amora

You were standing outside the library complaining about the cold while digging through your bag for a quill you swore you had five minutes ago. Theo’s beside you because somehow Theo is always beside you lately, leaning against the stone wall half-listening while Mattheo talks about something behind him.

Then your scarf slips loose. And Theo reaches over automatically. No hesitation.

His fingers brush under your chin briefly as he fixes it properly around your neck, tugging it tighter against the wind.

Easy. Careful.

Intimate in the kind of way that only happens when someone’s been paying attention for too long.

“You never wear this thing right” he mutters.

And the tone is what makes it bad. Not teasing.Not smug.

Soft.

Like this is normal for him. Like he’s done this before in his head a hundred times.

You laugh quietly. “Sorry my scarf techniques disappoint you.”

Theo’s mouth twitches slightly. “It’s embarrassing, really.”

But he still fixes the fold near your shoulder afterward. One last adjustment.

Cedric sees it.

Standing halfway across the courtyard with his broom over his shoulder on the way to Quidditch practice.

And he stops walking. Because it’s not the scarf itself.

It’s the look on Theo’s face. Cedric’s seen Theo laugh at him.Mock him.Flirt with you just to irritate him.

But this? This is different.

Theo looks at you like he forgot anyone else exists.

And the second Theo notices Cedric standing there watching, his expression changes instantly.

The softness disappears so fast Cedric almost thinks he imagined it.

Theo steps back immediately.

You turn, brightening when you see Cedric.

“Hey—”

But Cedric’s still staring at Theo.

Theo stares right back.

Neither of them speaks.

Mattheo notices first.

His eyes flick between them once before he mutters “well this is awkward…”

Theo looks away first.

“Diggory.” Theo he says casually

“Nott.” Cedric answers flatly

And something ugly settles between them immediately. You can feel it.

Theo pushes himself off the railing.

“Better get to practice. Wouldn’t want another tragic loss.”

Cedric’s jaw tightens.

Theo notices that too, obviously. He always notices.

Then Theo walks past him, shoulder brushing Cedric’s on purpose as he leaves.

Not enough to start something. Enough to mean something.

Cedric watches him disappear down the corridor before finally looking at you.

You frown slightly. “What?”

Cedric shakes his head immediately. “Nothing.”

But the image won’t leave his head afterward.

Theo’s hands on you.Theo fixing your scarf.Theo looking at you like that.

And during the match later, Cedric hesitates for the first time all season.

Only for a second.

But in Quidditch, seconds matter.

Especially when the Snitch flashes gold past his shoulder and he reacts just a little too late.

The Ravenclaw Seeker doesn't.

And just like that—

The match is over.

The silence afterward is somehow worse than the cheering.

Cedric lands hard enough that his broom jerks beneath him, boots scraping against the pitch as he stumbles a step before steadying himself.

Around him, Hufflepuff players are still trying to process what happened.

A few disappointed groans.Someone swears under their breath.

His team is already looking at him.

Not just their seeker—their captain.

Cedric doesn’t hear the post-match chatter. Not the excuses. Not the reassurance. Not the way they’re waiting for him to say something, anything, to pull them back together.

Because all he can think about is one thing.

One stupid thing. A scarf. Your scarf.

Theo’s hands fixing it.

The way you looked up at him.

The way Theo looked back.

Cedric clenches his jaw so hard it aches.

“Diggory.”

He barely registers one of his teammates stepping closer.

“Captain… you alright?” That word hits harder than it should.

Captain.

He lets out a short, humorless breath.

“No.”

The answer comes out immediate—flat, edged.

A beat of silence.

The teammate hesitates, then nods once and backs off, quickly deciding that whatever is happening in Cedric’s head is not something they want to interrupt.

And for the first time since the final whistle—

Cedric doesn’t feel like a captain at all. He dismounts and starts toward the locker rooms before anyone can stop him.

The celebrations from Ravenclaw echo across the pitch behind him. Every cheer feels like another reminder.

He lost.

Because he couldn't focus.

Because Theodore bloody Nott got inside his head.

