A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! I love ya all!

Disclaimer: I own nothing so just back off and shove it!

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There are some things in life that are worth relishing. They are the moments that we instill in our memories. They are the parts of our lives that we replay over and over again in hopes of reliving the experience and the ecstasy that we felt in its familiarity.

This was not one of those moments.

"Hermione, will you tell Harry that I want my quill back."

Harry and Ron were still fighting about the Tournament incident. Ron was being the immature one and Harry just managed to stoop down to his level.

"Come one Ron, he is right beside you! Ask him yourself." She said as she continued what she was doing. To all the rest of the world, she just looked like a bookish nerd who was doing some advanced reading…while in truth, she was reading another delightful note from her anonymous correspondence.

"Oh come on 'Mione! You are just reading anyway! Please!"

It was just after all the classes. Just when Hermione had finally found peace, here comes her boys and their immaturity to ruin all of that.

"Oh fine!" she said exhaustedly. She knew that Ron was quite the persistent blighter when he wanted to be and that he wouldn't stop until he got his way. "Harry, Ron wants his quill back." She relayed to Harry and quickly whipped her head back to Ron. "Happy?"

"Yes. Quite content." Ron answered satisfactorily.

"Well Hermione, you can tell Ron that the quill he claims is his is in fact mine! Therefore, I will not give it back to him."

"Hermione, please tell Harry that he is being daft as usual and he clearly doesn't see the fact that the quill is mine and that only lent it to him! Bloody delusional he is!"

"Well 'Mione, you can tell Ron that he in all utter honesty is the delusional one since----" Before Harry could finish his sentence, Hermione slammed a book on the table. This method was quite effective in shutting two imbeciles up.

"Will you two just shut up! I have had enough!" she stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall leaving two inquisitive boys in absolute confusion.

"What's the matter with her?"

---

'Oh those two!' Hermione was so frustrated all the way to the Gryffindor common rooms. She knew that it would have to be empty at this time because they were all out on the grounds enjoying the sunshine. She would have thought that Ron and Harry's bickering would end after a few days…but no!

'Well I guess that maturity would be asking too much of those two! Ough!' Upon arriving in her usual spot, she instantly sat down and brought out the pieces of parchment again. They were letters from the mysterious Badger Boy. She had kept them, and found it amusing to read in her spare time.

She just sat there in the empty common room and mused. She mused on all the letters that they had sent each other. She appreciated them…every single one.

Badger Boy? Really? You sound like some deranged Muggle superhero.

I have no idea what a Muggle superhero is, but judging by the looks of it, a superhero is a great guy so yeah I consider that a complement.

So am I to take it that you are a pureblood since you have no idea what a superhero is…but no! Don't answer that. No specifics.

Fine I won't answer that. So now in desperate hopes of saving face I will defend my title. I happen to like badgers. They are the symbols of my house so I have grown quite fond of them. Second, I am a boy so you can't go around saying that that part of the pseudonym isn't reassuring. And finally I am sorry that I unfortunately lack the creativity to make up such a flamboyant nickname such as yours 'Periwinkle Otter'. Be forewarned that I did say your penname in the most mockingly sarcastic tone that I could muster.

My my Badgy, you do have a way with words now don't you. Fine, I will not pursue the matter of your uninspired penname any further so in attempts to change the topic...do you talk to yourself?

First of all…Badgy? Way to emasculate a manly pseudonym! Secondly, do I talk to my self? That is a weird question. Why in the hell would you ask something like that!

Well, it is just that I know someone who talks to himself and I must say that I do find it endearing. I don't even know why I am telling you this. I will definitely understand if you take me for a disgruntled nut after this.

I have always taken you for a disgruntled nut so your question doesn't change a thing. (Please note that on the inside I am laughing my socks off.) Anyway, if you must know, yes I do talk to myself Perry (There, the perfect revenge for the Badgy incident.). I am ever so happy to know that you find me endearing…although I always knew that I was endearing so you would be pointing out the obvious.

Quite full of yourself aren't you Badgy? Your conceit brings shame to the noble house of Hufflepuff.

