A/N: Ok. I know I haven't updated in a while. Number one: I was on hiatuts Number 2: I had writer's block hence the hiatus. But I do think that I am ok now and i am ready to bring you more of I Hate My Life.
A few background info: this one is set after the lovely shower that our young Cedric took...this is also set three days before the first task. There will be a part two to this chappie which will, in consequence, be the next chappie. Please take not of these things for they are important. :D
Happy Reading!

'What am I getting myself into?'

Cedric had just finished his bath. It was longer than necessary due to the fact that he needed to think some things over. No one will ever know what those things were. All we know for sure is that he really didn't want to share his thoughts with anybody other than himself.

He looked at himself in the mirror and continued to think.

'What am I getting myself into?' He kept asking himself.

Cedric was nervous He didn't know why, but the thought of stepping out the bathroom frightened him.

'The reason you are so nervous is because a cute, bubbly and unique girl is waiting outside in the common room and getting out of the bathroom would have to entail that you have a conversation with her without making yourself look like an utter fool.' Cedric had a very articulate and accurate subconscience.

"Get a grip of yourself man! It is only a girl. A very amusing, entertaining, easy-to-talk-with, laid back, down-to-earth girl." there weren't a lot of those around where Cedric hung out. The rant of his hyperactive mind only made matters a little more tensing.

'Oh well...' he sighed, casting his anxiety aside. 'What will happen will happen.'

He took a deep breath and went for the door.

"You are such a girl you know that." To Cedric's surprise, Hermione was in the boy's dormitory...sitting on one of the beds and calling him a girl.

"Excuse me?" was all that he could say. He was at a loss for words.

"I said you are such a girl." she smirked.

"I got that part. But somehow I am still confused, " he just stared in pure and utter perplexity. Last time he checked, he was as manly as they came.

"You take a bath longer than Lavander and Parvati combined. That is saying a lot." she laughed.

"Ok...now that I get that part, care to enlighten me on why you are here...in the boy's dormitory...when you are clearly not a boy..."he said slowly and through narrowed eyes.

"This is the fourth year boys dormitory." she explained as she opened one of the trunks and started rummaging through it.

"You say that as it explains everything..."

"Oh but it does.." she said, still rummaging.

"Care to humor my ignorance?" he smiled at the sight.

"If I must, " she joked. She said as she still rummaged through one of the nearby trunks.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked. Since this was the boys' dormitory...he was certain that it wasn't her trunk that she was rummaging through.

"What does it look like?" she laughed as he head got deeper inside the trunk.

"Well it looks like you are ripping that trunk apart, when it is clearly not yours? Now why would you go on doing that?" He chucked as he raised an amused eyebrow..

"Because, more often than not...Mrs. Weasley sends Ron some brownies. Chocolate brownies. Fudge Chocolate brownies." she commented as she threw a sock out. From the looks of it...the sock wasn't immaculately germ free. Bravery was what that was. She was in Gryffindor for good reason after all.

"So let me get this straight. You, Hermione Granger, steal food from Fred and George's little brother? Is this a regular occurrence in the Gryffindor world?" he tried to stifle a fit of laughter.

"You say that like it is a bad thing." her head emerged from the trunk. "And it is not stealing...it is more of a borrowing without any intention of returning." she explained as she dug into the trunk once more.

"...and without permission too I presume?"

"Exactly. I think you may be catching on Diggory." She smirked before tearing the trunk apart again.

"Ok then, so what are you looking for?" he asked as he leaned on the bathroom door frame. He had an amused look on his face, but then again, who wouldn't be amused by the sight. Here we had Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor goody two shoes, rummaging through a boy's trunk with the intent to 'borrow without the permission or intention of returning'. He would definitely put this down as an amusing sight.

"Aha!" Hermione exclaimed as she finally emerged from the trunk. "Chocolaty bliss is mine at last." she smiled as she opened the box and munched on a brownie. She looked like a five year old who just got a new pet bunny. It looked endearing.

"Good little girls share you know." he teased.

"Who ever said I was a good little girl?" she smiled seductively.

