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Anyone that knew Harry Potter assumed that the man had a death wish. You were more likely to find him at St Mungo's than you were at his own home, and the Healers always had an owl ready to send to Harry's emergency contacts. He took unnecessary risks with his own life, driving his friends spare.
It wasn't that Harry particularly wanted to die. He actually enjoyed his life quite a bit, if he were honest (though he could stand a little less invasion of his privacy from Daily Prophet reporters thank you very much.) But when Harry took a few extra risks, or played a bit too close to the edge, he would get to see him .
And that was worth it, as far as Harry was concerned.
If you had told Harry that guardian angels were real while he was at Hogwarts, he would have scoffed at you. With how often Harry had almost died, there was no way guardian angels could be real. If they were, his had obviously quit a long time ago.
And then, Harry died for real.
Harry had walked into the forbidden forest and had let Voldemort kill him. It hadn't hurt, it had been a peaceful death, all things considered.
Harry was sitting in Kings Cross station with Dumbledore, and a sad piece of Voldemort soul when he rushed in. Tall, with dark hair and bright grey eyes, he was quite possibly the most beautiful person that Harry had ever seen, but judging from the glow that radiated from him, he wasn't a person at all.
"Albus, what is he doing here ?" He said, looking upset and frustrated.
"Ah, Cedric," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eyes. "Harry, this is your guardian angel, Cedric."
"Guardian angel?" Harry asked in confusion. "They're real?"
"Do you know how hard I've worked to keep him alive?" Cedric asked Dumbledore, not paying Harry any mind. "While other young angels get to just hang out with their ward, he's been avoiding death since the age of one !"
"Now, Cedric-"
"And then you give him the tools to hide from me. I'll never forgive you for giving Harry that blasted invisibility cloak." Cedric continued, pacing in front of Harry and Dumbledore. "It was frustrating enough while he was using it for mischief, but to have him vanish from my sight during this battle...it was terrifying."
"You must understand-"
"Do you know what it feels like when your ward dies?" Cedric demanded, "It's like your soul is tearing apart."
"Er..." Harry piped up, wincing slightly when angry grey eyes swiveled to focus on him. "...Sorry?"
"And you!" Cedric said. "Please have some self preservation. You are very important, not just to me, but to everyone in that castle!"
"Cedric, if I may," Dumbledore interrupted. "Harry had to die, to get rid of the piece of Voldemort inside of him."
"Oh, he had to die, did he?" Cedric looked murderous. "We couldn't have healthy, open communication could we? I'm sure if you had voiced any of your thoughts out loud about this, your guardian angel could have pointed you in the right direction."
"You can't hear our thoughts?" Harry asked, voice laced with curiosity. Cedric turned, anger deflating when his eyes landed on him.
"No, we can't hear your thoughts," Cedric confirmed. "We're here to protect you, not spy on you."
"How many other...er... wards do you have?" Harry asked him.
"Just one." A small smile tugged at the corner of Cedric's lips. "Even if we weren't born alongside our wards, you would be too much work for an angel to have more than one ward."
"I was telling Harry that he has a choice on whether he stays here, or continues on to the other side," Dumbledore interjected.
"Well, what do you think?" Harry asked Cedric, giving him a lopsided grin. "I'm sure you're sick to death of me."
An odd look flitted across Cedric's face before his features smoothed out into a neutral look. "Ah, sorry. I'm just not...used to you looking at me. Bit of a weird feeling, if I'm honest. What did you ask?"
"Do you want me to continue living?" Harry asked.
"Absolutely, yes." Cedric replied instantly.
"Will we see each other again? Harry asked him.
"I'll see you everyday, Harry." A fond smile graced Cedric's face. "But you won't see me again until you die."
Harry pouted, causing Cedric to laugh, melodious and sweet.
"Fine, I'll stick around," Harry said after a moment. "There's still a little bit of Voldemort left, and I have to make sure he's really gone. For good this time."
"That's my boy," Cedric said. "I'll be behind you every step of the way."
Harry felt a tug, not unlike that of apparating. Just before he became fully aware of his body, still lying in the Forbidden Forest, he could hear Cedric turning to snap at Dumbledore.
"When I get back, I am having a chat with your angel, mister!"
After the war, Harry wondered to himself if he had hallucinated it all. After all, discovering that you had a gorgeous angel following you around at all times was a little bit nerve wracking, and pretending that it was a figment of his imagination helped a bit.
As it turns out, Harry didn't have to wait long at all to see Cedric again.
Harry had been invited to participate in the Death Eaters trails after the war as an honorary member of the Wizengamot, and as he was rushing towards the courtrooms on an early monday morning, Harry tripped over his own feet, sprawling across the floor.
