Disclaimer: I don't own Cedric, Cho, or Fleur. And I don't own the egg song... But I do own the depressing twists and tuurns of this chapter... Yeah... Sorry... but happy characters don't make for exciting stories... and besides... no one's making you read this...

Chapter 12
Flying Solo

"Pine fresh."

With a click, the door unlocked and Cedric pushed it open, gaining entrance to the Prefect's bathroom, which was still just as beautiful, grandiose, nothing short of breathtaking, and, dare he think it, magical as it was the first time he had entered it. Tucking the egg underneath his arm a little harder, he kicked off his shoes and stepped into the bathroom, cool white tile partially freezing the skin on his feet. He set the change of dress robes and his towel on one of the benches and placed the golden egg gingerly on top, careful to make sure it wouldn't fall and clatter around the echoing, cavernous chamber. Looking around again, Cedric walked over and turned on his favorite tap, sending golden yellow fluttering butterflies into the swimming pool, filling it up magically fast even with the absence of the few who flapped their way to Cedric's face, tickling his chin slightly before they flied away, popping when they flew too high.

Cedric sighed.

He dropped his robe to the ground and tentatively dipped one toe into the warm water, shivering from the relative cold of the bathroom. Slowly, he slid in, finally relaxing as he turned off the tap, leaned back, and began to float, looking up at the dark ceiling.

He lay there for a long time, letting the water wash away his problems. It didn't really matter that he was going to the ball with Cho Chang. It didn't really matter that pretty much the whole school knew. It didn't really matter that Cho had kissed him on the cheek the second he had said yes. It didn't really matter that Promise hadn't really spoken to him every day since. It didn't really matter that Olivia was his only company for two weeks. It didn't really matter that Sam had… had…

He flipped off his back, placed his feet on the bottom of the pool, and dunked his head under the water. After a few seconds, he lifted his head, shook the water from his hair, and rubbed his face vigorously, trying to wake up.

Sam.

He shook the through from his mind. It was temporary, just temporary. She'd talk to him again, after the ball, like Promise. Promise would. She was Promise and it'd just take another crisis… like a dragon… or the return of You-Know-Who… or the death of someone for them to talk again.

Cedric looked at the golden egg, which glinted in the dim torchlight of the Prefect's bathroom from its comfortable position, perched on his clothes. With another sigh, he stepped out of the pool, shivering from the momentary cold as he grabbed his egg and slid along the wet tile before he jumped back into the bubbles, sending more golden butterflies into the air.

I hope this works, he thought. Following Moody's idea, he cracked the egg open, releasing the wailing and screaming sound around the cavernous bathroom, which magnified it so intensely that Cedric was sure it'd wake the whole castle. Faced with no other options, and wanting so desperately to cover his ears from the loud sounds, he dropped the egg and covered his ears. The egg sank to the bottom, but to Cedric's astonishment, didn't make the usual loud wail. Tentatively, he uncovered his ears, ready to put them back up at a second's notice.

The wailing at stopped, yet sound still came from the egg beneath the surface of the water. Slowly, Cedric took one ear and stuck it into the golden butterflies, into the water.

It was singing. The egg was singing?

Cedric listened intently, trying to discern what the raspy voice emanating from the egg was saying.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground
And while you're searching ponder this,
We've taken what you'll sorely miss
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour- the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"

Cedric listened to the song over and over and over again, dissecting it line by line by line, trying to discover the meaning of it. Voices sound? Where would their voices sound? And whose voices for that matter? How long? That was easy, but taking something he'd miss? Promise? Sam? He looked around aimlessly for a long time, feeling helpless. How would he know who they were or where to find… them…

That was when he noticed it, the very beautiful mermaid on the wall painting, flirtatiously looking at him, tossing her golden hair, even more energetically that she would normally do, when she would attract his attention everytime he had come into the bathroom. How could he have been so blind? So inattentive?

Sam and Promise.

They were consuming his focus! He needed to patch things with them. But why couldn't they understand? He coulnd't just blow off Cho Chang, even if she was an insufferable, giggly little airhead. Promise knew he'd much rather go with Sam! She knew! She was-

Stop. Focus.

"Mermaids," he muttered aloud, causing the mermaid in the picture to giggle and clap her hands. But where were mermaids? The lake? The mermaids in the lakes were going to steal Sam and/or Promise?