The castle corridors are quieter than the pitch. Cedric walks quickly. Head down. Broom slung over his shoulder.

He's halfway to the changing rooms when he hears it.

Laughter.

Of course.

He already knows who it is. Nobody else in Hogwarts sounds quite so pleased with themselves.

Cedric closes his eyes briefly.

Not today.

Merlin, not today.

He keeps walking. Maybe they'll leave him alone.

Maybe—

His jaw tightened.

The locker room corridor echoed with their voices, and despite every instinct screaming at him to keep walking, every word carried clearly enough for him to hear.

"...I'm serious," Draco was saying through a laugh. "I've never seen him miss that many catches."

"Maybe he forgot how to fly," Enzo offered.

"Nah," Mattheo replied. "He remembered how to fly. He just forgot there was a match happening."

More laughter.

Cedric's grip tightened around his broom.

Keep walking.

Just keep walking.

The loss already felt bad enough. Hufflepuff had lost to Ravenclaw by thirty points.

Thirty.

And Cedric knew exactly why.

Because every time he tried to focus on the game, his mind kept drifting back to that stupid moment.

Theo fixing your stupid scarf-

not that your scarf is stupid, hell he loved when you wore your scarf. But Theo-

The stupid little smirk he'd worn afterward. somehow Cedric had spent the entire match replaying it in his head like an idiot.

Which only made him angrier. Because now Hufflepuff had lost. And now he had to listen to this.

As he walked past the open doorway, Theo's voice cut through the laughter.

"Speak of the devil."

Cedric stopped.

Of course.

Of course they had seen him.

Inside, the four Slytherins were sprawled across the hall like they owned the castle.

Draco and Mattheo looked delighted.

Enzo looked seconds away from saying something stupid. And Theodore—

Theodore looked far too pleased with himself.

"Diggory."

Cedric sighed.

"What."

"Bit of a rough match?"

"Go away, Nott."

Theo pressed a hand dramatically against his chest.

"That's no way to speak to someone who's concerned for your wellbeing."

Enzo nearly fell off the bench laughing.

Cedric rolled his eyes.

"I'm not doing this today."

"Oh come on," Mattheo grinned. "You can't blame us for being curious."

"Curious about what?"

Draco snorted.

"What was distracting you?"

Cedric froze.

Immediately. The four of them noticed.

And that was the worst possible thing he could have done. Theo's eyes lit up.

"Oh."

The grin spreading across his face was pure trouble.

Cedric already hates where this is going. "Drop it."

"The scarf."

Draco immediately loses it. Mattheo bends over laughing. Even Enzo has to grab the wall.

Cedric wants the floor to open up beneath him.

"A scarf?" Mattheo repeats.

"You're joking."

Theo looks delighted.

"You lost because of a scarf?" Draco wheezes.

Cedric's face burns. "Shut up."

Unfortunately for him, Theodore Nott has never shut up a day in his life.

Theo folds his arms.

"I mean, if we're being fair—"

"Don't."

"—she did look pretty."

The laughter dies instantly.

Cedric freezes.

Mattheo raises an eyebrow.

Draco slowly turns toward Theo.

Enzo's grin grows.

Because suddenly this isn't about Quidditch anymore.

Theo realizes what he said. A normal person might look embarrassed. Theo just shrugs.

Cedric stares at him.

Theo stares right back.

Neither looks away.

And for the first time all afternoon—

Nobody is laughing. The silence hangs for exactly three seconds.

Then Mattheo grins.

"Oh, that's bad."

Theo doesn't take his eyes off Cedric.

Cedric doesn't take his eyes off Theo.

Draco looks between them.

"Should we leave?"

"Absolutely not," Enzo says immediately.

Neither of them are listening anyway.

Cedric takes a step forward.

"You think this is funny?"

"A little." Theo shrugs.

Wrong answer.

Very wrong answer.

Cedric shoves him.

Hard.

“You think because she’s nice to you, you matter?”

Silence.

Real silence this time.

Even Mattheo looks up sharply. Because that was cruel. Theo’s face changes immediately. Not dramatic.

