DUSK; Cedric Diggory

Chapter 49

One new thing Ophelia learned this year was that Hufflepuffs could party. Everyone knew that the Gryffindors held most of the loudest parties, but the Hufflepuffs have had an ongoing celebration for Cedric over the weekend in the common room, and she was pretty exhausted.

"I'm going to regret this in the morning, aren't I?" Ophelia said, slumping onto the couch in the Hufflepuff common room next to Luca, an almost empty bottle of firewhiskey in her hand.

Luca glanced at the firewhiskey and snatched it, taking a large gulp straight from the bottle. "Yup, but we're too far gone, so might as well get even more wasted."

"Hear hear," Ophelia slurred. "Where's Ced?"

Luca pointed to the other side of the room, where Cedric was busy getting congratulated by a group of girls, two of them draping themselves on him. "Those bitches—" Ophelia said angrily, stumbling a bit as she got to her feet.

"Calm down," Luca rolled his eyes, pulling Ophelia back down on the couch. One of the girls were Cho—Merlin knows how she got into the common room without an invite, and she kept glancing over at Ophelia, all while whispering into Cedric's ear. Ophelia stood up again, taking another the firewhiskey from his hands before stomping over.

"Whatever," Luca muttered to himself, staring at a Durmstrang boy across the room, who had also mysteriously got in with a lazy smirk. "You go do that."

Ophelia finished the last bit of firewhiskey with a large gulp, leaving it on a table as she made her way through the room.

"I don't believe we've met,"

She blinked her eyes, her blurry vision making out a curly, blonde haired boy. Glancing over at Cedric, who was still in the company of the girls, she smiled sweetly back at the Hufflepuff, reaching her hand out for him to shake. "Ophelia." she introduced. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Josh," he replied with a grin. "Care for a drink?"

She unsubtly looked at Cedric again, and found his eyes trained on her with furrowed eyebrows. "Care for a dance instead?"

Josh's grin widened, and put his hands on her waist. Ophelia didn't like the way his hands gripped her waist tightly, but she was too drunk to care, and let him pull her closer to his chest. She glanced across his shoulder, and Cedric's eyes narrowed at her, brushing Cho Chang's hand off his arm.

"Ahem,"

Josh turned his head to look at Cedric, who had made his way across the room, not noticing the way his eyes drifted to his dangerously low hands. "Ced!" he beamed happily. "Good job on the first task, mate!"

Cedric cleared his throat. "Thanks." he nodded to Ophelia's waist. "Er..would you mind taking your hands off my girl?"

"Your girl?" Josh said, looking at Ophelia in shock, who had not stopped staring at Cedric. "Sorry man, I didn't know." he stepped away from her, putting his hands up in the air. "lucky guy, you are."

Cedric hummed and waved goodbye politely.

"Look who it is!" Ophelia exclaimed, finding another glass of spiked punch on a nearby table. She should really stop. "How's the fan club? I don't think I've said a word to you all night since Luca and I got here."

"Fee," Cedric ran his hands through his messy hair. "Give me that."

"What are you, my dad?" Ophelia retorted childishly, deliberately drinking another sip, wincing at the burn in her stomach.

"That would be a bit weird," Cedric replied. "Fee, give me the drink. Please."

"There's the magic word!" she pointed at him. "But I'll pass, thanks."