A/N: Thanks to all that have reviewed so far! Sorry I haven't replied recently, I was in a car accident (just my luck) and have had a lot to do with other stuff, so I'm surprised I even found time to write this! I've read every review though, so thanks!

IIIIIII

Much to my alarm the next morning, an owl came shooting through the window and landed straight in my breakfast bowl. I screeched as the cornflakes and milk splashed all over me, causing Ron to roar with laughter and spit out half of his own food. As I mopped the food from my t-shirt, I scowled at the laughing boy.

"Oh, very funny," I snapped, but Ron just continued to snigger. "Just wait until some owl comes pelting at you, and then we'll see who's laughing."

"Yeah, Ron, stop being mean," Fred sighed, though I noticed there was a definite shake of laughter in his voice too. He caught my eye and I folded my arms, daring him to laugh as well. He smiled winningly and I rolled my eyes, looking away. "Remember when poor old Scabbers bit you? You weren't so happy then."

"'Poor old Scabbers'?" Ron repeated, snorting derisively. "Hardly."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "I thought you were really upset that he'd died?"

"Oh, of course I was," Ron corrected himself, hastily, going red. "He was just lazy, though, wasn't he? Uh - yeah, I miss him though. At least I've got Pig now."

"Talking of owls," George spoke up, looking curiously in my breakfast bowl, "whose is that?"

Remembering the reason for the conversation in the first place, I looked down into the bowl and prodded the owl tentatively. It looked up at me with sheepish, yellow eyes, and I laughed. "It's Pigeon!"

"Similar names, or what?" Ron asked, glaring at me as though I'd stolen his owl. I laughed again, gently picking up the bird. "Who's owl is it?"

"Mine," I explained, stroking it's tawny head and examining it's wings to ensure it wasn't hurt. "Well, she's my family's. She's so fat she can't land properly, silly thing. Dad sent me a letter a couple of weeks ago, and I'm borrowing her. It must be Cedric's reply."

Fred dropped the spoon he had been lifting to his mouth, and it fell with a clatter on the table. I glanced at him, puzzled, to see him looking outraged. "Diggory's reply? You mean you wrote to him first?"

"Well, yeah," I muttered, feeling a mixture of guilt and indignation. "I asked how he was and everything. We're friends, for goodness sake."

"Yeah, whatever," he snapped, turning from humorous to cold in less than a minute. I gaped at him, stunned and outraged at his stupid boy traits, before glaring at him fiercely. What right had he to talk to me like that, whatever he thought about Cedric?

"Would you give it a rest about him? You're so childish, and it's really beginning to piss me off!"

"Oh, and you writing to that pretty boy isn't pissing me off?" he snarled, and I blinked.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I laughed, incredulously. "I've been friends with him since our first week at Hogwarts! You've never had as much as a problem with it as you do now."

"Well - that's because -" he struggled for a moment, and then shrugged, looking away. "Just read your letter and see what that idiot wants."

"Don't tell me what to -"

"You two are so weird," George commented, conversationally, causing us both to stare at him. He shrugged, smirking. "You're like, best friends, but you hate each other's guts when it comes to Diggory. It's weird."

I sniffed, choosing not to reply for the sake of my dignity, and instead untied the slightly milk-soaked letter from Pigeon's leg and tore open the envelope. As I unfolded the parchment, I saw the familiar swirl of Cedric's handwriting, and smiled to myself. It was like a familiar hand on my shoulder.

Dear Claudia,

I'm very well thank you! Thanks for taking the time to write - I was just about to send a letter to you, but you beat me to it. How are you? I hope you've not got into too much trouble with those Weasley twins.

My parents are going out to a party tonight and staying with my aunt overnight. I wondered if you'd like to come round? I've got some Firewhisky, lucky me, but thought it'd be a bit sad to drink alone.

How about it? If you can, pop your head over by Floo and let me know. My address is on the back of the envelope. It'll be really nice to catch up and, of course, get smashed - although we can't ruin the house too much or my parents will kill me.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Cedric x x x

I looked up from the letter, beaming. "Can I borrow a pinch of Floo powder?"

