prospicere futurum

Corinne collapsed with a sigh onto the soft couch beside Cedric who shut his book, tossing it onto the coffee table before them easily and held his arm up to let her snuggle into his side.

"Long day?" He chuckled as she curled her legs beneath her and shrugged.

"April Fools Day is always a long day with the Weasley's."

"Oh, no wonder... I thought it was awfully coincidental that every bathroom on the third floor flooded today all at once." Lucas said. "Those two being born on April Fools Day proves that God has a sense of humor."

"Or a sense of hatred for mankind." Cedric muttered, pulling Corinne closer, his gaze falling to the flickering fireplace.

"How was practice?" She asked, scanning the group of boys.

"Your boyfriend's a bloody drill sergeant." Mark answered, "I think I'd like to resign."

"They're optional practices... you can resign by not showing up any time you'd like." Cedric pointed out.

"Yeah, then the rest of us might have a chance to improve without you mucking up every play." John wiggled his eyebrows playfully and dodged the couch cushion which was thrown towards his head.

"Are you staying the night then?" Cedric asked, glancing at his watch from around Corinne's shoulder.

"Hmm?" She looked up to the brunette.

"I'm sure they're throwing some annoying party up there? You didn't want to go?"

"Absolutely not." She answered, "But we've got class in the morning, I can walk back up... just thought I'd enjoy the quiet down here for a while."

"Oh, just stay the night." Lucas rolled his eyes, "Save yourself about forty thousand steps."

Corinne glanced up to Cedric who was already looking down, a smile pulling at half of his face. "Stay." He ordered.

"Alright." She nodded, finally letting herself truly relax as the boys struck up another conversation, the warmth from the fireplace enveloping nearly the entire room. "What were you working on when I came in?"

"Wasn't working." Cedric hummed back, reaching for the book he had discarded on the coffee table and passing it to her. "Lord of the Flies."

"You can keep reading." She mumbled, letting her head fall to his chest and listening to the way his heart pounded softly beneath her.

"No, something much more interesting came along."

"You can read to me." She suggested, craning her head slightly to meet his eyes.

"I'm halfway through, you'd be lost."

"I've already read it." She admitted.

"Oh, of course. What was I thinking." He chuckled, "Did you like it?"

"Eh..." She shrugged and he nodded.

"That's how I feel." He dropped it back to the table. "You tell me when you get tired and we'll go upstairs."

"I'm tired." She smiled and he laughed, stretching his arms over his head before scooping her from the couch with ease.

"We're headed up then." He nodded the boys a goodnight before starting towards the stairs.

"You both better be decent when we get up there! I'll write home to your mother, Diggory!" Lucas called after them.

✵

Corinne dotted the i on her last word and scanned over the page before her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she felt someone drop into the seat beside her. She didn't have to turn to find out who it was, nor did she need the scent of cinnamon and butterbeer to confirm it. Fred had been popping up practically everywhere the last few days, though after their last conversation in the Prefect's bathroom, she had found herself avoiding his eye once again and turning the other way whenever he started towards her.

"What can I do for you, Weasley?" She asked, starting on her next sentence without sparing him a glance.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked, incredulous.

"It always seems to be you." She finally met his eye, finding a familiar grin plastered over his lips. "Almost seems like you're stalking me."

"Stalking? What an unhinged accusation."

"Mhm."

"Well, I just didn't see you the other night... you know, the biggest party of the year?"

"The biggest party of the year? Not ringing a bell."

"That's because you weren't there."

"I wasn't invited." She shrugged, standing up from the bench and shoving her papers into her bag carelessly.

"Oh, come on..." Fred jumped up after her, hurrying to her side once again. "Corinne, you know I always want you around-"

"I was kidding." She rushed to cut him off, tugging her bag tighter around her shoulder. "I was just kind of tired, needed a quiet place to study."

"Where'd you go?" He asked, though seemed to think better of it at the last second. "Never mind."

"Well... I've got to get going." She ran a hand through her hair nervously, pretending to fix her bangs before finally meeting his eye, sure that the grin hadn't left his face since he'd sat down beside her.

"You don't have to be embarrassed because of the other night-"

"I'm not embarrassed." She assured him, taking a step backwards.

"Right. You're just blushing."

"Weasley!"

"No, you're right! Of course. Not embarrassed."

"I hate you." She called, starting away.

"Don't I know it!" He called back, and she could practically hear the laughter in his voice as she turned the corner and hurried along to no where in particular.