At least, that's what he would have assumed happened, if he hadn't turned over with a groan, only to see Cedric's crouching over him, gray eyes fixed towards the corridor Harry had been about to turn into.
"Oh my god, you're real ," Harry blurted out. He watched as Cedric's eyes widened, his head whipping down to look at Harry so fast it looked painful.
"You can see me?" Cedric asked, looking as shocked as Harry felt.
"I thought I made you up!" Harry said, as if that made any sense.
"You shouldn't be able to see me," Cedric continued, as if he hadn't heard Harry.
"I mean, I died about a month ago?" Harry's voice felt higher than normal. "So, I feel like everything I do is something I shouldn't be able to do, you know?"
"But how did you only see me now?" Cedric demanded.
“I don’t know, you’re the angel!” Harry said, uncomfortably aware of their intimate position. “Why did you tackle me?”
“You were in danger,” Cedric said, not moving an inch. “There was a Death Eater around the corner that was waiting for his trial. If you had gone around the corner when you did, he would have had approximately 5.5 seconds to throw a curse at you.”
“So, you knocked me over?” Harry peered up at Cedric.
“Well, normally our wards can’t see us, so we have to make it natural.” Cedric said. “With how often you get in trouble, I’ve had to get creative.”
“Well, next time just…grab me.” Harry said, “I don’t need any more scrapes and bruises.”
“Noted.” Cedric’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Come on, I’ll help you up.”
Cedric stood, holding out his hand for Harry to grab. Harry clasped it, letting Cedric lift him as if he didn’t weigh anything at all. Once standing, Harry couldn’t help but let their hands linger like that for a moment, his skin tingling where it pressed against Cedric’s.
“Sorry about that,” Cedric said, releasing Harry hand as his cheeks turned pink. “It’s still really…strange.”
“Ha, yeah,” Harry rubbed the back of his neck. “So, I think I’m out of danger now.”
“You know,” Cedric said, his gaze returning to the junction of the corridors. “I think you’re right.”
And with that, he simply vanished from sight, as if he had never been there at all.
“Er…Cedric?” Harry called out, but there was no answer. It seemed that he would only see Cedric when he was in danger, and once he was safe enough, Cedric would vanish once more.
Well, Harry had never considered himself particularly interested in science, but with the right theory, he could pick up a new hobby.
When Harry was offered the job as Auror, he jumped at the chance. He figured it had the most danger potential out of any job, thus giving himself a legitimate excuse for seeing Cedric testing his theory.
“I hate your job,” Cedric told him as he pulled him out of the way of a stray curse for the third time that week.
“Hello to you too!” Harry said, pleased with the results.
“I’ve been here the whole time,” Cedric reminded him.
“Yeah, but now I can see you .” Harry said. “So, it’s different.”
“Ah yes, now my ward can badger me face to face instead of yelling in my general direction,” Cedric said with amusement.
“I don’t yell,” Harry sniffed. “Also, you never respond back to me.”
“I do, you just don’t listen,” Cedric teased.
“Harry!” His Auror partner called. “I caught the suspect. Who are you talking to?”
“No one,” Harry called, and that was true. When he turned back, Cedric had vanished.
“Did you just try to walk out into traffic?” Cedric asked with his hand on Harry’s chest, preventing him from walking in front of oncoming cars.
“Just testing to see your reflexes?” Harry tried, making Cedric groan.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” Cedric said, his head dropping to rest on Harry’s shoulder.
Heart racing, Harry ran a hand through Cedric’s dark hair. “You can’t actually die, can you?”
“No.” Cedric’s voice was muffled by Harry’s shirt. “But you can, and I wish you would stop.”
“But how else can I see you?” Harry asked, disappointed when Cedric vanished and he could no longer feel him on his shoulder.
“Harry James Potter, what did you just put into your coffee?” Cedric’s voice was angry.
“Nothing,” Harry said innocently, hiding the mug behind his back.
“I’m always here,” Cedric grabbed for the mug, Harry stepping to the side to avoid him. Cedric lunged again, “And I saw you do it. Are you trying to poison yourself?”
“Of course not,” Harry soothed, trying to twist away from Cedric. “I knew you would come to save me.”
“So you did put something in your drink,” Cedric glowered at Harry as he crowded him up against the wall. Cedric plucked the mug out of a flustered Harry’s hand, banishing the who concoction without a second thought. “Why?”
“It was only a little bit of Draught of the Living Death,” Harry admitted.
“But why?” Cedric asked, hands on the walls on each side of Harry’s head. He leaned closer, making Harry’s heart skip several beats.
“Because I wanted to see you,” Harry said. “It’s not fair that you can see me, but I can’t see you.”
“I mean, you get to see me sometimes. Usually when you’re doing stupid things.” Cedric said.
