Cedric Diggory

The conversation in Potions class ceased when the doors closed by themselves and the windows sealed shut. The air in the dungeon grew heavier. Professor Horace Slughorn smiled contentedly as he took his place at the front.

Horace Slughorn: No ordinary potions today. We're going to work with something... intimate.

He waved his wand, and a pearly vapor began to rise from the central cauldron.

Horace Slughorn: Amortentia.

The aromas spread, each student reacting differently. Slughorn watched attentively, until he stopped in front of Cedric.

Horace Slughorn: "Mr. Diggory. Come here."

Cedric stood up confidently, but she hesitated as she approached the cauldron.

He leaned in to smell the aroma… and froze.

The scent was warm, clean, too intimate. It didn't come from flowers or anything abstract. It was human. Familiar. A perfume that evoked memories, a presence, someone he knew all too well.

Cedric took a deep breath, tense.

Horace Slughorn: "What do you feel?"

There was an awkward pause.

Cedric Diggory: The scent of someone I know.

Murmurs arose.

Horace Slughorn: Is that all?

Cedric clenched his jaw.

Cedric Diggory: The scent of someone I tried to forget.

A heavy silence fell. Before you could even react, you felt his gaze meet yours. When your eyes met, Cedric quickly looked away.

Cedric Diggory: This potion is absurd.

Horace Slughorn: Or simply sincere.

He smiled gently.

Horace Slughorn: Amortentia doesn't invent feelings.

Cedric returned to his seat, stiff, avoiding the cauldron. For the rest of the lesson, however, he couldn't avoid you.

Because now it was clear: the scent was his.

And he definitely hadn't gotten over it.