Kathy

Chapter 3

Softer

I walked into the classroom, my stomach angry with me for being too insecure to eat anything at breakfast. My eyes scanned the room and landed on Cedric, who was sitting in the second to last row, an empty spot next to him. I gathered the confidence and walked over to where he sat. His attention was on a book in front of him, one about magical creatures.

I cleared my throat to catch his attention—it worked. He looked up at me and his eyes softened, giving me a soft smile. “Is this seat taken?” I asked him. He shook his head before replying, “No, feel free.”

I returned his soft smile and sat down next to him, setting my bag down beside me. I looked down at his book and raised a single brow before my eyes flickered up to his. “What are you reading?” I asked.

He looked down at his book, an amused smile tugging at his lips before looking back up at me. “You’re a silly one,” he said, letting out a soft chuckle. “It’s The Monster Book of Monsters. I thought it was obvious—what other book has teeth?” he added.

I let out a small laugh, heat creeping up my neck despite myself. I tried to make conversation. It didn’t land. “I knew that. I just wanted to make conversation. Don’t make me feel bad about it,” I joked.

He let out another chuckle. “Oh? Didn’t realize you wanted to talk to me. You usually try to ignore me as much as you can.” He said it not in a rude way, just in his usual carefree Hufflepuff way.

I gave him an amused but sheepish look before speaking. “Yeah, sorry. I just wasn’t used to boys having a crush on me, so you kind of freaked me out a bit,” I explained. It was a total lie. I wasn’t freaked out by boys liking me, but still…I needed an excuse.

He stayed silent and stared at me. Not in the intense way I’m used to. It was soft. Almost sweet. A small smile on his lips. I held the eye contact, a small subconscious smile tugging on my own lips.

For a second, Lorenzo didn’t exist.

I was here, in the present moment with Cedric. The feeling was familiar—warm, light, settling somewhere deep in my chest. Dangerous in a way I couldn’t quite place.

Before my stomach growled. Loudly. As if punishing me for not feeding it earlier. My smile faltered immediately. Oh. My. Gosh. I felt my cheeks flush as I quickly looked away.

Poor Cedric tried not to laugh but ultimately failed, hiding his laughter behind his hand. It’s like the damn fates were working against me. I turned forward and faced the front—no way was I looking Cedric in the eyes ever again.

After maybe a whole damn minute of cracking up, Cedric finally caught his breath and looked at me again. “You hungry?” he asked, as if it wasn’t obvious. I sat there stiffly, cheeks red. “No shit,” I replied. I got pretty defensive when I was embarrassed.

But Cedric didn’t seem to bat an eye at my response. Instead, he smiled and let out an amused chuckle before reaching into his bag, pulling out a small muffin in a little bag, and handing it over to me just as Hagrid walked in to begin class.

I looked down at the small muffin and then up at him. He raised his brows slightly, as if expecting me to take it. So I did. “Thanks,” I said softly.

He smiled and gave me a small wink before turning to look at the front of the class where Hagrid stood. My soft smile returned as I stared at him, the muffin in my hand. I looked down at the muffin, then back at him.

Chapter 2

Change

I was sitting across from Theodore at the Slytherin table, pansy talking loudly next to me but I wasn’t paying attention. I was poking my fork bitterly into my pancakes as my eyes narrowed at the sight of Lorenzo, only a few seats away from us, a girl next to him. Not the one from the ball. A different one. This one was brunette with green eyes.

We haven’t spoken since the party….since the ‘pretty boring’ comment. I spent hours trying to perfect my appearance during the two weeks we’ve already been at Hogwarts. Meanwhile, I’ve seen Lorenzo with different girls almost everyday. I couldn’t understand the shift in him, how could someone change in a matter of two months? How could he treat me like someone he never loved?

I suddenly got snapped out of my thoughts as pansy waved her hand in front of my face—making me look over at her with a slight frown.

“Hello?! Earth to y/n?!” she huffed in annoyance. Narrowing her eyes at me before speaking. “It’s like the seventh time you’ve zoned out glaring daggers into, Lorenzo. It’s getting pretty pathetic, honey.”

I narrowed my own eyes at her and opened my mouth to speak before Mattheo spoke. “What happened between you two anyway? You use to be so close, I almost believed you had a crush on him.” Draco scoffed in amusement and mockery before he nudged Mattheo. “You don’t know, mate?” He started. “They smooched on the last day of school, then Lorenzo comes back and suddenly he doesn’t even want to breathe the same air as her. Tragic.” Draco mocked.

I gave him a very unamused glare, missing the way mattheo’s eyes darkened as his jaw clenched tightly for half a second before he relaxed. Theodore smirked noticing his best friend’s reaction before turning to me. “On the bright side, y/n, at least you got to be the first girl to kiss his lips.” He said with a cheeky wink. I huffed at his words, my eyes flickering over to Lorenzo who was now whispering something in that girls ear as she giggled.

“Do you like him?” Mattheo’s voice suddenly cut through the silence. I snapped my head towards him, frowning, my cheeks reddening. “What? No,” I quickly said. Too defensive. Too quick. “I just miss the way he use to be. I miss my friend.” I added, swallowing hard at the bitter taste those words left in my mouth. Mattheo narrowed his eyes at me ever so slightly, as if catching my lie but before he could say anything Daphne spoke.

“Maybe he’s just not that into you. Maybe he had a crush on you and then he finally scored what he wanted when he kissed you and forgot about you all summer. That’s how boys are. You opened his eyes to a completely different world, now he can barely keep his tongue in his own mouth.” She said casually with a slight shrug. My heart sank at her words. I didn’t want to believe her but maybe she was right, she has more experience with boys than I do anyway.