'Is she coming on to me. I think she is coming on to me. Damn! She is coming on to me!' Cedric did not know how to respond to that bit of information. 'You know exactly how to respond to that!' Well frankly, he was a little turned on, but no. 'No. Cho. Girlfriend. No. No. No. No. No.' He kept repeating that to himself until thoughts drove the mantra out of his mind. Thoughts best kept unexpressed. 'No. No. No. No.'

"Hermione, I do have a girl friend you know." 'Yeah, a girlfriend that I hate.'

"Oh come on Diggory, I was joking." she laughed hysterically. "Geez, you should have seen the look on your face." Hermione was almost on the floor, rolling with laughter. The moment was priceless.

"Ugh..." Cedric exclaimed. He walked to where she was sitting. "And you say I am immature. Scoot." he instructed her as he made shooing gestures. He sat down beside her on the side of one of the beds and took a brownie from the box. "I am taking this as punishment." he mock-scowled.

"Fair enough." she went along with it and sighed as if defeated. "But let it be on your conscience that you stole from an innocent, defenseless fourth year."

"Though you are a fourth year, I hardly think you are innocent or defenseless. I seem to remember that you were the one who stole these in the first place."

"Now what did I tell you...it isn't stealing...it is..."

"...I know, I know...it is borrowing without permission"

"...and without the intention of returning."

"Oh yeah, how could I forget." he said sarcastically before they simultaneously let out a fit of laughter.

"So Diggory, what the hell are you doing here?" she laughed. "I mean not that I am complaining since you are a laugh trip, but don't you have other obligations as for the afternoon?" Hermione said as she took another brownie form the container.

"If you are talking about Cho, then no. I have no prior engagement as of this afternoon. She is off gallivanting around Hogwarts with her friends doing God knows what with the color pink and lacy, frilly items. And besides, you are a laugh trip too so I don't really mind staying. And you just called me Diggory, what happened to Cedric?"

"Well, Diggory just sounds better. Plus, I have a thing for D names so naturally, I would prefer to call you something that starts with a D." she said simply.

"What do you mean you have a thing for D names?" he sounded confused.

"You know. It's like a preference. I like names that start with the letter D. David. Dylan. Demetri. Oh I love that name. Demetri just rolls of the tongue so nicely." she smiled.

"So let me get this straight, you have a fetish for names that begin with the letter D?" Cedric looked at Hermione skeptically. It wasn't everyday that he heard that from a girl.

"Not a fetish. A preference, but yeah, in a nutshell, you have got it."

"So you like Dean Thomas?"

"I said I liked the names, I didn't say that I liked the people with the given names. A guy is very different from his name." she pointed out.

"Yes, but don't names have special meanings? Can't it be that a person is given that name for a reason?"

"I guess that is partly true, but your name is Cedric. Cedric means a 'Lord of War'. You look like a very peaceful guy to me so that would negate your statement wouldn't it not?" She argued amusedly. She loved arguing. She would never admit it in front of Ron, but she rather enjoyed their rows. It was a guilty pleasure.

"I guess that is right. My own name has turned against me."

"You, Diggory, are a walking contradiction then." she laughed.

"I would guess so. Interesting that you might say that though..."

"Why is that?"

"You are a walking contradiction yourself May."

"I am and I am proud of it. But wait, calling me May now are we?" she looked at him amusingly.

"It suits you better." he said simply as he attempted to snatch the brownie in her hand, unfortunately, he was swatted away. "Fine. Don't share."

"Why do you think May suits me better pray tell? And get your own brownie." she held out the container from which he got a piece.

"First of all May is only one syllable as opposed to the four syllables that Hermione has. Second, May is the month of two things, Spring and sunshine, both reflecting your personality. Finally, your D fetish...I mean preference have got me thinking and I have concluded that I like M names and I would rather call you something that starts with an M." He stated as if it were a fact. "I can't very well call you Mione like Potter and Weasley do since it more of their term of endearment for you that I dare not steal away."

"Well said. For a Hufflepuff, you are very articulate Diggory." she smiled at him.