He dove back into the water, closed the still singing egg, and brought it to the surface. Satisified with the work he had done, he stepped out of the bath, dried himself off, dressed and headed back to the Common Room, feeling somewhat relieved he had learned about the seconds task, but nervous about returning to the Common Room without the support of Sam or Promise to help him through the second task.

Several minutes later and hair still slightly wet, Cedric entered the Common Room, trekked up to his room, placed the egg on his bed, put the dirty clothes and damp towel in the basket for the House Elves to wash, and walked back down to the Common Room, joining Olivia at her table near the fire, sitting in the seat that faced away from Sam, Promise, and Fifth Year Hufflepuff Prefect Marcus Traston.

"So?" Olivia asked. "How was it?"

Cedric looked at her darkly, and then turned around, just in time to see Promise refocus her attention on her schoolwork and Sam and Marcus-

"Cedric," Olivia said, recapturing his focus, making him turn around to face her again. "What'd you find out?"

"I know what the second task is," Cedric said dismally, folding his arms and staring blankly at the table in front of him.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Olivia asked optimistically.

"I guess," Cedric said, looking in front of him, trying to find something to do. He sighed as he looked under the table for his bag. "I forgot my Defense Against the Dark Arts homework." He rose to leave from his dormitory.

"Cedric," Olivia said, arm snapping out and grabbing Cedric's, keeping him from walking away with the tight grip she had perfected over the many years of catching and throwing Quaffles. "Don't do this to yourself. Don't make yourself walk past them."

"Why?" Cedric asked, contemptuously looking at the arm holding him back.

"You're torturing yourself every tim you turn around, or go out of your way to look at them."

"What's your point?" Cedric asked, depressed.

"You don't deserve-"

"Deserve?" Cedric asked, rage trying to break through. "Deserve! I deserve the consequences of my actions. I did something that angered my friends and they have every right in the world to do whatever they want in retaliation."

"But you don't have to go out of your way to remind yourself of that!" Olivia said, voice raising not loud enough to be rude, but loud enough to let Cedric know if they weren't in such a closed environment, she'd have been shouting.

"Don't I?" Cedric asked, bringing the conflict internal, taking the volume from his voice, but leaving the bite. With a twist of his arm, he broke her lock on his and stomped up the dormitory stairs and out of the common room, not watching the stares of everyone in the Common Room, focusing instead on Promise, whose head was buried in her work, and Sam, who was cushioned in a small pouf on the ground, snogging with Marcus, both of whom were too busy focusing on not Cedric to notice his exit.

And life continued as it had, just like the two weeks before it. Cedric continued to walk through the halls, followed by his entourage of loyal followers to class every day, able to successfully avoid Cho Chang by conveniently talking to someone near him, like Olivia, or a member of the people around him, barely able to shout "I'll catch you later" or "I gotta run, catch me some other time?" before managing to whisk himself away.

Even as Cedric walked back to the Common Room near Promise after his last class on the final day of term, she still wasn't talking to him. He had hoped she'd understand, but, being Promise, she didn't.

"How could you do that?" She had shouted at him, following him into the Common Room mere seconds after Cho had finished asked him to the dance.

"What do you mean how could I do that?" Cedric asked, feeling sick.

"You just got asked to the dance by Cho Chang!" Promise shouted. "Cho Chang! You know who that girl is! How could you want to go with her more than Sam?"

"You think I wanted that?" Cedric shouted back. "You think I want to go with anyone but Sam?

"You don't know what I think!"

"I think I do," Cedric said contemptuously. "But you're not getting what I think. You think I was going to blow you off? I was fifteen feet from asking her. I was going to do it! I was ready to do it!"

"So why didn't you? You could've just said no! Why didn't you just say no and then go ask Sam?"

"I couldn't do that," Cedric shook his head.

"Why not?! It's Cho Chang, Cedric!"

"I got that," Cedric said, stomach churning at the mention of Cho's name. "But I'm not going to shoot anyone down, not when they make such an effort."

Promise shook her head. "you're so noble," she said sadly, walking away.

Cedric shook his head as he walked upstairs and set his bag down next to his bed. She hadn't talked to him since. Actually, that wasn't quite true. She had talked to him two days later, at the breakfast table, just as she was leaving to head off to her first class.

The reason she had spoken to him stemmed from the fact that there were very few open seats at the breakfast table that morning, and the last seat was next to Promise, who was sitting alone. He did his best to not look at her, figuring it was risky enough just sitting next to her.

