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Most people liked to sleep in on their days off. As much as Harry would like to sometimes, his daughter, Lily, always woke him up early on Saturdays.
Children had endless energy. They really did. Before having a child of his own, he thought it was a saying. It wasn’t. Harry wasn’t sure where it came from, nor did he know when it ran out (well, that was partially a lie- a day with George and Fred at their shop in Hogsmeade had her falling asleep into her supper at six), but it surely wasn’t even close to burnt out at seven in the morning.
Harry shifted, trying to keep a smile from his face as Lily opened the bedroom door with an almost silent creak. She tip toed across the floor, avoiding the squeaky floorboard with precision, making her way to the bed while stifling giggles. Harry could picture her in her nightgown, her hands pressed up to her smiling mouth to quiet herself, hair curling around her face while mused with sleep.
She quickly leaped on top of the bed with a yell, landing on top of someone who thankfully, for once, wasn’t Harry. Lily let out a squeal barely a moment later as she was lifted into the air by an arm peeking out from underneath the quilt. The lumpy shape Lily had previously pounced on shifted to bring her back down. Her legs kicked out in protest only to be grabbed by the free hand that had been lying in wait.
“Papa!” Lily cried out, trying to get away. She wasn’t able to however, and was soon being tickled by wiggling fingers. “Papa, no, don’t. Daddy help me!”
Harry sat up, a smile finally taking over his face as he tried to save his daughter.
“Alas, you evil tickle monster, release the fair Lily, lest you feel the consequences,” he spoke pompously, moving to take Lily and safely tuck her away on his side of the bed only to let out an ‘eep’ like noise, which was very manly, as the wiggling fingers shifted to him rather than the six year old.
“You have fallen right into my trap, doer and protector of good!”
Harry tried to block the hands, laughing uncontrollably as they only moved out of the way to tickle somewhere else. Lily tried to help him. She latched onto one of the offending hands and refused to let go.
“Oh - Merlin-” Harry gasped out, laughter cutting off his protests before he could even voice them. “Enough Cedric, stop! Stop!”
Cedric only smiled brightly in response as he too sat up, gently lifting Lily back up and into his lap. He reached out to take one of Harry’s hands into his own, giving it a firm squeeze only to receive a look of mock disappointment as Harry squeezed back.
“Can we have pancakes for breakfast?” Lily asked, gazing up at both of her parents with puppy dog eyes. The expression was clearly learned from Sirius, uncle Padfoot now, from the way her lower lip stuck out and how her eyes widened to make them seem larger. Her hands clasped together under her chin in a begging motion.
“I don’t see why not,” Cedric told her, his eyes softening as she bolted out of the room cheering, soon running down the hallway towards the kitchen.
Harry and Cedric watched her go before Cedric shifted to give Harry a kiss on the cheek, then his lips. Harry playfully scrunched up his face tugging lightly on Cedric’s ear.
“You have morning breath.”
“You love my morning breath.”
“No, I really don’t.”
“Are you sure? You did marry me, morning breath and all.”
Harry snorted. Cedric kissed him again before he could retort, bringing a hand up to run fingers through Harry’s bed head.
“I’ve been thinking,” he began, tucking a piece of hair behind Harry’s ear.
“Very dangerous before eight o’clock.”
“Yes, I know, but I have been despite the risks. We’ve had Lily for a few years now.”
“Almost five,” Harry said.
“Almost five,” Cedric agreed. “She has really settled in, and I know you’ve always wanted a big family. We’ve talked about it before, a lot.”
Harry listened to Cedric speak, heart soon pounding away in his chest. Was Cedric..?
“Do you think Lily wants a younger sibling?”
Harry blinked, unable to form a response. Cedric’s hands had moved to cup Harry’s face, nervousness filtering into his expression. He wanted another child. He wanted to adopt and raise another kid. With Harry.
Cedric was taken into a death grip the second his question was processed, Harry’s face pressed up against Cedric’s shoulder.
“Yes, yes; thank you.”
Cedric only smiled before pressing a kiss to Harry’s temple. Harry sat up to kiss the other properly, for once not saying a thing about morning breath. Their lips met softly, lovingly, trying to convey years of adoration with one action.
“Daddy, Papa, c’mon!” Lily cried, sounding cross, from the kitchen.
Cedric could only laugh as he pressed one last peck to Harry’s cheek. He moved to stand up, extending a hand to his husband.
“Our princess awaits.”
Harry had never felt happier than in that very moment. He knew he had said that once upon a time at his and Cedric’s wedding, but this was a million times better than any ceremony sealed with a kiss. Cedric stood in his pajamas in the early morning light, eyes still caked with sleep, love written across every part of his being as his eyes stared into Harry’s.
“She does.”
Harry wouldn’t trade it in for the world.
Harry couldn’t believe it. He just could not, would not believe it. He was chosen for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Him. Harry Potter. A tournament he didn’t enter, was too young to enter, and had never wanted to enter in the first place!
How could Hogwarts have two champions? How could the cup have messed up? Cedric Diggory was supposed to be the champion. He had entered. He was of age. Hufflepuff deserved to have the champion spot more than anyone else.
