Disclaimer: Gimme some of your tots!
A/N: Wahoo, another chapter. :3 I just can't stop writing! That is good news for you, the reader. At least, I think so. XP I hope you enjoy! Please review!
Thanks to:
luv sean ferris: Thank you muchly:3 Of course Kate is Cedric's. Just not yet, unfortunately. X3 But keep reading, that time will come!
tropicaltoadfly: Glad you thought it was interesting. Yes, I love The Bravery. :D I saw them in concert with Weezer. It was teh shite!
Iris Knotwise: Nice job evaluating the questions. X3 You're quite close, actually. Good work. Thanks for the review!
RobynLesko: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it:D I hope you're flirtatious needs are satisfied. XD
HelloLonely: Hey, thanks, glad you liked it:3 Homework hurts my brain, too.
Mysticdark1: Yes, Kate is a sixth year, like Cedric, while Harry is a fourth year(meaning she won't get with him, of course, but you should know that. :)
Wavy Blue: Thanks hon:3
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Someone Like You
Chapter Nine - Falling
"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides." -David Viscott
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The day of the first task had come much quicker than Cedric or Harry would have liked. They both felt pressured and like they hadn't had enough time to prepare. Just imagine if you hadn't been told at all, Cedric reminded himself.
On that particular morning, Harry hardly ate any breakfast. Kate, who had slept in, finally arrived at breakfast, and sat down next to him.
"Harry! You don't look so well." she commented as she took a helping of hash browns. "Are you scared?"
Harry could only nod solemnly, a small bit of his anxiety gone since Kate had arrived.
"You'll do just fine." Kate reassured him.
Harry was somehow unsure about that.
Kate ate quickly as there wasn't much talk amongst them right then. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were silent. The only ones jibbering were Fred and George, who were taking bets on who would do the best. Cedric seemed to have the lead, followed by Krum. Harry was last. There weren't many people besides Gryffindors who believed that, unfortunately.
At about noon, the students started shuffling into the Quidditch pitch to grab close seats for the event. Kate went with Angelina, Ron, and Hermione. They arrived early, getting seats near the front.
Dumbledore stood up, made some announcements about the task. The champions would have to steal a golden egg from a dragon. Kate felt a cold sweat run through her at the thought of someone being crushed to death or burned to a crisp.
Finally, the order was announced. Cedric would go first, followed by Krum, Fleur, and finally Harry.
Moments later the dragon was released from his cage. Cedric stood appeared in the pit of rocks, looking pale and nervous as he saw the monstrosity before him.
He had to think quick. He saw the golden egg behind on of its legs. He panicked inside, but tried to look calm. He was somewhat unsuccessful, as the dragons tail came sweeping at him and he fumbled to the ground, dropping his wand.
He scrambled for it, ducking the dragons tail again just barely as it roared in anger. Cedric grabbed his wand, thinking as fast as he could. He saw a large boulder lying near the dragon. He pointed his wand at it, yelling a configuration spell.
The rock shifted shapes, taking the form of a dog. It began barking ferociously at the dragon. The dragon was temporarily distracted from Cedric, and he took this opportunity to run behind its leg.
But the dragon saw him out of the corner of its eye. It turned, blowing hot flames out of his mouth as Cedric dashed past.
"Kate...Kate! Earth to KATE!" Kate heard Angelina shouting. Kate was leaning forward, eyes peeled open, her knuckles white against the railing she was clutching onto. Her face had lost some color, and her jaw was opened slightly. Her eyes were filled with intense fear and worry.
Kate did not respond to Angelina. She was to into the moment. What was happening to her? Was he okay? How can he live, facing a full-grown dragon all on his own?
Surely she would've asked herself why she cared at all if she had had time to think about it. But there was no time to think then.
Cedric felt the hot flames lick the side of his face. He was sure he would have been burned to a crisp if he hadn't dove at that second towards the golden egg. He swept it up in his arms as he tumbled down into a small crevice. He cradled the egg, wishing it was all over. He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the worst. And then...
"Cedric Diggory has successfully grabbed the golden egg!" Dumbledore was announcing. Cedric peeled his eyes open. Well, his right eye, anyway. The whole left side of his face was filled with intense pain.
There was cheering in the stands, especially from the Hufflepuffs and female population. Cedric stood up, very unstable, his legs wobbly. He saw the dragon had been locked back into its cage by some professionals standing by.
Kate was simply ecstatic, as she grinned and then shook her fists. "Did you see that? It was-- " she stopped.
Everyone around her–Ron, Hermione, Angelina, Fred, George, Neville, Seamus, Lee Jordan–was giving a gawky look of complete shock.
Kate straightened her posture and said delicately, "Well, it wasn't that great, I suppose."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Angelina asked, giving her the cock-eye.
Kate said nothing. Had she really just reacted that way? Cheering and rejoicing? She swallowed a lump of doubt in her throat.
"What–do you have a thing for him? Like half the other girls in this school?" Angelina accused as everyone else listened in.
"Oh, God, no! He's just my-" she hesitated. "Friend." she finally finished. Then she added, "And besides, I would never be with him."
"I didn't ask if you'd ever be with him. I asked if you had a thing for him." Angelina accused again.
Kate shook her head rapidly. "No!" she answered defiantly.
"Ooh, Kate, mixing with the enemy!" Fred teased.
