Date: 17 March 2005
Characters: Katie Bell, Cedric Diggory
Location: St. James' Park, Exeter, then dinner
Status: Private (albeit in a public place)
Summary: Cedric & Katie go to a football game, rather than a pub, for St. Patrick's Day.
Completion: Complete
(
The British National Pastime )
Comments 42
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Slipping an arm around her waist he tucked her against his side. "Hang on tight," and with a little twist, Disapparated them both to an alley he'd spotted the day before when checking things. He'd never been to the park before, and had wanted to know exactly how to get there. They weren't too far away now, and slipped out of the alley into a small crowd of fan-dressed Muggles headed down the pavement and then jay-walking across Old Tiverton Road towards Stadium Way and St. James Park.
"That's where we're going," Cedric told her. "You mentioned being interested in football, and well, I like about any sport. I reckon I should start learning a bit about the British National Pastime instead of just the American," then more softly, "and the Wizarding."
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"And yeah, any excuse to go to a game -- of some kind. I miss it, the excitement." He glanced down at her as they merged with the walking crowd. "I reckon you miss it more.
"And I'm glad your trust didn't turn out to be misplaced." He grinned and pointed through the iron gates. "Since we don't need to buy tickets, we can just go in. Show the blokes your pass, and then we can find our spot in the stands. I think these are sit-down seats, instead of the standing ones. I didn't want to stand for two hours."
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Bending a little, he ticked points off on his fingers. "One, you work hard. Two, you're capable of figuring things out on your own. You don't have to be told what to do -- that's the makings of a leader, right there. So, so many people aren't able to do that.
"Third, you are charming, and you can phrase things carefully -- but you also tell the truth. One of the things I like best about you is that you don't just nod and agree with me. If I say something you don't think makes sense, you let me know. I've really come to value that. It makes me trust you when you do agree with me. But you also don't phrase ( ... )
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"And," she added, rolling her eyes, "you think I'm going to hit you for telling me I'm young and pretty? Merlin Cedric, I may be bad at taking compliments, but I'm not that bad ( ... )
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He blushed at her teasing. "Hey, I just ... like things to be correct. And are you sure you don't want that lecture on Macedonians?" He smirked at her expression. "Actually, I couldn't give it even if you wanted it. Don't know that much, just know he wasn't a Greek ( ... )
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She was rambling as they walked up the steps to the area where the canteens were, "Okay, the sport itself isn't quite as exciting as...the one I used to play. I mean, they're running and kicking - it's excessively simple. But it doesn't stop it from being exciting, although part of that is the enthusiastic crowd. The little things become more meaningful, especially since there is so little scoring - the steals, the particularly nice footwork, hitting it off the top of their head....I still maintain this would be better if you were playing it yourself, but it's been brilliant to watch too." Laughing, she added, "Maybe that's just a part of my ( ... )
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He nodded at the idea of escaping the rush, and having dinner before football shopping. Taking her hand to be certain they weren't separated -- and no, the hug had nothing to do with his desire to hold her hand, he told himself -- he eeled his way out of the stands. Even leaving the park in the first stampede didn't keep them from being jostled and he gripped her fingers. "Don't want to lose you," he said over his shoulder. He was taller, so he tried to break a path through the crush.
The start of music made him pause and look back with Katie. Things were thinning out now so he let her hand go ... maybe a bit reluctantly, but he no longer had any good reason to be holding it. Except, well, that he'd sort of liked holding it ( ... )
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"Ok, no more Cannons and Quidditch talk I promise," she told him, placing her hand to her heart. "I've just been a little too struck by some similiarties since we got here."
They were hardly alone, with all the people from the stadium milling around them, but it felt a little more isolated. "This was a lot of fun," she told him honestly, "a lot of fun. I'd never really thought of actually going to a game here in Exeter." She had the ( ... )
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"And take-away is fine by me. I'm actually feeling a bit energized. I'd just as soon go and do something instead of sit down and eat."
He followed her to the sporting goods shoppe and kept biting his tongue at the look of fascinated inquiry she turned on everything. When she pointed out the face masks and suggested it to protect his head, he laughed. "Well, I'd only need that if we were playing with a puck on ice. It's for hockey. And there's a brutal sport for you, as bad as Quidditch, but I heard plenty about it. It's sort of the Canadian national sport ( ... )
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Katie waited for Cedric to set the food down, before she unpacked the dishes and casting warming charms on them. That should last until they came back in. "Who needs a microwave when we have this 'technology'?" she pointed out, placing the last charm on one of the chicken dishes.
Accepting the track bottoms Cedric rummaged around for, Katie found the washroom to change. The bottoms were much too large, but a shrinking spell later, and they were practically tight. Much easier than rolling them up, since they'd be more than likely to slip down with any sort of activity. She would just have to counteract with an engorgio later, and they should be as good as knew. She would have made some comment on how they smelt like ( ... )
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"But when I said it might take a little before I was ready to see them -- as a them, not as individuals -- I could tell she didn't entirely understand why, if it were in public, and maybe was a bit hurt, or put out. I'm not sure she got it, or why I left Ron's party when I saw her there with Roger. She's much more logical than me. And it wasn't that they were doing anything, it was just ... " He shook his head, hoping Katie understood what he was getting at because he wasn't having much luck hanging words on it ( ... )
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He smiled at her observation that she did listen to him. "I know you do. But I also ... sometimes I think there are people who do like the competition side of it. There's got to be some challenge, something on the horizon, some new conquest. Maybe it's a male thing, but I know men like that. Maybe it's evolutionary but it missed me ( ... )
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"Hermione as replacement for Gwen or not," she told Cedric, "I know this is a novel concept - but stop thinking in terms of what worked, or even didn't, with Gwen. This is going to sound incredibly hurtful, but think about it - the two of you didn't work out. If it wasn't coming here, wouldn't there have been something else back in Toronto that would have ended things anyway? Don't judge relationships by that standard, it's never going to work if you do. Even the 'right' similarities with what you had with Gwen - each woman is unique, don't ( ... )
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