Where in the Hufflepuff bylaws does it state that a student sorted in that house can't be conceited? I must say that it is nowhere to be found in there! There is no law known to Wizarding kind that prevents a Hufflepuff from being conceited Perry. (I am now officially using Perry since you are so fond of calling me Badgy.) You seem too bossy to be a Gryffindor your self.

Ah that is where you are wrong! Haven't you ever heard of Oliver Wood? Bossiest Gryffindor there was! And as you so eloquently put it…there is no law prohibiting me from being bossy.

I know this is kind of weird to ask…but why are you bossy? Hate me if you will, but I want to know.

You want to know the truth. It is because I have to be on top of things all the time. I can never be panicked or frightened or unsure. People expect it of me. I don't know if you understand, but people's expectations crack you sometimes.

Don't worry, know what you mean. People expect me to be a certain way all the time. Always cool, calm, collected and level-headed. My dad would probably flip if he saw me have an outburst of failure. The best I can do is to meet up to all the standards and hope that I don't lose myself in the process. But enough about the drama in our lives; we have enough of that everyday.

You're right. I hate to say it, but you can be wise in a way. I hate you.

Aww, come on you know you love my sagely ways!

Ok, when you call yourself sagely, you just sound like a spice on a rack. But again I am being utterly honest when I say that you are useful to have around sometimes.

Ah! Now I have a sense of fulfillment…but now it is my time to ask for a little bit of help. Say for a moment that you are a guy. You see, I have shamelessly been flirting with someone, when I do have a girlfriend. I know what you are thinking. You must be stamping my forehead with the words: INCESSANT ARSE OF A WANKER by now…but the thing is that I don't think I love my girlfriend. There is no spark and this other girl…well…there's a spark.

This was his latest letter. One that she had been pondering for the whole day. This guy had a problem and Hermione didn't have an answer. This was so new to her. She didn't know what to think or do.

What did she know about romance and sparks when there was none of that in her life whatsoever, but she couldn't let him down…not when he's helped her so many times?

She remembered her response, the response sitting in the History of Magic classroom waiting to be read.

You do realize that you sound like a total girl right now. To tell you the truth, I have no right giving you love advice when my love life is non existent and the fact that you just asked me to think like a guy is just near impossible. The fact is that you don't need my advice. The answer is probably right in front of you. You just have to look in the right places.

PS: I don't think you are a wanker.

She sighed.

That was all she could do.

That was all she could say.

She just hoped that it was enough.

"Hermione?" Someone called from behind her. She quickly stuffed the letters in her bag.

"Yes." She said as she turned around to see who

---

Cedric had just finished Quidditch practice. It was tiring as usual…and as usual, he would rather be doing something else.

'Suck it up and stop complaining!' he told himself. 'You chose to give in to your dad so live with it.'

Again, that weird voice in his head was right. He chose it so he'll have to live with it.

He sighed and headed to the Locker Rooms.

"A little privacy please?"

"Oh sorry Wood." He said automatically as he stepped out of the room and closed the door. "Wait…Wood?" he opened the door once again revealing Oliver snogging Sam.

"Now Diggory, what did I say about privacy? What are you still here for?" he said momentarily stopping his activities.

"Seeing that this is the Quidditch locker rooms, I would think that I could take a refreshing shower and relax for a bit…not have my innocence shattered by the sight of Oliver Wood and his girlfriend snogging." He softly laughed as he leaned on the door frame.

"First of all Diggory, I don't think you had innocence to begin with…" Oliver began, earning him a slap on the arm from Sam. "…second of all, you're a prefect so you could just take your relaxing shower in the Prefect's bathroom."

"Oliver, you have no idea what you're talking about since you obviously have never caught Moaning Myrtle ogling you while you bathe in the Prefect's bathroom." He whined and shuddered, but really…he just wanted to irritate him.

"Well don't Hufflepuffs have bathrooms too? Take a bath there?"

"Sadly Little Ollie, trekking back to the Hufflepuff dorms would have to mean that people would have to smell my manly scent as I walk the halls. That is what the Locker rooms are for…so that people will be saved from our malodorous bouquet." He smirked.

