prospicere futurum

Corinne pushed her plate towards the center of the table, watching as it disappeared at once and taking one last sip of her juice.

"You're done eating?" Cedric asked, barely halfway through his own sandwich and she nodded, glancing at her watch before looking back to him. They still had at least ten minutes before he would have to get to Herbology and she intended to soak up every one of them.

Cedric hummed lazily, finishing up his food and looking down at her as her eyes flickered around the busy Great Hall. His friends had been deep into today's assignment which Lucas had apparently put off until this exact moment, despite having been assigned the work nearly two weeks ago.

"Is everything alright?" Cedric whispered, leaning down until she could feel his breath on her ear.

"Sure." She nodded, pasting a smile back to her face to meet his gaze.

"Corinne." He shot her half of a glare and she shrugged.

"All the girls are looking at you." She mumbled, feeling self conscious even as she said the words.

Cedric's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced around the tables, nearly a dozen heads whipped around in a terrible attempt to hide their stares. Half a scoff escaped from the brunette's lips as he looked back to Corinne.

"There's never going to be anyone but you." He said softly, enjoying the pink that rose to her cheeks.

"I know, but-"

"Would you like me to make an announcement?"

"No, I promise, that's okay." She giggled, moving closer to him on the chair as he too shoved his plate towards the middle of the table.

"Can I walk you back upstairs?" He offered, Lucas finally finishing his scribbled mess of an assignment and rolling it to fit into his bag.

"No, that's alright. I don't want you to be late."

"I don't mind-"

"She can walk herself up some stairs, Diggory, you're going to smother her!" Lucas grinned, narrowly avoiding Cedric's kick to the shin and grinning as he jumped from his seat. "Gotta be quicker than that, Mr. Seeker."

"Greatest seeker of all time." Corinne muttered, Cedric's eyes widening in warning to her as he leaned forward, pulling her chin up to meet her lips.

"I'll see you for dinner?"

"Who knows, she might fall down the stairs." Lucas grumbled, light-heartedly, nodding for Mark and John to follow him towards the grounds as Cedric turned to catch up, flashing you a final smile before turning the corner out of sight.

Corinne glanced at her watch again. The free periods accompanying sixth year were a nice perk, but it did make it hard to know where everyone was each day. She had a little bit over an hour before Charms and with no clue where her roommates were, she slung her bag over her shoulder and started for the stairs.

She had only climbed two flights before the third set began to shift, Corinne pulling her foot back at once and sighing. She paused for a few seconds, eyeing the next hallway over and ultimately deciding it would be quicker to take the back stairwell than to wait for this one to move back into place.

She walked in silence, passing by a few classrooms where she could vaguely make out droning lectures and chatter from students working in teams. Finally, she took the last corner, the staircase already in sight at the end of the hallway when there was large crashing sound followed by a few screams which seemed to echo through the stoney hallway, making it impossible to say for sure where the sound had come from.

Corinne spun back and forth for only a moment, waiting for a classroom door to open so a Professor could go look into the noise before she turned to the sound of footsteps behind her, warm hands gripping onto her arms and shoving her backwards against the wall, her breath leaving her lungs at the force.

"Fred!" She coughed, trying to push him off from her before he slid her easily to the right, both of them disappearing at once behind a fake tapestry which materialized back before her eyes, blocking them both from sight.

She scanned over the dark alcove as she caught her breath before shoving Fred as far from her as she could manage in the small space.

"What the hell are you doing?" She reached for the tapestry to move it aside before his hands were on hers again, pulling her flat against his chest. "Don't touch me again, I'm serious-" Her sentence trailed off as his hand smothered her mouth, his lips hovering just behind her ear as his voice let out a sharp hiss to shush her.

"I will find who did that!" Filch's voice carried along the corridor, though there was no telling how close he was to their alcove. "And you will be scrubbing that hallway until the day you graduate!" His voice was growing louder, though Corinne wasn't sure if that was due to his proximity or his growing anger.

She reached up with one hand, prying Fred's fingers from her mouth as he watched her, wide eyed.

"Why did you drag me into your mess?" She growled, her face growing hot as her anger bubbled in her chest.

"I saved you from having to explain what you were doing here all alone, you're welcome." Fred hissed, "Could have just hidden on my own and let you take the fall."

"I had nothing to do with this! I have nothing to do with any of the ridiculous things you do."

"Not my fault you happened to be right around the corner from Filch's office. Bad timing, love." He shrugged, Corinne facing the tapestry once again in an effort not to focus on the aggravating smirk plastered on the red-head's face.

