Written for "This Means War" Competition, Round Two, Team Hurricane. Prompt: "This Love" by Taylor Swift.

I dedicate this fic to my sister who loves this pairing. Good luck with the exams, Katty :3

This Love

They first met in Diagon Alley. Hermione was lost in the realm of dust and knowledge that was Flourish and Blotts' third floor, trying to learn all she could about the world she had been invited to while her parents found her necessary texts. She was in the process of sorting a huge collection of books into piles of 'absolutely must have', 'could convince Mum', 'use puppy eyes on Dad' and 'for next time'.

"That's a lot of reading for one person."

"Well, I have to catch up," Hermione said, not glancing at the boy who had spoken to her. "I only just learnt that magic exists, you know. I'm ever so excited!"

"I can tell," the boy replied in amusement, making Hermione frown. Was he going to make fun of her for being a bookworm too? An arm entered her line of vision and plucked a book from her 'could convince Mum' pile. "I wouldn't bother with this book. It's utter rubbish."

"But I want to know more about Hogwarts!" Hermione protested, trying to take it back.

"Hogwarts: A History is way better. It's a bit more expensive, but worth it," the boy replied, stepping out of her reach. "It would be a crime for you to waste your money on this."

Hermione glared at the sandy-haired boy who smiled at her in response. She was suddenly conscious of her frizzy hair and dusty clothes. Brushing her skirt off hurriedly, she stood and introduced herself.

"Cedric Diggory," the boy replied, shaking her hand. "I'm still not giving you this book back."

Hermione smiled awkwardly. "At least show me where Hogwarts: a History is then."

Cedric grinned and led her to a lower floor. For the next fifteen minutes, they talked about books and the wizarding world. Hermione soon forgot about her previous books as Cedric picked recommendations from the shelves and insisted on carrying them all. Before she knew it, her parents were paying for the books Cedric had chosen for her and she had agreed to borrow Cedric her Lord of the Rings collection in exchange for some popular wizarding fiction.

"I'll see you at school!" Cedric and his parents waved her off.

"They were nice," her mother observed. "And he was so cute, Hermione!"

Hermione inwardly agreed.

Their first three years of acquaintance were intense moments taken where they could be found. Cedric found her in her first year sniffling in the library and had chosen to visit her often, even after she had befriended Harry and Ron. He praised her, comforted her and helped her where she would let him.

Certain secrets she had to keep from him, like the Philosopher's Stone and her Time Turner, but he was always the first to pick up on her evasions. He had hugged her tightly when she told him about the troll, though it was nothing compared to his grip after the Chamber of Secrets was opened.

"Be careful," Cedric had warned. "You're too smart and good, the type of witch who could change the world. You're exactly the type of Muggleborn the monster will go after."

Her reunion with Harry and Ron after her Petrification was heart-warming, but Cedric's kiss to her cheek made her whole body flush.

There were many fights in third year. Hermione had little care for Quidditch, which occasionally miffed him though she didn't understand why. She thought Cedric was being hypocritical: he apologised for catching the Snitch while Harry was falling and brushed it off whenever people brought it up, yet seemed to seek recognition from her for the deed. She even told him so, when he wouldn't stop fishing for compliments.

He didn't speak to her for a week after that.

The tides of their friendship was never still. It was made worse by his fan girls and her mood swings. Cedric was the first to confront her about her workload and encouraged her to drop classes until she snapped at him.

She didn't speak to him for three whole days, a new record on her part.

Even when it was Ron who had been attacked by Sirius Black, Cedric seemed only to care whether she was okay, which was ridiculous. He had offered to take her to Hogsmeade, and it was only her flaring temper and sympathy for Harry that had made her rebuff his offer. He still bought her a new quill to commemorate the occasion.

He applauded her walking out on Divination, because "it really is rubbish". She was just glad Cedric didn't say 'I told you so'. He sat her down to talk about the limits of academia and dealing with unhealthy anxiety after her confrontation with the Boggart in the final exam. She was simply happy that he didn't laugh or brush it off. He helped her pick out her subjects for the next year instead of expecting her to figure it out herself.

Truly, Cedric was a heaven-sent gift. And if she enjoyed his farewell kiss to her forehead a little too much, then that was her business. The same could be said of the summer dreams she had of him or of the flurry of letters they sent to each other during the holidays. But when September 1 rolled around again, a different story than the one she imagined played out.

Hermione wanted so many things from Cedric's final year, but the Triwizard Tournament had not featured. She had not expected him to be Hogwarts' champion, or for Harry to be his rival. Cedric had been nice but a little bit colder to her after she had chosen to stand by Harry. What did he expect? Harry was her best friend.

Despite the growing distance between them, she had hoped he would see reason after the first event. Cedric was nicer, but the invitation she had been expecting did not come. Viktor asked her to the Ball and it was only there at she saw Cho Chang for the first time. It was hate at first sight.

Hermione was a rational being. She pushed past her girly fantasies and hurt, giving all of her attention to Viktor who was really sweet. The more she learned about him, the more intrigued she became. He wasn't Cedric, but maybe that was for the best. Cedric had a girlfriend; Viktor had none, though his eyes were firmly on her. The second task fermented that fact for her, because she had been Viktor's priority when Cedric couldn't even spare a moment on her.

Then Cedric kissed her on the way to the Hospital Wing.

Rationality deserted her.

"You have the worst timing in the world," she had said during an intense make-out session a week later.

"I know. I've broken up with Cho, you know. She didn't take it well."

"I wouldn't either."

"You don't have to worry about that," he assured her while playing with her hair.

They didn't have time for a real date, nor could they spare a moment to let people know they were dating. Theirs was just sparse meetings in between classes and practice for the final event, which nearly always ended in broom-closest snogging.

"For a place that gets magically cleaned by elves, we do have an awful lot of broom closets. I wonder why," she said once, while he brushed cobwebs from her hair.

His reply of "I love you," was mixed with laughter. It was the most random of love confessions, but Hermione couldn't think of anything more romantic at the time.

Cedric had to lend her his own shirt for her return to Gryffindor Tower that night.

Hermione's first encounter with a love story was Romeo and Juliet. She had long dismissed it as excessive, dramatic sentimentalism, but seeing Cedric's corpse made the idea come to life for the first time. She cried a lot for him, but always privately.

No one deserved to see the beauty of their love, or the tears in which it had ended.

Their ship had sunk with his death, but Hermione still carried its ghost with her. It was her love for him that made her hate Cho Chang, who openly broke down for a love that was not hers to feel. People gave Chang sympathy, but Hermione could only feel revulsion for Chang's delusions.

It was the ghost of him in her heart that turned her away from Harry, whom Cedric had considered a love rival, and into the arms of Ron. She could find no one else who had so little in common with the boy who had stolen her heart.

Ron never noticed, cared or asked about her past. She let him believe he was the one she sang to when love songs played on the radio. In truth, it was always to that fourteen-year-old who had stolen her book in Flourish and Blotts. It was to their moments among dust and sunshine, and the love confessions in broom closets. It was to Cedric's minty kisses and strong hugs, to the arms that held her in her dreams.

So Hermione sang with passion, with Cedric's name engraved on her heart. An unwavering hope held sway over her heart.

This love left a permanent mark

This love is glowing in the dark

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me

Someday, she would get back to him.