Just… wounded.

For half a second Cedric regrets it.

Then Theo smiles. And it’s honestly worse.

Small.Mean.Ruined around the edges.

“That bothering you now? That she’s nice to me?”

Cedric realizes too late he crossed a line.

But Theo’s already stepping closer.

“You wanna know the worst part, Diggory?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway.”

“She defends you constantly.”

Cedric frowns slightly.

Theo laughs quietly.Mean this time.

“Yeah. Even when you’re not around.”

Cedric’s chest tightens.

“Every time somebody says you’re arrogant, or fake, or too perfect—she defends you like she’s trying to convince herself.”

Cedric grabs the front of Theo’s robe.

“Watch your mouth.”

Theo looks down at his fist.

Then back up.

“You should be more worried about where her eyes go when you walk into a room together.”

Cedric drops his broom.

It clatters against the stone floor.

Theo glances down at it.

When he looks back up—

Cedric swings.

His fist catches Theo in the jaw.

Not cleanly. Not enough to do real damage.

Theo's head snaps to the side.

Everyone freezes. For one second.

Then Theo lunges.

The two of them crash into each other.

A mess of yellow and green.

Shoulders slamming into walls.

Hands grabbing robes.

Trying more to overpower each other than actually hurt each other.

Cedric punches him again. Hard.

Theo’s lip splits immediately against his teeth.

Blood streaks down his mouth.

Silence.

Cedric’s breathing hard now, immediate regret flashing through him—

Then Theo smiles.

And there’s something genuinely wrong with it.

Theo wipes blood from his mouth with his thumb and laughs softly.

“Finally.”

Cedric stares at him.“What the hell is wrong with you?”

Theo hits him back hard enough to bloody his nose instantly.

Cedric stumbles backward.

Theo steps forward immediately this time.

“You wanna know what’s wrong with me?”

Another shove.Another hit.

“I’m sick of watching her look at you like you hung the bloody stars—”

Cedric swings again.

Theo catches him by the front of his shirt before he can pull away.

“—when you don’t even notice when she’s unhappy.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Is it?”

Cedric slams him against the railing.

Theo laughs again through the blood.

That stupid laugh. That infuriating laugh.

Cedric wipes blood from his mouth, breathing hard.

Then says the one thing he knows will hurt him back.

"She's never going to choose you."

Everything stops.

Not the fight.

Just Theo. His expression goes completely blank. Dangerously blank.

Cedric immediately knows he's gone too far.

Theo's tongue drags across the blood on his lip.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Then he smiles.

Not a nice smile.

Not even close.

"Yeah?"

Before Cedric can answer—

Theo's fist crashes into his jaw.

Cedric's head snaps sideways.

The hit is hard enough that stars explode behind his eyes.

"Theo—"

Another punch.

Theo doesn't let him finish.

Years.

Years of jealousy.

Years of watching.

Years of pretending it didn't bother him.

All of it finally snaps.

Theo grabs Cedric by the collar and drives him backward.

"Say it again."

"You heard me."

Theo takes a step forward.

Cedric doesn't move.

"All these years," Cedric says. "All the flirting, all the stupid comments, all the games you play just to get a reaction—"

Another step.

"—and at the end of the day she still comes back to me."

Theo's jaw clenches.

Hard enough that the muscle jumps. Cedric should stop. He knows he should. Instead he doubles down.

"You're never going to be more than my enemy."

The punch comes so fast Cedric doesn't even see it.

One second Theo is standing there.

The next, his fist crashes into Cedric's jaw.

Mattheo actually winces.

"Merlin."

"THEO!"

Draco sounds half horrified, half entertained.

Theo doesn't hear either of them.

Cedric launches himself forward.

Theo meets him halfway.

They collide hard enough to slam into the wall.

Punches.

Shoving.

Grabbing at collars.

Neither thinking.

Neither listening.

Theo's lip is split wider now.

Cedric's nose starts bleeding again.

But neither cares.

"You're pathetic," Cedric spits.

Theo's eyes flash.

"You think I don't know that?"