"Why?" Fred asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I need to have a quick word with Cedric," I replied, jumping to my feet, breakfast forgotten. "Can I use it now, then? Cheers. I'll pay you back, I promise."

Before either twin could reply, I rushed over to the fireplace, feeling over the moon. Cedric wanted me to go over to his for a drink? I'd have a great time, I was sure of it. As I picked up the pot containing the Floo powder I noticed, with a twinge of guilt, there wasn't much in it. I really would have to pay them back for it.

I lit the fireplace clumsily with a match, and then threw the powder into the flames. When they coloured green, I shouted out Cedric's address, fell to my knees and - grimacing - stuck my head in the fire. Immediately, I felt the strangest sensation of my head spinning and the rest of my body staying put, ash getting into my face, before -

"Nice legs," I grinned, blinking away the soot from my eyes.

Cedric jumped about a foot in the air, leaping off his chair and spinning to look at me. He was dressed in fluffy slippers and a very fluffy white dressing down, which only reached his knees, leaving the rest of his legs bare. He was alone in a large and handsome dining room that was decorated in browns and deep reds.

"Claudia!" he laughed, looking surprised but gracious. "Hello!"

"You alright?" I smiled, ignoring the pain in my knees.

"I'm fine!" he replied, dropping to his knees in front of me. "How are you?"

"Perfect, thanks!" I beamed, cheeks going pink at his enthusiasm to see me. "I came to tell you I can come tonight. Thanks a lot for inviting me."

"You can come? Great!" he enthused, evidently oblivious to my red cheeks. "My parents are going out around seven. I'll come and pick you up once they've gone. I'll Floo over and collect you."

"Oh, you don't need to pick -"

"'Course I do," he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "So yeah, I've managed to get loads of Firewhisky. We should have a really nice time."

"I hope so. I haven't been drunk in ages," I laughed. "Oh, and could I ask you a favour? D'you reckon you could bring enough Floo powder over to get us both to your house? The Weasley's supply is running a bit low, and I feel bad."

"That'll be fine," he nodded, sweeping a hand through his tousled brown hair. "Anyway, I better go and get dressed. I'll see you later, I hope!"

"I hope so too!" I said, brightly. He leant forward quickly, and pecked me on the cheek, causing me to turn scarlet. "Anyway, I should - um - go. My knees are killing me."

"Alright," he said, standing up, and waving. "See you soon!"

"See you!" I smiled again, and pulled my head from the fire. Once the horrible sensation was over once more, I fell back on my hands, coughing out soot, but feeling rather fulfilled. I clambered to my feet, grinning from ear to ear, and swept the ash from my t-shirt.

I turned to tell the twins what was going to happen that evening, to see that Ron had left the table and that the pair of them were muttering to each other. They broke off when they saw me watching, but I dismissed their suspicious behaviour, falling back into my seat.

"What does the pretty arse want, then?" Fred asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't call him a -"

"Oh, you two," George sighed, impatiently, sending us both a stern look. "What did Diggory want, Claudia?"

"He's invited me round for a drink tonight whilst his parents are out," I announced, brightly. "He's picking me up at about seven."

George shook his head, evidently annoyed, but Fred simply stared, as though scrutinising me. After a long pause, he finally said, rather surprisingly, "Can I borrow your owl?"

"I - what?" I asked, feeling somewhat wrong footed. Where was his protectiveness? To my alarm, I wished he would fight for me, though I knew I had no right to expect such a thing. "Er, yeah, she's yours."

"Cheers," he said, cheerfully, reaching for the orange juice. "Have fun tonight, won't you?"

"I'm sure I will," I replied, hesitantly. I couldn't explain it, but I was rather dissatisfied by his reaction, even though I hated it when he complained about Cedric. "Who are you writing to, anyway?"

"Oh, just some beautiful, slim girl whose had a crush on me for some time," he winked, stretching lavishly. I glared at him, jealousy blossoming inside of me, like ink spilt into water. It was like he knew the current breakdown that was going on inside of me, as I realised more and more the crush I had on one of my best friends. "Don't scowl, Miss Paisley, it's heavily unattractive."

"Well, I'm glad you think so," I snapped, suddenly, and stood up. "Have fun with your bimbo."