She could still feel him behind her, his breath tickling the back of her neck every few seconds as she moved forward until she was sure she would tumble out of the alcove any second.

Fred's hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against him roughly and speaking over her at once, obviously having anticipated her complaints.

"You're going to get us caught."

"I don't even hear him anymore-"

"This is obviously your first time."

"And it's obviously not yours."

They fell into silence again, Corinne's ears straining for any sign that Filch was near. Even if he was, the likelihood of anyone believing her story that a prank was caused by a Weasley and that she, with her perfect record, had nothing to do with it? She liked those odds.

"What?" She muttered, hearing him try to suppress his laughter.

"Nothing." He answered, Corinne's eyes rolling for a moment before he went on. "Just funny. This is the best day of my life." She could practically hear the grin just from his voice, spinning to face him in the cramped space and watching as he leaned casually against the stone wall.

"You're so infuriating." She spat, turning her attention back to the hallway. She for one hadn't heard anything in minutes, and was ready to take those odds.

"It's kind of turning me on. How much you hate me?" His words had barely left his lips when Corinne scoffed, pulling the tapestry aside and hurrying out into the hallway, not stopping until she had reached the staircase and was far out of his sight.

✵

"No, it's actually bad. Like, I feel like he's here with us." Ella grumbled, pinching her nose with two fingers as Taylor rolled her eyes.

"It's not that bad, you're being ridiculous-"

"You're across from her! You have more air-"

"Guys, please." Corinne sighed, stabbing into another two noodles with such force she was surprised the plate didn't shatter.

"Report him, Corinne! Honestly, it's getting bad! They can make him stay away from you, or they could expel him-"

"They wouldn't expel him." Taylor argued, "When's the last time anyone was expelled-"

"Tomorrow, when she tells Dumbledore that Fred dragged her into a secret alcove and slammed her against a wall!"

"Guys, I'm not telling anyone. I don't think he even meant to... whatever." She trailed off as Cedric appeared, offering the girls a smile before dropping into the spot next to Corinne.

"Hi," She smiled up to him, watching as his gaze scanned over her quickly before returning to her eyes, his smile falling slightly. "How was class?"

"Same old. At least nothing that could draw blood today." He joked, pulling a plate over for himself. "How about you guys?"

"Well class was fine, now we're apparently trying to convince Corinne to get Fred Weasley expelled." Taylor answered.

Corinne held in a sigh, pressing her lips together and setting her fork down as Ella placed a hand to her forehead.

"Why now?" Cedric asked, his voice sounding steady, though Corinne could hear the change in his tone.

"He pulled me into an alcove earlier. Apparently he was hiding from Filch."

"What's that got to do with you?" He had turned in his spot, facing her, his eyebrows inching together.

"He claims Filch was coming and he was 'saving me.'"

"He pulled you in? He touched you?"

"Well... Yeah, pulled me... Ced! It's fine!" Her voice grew louder now as her fingers linked with his, pulling him back to his seat.

"No, this is bullshit. I don't want him around you anymore, and he obviously hasn't taken the hint and needs it to be spelled out."

"I don't want him around me either, but we're house mates. There's not a ton that I can do-"

"There's a ton that I can do."

"Can we just talk about this later?"

She watched as Cedric's jaw clenched, his tongue running along his back teeth as his eyes scanned over the Gryffindor table, finding the red heads at once before turning back to her.

"Yeah. We don't have to talk about it. I'm sorry he's bothering you." His voice dropped lower, as if he thought it was just the two of them, and he leaned in, pressing his lips gently to her forehead. "I'm walking you everywhere from now on."

"Promise?" She grinned, returning to her dinner, satisfied with the smile that had risen to his lips at her words.

"You done eating?" He changed the subject, noting her nearly empty plate and she nodded, his fingers surrounding hers at once and pulling her up from her seat.

"Are you? You barely ate anything-" She trailed off and let herself be pulled along the rows, glancing back to Ella and Taylor in half a goodbye before Cedric turned the corner and the chatter of the Great Hall faded away. "Where are we going?"

"Surprise." He muttered, starting up the first set of stairs at record speed, Corinnes legs barely keeping up with his stride.

"Well can we slow down before you rip my arm off-" She trailed off as they reached the second story, Cedric dragging her to the side, his lips on hers before she had even processed that they had stopped walking. His fingers linked around her waist, backing her carefully against the wall, his body pressing firmly against hers.

"You smell like him." He breathed against her mouth between kisses, "Like his shitty cologne."

She nearly laughed, Cedric's lips thankfully stifling the sound as he rejoined their mouths.

"Were you going to tell me?" He spoke again, yet her mind was hardly focused on his words when his fingers were trailing along the skin at her hips so slowly.

