Today's the first day of school and schedules came in late last night, so I haven't had a chance to see who I have classes with.

At about 7 I wake and get dress for school in my fresh, crisp Slytherin robes. I missed these. I take my time getting ready and once I'm done I head over to the Great Hall.

I scan the hall for familiar faces, I spot Blaise and almost start towards him, until I see Draco and decide I shouldn't. Instead I go sit with Luna.

"Y/n! How are you, how's it like being back in Slytherin?" Luna asks making room for me.

"It's great, a better fit than Hufflepuff was," I announce sweetly, taking a seat next to her.

As I served myself some bacon and eggs I ask Luna about Neville and how things are going.

"They're great! After I sent him my so called 'love letter' he said he felt the same," Luna chimes. "Neville said he likes me too and now he's sweeter than ever. Sometimes he'll bring me flowers in the morning before class, or write me sweet little notes and slide them under my door." She smiles, her eyes glittering with love.

"That's sweet," I giggle.

After breakfast I say goodbye to Luna and walk down the corridors to my first class: DADA. Though I missed the sorting hat ceremony I've heard whispers that Professor Lupin is no longer teaching. Which is pretty upsetting, he was one of my favorite teachers.

I walk into the almost empty classroom and take a seat in the front of the class over by the left. As I wait for the class to fill up I start unpacking my materials for the class.

As I wait for class to start I decide to sketch out some detailed drawings of my favorite creatures. Until I feel someone poke my shoulder, catching me off guard.

"Hey Y/n," Cedric says with a grin,

dragging out my name.

I stop him before he can take a seat next to me, "Actually, I'm saving this seat for my other friend," I announce blocking him off from the seat trying to hold back my smile.

His eyes turn over to the door and coincidently Anthony walks in. Cedric turns to him raising a brow. I shrug, just rolling with the punches.

"You're saving this seat for him? I'd be doing you a favor you know, I'd be saving you from his dry humor and dad jokes," Cedric announces.

I playfully roll my eyes and pull out the chair for him.

"Alright everyone! In your seats, in your seats!"

Everybody turns their heads to the entrance of the classroom and observes our new DADA teacher as he makes his way to the chalkboard writing his name.

He limped a bit when he walked, was short and had a glass eye that would move wildly at a rapid pace from left to right, right to left.

Once our new professor finished writing his name on the chalkboard he went onto verbally introduce himself as well. "I'm your new professor for DADA, Professor Moody."

Me and Cedric exchange a glance.

"Today, you'll be learning about the three unforgivable curses," he says in a serious tone.

Moody breaks to pull out a bottle from his coat and take a sip from it before sliding it back into his coat.

DADA was...interesting to say the least. Moody showed us each of the three unforgivable curses: Crucio, Imperio and Avada Kedavra. And even though he did all his spells on a spider it was still hard to watch. It was a little much for the first day I thought, but what better way to make a first impression I guess.

Once the bell rings Moody dismisses the class, but keeps Neville after to check up on him. It was clear that the curses were getting to him.

"Geez he's a bit intense don't you think?" I ask Ced as we walk out of Moody's class.

"He seems like a complete nutter to me, not intense," Cedric says.

"True, maybe he'll leave after this year."

We stay in silence for a moment both thinking about what the rest of the year will look like with Moody as our teacher

"Do you have a free period right now?" Cedric asks gesturing towards the courtyard.

I nod and follow him.

We take a seat on the grass under a tree that provides us with much shade.

After a moment of silence we both decide to speak up at the same time and laugh.

"You go first," Cedric says.

"What're you studying to be?" I ask. "It's sixth year now and well- our Professors told us last year that we should drop the classes we think won't be useful towards our careers."

Cedric smiles pleased by my curiosity, "I'm planning on being an Auror."

"Of course you would," I chuckle.

"What? What's wrong with wanting to an Auror?" He asks playfully.

"I just mean I couldn't picture you doing anything else. Cedric Diggory future Auror," I laugh, motioning my hand in front of me for each word. "So, with that said, what classes do you have to take this year?"

"This year I get to take DADA, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology," he responds.

I quirk and an eyebrow at his last class.

"I know, as silly as it seems Herbology's recommended for future Aurors," Cedric says. "And you? what do you want to be?"

