As you well know, I own nothing. It's all J.K.'s, curse her! Anyhow, on with the story!

Prompt: fae prince

Pairing: Cedric/Tonks

Cedric Diggory flung himself up the stairs as they began to shift. It was just before Christmas his third year, late at night, and he still hadn't quite adjusted to the castle yet. He still got lost, which was why he was out after curfew. The stairs were separating just as he reached the top and he made a desperate jump. He hit his knees on the cold, hard, solid stone floor and he groaned, half in pain and half in relief. As the pain lanced up and down his shins, a shadow fell over him and his head tilted up automatically. He had been about to stand up.

She looked familiar, with pixie-like features and the gold and black emblem of his house, although she looked to be at least five years older than him. "Hey, kiddo, you ok there? You hit that floor really hard. Show me your knees." He gave her a strange look but rocked back, settling on his bum and showed her his bruised and slightly bloody knees. "Oww! Here, I can fix that." She whips out her wand and taps his knees sharply before he can protest, warmth seeping into his skin from its tip.

She stands up and offers her hand to help him up. "I'm Tonks. You're that kid, Diggory, right? They talk about you all the time in the Common Room. You're popular for a little third year. Pretty cute, too." Tonks adds this as an afterthought, eyeing him as they walk down the hall.

All of the sudden, Tonks yelped and shoved him into and empty classroom, closing the door quietly. She shoved him none-too-gently into a corner behind an old wardrobe, then slipped into the corner and pinned him to the wall with her body. Cedric started to protest when the door opened. She clamped a hand over his mouth and shushed him. Huffing, he complied until the door closed and the footsteps receded.

It was then that he noticed the position that they were in. She had him pressed against the wall, her arms braced against either side of her head. She was the same height as her even with the age difference. He let his eyes focus on her as her hair took on a faint pink tinge. He realized she was blushing and he laughed at her.

She tried to take a step away but backed into the cabinet, stumbling into Cedric once more. A portrait on the wall wolf-whistled at them and they sprang apart, Tonks glaring. "Jason! What are you doing here? Go back to your frame in the dorm!" The dark-haired youth in the wooden frame smirked, his beautiful wings fluttering and a thin, golden band winking at his forehead. "Why, Nymphadora, I'm offended. After all of those times I talked to you…." He tsked and snapped his fingers, walking from the frame.

She rolled her eyes and looked at Cedric. "Come on, then. To the Common Room." The boy strolled for the door and tried to open it but it wouldn't open. "Tonks! Help me open it!" They tugged and pulled and cast many spells but nothing worked. Finally Tonks sat down, cursing, with flaming red hair. "That faerie jinxed the door!" Cedric looked at her incredulously. "How could he have done that? He's a painting!"

She sighed and explained to him the whole story. "Jason was a fae-prince who used to rule over all the faeries and pixies and things like that but he got extremely sick. They found me, one of the few who can paint faerie magic into Wizarding paintings and so I made his portraits. I made two and kept one because he requested it of me. Fae magic is stronger than any other kind, you see, because it's Old magic and that's why he could do that."

Cedric frowned. "How do you break Old magic spells?" She just frowned. "That's what I don't get. You can only break them with a ki-. Shit! Jason, you little fucker! You have a really twisted sense of humor!" Before he could register what was happening, she leaned over and connected their lips. He gasped before sinking into the kiss. Tonks groaned slightly and parted her lips, neither of them noticing the faint shimmer pass over the door, the one saying that the spell had been broken or the faint giggling coming from the supposedly empty picture frame that Jason had stood in.

As Tonks heard Amos yell Cedric's name heart-brokenly, she dashed through the crowd. Tears streaked her face and she shoved through of the old wrough-iron gates that led to Hogsmeade. She Appariated to her flat and stared at the picture frame on the wall where Jason sat mournfully, a slight blue tinge dancing on his delicate wings.

"Jase, he's dead... He can't be! Help me, Jason. Give Ced back to me! You're so powerful and we put all of your magic into the picture!" Jason shook his head sadly as if to say he couldn't. "'Dora, if I did that, it wouldn't even be him. It'd be something dark, something twisted. Let him be happy. He died nobly, hon and I know you'll see him again one day."

The young girl didn't reply. She was too busy leaning heavily against a wall, sobs wracking her body. The faerie just watched her sadly, unable to comfort the girl who was one of his closest friends.