"Of course I was." She breathed, eyes locking into his gray ones which seemed so dark in the dimly lit corridor.

"Mhm." His fingers snuck along the hem of her shirt towards her spine, goosebumps popping up along her back. "Like you told me about Jessie's girl?"

Her mind went blank for a second, pulling her head back slightly to meet his eyes again, though it seemed as though he was intent to keep his lips close to hers.

"How'd you..."

"Like five different people told me the next day, Corinne." His voice was nearly a growl now, his lips not returning to hers anymore.

"I'm sorry... I wanted to... that night, I was going to, I just didn't really know how and..."

"You can tell me anything, Corinne. Always. Please." He cocked his head slightly as he waited for her to speak again.

"It's embarrassing."

"Then tell me next time. Because I won't let him bother you anymore. I mean it."

"I don't want you to get into another fight."

"Why? I always win."

"You've won once." She countered and enjoyed the grin that returned to his lips for only a second before he pressed into her again, one hand sliding behind her head just in time to stop it from slamming against the stone walls.

"Come on." Cedric muttered, rejoining their hands and pulling her back to the stairs once again.

"Not more stairs." She whined, her head still spinning from the past few minutes with him.

"You said you missed swimming, right?"

She blinked, still letting him pull her up the steps one at a time, thankfully at a much slower pace than he'd been walking before.

"At the lake?"

"Yeah."

"You remember that?"

"I remember everything about you. I've got to, since you still hold me not knowing your name over my head any chance you get." He threw a smirk over his shoulder and she laughed as they finally reached the fifth floor and Cedric turned at the first corridor.

"Where are we going!" She asked once more as they slowed before a tall, thin statue of a confused looking wizard. Corinne counted four doors before Cedric finally stopped, muttering a couple of odd sounding words which she realized at once to be a password as the door clicked open.

Cedric led her inside, their shoes clicking against the tiled floors as he secured the door behind them and locked it before dropping his wand to his side. She scanned over the large room, the stained glass windows letting in the very last light from outside and painting the bathroom in colored light.

"I'm not allowed to be in here." She murmured as he joined her side, offering her a lopsided smile.

"I think I'll vouch for you." He answered, aiming his wand at the taps at each edge of the pool sized bath tub which all at once erupted jets of water which began to fill the pool before their eyes. It was clear the water was warm from the slight steam that rose from the surface, disappearing into the air as it climbed.

"Are we swimming, Cedric?" She asked, looking back to the brunette who was closer to her now than she had remembered, his face hovering only slightly over hers.

"If you'd like. Got to get that wretched cologne off you somehow." He teased, his fingers tracing along her jaw line as his lips pressed to hers once again.

"I don't have my bathing suit."

"Shame." He shrugged, his laugh echoing through the empty room as she smacked him lightly on the chest. "Kidding! The door is locked, and no one ever comes up to this bathroom. It's why I like it. But we don't have to swim if you don't want to get your clothes all wet-"

He trailed off as she shoved him backwards, his feet hanging onto the edge of the pool for only a second before he gave in and let himself fall, the splash soaking her clothes in the process as he pushed back to the surface.

"You little cheat!" He chuckled, pushing his hair from his face.

"It was an accident!" She smiled, leaning down to sit at the edge as he pulled his sopping shirt over his head and chucked it towards his shoes across the room.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Get in here, now." He pointed into the water and she laughed at his stern expression.

"Is it warm?" She teased, despite having felt the water only seconds before.

He didn't answer, splashing a wave of water her way and laughing as she screamed.

"Alright! Alright!" She kicked her shoes off, tossing them towards Cedric's pile and pulled her sweater over her head until she was left in her skirt, tights and a black tank top. She slipped her feet into the warm water and let herself fall the rest of the way, the water splashing around her face for only a second before she felt Cedric's arms surround her.

"Much better." He whispered, pressing another kiss to her lips, his thumbs tracing along the exposed skin at her hips and wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You really walk all the way up here just to use this bathroom?" She asked, mostly as a distraction from the feeling of his fingers brushing along the fabric of her tights as he leaned back against the wall of the tub.

"Wouldn't you?" He glanced around for a few seconds before his eyes met hers again.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled, moving her hands through the water at her sides, an easy smile rising to Cedric's lips.

"You like it?"

She nodded, leaning back into him.

"I love you. So much." He whispered, not giving her a chance to answer before he pulled her closer, his lips pressing to hers as her hands came up to his neck. "I plan to love you forever."

"I'll love you longer." She grinned, and he shook his head, his nose brushing against hers.

"Don't bet on it, love."