Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Cedric Diggory x OC
Prompt: "You're my best friend, okay? I'm not jealous."
Warnings: none but OC has metamorphmagus
Word count: 1475

THERE WAS only one true friendship in all of Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory and Padmé Elmslie.

The two had been best friends since they both came into the world. They families were close and it just so happened that Mrs Diggory and Mrs Elmslie got pregnant at the same time.

Cedric and Padmé has grown up together, plus even got sorted into the same house, Hufflepuff.

They were the perfect pair. They never fought, they enjoyed the same classes, they were both on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. The couple were always seen by each other's side, and that how they liked it.

A lot of people, even their own friends and family, were certain that they were a couple. But they weren't, they didn't need to be together romantically when they are happy enough only as best friends.

That was until Cedric was announced as one of the school champions for the Triwizard Tournament.

They tried to hang out still, but Cedric had become more busy. It wasn't his fault. He didn't want the attention, but he was too polite to tell people to leave him alone.

Padmé tried to act unbothered. But the more girls fawned over him along with pushing her to the back of the queue when she was front and centre made her angry.

She just wanted to be with her best friend. Was that too much to ask?

It was coming close to Christmas, which also meant that the Yule Ball was around the corner. Cedric and Padmé both still hadn't found dates to the Ball yet both had their preferences on who they wanted to take.

The two best friends had finally gotten a moment of peace and quiet in the library.

"So, Pads, are you planning on going to the Ball?" Cedric asked, looking up from his Herbology homework to peer up at the confused Hufflepuff across from him.

Her naturally blonde long, frizzy hair was now a vibrant orange colour out of confusion as she stared down at her Transfiguration essay. Padmé raised her head relucantly to looked into Cedric's eyes from her confusing article.

"Sorry, what?"

Cedric chuckled. "Are you going to the -"

Before he could finish, a younger Gryffindor girl strolled up to the table, leaning over it to speak to Cedric. "Hiya, Ced!"

Padmé rolled her eyes. Only she called Cedric 'Ced' and now everyone was doing it.

"Oh, hi," Cedric smiled up at the 5th year girl.

"I was wondering if you'd want to go the Ball with me?" She confidently asked whilst twirling a stand of her hair around her finger, making Padmé internally gag.

Cedric's eyes widened. "Oh, um, I'm flattered but-"

"I was going to ask him first, you know I was, Britney!" Another 5th year girl approached the table expect she was a Ravenclaw instead. With her was her two other friends - one Slytherin and the other a Gryffindor. The four younger girls began to bicker over Cedric.

Cedric seemed embarrassed by the situation while Padmé grew increasingly more irritated by it, as the tips of her hair turned red. That was until a familiar 6th year Gryffindor boy approached, but rather than going to Cedric, he approached Padmé.

"Hello Paddy," George Weasley grinned, lounging against the edge of the desk.

"Hi Georgie," Padmé smiles back, her hair turning a light blue with happiness as she saw the ginger boy. He was sweet, friendly, and the two got along - not as much as Cedric and Padmé did, but enough for the girl to get happy when she saw him.

"I was wondering if you were going to the Ball?"

"I was planning on it," she spoke loud enough so he could hear her over the racket the 5th girls were still making.

"Well then, if Diggory hasn't stolen you already, would you accompany me to said Ball this weekend?" George bowed dramatically, adding to his formal invitation.

Padmé giggled with a nod. "Sure, Weasley. I'd love to."

"Brilliant, I'll meet you outside the Great Hall then?"

Padmé nodded, the tips of her hair turning a pale pink.

What she couldn't see was Cedric's frustrated, disappointed and slightly jealous face as he watched the interaction before him.

———

It was the night of the Yule Ball. Padmé was still going with George and Cedric managed to secure a date with a 4th Year Ravenclaw, Cho Chang.

After George had asked Padmé to the dance, Cedric and Padmé hadn't spoken as much.

They would walk past each other in the hallways between classes. Padmé would offer a sweet grin but Cedric would avoid eye contact. It was frustrating, because she didn't know what she had done wrong and Cedric wouldn't stick around long enough to tell her.

By the time Padmé had finished getting ready with her girl friends in her dorm room, she walked into the common room to see Cedric wasn't there. It was understandable enough - he was a champion and had to pick Cho up from across school and be the first ones in the Great Hall. It still hurt a bit that she couldn't see him before, considering she probably won't see him during, leaving their long overdue interaction to wot until after the Ball. And who knows when that'll be.

Padmé was wearing her favourite colour. Baby blue. Her dress started just below her colour bones and stopped just before the floor, the blue satin material fitting nicely around her body. Her brown hair was tied up into a magnificent half-up-half-down do, expertly curled by her dorm mates.

She looked stunning and when she descended the stairs leading to the Great Hall, most of the boys and girls gawked are her appearance. Including George and Cedric.

George has been quicker to approach Padmé, linking his arm through hers. "I bet I'm the luckiest lad here, you know?"

"Oh, really?" Padmé teased.

"Definitely," George nodded.

Just as the Great Hall doors were pushed open, Padmé locked eyes with Cedric. He was staring at her, even though Cho was attached to his side. Before either could talk to each other, their respective dates dragged them into the Ball and subconsciously dragged them away from each other.

The Ball went on as usual. Yet both Padmé nor Cedric could enjoy it fully as they stole glances at each other dancing with someone that wasn't themselves.

George noticed as he and Padmé dancing around the room. "Oh, I get it! You're jealous of Chang and Diggory?" George asked with a teasing smirk.

"What?!" Padmé nearly screeched. "No! Why would I? He's having fun and so am I!"

George looked over her shoulder to see Cedric approaching them. With a mischevious grin, he whispered in her ear. "Well, let's see what Ceddie thinks, shall we?" George spun out Padmé, allowing her to clumsily fall into Cedric's arms. "Not trying to steal my date, are we, Diggory?" George teased.

Cedric chuckled. "I was wondering if I could steal her for one dance?"

George pretended to think as he hummed sceptically. "Hmm, I'll allow it. What do you say, Paddy?"

Padmé rolled her eyes, and grabbed Cedric's hand, pulling him behind her as she walked away from George, not before sticking her tongue out to him - only for him to return the favour.

Cedric placed his hands on Padmé's waist as her own travelled up to his neck as they swayed to the slow music. "So, seemed that you and George were getting along. Are you dating?"

Padmé snorted. "Why? Are you jealous?" She grinned.

Cedric's cheeks burned pink as he began to fumble over his words. "You're my best friend, okay? I'm not jealous. I just wanted to know."

Padmé raised her brow. "I don't think best friends steal away their friends from their dance partners just because they want to know if they dating said dance partner," Padmé pointed out.

Cedric's cheeks grew more red. "Alright, alright. Maybe I was," he mumbled quietly, yet she still heard him. Her wide eyes indicated this to him. "You know that day in the library? When George asked you to be his date?" Padmé nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Well, before all those girls bombarded us, I was gonna ask to come with me. Not as friends."

Padmé was almost speechless. "Really?" Cedric nodded shyly as he continued to lead them in their waltz. "I was a little jealous too. Of all the female attention and you and Cho."

Cedric grinned. "Where do we go from this, Elmslie?"

Padmé snorted at his goofy smile. She reached up to press a kiss to his burning cheek. "Well, my jealous Ced, we can do whatever you want."

THE END