Hello, i've been gone again, on a crazy writing streak. This is a lot to read so enjoy while you can. Please let me know what you folks think. I'd really appriciate it.

Thank you to all the folks out there who are reading this. I hope this is to your liking. Please let everyone know about this story! Share it with others so that they know what a good story is.

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Weeks later . . .

Charlie's and Cedric's friendship was slightly intact they could at least say hi to each other without wanting to kill each other. After the Halloween ball, Charlie knew that she had to stay away from him whenever he was in front of Ann. If Ann wasn't around, Charlie was willing to have a small talk with him and so did Cedric. Though she was still ashamed for what she had done at the Halloween ball, Cedric made it clear that he didn't care about it; it was the best time he's ever had in a long time.

Of course the whole school talked about it since Ann had to blurt out the whole story.

It's been a while since Charlie had a decent conversation with him.

"And that's the end of the games folks! Hufflepuff has won the game!" the announcer yelled out as the Hufflepuff side was cheering out and Ravenclaw glared and booed at them.

Charlie entered the locker room when she saw that the players were gone. Cedric was still in there so she cautiously walked in, careful not to run into him in the middle of undressing. But suddenly she heard another voice in there; Cedric and a stranger were having an argument.

"The man was here to watch you play at your best! And what did you give him? Nothing!" saying in a disappointing tone.

"We won! Isn't that enough?" Cedric was quick to fire back with a slight sound of irritation.

"He was recruiting you for their team!"

"How was I to know that he was going to watch? I'm sorry if I did an awful job, it just wasn't my game!" Cedric said in an annoying tone.

"And you were lucky that your mates pulled the rest of the game for you! What's the matter with you? Are you afraid of getting hurt? After that fall?" Now sounding concerned.

"No Dad! It's not that. It just wasn't my game and I know I didn't give it a hundred-percent-"

"Well said! It was a waste of time to come here and watch you play your worst game-" saying in a disgusted tone.

"Is that really necessary Dad? It's bad enough you do this to me at home and you're going to do it at school?"

"You're a better man then you think-"

"I know! You've been telling that my whole life but I don't know how! I'm tired of you saying that! I don't even know what I am anymore-" it was clear that Cedric was angry since he was yelling at his father. "You're the greatest player here! I want you to prove yourself to the whole wizarding world that you are talented-" his father said as if he had to force it out. Then there was a loud slam from the lockers, Charlie jumped and gave a small gasp at the sound as she hid behind the other lockers. Even though she couldn't see them she knew that it was Cedric, he was obviously furious.

There was an eerie silence, she didn't know if there were whispering to each other, eventually she heard his father say, "I'll be waiting outside."

Charlie saw a short, stubby, and bald man pass her in darkness with disappointment written by his body posture.

'Bad idea.' she thought to herself, quickly but quietly she was making her way out when she heard, "It's fine Charlie!" She stood frozen from where she was, 'How did he know?' she mouthed in surprise. In a casual manner she passed the wall of lockers and saw Cedric with his hands over his locker, his head hanging and looking disappointed.

Distant as they were, she felt close enough to know what he was going through. Leaning on the same wall of lockers not looking at him,

"Congratulations." she said in polite manner. Cedric didn't look at her, he simply shook his head, "Just say it already." in an acid tone, and he knew that Charlie was going to compare him to his father.

However, Charlie just shook her head as her eyes wondered around the ceiling, "I can't do that. I promised myself that I wouldn't do that." she told him. Cedric slammed open his locker and started to take off his Quidditch robes, "When did you start doing that?" he asked in moody tone. Shrugging her shoulders she said, "After we attacked each other." sitting down on the bench she continued to not look at him but at the lockers. Cedric stopped as he tried to calm himself down, rubbing his face in frustration he looked over at Charlie, "How bad is it?" he asked her. Charlie was confused by the question, "Excuse me?" she asked.

"How bad is it? Do I sound like him or not?" he said in a vague tone while chuckling at the thought.

"Oh," she tried to cover up, "I though you were asking about the game."

"Forget the game." he told her as he tossed his quidditch robe angrily.

"Well," she hesitated, "I can't be the judge of that." she told him.

Cedric looked stunned, "I'm asking you to be the judge." he told her. Charlie just shook her head, "I didn't want to get involved in this whole mess. I just wanted to tell you congratulations on the game . . . even if you were a big mess out in the field." Shaking his head at her comment, he took off his shirt unintentionally showing off his body to her. Which was well built and Charlie couldn't complain.

Charlie's eyes slowly widened while her face turned a light pink, she was not prepared for this, and slowly she stood up to get out. Cedric was quick to keep her in by talking to her inadvertently, "You know," he started as she turned back around to face him. "I never understood why my father counts on me to do all of this? Why he's so determined to have me work so hard for something he wants me to do." Charlie who was listening but not looking at him, "Why don't you ask him? Instead of wondering."

Facing her now he walked towards her, "I can't! I just can't question him! It's as if I need permission to talk to him or even be real about anything. Like I have to lie to him everytime I talk to him because he always finds way to criticize me. He tells me there's things I can always improve on."

Charlie whose face had slightly turned red, hung her head low so he wouldn't see, "Everyone has something to improve on. It's just the matter of actually doing it." she pointed out while keeping her eyes on the ground, "But I'd say you can change to your own accord. I don't think your father has to tell you how to do it. Besides, I don't think he would like it, if your change was your downfall and he has no one but to blame, but himself."

Cedric now sat by her as he thought about what she had said, Charlie who slowly moved away from him while keeping her head down. Suddenly Cedric moved closer to her when he started talking, "I never thought about it that way. My mother always says, he's just looking out for my interest but I just feel like I'm being pushed down."

