Rating:
PG-13
House:
Astronomy Tower
Characters:
Cedric Diggory Other Canon Wizard
Genres:
Humor Romance
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Spoilers:
Goblet of Fire
Stats:
Published: 02/09/2006
Updated: 02/09/2006
Words: 1,742
Chapters: 1
Hits: 1,078

But... I Don't Like Girls

Tresa Cho

Story Summary:
What happens when the most beautiful girl in school asks Theodore Nott to the Yule Ball? What if he had his eye on someone else?

Chapter 01

Posted:
02/09/2006
Hits:
1,078


"Oh for the love of Merlin, Nott, you look like a blushing virgin."

The receiver of said insult proceeded to flush darker, and ducked his head into his breakfast. Stringy brown hair drifted into cold cereal. At least he wasn't alone. Almost every male in the entire Great Hall gawked blankly at the half-Veela girl walking casually around the room as if she owned it. Luckily, nobody noticed that he hadn't in actuality been staring at the girl.

For behind the girl, was a certain dirty-blonde Hufflepuff.

"Nott... Nott!" a hissing reached his ear. Followed by a sharp jab in his side. Wincing, he looked up at the offender. Blaise Zabini was staring open-mouthed at something straight ahead. Tracing his line of vision, Theodore glanced up to see the Veela offspring coming towards them. She was looking directly at him.

Paling, he quickly bent into his cereal bowl. He shoveled his mouth as full as he possibly could before looking up again. She was leaning over the table, pressing herself between an irate Pansy Parkinson and a leering Draco Malfoy. Her voluptuous bosom tumbled over both their shoulders, and Theodore felt himself stop chewing. He was still, not even breathing.

"You are Zee-Oh-Dore Nott?" her voice was sugary, almost too saccharine for him to digest. He repressed the urge to gag.

Apparently he was frozen for too long. Zabini answered for him, "Yea, that's him. I'm Blaise."

"And I'm Draco Malfoy. Make sure you remember it," the silver blond shoved the Veela's breast out of his face.

"I am sure I weel," she ignored his hand and with a sharp motion of her hips she knocked the blond from his seat. Which she promptly took.

"Now look here, you Beauxbatons bint-" Pansy screeched. Draco squeaked something from the floor. He was in very close proximity to Veela ass, and incapable of coherent speech.

"Ze Yule Ball eez coming," the Veela smiled dashingly at Theodore. The boy's face flitted through a rainbow of colors. Red, white, green, violet.

"He's choking!" Blaise took up the opportunity to pound Theodore on the back. Theodore gave Blaise a hard shove that sent him off the bench also, and swallowed his breakfast before he lost it.

"I was wondering eef you would like to go to ze ball weeth me," realizing she was not getting anywhere indirectly, she went and stated it outright.

"He accepts!" cried Draco and Blaise from the ground. Theodore's eyes went wide.

"Very good!" the girl clapped in delight, not the least bit fazed that Theodore had not spoken once during the exchange. She stood and sashayed off, joining her classmates for the remainder of the meal. Draco and Blaise returned to their seats, looking as if nothing had happened.

"Excellent. The most beautiful thing in the school is going to the Yule Ball with a Slytherin," Draco smirked. "Couldn't have planned it better myself. Good job Nott, you really knocked her over."

"But..." Theodore spoke up finally, capturing all their attention.

"But what?" Blaise asked.

"But I don't like girls..."

...*...

All through that day, it seemed like Cedric Diggory was everywhere. Theodore must have passed him at least five times in the halls- more than he usually saw the boy in a week. One time, Theodore had almost been caught staring. Luckily, one of the Weasley's had taken that instant to shove his books from his arms, effectively scattering his attention.

Sighing heavily at his rotten luck, he bent and started collecting his books. He was Slytherin, true, but he was more prone to studying than bouts of maliciousness. He did create cunning plans, but he usually hid in the woodwork while Draco and his cronies performed them.

He reached for a book, and his hand knocked against someone else's. Surprised, he looked up to find himself staring into remarkably grey eyes. Theodore blinked. And blinked again.

"That was right nasty of them," spoke a soft voice, as the owner handed Theodore his book. "I'll talk to them. You weren't bothering anyone."

"Er..." said Theodore, in his endless eloquence.

"I heard from someone that you're taking Fleur to the Yule Ball." Cedric Diggory leaned back on his heels and even that motion came gracefully. "You're only a fourth-year."

"Er..."

"I mean, that's not bad or anything," Cedric continued. If he noticed that Theodore was rapidly turning red, he didn't say anything. They squatted in the middle of the hallway, heedless of the students trying to get round them. Cedric looked completely at ease.

"She asked me," Theodore finally mumbled. Books held tight to his chest as he tried to avoid being stepped on.

"You're not all that pointy," the Hufflepuff went on. "I used to think all Slytherins were pointy. You know, like that Malfoy fellow. But you're not pointy at all."

Theodore blinked. "Er... I can be pointy..."