✵

At last, for the first time in what felt like weeks, Corinne had caught up with all of her work. Which is how she found herself in the common room curled up in front of a blazing fire, an old book open in her lap and her feet hanging over the edge of the arm chair.

The common room had been somewhat silent for most of the time she had been sitting there, the occasional student hurrying in or out of the portrait hole, which is why Corinne had hardly noticed the newest presence until they had dropped into the couch beside her.

"Weasl-" She trailed off, looking up and meeting Ella's gaze, one eyebrow cocked far above the other. "Oh! Hey, Ella-"

"Save it." A knowing smile curved at the brunettes lips. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?" Corinne shut the book in her lap and looked to her friend.

"Weasley. You've been hanging around him a lot lately."

Corinne scoffed, though Ella didn't continue.

"I have not been hanging around with him." She said, pausing when her friend shot her a look of disbelief. "Ella!"

"Well, whether you realize it or not, you have been!"

"He's... He's just always around."

"Yeah, he orchestrates it that way." Ella said.

"Probably..."

"I just want to make sure that you're... being careful."

"We're not friends, Ella."

"Does he know that?"

"I don't know." Corinne snapped with a shrug, "It's not my job to tell him."

"I know..." Ella sighed, sinking back into the couch and glancing into the fire. "Cedric hasn't mentioned anything about it?"

"There's nothing to mention! I only ever started speaking to him again because he looked so bloody sad, and now he's right back to his typical Weasley antics."

"He's a Weasley. What did you expect?"

"I don't expect anything. I really don't think of him all that often."

"Not anymore. But there was a time you had to go out of your way to avoid him every day. There was a time when he made your life a living hell, and I don't want you to forget-" She trailed off as the portrait hole slammed shut, both girls whirling to see Fred Weasley standing in the doorway, familiar grin lighting up his face.

"Ladies." He nodded, starting over to the couches slowly.

"Speak of the Devil." Ella muttered, though obviously not caring if Fred heard. "I'll be upstairs if you need anything." She looked to Corinne before starting towards the dorms.

"The Devil?" Fred chuckled, making himself comfortable in Ella's abandoned spot. "What have I done to earn that title?"

Corinne shot him a glare and his smile faltered slightly.

"Recently, I mean."

"Drop it, Fred." She muttered, turning back to her book for only a second. "And by the way, you've still got my book. I'd quite like it back."

"Do I?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Which one? I can't recall-"

"Likely the only book you've ever actually read. Don't mess around, I told you that was important to me." She met his eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Relax, Baker, obviously I have your book..." He sighed, sinking deeper into the couch as the two fell back into silence. "So, what have I done to earn the wrath of Ella?"

"I was actually enjoying quite a relaxing evening before-"

"Oh, come on." He whined, watching her eyes dart back and forth quickly over her page. "If I've done something to piss Ella off, I think I ought to know what it is? Start working on my defense strategy?"

Corinne was silent for another moment before placing her thumb in the center of her page and shutting the book in her lap.

"Ella was just pointing out how it seems a bit coincidental how often I've been running into you the last week or so."

"Oh, was she?" Fred grinned, obviously unfazed at the accusation.

"Yeah." Corinne nodded, "She said it seemed almost... orchestrated that way."

"What are you implying, Baker?" He drawled, "That I might have memorized your class scheduled and what time you usually get to the Great Hall and which path you take to classes-"

"It's not funny, Weasley." She cut him off, annoyance prickling into her chest.

"I'm not laughing."

"You're stalking me now?"

"I wouldn't call it stalking-"

"It's quite literally the definition."

"I'm just checking in on you."

"I don't need to be checked in on." She snapped. "And I have a boyfriend who is perfectly capable-"

"Maybe your boyfriend is the reason I'm checking in on you."

"Fred."

"Corinne." He bit back at once, humor lighting up his eyes.

"Okay, you're actually driving me mad." She groaned, snapping her book shut and swinging her legs to the floor.

"Corinne! Come on, hey. I'm... I just..." He ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Don't go."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I don't want you to get mad." She glowered. "Okay, any more mad."

"I just want to go to bed, Weasley."

"Look... All I know is... something's wrong... and I don't know why. And I can't really explain it, and it's all confusing... but... Is it so wrong if I want to make sure that you're okay?"

She felt her chest pull in a thousand directions, and hoped that she had kept her face blank as his eyes searched over it for any reaction.