He slumped against the wall once he felt he had gotten far enough away from the room the champions had been in. It was always him in the end. He faced down dark lords on the back of people’s heads, sixty foot long can-kill-you-with-one-gaze snakes, and mass murderers who may or may not have been trying to kill him (depends on who you asked).
Of course he would get entered into the stupid tournament.
Why was he even surprised anymore?
What was going to happen next year? At this rate, Dumbledore should turn out to be a death eater who likes to gut children on the nights of the new moon. He shuttered at the thought, letting his head hit the wall with a ‘thunk’ as he sank to the ground.
Maybe he could write a letter to Sirius. Break a wrist or something so he couldn’t compete and spend the year with him and Buckbeak in Majorca. That sounded nice.
Harry only groaned, discarding that train of thought almost as soon as he had formulated the idea. He couldn’t run away from his problems, as much as he would like to. He debated for a few seconds in his head on whether or not he wanted to go back to Gryffindor tower or fling himself from the astronomy tower.
He chose the former, finally standing up and wincing as his knees cracked when he did so.
“Um, Harry?”
Harry jumped, whirling around to see who had spoken only to pause at the form of Cedric Diggory. He shifted on his feet, clearly feeling a bit nervous, as he put his hands out in a universal ‘I come in peace’ gesture.
“Yes?”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I only wanted to make sure there are no hard feelings about all of this,” he made a gesture into the air, clearly meaning the whole ‘both of us being picked to be in the tournament despite the fact there was only supposed to be one champion per school’ situation, before he continued, “I also wanted to say that I believe you when you say you didn’t enter yourself into it. From all the rumors, you get into enough life threatening situations every year. I doubt you’d willingly put yourself in harm’s way for some money.”
Harry looked at the other, momentarily speechless.
“Wow, uh, thanks. I appreciate it.”
They didn’t say anything else. Cedric only waved, still looking very awkward, before he walked away, leaving Harry alone in the hallway. He supposed Cedric wasn’t that bad.
“Daddy, can I stay with uncle Sirius again sometime?” Lily asked, clutching her blanket up to her chin.
“I’m sure he’d be happy to have you over again sweetheart,” Harry told her, making sure she was tucked in for the night.
“Really?”
“Really, really.”
Lily smiled brightly at that, her cheeks flushing with happiness. Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead before dimming the lights in the room.
“Good night.”
“Good night daddy. I love you.”
Harry paused in the doorway. His hand went to grip the door frame, shock quickly melting away to be replaced with a thudding heart. “I love you too.”
He left the door open a crack so light from the hallway could serve as a night light. Harry walked back towards the master bedroom, repressing a yawn as he slipped his pants off to hang on the footboard of the bed.
Cedric was brushing his teeth when Harry nudged the bathroom door completely open. He pressed a kiss to Cedric’s shoulder before he grabbed his own toothbrush. Cedric shot him a toothpaste filled grin in response, poking Harry’s calf with his already cold toes.
They settled into bed together, the house quiet as they started to read. Cedric read that evening’s copy of the Nightly Owl while Harry read Quidditch Weekly. Cedric had already read it while Harry gave Lily a bath, as Lily had requested him that morning. She would always laugh as he made beards out of bubbles from the bubble bath solution and would try to give her a tiara or mustache.
Harry yawned once, then twice, before he decided to give into his now dropping eyes. He took off his glasses, placing them on the bedside table on top of the closed magazine. The bed shifted as Cedric turned to his side to watch as Harry sprawled on his side of the bed, his face half smushed into his pillow.
“You seem tired.”
Harry turned to look at Cedric with a raised brow.
“Really?”
“And Lord Sarcasm makes his appearance.”
“Bah.”
Cedric only shook his head, which made his hair look like a big light brown blob to Harry for a few moments, before he set his paper aside. He scooted closer to Harry, tugging the other’s arm so they could cuddle together in the middle of the bed. Harry huffed against Cedric’s neck as Cedric’s hands came up the back of Harry’s shirt.
“What’s up? You looked like Yule came early when you came in to brush your teeth.”
“Lily said I love you after I tucked her in,” Harry told him, voice soft.
Cedric ran a hand down Harry’s spine, “Of course she did; you’re the best father in all of wizarding Britain.”
“She knows this is her home now. She thinks of us as her parents Cedric,” he paused, his cheeks growing hot while tears wanted to gather in his eyes, “I never thought it would happen.”
Cedric pressed a kiss to Harry’s temple before he said, “If anyone deserves this, it’s you.”
Harry sniffled.
“No, we both do.”
Cedric smiled. Harry could feel it and he could only smile back when Cedric agreed.
“We both do.”
Harry could only sit in misery, and a bit of teen angst as he was at that age, as Hufflepuff students ate their breakfast with their ‘Potter stinks!’ badges pinned proudly on their chests. He was pretty sure he also saw some Slytherins with them too (no doubt Draco probably thought it was a hoot) and the week really hadn’t been going well.
Ron was jealous because Harry had managed to enter the tournament but didn’t tell anyone else about how to get past the age line. He didn’t believe Harry when Harry said he hadn't entered his name in the cup. Three years of friendship and he didn’t believe Harry! Why would Harry want to compete in a life threatening tournament when he could simply slap a sticker onto his forehead that said he was Harry Potter and have the life threatening situations roll in?
