Look at Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 1)

03 - Tie Trouble

Ellie awoke to the bustling of her fellow roommates. She shot up in her bed and headed for the shower, eventually dressing into her uniform. With her book bag slung over her shoulder, Ellie rushed out of the door. She was immediately met by Cedric, his right arm leaning against the top of the doorframe. Ellie jumped at his sudden appearance, bringing her hand over heart in reaction.

"Oops, sorry Ellie," Cedric chuckled. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's okay," Ellie laughed off.

Ellie's roommates passed by the two as they sent flirtatious smiles towards Cedric.

"Hey, Cedric," the girls greeted in unison, purposely brushing past his arm lightly.

"Morning to you too," Cedric responded with a friendly smile.

Ellie rolled her eyes as she pushed past the boy and made her way out of the basement, smiling teasingly.

"What, Ellie?" Cedric protested as he jogged after her. "What did I do?"

"Oh my goodness, Cedric. Are you that oblivious?" Ellie teased as they began to walk upstairs.

"Oblivious to what?" Cedric asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Haven't you noticed? You're like the Leonardo DiCaprio of Hogwarts," Ellie scoffed as the two entered the Great Hall, taking their seats at the Hufflepuff table.

"Who's that?" Cedric asked cluelessly as he brought his bag to rest on the space beside him.

"Are you serious? You don't know who Leonardo DiCaprio is? British people, I swear," Ellie sighed disappointedly.

Cedric laughed loudly as he took a sip of pumpkin juice, clutching his stomach. Multiple girls glared at Ellie, narrowing their eyes at Cedric's sudden attention to the newcomer.

Last night, the two had sat facing the Ravenclaw table. This morning, they sat facing the Gryffindor table, observing the red-hooded students. A trio made their way towards an isolated section of the Gryffindor table, a dark-haired boy leading the group. They caught Ellie's eye, and she turned to Cedric.

"Who's that?" Ellie questioned, gesturing to the trio that had sat down for breakfast.

Cedric saw where Ellie looked and chuckled lightly.

"That's Harry Potter, of course. The school celebrity, might I say. They say he's 'The Boy Who Lived', the only person to survive You-Know-Who's killing curse," Cedric explained, leaning his head closer to Ellie.

"I've heard about him. Only once or twice though. My mother doesn't particularly enjoy talking about the Dark Arts," Ellie trailed, though her eyes were fixated on another member of the group. "Who's the other one?"

"That's Ron Weasley. He's got loads of brothers and one sister. Met them all at the Quidditch World Cup this summer. My father knows his, so we all came along to watch it."

"But... who's the girl?" Ellie questioned as she stared at the girl, who seemed to be bickering amongst the other two.

"That would be Hermione Granger. A muggleborn, but she's one hell of a student. Top of her classes, she's even taking a few advanced courses," Cedric elaborated. "The three of them, they're practically inseparable- like the Golden Trio, as everyone calls them. They're all in your year, so I wouldn't be surprised if you share some classes."

Ellie gazed at Hermione, her curls falling perfectly despite her clear frustration with her friends. The red in her robes seemed to compliment her well, making her skin seem as if it was glowing.