Cedric was sitting on a bench with a bunch of his mates all around him. They were discussing about the Yule ball that was coming a lot faster than any of them anticipated.

"Ced, so who are you taking?" Robbie one of his friends asked.

"I don't know." Cedric fibbed. He knew exactly who he wanted to take but wasn't sure what her answer would be.

"Hey look Chang, Edgecombe, and their posse are headed here." Ian said.

"Ian will you go to the Yule ball with me?" Marietta asked coming up and approaching them first.

The guys around them all stared at Ian waiting for his next move. Ian stood up and gave a charming smile. Marietta blushed as Ian took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"It would be my pleasure." He said.

The girls around them giggled.

Then Cedric watched one by one as his mates each got a date to the ball. Then he noticed that it was only him and Cho.

"Ask her!" Brice another one of his mates chanted. Then the others began to do so too. "Ask her, ask her!"

Ian tried to stop them but it was fruitless.

Cedric blushed. The chant went on for a whole minute, the girls even joining in.

Cho's face flushed in embarrassment then she turned around quickly. But Cedric still saw the flicker of hurt and embarrassment on her face. Before he knew it, he shot his hand out to grab her.

Cho turned to look up at him questioningly. Everyone around watched them intently. Cedric gave a big gulp, his adam's apple bobbing.

"Would you like to be my date…"

Cho's face broke into a smile then she flushed. "Yes."

Cedric and Cho's mates around them cheered.

Cedric could feel the bile rise up his throat as Cho and the girls waved excitedly at them one last time before leaving, chatting excitedly about what they were going to wear.

Cedric grabbed his bag and swung it onto his shoulder, narrowly missing his mate's head.

"Hey watch it."

"Sorry Brice, I'm headed to the library. See you." He said half heartedly. Then he walked as fast as he could, trying to get away.

Ian ran trying to catch up to him but it was too late. "Oh Ced." He said sadly before he began to walk back to the bench.

"What's wrong with you?" Robbie asked as Ian sat back down and put his head between his legs.

"A lot of things." He said before getting up and getting his textbook. Then whacked Brice on the head with it.

"Hey!"

"You're an idiot." Ian said before leaving too, headed to the common room.

!

Cedric slipped into the chair right across from hers. Hermione looked up smiling at him. "Hey."

Cedric opened his mouth then closed it.

Hermione's eyebrows lifted.

"I'm taking Cho to the Yule ball." He blurted at last.

"Oh." Hermione said looking at him wide eyed. "That, that's great, I'll bet you two will be the envy of the ball." Hermione said plastering a fake smile on.

Cedric just looked at her happy face. He didn't know what to say but he did expect her to have some kind of reaction. But this wasn't the one he wanted. Truthfully he wanted her to show any kind of emotion except happiness.

"I have to put these away." Hermione said as she stood up.

"I'll help."

"No, it's fine Cedric. Don't you have to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Yes." Cedric muttered.

Hermione laughed. "Study." She said before walking to the book shelves.

Cedric watched her go grimly. He laid his head against the textbook and groaned.

About 15 pages into his textbook, Cedric's attention snapped to the Bulgarian Seeker that just sat down right at the desk in front of theirs, facing him. Cedric saw the guy open a piece of parchment. Then for the first time he saw the guy smile.

Then the Bulgarian Seeker stood up and left though not without a glance at the booksehelves still smiling. Cedric couldn't believe his eyes. He never would've guessed that Krum had more than just his single somber expression.

Minutes later Hermione sat down in her seat placing her textbooks back down. Cedric looked at her then the books that were just placed on the table.

"Didn't you just return two books? And now you have three. Oh merlin."

"Oh hush." Hermione said cracking a smile.

!

Time to find a date for the Yule ball was diminishing by the second and Hermione was ready to throttle both Harry and Ron. Even though Harry had promised to find out about the egg, he'd done absolutely nothing but pine over Cho Chang! What was so good about her anyway? She only had straight perfect hair. she was also smart and both a seeker. Hermione shook her head. She had to stop herself. It wasn't worth it. Cho Chang was a nice person and she didn't deserved to be badmouthed just because Cedric asked her to the ball.