Hermione, meanwhile, had found out about house elves and how they were essentially slaves. Oh, and you know, how Hogwarts had hundreds of them working every day the students were present. No big deal, other than the fact she was knitting like crazy in between class work to free them with newly knit clothes while the elves begged Harry (and anyone who would listen) to keep her away from them.
And, quidditch really was canceled. There would be absolutely no quidditch whatsoever that year. The very thought of it made Harry want to burst out into tears and laminate about his miserable life. Oliver had already gone mental over it, the twins had too much free time on their hands without any practice to make pranks up to the professor’s eyeballs, and now there was no way for him to kick Draco Malfoy’s ass without getting in trouble (stupid Snape).
So, in summary, life sucked and running away to Majorca was getting more appealing by the day.
Harry sighed (the sixty third one that day alone) before he grabbed a piece of toast to take with him as he went to class. He had herbology and he really hoped Neville would be his partner again; the boy was a genius with plants.
He walked towards the green houses, double checking to make sure he had his gloves only to stop short when he heard voices from down the corridor.
Cedric stood with some of the members from the Hufflepuff quidditch team, a frown on his face. They were all wearing those stupid pins, well, actually; no. Cedric wasn’t wearing one.
Huh.
“I don’t see why you want me to wear one,” Cedric was telling them. “He’s my fellow competitor, but he’s also a Hogwarts student, one who didn’t want to be in the tournament in the first place.”
“If he didn’t enter himself then who did?” someone asked, laughing as though it was a stupid idea.
“People die in the tournament, what do you think?”
“Wait, wait, wait; you think someone in this school wants Potter dead, so they put his name into the cup?”
“He’s been killed almost every year; it really isn’t that farfetched.”
Their voices faded as Harry finally walked away, a new respect for Cedric Diggory wiggling its way into his heart.
“Do you have your scarf? We’re going out shopping once we tell the others the news!” Harry called out through the house, sounding giddy.
“If they let us go after dropping the dung bomb of the decade, we’ll be going shopping.”
Harry turned to see Cedric walking towards the entry way, his scarf already wrapped loosely around his neck, like usual.
“A simple yes would have sufficed.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Harry only shook his head before roughly pulling on his coat.
“We have so much we have to do. We have to paint and get furniture, not to mention toys and clothes,” he paused, eyes going wide, “Oh Merlin, we don’t even know what colors she likes, or what size she is, or if-”
“Harry,” Cedric cut Harry off before he could work himself up. “We have time, and I have no doubts that everyone will want to help.”
Harry let out a shaky breath, running his hands down his face to try to calm himself down. He was only partially successful, but it was better than nothing.
“I know, I know. This is all just, so, well; it’s like a dream.”
“Understandable. Now, you do have the letter, right?”
“Do I have the letter? Do I have the letter? Do you have a brain up in that Hufflepuff head of yours?”
“Okay, that was uncalled for.”
Harry punched Cedric’s arm, lightly of course, before they finished getting ready. When all of the lights were turned off they apparated away to Hogsmeade.
It was late November. The sun was already setting and snow covered every roof. Light flowed out the windows of shops and homes alike, setting the streets ago with warm yellows. It made everything seem that much more alive, as did the echoing laughter and voices being carried away in the wind.
They made their way towards the Three Broomsticks hand in hand. Harry kicked up snow with the toes of his boots as Cedric moved to wrap an arm around the other’s shoulders. Their hips knocked together and they smiled at each other, cheeks rosy from the cold.
It was warm inside. The bar was only half full while most of the tables were taken up by patrons. Harry unbuttoned his coat with one hand while searching the room for a recognizable face or head of hair. Cedric put a hand on the crook of his arm, pointing to a table towards the back where Remus was sitting speaking with Cedric’s mother, Beatrice. Amos was nodding along to whatever he was saying. Sirius was absent.
“Here goes nothing,” Harry mumbled before they walked towards the three.
Amos spotted them before they had made it to their seats, standing up to give both Cedric and Harry a firm shake of the hand. Cedric pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek while Harry gave Remus a hug before they traded, Cedric shaking Remus’ hand while Harry received the second hug of the night from Beatrice.
“It’s good to see you two. How have you been? What have you been up to?” Amos asked them both as they all sat down.
“We’ve been doing well Amos, just yesterday Cedric managed to make overcooked pasta for dinner,” Harry responded playfully, earning a light laugh from Beatrice and a light kick from Cedric under the table.
“I got distracted while cooking, I am normally perfectly fine,” he defended, no real heat in his voice.
This got Amos to laugh as well, a quick hand patting Cedric a bit roughly on the shoulder.
“I would hope so; you puttered around in the kitchen enough while growing up. Harry, I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but-”
“Don’t you dare,” Cedric interrupted, pointing a finger in his father’s direction a smile still on his face. “He doesn’t need to know.”
“Yes I do.”
“No, I say you don’t so you don’t.”
“How commanding.”
