FIC: "Stupid," PG-13, Marietta/Cho
Title: Stupid
Author: acidpop25
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Unrequited Marietta/Cho, with references to Cedric/Cho and Cedric/Harry
Word Count: 741
Summary: "It was a stupid idea."
A/N: Written for the anonymous love letters challenge at scarletwomen. I am, apparently, incapable of writing anything with a happy ending. Set during GOF.
"Marietta!" It was Cho's voice, and Marietta looked up just as the other girl dashed into the dormitory, a piece of parchment clutched to her chest.
"What is it?" Marietta asked, setting aside her Transfiguration essay. Whatever it was that had Cho so worked up was bound to be more interesting than writing her conclusion.
"Read this," Cho commanded, thrusting the parchment into Marietta's hands. A letter. Marietta skimmed it quickly, though she already knew what it would say.
"It's..."
"A love letter," Cho enthused, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Marietta pressed her lips together. "It isn't signed," she pointed out. "That doesn't do you much good."
Cho rolled her eyes. "Of course it's not, Mari! He probably wants to see how I react first, make sure he has a chance before he signs his name to one." Cho paused, frowning slightly. "Mari, what if it's someone hideous?"
"I'm sure it's not," Marietta replied distractedly.
"Right. Of course it's not," Cho said decisively, nodding. "I bet it's Cedric."
"Diggory?" Marietta said, raising her eyebrows. She knew Cho had a bit of a thing for Cedric, but she was pretty damn sure it was a doomed attraction- Marietta knew better than to think Cedric was straight.
"Do you know any other gorgeous Cedrics?" Cho replied. "Bet he's going to ask me to the Yule Ball."
Marietta smiled tightly. "Yeah. I bet he is."
"It was a stupid idea," Marietta said. "She thinks you sent it."
Cedric blinked. "Me? But I-"
"Apparently, Cho's ability to discern sexuality leaves something to be desired," Marietta interrupted peevishly. "She's going to be mooning after you while you moon after Potter, and it'll just be one big mess."
"And you'll be mooning after her."
"Nonsense," Marietta said. "I will be doing no such thing, because I will not be going."
"You've got to go," Cedric responded. "It'll be fun, Marietta."
"Fun for whom?" she demanded. "Even assuming I could find a date, it just means getting all gussied up to spend an evening with some bloke I don't give a damn about while Cho hangs onto your arm like a limpet, because I know you'll feel obligated to ask her now, and I will, in short, be miserable."
Cedric blinked. "I don't think Katie Bell's got a date. She's pretty, and she's fun." Off Marietta's look, he added, "What? Just because I don't swing that way doesn't mean I don't know when a girl is pretty, Mari."
Marietta scowled. "She's also straight, Cedric. As is Cho, evidently, and probably every single attractive girl in this school. What's the point?"
"The point is that you're miserable, Marietta," Cedric said bluntly. "Look. I was just trying to help, all right? I'm sorry."
Marietta abruptly deflated, slumping against the corridor wall. "I know," she muttered. "It's not your fault."
Cedric stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Marietta's shoulders. "Hey," he said, "It'll be okay. You don't have to go if you don't want... and if you do, I'll help you get ready, and I promise you a dance or two."
Marietta smiled weakly. "Thanks, Cedric."
"What are gay friends for?" he teased, ruffling her hair. "You'll be fine."
Marietta nodded and straightened, slipping out of his grasp. "Yeah. See you later, Ced."
"See you," he said, and watched her walk away.
"Why aren't you ready yet?" Cho asked. "Mari, the ball's in half an hour, and your hair will take longer than that."
"I happen to like my hair how it is," Marietta said coolly, tossing her tight curls back from her face. "And I'm not going, anyway."
"You're not- but Mari, you've got to!" Cho protested.
"I haven't got a date, and I'm not going by myself. Forget it, Cho." Marietta curled up on her bed and buried her nose in the nearest book. "Have fun with Cedric."
Cho frowned. "You don't need to be so snippy, just because I've got a date."
"No, I don't, but I'm going to be anyway," Marietta retorted. Stupid lovesick Cho in her stupid clingy dress. Marietta had every right to be snippy, especially if it kept her from doing anything she'd regret.
"Fine," Cho said coldly. "Goodnight." She strode out of the dormitory, heels clicking sharply on the floor, and slammed the door shut behind her, and Marietta sank further down on her bed and tugged the covers up to her chin.