When she had finished, Promise wiped her mouth with her napkin and placed it on her plate, magically vanishing it after a few seconds. With a satisfied sigh, she stood up, facing the Entrance Hall and, without talking to Cedric, and walked towards the end of the Great Hall.

Cedric looked up to watch her go, piece of toast in his mouth, but was pleasantly surprised to see Calvin Parker, the seventh year Head Boy from Ravenclaw block Promise's path.

"Excuse me," she said, moving to her left, stepping out of his way.

With a smile, he sidled a step to his right, still in Promise's way.

Thinking she had simply moved in synch with him, Promise smiled, humored and moved back to the right, to her original position. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he smiled back, amused, stepping back into her path.

Promise laughed, entertained by the confusion. "Stop it will you?" she stepped to her left, hoping this nonsense would finally stop.

"But I don't want to…" Calvin smiled, stepping back in front of her.

Promise sighed and rolled her eyes, large smile on her face as she began to step back and forth in a rhythm, Calvin following her movement. "Fine then. What do you want?"

"Oh," Calvin said, not making eye contact as he swayed back and forth. "it's nothing… well, actually… it's something… but I-"

"Spit it out!" Promise said, still swaying.

"Well I was just wondering…" Calvin began, voice trailing off, making Cedric realize Calvin was play acting meek and not in control. "Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Of all the things Promise had expected, this was probably the one she had expected least. It took her by such surprise, in fact, that always perfectly cool, calm, and collected Promise missed a step in her dance and tripped, slipping on the step to her right. To counteract her mistake, she used her left foot to sidle behind her right and then the added momentum to finally catch herself on her right, completing a simple sort of grapevine.

Not missing a beat, Calvin followed her step, mirroring her steps a half instant later for the first, but then mimicking the new step on the next round.

"What?" Promise asked, smiling in disbelief.

"Judging by your reaction, I think you heard me just fine," Calvin smiled back, now locking eyes with her.

Promise smiled sheepishly, shaking her head in disbelief, swaying back and fort. "Fine," she said, playing hard to get and impress. "But only because you made me laugh."

Calvin held out his hand, which Promise took, twirled her under his arm, spinning her around, and, when she had finished the turn, kissed her on the hand. "I can't wait," he said, and, with a turn, he exited the hall, spring in his step.

Promise sighed again, even more satisfied. Hesitantly, Cedric stood up and watched after Calvin Parker, who had just met with three other seventh year Ravenclaw boys.

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked her, as she kept her eyes on Calvin.

"Hm what?" Promise asked dreamily. "Yeah. It's just a weird thing. This whole time I thought I was going to the ball solo or something."

"Please," Cedric rolled his eyes. "There are tons of people who would go with you to the ball. You're smart, funny…"

"But it's the ball, Cedric," Promise looked at him sarcastically. "You know how much a dance is something I wouldn't do."

"But you are now."

"Well I figured I'd do it in the end. I mean, I wouldn't have done it normally, but this is perhaps the only dance we'll ever have at Hogwarts."

"And still you're going…"

"Shut up!" Promise said, insulted. "That doesn't mean anything. It just means I like to be normal sometimes."

Cedric released a hearty, loud laugh, to which Promise shot him a look. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to-"

"You don't think I can like normal things?"

"I never said that!"

Promise looked at him, smiling slightly. "But you implied it. I like the thought of nonconformism."

And with that, she really did exit the Great Hall. Cedric had hoped that would patch up things with her, but in the end, he came to the realization that she was so elated Calvin Parker had asked her to the dance. She was springy for the rest of the day, which helped Cedric almost forget why he was so upset.

It was Sam who really killed him. Within two hours after Cho had asked Cedric, Sam had asked Marcus, and in half that time they were already cuddling in front of the fire during the lunch period. By the night Calvin had asked Promise to the ball, Sam was already snogging with Marcus in what came to be known as "Promise's corner," a lovely, yet lonely, corner of the Common Room where Promise studied nightly, snapping at anyone who interrupted her work by doing anything from talking to her to touching her table or chair in any way.

Cedric looked down into the Common Room, back in the present, where Promise greeted Sam and Marcus, who, like everytime Cedric happened to see them, walked into the Common Room hand in hand. For a brief second, Sam made eye contact with Cedric, eyes breaking the giggling for a second, turning remorseful for an instant before she realized Marcus was kissing her neck. They closed and a smile of ecstasy broke across his face.