The honesty catches Cedric off guard for exactly one second.

One second too long.

Theo's fist catches him square in the face.

And for the first time since the fight started—

Theo looks genuinely furious.

Not amused.

Furious.

The kind of angry that comes from years of wanting something you're never supposed to have.

The kind that hurts.

And suddenly Cedric isn't sure whether Theo wants to punch him... Or kill him.

Cedric manages to shove Theo into the wall.

Theo immediately grabs the front of Cedric's robes and pulls him with him.

Neither is winning.

Neither is backing down.

Until—

"WHAT IS GOING ON?"

The corridor falls silent.

Immediately.

Professor McGonagall stands at the far end of the hall.

Looking absolutely horrified.

Theo and Cedric are still gripping each other's robes.

Mattheo looks like he's about to pass out from laughter.

Enzo turns away.

Draco suddenly finds the ceiling fascinating.

McGonagall's eyes narrow.

"Mr. Diggory."

Cedric releases Theo.

"Professor."

"Mr. Nott."

Theo lets go too.

"Professor."

A long pause.

"My office."

Both boys groan.

And as they start walking down the corridor toward what is undoubtedly the worst detention of their lives, Theo leans slightly toward Cedric.

Just enough that only he can hear.

"You punch like a Hufflepuff."

Cedric immediately tries to lunge at him again.

McGonagall's voice echoes down the hall.

"MR. DIGGORY."

Cedric stops immediately.

Not because he wants to.

Because if he keeps going, he's fairly certain he'll end up back on top of Nott before they even make it to the staircase.

Theo, meanwhile, looks far too pleased with himself for someone whose lip is split open.

Blood stains the corner of his mouth.

His tie is hanging halfway off.

And somehow he still manages to smirk.

Cedric hates him.

Actually hates him.

McGonagall turns slowly.

The kind of slow turn that makes entire classrooms fear for their lives.

"Would either of you care to explain why I found you attempting to murder each other in the middle of the corridor?"

"No, Professor," Cedric says immediately.

"Not particularly," Theo agrees.

McGonagall closes her eyes.

Just for a second.

As if she's asking the universe for strength.

Behind them, Mattheo finally loses his battle with self-control and snorts.

Loudly.

McGonagall doesn't even look at him.

"Mr. Riddle."

Mattheo straightens.

"I'm being completely silent, Professor."

"You have been laughing for the last seven minutes."

"Respectfully, Professor, it was very funny."

Enzo physically turns away.

Draco looks ready to disappear into the nearest wall.

McGonagall points down the corridor.

"Office. Now."

Nobody argues.

For once.

The walk is silent.

Mostly.

Cedric keeps staring straight ahead.

Theo keeps glancing sideways.

The tension between them is so obvious that even the portraits they pass start watching.

Finally Theo speaks.

"You know..."

Cedric already knows he's going to regret asking.

"What?"

Theo's grin widens.

"For a Hufflepuff, you hit surprisingly hard."

Cedric's eye twitches.

Theo continues.

"Still lost, though."

Cedric lunges.

Again.

"MR. DIGGORY!"

The entire corridor shakes with McGonagall's voice.

Cedric freezes mid-step.

Theo actually laughs.

Not a smug laugh.

Not a mocking one.

A genuine laugh.

The kind that escapes before he can stop it.

For half a second, Cedric just stares at him.

Because he realizes something horrifying.

Theo is enjoying this.

Every second of it.

The arguing.

The fighting.

The attention.

The fact that Cedric keeps taking the bait.

And somehow that makes Cedric even angrier.

"You are insufferable."

Theo's grin is immediate.

Cedric groans.

McGonagall groans louder.

And somewhere behind them, Mattheo nearly falls down a staircase laughing.

As they disappear around the corner toward what is guaranteed to be the worst detention Hogwarts has ever seen, Theo bumps Cedric's shoulder one last time.

Cedric immediately shoves him away.

Theo just smirks.

The fight may be over.

But neither of them is finished.

Not even close.

ᥫ᭡reblog's & comment's are appreciatedᥫ᭡