Chapter 7: Potential Lady Diggory
"Priscila, it's been a long time. You look just as you always did," Barbara said, displaying a rare genuine smile.
"Yes, I haven't seen you in ages, Barbara," Mrs. Johnson smiled, making a symbolic curtsey.
"Cedric, come here," Barbara beckoned her son as she saw him approach.
"This is Priscila Johnson, one of my trusted companions and a great friend back in the day. She's just the same now," she added.
"Oh, come on, Barbara, don't lie to the boy. The truth is, your mother and I were rivals for seven years, and we hated each other in the early years. But then we became friends"
"Rivals?" Cedric asked, intrigued automatically.
"That's right, we were both Chasers on our respective house Quidditch teams," Priscila explained, while looking amused at Barbara, who clearly disapproved of this conversation.
"I heard you're a bookworm, is that true?" suddenly asked a high-pitched, girlish voice.
The owner of the voice was none other than the second guest at Diggory Manor, who was also considered a potential Lady Diggory by Barbara.
"Angelina! Is this the etiquette I've taught you all this time?" Mrs. Johnson quickly reprimanded her daughter. Priscila couldn't allow her to offend her friend's son and the future heir of the Diggorys.
"Apologize immediately to young Cedric," she added, staring sternly at her daughter.
"Humph," Angelina grumbled and chose to remain silent, glancing to the side to convey to her mother and the others that she clearly had no intention of apologizing for anything.
"You don't need to get upset, Priscila. Cedric isn't offended by something like that, are you?" Barbara said lightly as she looked at her son.
"My mother is right, Mrs. Johnson. It's not a problem," Cedric calmly replied, although he wasn't happy about it inside. However, Qui-Gon had taught him to be tolerant and not to engage in fights. As much as he disliked the idea of doing this, he obeyed his master, especially because not doing so would mean spending many hours meditating. And his master was always watching him, so there was no way to escape.
"Very well, Cedric, take Angelina to tour the mansion. Priscila and I have some things to discuss."
"All right, Mother," Cedric nodded slightly without showing any problems or complaints about it.
"Daughter, go with Cedric and behave."
"No, I don't want to follow a boring bookworm!" Angelina grumbled again and muttered to herself in complaint.
"Angelina!" Mrs. Priscila reprimanded her daughter with a much more severe tone of voice, causing the girl to lower her head in frustration.
Cedric was doing his best to control his temper and irritation. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he knew that getting annoyed with the girl would only bring him more trouble than simply ignoring her, he would have liked to say a few things to her. Still, he knew how to handle the situation, even if he couldn't directly respond to the insults. He could have a subtle revenge without anyone knowing.
It was then that Cedric seized the situation in his favor.
"Miss Johnson, please," he said, inclining himself slightly, performing a gentleman's courtesy, a skill his mother had taught him in his childhood. While doing this, he directed a subtle smile at Angelina, a smile that only she and he could understand. This smile, while appearing kind and respectful to others, actually contained a touch of mockery that only Angelina could perceive in front of him.
"Our mothers still have something to discuss. It's better if we don't bother them, don't you agree?" he added, looking at her with amusement in his eyes and inviting her, with his supposed gentlemanly manners, to accompany him on a tour of the mansion.
Angelina saw his clear mockery and wanted to complain, but clearly no one else shared her opinion. To Barbara and Priscila, it seemed that Cedric was acting perfectly polite and courteous, but Angelina knew he had taken the opportunity to tease her.
"As expected of your son, Priscila, his etiquette is impeccable. It's clear that he's studied a lot, and I have no doubt the boy will go far. Congratulations, old friend. If only Angelina were the same... her father has spoiled her too much from an early age," Mrs. Johnson commented with a hint of envy and frustration in her voice.
Angelina couldn't believe her mother believed his polite behavior; it was obviously a blatant act.
"Well, she's still young, it's understandable. Children's words are often impulsive without much thought. Cedric knows that, so don't worry. I trust they'll get along soon," Barbara said, of course, by saying that, she was clarifying that her son was an exception because despite being the same age, he measured his words and understood things better.
While Cedric continued to smile subtly at Angelina, who was getting increasingly angry.
"Son, entertain Angelina as our guest. Priscila and I will go to my office first, and we'll find you both when we're done," Barbara added, looking at her son, who simply nodded before calmly leaving the guest room with a reluctant and grumbling Angelina.
...
...
The subsequent scene between Cedric and Angelina was filled with uncomfortable silence for a while as they walked through Diggory Manor.
Angelina was still clearly upset about the previous situation.
But the silence was finally broken by Cedric, who decided to start a conversation.
"Look, even if you don't like me, I think walking in silence should be more boring than just being with me. And if you tell me what you like, maybe you can find something interesting in this mansion."
Angelina looked at Cedric and processed his words for a moment until she seemed to have concluded that what he said made sense, or maybe she was just too bored and preferred to accept his proposal rather than continue walking in silence.
She reluctantly nodded without saying anything.
"Hmm... then how about I show you the game room?" Cedric asked. After all, his father, Amos Diggory, had felt so bad about missing his 4th birthday that he had built a huge game room. Although Cedric used it very little, the only thing really interesting to him there was the flying broom, with which he spent some of his free time, although his mother didn't allow him to fly outside of the room, so it wasn't that much fun either.
"Fine, for now, I'll let you be my guide," she replied, feigning disinterest, but there was a clear trace of anticipation and excitement beneath her helpless expression, which only made Cedric inwardly chuckle.
"Of course, as the lady commands," he replied playfully, amused by her behavior.
And so, the two of them walked slowly through the corridors illuminated by lamps emitting soft light, illuminating the dark brown walls along with paintings and portraits of people from long ago, as well as some Diggory ancestors.
Due to the internal structure of Diggory Manor being quite extensive and complex, there are many different corridors and staircases that can easily confuse someone unfamiliar with the mansion.
"Remember to follow me, or you could get lost."
"You've said that three times already... Weren't you going to take me to the game room? Where is it?" Angelina said impatiently, having already walked quite a distance.
But Cedric completely ignored her and continued to walk leisurely, almost mocking her.
Not wanting to wait any longer, she walked ahead of Cedric and started walking faster, not following or listening to him.
'By the Force, I'd rather meditate than put up with this girl...' Ced thought with a headache.
Following Angelina, who no longer heard him, he reached a rather dark and eerie part of the mansion.
"This room looks very interesting..." Angelina commented suddenly, making Cedric look at the room she mentioned.
She was standing in front of a partially open gray stone door with some strange symbols carved in black and dark gray, which for some reason gave off a gloomy and creepy feeling.
"This room..." Cedric murmured and immediately remembered which room this was; after all, his mother had repeatedly forbidden him to enter it.
"Angelina, don't go in!" Ced rushed to say, but it was too late as the curious girl opened the door and entered on her own.
Seeing her enter, Cedric cursed all of Morgana's descendants.
To make matters worse, the stone door that was partially open was now closing behind her, and since the girl was staring inside the room in astonishment, she didn't realize what was happening, not to mention that she completely ignored Cedric.
Cedric shook his head in frustration and sighed resignedly. Then he rushed to the door before it closed completely. Yes, he had to hurry to enter the room to prevent Angelina from getting into more trouble.
Once he entered, the stone door closed tightly, leaving them both in darkness since the light from the hallway that had previously dimly lit the interior of the room was now gone.
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