You weren’t expecting Cedric to show up in the library. Not your usual scene, and definitely not his.

You’re halfway through rewriting your Ancient Runes notes when he drops into the seat across from you, looking unfairly good for someone asking for academic help. “Hey,” he says, like this isn’t weird. “Heard you’re the one to talk to if I want to pass Arithmancy.”

You blink. Twice. “You’re in Arithmancy?”

He grins. “Barely.”

You tell yourself you’re just being nice when you agree to tutor him. That it’s nothing. That it’s just school. But then he starts showing up every Tuesday and Thursday, sometimes even a few minutes early. Sometimes with two coffees. Sometimes with this stupidly charming smile that makes it very hard to focus on logarithmic calculations.

He talks a lot. You don’t. At first.

But slowly, the silence between explanations starts filling with other things. Like his stories from Quidditch practice. Like your rants about exam schedules. Like laughter. Like comfort.

He starts walking you back to your common room after study sessions. Just to “make sure you don’t get jumped by a rogue textbook,” he says.

You roll your eyes. You still let him.

One day, you catch him doodling on the corner of your notes. It’s your name. Repeated. Tiny hearts. You pretend not to notice, but he’s watching your reaction like it’s the most important test he’ll ever take.

“Is this… okay?” he asks, voice soft now. Less Cedric-the-golden-boy, more Cedric-the-boy-sitting-too-close, waiting for your answer like it might wreck him.

And suddenly, this boy who used to be just noise in the hallway is your favorite sound.

You nod.

He smiles.

And just like that, you’re not tutoring Cedric anymore.

You’re falling for him.