"Oh come on," he sighed, exasperated. "It was a joke, you dolt. You don't look unattractive when you scowl, and I'm not writing to any girl. Why are you so grouchy? Are you lovesick?"

"Lovesick?" I echoed, faintly. Did he know what I was feeling, or was I just being paranoid? "I - no, no, of course I'm not. Why would I be?"

"Aren't all the girls at Hogwarts in love with Diggory?"

"Not all of them," I replied, firmly. "I'm going to go and find something to wear. You two be good."

"Find something to -?" George asked, weakly. "It's ten in the morning. You've got hours."

"I - er - I didn't mean something to wear tonight. I meant what to wear for the day," I lied, quickly. "You know I'm not one of those girls to spend hours in front of the mirror for a boy."

IIIIIII

"Come on, Claudia!" Fred groaned, knocking on the door again. "You've been hours!"

"Half an hour, actually," I corrected, squinting into the mirror. "Just give me a couple more minutes, alright?"

I heard his exasperated sigh and took it for a yes. There was no way I could leave the bathroom yet. I was sure I looked a right idiot, and if Fred saw me like that he'd never let me live it down. But I felt, for some reason, that I had to make at least a small effort for Cedric. He had invited me round, after all, and it would be rude not to dress up.

Wouldn't it?

Nonetheless, I had dressed up, by my standards, at least. I wore a knee length, black dress with a blue cardigan over the top, and simple blue shoes. Heels were, naturally, out of the question. I had attempted some kind of style with my hair that had failed dramatically, and it hung in useless waves to my shoulders. I wanted curls, and had ended up with a mess. I wore the tiniest bit of make-up, and I felt merely ugly. It was horrible.

Just as I'd decided I really couldn't go anymore, there was a louder knock at the door and Fred shouted, "Come on, Claudia, and get out the bathroom. This is my house, I hope you remember."

"Oh, alright," I sighed, irritably. I took one last, miserable look into the mirror, and left the bathroom. "Happy, now?"

"At last!" Fred replied, happily, walking past me. However, he glanced at me when he passed, and froze, eyebrows raising. "What - um - why - why do you look like that?"

"Like what?" I asked, anxiously checking my dress. "Oh, I knew it. I look ridiculous, don't I?"

Blushing as I felt his eyes roaming me, I nervously smoothed down my hair. The crush that had formed the day before had not ebbed away, as I'd hoped - instead, it had gotten stronger. Simply being close to him, and alone, made my heart beat madly and my breath hitch. And now I'd gone and looked disgusting in front of him. I hated myself at that moment.

"Like - well, you look very nice," he said, very quickly, averting his eyes. As I felt a shocked pleasure run through me, staring at him, he laughed nervously and quickly added, "For a girl, that is."

"I - thank you, Fred," I said, softly, not daring to speak any louder. If I did, I felt sure I'd squeak embarrassingly. He grinned winningly and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I stared at the door, stunned. Why had he complimented me? I shook my head dismissively, making my way to the stairs. I was oversensitive; he had meant nothing by it, surely.

"You know we're going to get drunk, too, don't you?"

I turned, to see that Fred had popped his head out of the bathroom. Narrowing my eyes, I called back, "Why will you?"

"Well, we're not letting you have all the fun," he winked, a corner of his mouth turning upwards. "We've saved a stash of Firewhisky. I just wanted to let you know in case you come home and wonder why we're acting like lunatics."

"Be careful," I warned, frowning. "If your mum finds out, she'll murder you."

"We'll be fine," he scoffed, and then winked again. "You have a good time tonight, though."

Before I could reply, he had shut the door once more. I stared at the spot for a moment longer, before heaving a heavy sigh and heading again to the stairs. Fred Weasley was unfathomable, at the best of times.

As I was half-way down the staircase, I heard Mrs Weasley call, "Claudia, dear! Cedric is here."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, all feeling being replaced by terror and excitement. "Thank you!"

I rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, whereupon I stopped abruptly. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ginny and George (Ron and Percy were both in their rooms) were talking to Cedric, who was stood by the fireplace and looking just about as nervous as I felt. I couldn't understand why, but I did go further into the room, causing everybody to look up.

