Chapter 16
"I mean, not that I"m not happy for Ella, even if she's not... because I am. But how did she get a date before me, with a guy she hates!" Taylor shook her head, a lighthearted laugh falling from her lips as the girls walked along the corridor.
Ella had admittedly been in an interesting mood all day, but Corinne had caught her staring at the back of Eddie's head for a good two minutes during transfiguration.
"I think it'll be good for her." Corinne mumbled, starting for the staircase.
"Me too... me too..." Taylor trailed off, slowing up before Corinne realized she was no longer at her side. "I'll be up in a bit."
"Where are you going?" Corinne asked, watching as Taylor scanned over a few of the Durmstrang guys huddled near the entrance to the Great Hall.
"I'm going to get a date." She shrugged, flashing Corinne the signature confident smile before practically skipping towards the group.
Corinne contemplated staying, sure that Taylor would be heading back up the stairs in less than ten minutes with a date, but decided against it. She wouldn't want someone watching her if the roles were reversed, though she thought Taylor wouldn't mind the audience.
She tugged her bag more securely onto her shoulder and started up the stairs alone, her eyes scanning ahead mostly as an excuse to keep her gaze from the growing distance between the next flight of steps and the floor now far, far beneath her feet.
"Baker!" Her chest ran cold at the sound of his voice and she reluctantly turned back, watching the redhead hurrying up the stairs behind her. She shook her head, mostly to herself, hurrying up and around the corner to the next staircase.
"Corinne, just wait!" He called again, obviously unfazed by the fact that she was ignoring him. She was nearly to the top of this stairway when she felt the familiar jerk beneath her feet, her hand clasping around the railing as terror flooded into her chest.
Her eyes flickered to the new landing where the stairs would certainly land, running over the hallways in her mind to think if there was another staircase at the end of them before she felt the warm hand settle on top of hers against the railing.
She jerked away, her eyes linking with the brown ones. She wouldn't look down. She couldn't.
"Hey... you're okay." Fred spoke softly, glancing at her hand as it found it's way back to the bannister at her side.
"I'm aware." She snapped, looking up at the new landing as an excuse to not meet his gaze. "Did you plan this?"
Fred chuckled, though seemed to think better of it and hurried to cover it with an unconvincing cough. "Believe it or not, I don't control the stairs."
She pressed her lips into a thin line as the seconds ticked by, glaring at the landing and willing it to shift back already.
"Can I just talk to you? Or could you just... listen? And not try to push me over the railing for sixty seconds?"
"Right... Out of the two of us, I'm the one more likely to shove someone over a railing."
Fred's mouth sank deeper into a frown, though Corinne wouldn't notice, her eyes still latched firmly onto the top of the staircase.
"I'm sorry... about the st-, well... about all of the pranks. About everything."
Corinne didn't answer, the silence enveloping them almost painfully. Her heart was beating wildly against her ribcage, though she didn't know if it was from being suspended on yet another moving staircase, or from Fred's words.
"I know you hate me... And you should... I don't deserve..." You. "For you to forgive me. And I guess it's kind of sick... but, I... I'd rather you hate me than feel nothing towards me."
Corinne's eyes finally snapped back to the brown ones before her, not caring for a second how sad they looked.
"Well, you're wrong." She spoke clearly in the silent stairwell. "I feel nothing."
She could no longer look at him as his face seemed to fall further than she even had thought possible, turning her back on him to face the top of the steps again.
"I guess you're going to the ball with Diggory?" He asked, apparently not taking any of the hints Corinne had been sending his way to stop speaking.
"Obviously." She muttered. "He's my boyfriend."
"Yeah..." Fred nodded to himself, leaning against the railing, his eyes falling to her white knuckles as she held onto the edge of the bannister a few steps above him. He wanted nothing more than to close the space between them... To have his fingers wrapped in hers... To assure her that it was going to be alright. She wouldn't fall. "I know."
The pair fell into silence again as, at last, with a grinding sound, the stairs shifted again, Corinne breathing a deep sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.
"I've tried, okay?" Fred had climbed a few more steps, his voice much closer to her ear than it had been when she'd turned around and she hurried up the next few, ready to be off this staircase the second it stopped moving. "I've tried to convince myself that you're not... inevitable. You and him?"
She could feel the scowl pulling at her lips, turning back towards him for only a second before the staircase latched into place with a slight jerk and she rushed up the final two steps and onto the safe, secure landing of the third floor.
"But I'm starting to think that I'm wrong. Everything's wrong." His last words were so quiet that Corinne wasn't sure they were even meant for her. She turned back to him, not expecting to meet the deep brown eyes again, her heart sinking slightly.
"Weasley..."
