💌🏹

╰┈➤ ❝ [𝐸𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑁] ❞ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-
⁺⤾·˚.⃗.  [ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴍᴏᴜs ᴍɪss
ᴏʟʏᴍᴘɪᴀ ʜᴀʀʀɪɴɢᴛᴏɴ] 𑁍ࠜೄ ･ﾟˊˎ
﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
— Scottish Highlands
( November 25th, 1994. )

                      "𝐎𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍!"

Cassie's voice echoed through the room, Olympia was startled awake by the dormitory door flying open, slamming against the wall with a force that rattled the glass jars on her bedside table, sending a rush of adrenaline through Olympia's veins as her twin sister marched over, brandishing The Daily Prophet in front of her face.

Olympia squinted, still half-asleep, as Cassie waved the paper so aggressively that the letters blurred. But she didn't need to read much to catch the headline: "Diggory's Secret Lover" The photo showed the now-familiar, incriminating scene of her and Cedric in the champions' tent, caught in what looked like a moment of pure romance.

"Cassie!" Olympia groaned, trying to grab the paper. "Could you not do this first thing in the morning?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting you?" Cassie shot back, her eyes narrowing. "I just didn't realize my own twin sister was sneaking around with Cedric Diggory and not telling me!"

Olympia let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her tousled hair. "Cassie, I'm not sneaking around with Cedric! We're just friends, I swear."

"Just friends?" Cassie repeated, disbelief dripping from her words as she shook the newspaper again. "Then care to explain this? Because this definitely doesn't look like just friends!"

The commotion had begun to wake the other girls in the room. Seraphina groaned from her bed, sitting up with a bleary look as she pushed her hair out of her face. "What on earth is going on?" she muttered.

Elvira, in the bed across from Olympia, propped herself up on her elbows, squinting at the scene. "Why are we yelling about Cedric Diggory at—" She glanced at the clock on the wall, "—seven in the morning?"

Cassie didn't hesitate to thrust The Daily Prophet toward both girls, her mouth set in a stubborn line. "See for yourselves. Apparently, Olympia has been hiding some juicy secrets from us."

Elvira's eyes went wide as she skimmed the front page. "Oh. My. Merlin." She quickly sat up fully, her eyes darting between the paper and Olympia. "You're in the Daily Prophet! With Cedric Diggory!"

Seraphina leaned over, peering at the photograph. Her eyebrows shot up as she took in the headline, and her mouth fell open in shock. "Olympia! You never told us you were dating him!"

"I'm not dating him!" Olympia protested, her face flushing a deep crimson. "Cassie, you know me better than this. I didn't hide anything from you because there's nothing to hide! Cedric and I are just friends, and Rita Skeeter has twisted everything to make it sound. . . romantic."

Cassie crossed her arms, giving Olympia a skeptical look. "So, you're saying you just happened to sneak into the champions' tent to see him — alone?"

"Yes!" Olympia replied, exasperated. "I just wanted to wish him good luck! It was a moment of. . . I don't know, friendly encouragement! I didn't think anyone would turn it into this."

Elvira leaned in, eyes gleaming with a mischievous grin. "I don't know, Olympia. I mean, look at this picture. Are you sure you're just friends? Because you two look awfully. . . close."

Olympia shot her a glare. "Oh, you too? Elvira, come on!"

Seraphina, clearly trying to stifle a grin, held up her hands. "Hey, I'm just saying, it's kind of cute."

Cassie let out an exaggerated huff, though Olympia could see a hint of amusement now. "Fine, fine. But just so you know, Olympia, next time you're planning on sneaking off to the champions' tent to get cozy with Cedric Diggory, maybe tell your twin sister first. Deal?"

"Deal," Olympia muttered, rolling her eyes but smiling despite herself. She was a mix of frustration and embarrassment, knowing the rumors would spread like wildfire throughout Hogwarts. She could already hear the whispers in the halls, see the glances in the Great Hall...

Elvira handed the paper back to Olympia, smirking. "Well, if nothing else, it's probably going to be a very. . . interesting day for you."

As Olympia stared down at the picture one last time, she couldn't help but wonder how Cedric was handling the news—and whether this so-called 'secret romance' was the start of something far more complicated than she'd ever intended.

                    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋 was buzzing with the usual morning chatter as students gathered for breakfast. George Weasley, however, barely noticed. His head was face-down on the Gryffindor table, clutching it with one hand as if he were trying to keep it from splitting open. His breakfast sat untouched, the smell of food only intensifying the pounding in his head. Fred, sitting next to him, wasn't in much better shape but managed to sip some pumpkin juice and squint through the hazy fog of sleep deprivation.

The twins had stayed up last night with Oliver and Lee, partying it up in the Gryffindor common room — but now all they felt was regret for the night prior.

"Mate, we should've gone easy last night," Fred muttered, nudging his twin's shoulder.

"Mmrmph," George grumbled, not lifting his head.