Cedric threw him a penetrating glare, "No, I really don't think you could. But-" Here he cleared his throat. "You know I'm going to the Ball too, and since you're attending with one of the champions, you have to sit at the same table as I."

Even his grammar was immaculate.

A light went on in Theodore's head. If he was going to the ball with Fleur, then he would be forced to sit at the same dinner table as Cedric! Suddenly the Ball looked much more promising.

"I'll see you there, mate?" Cedric stood easily and offered a hand to Theodore. The Slytherin took it and clambered to his feet.

"Er..."

"You don't say much, do you?" Cedric grinned before darting away, black and yellow scarf flicking away behind him.

Theodore blinked.

...*...

The day of the Ball approached, and Theodore spent almost as much time before the mirror as Pansy. Draco and Blaise alternately smirked and glowered at him. Smirking for the care he was taking, and scowling that neither had scored with Fleur.

"He said I wasn't pointy," Theodore spoke to the mirror.

"You aren't pointy," the mirror replied in a soothing contralto, "not at all like that Malfoy fellow."

"Oi, I heard that you magically-wired bint." Draco sniffed as he slicked the last bit of his hair down. "Right then, men. Let's go. The ladies await."

Somehow Fleur had made it into the Slytherin Common Room. She looked dazzling in her dress robes, and every male within seeing radius had stopped still. Every male except Theodore Nott, of course. He merely strode down the stairs and offered his arm to Fleur. She grinned as she took it, and they made their way out of the Common Room just as the girls started screeching at their dates.

Dinner was certainly an affair. All pomp and circumstance. Harry Potter had grabbed one of the Patil twins, and the Muggle-born bookworm was sitting beside Krum. Cedric sat across from Theodore, so the Slytherin could watch emotion flit across the chiseled face. Throughout the entire meal, Cedric railed about everything from apples- the red ones are better than the green ones, don't you think?- to Zacharias Smith- the cocky bastard cannot shut up- from his house. It was all Theodore could do to keep up.

Not once during the dinner did he look at his date, Cho Chang- Seeker for Ravenclaw.

Dancing was certainly another affair. The champions were required to dance first, and little by little other couples joined around them. Swirling, twirling, spinning, and weaving in a dizzying manner. Theodore would have enjoyed it more if he knew what he was doing. Fleur led, and Theodore could barely keep up.

Then, he tripped. Over the hems of his and Fleur's robes, and perhaps Fleur's foot. Rather than bringing her down with him, he let go and collided hard with someone else anyway.

"Whoa there, mate, had too much of Weasley's punch?" A low voice murmured in his ear, and Theodore felt a hot rush up his throat. Hands caught and steadied him, setting him on his feet. He turned to see none other than Cedric Diggory staring in bemusement at him.

"Er..."

"Expressive as always," Cedric smirked. It wasn't an evil smirk, though. Just a smirk. Wry perhaps.

Theodore noticed that Fleur had vanished mysteriously into the crowds. He also noticed that Cedric was conspicuously alone. They were in the middle of the dance floor.

"Do you want to dance?" Theodore asked. After all, that's what a dance floor was for, wasn't it?

"I though you would never ask, you stupid git," Cedric grinned finally, and immediately closed the distance between them.

From somewhere across the room, Draco and Blaise stared on with disgust. "Ugh. Has he no class? A Hufflepuff!? Honestly." Malfoy downed a glass of punch as if it were a shot.

"Theodore Nott left a half-Veela for Cedric Diggory," Blaise shook his head. "The downfall of the Slytherin House is imminent."

"Shut up," Draco snarled into his now-empty cup. "I need some coffee."

"Ladies first," Blaise shot back. "And I need something stronger. Where did those Weasley's get to..."

From quite the opposite side of the dance, two girls looked on with amusement.

"I told you eet would work."

"You're right. I shouldn't have doubted you," a flicker of raven-colored hair drifted out of a tight knot. Pale fingers had loosed the tie.

"Mooch better. You know I ab'or your 'air up like zat."

"I know. But it's traditional. Especially with this dress."

"Yez, yez, I know about your... customs. But you 'ave such gorgeous 'air."

"Mm, not as gorgeous as yours," Cho Chang leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Fleur's lips. "I'm surprised that little Nott boy got up the nerve."

"Oh posh," Fleur waved a delicate hand. "'e eez Slytherin. Zey always get what zey want. If zey want it badly enough." She linked her hands behind Cho's back and drew her close. "Even I know zat, and I do not attend your school."

"So- you asked Nott to the dance because he'd been making eyes at Cedric for the past few weeks, and is therefore immune to your Veela power. Cedric found out, and decided to ask me so that we could switch partners halfway through the dance." Cho again pecked at Fleur's lips. "You are brilliant, my love. You would have done well in Ravenclaw."

"You make fun," Fleur's eyelids lowered, and she reached down for Cho's hands. "Come, to ze ladies room. I need privacy." Cho grinned and followed eagerly.