The greenhouses were misted up that morning as the cold early November air pried at the glass, trying to reach the warmth held inside. Melanie was never awake this early and she could feel the weight of tiredness across her shoulders as she flexed her numb fingers. She had decided to come to the greenhouses to avoid the post-argument awkwardness that always plagued her dorm room when she fought with Prudence Parkinson. She hadn’t slept at all last night due to the anger at the girl boiling her blood.
She couldn’t stand the bitch. Her stupid pug face and that haughty look in her eyes that followed her every move. She knew the others watched her too, but at least they could be polite. Most Slytherins thought the same way about her; thief, scum, mudblood. Just because she was muggleborn, they assumed she was after their worldly possessions, of which the Slytherins she roomed with had many, because being muggleborn also apparently made her skint.
She snickered to herself, opening the door to the greenhouses and stepping into the warmth. She wasn’t rich by any means but she lived a comfortable life in the muggle world. It was funny to her, to watch the panic and fear in the faces of some of her housemates as she purposely asked questions about their heirlooms and goblin-made jewellery that would make them think she was going to pinch it. She supposed that was what made her a Slytherin.
“Oh, Miss Ridgeway! Didn’t expect to see you this morning, dear. Almost gave me a fright!” Professor Sprout’s motherly voice drifted from the end of a long table full of Fanged Geraniums. When Melanie looked over, the tiny Professor was removing her gloves and muttering to herself.
“Thought I’d have a quiet morning. Are these for the tournament?” Melanie asked, wandering over. She knew Fanged Geranium was one of the main ingredients in Skele-Gro, used to help mend broken bones and shuddered thinking of the damage that could be done to the contestants.
“Oh yes dear, we’ve been asked to supply extra, for the worst-case scenario.” Professor Sprout shuddered at the thought and Melanie remembered that the original Hogwarts’ champion Cedric Diggory was in Hufflepuff, of which Professor Sprout was the head.
She knew who he was before he entered the tournament; everyone did, but he also happened to be in her year and in many of her classes over the years. He was tall, taller than Melanie who towered over most people, and had a mop of light chestnut brown curls, and light grey eyes. She could appreciate that he was good looking, almost everyone did, especially Slytherin girls who fawned over the Hufflepuff champion since it was a better option than supporting Potter from Gryffindor. Melanie supposed a Hufflepuff boyfriend probably was better than a Gryffindor boyfriend – the latter were usually too dense to be considered attractive.
“- while I pop over to the Hospital Wing?”
Melanie blinked out her daze and stared down at Professor Sprout who had her hands full of plants and herbs and an expectant look on her face. Melanie blushed, embarrassed at being caught not listening.
“Sorry… What?” Melanie questioned, watching as the Professor’s mouth quirked up into a smile.
“I asked if you wouldn’t mind watering the Geraniums while I deliver these to Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing.”
“Oh! Yeah, that’s fine.”
With that, Professor Sprout left the greenhouse and Melanie shrugged off her outer robe and green tie, hanging them on a hook, leaving her in the generic white shirt and black skirt. The gloves that Sprout had left were on her hands in no time and she started watering the Fanged Geraniums, flicking the ones that tried to bite.
As she worked, the sun peeked out above the black lake and shone through the glass walls, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow and causing the candles to dim by themselves. Melanie guessed it was around 7:30. Her mind flicked back to Cedric Diggory as she started humming a muggle song under her breath. He was cute, and she’d probably say yes if he asked her out; seeing as the few times she’s interacted with him he’s proved to be a gentleman. Her imagination ran wild, bringing a blush into her cheeks as she got carried away. Switching song, she started on a new row of plants, now trying to banish the champion from her mind, when the greenhouse door opened again.
“I’m almost finished, Professor, do you think I could… oh.” Melanie spoke cheerfully but turned and cut herself off as she saw who had entered.
Cedric Diggory stood in the doorway giving her a lopsided smile that stirred something in her lower belly. She stared back at him, her face and mind blank as she tried to think of what to do. She didn’t have to wait long though as a Fanged Geranium took the opportunity to bite her outstretched arm, catching her skin through the thin material of her shirt. A yelp escaped Melanie as she dropped the watering can onto the table and grabbed at her arm.
“Fucking stupid thing.” She hissed, tearing the gloves off as blood beaded and caused her shirt to stick to her skin.
“Ouch.” Came a smooth voice from beside her. Cedric had come over, a look of concern shown in the firm set of his chiselled jawline and brown eyebrows pulled together over his grey eyes. Melanie stared for a moment before the sting of the nip made her bite her lip in pain.
“Let me?” Cedric offered, holding his left hand out and holding his wand in the other. Melanie stared at his outstretched palm and then back at his warm face. She hesitantly placed her injured arm in his.