“Boys,” Beatrice spoke up, her voice full of laughter. Remus had a hand pressed up against his mouth, hiding a smile.
Amos opened his mouth to continue only to be interrupted again, this time by the arrival of Sirius with warm mugs of butter beer. He set them down in the middle of the table before pulling in Harry for a half hug with one arm, using his free one to ruffle Harry’s hair.
“How is my favorite godson today?” he asked, taking his seat next to Remus.
“I’m your only godson Sirius,” Harry deadpanned, earning an exaggerated groan from the man.
Sirius clutched his chest with one hand, putting the other up to his forehead to show extreme hurt at Harry’s response. Remus swatted him over the back of the head with no real power behind it. The man corrected his posture in response before picking up his mug to take a sip, a pout now on his face.
“Everyone is out to hurt me.”
“Clearly,” Remus spoke from behind his cup, eyes dancing with mirth.
They all settled into small talk as they drank from their warmed mugs. When Harry’s drink was half gone, silence fell comfortably, only to be broken by Remus quietly clearing his throat.
“So, why did you call the parents together?” he asked, looking from Harry to Cedric then back again.
Remus and Sirius had done more for Harry than he ever could have asked for. They could never take the place of James and Lily, but they had done their best to help Harry in whatever way they could. They encouraged him to follow his dreams, to be his best, and they told him everything they knew about his parents.
“Well, we have some news, and we figured telling you in person rather than sending an owl would be a better choice,” Harry began, reaching into his coat pocket to take out the letter he and Cedric had been sent that morning.
He placed it on the table, sliding it over to the others. He leaned up against Cedric, who wrapped his arm around Harry’s shoulders once more. Harry smiled at the action before continuing.
“We got that letter this morning. Cedric and I have been approved to adopt.”
The words sank in for a moment, then two. Sirius let out a whoop in response. Beatrice looked overjoyed, as did Remus, and Amos clapped his hands a few times.
“Do you know who it is yet? When will they move in? Are you going to blood adopt them?” Sirius asked, rapid fire, eyes skimming over the letter again.
“She’s fifteen months old and she will be able to move in after we get the house ready for her. Someone from the magical children affairs department will be coming by when we think we’re ready. With their okay, we’ll be able to bring her home the next day,” Harry looked to Cedric, who nodded. “We’ve been given the option to blood adopt her, and we will, alongside giving her a new name.”
“Her last name will be like ours, hyphenated together. We wanted to ask if her middle name could be Beatrice; would that be okay mum?” Cedric asked, looking to his mother who agreed with a nod almost immediately.
“It’s more than okay you two, you don’t even need to ask,” she responded.
“Did you decide on a first name?” Remus asked, before Sirius could manage for once.
“Yes,” Harry took in a breath, pausing, “Lily. We’re going to name her Lily.”
Sirius went still. Remus’ eyes widened. Cedric reached out to give Harry’s hand a squeeze. Nothing was said; what was there to say? For once, Sirius didn’t even tease Remus for tearing up because he was crying too.
Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.
Dragons.
The first task was dragons.
Honest to Godric dragons.
Actual fire breathing dragons that could kill Harry as if he was a soap bubble. One poke from a dragon and ‘pop!’
He was going to die, they were going to die. Fuck.
He didn’t want to die.
He didn’t want to, so he wouldn’t. No, he wouldn’t. He would think of something. He would get out of the first task alive. Easily. All he had to do was make himself invincible to being killed by four breeds of dragon.
Fuck. It sounded worse properly thought out than it did as an abstract idea.
He ran his hands over his face, then through his hair, trying to calm himself down. He was terrified but he wasn’t going to let it show. He had to think. He had to be rational. There had to be a way to be stronger than a dragon. Smarter than a dragon. Faster than a dragon.
That last one might actually work.
Game plan in motion.
He froze again, realization dawning.
He knew about the dragons. Fleur would know about the dragons. Victor would know about the dragons.
Cedric didn’t know.
Cedric would be going up against a dragon and have no clue until the second the task started. He’d get burned alive. His pretty face and smile would be melted off the face of the earth.
(Wait, since when was Cedric pretty?)
Cedric didn’t know. But he was going to know. Harry could tell him. Would tell him.
(Fuck.)
Cedric looked over to see a tall pile of boxes with legs. He stopped himself from laughing as he walked over, letting his wand slide out of his holster along the way. One levitation charm later and Harry’s arms were box free. Said boxes floated away from the pair towards their soon to be bedroom. Clothes then, most likely.
“You do remember you have magic, right?” he asked teasingly as Harry rolled his eyes.
“I went to magic school for seven years. It’s kind of hard to forget.”
Cedric laughed at the response, pulling Harry into a loose hug. Harry tucked his hands up against Cedric’s chest where he fiddled with Cedric’s shirt collar. Their living room was only half constructed. The walls had been painted a sunflower like yellow, and the kitchen would be eventually. They had decided on a light blue in their bedroom and a darker blue in their bathroom. Every other room had yet to be decided, but Harry was leaning on a deep red for the dining room.
The other rooms would remain white until, well if, they adopted.