"It's so hard to not be in love with you." He spoke clearly now, and she could feel her jaw drop at his words, her heart rate picking back up again, as if she was still on the staircase. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm doing it all wrong."
You could say that again.
She paused, considering just breaking into a run and ducking around a corner, possibly tearing up the next staircase, though after the last few minutes she wasn't sure she was looking forward to getting on another one.
"What's my middle name, Fred?" The words were spilling from her lips before she had really even thought them through, and Fred's eyes dropped to her feet for a moment as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck.
His lips moved with no sound once, then again, before he finally answered.
"I don't know... Listen, I don't know, okay? But I want to. I want to know everything about-"
"You're not in love with me!" Corinne was trying to keep her voice down, though it appeared to have a mind of it's own, echoing back from the tall ceilings above them. "You're just not used to being told no."
"Corinne-" He sighed, watching as she spun on her heel, hurrying around the corner and up the next flight of stairs. He watched from the landing as she climbed, never once looking back, until she had made it to the next floor before he started back down the stairs. He wouldn't follow her. She could have the common room to herself.
✵
"Come out, Ella! We're going to be late!" Taylor screeched across the room, as if Ella wouldn't be able to hear her through the bathroom door.
"Oh, no!" Ella replied sarcastically and Corinne stifled a laugh as she pressed her earring into place.
"I love you both, but I really can't be late..." She glanced into the mirror one last time and sighed, forcing her mind off the fact that she would be dancing in front of the entire Great Hall in less than half an hour.
"Okay, we'll see you down there." Taylor hurried over to her friend at the door, pulling her into a tight hug. "You look perfect, and you're going to be fine for the dance so stop stressing. You know Cedric won't let you embarrass yourself, and he has to do all of the work anyway."
Corinne's lips tugged into a crooked smile as she nodded, stepping out into the hallway. "You make sure she comes down. She can't stand up her soulmate!" She hissed, laughing as she shut the door on Ella's groan and started down the steps carefully, pulling the skirt of her dress out of her way.
She made it to the landing of the common room, wishing, not for the first time, that Gryffindor wasn't in one of the tallest towers in the entire castle before her breath caught in her chest, the brown eyes locked with hers for only a second before they scanned over her dress, his lips falling apart slightly.
He was sat in the worn armchair across from the fire by himself, though he was already dressed, his bow tie hanging loose around his neck.
"Hi." He spoke at last and Corinne blinked, pulling her focus back and glancing at the door a few steps ahead of them.
"Hi." She answered, reluctantly, resuming her walk before she heard his voice again.
"You look amazing."
She pressed her lips together to stifle the sigh, feeling the creamy residue of her lipstick before turning back to him.
"Thanks, Fred." Her voice was practically a mumble as she reached for the portrait door, itching to get out of the warm room and into the hallway with some fresh air. "Have a good night."
He nodded, his eyes lingering on the curls falling off her bare shoulders as she stepped into the hallway, the door shutting lazily behind her as he sighed, pressing his fingers against his eyes and leaning back into the chair, perfectly torn between wanting to follow after her or heading straight to bed for the night.
She made it at last to the main floor in record time, even in heels. Her eyes scanned over the crowded hallway as she took the final step down, spotting Cedric at once. It was if her eyes were pulled to him, though he was already looking at her, a lopsided smile gracing his face. He wore a deep black suit, like many of the guys surrounding them, his tie done up perfectly around his neck and his hands pressed into his pockets. She crossed halfway to him where he met her, his smile had merged into a full grin now.
"You are perfect." He muttered, his hand sliding into hers and pulling her closer. "Merlin."
"You think?" She asked, scanning over the dress and feeling the warmth spread through her chest.
"No, I know." He answered, "Don't be nervous."
"What?" Her smile faltered, though his remained steady.
"I can see it in your smile. You look stunning, and we're going to be fine." He squeezed her hand into his twice before pulling her into action as they followed a large group of people into the Great Hall which was practically unrecognizable, decked out in full Holiday decor, snowflakes falling against the enchanted ceiling above them.
"Champions! Champions, this way please!" McGonagall shouted to be heard over the crowds chatter as Cedric slipped his hand around Corinne's waist, following Roger Davies and Fleur Delacour around the corner where McGonagall insisted they line up to wait for everyone to gather in the Great Hall. Corinne scanned around the hallway, forcing her mind from the nerves building in her stomach. Fleur was looking around as well, though at the decorations rather than her fellow champions, and Davies had not appeared to pull his gaze from her once since they had entered.
Harry Potter stood behind them, his eyes nervously scanning from Cho Chang beside him to the floor as she chattered away at his side and Corinne bit back a smile, at least thankful that the chosen one seemed just as nervous as she did. Her eyes finally fell to the couple at the back of the line, where Victor Krum was dressed in a bright red suit, Hermione Granger stood at his side in a gorgeous flowing blue gown.
