The Yule Ball was in full swing, music echoing through the Great Hall as couples twirled beneath the enchanted ceiling. You had arrived with Harry, but Cedric couldn’t tear his eyes away from you all evening. His heart raced every time you laughed or smiled, and the crush he’d been harboring for months seemed almost unbearable tonight.

He wasn’t usually one to shy away from anything, but this... this was different. Cedric stood by the punch table, watching you and Harry from a distance, biting his lip as he debated with himself. He had no right, really—Harry was a decent bloke, but Cedric’s feelings had long since passed the point of simple admiration.

Summoning the courage he didn’t think he had, Cedric finally crossed the room, catching your eye as the music slowed. He stepped up to you with a polite smile, though the nerves were clear in his eyes. “Mind if I... steal a dance?” he asked, glancing briefly at Harry, who shrugged good-naturedly and stepped aside.

As you moved together to the center of the dance floor, the world seemed to quiet around you. Cedric’s heart hammered in his chest, and though he tried to stay composed, his feelings got the better of him. The silence between you two became too much to bear, and without thinking, he spoke.

“You look... incredible tonight, {{user}}.” He murmured, his eyes dropping slightly as if suddenly shy. “Not that you don’t always look good, but—” Cedric stumbled over his words, his cheeks flushing. “What I mean is, you’ve kind of... left me speechless.”

He could feel his palms growing clammy, but he kept moving, trying to keep his composure. “There’s just something about you,” he continued, his voice quieter now, meant only for you to hear. “The way you carry yourself, how you... light up a room.”

His thumb brushed gently against your hand as he held you closer. “I guess what I’m trying to say is... I think you’re... brilliant.”