There was a long pause "This is ridiculous. You probably don't want to hear about my problems." he said in a low tone. Charlie was taken back by this comment, "It's not ridiculous! Not at all! This just makes you more human then you think! This just shows how you really feel." she said as she tried to make him feel better.

"I hate him." he said it in the most disgusting tone

Charlie looked shocked, "Cedric take that back! You don't hate him." she said in a serious tone.

"I hate him! I can't stand him!" he said as he threw his head back.

"Cedric, he's your father. You can't just-"

"Why not?" he said in a low tone as he stood up.

"Because he's- just because he makes you- Look, that's your father and-" Charlie wasn't sure how to start.

"I can't stand him. He gets on my nerves. I wonder how my mother ever puts up with him."

"Now that's just cruel!" she almost shouted at him as she stood up to face him. "Cedric he might not be the best father in the world but he's the only one you have! No matter how much of a pain he is, or how pushy he is, imagine if you didn't have that?"

"My life would be easier!"

"Yes! Your life would be easier but you wouldn't be well. . . you! You wouldn't be the way you are now! Think about it-"

"But you hate it when I act like my father! You even pointed it out when we were fighting in Professor's Starks class-"

"But that's not the point Cedric! The point is-"

"Am I right?"

"Cedric listen to me- Imagine if you didn't have a father! Take him out of the picture. What would the picture look like now? What would know? Would you know the things now that he taught you? What kind of a man would you be?" she said as she paused to take a breather.

"You certainly wouldn't be who you are! It's those little things that your father teaches you that makes you into a great person" saying in a triumphant tone.

"What do you know about my father?" Cedric argued back.

"I don't know anything about your father but I know enough that he has taught you well! You are who your teachers are. Your father is your teacher, he has taught you things that people crave for and it's all out of love!" she argued back strongly.

Cedric stared at her, studying her. He knew that Charlie was putting her emotions in to this argument because this was something she could relate to.

Charlie stood in front of him, feeling like she was ready to yell at him for being such an idiot but she remained calm. "You are lucky that you have a father who even cares that much. I don't! My father ignores me- he can't even look at me. I'm like the plague and you know why?" she asked him as he looked away in embarrassment. "Because I remind him too much of my mother." Charlie felt as if she was swelling up but kept her composure. "And it's the dumbest reason I've ever heard but, that's okay! I'd rather it be that then something else." she chuckled at the idea but a great deal of pain at the same time.

"No matter how much of a pain your father is, he's the one thing that helps you grow. The one thing you have to do is talk to him. I bet you, you've never had a talk with him about this." Charlie said.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I don't know, that's something you have to figure out."

"That's it?"

"That's what?"

"That's all you're going to say to me? No insults, not sarcasm, no insinuations?"

"No. Because I can't find one. Besides, it's not a subject that could be made fun off. No insults. No sarcasm. No insinuations." Charlie said as she looked down remembering that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Cedric brushed it off as he continued to talk, "You were right though," he said in a dry tone, Charlie's head flicked up again, "Right about what?" she asked him.

"I'm like my father and I hate it. It's as if, this so-called 'fate' has been unkind to me. It's already written for me, my destiny!"

"No, no, no, no." Charlie shook her head in disappointment.

"I really think so!"

"Oh really and what's that?" asking him.

"To be just like my father." Cedric said in a sad tone.

"What, short, stubby and almost bald?" she added in for her amusement and it worked since he gave a hearty laugh, "First you're too tall, I have to look up at the ceiling when I talk to you. Second you're not close to being fat, sometimes I think you don't eat enough, and third you need a haircut. It's getting out of hand." she added on. Cedric was laughing as he ran his hand through his hair.

In the back of Charlie's mind, her girly side suddenly screamed when he did this. Shaking her head to get the thought out of her head.

"Do you really think so?" asking her, Charlie just nodded but he slouched back down again, Leaning back she gave a deep sigh, "You wanna know what I think?" she asked him. Cedric gave a sadistic chuckle, "Is this the part where you add sarcasm?" he told her.

Charlie shook her head and stood up, "Fuck fate!" she said in a strong and meaningful tone. Cedric gave a grin, "I think fate is a stupid thing! It makes no sense. Even if it works to our favor it's still a big load of bull. Cedric, I don't think that's it's your destiny to be like your father. You can be who ever you want to be! And I told you this before, you don't have to listen to other people ." she said in proud tone.

Then a smile was painted across his face, "You know what you're right!" he said, standing up proudly he blurted, "Fuck it!" Charlie looked shocked but she couldn't help but laugh.

"Woah! Where did that come from?" she asked him.

Cedric was enthusiastic about this talk, "Why does this feel so wrong?" asking her, "Because you don't talk like this!" she answered him in blissful tone.

Cedric started to chuckle as he thought about it more and more while Charlie tried not to stare at him without his shirt since she was blushing.

"You have a bad mouth! How do you not care about anything?" Cedric finally asked.

"Excuse me?" Charlie was slightly offended about what he had asked.

"How do you not care about what others think? Or what you do? That's one thing I could never understand about you." he asked.

Charlie swayed as she tried to think of an answer. "I mean, you pretty much just say what's on your mind!" Cedric said as he stood close to her. Taking a small step back, she could smell the sweat and odor coming off from him.

"That comes with a price." she said to him as she made her way back to the lockers so she could lean on it.

"Of course, but I never could see why you do whatever you want? I mean, if I had the chance I'd do-" he stopped.

This made Charlie curious, "If you had the chance, you'd do what?" she asked.