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There wasn’t a day that went by that Cedric wasn’t worried about Harry Potter. His gut twisted every time he walked past an ‘Undesirable Number One’ poster in Diagon Alley or caught sight of something small Harry had gifted him in the past. It would be one thing if he could have gone with Harry, but he had made sure to not give Cedric that choice.
“Let me come with you,” Cedric had begged Harry at Bill and Fleur’s wedding in august, “Please. I can help you.”
“You won’t be safe out there,” Harry had argued, stroking Cedric’s cheekbone with his thumb. “I can’t bear to lose you, Cedric. I need you safe!”
“I can’t bear to let you risk your life,” Cedric said, pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead. “How can I know you’re safe if you refuse to let me help?”
“Cedric…”
“No,” Cedric frowned. “I know you, you try and take everything on your own, but you need someone watching you’re back, like you’re watching ours. Let me join you.”
“I’ll…I’ll think about it,” Harry had said.
But Harry had disapparated with Ron and Hermione when the Death Eaters came, leaving him behind without so much as a kiss goodbye.
Cedric kept busy with the Order, of course, and he assisted Fred and George with Potterwatch, which help keep the majority of the worry at bay. But weeks turned into months, and Cedric wondered if he would ever get to see Harry again.
No news is good news , Cedric reminded himself as he finally arrived at his flat in muggle London. His parents hated that he lived so far away from home, but he wanted to be near Order headquarters just in case something happened.
Cedric entered his flat, throwing up the wards as quickly as he entered, so busy in his task that he didn’t notice a small, brown owl that was sat at his table, package clutched in her talons.
The owl let out an indigent hoot, making Cedric jump. He whirled around, eyeing the creature suspiciously before going to grab the package, performing a revealing charm to make sure there weren’t any dark curses waiting for him.
Harry may think that he’s protecting Cedric by keeping him away, but Cedric knew better than that.
“Thank you very much,” Cedric told the owl, giving her some treats before letting her zoom out the window. He re-warded the window, eyeing the package once more. There was no writing of any kind on the wrapping itself, but upon further inspection, he discovered a small note that was charmed to blend into the rest of the package.
Cedric ripped open the note, his heart hammering when he recognized the familiar scrawl.
C.D.
I know we agreed on no presents this year, but I got you this.
All my love
H.P .
Even though the letter was so short, Cedric read it over three times, his heart racing as his eyes scanned Harry’s familiar handwriting. He turned to the package, opening it up carefully, just in case it was a trick.
Out of the package fell a small silver ring, it clattered onto Cedric’s table, gleaming up at him innocently. Cedric picked it up gently, turning it over in his hands before sliding it onto his ring finger.
Warmth instantly spread through Cedric’s body, as if he were being enveloped by a tight hug, and a happiness that he hadn’t felt since Harry left settled in his heart.
‘Neat bit of charm-work, isn’t it?’ An achingly familiar voice said right next to his ear. Cedric whipped around, expecting to see Harry standing beside him, but there was no one there.
“Harry?” Cedric asked aloud.
‘Sorry, I’m not there in person.’ The voice said again, and Cedric realized that it was in his head. ‘The ring lets you communicate with me. I have a matching one.’
“It sounds like you’re right next to me,” Cedric said.
‘Same with mine,’ Harry replied, fondness in his voice.
“I miss you,” Cedric said, rather desperately.
‘I miss you too, more than words can say,’ Harry replied. ‘I have to keep you safe, but this was the next best option.’
“Let me guess, Hermione created them?” Cedric asked.
‘With help from Ron, surprisingly enough.’ Harry’s laugh was audible through the ring. ‘They both say hi , by the way.’
“I could say hi if I was there,” Cedric reminded Harry, who sighed. “I love you, but I’m still incredibly upset with you.”
‘I know,’ Harry responded. ‘You have every right to be. But I don’t regret my decision.’
“You should, I’m excellent at breaking curses,” Cedric said.
‘You are,’ Harry agreed, ‘But you’re also safe there. That’s the most important thing of all.’
“You have a saving people thing, did you know?” Cedric asked Harry, spinning the ring on his finger.
‘Right now it’s a ‘saving Cedric thing’, but I don’t disagree with you.’ Harry sounded amused. ‘Merry Christmas, my love.’
“Merry Christmas, Harry.”