♙CHAPTER SIX ♙

( LYDIA BLAKE )

TWO: UNUSUAL ACTIONS

"maybe if he saw where i was coming from he'd understand"

12 october 1994

"you seriously cannot be serious!" lydia blake nearly screeched in protest, but she kept her voice low as she stared at a certain fluffy haired boy across from her.

cedric had just told her how he wanted to enter the triwizard tournament considering he would be turning seventeen in the next week. she may have only been fifteen but she knew the risks and knew it was stupid of him to be entering into such a dangerous competition.

"come on, lighten up" the boy encouraged although his heart was beating at a hundred miles and hour due to the look she had set on her face.

"you could die, you know?" she asked with a huff as she crossed her arms and leaned back into the soft brown arm chair in the hufflepuff common room.

"they've put in new safety precautions an-" the boy was cut off from his explanation as lydia picked up the pillow beside her and launched it at his face.

"i don't care! they had those ages ago and people still died" she complained as he move the pillow to his lap and just stared at her.

"you know what? enter if you want, talk to me when you've grown a brain" she insulted before pushing herself off the arm chair and storming off to her bedroom.

sure her words were quite harsh but its what he needed to hear. if he entered and died what would happen? it was too much of a risk and she thought he would've been smarter than to not put his life on the line like that.

cedric could only stare at the spot before sighing loudly and throwing himself back on the chair he sat on as he thought of the anomaly that is lydia blake.

――――

lydia, sharon and elena now sat in potions class with a majority of the gryffindor students. professor slughorn was rambling on about something she had no idea intention on listening on considering she was rambling on about cedric's stupidity to elena who gripped her hair in her hands.

"i mean i'm just trying to keep him alive" she whispered harshly as she began carving out small shapes into her desk using her quill.

elena noticed her friends anxious actions and gripped her wrist tightly as her eyes widened in worry. she had never seen lydia this worked up over something and wasn't sure what to do to help her.

"calm down" elena warned as she slowly loosened her grip and sent her friend a warning look. "cedric's a smart boy, remember" she tried comforting the girl but it only made it worse.

"then why is he entering!" she yelled, catching the attention of the class and slughorn. the strawberry blonde beauty felt herself shrink back with a meek 'sorry' before letting her head drop on her desk.

"so class, can someone tell me what this is?" slughorn asked as he motioned to a cauldron which was filled with striking purple.

"amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world" sharon said as she shot her hand in the air not even waiting to be picked on.

"correct, ten points to hufflepuff" horace congratulated as she smirked in accomplishment and arrogance.

"now i want each of you to come up and take a whiff then tell me what you smell" the man instructed as the whole class had started to become jittery with excitement. although, lydia could care less as she began thinking of cedric again and how hurt he could become.

student after student went up and began describing what they smelt. the scents ranged from treacle tart to parchment to daisies. a 5th year gryffindor had even began listing of things that pointed towards lydia, but the girl gave no thought to it considering she barely payed attention. sharon slowly walked up to the cauldron as she took a large whiff before furrowing her eyebrows.

"i smell... worn out books, lavender and... chocolate?" elena and lydia grinned as they knew exactly who she was thinking of. daniel. sharon frowned not understanding who before making her way back to her bench next to another hufflepuff.

elena took her place shortly afterwards as she hesitantly began leaning forward not wanting to know considering she had a bugging feelings it would be the malfoy boy. her entire posture changed as she avoided eye contact with the class.

"mint, rust and citrus" she said simply as she felt her heart jump around in her chest. she knew it was draco considering she was also stuck in a confined space with him and had long ago learnt his scent.

"and last up is ms. blake" professor slughorn hurried her up in excitement as the task was obviously something fun for him to do. the girl begrudgingly lifted herself as she took a stance.

the class were on the edge of their seats wanting to know what the girl who half of the school was in love with found attractive. maybe this would be there way to grab her attention or their way of finding out who she liked and what said person had done to grab her heart.

lydia tilted her head as her nose was hit with a very large whiff of the potion before she felt her nose beginning to burn from how strong it was. she could tell what the smells were but was confused on where they were from.

"pinewood, broom varnish and petrichor" she smiled as she listed of the last one, memories from france filling her head. but broom varnish and pinewood? she hated pinewood, she considered the smell to be too overbearing.

the girl quickly rushed back to her seat as she heard the class begin to mumble ideas. she had even heard one suggest harry potter because of the broom varnish. but it could've been sharon for all they knew or anyone that played quidditch for that matter.