"Two star-crossed lovers...just like Romeo and Juliet!" George added.
Kate's jaw dropped. "You boys are impossible!"
They smiled curtly. "Thank you." they said in unison.
Harry's performance was spectacular. He had fought the dragon with precision and used the Accio charm to make his broom come to him so he could use it. It was a smart choice.
But Kate somehow felt that Cedric's was more spectacular than that. Technically, it really wasn't, if you evaluated all the points. But something leaped up from her heart and kept making her think that.
And she had come to the shocking realization that he was her friend. It was only a month ago that she had completely and utterly hated him. What had happened? She wasn't supposed to care like this. She cared about Cedric. He was her friend. And she didn't like that at all.
And the worst part was she could figure out what that was so bad...
Or maybe it really wasn't...
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Kate hurried to the hospital wing with Ron and Hermione to see Harry. He didn't seem to have suffered too badly, but they had taken him there anyway, along with all of the champions.
They were literally running. Finally, huffing and puffing they reached the hospital wing and bursted inside. Harry was in the second bed from the wall. Kate hurried there, excited to congratulate him. She reached the end of his bed, skidding to a stop, smiling loonily.
But she didn't really stop. Her shoe skidded, and her other leg came over it. Kate teetered over, falling into a heap on the floor in front of the next bed.
Her cheeks flushed. Why was she such a klutz, she asked herself, grumbling angry swears, as she got to her knees.
She heard laughter. Familiar laughter. He cheeks went even redder as she looked up and saw Cedric sitting on the bed, with an orange past smeared on the left side of his face.
Then Kate started laughing. Somewhat at herself, but mostly at the orange paste.
"You look like a mango." Kate told him frankly, as she stood up, a little wobbly from her fall.
Cedric gave her a sarcastically smug look. "At least I have an excuse for this. You just fell on the floor. Are you always-" He couldn't find the right word, so Kate finished it for him.
"A klutz? Oh yes, very much so." she said mockingly, putting her hands on her sides pridefully.
"That's good to know. You know, for future reference, or something." Cedric joked.
"So you assume I'm going to fall for you?" Kate said smugly, then realized what she had just said, putting a hand warily over her mouth.
Cedric gave her a strange look. Kate panicked inside, blurting out words. "I mean, you know, you assume I'm going to fall...in your presence...for your future reference?" she explained.
Cedric nodded, the light feeling between them gone. Fall for him? Fall for him? Sure, he knew what she meant. But saying something like that can be taken the wrong way. And he took it the wrong way...which felt like the right way.
Fall for him? She'd never...and he wouldn't...
Kate finally broke the ice again. "So, nice show, I guess. Except for the whole mango-face thing. That can't be fun. How long do you have to keep it on?"
"Just a few more hours." Cedric answered quietly, still thinking about what she had said. "The burn should be completely healed when I wash it off."
"That's good. It wouldn't be so great to have the side of your faced burned. I mean, what would all of the fangirls think?" Kate teased calmly.
"It might not be too bad. I could shut my self off from society, get a mask, and be like the Phantom of the Opera...except, I would be the Phantom of Hogwarts." Cedric answered, rambling a bit.
Kate chuckled. "Really? Phantom of Hogwarts? That is the weirdest thing I have heard all day. And that's quite an accomplishment. I mean, I was talking with the Weasley twins this morning, and it doesn't get much weirder than that."
Cedric nodded pridefully. "I try."
Kate smirked. "Always trying to be the best?"
Cedric shrugged. "I guess so."
Harry sat talking to Hermione quietly. He was giving remote, unconcentrated responses to her questions, as he was listening in on Kate and Cedric's conversation. He felt himself go green with envy yet again and realized, that even though Kate denied it, she was Cedric's friend, plain and simple.
And Kate had just said something about falling for him. What was that all about?
"I've got to thank you again for your help on the dragons. I mean, it really helped me. It really did. Even though I still ended up turning my face into a fruit." Cedric thanked.
Kate smirked. "It doesn't matter what color you turn. You'll always be Golden Boy to me."
"So, are we friends, or not?" Cedric asked ina somewhat mocking way.
Kate shrugged. She knew it now. It was inevitable. "As much as I hate to admit it..." she paused. "I think we are."
Cedric laughed. "Well, that's good news."
Kate turned and began talking to Harry, who looked literally green. Kate didn't noticed. She was quite happy, and she didn't know why.
Kate finally said goodbye, finding herself somewhat reluctant to leave. He was good to talk to. She didn't know why. She couldn't explain it. She had never wanted anything to do with him. But somehow, now that they were actually friends, she found it hard to hate him. She wanted to be around him, with his quirky personality and quick-wittedness, sophistication and optomism...and Kate found herself somehow settled, like being Cedric's friend was what she had wanted deep down all along...
And Cedric was happy, too. He had wanted to be her friend, and now that she finally surrendered to the fact...it made him feel good. Like he had just climbed a very tall mountain.
They both fell asleep quickly that night, at peace...
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What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
Lifehouse - You and Me
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A/N: Bah, short chapter, sorry. XP The good news is I may have another one up by Sunday if things go the way I want them to. I don't like the end of this chapter. But now that there friends, it can get romantic. So be happy. :3 And holy poo, I put a cultural reference to PotO in there.But come on. I'm sure wizards see musicals. It seems only sensible. Anyway, please review:)