Slowly, he descended the staircase, coming even with Olivia.

"Ignore them," Olivia said pityingly.

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"We talked about this," Olivia said passively, not argumentative.

"Right," Cedric said wearily, unconvinced.

"Come on, Cedric," Olivia said pleadingly. "Let's just go. I don't even know why we came to dinner so early."

Without looking over to Sam, Promise, and Marcus, he walked out of the Common Room, skirting past a few third years in the process as he cut a path to the Entrance Hall, not waiting for Olivia. As he entered the cavernous Entrance Hall, he slowed down and sighed.

"Will you slow down?" Olivia asked him. "You flew out of there like a broomstick from hell."

Cedric flashed her something between a grimace and a smile. "Olivia, I-"

"'ello Cedric," a voice came from behind him, exiting from the Great Hall. Cedric turned around, coming face to face with silver hair and a pretty face. "'ow are you, Cedric?" Fleur Delacour asked, smiling flirtatiously.

"Okay," Cedric said, overexaggerating slightly as he looked past her, noticing her followers of Beauxbatons girls and the slowly growing crowd of students around two Triwizard champions. "It's just been rough for the past two weeks."

"Oh," Fleur sighed, sending a ripple of similar sentiments through the small crowd. "I'm vehry sohry to 'ear zat, Cedric. Is zhere anyzhing I can do to 'elp?"

Other people echoed her feelings: "Yeah Cedric!" "Do you want some pumpkin juice from dinner?" "Did you eat yet? I can get you food."

Cedric waved them all off, smiling in embarrassment. "Really, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about it."

"I'm sure I could 'elp," Fleur smiled, flipping her hair, and causing a pang of desire to shoot through Cedric's chest.

"Hey Fleur!" someone shouted from across the Entrance Hall.

Everyone in the hall turned to face the tall, gangly, red-headed fourth year Cedric recognized as Gryffindor Ron Weasley. The hall fell silent as Gryffindors who had begun descending the marble staircase came to a dead halt, while Fleur's entourage and the surrounding crowd fell deathly silent, wondering what someone like Ron would want with Fleur.

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?"

A silence fell over the crowd as the weight of the words Ron had just spoken sank into everyone's minds. In unison, Fleur, the people in the group around her and Cedric, and Olivia all burst into raucous fits of laughter, sending a suddenly green-faced Ron weak in the knees. The Gryffindors at the entrance to the Great Hall sprinted to Ron and helped him to his feel, up the marble staircase, and out of sight.

"Zat," Fleur chuckled, wiping her eyes when the laughter had died down. "Is why I enjoy boys asking girls to zee ball. Many do not understand who zhey can ask and who zhey cannot. Girls, on zhe ozher hand, can ask whoever zhey want and still feel good about zhemselves. Besides, most boys jump at zhe prospect of 'aving to ask. Isn't zhat right, Cedric?"

Several of the male students following Fleur looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed at something while the Beauxbatons girls all giggled to each other.

"Er… yeah, I guess," Cedric shrugged. "I personally would never say no to a girl who asked me."

Fleur smile as she brought her hand up and, with a slight twang of a flick, sexily tucker her hair behind her ear. "Zhen, my dear Cedric, would you like to go to zhe Yule Ball with me?"

Cedric smiled and shook his head, eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Fleur, but I'm afraid I can't."

A ripple of whispers and deep-sounding murmurs flitted through the crowd: "What did he just say?" "No?" "What is he? Crazy?" "I wish I could ask Cedric."

Fleur's face soured. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't," Cedric smiled weakly. "Someone else already asked me, you see."

"What?" Fleur asked, losing her usual, beautiful composure.

"I said I wouldn't say no to anyone who asked me, but that only really works for the first person to ask."

"But when was zhis?" Fleur asked, sending more ripples through the crowd. "Who asked you?"

"It was about two weeks ago. Someone named-"

"Hi, Cedric!"

Every face in the Entrance Hall turned to the doors to the Great Hall, where Cho Chang, followed by a small gaggle of giggling Fifth Year Ravenclaw girls, had just appeared at the top of the staircase. Briskly, she cut a path directly towards Cedric through the crowd, everyone stepping aside, anxious to see how Fleur would treat her supposed "competition."