"Claudia!" Cedric beamed, taking a step towards me. "You look beautiful."

"Oh, thank you," I smiled, nervously. "You look quite nice yourself."

"Cheers," he grinned. "Shall we go?"

When I nodded, he turned to everybody and said, charmingly, "It's been lovely talking to you all. Thanks for letting me borrow Claudia."

"Bye, everyone," I said, meekly. Cedric withdrew some Floo powder from his pocket and handed me some. Everybody waved goodbye, George more reluctant than the rest, and in a minute both Cedric and I were stood in his dining room, alone. I glanced at him, awkwardly, to see him looking at me in much the same manner.

"Er," I said, scratching the back of my neck. Now that I was here, I had no idea what to do or how to act. "Thanks for inviting me round. It was nice of you to think of me, when you could have all the booze for yourself."

"Nonsense," he laughed, taking my arm and leading me into the large and nicely decorated living room. Upon the coffee table sat an alarming amount of Firewhisky stacked on the table. "Anyway, grab yourself a bottle and I'll go and fetch the bottle opener. I can't wait until I'm seventeen and can do it by magic."

As he went off to the kitchen, I nervously lingered in the room. He had a lovely house, large but comfortable, and I couldn't help but feel at home. It had a cheery warmth about it, similar to that of The Burrow. However, after weeks with the Weasleys, this house felt empty. I was so used to having a person wherever I turned, it was odd to be alone in such space.

Luckily, Cedric returned within a minute, throwing a bottle opener into the air and catching it skilfully with the same hand. He paused, grinning, when he saw me standing. "You can sit down, you know. Make yourself at home."

"Oh! Of course. Thanks," I smiled, cheeks going pink. For some reason, I felt on edge as I perched on the comfy, red sofa. There was an awkwardness in the air that I felt horrible aware of. "Um - thanks for inviting me round."

"You've already thanked me," he commented, looking bemused. He sat by me, jean-clad thigh brushing mine. A shock of nerves went through me, and I fidgeted uncomfortably. Why was it suddenly so hot in here? Cedric opened my bottle for me, and then his own, taking a large swig.

I quickly took a gulp of my own, wincing at the taste. I'd drunk it a lot before, of course - I was best friends with the Weasley twins, after all - but I couldn't ever quite get used to the fire that seemed to burn in my throat. It hardly tasted nice, but it did the job of getting you drunker quicker, so I wouldn't complain. I was in the mood to get smashed, what with all the conflicting feelings about boys going through me.

"How are the twins?" Cedric asked, watching me with his slightly head tilted to one side. I was awfully aware of how attractive he looked, in casual jeans and a crumpled jumper, dark hair tousled. Shaking my head to rid myself of such preposterous thoughts, I shrugged.

"Same as always. They want me to learn to fly, now, which can only be a disaster."

"You might be good," he offered, politely, but I just laughed.

"Don't try and make me feel better, really," I grinned, brushing my hair behind an ear. "I know I'm crap at it, and I always will be crap at it, no matter how many times Fred takes me on the back of his broomstick."

Cedric raised an eyebrow, but said nothing to this. We both drank in silence for a minute or two, before he glanced at me, grey eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Tell me, Claudia, have you ever had a drinking competition before?"

I snorted, scornfully. "Are you joking? I'm the Queen of drinking competitions."

"This is Firewhisky, you know," he said, mockingly showing me his bottle. "It's not pumpkin juice or Butterbeer."

"Oh, you're on, Cedric," I laughed, rolling up my sleeves. "You'll pay for ever underestimating the power of Claudia Paisley's liver."

IIIIIII

The room, I realised vaguely, was spinning.

I was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to, and so got sluggishly to my feet, examining the ceiling. The amount of alcohol I'd drank hit me as I did so, and I swayed dangerously, before giving in and falling backwards once more. The sofa was comfortable, and I blinked sleepily, nestling into it.

"I don't understand you," came Cedric's voice from my side, making me look up. "You - you never tip over, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

Cedric shook his head, face red and drunken. "You know. You never tip over. Friends with lots of boys, but it never - never goes further, you know?"

