C/C Short Piece - "Saturday"
By c0nvolution
It’s a Saturday in September, and it’s raining. Cedric Diggory is standing near the Quidditch pitch. Getting soaked. Not exactly his idea of a nice date, no no no. He hates the rain.
“Chang!” He shouts, squinting. He can make out a little blue-striped speck weaving through the grey clouds. A peal of laughter punctures the air as she does a fancy little loop-de-loop. Show off.
The rain mats his hair down to his cheeks, water running like rivers down the lines of his face. With an exasperated sigh, he gets his broom and flies up after her, much more cautiously, his gaze focused the will o’ the wisp doing insane tricks in the air.
“Chang!” He tries again. He hears her laughing.
She zips past him, shouting, “You’re no fun, Diggory!” She’s such a mischievous little thing.
Someone’s got to put Chang in her place, he thinks, as she spins and twirls through the sky. He’ll show her. It isn’t like he’s the captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team for nothing.
With an abrupt start he begins speeding after her, the rain cutting into his face like cold darts. She shrieks at the sudden chase and rushes away, spiraling dangerously between the buildings, then zooming low and fast over the forest. She pauses for a split-second when she gets over the lake, glancing quickly over her shoulder to see if he’s still following her. She doesn’t see anything though, just the lake scintillating beneath her and stretches of grey sky for miles. For all of her seeker skills, she fails to notice Cedric plummeting down from above her, coming to a screeching halt but two inches from the top of her head.
“Hello there.” He says, grinning down at her.
She, quite startled, looks up. “Oh. Hello.”
He eases his broom down so his eyes are level with hers. “Done running away?” He asks, softly.
She shrugs, tilting her face down so that the rain runs off her slick hair and down her pointed chin.
“You’re going to catch a cold,” He says, to fill the silence. “Come here.” He deftly arranges his broom so that it’s right next to hers, and wraps one rain-soaked arm around her slight shoulders.
“Somehow, I don’t think that’ll help much.” She says, teasing. A crackle of lightening splinters the sky, and a growl of thunder answers it. Cedric shivers.
“Believe it or not, I’ve had a bit of a fear of thunderstorms ever since I was a little boy, you know. This is taking a lot of effort on my part to be up here with you.”
If it’s at all possible, the rain begins to fall even harder.
Cho smiles a bit at his admission. She has a funny little grin, the slightest quirk of her lips to signify her amusement. “Well, color me shocked and amazed!” She exclaims, mockingly. “Hear that, Hogwarts? Cedric Diggory has just admitted to having a real fear.”
He grimaces in pretend hurt, bringing one hand over his heart. “Oh, that cuts me deep, Chang.”
Don’t be such a sensitive prat.” She admonishes, lightly. She reaches over and musses his wet hair, lets her fingers wind through his thick curls. “We’d better get out of this rain.” Without so much as a second glance, she darts away, and soon disappears from his sight.
He takes a moment to stay completely still, hovering over the lake, rain in his eyes. He lets his eyes drift shut, and the raindrops trickle down the bridge of his nose, linger cool and wet on his mouth. Several minutes pass like this. He exhales. When he opens his eyes, ready to chase after the elusive Chang yet again, he’s greeted with a bit of a surprise. A smile slowly crosses his lips.
It’s her, her face so near that he can feel her every breath. How could he not have sensed her so near? “Honestly, could you be any slower?” She quips. “I’ve been waiting all day-”
He cuts her off. Kisses her. Reluctantly lets her go- “You know Chang, this was supposed to be my date…”
She smiles again, a bit coyly, this time. “I’ve think you’ve got it all wrong…”
“No, not at all. Because this date is mine… because you are mine…”
For a moment, he thinks he does not dislike the rain so much, after all.
It’s a Saturday in September, and it’s raining. Cedric Diggory is standing near the Quidditch pitch. Getting soaked. Not exactly his idea of a nice date, no no no. He hates the rain.
“Chang!” He shouts, squinting. He can make out a little blue-striped speck weaving through the grey clouds. A peal of laughter punctures the air as she does a fancy little loop-de-loop. Show off.
The rain mats his hair down to his cheeks, water running like rivers down the lines of his face. With an exasperated sigh, he gets his broom and flies up after her, much more cautiously, his gaze focused the will o’ the wisp doing insane tricks in the air.
“Chang!” He tries again. He hears her laughing.
She zips past him, shouting, “You’re no fun, Diggory!” She’s such a mischievous little thing.
Someone’s got to put Chang in her place, he thinks, as she spins and twirls through the sky. He’ll show her. It isn’t like he’s the captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team for nothing.
With an abrupt start he begins speeding after her, the rain cutting into his face like cold darts. She shrieks at the sudden chase and rushes away, spiraling dangerously between the buildings, then zooming low and fast over the forest. She pauses for a split-second when she gets over the lake, glancing quickly over her shoulder to see if he’s still following her. She doesn’t see anything though, just the lake scintillating beneath her and stretches of grey sky for miles. For all of her seeker skills, she fails to notice Cedric plummeting down from above her, coming to a screeching halt but two inches from the top of her head.
“Hello there.” He says, grinning down at her.
She, quite startled, looks up. “Oh. Hello.”
He eases his broom down so his eyes are level with hers. “Done running away?” He asks, softly.
She shrugs, tilting her face down so that the rain runs off her slick hair and down her pointed chin.
“You’re going to catch a cold,” He says, to fill the silence. “Come here.” He deftly arranges his broom so that it’s right next to hers, and wraps one rain-soaked arm around her slight shoulders.
“Somehow, I don’t think that’ll help much.” She says, teasing. A crackle of lightening splinters the sky, and a growl of thunder answers it. Cedric shivers.
“Believe it or not, I’ve had a bit of a fear of thunderstorms ever since I was a little boy, you know. This is taking a lot of effort on my part to be up here with you.”
If it’s at all possible, the rain begins to fall even harder.
Cho smiles a bit at his admission. She has a funny little grin, the slightest quirk of her lips to signify her amusement. “Well, color me shocked and amazed!” She exclaims, mockingly. “Hear that, Hogwarts? Cedric Diggory has just admitted to having a real fear.”
He grimaces in pretend hurt, bringing one hand over his heart. “Oh, that cuts me deep, Chang.”
Don’t be such a sensitive prat.” She admonishes, lightly. She reaches over and musses his wet hair, lets her fingers wind through his thick curls. “We’d better get out of this rain.” Without so much as a second glance, she darts away, and soon disappears from his sight.
He takes a moment to stay completely still, hovering over the lake, rain in his eyes. He lets his eyes drift shut, and the raindrops trickle down the bridge of his nose, linger cool and wet on his mouth. Several minutes pass like this. He exhales. When he opens his eyes, ready to chase after the elusive Chang yet again, he’s greeted with a bit of a surprise. A smile slowly crosses his lips.
It’s her, her face so near that he can feel her every breath. How could he not have sensed her so near? “Honestly, could you be any slower?” She quips. “I’ve been waiting all day-”
He cuts her off. Kisses her. Reluctantly lets her go- “You know Chang, this was supposed to be my date…”
She smiles again, a bit coyly, this time. “I’ve think you’ve got it all wrong…”
“No, not at all. Because this date is mine… because you are mine…”
For a moment, he thinks he does not dislike the rain so much, after all.