Then Ron. Oh Ronald Weasley. Even for a guy he was too judgmental, then had the nerve to declare she was a girl like as if he'd found the eighth world wonder. But at least she had the satisfaction of telling him that she already had a date. Yet even then the bloody git thought she was lying.

!

"Who's your date to the ball?" Cedric demanded as he sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"I'm not telling you." Hermione said as she took a bite of her meal.

"But, but… Please."

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand so that she wouldn't laugh at Cedric's pitiful expression.

"That's not going to work with me Diggory. You'll see tomorrow like everyone else."

" Well." Cedric sighed. "I tried."

"And you were so close." Hermione said earnestly.

"Really?"

"Nope."

"That was mean."

Hermione shrugged. "So have you figured out the egg?"

"Ugh." Cedric groaned. "Nooooo. I've looked through every book I can think of too."

"Well at least you're doing something productive. Harry's making me worried. He hasn't even opened the egg except the one time at the celebration in the common rooms." Hermione sighed. "I wish he would be more like you and just try to find the answers. He's worrying me to death. I swear if he keeps doing this he will give me a heart attack by the end of this competition."

Cedric listened but with a pained heart. He knew that Harry Potter meant a lot to Hermione Granger but…

"Hey what's pretty boy doing here?" Ron asked impatiently.

Both Hermione and Cedric looked up at him and Harry next to him.

Cedric noticed that Harry was slightly glaring at him. He gave him a confused look.

"Is he your date to the ball?" Ron demanded.

Hermione opened her mouth but Harry beat her to the punch.

"No he's taking Cho Chang." Harry said.

"Oh." Ron said. "Then what's he doing here?"

"He's here Ronald because I invited him." Hermione said looking pointedly at Ron. "And Harry for goodness sakes stop glaring at Cedric, you're making him uncomfortable, it's only a girl."

Cedric looked at Hermione not sure what was going on. Then it clicked. His mouth opened to make the shape of an O.

"Oh sit down you two." Hermione said. Harry and Ron took a seat across from the two.

Hermione turned to look at Cedric. She smiled and gave a small laugh as she saw Cedric's expression hadn't changed. She took her finger and closed his mouth as she shook her head. Then muttered boys.

Neither noticed Ron glaring at them, Harry's bewildered expression, or the whole hall's attention on the four of them.

!

"Harry I didn't know I'm sorry." Cedric said as he walked the three of them to the Gryffindor common rooms.

"Huh?" Harry turned to look at him.

"I honestly didn't know that you were keen on Cho, if I did I wouldn't have…"

"Oh." Harry said a bit uncomfortable. "It's fine."

"Yeah right." Ron muttered as he listened to the conversation.

"Oh honestly Ron." Hermione said before elbowing him hard.

"Hey what was that-" He stopped as he saw Hermione's glare.

"Well here's our common rooms." Harry said awkwardly.

"Um." Hermione said.

"I'll block my ears." Cedric said before casting a spell so that he wouldn't hear the password.

"Uh see you." Harry said going into the common rooms first.

Ron stood there waiting. He had his hands folded across his chest.

"I'll be taking him with me then." Harry said as he took hold of Ron.

"Harry wait." Ron protested.

But at last it was only Hermione and Cedric.

Hermione looked up to see his face.

"Save me a dance tomorrow night?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Bye Cedric." Hermione said before entering the common room.

Cedric stared as the portrait door closed.

"You look like you're in love."

Cedric blinked. "Sorry?"

"You have that look." The Fat lady said knowingly.

Cedric blushed. "Um I'm going to go now."

"Don't give up on her. I think she's keen on you too." She winked.

"Really?" Cedric stopped.

"I know and hear everything that happens behind this door. And you are quite the looker boy. A little pale for my taste but-"

"Sorry uh I have to go." Cedric said uncomfortable now.

_____

Pic on the side is Ian!