Astoria noticed my expression and her soft features morphed into a sympathetic expression. “He doesn’t deserve you. He didn’t deserve your first kiss. So don’t let him hurt you.” She said softly, putting her hand over where mine rested on the table. I glanced down at our hands and sighed softly, I was about to say something before Pansy spoke up.

“You deserve someone like Cedric. He’s been trying to get at you ever since first year, maybe you should forget about Enzo and smooch with Cedric instead. I’ve heard he’s a way better kisser than Enzo,” she said while turning slightly to look over at the Hufflepuff table where Cedric was sat. “Plus, he’s a Hufflepuff, they’re usually whipped for you and easy to toy with.” She added before turning back over to look at me and shrugged.

Chapter 1

The Annual Party

It was the day before we returned to Hogwarts for our fourth year. My parents were hosting their annual party—an exclusive gathering meant only for the elite. It was a tradition our families kept every year, one last night of celebration before we all left for another term at Hogwarts.

I was excited to see Lorenzo again. We hadn’t seen each other all summer—he’d spent the holidays staying with cousins at his aunt’s house far away, which meant we never had the chance to meet up.

Before we left for the holidays, though, we had shared a kiss behind the greenhouse. It was brief, sweet, innocent. But it meant so much to us. I remembered it as if it were yesterday, especially what he said after ‘I’ll make you mine when we return. I promise.’ And Merlin, I clung onto that promise all summer.

Today, I was finally going to see him again. Not only him but the other boys too. We’d finally be together again.

I was all dressed up, my hair done perfectly in a half up, half down do. I was wearing a navy blue elegant, long dress. Light, soft makeup on my beautiful features. I smiled and greeted the guests as they entered the ballroom. Until finally, one by one my boys started arriving.

I snuck away from my parents to hang with them. I noticed how much they’d grown over the summer. Most of them were taller now—towering over me.

Mattheo looked down at me and let out a little laugh, “Merlin beards, you haven’t grown one bit. Have you?” He teased. I simply rolled my eyes at him.

“Oh, shut it. You’re only taller by a few inches.” *I replied. Not amused at all—well, maybe a little. Theodore smirked and shrugged.*

“Still taller than you, love.” *he said. They kept on teasing me, but I barely paid attention. I was more focused on where Lorenzo was.

Until finally he was here, walking in with his parents. Dressed in a suit, hair perfectly styled. Gosh, he was more handsome than the last time I saw him, if that was even possible. He spotted us and—smirked? No grin. No smile that showed all his perfect teeth. A smirk. But I brushed it off and smiled as I waved him over, when he approached us he barely paid me any mind. Instead he looked over at the boys.

“Missed me?” *he said with a smirk. Still no smile. Some of the boys also noticed the subtle changes but no one commented on it.

“You wish.” Draco replied with that usual annoyed scowl on his face. Though we all knew deep down, he missed him.

I stayed quiet just smiling softly as I looked at him. He had turned fourteen over the holiday and it looked good on him. I was waiting for him to acknowledge me but when he never did, I spoke.

“Hey, enzo.” *I spoke. He glanced at me and gave me a look over before speaking.

“Hm. You still look the same,” He said, this time..no smirk, no smile. His eyes trailed over my body in a way they never have before. Before his eyes met mine again. “Pretty boring.” He added. My heart sank ‘boring’ is he kidding? He’s never spoken, or looked at me like that. With such indifference and coldness that I barely recognized.

He didn’t even seem sorry. He just walked off with Draco towards the drinks. While I stood there frozen, with my heart beating painfully in my chest. Blaise looked at me sympathetically and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t mind him. Dance with me?” He asked, offering me his hand. Trying to distract me. Make me feel better. Like he always is. My eyes ripped away from Lorenzo as I nodded and took his hand. He led me to the dance floor and we gracefully fell into an appropriate slow dance.

Later in the night, I was by the desert tables watching bitterly as Lorenzo guided some stupid blonde girl to the dance floor. Who even was she? Some Hufflepuff?

I huffed, losing my appetite and tossing my cupcake into the trash can. Why was he dancing with her? Why not me? Why was he a completely different person? I swallowed hard as I stormed off to the bathroom. Tears threatening to spill down my face. I looked into the mirror. ‘Boring’ what was so boring about me? He use to call me ‘beautiful’ ‘gorgeous’ but now boring is all I get?

After a few minutes of sulking and criticizing myself in the bathroom, I finally decided to head back out.

And oh boy… I should’ve stayed in that damn bathroom.

Across the room there he was, my Lorenzo, kissing that blonde girl. Hands tightly around her waist. One of her hands in his hair while the other was on his chest. The way he bought her body closer to his, pressing her against him. His lips moving passionately and slowly on hers as if they belong there. It made me sick.

I stood there. My eyes watering at the scene, I’ve never felt so…defeated, so betrayed, so envious. No one noticed me. Everyone was too busy dancing with their stupid fancy dresses and suits, too busy drinking expensive champagne, or gossiping about one and other. Everything kept going on around me, but I felt utterly frozen my eyes never leaving the scene from across the room. Not even after they pulled away.

I spun on my heels and left the ballroom to go to my room once me and Lorenzo locked eyes.

He promised me.

He said he loves me.

Not whoever she is.

Oh and I will sometimes also be adding a song that I want you to listen to while reading the chapter (it will be at the beginning of every chapter). So If u guys want me to release a chapter that shows the playlist I will do that!