"Hermione!" Corinne grinned, leaning over past Harry as the younger Gryffindor smiled up at her. "You look gorgeous!"
"Thank you! So do you!" Her voice was practically a whisper, and she looked just as nervous as Corinne was sure she did before she felt Cedric's hand squeeze hers once more.
"Come on." He smiled, watching as McGonagall pushed through the large doors to lead them in, a booming voice from inside the Great Hall announcing the arrival of the Tri-Wizard Champions.
There was a polite applause for only a few moments before the music struck up and Cedric turned to face Corinne, his hand never leaving hers as his other slid down to her waist. She felt her lips pull into a smile as he pulled her towards him, both of them spinning through the dance floor between the other champions as the crowd watched on.
"This is torture." She muttered, trying not to let her lips move as Cedric chuckled.
"You're doing fine."
"The entire school is staring-"
"Course they are. Look at you." He grinned, the hand at her waist disappearing as he pressed her out to spin before pulling her back to his chest.
"Yeah, you're very charming, we know." She teased, gulping in a deep breath to try to calm the pounding of her heart.
"I can feel your heart beat." He muttered, pulling her closer to him as the song finally began to slow for the ending.
"Well, thank God it's still working."
His lips curled into the familiar smile as they finished the dance, though his hands never left her as everyone turned to the crowd, waiting out the forced applause from students and staff alike before they were finally able to leave the dance floor. Corinne gripped Cedric's hand firmly in hers, pulling him straight for the oversized bowls of pink punch.
"Well, look at our two favorite celebrities!" Lucas grinned, already holding a half empty glass of punch as Corinne rolled her eyes, nudging him lightly out of her way.
"And where's your date?" Cedric asked, scanning around their group of friends, littered with a few new additions, though they were all draped over the arms of Cedric's other friends.
"There's plenty of Lucas to go around. Why tie myself down to one lady- ow!" He groaned as John elbowed him in the side, ending his ridiculous rant.
"Corinne, you looked amazing out there!" The small Ravenclaw on Mark's arm gushed and Corinne felt her lips pull into a small smile.
"Oh, thank you!" She poured herself a cup of punch and began walking with the brunette as Cedric fell into place at her side. "I was so nervous..."
"You couldn't tell."
"Told you." Cedric added, grinning from above the girls through a sip of his drink.
"Well, you had a good partner, I suppose." The girl smiled and Corinne linked an arm through Cedric's open one, leaning into his side and watching the dancers spin around the middle of the Great Hall.
"You want to get back out there?" Cedric asked, grinning knowingly as Corinne shook her head at once.
"Not yet..."
"But I will get another dance out of you?" He asked, his fingers slipping down her side over the pink fabric.
"I could be persuaded." She grinned up to him, enjoying the way his eyes lit up as he looked at her, their friends carrying away a conversation at their side that neither of them were interested in.
✵
Corinne let Cedric pull her through the crowds before they both burst into the entrance hall, gasping in the cool air they had been lacking in the boiling Great Hall. Corinne had allowed Cedric to drag her back to the dance floor and had found that after two songs with his arms around her, she had never wanted to leave.
That is, until his lips had begun to trail from her jaw to her collarbone, his hands wandering below her waist, and the whole room had begun to spin in her mind.
Now, his warm fingers threaded through hers as he lead her down the steps towards the Hufflepuff dormitories, apparently not caring one bit that one of Hogwarts Champions was leaving the ball early.
"We're going to get in trouble if someone sees-" She trailed off as they reached the end of the hallway, Cedric pressing her against the stone walls, his lips meeting hers and ending her sentence at once.
"Don't care." He muttered, tapping the barrels at their side quickly and pressing through the doorway as soon as it appeared, leading her up the familiar steps to his empty dorm. The door had barely shut, the light from the hallway disappearing to only the crack in the door frame before his hands were on her again.
He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear gently, his lips attaching to her cheek and sliding down over her jaw to her neck. She could feel the smile growing between each kiss as her breathing grew heavier, but she didn't care.
"You're so perfect." He whispered and she was thankful now for the darkness surrounding them as she felt her face grow hot. "I'm so in love with you... I never thought I could feel this way. That anyone could feel this way." He spoke each sentence between kisses, his voice low, despite them being some of the only ones in the dorms.
"I love you more..." She answered, wrapping her fingers around his neck and tangling her fingers into his hair. "I'll love you forever."
"Forever." He mumbled, pressing against her harder until she almost felt like her bones might shatter against the doorframe. The second the thought crossed her mind, he was looping both arms around her waist, dragging her from the floor and ignoring her surprised shriek as he tossed her easily onto the bed, crawling over her with a smile that lit up even through the black room.