Just as George let out a low groan, regretting the previous night's Firewhiskey-fueled mischief, Lee Jordan came striding up to them, grinning mischievously as he held up the Daily Prophet.

"Well, look what your little friend has been up to," Lee said, his voice annoyingly loud, he slapped the newspaper down in front of them.

George barely lifted his head, but the words 'little friend' rang enough of a bell to make him crack open one eye. As he finally looked down, his bloodshot gaze locked onto the paper's front page headline: 'Diggory's Secret Lover' The image below showed Cedric Diggory and Olympia Harrington, standing just inches apart in a moment that looked far more intimate than George wanted to admit. Cedric's gaze was soft as he looked at her, and Olympia, seemingly captivated, was looking right back up at him.

George felt a crushing weight in his chest, like he'd been punched right in the gut. His heart seemed to break a little at the sight, and he immediately felt foolish. After all, he was the one supposedly moving on, wasn't he? He'd been spending more time with Marianna Oakes, she wasn't his girlfriend but with how often they hooked up she may as well been (it had been a constant thing over the past month, ever since that fateful Halloween party.)

But suddenly, all of that meant absolutely nothing as he stared at that photo.

He realized he'd been silent too long when Fred, noticing his brother's horrified expression, looked over George's shoulder and saw the headline. Fred's eyes darkened, and he shot Lee a look that was both protective and annoyed.

"Oi, Lee," Fred said, his voice low and dangerous. "Bugger off, would you?"

Lee raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, looking surprised by the sharpness in Fred's tone. "Alright, alright, no need to be a arse," he muttered before sauntering off to another part of the table, his laughter fading as he went.

Fred turned back to George, who hadn't moved, his eyes still fixed on the photo. "Georgie, mate," Fred said quietly, leaning closer. "It's just Skeeter making drama out of nothing. You know how she is."

George swallowed hard, his throat feeling tight. He forced himself to sit up a bit, trying to muster some of his usual bravado, but he couldn't shake the hollow ache settling in his chest. "Yeah . . I know. It's just — bloody hell, look at them, Fred. She looks happy." He couldn't help the jealousy simmering beneath his words, despite his best efforts to sound unaffected.

Fred gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "She's just friends with him, alright? Whatever Skeeter's saying is rubbish, and you know it."

George forced a weak smile, his mind spinning. He tried to remind himself that he had Marianna, that he had no right to feel so devastated about seeing Olympia with someone else. But the hurt was still there, a dull, persistent ache that wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried to push it down.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the newspaper away, glancing up at Fred with a small, grateful nod. "Thanks, mate. I'll be alright."

But as they sat there in silence, the laughter and chatter of the Great Hall seeming unbearably loud, George knew that it would take more than a few reassuring words to convince himself that he really was fine.

George's bloodshot eyes drifted over to the Hufflepuff table, where Cedric Diggory sat, casually chatting with his friends as if nothing in the world could trouble him. Cedric's relaxed laughter drifted across the hall, and George felt a surge of anger rising up his chest, hot and potent. Despite the lingering effects of the previous night's drinking, the sight of Cedric sitting there, so unaffected, made his head spin with jealousy.

"Look at him," George muttered under his breath, fists tightening on the table. "Like he doesn't have a bloody care in the world."

In his slightly drunken haze, George felt his irritation boiling over, clouding his usual sense of judgment. Every laugh Cedric let out, every easy smile he flashed his Hufflepuff friends felt like a taunt, like he was flaunting his so-called secret romance with Olympia. The image from the newspaper—of Cedric looking down at Olympia with that infuriatingly affectionate expression—flashed in his mind again, making his vision blur with anger.

Fueled by the remaining remnants of last night's Firewhiskey and the twisting ache in his chest, George started to push himself up from the bench, fully intending to march over to Cedric and give him a piece of his mind, maybe even his fist.

But before he could get more than halfway up, a firm hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back down, hard. George found himself sitting again, facing his twin's stern glare.

"Don't be a fuckin' idiot, George," Fred muttered, his voice low and sharp. "Sit down and cool off before you make a scene."

The doors to the Great Hall swung open, and Olympia Harrington walked in with Seraphina and Elvira flanking her, each of them trying to look as casual as possible. But the moment they stepped inside, the entire hall seemed to go still, like someone had cast a silencing charm over the room. Conversations cut off mid-sentence, silverware stopped clinking, and all eyes turned to Olympia.

The weight of the stares hit her all at once, and she felt her cheeks go crimson. She tried to hold her head high, ignoring the whispers that had started buzzing around the room. Seraphina gave her a reassuring nudge, and Elvira flashed a fierce, defiant glare at a group of Slytherins who were openly smirking, but Olympia's heart was hammering in her chest.

Then her gaze fell across the room, straight to the Gryffindor table—and right into George Weasley's eyes.