"Zhis is her?" Fleur asked, pleasantly, too pleasantly, having used Cho's entrance to regain her composure.

"Er… yeah," Cedric said as Cho, who had finally taken a spot next to him, reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

Blushing slightly, Cho turned to face Fleur, takin Cedric's hand in hers. "Oh, hello! Fleur Delacour, right?" Cho asked brightly. "Beauxbatons champion? Tranced the dragon at the first task. Heard all about you, of course. You're an amazing person and a great spellcaster, although you kind of have to be to be Champion from Beauxbatons, don't you? I can't wait to see what you do for the second task! Any idea what it'll be? Either of you?"

Fleur smiled nicely, but indignantly amid the chatter of talk about the second task. "We're not supposed to-"

"Talk about it, I know," Cho rolled her eyes. "But it would still be nice to know. Just one little hint? Please?"

"I do not zhink so," Fleur's voice trailed off unpleasantly. Cedric might have recognized the annoyance in Fleur's voice if he hadn't been so focused on how much he didn't enjoy Cho stroking his hand with her thumb and forefinger."

"Well that's a shame now, isn't it?" Cho frowned. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

"I guess so," Fleur smiled. "Now if you will excuse me, I must return to my school's carriage and understand why zhings are zhe way zhings are." She looked deliberately at Cedric, making a deliberate reference to Cho Chang, referring to how he could have possibly chosen Cho over her.

With a flourish, she turned and exited, followed by the Beauxbatons students. Slowly, the rest of the crowd dispersed, everyone taking a few extra seconds to take a look at Cho Chang and nod congratulations to Cedric before heading to the Great Hall and dinner. Within a minute, Cedric, Cho Chang, and Olivia were the only ones left in the Entrance Hall.

Turning away from Cedric, Cho nestled into him, wrapping his arms around her stomach and clasping his hands into her own. "She was nice. Any idea what she wanted?"

"She tried to ask me to the dance," Cedric said awkwardly, not wanting to stand with Cho so intimately, but also unable to break the hold. Olivia took a few steps towards the marble staircase and began to softly beat her head on the banister repeatedly, waiting for brains or blood to come out.

"Awww," Cho moaned. "What's too bad. Looks like I'm the lucky one, though. Just goes to show you, you gotta act fast. Early bird and all that."

You can say that again, Cedric thought.

"Speaking of," Cho said, biting her lip playfully, flirtatiously. "Know who just asked me?"

"No, who?" Cedric asked, really not caring deep down, instead more concerned about the state of Olivia's head.

"Harry Potter," Cho said, smiling, obviously positively thrilled at the prospect of potentially going with him.

"Really?" Cedric asked, suddenly intrigued. If only he had asked Sam sooner, and if only Harry had taken the chance… win-win, win-win. Promise would be talking to him… he could be with Sam…

"Yes!" Cho said proudly. "Can you believe that? He would've been so fun to go with too… Wonder who he'll end up going with."

"Yeah, I guess," Cedric said, closing his eyes, fantasizing at the thought of the win-win win-win situation that was playing out in his mind, daydreaming about what might have been.

"But we're going together, and we're going to have such fun!" Cho said brightly.

"Mmm," Cedric sighed, still focusing on his daydream, not paying the slightest bit of attention to what Cho was saying.

"And then we can go to Hogsmeade together… and then summer… and then next year…"

"Mmmm," Cedric sighed again, still not focused on Cho.

A whimper came from across the hall. Cedric opened his eyes and looked down, making them level with the people who had just entered the Entrance Hall from the corridor that led to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

The whimper could have only possibly come from Sam, who stood in the doorway to the Entrance Hall, lip trying not to tremble, holding hand with Marcus, who stood next to her, looking like Cedric had just lost his respect. With the faintest of cries, Sam broke her hold on Marcus's hand and looked away, withdrawing into herself.

Cedric broke his hold with Cho, stepping away from her slightly. Promise, who was standing next to Sam and Marcus glared at Cedric, shaking her head. Cedric made to take a step towards Promise. Maybe he could reason with her, let her know he wasn't the one who had done that with Cho.

Promise whipped out her wand and pointed it at Cedric murderously. "Don't even," she said, insulted.

"Promise, I-" Cedric tried to take another step towards her.