Cedric gently pushed her sleeve up after unbuttoning the cuff, his fingers like silk against Melanie's skin. She took a deep breath to try an quash the butterflies stirring in her abdomen. Cedric muttered a simple healing charm under his breath and a light appeared from his wand, causing an itchy tingling sensation on the wound as it healed. He then cleaned away the blood with a quick ‘Scourgify’. Melanie watched him work and then her cheeks heated under his gaze as he finished, still gripping her arm gently as he looked at her.
“Thanks.” She whispered, steeling her resolve and meeting his eyes. He was definitely attractive. They seemed to be staring at each other for a long time, so Melanie pulled her hand away and cleared her throat. Cedric smiled that lopsided grin again. They stood, silent and staring for another moment and Melanie wished she hadn’t pulled her hand away.
The door to the greenhouse swung open as Professor Sprout marched in. Cedric twisted round to face her as Melanie peered around the tall boy and let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. She felt warm; her pulse going way too fast to be normal.
“Cedric! What brings my favourite champion to the greenhouses this early?” Sprout’s eyes lit up as she spoke to the boy.
“I was uh…” He paused in thought. “I can’t remember actually; Melanie here distracted me. Don’t worry though it’ll come back to me.”
He and Sprout laughed as Melanie blushed. She hadn’t realised he knew who she was. She turned to look up at him as he chuckled. It was a rich sound, coating Melanie's ears like smooth honey. Realising she was staring, Melanie picked up the discarded gloves and put them back on. She turned back to the watering can and continued along the line of Fanged Geraniums as Cedric and Sprout’s conversation turned to the upcoming tournament task.
“Of course! Come back tomorrow morning, same time, and we’ll talk through it, shall we?” Melanie glanced over her shoulder as Professor Sprout walked Cedric out. He glanced back at her before he left and winked. Melanie flushed and turned her gaze to an empty pot in front of her, knowing then that she’d be back tomorrow morning.
It became a new routine; Melanie arrived early every morning and tended to plants in the greenhouse as Professor Sprout and Cedric met and talked strategy, brainstorming ideas about the upcoming first task. Her new schedule was doing wonders for her relationship with the girls in her dorm as she was usually asleep before they came up for bed and gone before they woke. After a few days, Cedric began turning up at the same time as Melanie and they would wait in each other’s company until Sprout arrived.
Eventually, they would talk. It started as chats about homework from their classes and how they were preparing for their NEWTS and turned into laughing about nothing and everything. Melanie would complain about the girls in her dorm and Cedric told her all about how some of his friends suddenly seemed fake since he was named champion.
Their conversations moved out of the greenhouses too. They would work together in Potions and Transfiguration and then found themselves at the same table in the library, helping each other with essays, or distracting the other from actually completing homework.
With only a week left before the first task, Cedric preferred to talk about anything else. They had started playing 20 questions every time they were left alone, getting to know one another more closely.
Melanie had realised, early on, that being around Cedric made her heart pound and that annoyingly, she had a crush on a Hufflepuff. Maybe she was cocky, or perhaps it was the Slytherin in her, but she was sure he felt the same. Many conversations often turned flirty and sometimes he would touch her hair or her hand and get embarrassed. She wished he would embody a bit of Slytherin and just take what he wanted because Salazar knew she would not be the first to admit anything.
“So, did you want to be a Slytherin?” He asked, his hand pulling a fallen strand of Melanie's hair behind her ear and out of her face as she tied a bunch of Knotgrass together. She side eyed him with a smirk and swatted his hand away, even though the gesture made her heart pound.
“I didn’t really know what it was to be honest. I think I belong there now but I’m not sure if I grew into it or if it’s who I was when I was eleven.” She shrugged and turned to place the Knotgrass into a jar.
Cedric didn’t reply so she turned back towards him but found herself too close, her nose almost touching his chin and her body brushing his. She went to pull back but his hands grabbed her waist and held her in place. Melanie's breath caught as she looked up, seeing Cedric’s eyes darken.
“I- It’s my question now.” Melanie breathed, her hands slowly brushing up the length of Cedric’s arms before coming to rest on his shoulders.
“I want to ask another, and then you can have two.” He replied, his words low. Melanie nodded, hypnotised by his eyes that scanned her face, anticipation thrumming in her blood. Cedric leaned down so his cheek was against hers and his mouth skimmed the shell of her ear.
“Can I kiss you?”
He pulled back so his face was directly in front of hers, waiting for an answer.
‘Such a Hufflepuff.’ Melanie thought before she closed the gap between them, brushing her lips against his with a force he didn’t expect. He didn’t respond immediately, taken aback by Melanie's abrupt action but finally retaliated with the same energy, his lips moving over hers smoothly. His lips tasted like honey as she kissed him. His tongue ran across the seam of her lips so she allowed him to deepen the kiss, pulling him down and closer to her.
They broke apart when Professor Sprout cleared her throat loudly. She threw Melanie a knowing glance as Cedric sheepishly walked over to their strategy table. Melanie turned back to the Knotgrass, a smile gracing her face while she finished her work.