I hum.

"I'm not entirely sure yet, I'm thinking maybe a Legislator for the Ministry, but I'm not sure. It sort of seems a bit dull like a boring old desk job. But it also seems stable." I say weighting my options. "I've also thought about being an editor for a publication, like a newspaper, a magazine a publishing company, you know?"

Cedric nods.

"Luna said her father would love to have me work over at the Quibbler for him," I smile to myself. "I just thought that was the sweetest. But I ask feel like I'd get bored of that too."

Cedric laughs, "Does everything bore you?"

"You could always become an Auror with me," he says with a grin. "Or you could start with one career and end up in a totally different one in two years."

"An Auror with you?" I ask. "I was kind of planning on ditching you after school."

We both laugh as Cedric pulls me into his side wrapping his arms around me.

"Y/n if it was up to me, I'd never want to be separated from you—even after Hogwarts," he laughs.

"Just give it time, you'll get tired of me soon enough."

"Not possible," he says resting his chin atop my head.

I smile like a total idiot as his words ring in my ear.

"You should join the Quidditch team," Ced says.

"I think it's a bit late for that now. Besides I like being able to cheer for you in the stands," I reply.

"Have you ever been on a broom before?"

"A couple times, I took a Quidditch class in my first year."

"But you haven't been on one since?" he asks.

"Yup."

Cedric pulls me back a bit so our faces meet, "Really?" I nod. "Hm, come to the Quidditch field at 8. All the practices will be done by then."

I chuckle, "Are you going to give me Quidditch lessons?"

"Not necessarily, but something along those lines."

*Bell rings*

---

Later that night—as instructed—I make my way down to the field and see Cedric in the air on his broom.

I spot Y/n at the bottom of the field and lower myself down onto the field, dismounting my broom.

Given that my practice just ended 10 minutes ago I had to rush to take a shower to be here on time. I was the first one to leave the locker room, everyone else is still in there and I kind of timed it like this on purpose too. I know that if my teammates see me and Y/n together they're bound to say or do something dumb and taunt us for being together and I just wanted to see Y/n's reaction to this.

"Hey Y/n, take this," I say holding out my broom to her. "Mount it first, but don't take off."

She nods taking the broom from my hand and doing as I said. I then sit behind her on the broom.

"Is this ok?" I ask after noticing her tense up a bit. "I can get another broom if you want, I just figured it'd be better this way for your sake."

Y/n quickly turns her head to the side, "No! I mean no," she says clearing her throat. "I'm bound to fall off if I have my own broom."

"Alright," I laugh. "So since you're the closest to the tip of the broom you have majority control over it, so don't kill us or anything. I can still control the broom, but just not as much."

"Don't kill you, check."

I roll my eyes, "Ok, whenever you're ready."

It was a rough start at first. Y/n was hesitant to leave the ground in the beginning, even after I assured her that I would step in if things got too bad. But that didn't seem to ease her like how'd I hoped. We stayed on the ground for 10 minutes as Y/n mentally prepared for take off.

But it was fine though, anytime spent with her is time well spent.

Eventually, Y/n got over her nerves and we were able to leave the ground. Granted she took us up at a 90 degree angle and at a very rapid pace. But at least we got off the ground.

After a few minutes of struggling to keep the broom steady she eventually got the hang of it, just like I knew she would.

"So what do we do now, just roam in the sky?" she asks.

"If you'd like," I respond. "I find it very relaxing."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it."

Just as Y/n starts to head off in a new direction the Hufflepuff Quidditch team piles out of the locker room.

"Ced is that you?" One shouts squinting up at us.

"No you thickhead," another sarcastically replies to him. "It's Dumbledore."

"Who's that with you?"

"That's Y/n Y/l/n," Anthony says turning to the team.

"Awwww are they on a date?" One mocks.

"I ship it to be honest," Anthony responds to him.

I turn my attention back to Y/n, "They're just being dumb. Don't listen to them."

She laughs, "It doesn't bother me to be seen with you Ced. Their dumb jokes don't bother me either."

So she doesn't mind people coupling us up together? Good to know.

After about half an hour of flying around on my broom, she lowers us down onto the field.

