A/N: Just a short update… Thank you for those who followed and took the time to review this. I really appreciate it. Keep them coming! :D
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all its characters are copyrighted to and belong to J.K. Rowling. I am simply playing in her sandbox and receive no financial gain from this.
CHAPTER SIX
Cedric sat alone at The Leaky Cauldron with a glass of firewhisky in his hand. A huge pile of parchments was on top of the table in front of him, all of which were drafts for the supposed to be article he was working on. The innkeeper already placed a trash bin by his feet since he kept on crumpling papers every five seconds.
He placed the glass down, and started massaging his temples. Pansy, he thought. Why can't I get you out of my head?
He took out one of the pictures William took yesterday at the Malfoy Manor. It was a picture of Pansy, sitting on one of the couches, her posture perfect. She was not smiling, however. She seemed tensed.
He looked at it closer and stared at her dark brown eyes, he could get lost in them forever. He sighed when the Pansy in the picture scowled and turned her face away from him… Even in picture form, she still hated him.
He took another sip on his drink, and started writing on a parchment with his quill:
"It was a perfect match. Draco Malfoy, 24, and Pansy Parkinson, 23, looked every bit like royalty when I met them earlier this week at the Malfoy Manor. Just by looking at them, you will get the feeling that you are nothing but a bystander in a perfect world ruled by the formerly known Prince and Princess of the Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"
He dropped his quill, and crumpled the paper once more. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. This will not go anywhere. He might as well start packing his things from his desk at The Daily Prophet tomorrow morning.
He shook his head. No, he can handle this. He should handle this. He's Cedric Diggory. He had faced dragons, merpeople, and even You-Know-Who himself when he was still seventeen years old. He was certain this article was not in league of any of those categories.
He looked at Pansy's picture again… She was cautiously peeking at him. His heart raced a bit. He needed to talk to her. And he will. If he can only get her alone. But how?
He rummaged through the parchments in front of him, realizing for the first time that everything was in complete disarray. He found the piece of parchment amongst the other photos William took a few days ago. It was the schedule Pansy handed him when they had lunch at the Wickedly Magical.
He scanned the schedule and found what he was looking for. Pansy was scheduled to pick out her wedding robes in two days. And like what his editor-in-chief said, The Daily Prophet has exclusive access.
Cedric smiled and emptied his glass of firewhisky. He called the bartender's attention so he can pay for his bill. He took out his wand from the pocket of his robes and used it to pile the papers neatly, with Pansy's picture on top of it. He slid them on his messenger bag, and once he paid the man a few bronze knuts, he apparated home.
His place was a small room in a small apartment building in Central London. It was quaint, but he thought it was perfect since he was living all alone. He took off his coat and settled on his bed, letting out an exhausted sigh. He looked around the place. It doesn't look that perfect after all. There was something, no, someone missing. But she was too far away, living in a fairytale castle where a commoner like him was not allowed to go.
He closed his eyes, and sighed. Two days… He will make sure to talk to her in two days. Somehow, he doesn't mind if she was to shout at him, call him names, or even hex his brains out… All he wanted was for her to acknowledge him again. As Cedric, not Mr. Diggory, the writer from The Daily Prophet.