"How did you do this?" I asked as I broke down in happy tears. "Well it took a lot of planning and some help from your favorite Hufflepuff." Toria says from behind me. "You didn't-" I start, but that voice I know so well cuts me off. "They did." Cedric smirks at me in that charming way of his. "Aw you didn't have to do anything for me, Ced. You've already been so kind." I smile through the happy tears. "Oh come on, I'd do anything for my favorite Gryffindor!" He swings an arm around my shoulders as we laugh. We had gotten closer in the past month or so after working on a project together, in one of my advanced classes. He was like my big brother, but some people thought he was...more. I don't think he feels that way and I couldn't tell you how I feel right now, I'm confused and stressed to say the least. I looked up at my other friends an7d, for a moment, I swear I saw hurt flash in George's eyes. It couldn't be, could it?

~~~Time skip~~~

"You're telling me Minerva McGonagall knows about this and is mental enough to trust you three? Or was it more of a Cedric is with it, so she was with it type of thing?" I ask as Cedric, Toria, the twins, and I sit at the Hufflepuff table for lunch. This morning had gone swimmingly, I woke up between George and Ced, and saw Toria and Freddie making breakfast. The smell of bacon and coffee was amazing, and the rest of the day went by quickly until now. "It was more of a me and Toria type of thing. I charmed Minerva, and she did the talking." Ced laughs and smiles at Toria. She just rolls her eyes, but nods at me. "Well, thank you! I have to go to!" I say as I look at the clock. "Alrighty, same time same place tonight?" Ced asks with a wink. "Yeah, of course!" I smile and run off with Toria.  We run towards charms, but she stops me just before we get to the door. "What're you doing? We're going to be late!" I whine. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask...are you and Cedric-" I stop her  before she can finish. "No. No we aren't and I don't know how I feel so don't ask." I say and push past her, feeling a slight heat rise to my cheeks. 

~~~time skip~~~

"Come on, You've got to feel something for him! Honestly, you and him would be a gorgeous power couple." Toria raves as I get ready to meet at our spot. We had been meeting in a tree near the black lake to spend time together, me and Ced. Both of our lives had gotten busy so we bribed a prefect to let us hang out after curfew by the lake. "It's not like that! If it was, you would've known by now! I tell you everything." Well almost everything. "But--" she starts, but I cut her off. No if's, and's, or but's. Got it?" I tell her. "Fine..." She sighs, "but I want all the details when you get back." She then flops onto my bed. With that, I stalk out the door.

~~~time skip~~~

"Ced? Cedric? Diggory?" I quietly call into the darkness of the canopy of our tree near the lake. I slowly climb up into it, so I don't fall, and still there's not a sign of Cedric even being remotely close by. Has he forgotten? Or is he bribing another perfect because he's been caught? Is he okay? Has he found someone else to talk with? Is he purposely blowing me off? Has he gone off somewhere and gotten lost in the forest? Maybe some nasty creature has captured him! No, no, that's not like him. He's too smart for that. Is he ever going to show up? Maybe he's sick? It feels as though I've been sitting here for hours, and in fact I have. My watch says three, and curfew is twelve, might as well go back to my dorm...

~~~Author's Note~~~

Hello Lovelies! I am alive! I will be writing more, it's just that the writers block for this specific story is quite hellish, to say the least. So, I'm working on it. Thank you for the patience, and sorry for the inconvenience. 

Read, Think, and Be Merry!

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AESMC Ulicny