"You know what, Cedric? Promise asked venomously. "Don't even say anything. I get it. You don't listen, and you don't value me-"

"Hey, what's this all about?" Cho interjected.

"Why don't you just shut up?" Sam snapped angrily, the usual "sweetheart" gone from her voice.

"But I didn't-"

"What did I say?" Sam asked bitterly. "Come on, Marcus." Without waiting, she took off back into the corridor that led to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Olivia, who had stood in shock at the marble staircase when Sam, Promise, and Marcus had entered, reached out to Sam, sad, remorseful look on her face.

"Don't, Olivia," Sam stopped, holding up her hands as though violated. "I know what I saw, and I know when my friends lie to me." And without another word, she disappeared down the hallway.

"I'm, ummmm…" Marcus said awkwardly. "I'm with the blonde."

He left after Sam, leaving Cho, Cedric, and Olivia looking at Promise awkwardly. They stayed silent for several minutes not knowing what to do.

Slowly, Promise lowered her wand. "You know who she is," she said, indicating Cho, locking eyes with Cedric.

"What does that mean?" Cho asked, confused.

"It means I don't approve and Cedric agrees with me."

"Cedric?" Cho asked hopelessly.

"Cho," Cedric said, hesitating. "Cho, I-"

But she had already sprinted away, up the marble staircase to her Common Room, out of sight, crying dramatically.

"You know, I didn't think you were into it," Promise said. "I thought maybe you were regretful or didn't want to go with her."

Olivia tried to step in. "He doesn't-"

"Leave, Olivia," Promise commanded angrily, superiorly, keeping her eyes locked with Cedric's.

"But-"

"Leave!" Promise shouted.

Tentatively, Olivia headed back to the hallway that led to the Hufflepuff Common Room, hopefully to try to talk to Sam leaving Cedric and promise alone in the Entrance Hall.

Promise took a step towards Cedric, folding her arms across her chest, nodding slowly, contemplatively, digesting what she had just seen.

"Promise, I didn't mean to-"

"Get caught?" Promise said, completely in control of the situation. "I'm sure you didn't mean for that."

"No," Cedric said, hopelessly defensive. "It just… happened."

"That's how it always is, isn't it, Ced?" Things just happen to you. Know why things do, Ced? You're too passive. You just go with the flow, not wanting to hurt anyone outright. I'm sure she crawled into your arms, and I'm sure if you'd have noticed you woulda done something about it. But you didn't, and now it looks even worse for you. She's nuts about you, you know."

"Right, sure. It's not like she'd speak to mea anyway."

"I was talking about Cho Chang."

"Oh," Cedric said, humbled.

"I mean, she's really hurting right now. Why else do you think she's gotten so physical all of a sudden?"

"Cho?"

"No, Sam."

"But I thought we were-"

"We were, but you thought about Sam so I switched to Sam."

"Oh."

Promise looked away, blanketing them in silence for a few seconds. "I hate her," she said under her breath.

"Sam?!"

"No, Cho," Promise snapped quietly.

"Okay, we're sticking with Cho," Cedric said, clarifying the issue.

"Fine."

"Fine."

They fell silent again, staring at each other, unsure what to say next.

"She's really into you," Promise said grimly.

"I know," Cedric sighed sadly, looking away and at the ground.

"It'll need to stop," Promise said after a brief pause.

"I know, but not until after the dance. I already said I'd go with her, so I kind of have to."

Promise shook her head. "I can't deal with that."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's one of the reasons I love you so much," Promise looked up, thinking about what she had just said. "It's also kind of why I hate you so much. It's just damn annoying."

"Sorry."

"What'd I just say?"

"Sor-" Cedric paused and chuckled slightly. "I'm still going to make the best of it," he said after a minute.

"Wouldn't expect anything less of you," Promise smiled slightly. "But I can't be a part of it."

"But I want you there," Cedric pleaded, heart breaking. He had hoped Promise would be with him, to crack jokes about all the dress robes, to laugh at all the bad dancing moves, to sing along to the songs intentionally off key…

"I can't deal with it, Ced," Promise shook her head. "I'll just wait and see you on the other side of the ball. Things'll be better when Cho Chang is gone and out of our hair, but that can't happen… you won't let that happen until after the dance. I respect you for it and you're amazing for being able to do it, but I can't. I can't do that at all."

And with that, she left for the Hufflepuff Common Room, leaving Cedric standing in the Entrance Hall, alone.