after a few minutes of doing nothing but staring up at the bed hangings. "What are we going to do with them?"

"Sleep with them and throw them away?" Jules offered. I stared at her for a moment then burst out laughing in which she joined me.

"Dinner?" I asked, sitting up and stretching.

"Why not?" Jules sat up also. We walked to the Great Hall together. I was in an increasingly better mood and hoped Cedric wasn't mad at my disappearing act. I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek.

"Sorry about before," I whispered. He leaned back, giving me a soft smile.

"You all right then?" he asked. I nodded, returning the smile. I slid into the seat next to him and we ate dinner in silence, sneaking glances at each other. Cedric finished early, excusing himself from the table, promising to meet me later in the common room. He gave me a swift kiss on the cheek and then left. I sighed dreamily, grinning at Jules.

"He's fabulous, isn't he?" I smiled.

"Fabulous to look at too," she nodded. I kicked her under the table.

"Stop staring at my boyfriend's bum," I scolded.

"But it's such a nice bum," she pouted. We burst into laughter, leaving Mack looking confused. With our bellies full and content, Jules and I exited the Great Hall with Mack in tow. I came to an abrupt stop, my jaw dropping in disbelief. There in the Entrance Hall was Cedric, my Cedric, with Fleur Delacour draped around him. My eyes narrowed and I saw red. I whipped out my wand, pointing it at Fleur. Cedric saw me, relief and fear spreading through his features.

"Lark!" he squeaked. Fleur looked over at me, sparing me a disdainful look.

"Put zat thing away," she chirped.

"Moretoeson!" I said through gritted teeth. Her face burst into a field of nasty warts, causing the part veela to scream.

"You filthy heathen!" she roared, running through the entrance doors to the Beauxbaton carriage.

"Thank God Lark," Cedric relaxed. I turned my wand on him. Fear shot through his eyes.

"Lark." His voice shook. "She just…came up to me and was…well you saw. I tried to push her away!"

"I didn't see much trying or pushing," I growled. His lips moved but no sound came out. He looked pathetic standing there with my wand pointed at his chest, his back against the stone wall. I backed away.

"I can't believe you would do that to me!" I fumed, by voice barely audible. I turned on my heel and stalked away,

"You're lucky she didn't dump you," I heard Jules tell him as she followed me. I stormed into the Hufflepuff common room, barking at the first years who were occupying the couch I wanted to sit on. They ran for their lives as I plopped on to the lumpy cushions.

"I hate her!" I spat.

"We all do Lark," Jules stated calmly. "Or, at least all of us females. She thinks simply because she's pretty, which she's not, she can get any guy she wants. You should have picked an uglier boyfriend Lark, then no one would want them." For some reason, her comment struck me as highly amusing, causing me to have a fit of giggles.

"I suppose I can't really blame him," I said after a moment of contemplative silence. "He is a guy, and a gentleman at that."

"It's no excuse for him not to apologize though," Jules pointed out. "Shall I recommend flowers and chocolate?"

"The flowers are enough," I responded. Jules grinned at me and stood to leave.

"And tell him I'm in the room of requirement pouting," I added. She nodded and slipped through the portrait hole. I waited a bit longer then followed suit, heading towards the Room of Requirement instead of the Great Hall. I waited there for about a half an hour when there came a knock on the door. I cautiously opened and found Cedric, looking sheepish and holding flowers. My mind said to act coldly, but I wasn't good at acting.

"I'm sorry Lark," he said, holding out the flowers as a peace offering. "You're right, I wasn't trying, I should have completely stopped her from even talking to me and-" I threw myself into his arms, squashing the flowers, blaming the romantic in me for my rash action. Cedric dropped the flowers to the ground, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist.

"I love you Lark," he whispered softly. "I don't want to be with any other girl than you. You should know that."

"I do know it," I replied, pulling him into the room and shutting the door. "I just got…envious?"

"Nothing to be envious of," Cedric assured me. "She's nowhere near as beautiful as you, inside or out." He knew the perfect things to say to make me blush. I placed my arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely, turning all my previous anger into passion. He responded quickly, returning my passion. We soon found ourselves snogging on the ground, which had become quite comfortable. Cedric's wandering hands found the hem of my shirt, slowly sliding it up. I pulled away, stopping him.

"There's something I need to tell you," I said seriously.

"What is it?" Cedric asked.

"I've…decided to wait until I'm married." He blinked for a minute then grinned.

"All right Lark, I completely respect you for that. I respected you before, so this doesn't change anything." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You mean you're not angry?" I questioned. He laughed.