"Where in the Hufflepuff by-laws does it say that a Hufflepuff can't be articulate. Is that trait exclusive for Ravenclaws and anomalies of nature such as yourself?"

"I don't know, I always had the impression that you lot were either extremely shy or extremely bubbly and perky. Since you didn't seem like the latter, I opted for shy. I am sorry." she recanted. "And I resent your statement. I am not an anomaly of nature. I am simply a Gryffindor with brains and common sense."

"And I am simply an articulate Hufflepuff." he added. "You know May, you are not as bad as the rumors."

"What rumors?" There were rumors about her? Hermione didn't know whether to feel flattered or annoyed. In the end, annoyance won out.

"Well, they say that you were a bossy, irritating, indifferent know-it-all. But, since you are so fond of rephrasing statements, I find you driven, persistent, unique and intelligent."

"Why thank you Diggory. Your rephrasing talents put mine to shame." she mock-flattery.

"I learned from the best, but then again, as you have said, the student has indeed surpassed the teacher." he smirked.

"You wish Diggory. You wish." Hermione smiled at him.

Cedric was certain now that there was nothing to be nervous about when it came to May Granger. She was easy to be around with. She made him feel comfortable. She made him feel normal. She made him feel like an average guy, not some mythological Greek god on a pedestal. Cedric even liked the way she called him by his last name. Nobody ever called him by his last name. It was slightly endearing, but as the same time totally and completely new. Hermione was fresh, she was sunny and she was a breath of air...just like the month of May.

"We finished all the brownies."

"Really?" Cedric responded in surprise. He looked inside the container and found that there was nothing left except crumbs and some of the frosting that got smeared on. "We did finish it didn't we?" he looked at her amused.

"We are a fine pair of gluttons if I do say so myself." she smiled as she examined the cleaned out box.

"You can not accuse us of gluttony May. Gluttony entails that we ate more than we could consume. I must say that we definitely could consume more than that." he laughed.

"I could too. Damn, I am a certified choco-addict."

"If you are one, then that would make me one to! Oh what is to become of us?" he feigned worry.

"I guess they will just stick us in choco-hell."

"Somehow, that doesn't sound as terrifying as it should have..." He laughed. "because choco-hell sounds pretty damn good from where my imagination is taking me."

"Oh well, condemnation here we come." But suddenly, Hermione got a glance at the clock in the dorm and her facial expression changed. "Oh my God! I am going to be so kicked in the arse by Ron! He told me to meet him and according to that watch, I am 5 minutes late! Damn, I am so gonna get kicked in the arse..." she grimaced as she begrudgingly stood on her feet, all the while, muttering curses on the stupidity of boys when the fight.

"Ok, since you are late because of me, why don't I walk you there to make up for it? Besides, it is on the way to the Hufflepuff dorms " Cedric said as he rose to his feet as well. 'Now where did that come from?'

"Sure, why not?" she smiled. "I am going to the lake, which is half the castle away anyway. It would be nice to have someone to talk to on the way there."

"It is settled then. I'll just get my Quidditch stuff and we'll walk together." he smiled. But deep inside, anxiety once again took over. He was once again faced with the thoughts that he had before he got out of the bathroom.

'What the hell am I getting myself into.'

A/N: I hope that was not as crappy as i though it was. Please forgive me for I am out of practice!

By the way, thanks to all who reviewed on the previous chapters! You have all made me so proud! Thank you all!

I would also like thesillylittlepanda aka monica for returning as my wonderful and cute little beta! Loff you hun!

A TEASER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER:

"Diggory, I think we might be lost."

"Don't be silly May. I have been here for seven years. We can't be lost."

"Well, I think we are."

"We'll see the lake sooner or later. You will see."

"You and your stupid short cuts."

Does that intrigue you? I hope it does. Now be a good little reader and press the little button over there that is next to the words :SUBMIT REVEIW. That is a good reader. Feed a hungry little author and help me go past 400 reviews.

TTFN:
rita aka. the tofuubeaver

PS: like the new pen name?