His expression was hard to read, a mix of frustration, worry, and something else she couldn't quite place. The moment stretched between them, an unspoken conversation in the space of a heartbeat. Olympia could see the tension etched in his face, the way his mouth was set in a tight line, and his gaze burned with an intensity that almost made her look away.

She knew he'd seen the article. The whole school had, by now. The headline was plastered everywhere, the image of her and Cedric still burned into her mind. She swallowed, feeling a painful knot in her stomach. She wanted to explain, to tell him the truth — that she and Cedric were only friends, that it was all blown out of proportion by that vile Rita Skeeter. But now, standing in front of the entire school, with George's eyes on her, she felt trapped, embarrassed, and vulnerable in a way she hadn't expected.

She remembered him the day before, how she felt so safe in his arms — that had meant something to her, but now she felt as if all of it had been shattered.

As Olympia took another shaky step forward, desperately trying to ignore the stares from all sides of the Great Hall, a figure emerged from the Hufflepuff table and made his way toward her. She recognized him instantly — Cedric, striding over with that same effortless confidence that seemed to draw people's attention without him even trying.

Before she could say a word, Cedric reached her, his arm slipping around her shoulders in one smooth, unexpected movement. Olympia stiffened, her cheeks burning as a fresh wave of whispers rippled through the hall. For a second, she was too stunned to react, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what on earth he was doing.

Cedric leaned down, his face close to hers as he whispered softly, "Just play along, alright? No one will say a bloody word to you — not if I can help it. If they want to stare let them."His voice was gentle but firm, filled with a quiet determination that left no room for argument.

Olympia glanced up at him, catching a glimpse of the steely look in his eyes. Despite her initial shock, something about his presence soothed the tension in her chest. His expression was calm, almost protective, and she realized he was putting himself in the spotlight for her, willingly stepping into the storm of rumors swirling around them.

With a small, reluctant nod, she let herself relax slightly under his arm, giving in to his plan. It felt strange, letting herself lean into him like this, but she understood his intent. If he stood by her side confidently, if he didn't flinch in front of the entire school, then maybe — just maybe — the rest of them would lose interest.

Around them, the whispering grew louder, students craning their necks to get a better look at the now not-so-secret 'lovers.' Olympia could feel dozens of eyes on her, but Cedric's arm around her shoulder was a steadying weight, grounding her in the chaos.

Across the hall, her gaze flitted back to George, who was still staring at them, his expression shifting from frustration to something else — hurt, maybe, or anger she couldn't quite decipher. Fred leaned over, saying something to his twin, but George barely acknowledged it, his jaw clenched tightly.

Trying to push down the guilt that rose within her at the look on George's face, Olympia focused on Cedric's reassuring presence beside her. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, a small but comforting gesture, as if to say he had her back.

"Alright?" he whispered again, keeping his voice low, just for her.

She swallowed, nodding. "Alright," she whispered back, though her heart was pounding. It wasn't perfect — far from it — but at least she wasn't facing the judgmental stares alone.

As they neared the tables, Cedric leaned in again, his voice low and confident. "Sit with me this morning," he said, nodding toward the Hufflepuff table. "Your friends are welcome to join, too."

Olympia's eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced quickly at Elvira and Seraphina. The two girls exchanged an excited look, barely able to contain their delight. Elvira's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, and she gave Olympia a quick nod as if to say, Absolutely, we're in.

Seraphina's mouth quirked up in a smile, her expression one of barely contained excitement. She mouthed a silent yes and nudged Olympia encouragingly. For a moment, the scandal of the morning and the piercing eyes of the Great Hall faded into the background, replaced by the thrill of joining Cedric at his table, a bold display that seemed to turn the rumors into a statement of their own.

Olympia, still caught off guard by Cedric's sudden boldness, hesitated. But his arm around her was steady and reassuring, and his warm smile seemed to tell her it was okay, that he wasn't worried about the gossip. With a nod, she managed a small, grateful smile and let him guide her to the Hufflepuff table.

The whispers in the Great Hall grew louder as they reached the Hufflepuff section, the students around them throwing glances and muttering under their breath. Cedric didn't pay any of them the slightest attention, pulling out a seat for Olympia and then gesturing for Elvira and Seraphina to join them. The two girls grinned, slipping into seats with an air of excitement, as though they'd just been invited to the most exclusive spot in Hogwarts.

Cedric took his own seat beside Olympia, his arm no longer around her but his presence still firm and grounding. As they settled in, he leaned over, giving her a reassuring smile. "There. Now, let them talk. They'll get bored soon enough."

Olympia could feel the stares still on them, the quiet buzz of speculation all around, but somehow, with Cedric by her side and her friends around her, it didn't feel as overwhelming. She met his gaze, grateful for his confidence, and felt her own spirits lifting slightly. This wasn't how she'd pictured her morning, but perhaps, with her friends and Cedric by her side, it wouldn't be as terrible as she'd feared.