"So, did you have fun?" I ask taking my broom.

"Yeah, it was nice. The air and the stars are so much clearer when you're higher up in the sky."

"You'll tryout for your Quidditch team then?" I ask with a grin.

"Yeah right! The Slytherin team has no room for rookies like me."

This is definitely not the right time to be asking this, but it's been gnawing at me for so long now and I can't stand not knowing.

"Why did you choose Malfoy?" I blurt out. "Wait, I- I didn't mean it like that-"

"Its fine," she sighs. "You have a right to know," she says sitting on the field.

I take a seat beside her and set my broom down on the other side of me.

"Its just- I was so sure you liked me then, back in fourth year and then I hear that you and Draco got together shortly after I asked you out to the ball. Did you even want to go to the ball with me, or did you just feel bad?" I ask.

"Ced, of course I wanted to go to the ball with you! I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't want to," she responds. "And you're right, I did like you in fourth year. Hell, I liked you more than I should've for having just met you."

"So, why did you choose Malfoy over me?"

"I'm a very practical person you see, and jumping into a relationship—with a person I had just met— is something that I would never do." Y/n sighs. "Even though I knew you were the sweetest guy and had only good intentions, well there's just things I couldn't calculate. Like if you like me or not, if you just wanted me as a friend, and several other factors."

"I'm not trying to say you were a risk because obviously you weren't," she clarifies. "But, on the other hand, I had known Draco since first year, he had been my friend since then. He also openly admitted that he liked me shortly after I had met you and when he told me I was uncertain about my feelings for him. But I knew he didn't allow himself to be vulnerable with just anyone."

"Stop me if I get to rambling," she chuckles, "But I just want to make sure you understand everything.

I take her hand in mine lacing my fingers through hers and give her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Thanks," Y/n smiles.

"So, though I wasn't sure about my feelings for Draco at the time, I knew that there was still a spark between me and him. And I wasn't going to give that up so easily, he may have had his flaws but he never treated me the same as he did anyone else. Which stupidly made me feel incredibly special. But I also knew I had your attention as well."

"And even though I knew that, I think I lead you on a lot more than I should have which is just cruel and for that I'm so sorry," she says meeting my eyes before averting them to the ground. "But I liked you so much I didn't want to let you go, I didn't want our chance at being more than friends to disappear."

Y/n looks out at the field in front of her, hesitating to proceed.

"It's alright darling, I'm listening. I'm glad you're telling me this," I say.

Merlin, I couldn't handle seeing Y/n cry, not right now.

I wrap my arm around her, drawing small circles into her arm.

"You could never lose me Y/n."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I place a warm kiss on her head.

She exhales, "So, since Draco had already told me how he felt and I knew that I also felt something for him I said and did things I couldn't take back, so I had to give us a fair shot. But regardless of my actions, him telling me he liked me was enough for me to give us a chance. So I had to let you go in order to jump into things with him wholeheartedly."

"It was so exciting experiencing love for the first time and so much more comforting to experience it with someone whom I already knew," Y/n chuckles. "My feelings for you didn't necessarily go away Cedric, they were suppressed and therefore dwindled over time. While I was with Malfoy I didn't think of you like that anymore."

"Make no mistake though, I've always loved you, you've always held a special place in my heart. And when things were over with Draco and I, over some time time of course. I naturally clicked with you again, and I knew that whatever happened I wasn't going to let you go—not again."

"Alright that's all I have to say, I'm done," she says with a soft smile.

I can't even begin to count how many nights I'd lost sleep over this question. How many nights I went to sleep angry over the fact that Y/n chose Malfoy over me. But after hearing her side of the story and why she did everything that she did I couldn't hold it against her.

Malfoy got to her first and she was most comfortable with him. Which hurts, but I couldn't blame her, she had just met me. I had already known my feeling for Y/n the day we first met in the library, I knew how sure I was of her and now I know that she felt the same towards me.

But does she still feel the same about me now that Malfoy's gone?

Do I risk telling her knowing it might cause us our friendship?

Things with us have been so good as of lately, it's given me hope.

Should I tell her that she was the only person I could think about the whole summer and that it pained so much that I wasn't able to see her? Or would it be too much too soon?

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