Cedric tugged Harry over to the couch, dragging them both down onto it with a ‘whump’ from the couch cushions. Harry let out a hum, poking Cedric’s chin a few times. He had been aiming for his cheek or nose, but the angle wasn’t great.
“I suppose you’re holding me captive?” Harry asked, smiling as Cedric wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist.
“We’ve been carrying and unpacking boxes all day. It is getting close to dinner. You made me skip lunch. We need to eat dinner before we do anything else, lest I die of starvation,” he informed the other, trying to speak in a serious tone of voice.
“What would you like?”
“What do we have?”
“Milk, a few pears, and some mustard.”
Cedric made a face.
“Take out?” Harry asked, shifting to get more comfortable. His husband made a good pillow.
“Definitely.”
They lapsed into silence, Harry’s toes wiggling against Cedric’s ankles.
“Nap first?”
Cedric took Harry’s glasses off to place them on the floor.
“Nap first.”
‘Thank you, thank you so much.’
Cedric’s words echoed quietly in his head, banging off of his skull over and over again until he had the memory of Cedric’s smile, his face half covered in burn salve, eyes glowing with gratitude as he thanked Harry after the first task.
Cedric was pretty. Handsome. Stunning. Whatever word you’d use to describe someone good looking would work for Cedric Diggory.
Harry didn’t think he was gay. He probably wasn’t, as he did have a crush on Angelina Johnson (if only for two weeks) once and he could appreciate a girl’s looks just as much as any guy. That being said, he could easily admit to also (probably) having a crush on Oliver Wood (for all of an hour, as he was too quidditch crazy even for Harry), the Weasley twins (which was just kind of awkward but still hot), Draco Malfoy (if only for the way he looked in quidditch robes, his personality left much to be desired), and the occasional bloke he’d see in the hallways and not even know (which included the one Slytherin in his year who was Italian and could sometimes be seen making remarks to Pansy Parkinson; his cheek bones were akin to that of a gods).
He really didn’t know Cedric all that well. He knew he was nice, had a good set of morals, liked quidditch enough to play it (which was always a positive in Harry’s book), had a dazzling smile, had a voice like honey, had a melodious laugh-
Okay, he was getting ahead of himself.
He had a crush on Cedric Diggory, perfect Hufflepuff pretty boy Diggory, who probably only saw Harry as the kid who was forced to take a dragon head on. Not a big deal.
He just wouldn’t say anything about it ever and eventually move on.
He would try not to imagine what it would be like to kiss Cedric (even if his lips were kissable). Nope, he would put the thought out of his head and try to get his egg to stop screaming until his ears felt like they had to bleed.
He wouldn’t think about his (huge) crush on Cedric Diggory ever again.
(And, by that, he’d at least wait until morning.)
Harry rubbed the back of his leg with his foot, scratching an itch, as he poured two glasses of champagne. Cedric could be heard from the living room, puttering around to set up the WWN and couch for their night in.
There were plenty of parties going on across Britain to celebrate the anniversary of Voldemort’s death, but neither man had any desire to go to any one of them that year. And, Harry really didn’t want to have to put on formal robes and rub elbows with a bunch of people when he could laze about in his underwear and one of Cedric’s old quidditch jerseys. In his opinion, there was no better way to give a big ‘fuck you’ to Voldemort than to not even wear pants on the man’s death day.
He lifted both glasses up by the flute before making his way into the living room. Cedric was leaning back in the loveseat. The radio was set at a decent volume so they could speak if they wanted to but could easily be heard if they didn’t.
Harry handed a glass to Cedric before sitting down and cuddling into the other’s side. They brought their classes together, a soft clink sounding out through the room.
“Here’s to another year without He-Who-Has-Too-Many-Names,” Harry took a sip after the toast.
“Thank Merlin for that,” Cedric agreed.
“No, thank Dumbledore.”
“That’s Headmaster Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, to you.”
Harry snorted into his drink, letting his head fall onto Cedric’s shoulder, “Are you drunk already?”
“I’ve only taken two sips Harry.”
“It’s okay; you can say you’re a lightweight.”
Cedric set his glass on the coffee table before curling up his legs and pressing his feet, more importantly his freezing cold toes, against Harry’s bare thigh. Harry yelped, some of his champagne spilling onto his shirt as his arm jerked out in response.
“You ass,” Harry quickly set his own glass down, making a face at the wet patch.
“Revenge.”
“Whoever said you were kind was clearly misinformed.”
“Were they now?” Cedric shifted again, wedging his hand down between the back of the overstuffed seat and Harry’s back to rub his fingers against the other’s hip. He laid his cheek in the juncture between Harry’s shoulder and neck, pressing kisses against the dark skin.
“Mmm, yes. Perhaps you could change my mind?”
Cedric’s hand tightened and his kisses stopped. He let out a puff of breath before starting again, his other hand inching towards the edge of Harry’s shirt.
“Easily.”
Harry hated dancing. He had never danced before in his life but he already knew he was going to hate it with a burning passion. He would have to dance. In fact, he had to lead the dancing off as he was a champion. Yay.
The Yule Ball was in a few weeks time. He had to find a date before then, dance with them (and not die in the process), dine with them, and most likely have to do other high-class function things.