“Do you have a significant other?” Harry blurted out without really thinking.
“A…what?” Cedric blinked, clearly surprised by the non-sequitur.
“Oh my god, forget I said anything.” Harry said, hiding his face in his hands. “That was stupid.”
“Harry,” Cedric batted Harry’s hands away, lifting his chin with a finger so that Harry had to look at him. “Where did that come from?”
“Nowhere,” Harry murmured. “Please just ignore me.”
“I will not,” Cedric said, his hand moving to cup Harry’s cheek, thumb brushing over his cheekbone. “Please, tell me what you’re thinking. Maybe we can get you to stop trying to kill yourself.”
“Not kill. Just seriously maim or injure.” Harry said, earning an eyeroll from Cedric.
“Dobby. His guardian angel wouldn’t let me near him, for good reason.” Cedric said. “I was a bit temperamental that his ward was trying to hurt mine. But stop trying to change the subject, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I just…I mean if you have an angel boyfriend or girlfriend…well, they can’t be happy that you’re seeing another guy,” Harry tried to joke, but it fell flat.
“I mean, if I were dating another angel, they would understand it was my job,” Cedric replied, “But, then again, I would have to break up with them.”
“Why?” Harry asked, heart fluttering erratically.
“Because you are my whole world,” Cedric said.
Before Harry could lean up to kiss him, he vanished.
“See what I mean, totally not fair!” Harry pouted, trying to catch his breath before going about his day.
This was not his fault, Harry thought as he lay dazed on the deserted sidewalk. The heavy December snows had laid down a fresh sheet of ice, something Harry didn’t think about as he went about his Christmas shopping. Taking a shortcut through a quiet alleyway, he had slipped and cracked his head on the pavement beneath him.
“Harry?” Cedric said, his voice strangled. “Harry, please stay awake.”
“You know, I hate Christmas shopping,” Harry told him. “Last Christmas I got into a duel, this Christmas, I crack my head open.”
“I don’t think that’s the Christmas shopping’s fault,” Cedric’s voice sounded far away. “I’m trying to get people’s attention. Why can’t they see me?”
“Cause you’re an angel,” Harry giggled, eyes closing. “My angel. Will we finally kiss in heaven?”
“You’re not dying yet,” Cedric snapped at him. “Stop it now.”
Harry tried to respond, but the darkness swallowed him whole.
It was entirely different than the last time he died. For one thing, he still felt pain, and it felt like he was in St. Mungo’s and not King’s Cross station.
“You’re not dead,” Cedric’s voice said beside him. “I managed to get the attention of another wizard, who brought you here.”
“I thought you couldn’t read minds,” Harry managed to mumble.
“I can’t,” Cedric said, sounding amused. “But I can read your face.”
“Harry!” He heard Hermione call. Harry turned to see Ron and Hermione rush into his hospital room. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, you know me,” Harry said. “Clumsy as ever.”
“It’s like you do it on purpose, mate.” Ron said with a roll of his eyes.
“Sorry, who are you?” Hermione asked, her eyes inexplicitly focused on Cedric.
“Wait, you can see him?” Harry asked her in surprise.
“Of course I can,” Hermione gave Harry an odd look. “Are you alright?”
“He must have hit his head harder than we thought,” Ron looked concerned.
“No, it’s just…ah…”
“I normally hide under his invisibility cloak,” Cedric stepped in smoothly. “Sorry, love. I forgot it in all the panic.”
Love , Harry thought. He felt as though he were on fire.
“Wait, you have a secret boyfriend, and you didn’t tell us?” Ron looked hurt.
“We haven’t been dating long,” Harry said quickly. “Just…taking it slow.”
“We didn’t tell Harry when we started dating,” Hermione reminded Ron. “You can’t be too hurt.”
“You’re the first people to meet him,” Harry said, completely honest this time. “I swear.”
“Good,” Ron said, sounding mollified.
“Harry has told me so much about you two, I feel as if I’ve known you for years,” Cedric said, only Harry catching the joke in his words.
The four of them chatted for hours, Ron and Hermione only leaving when the Healers came by to kick everyone out.
“I’m guessing you have to go too?” Harry asked as Cedric stood.
“Now that they can see me?” Cedric grinned at Harry. “I’m afraid so. I’ll be back later with your dreaded invisibility cloak.”
“I thought you hated that thing,” Harry said.
“Needs must,” Cedric pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“How is it that they could they see you?” Harry asked Cedric. “Now, after all this time?”
“I got assigned permanent detail while you were unconscious,” Cedric said happily. “Apparently, the powers-that-be figured that if I was corporeal 24/7, then you wouldn’t get hurt so much.”
“I think that’s the smartest thing they’ve done.” Harry said, grabbing Cedric and pulling him down into a kiss.