"Shouldn't have to go over," I nodded, wisely. It was hard to see him through the haze of alcohol, but he looked rather confused at what I had said, his eyes a little out of focus. "Why do - do you care, anyway?"

"Lots of girls do," he explained, taking what must have been his hundredth swig of Firewhisky. "It's just - just odd that you don't have a boyfriend when you - you get on with boys a - a lot."

"You get on with lots of - of girls," I protested, drunk enough to get outraged. "You're single. Why - why is that any different, Ced - Cedric?"

"It just is," he replied, stubbornly folding his arms and consequentially spilling some of his drink over himself. "Damn - damn it. Parents might notice. Whoops."

"S'not different," I sighed, resting my head snugly on his shoulder. "Just sexist."

"I'm not sexist!" he exclaimed, staring at me. "Okay, okay, let's - let's prove to each other we don't think we're - we're both hopeless in love, yeah?"

I blinked, far too drunk to know what was going on. "But, I - I don't think you're hopeless in -"

Cedric Diggory then cut off my drunken mumbling quite effectively.

He kissed me.

I let out a squeak of surprise and made to push him off me, but to my surprise I began kissing back, wrapping my arms around his neck and opened my mouth to let his tongue dance against mine. He let out a small groan and moved, pressing against me, wrapping his arms around me to pull me even closer.

There as was, drunk out of my mind, entwined with the heartthrob of Hogwarts.

And, as I kissed him passionately, the face that rose into my mind was that of Fred Weasley. No, actually, it wasn't just Fred Weasley. It was me kissing Fred Weasley as I was now kissing Cedric. And that, I realised suddenly, was what I wanted. What I needed. Perhaps it was the alcohol making me think it, but perhaps it was my heart, as pathetic as it sounds.

I removed my hands from around Cedric, and pushed his chest slightly so he lifted himself from me. I hadn't realised he had been laid on top of me as we'd kissed, but now that I did I flushed bright red, shaking my head. He stared down at me, looking concerned but ultimately loving. I couldn't stand lying to him, leading him on.

"Cedric, we - we can't. I don't think I like you in this - this way," I murmured, and he immediately climbed off me, standing unsteadily on his feet. I sat up, clutching my head, which was beginning to spin even more severely. "I'm sorry. It's nothing to do with you."

"S'one of the twins, isn't it?" he asked, smiling sadly. I stared at him, but then shrugged. He probably wouldn't remember it in the morning, but I wouldn't risk telling him the truth when I couldn't even admit it to myself yet. "Okay. Well - well, perhaps you should go, then."

"Cedric!" I said, standing up, and immediately regretting doing so as my stomach lurched. "I don't - I don't not like you, it's just -"

"I'm not kicking you out," he laughed, running a tired hand over his face. "I feel like - like - well, you know how it feels. I think it's time I went - went to bed and sobered up."

"Good idea," I agreed, stumbling over to the fireplace. "I think I'm going to be sick. Thanks for - for having me over."

"My pleasure," he called, sounding sincere. "Sorry about - about what happened. Didn't mean it."

"S'alright," I called back groggily, groping for some Floo powder, and in a few moments I was stepping out into the Weasleys' empty kitchen. Not looking around, I made my way straight up to the twins' bedroom, simply wanting to sleep. I had no idea what I'd say to the two of them, especially if - as I vaguely remembered them saying - they were drunk too. The very thought of more alcohol made me want to throw up.

In such a state as I was in, I barely realised what had just happened. Cedric had kissed me, and I'd pushed him away for Fred, who probably would never want to kiss me? Why the hell had I done that? I couldn't understand myself, and so went up to the second floor, and pushed the bedroom door open.

It was hard to keep my eyes open at this point, so I ignored the twins (who were in fits of hysterical laughter), and collapsed onto my bed. I wanted to cry, I wanted to throw up, and I wanted to sleep. Feeling safer with the latter, I nestled my face into my pillow, and immediately felt unconsciousness steaming towards me.

As it did so, I heard one of the giggling twins ask, "How did it go with Cedric?"

On the verge of dropping off, I murmured, "Kissed him", and then was peacefully, wonderfully asleep.

IIIIIII