God, she was just so stupid sometimes.
Author: acidpop25
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Unrequited Marietta/Cho, with references to Cedric/Cho and Cedric/Harry
Word Count: 741
Summary: "It was a stupid idea."
A/N: Written for the anonymous love letters challenge at scarletwomen. I am, apparently, incapable of writing anything with a happy ending. Set during GOF.
"Marietta!" It was Cho's voice, and Marietta looked up just as the other girl dashed into the dormitory, a piece of parchment clutched to her chest.
"What is it?" Marietta asked, setting aside her Transfiguration essay. Whatever it was that had Cho so worked up was bound to be more interesting than writing her conclusion.
"Read this," Cho commanded, thrusting the parchment into Marietta's hands. A letter. Marietta skimmed it quickly, though she already knew what it would say.
"It's..."
"A love letter," Cho enthused, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Marietta pressed her lips together. "It isn't signed," she pointed out. "That doesn't do you much good."
Cho rolled her eyes. "Of course it's not, Mari! He probably wants to see how I react first, make sure he has a chance before he signs his name to one." Cho paused, frowning slightly. "Mari, what if it's someone hideous?"
"I'm sure it's not," Marietta replied distractedly.
"Right. Of course it's not," Cho said decisively, nodding. "I bet it's Cedric."
"Diggory?" Marietta said, raising her eyebrows. She knew Cho had a bit of a thing for Cedric, but she was pretty damn sure it was a doomed attraction- Marietta knew better than to think Cedric was straight.
"Do you know any other gorgeous Cedrics?" Cho replied. "Bet he's going to ask me to the Yule Ball."
Marietta smiled tightly. "Yeah. I bet he is."
"It was a stupid idea," Marietta said. "She thinks you sent it."
Cedric blinked. "Me? But I-"
"Apparently, Cho's ability to discern sexuality leaves something to be desired," Marietta interrupted peevishly. "She's going to be mooning after you while you moon after Potter, and it'll just be one big mess."
"And you'll be mooning after her."
"Nonsense," Marietta said. "I will be doing no such thing, because I will not be going."
"You've got to go," Cedric responded. "It'll be fun, Marietta."
"Fun for whom?" she demanded. "Even assuming I could find a date, it just means getting all gussied up to spend an evening with some bloke I don't give a damn about while Cho hangs onto your arm like a limpet, because I know you'll feel obligated to ask her now, and I will, in short, be miserable."
Cedric blinked. "I don't think Katie Bell's got a date. She's pretty, and she's fun." Off Marietta's look, he added, "What? Just because I don't swing that way doesn't mean I don't know when a girl is pretty, Mari."
Marietta scowled. "She's also straight, Cedric. As is Cho, evidently, and probably every single attractive girl in this school. What's the point?"
"The point is that you're miserable, Marietta," Cedric said bluntly. "Look. I was just trying to help, all right? I'm sorry."
Marietta abruptly deflated, slumping against the corridor wall. "I know," she muttered. "It's not your fault."
Cedric stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Marietta's shoulders. "Hey," he said, "It'll be okay. You don't have to go if you don't want... and if you do, I'll help you get ready, and I promise you a dance or two."
Marietta smiled weakly. "Thanks, Cedric."
"What are gay friends for?" he teased, ruffling her hair. "You'll be fine."
Marietta nodded and straightened, slipping out of his grasp. "Yeah. See you later, Ced."
"See you," he said, and watched her walk away.
"Why aren't you ready yet?" Cho asked. "Mari, the ball's in half an hour, and your hair will take longer than that."
"I happen to like my hair how it is," Marietta said coolly, tossing her tight curls back from her face. "And I'm not going, anyway."
"You're not- but Mari, you've got to!" Cho protested.
"I haven't got a date, and I'm not going by myself. Forget it, Cho." Marietta curled up on her bed and buried her nose in the nearest book. "Have fun with Cedric."
Cho frowned. "You don't need to be so snippy, just because I've got a date."
"No, I don't, but I'm going to be anyway," Marietta retorted. Stupid lovesick Cho in her stupid clingy dress. Marietta had every right to be snippy, especially if it kept her from doing anything she'd regret.
"Fine," Cho said coldly. "Goodnight." She strode out of the dormitory, heels clicking sharply on the floor, and slammed the door shut behind her, and Marietta sank further down on her bed and tugged the covers up to her chin.
God, she was just so stupid sometimes.