Maybe he could enchant his shoes to dance. Professor Flitwick might know something for it. Harry could ask. It was ask or murder his partner’s toes because he couldn’t dance to save his life (and he had done quite a bit to save his life, thank you very much).
He moved to do just that but he was stopped by a throat clearing from above him. He looked up from the ground to see mister heartthrob himself in the flesh. He had his house scarf tucked loosely around his neck in a way that was entirely too attractive and Harry was jealous.
“Hi Harry, I can call you Harry, right?” he asked, not sounding as awkward as he did during their last conversation.
“Sure, I don’t mind. What do you need?”
Cedric shifted. He looked over Harry’s head before looking into his eyes, expression hopeful.
“Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?”
Harry stared at the other and stared some more. He was flabbergasted. Of all of the things to happen, he had never expected this. Not in a million years.
“What?”
Cedric shifted again, reaching out to take one of Harry’s hands into his own.
“Will you go to the ball with me?”
(Holy fuck.)
“Me?”
“Well, yes. You.”
(Wow.)
“You’re asking me to go to the Yule Ball with you? This is really happening?” Harry questioned, already knowing he essentially sounded like an idiot.
“I hope it’s really happening. I had to practice in the mirror all morning.”
Oh. That’s cute.
“Sure, as long as you’re okay with the serial murder of your toes.”
Cedric laughed at that. He was still holding Harry’s hand. Cedric’s hands were warm, the fingers longer than his own.
“I think I can manage.”
(Wow.)
It was today. The wedding was today. The wedding. Their wedding.
Harry paced, expression nervous. He was going to be married in less than an hour. He was going to have a husband, an honest to god perfect loving husband, and they were going to be happy together for the rest of their lives. It made butterflies appear in his stomach, fluttering wildly with the need to escape.
He smoothed his robes over, for the millionth time, checked the clock, for the billionth time, and kept pacing.
Harry jumped when the door opened. He turned to look who it was, only to let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh Harry,” Sirius spoke with a maelstrom of emotions. “You look incredible.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Harry mumbled, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he looked and felt and was.
Sirius smiled in a way Harry had seen a few times over the years. It spoke of love, of support, of how proud Sirius was at the man Harry had become. Was becoming.
“Your dad should have done this, but I suppose I’m the second best for the job,” Sirius held out an arm for Harry to take. He did. They walked out into the hallway, arm in arm, towards the main doors of the ceremony hall.
“D’you think he’d be happy for me? That he’d be okay with me marrying Cedric?”
“James would have been the happiest man on the planet no matter who you married, well, no; if you married Snape he might have something to say,” Sirius joked, squeezing Harry’s hand when the younger laughed.
“How could you even put that thought into my head on my wedding day?”
“It was a bit cruel, wasn’t it? But, in all seriousness, no pun intended, your father would have been ecstatic for you, and so would Lily. I bet they’re both watching us from where ever they are with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.”
Harry ran a hand over his face, wiping away the quickly falling tears. They paused before the door into the main chamber so Harry could gather himself together. Sirius gave Harry’s hand one more squeeze in reassurance as the doors finally opened.
“Thank you.”
Sirius walked him down the aisle, something he and Cedric decided to incorporate into their ceremony as James and Lily apparently did when they got married after leaving Hogwarts. The Weasley’s were easy to spot, as were Remus and Cedric’s parents. Hermione was looking at Harry with a bright smile, Victor nodding in their direction. A few people from Cedric’s extended family were there too, as were Dumbledore and Hagrid.
Sirius handed him over to Cedric, who had walked into the room led by his father before Harry. In that moment, standing in front of his friends and family, Cedric within his reach, he knew this was going to be the most treasured day of his life.
He was going to spend the rest of it with Cedric. He’d wake up next to him every day and go to sleep with him every night. They would support each other, be there for each other, and love each other, forever.
And, as he kissed the newly named Cedric Potter-Diggory, he felt as though forever still wasn’t enough.
Okay, so he’d have to find something in the lake in the middle of winter in under an hour and hopefully not drown to death. Thrilling. Just what he wanted to do instead of watching paint dry.
He floated in the prefect’s bath trying to ignore the mermaid in the stained glass. He was a taken man, thank you very much, and he didn’t know how the wizarding world viewed human-painting relationships.
He didn’t want to find out either.
Cedric was great. Dating Cedric was great. He was kind, truthfully kind, and had a good sense of humor. He liked to cuddle (score!), his personality rarely clashed with Harry’s, they hadn’t had a single fight (other than the fact Cedric was not allowed to put his cold feet within a foot of Harry’s body above the knees), and he was a great kisser.
Harry had basically hit gold and if they turned out to be school sweethearts like his parents (and Cedric’s parents apparently) well, that made everything easier.
He could see them having a future with one another. They’d move in together after Harry was finished with Hogwarts. They’d eventually get a house, get married, adopt a kid or two. Maybe another owl to keep Hedwig company (as Cedric used his family’s owl to write letters back home). It would be nice. Calm. Peaceful.
It would be perfect.
Harry smiled at the thought, at the dream of the future, letting his worries melt away into the bathwater.