"sounds a lot like diggory" sharon suggested from the table behind the girls as she whispered softly but loud enough for the two girls in front of her to hear.

"shut it. i do not love cedric" she muttered as her mood took a turn south once again remembering how she was angry at the boy.

"i know you're angry at him but you can't ignore the fact" elena said to her friend as she now took a motherly tone and turned to her. lydia only raised an eyebrow confused on what she was going to say.

"you're in love with cedric"

――――

that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. she wasn't in love with cedric. sure he was attractive and had all the traits to be the perfect boyfriend but at the same time he was like her bestfriend. and as she found out earlier, he was obviously seeing the world through rose coloured glasses.

"i'm not" she muttered to herself as she stalked down the corridor. she had finished classes and was avoiding her friends not wanting to hear whatever they had to say. and she was avoiding cedric. mainly cedric.

"you're not what?" hermione asked as she joined the older girl by her side, linking their arms and she moved her books to her free arm.

lydia left out a small yelp as she turned to the girl not expecting to see her. she hadn't spoken to hermione in a few days and wasn't expecting her to just show up out of nowhere. the girl barely ever spoke to her in public and now she was walking through the halls with her.

"elena and sharon think im in love with-" she was cut off from her explanation as hermione's lips grew into a wide grin.

"cedric. oh, i know. surprised you didn't figure it out ages ago" the gryffindor said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"wait, does everyone think im in love with diggory?" she asked urgently as she halted her and hermione's steps  with wide eyes.

"well, i mean some people think you two are together. can you blame them though lyds?" she asked with a sincere look in her eyes as she looked the girl in the eyes.

"i am not in love with diggory" she grumbled under her breath as she began dragging hermione to the great hall, not even bothering to look at her.

"but you are, and you're in denial. he likes you too. you can tell..." hermione's words went death to her ears after those few words. cedric didn't like her and she didn't like him. she didn't know why people thought they were together considering she didn't date and he hadn't shown interest in any girl. they were strictly friends.

"lydia? you okay?" the granger girl asked as she removed her arm from lydia's and stopped moving in front of her after hearing how the girl had gone silent.

lydia didn't say anything as she nodded still thinking over the situation. she didn't say anything else as she continued her walk to the great hall, pushing the doors open and making her way over to her usual seat at the hufflepuff table.

cedric was the only one there but she didn't notice until she had properly settled herself. she avoided his eyes as she searched the room, seeing hermione send her an apologetic glance walking to her table. no sharon, elena, daniel or tyler in sight.

"are you still mad at me?" cedric asked as he stared the girl down waiting for her to turn to face him.

"is someone speaking? because all i can hear is a mumbling idiot" she harshly spat to no one in particular not noticing the hurt look cedric took.

"continue acting like a brat all you want but im still entering with or without your blessing" he shrugged nonchalantly as he began digging into his dinner.

at these words she quickly turned her head to see him no longer looking at her. she felt her face go red from anger not the usual embarrassment she held when with him. he was acting a fool.

"are you dumb? what if you die? what will i do then?" she huffed out as she felt her eyes becoming full with tears, which she refused to let fall. "this isn't a game cedric, it's a battle of life and death" she explained grabbing his attention.

maybe cedric felt something inside of himself shatter as he noticed how upset she looked and how she was on the verge of crying. he didn't mean to make her cry. he'd never want to see her cry. 

"lydia..." he reached his hand out to capture hers only for the girl to pull it back abruptly sending him a frown which was mixed with betrayal and hurt and maybe guilt.

lydia knew she couldn't stop him. it's not like he was her boyfriend or something. but she didn't want him to get hurt. sure it would be safer this year but with all that happened in the past years it was still a risk.

"no. don't bother" she got out through gritted teeth before removing herself from the wooden bench and beginning her way out of the great hall.

lydia blake was crying. tears streamed down her face making her blue eyes shine. she was a pretty crier at least. but she'd never cried in her five years at hogwarts and students sat and wondered what had happened. or who had happened. some caught cedric diggory looking guilty as he continued eating with his fist clenched at his side. but weren't they together? why would he make his girlfriend cry? 

lydia blake was too nice for her own good. she worried for everyone and everything. she usually kept her harsh words to herself and didn't have a bad bone in her body. even to pure blood supremacists she kept her composure and kindness. and these were only a few reasons she never cried. because lydia blake didn't deserve to cry.