"Why would I be angry Lark? I love you. My groin's a little sad, but I can live."

I giggled, bringing my lips back to his. They were a perfect fit really. His were warm and slightly rough, but in a good way. They made my whole body tingle and sent the dormant butterflies rocketing around in my stomach. His hands remained locked on my waist, no longer pushing boundaries. Part of me wanted him to, but most of me was grateful that he wasn't tempting me. The air was heavy and filled with heat, but we couldn't stop. My lungs were going to burst from the lack of air, but we continued on. Here we were, two teenagers, lying on the floor, causing the air around us to crackle with passion and electricity. I gasped for breath as his lips left mine and found their way to my neck. He instantly found my weak spot, just below where my ear meets my jaw. An involuntary whimper escaped my throat as his teeth scraped my skin.

"How am I supposed to cover that up?" I whined. Cedric raised his head and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll stop if you want," he smirked. Stupid tease.

"Oh you're hilarious Diggory," I glared.

He grinned and resumed his previous actions. I'm sure Jules knew some spell or had some make up to help. I mean, she was the queen when it came to these things. I had never experienced feelings like this before. Sure I had kissed guys, but none of them instilled the passion or feelings that Cedric did. He made me feel genuinely loved when he kissed me. He was soft and fast, slow and rough all at the same time. It was mind blowing to fathom how he could be everything all at once. I sighed in satisfaction. Cedric finished with my neck and moved down to my collarbone.

"How much skin are you planning to mark?" I questioned, running a hand through his light brown tresses. He winked at me mischievously.

"As much as you'll let me," was the reply. I rolled my eyes, pushing him off of me and rolling over on top of him.

"I win," I smiled, resting my head on his chest. He smiled back, running a hand absentmindedly up and down my back.

"Yes, you win," he agreed. My heart was bursting with how happy I was.

"It's past nine you know," Cedric said, ruining my revelation.

"What's your point?" I asked.

"Are we going to stay here all night and let the rumors fly, or are we going to head back to the common room and sleep on the couch, causing less rumors?"

"Either way we seem to be spending the night together," I smirked. He shrugged innocently.

"I merely assumed…" Cedric trailed off, a blush creeping into his cheeks. I kissed his chin, which was as far as I could reach without completely moving.

"I'm too lazy to get up," I yawned.

"Fine by me," he grinned. "Finally, I get to sleep with the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts."

"You're full of it, you know that?" I was unable to suppress a smile. "Jules is never going to leave me alone after this."

"So we'll have Mack distract her," Cedric replied. "I heard about their…budding romance."

"What did Mack say?"

"That there was no possible way Jules had really kissed him and he must have been dreaming," Cedric replied. "I told him he was right."

"Cedric!" I groaned. "Why are you and Mack cruel to each other like that?"

"That's how our friendship works Lark," Cedric answered. We're not all lovey like you girls."

"You should try it sometime," I sniffed. "Come on, let's get back to the common room."

"What? I thought we were staying here," Cedric pouted.

"Sorry love, but I need Jules to help me hide this thing on my neck."

"It's a mark of my love for you."

"Of course it is," I replied, grabbing Cedric's hand and leading him towards the door. He pouted the whole way back to the common room, while I ignored him.

"Where have you two been?" Jules demanded the moment we climbed through the portrait hole. "Young lady, what is that thing on your neck?"

"A mole?" I shrugged. Cedric snickered and Mack high fived him. Jules grabbed my arm and dragged me up to the girls' dorms.

"Goodnight!" I called behind me. Mack and Cedric waved.

"Tell me everything!" Jules shrilled the moment she shut the door.

"Uh…he apologized?" I answered, batting my eyelashes in the most innocent manner I could muster.

"You're not fooling anyone Lark," Jules shook her head. She walked over to her bedside table and handed me a jar filled with a tan cream.

"Here," she said. "This will cover the mark. Both of them." I grinned sheepishly then applied the cream.

"And might I ask how you and Mack are?" I ventured.

"No," she replied. I laughed, handing Jules the jar back.

"Thanks," I smiled. She smiled back.

"Just think," Jules plopped down on her bed. "Soon, you'll be the girlfriend of the Triwizard Champion. Everyone will know your name. The guys will want you more than they want Fleur."

"Do you think we stand a chance of still being together after school's out?" I asked, sitting beside Jules.

"Of course! Before we know it, you'll be Mrs. Cedric Diggory. I had better be your maid of honor." I grinned. Mrs. Cedric Diggory. I liked the sound of that.