Harry ran out of the bathroom midway through brushing his teeth when he heard a mug shatter in the kitchen. Cedric stood frozen in the middle of the room, his cup of tea broken all along the floor at his feet, as he stared wide eyed at the Daily Prophet. He didn’t react when Harry came running in. He didn’t move when Harry placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Cedric..?”
Cedric finally blinked, turning to look at Harry with a jerk of his head.
“Cedric, you’re scaring me; are you oka-”
But Harry didn’t get to finish his question. Cedric swept him up into his arms and swung him around like Harry weighed nothing. He pressed kiss after kiss to Harry’s face before attaching their lips together. Harry was bewildered but placed his hands over Cedric’s shoulders and kissed back.
Cedric pulled back with a gasp, which Harry quickly echoed, his cheeks bright with color.
“Not that I didn’t like that, but is there something going on?”
“Yes- oh, where’s the paper- ah!” Cedric stumbled over his words while speaking rapidly, it was very unlike him, but he bent over to pick up the paper that had fallen onto the floor when he had latched onto Harry.
Cedric flipped to the front page and shoved it into Harry’s face, eyes ablaze with, with something. Harry squinted, trying to read without his glasses only for his breath to stop, for his heart to stutter, for the world to freeze.
The front page headline took over the entire front, the article on the next page. No article was really needed though, not with the relief and disbelief Harry felt. It had to be true though, it had to be. He looked back up to Cedric, letting out a hysteric laugh as he dragged the other into another kiss, the morning paper once again fluttering to the floor forgotten.
It was over. Everything was finally going to be okay.
SPECIAL EDITION: LORD VOLDEMORT DEFEATED IN DUEL, DEAD AS OF ELEVEN YESTERDAY EVENING
“Skeeter went on to say that because of my dead parents, I am looking for an older partner for a more mature relationship in order to gain back what I have lost, as I have not had a father figure in my life and that can affect me negatively. She also accused you of using me for my family name and, paraphrasing here, you are clearly taking advantage of me with your blindingly good looks while you date Cho Chang behind my back.”
“I dated Cho for a while, but we didn’t work out. She’s still a friend, and a great seeker, but I’m not dating her anymore.”
“I know, and so does most of Ravenclaw thankfully, or you’d probably be getting twenty howlers a day from Cho’s supporters in this torrid affair,” Harry finished by tossing the paper onto the table in front of the overstuffed chair he was being engulfed in.
The Hufflepuff common room was cozy, very homey, and perfect for relaxing on a Sunday. The third task would happen at the end of the year, which while only a few months away, seemed like plenty of time to the competitors who were still exhausted from the previous task.
The lake had been freezing. Mermaids were not nice. Harry had to rescue both Ron and Fleur’s sister, which honestly, why would you put a little kid at the bottom of a freezing lake, and he hoped to never have to do something like that again. He had been terrified that they would drown if he didn’t get to the surface in time.
He leaned further into Cedric, enjoying the warmth he was giving off.
“You know what, you’re the perfect pillow. I think I’ll keep you,” Harry mumbled, closing his eyes in bliss.
“Glad I could be of service.”
“Shh, pillows don’t talk,” Harry reached up to put a finger up against Cedric’s lips, only to be jostled as Cedric laughed, pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead.
“I’m special though.”
And Harry would have agreed, if he didn’t fall asleep surrounded by the sounds and smells of Cedric.
Hogwarts was alive with the summer air. Harry looked over the grounds with a fond smile, hands fiddling with the top edge of his robes. He couldn’t believe he was graduating, that he had gone to Hogwarts for seven years and it was finally over.
Hermione and Ron had been walking with him earlier. They had gone on one last walk around the castle together, joking about everything that had happened over the years with fond smiles on their faces. Everyone’s families would be arriving soon, so they had gone off to greet them.
Harry knew Sirius and Remus were coming to see his graduation, they had promised more than once over the past few years and he knew Sirius wouldn’t break that promise. He had even told Harry that Harry could stay with him and Remus until he got his own place.
Harry only sighed as he ran his hand over one of the stone walls as he walked, making his way slowly back towards Gryffindor tower so he could finish packing before the ceremony started. He paused, once again getting lost in memories.
Hogwarts would always be his first home, and it was now time to leave. It was hard to believe, even after he had taken his NEWTs and received heartfelt goodbyes from Hagrid and Professor McGonagall, among others.
He didn’t hear anyone sneak up behind him, so he jumped when hands came from behind him to cover his eyes.
“Guess who?” a voice whispered in his ear.
“The Bloody Baron.”
“Oh, ha ha Harry, you’re hilarious.”
Harry smiled, reaching up the grab the hands.
“You said guess, not guess correctly.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Hermione,” Cedric told him, coming around to Harry’s front with a smile.
“Guilty as charged.”
Cedric only shook his head before pulling Harry in for a kiss. They kissed once, twice, three times before Cedric pulled back to rest their foreheads together.
“Remember when you had to practically stand on your tip toes to kiss me?”
“Because you refused to bend over and meet me halfway? I sure do,” Harry stepped back to knock their shoulders together.
“You’re being very forward today,” Cedric teased.