"Yes." She answered, stepping around the couch, very aware that his eyes were following her every move. "I'm not yours to worry about. We're not friends, Fred. Not after everything that you've done-"

"I know." He said, his voice practically just a breath in the silent room. "But I can't stop. Caring for you."

She looked over him slowly, hugging her book tighter against her chest, wishing he would pull the honey brown eyes from hers.

"Well... try." She finally muttered, "And I'd like my book back. At your earliest convenience."

He let out a laugh beneath his breath and nodded.

"Sure thing." His eyes went soft in the low light. "Goodnight, Corinne."

She nodded twice, spinning away from him and hurrying up the stairs after Ella.

✵

"I'm just saying, you should get that looked at this summer! I swear, it didn't used to be that shape." Taylor said, Ella falling against the wall in laughter as Cedric grabbed onto Corinne's shoulders, digging into the muscle a few times.

"You're so delusional, it has not changed shape." Corinne rolled her eyes, "Quit laughing. Tell her!" She ordered Ella.

"Sorry, I really don't stare at your back as much as Taylor does, apparently! I guess I'm a bad friend." Ella chuckled as the group started towards the stairs after a grueling two hours of potions.

"You're fine, love." Cedric mumbled near her ear before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"What are we talking about? The little birthmark on Baker's shoulder?" Fred's voice carried from the bottom of the steps and Corinne's blood ran cold, the four of them spinning back to face the red-head.

"Excuse you?" Cedric asked, his voice low in the busy hallway, though it was clear that Fred had heard him.

"Fred..." George said, warningly, though the smile didn't fall from his brother's face.

"That is... what you lot were discussing, right?"

"Piss off, Weasley." Corinne called, watching as Cedric's eyes drew darker.

"Corinne..." He muttered, his gaze finally locking onto hers.

"He... I guess he..."

"Oh, relax, Diggory. Baker and I are old friends. Housemates. You can practically see it right now from beneath her sweater-" He lied, and Corinne didn't even bother to check.

There was hardly a second's pause before Cedric had darted forward, collecting Fred's sweater in one fist, both boys stumbling towards the wall as Taylor screamed.

"When will you get it through your head that not everyone at this school is bloody obsessed with you?" Cedric growled, though Fred's eyes were still bright with laughter. "Not everyone thinks you're funny. Not every girl in love with you. She sure as hell isn't."

"So you've got nothing to worry about, then, huh?" Fred grinned before coughing out a groan as Cedric pushed him back against the wall once more before stalking off, tucking an arm over Corinne to pull her along down the hallway.

Ella and Taylor shared a tense look with Corinne for a moment before offering a rushed goodbye and hurrying back up towards Gryffindor tower, Cedric's jaw locked into place as he stared silently at Corinne.

"Cedric..."

"Anything you need to tell me?"

"It's not what you think."

"Alright." He nodded, leaning back against the stone wall as swarms of students rushed past on their way to their various classes. He breathed out a deep sigh and met her gaze again.

"A few weeks ago... When we went to the prefects... bathroom..." She started, "I was going to tell you, but you came in so fast and distracted me and once you started... I completely forgot, my mind just kind of went blank-"

"Forgot what?"

"That I saw Fred." She said, "Before. When I got there, and I was waiting for you. I don't know how he got in, you know the Weasleys..."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing happened!" She snapped, "Cedric. Nothing happened. I told him to get out and he did. It was probably just a coincidence anyway, he was probably looking to pull some prank, but I told him you were on your way and he left."

"And you forgot this. For weeks."

"Yes. Because it wasn't really important to me."

"It's important to me." He said, stepping closer to the blonde and grabbing her hands in his, their fingers linking together easily. "You know I don't want him near you. I don't trust him. At all. I never will. I think he's deranged, and if anything, today just proves it. He has no issue at all in doing anything to upset you, to start a fight, to break us up."

"He can't break us up."

"I know that." He assured her, "But I'd like to not give him any more opportunities to try."

"I'm not trying to."

"I know." He nodded, pulling her in with ease and wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I know, of course you're not. I love you, Corinne."

"Then no yelling at me." She whined, peeking up to him and enjoying the sound of laughter rumbling through his chest.

"I did not yell at you." He pulled away, grinning as she stuck her bottom lip out into a pout. "Oh, Corinne."

"You yelled."

"I would never." He slid his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and leading her up the next flight of stairs. "What's your next class? I'll walk you."

"Transfiguration."

"Oh, good... We've got time. We'll go the long way." He grinned, yanking her to the right without warning.