Author's note: And here is officially the beginning of the sequel. I really hope that you'll like that first short chapter: some kind of introduction and context for not to get lost. I don't know where the plot will be going, I count on my characters to give me a clue. ^^ Thanks to all you guys who reviewed on the note and told me they were excited to read the new story: I hope you won't be disappointed.

Big thanks to my beta Noora who agreed to go on with me!

Rate: T because of the language and maybe because of 'adult' content (still not sure about that, tell me what you think, honestly)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Neither the characters. But I own Scott Logan, Aaron McCoy and maybe a few others to come later (who knows).

And I did it. I merely watched her gaping face, and just caught a glimpse of her shaking her head and I did it. I dashed out. I ran away, just like a stupid coward.

I don't know if she spoke or called my name. I was just too preoccupied listening to that constant buzz in my head, intensified with the incredible fast heartbeat, that were now making me feel dizzy!

I scurried along the corridors while many students observed me, not this time with that shocked "he's still alive" look, but more like "this guy is a freak!" one. I passed a group of giggling girls and totally ignored their devouring stare all over my skin. Really, that look was just really embarrassing. I felt like I was swaggering naked. I didn't give them the polite smile I usually gave in those circumstances. I just kept running.

The more my footsteps were echoing on the hard ground, the more they made me think of some ticking clock. I felt like they were saying "yes...no...yes...no...no...no...yes?...noooo...".

Why had I been that stupid? I mean, I could have waited, right? This wasn't that urgent! The whole world wasn't going to explode if I hadn't voiced the question...I began to blame myself, playing again and again the scene, the dialogue, my words, and how silly they sounded.

"Hell! I ruined everything!" I mumbled to myself as I thought again of her words. No, not words, babblings. I knew her a lot, I knew her too much: babblings equal 'NO...beat it...I'm not going to change my mind'.

I tucked my hair and sighed. How could I go speak to her now, like nothing happened? Would I just come straight to her and talk about a new spell I've just heard about? Certainly not, she would be eyeing me, if it wasn't with suspicion, it would be with "pity" or embarrassment. Or maybe all three at the same time.

"Shit! Shit! Shit" I grumbled rubbing my neck just when I passed the Hufflepuff's portrait.

"What's going on, pal? You look like you just saw Dumbledore naked!" someone laughed.

I deeply sighed and tilted my head up to look at my best friend.

"Worse, Scott...worse!" I muttered.

My friend swallowed the peanut he was chewing and widened his eyes in shock.

"Merlin!" he shouted, with a horrified yet curious face "You caught both Dumbledore and McGonagall naked! I knew it! I knew there was something between them. I have been noticing their shared vicious glances for so long, now."

I frowned a bit and got curious, ready to ask him what kind of vicious glances he noted exactly between the headmaster and the Gryffindor teacher, but then I remembered the terrible situation I had put myself into a few minutes ago.

I sat on the couch, even if it looked more I was sprawling, and glared at Scott.

"Shut up! I'm really not in the right mood for that at the moment!" I snapped at him "You can cross out the actual date on the calendar for being the day I was the worst jerk ever!"

"Wow, you're getting me worried!" Scott said, swallowing a new fistful of peanuts "Usually, nobody can be a worse jerk than Weasley! So tell me, what happened?"

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself more into the couch.

"I made a mistake" I spoke.

Scott nodded, cringed a bit and leaned in to my direction.

"Does it concern Hermione?" he asked.

I glanced up at him with apparently such a desperate look, that he just took him a couple of seconds to eye me and sigh.

"Of course, it's about her". I pouted and glanced in another direction, feeling a bit nauseous.

"What happened?" my friend urged me.

"I..." I began trailing off. I then put my hand over my face, shamefully trying my best to hide. "I proposed to Hermione".

Scott let slip the peanut he was holding between his two lips and gaped.

"Yeah, that was exactly her reaction" I muttered looking away.

"You proposed!" Scott shouted.

I rolled my eyes.

"Speak louder, please. I think Durmstrang magic school didn't hear you well".

"Bloody hell" Scott continued, ignoring my criticism "I can't believe you did it. What happened exactly?".

I ruffled my hair and sighed glancing up at my best friend.

FLASH-BACK

I was leaning against a wall of the corridor, watching the five-year students leave their classroom. Some walked past me silently, ignoring me now that they got used to spot me here every week, and still in flesh. Some other girls politely smiled at me. I smiled back as I impatiently tapped my foot against the floor. Why of all these people, my girlfriend should always be the last one to get out of the classroom?

Hermione finally passed the door, chatting with Ginny about the lesson.