“Get your mind out of the gutter Diggory.”
They fell into silence immediately after, but within moments Cedric was laughing and so was Harry. Their laughter filled the hallway and bounced off the ceiling in an echo.
“Any reason you came to find me before the ceremony other than to snog me senseless?” Harry asked when they finally quieted down.
“Well, you visited me before I graduated, and I wanted to ask you something,” Cedric confessed.”
“No, Sirius wasn’t being serious about kidnapping me away to Majorca for the rest of my life.”
“Listen, if you were going to Majorca, he’d take me with you. He likes me too much to leave me behind.”
Harry was going to continue their banter, but he didn’t say anything as Cedric held out a key. It wasn’t anything fancy, and it wasn’t too old, but it had his name engraved at the top. He took it from Cedric, allowing his fingers to run over the metal.
“What is this?” Harry asked, looking back up at Cedric with a questioning gaze.
“It’s a key to my flat, for when you want to stop by and stuff. There’s enough room to store some clothes and such, and you can stay over whenever you want. The oven is a little funky, but I am working on fixing it this summer-”
“Is this your way of asking me to move in with you?”
Cedric’s mouth clicked shut, his babble cut off as his cheeks pinked. He went to rub the back of his neck only to stop when Harry laughed.
“Because, if it is, the answer is yes, you dummy.”
“They killed the quidditch pitch,” Harry moaned in despair.
They had been shown the hedges before, but seeing them fully grown was something else. The pitch, the beautiful pitch, was no more. He’d mourn its loss until it was returned to its rightful glory. Oliver would have them practicing right away; there was no doubt about that.
“It kind of hurts,” Cedric responded, gazing into the maze with concealed worry.
Fleur and Victor stood next to them as well, looking out into the maze with mixed expressions. This was it. The end. The tournament was finally over.
“Good luck Harry.”
Harry turned to look at Cedric, smiling before moving to give him a kiss.
“For good luck Cedric.”
It was the end.
Harry walked into the Hogwarts library, getting a strict look from Madam Pince, as he tried to find Cedric. His OWL exams had finally ended, which meant that the NEWT exams began in a few days. Cedric had been studying like crazy alongside Harry, both not having much time for anything else.
He found his boyfriend stuffed into a nook towards the back, transfiguration text books open all over the place as he filled out flashcards. If Harry remembered correctly, it was the second to last subject Cedric needed to study, the other being defense. But Cedric had wanted pointers from Harry in that subject, even if Harry was two years behind, so they had decided on Cedric studying that last after Harry finished his OWLs.
Harry sat down and waited for Cedric to finish, choosing instead to rest his eyes after having his last practical, which was in charms and thus not so bad.
Time passed. The shadows in the library shifted. Cedric shut his books with a deep sigh of relief. He slumped back into the chair he was in going completely boneless.
“That bad, huh?”
“I thought the OWLs were bad. These are worse, so much worse,” he mumbled out, eyes haunted.
Harry moved to take Cedric’s hand, squeezing it to offer some comfort. Cedric squeezed back, shoulders slumping forward.
“I’m done for today. So done.”
Harry nodded, rubbing his thumb over the back of Cedric’s palm. Cedric began to pack everything away in his bag and Harry let go of his hand to help him.
“Want to raid the kitchens to pig out on treacle tart and butterscotch pie before falling asleep in one of those overstuffed chairs in your common room?” Harry asked once Cedric’s bag was closed.
Cedric looked him, blinked, and then nodded.
“I love you so much.”
Harry smiled, willing himself not to blush.
“I love you too.”
“Shh!”
“Together?”
“Together. On three.”
Cedric took Harry’s hand, his free one reaching out for the cup.
“One.”
Harry squeezed Cedric’s palm. Their fingers laced together.
“Two.”
Cedric squeezed back.
“Three.”
This was it.
Harry and Cedric stood shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, in the center of the creature infested maze. Harry’s leg was worse for wear and Cedric didn’t look any better with dirt smeared over his face and front.
The goblet glowed a few feet in front of them resting on a plain pedestal. They were going to grab it, together. Hogwarts would win by both of its champions grabbing the cup. He and Cedric would win together.
They would grab the cup and it would all finally be over. They’d get to play quidditch the following year without the stupid tournament in the way.
Together.
The second their fingers grasped the handles, he felt the sensation of being tugged by a portkey. A portkey, it would take them back to the beginning of the maze. Thank every wizard known to mankind they wouldn’t have to lug it back themselves.
They would face the crowd, cheering students and adults alike, the cup held high as a win for Hogwarts.
Together.
Together.
They weren’t brought back to the beginning of the maze. The portkey took them away, far away, to a grave yard drenched in darkness.
Harry’s dream, dreams, the idea of forever with Cedric, was just that. An idea.
Forever wasn’t long enough.
Not as Harry bled. Watched Voldemort come back to life. Escaped. Cried. Screamed. Mourned.
Cedric’s eyes were blank, no longer warm. His body was cold, just like his toes. He wasn’t smiling. He would never laugh. He would never kiss Harry again.
They wouldn’t have a life together.
Their forever had been too short.
‘Kill the spare!’