"Here." Oliver brought out a piece of parchment and scribbled on it. "There you go." He said as he gave Cedric in a hurry.

"Skibblepuffs? What the heck is a Skibblepuff and why are you giving me this." He raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Skibblepuffs is the password to the Gryffindor Dorms. It's nearer than the Hufflepuff Dorms and it is empty right now. Now go!" Oliver as he pushed Cedric out the door and locking it.

Cedric was left outside of the Locker Rooms with a piece of parchment on his hands.

"Might as well." He shrugged and made his way to Gryffindor Tower.

---

"Well aren't you a handsome young man?" said the Fat Lady. "You are not a Gryffindor, so what would you be doing in this neck of the woods dear boy?"

"Oliver Wood gave me the password; he said I could come in for a while."

"Oliver Wood…is that the other nice looking young man permanently attached to his girlfriend's shadow?" she inquired.

Cedric snickered. "Yeah, that's Oliver in a tee alright."

"Very well then young man. Give me the password." She smiled contently.

"Skibblepuffs? Is that right?" he said unsurely. He was still in complete wonder on what a skibblepuff was.

"You may enter." The fat lady opened the portrait door.

"Thank you." He replied and went in.

The Gryffindor common room was so…so…Gryffindor. There was no other word for it. It was very bold in color choices. The red and gold really stood out from every corner. He looked all over the room when his eyes wandered to a head of bush russet hair peering from behind the couch.

"Hermione?" He asked.

"Yes?" The girl turned around and her coffee eyes met his grey ones. "Cedric? What are you doing here…no…first how did you get here?" she said standing up from the couch and walking towards him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned her.

"Do what?"

"Don't take one step closer. I've just finished practice and I haven't showered yet so I must warn you that I smell all gross and sweaty."

Hermione stifled a laugh. "Were you just about to laugh?"

Hermione didn't reply she just burst out laughing. "I still don't get it…what's so funny?"

"If you must know…it's you."

"What do you mean me?" 'Am I a comedic genius or is she just dense?'

"You actually thought that your smell would bother me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. A lot of girls find that very sickening."

"Listen Cedric, I have gotten use to the Quidditch scent that you guys have. If you haven't noticed, my two best friends are guys and their inconsiderateness has trained my olfactory nerves to that certain fragrance that boys tend to have." She laughed slightly.

Now that was refreshing to hear. The last time Cedric smelled like this in front of a girl was after a Quidditch game. Hufflepuff had just won and he had come to hug Cho and she flung him off. He never got the fact that Cho never got use to sweaty guys since she was a member of a Quidditch team. 'Life's biggest mysteries.'

"But…" Hermione continued. "It was pretty considerate of you to care about my nose like that." She joked.

"Well, the Hufflepuffs have always been a considerate bunch."

"I bet." She laughed. "But you still haven't answered my question. Why and how are you here?"

"Ironically, I am here to take a bath. Oliver said that I should bathe here instead of the locker rooms because he had other activities to attend to."

"Activities as in snogging the night away with Sam." She smiled.

"That's about right." He returned her smile with a dazzling one of his own.

"I guess you should get to it then." She said returning to her spot on the couch.

"Get to what?" he asked as he followed her. For some reason, he didn't want to leave her presence.

"Your bath." She said as she opened a book, totally blocking his face.

"Your right."

"I always am." She laughed.

There was something in Hermione. A something. Maybe it was in the way she treated him like a normal friend. Maybe it was the fact that anything that came from her mouth made him smile. There was definitively a something. There was a spark in her.

Cedric turned around and smiled. He remembered a friend's words.

The fact is that you don't need my advice. The answer is probably right in front of you. You just have to look in the right places.

That was all she needed do.

That was all she needed say.

And the advice she gave was more than enough.

'I think I may have found the answer.' He said as he got in the shower and took his bath.

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A/N: In the next chapter, we will be picking up where we left off, after Cedric's shower. Questions ensue and let me tell you momentary weirdness will follow.

I know that this is probably the crappiest chapter that I have ever written, but bear with me. I do intend to redeem myself one way or another.

TTFN

rita