"Hi, Cedric!" Ginny greeted, with a friendly grin.

"Hi yourself! How are you?" I asked as I grabbed Hermione's pile of books (something I had gotten used to doing since I realized I could never stop her from borrowing plenty of tomes at the same time).

"I'm fine. I'll leave you two alone" she quickly said, waving at Hermione and running after the Gryffindor girls.

I turned and tenderly kissed Hermione's cheek.

"I guess you want to have lunch in the park, right?" she said, with a huge grin.

"Just like usual. It's our thing now" I answered with a proud face.

Hermione nodded and held my free hand, intertwining our fingers. Since Hermione had been authorized to walk without her stick, holding hands had become a reflex. A very pleasant reflex, maybe even a whim. Actually, one of the reasons why I was always holding Hermione's books was because I would be free to get a possessive grip of her hand whenever I'd want to. Except that good point of walking without support, Hermione was still brooding around, complaining about the fact she still couldn't use magic, her body not being strengthened enough yet.

We got rid of her books a few minutes later in the Gryffindor tower before getting to the Great Hall.

"Wait here, okay?" she said as she quickly walked along the tables. I watched her pick a few sandwiches, fruits and cakes, as Harry friendly greeted me with a wave from his seat.

I waved back and noted that Hermione's features were tensed now, as she was listening to Weasley. Seeing his pout and the weird moves of his grumbling mouth, I quickly jumped on the conclusion he was on his 'criticize Cedric' hour. Always hanging out with Hermione soon helped me to recognize Ronald's multiple moods. With me around, the most of them consisted to criticize me, criticize our relation, blame her for being candid and unable to perceive my naughty expectations, complain to Harry...

"Ron, shut it!" I thought I lip-read her saying, when she caught the last chicken leg her red-haired friend was about to swallow.

"This one is for Cedric. He likes chicken" she exclaimed.

"Doesn't he have his own table to eat on?" Ronald yelped, chewing bread.

Hermione shrugged and quickly came back to me.

"Lunch is ready!" she spoke.

I chuckled and leaned in to peck her lips.

"Thanks for the chicken" I murmured after pulling back.

After lunch, we remained sitting on the grass, both leaning against the big oak of the park.

I began to nervously nibble my thumb, thinking more and more of the idea I have been musing over for the past few weeks.

"Snape gave us the most difficult work ever. And he did it just to get me on edge" Hermione spoke with an outraged voice "He told me he's sure it's me. He's sure I got no choice to steal some Life Essence from him to make the potion if I did want it to work. And now, he wants to get revenge!"

Just after the trial, Snape had actually walked straight to Hermione, gently yet unwaveringly accused her for penetrating his office to steal some Life Essence, something that actually happened, but that we both decided to keep hidden from Dumbledore and the teachers. Since then, he never stopped to spy on our every move, always looking for a detail to come down on us.

"Yes, but he doesn't have any proof. He's just speculating." I tried to soothe her.

"He's not only speculating, Cedric. He's right. And he's never going to give up on this that easily!"

I smiled and leaned in towards her, cupping her face as I traced soft circles on her cheekbones. That's when I decided to get slowly on the subject. There was no need to shock her, right?

"Hermione, there's something I'd like to talk about with you" I said with a calm tone.

"And he said he would put me in detention if I got late again to his classroom. That stupid Malfoy came five minutes after me, and he earned a smile from him!" she continued, nervously chewing her bottom lip.

"I know that's not something common" I went on, keeping my voice low.

"Oh Merlin. I hate Malfoy. I hate him so bad. I wish I could..."

"Marry him!" I exclaimed with a loud voice, finally changing my move and deciding to get straight to the point. Hermione widened her eyes in shock as I mentally slapped my forehead when I thought of the words that just came out of my mouth and shook my head. "Not, that's not what I mean. Not Malfoy...Snape..."

I stammered, feeling more and more confused and confusing. All that Malfoy/marriage talking had led me to an incredible new sentence.

"Hell" I muttered to myself "I mean, marry me. Me, of course me, and not that stupid Malfoy or...old Snape."

Hermione furrowed her brow and eyed me like if I was crazy. And I probably was. How could I, in such a moment, have been able to mix up Malfoy and me? And that was just a mad and unhealthy thing to confuse with Snape just after that!

She brushed back her hair with her fingers. And that's when she began to babble.

"Cedric...Marrying Malf..you...but...I don't...and what if?...Are you sure you..."

And I didn't wait for more, that's when I ran off. I was now probably nominated and winner of the award for the worst proposal ever! God bless me!

So, your first impressions?