Shelter Me
Lightning ripped the sky into seemingly hundreds of pieces. Harry hid under his covers, trembling violently. Despite his Gryffindor courage, he had always been afraid of storms. And the fact that he missed his Cedric only made things worse. He would willingly give everything he owned if it meant the older Hufflepuff would take him in his arms, comfort him and make all his fears go away.
There was a particularly loud crack of thunder, right over his head; and Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He fled…down the stairs, out the portrait hole and into the dark halls of the castle. He didn't know where Cedric would be at this time; and for a moment, he wished he had brought the Marauder's Map. But he didn't want to run up to his dorm and fetch it now, where the storm was so loud and frightened him so badly.
Harry heard more thunder, quite possibly louder than the last blast, and ran again, through the hallways and down endless flights of stairs. Where was he now? Somewhere near the Great Hall, he surmised, which meant that the Hufflepuff common room couldn't be too far away.
Harry slowed down and looked around now. The storm wasn't as loud here; but the boy was still uneasy. Harry slowed even further, looking for any kind of door or crevice that might give him a clue as to how to find Cedric; but he saw nothing.
"What are you doing down here?"
Harry opened his mouth to scream; but a hand suddenly slapped over his mouth. A second hand jerked him backwards and a strong arm trapped him tightly against a hard chest. Harry squealed in protest and struggled; and his captor tightened his grip, which only frightened him further. A flash of lightning lit up the hall.
"Harry?!" The hand released his mouth and gently tilted his chin. Harry couldn't believe his eyes.
"C—Cedric?"
"Harry! What on earth are you doing down here?! Why aren't you in bed?" Cedric pulled him into a hug; and the Gryffindor couldn't burrow deeply enough into the older boy's warmth and comfort.
"I tried to sleep," Harry whimpered, "but I couldn't. The storm was right over the t-tower." He shivered; and Cedric picked him up and cuddled him tightly.
"There, now, Harry," he whispered soothingly in the boy's ear. "It's all right now. I've got you." Harry calmed down for a moment; but panicked again when more lightning came, and hid his face in Cedric's chest.
Cedric had an idea. "Harry…Harry, I'm going to take you somewhere; but you have to promise to stay quiet, okay?"
Harry nodded his consent and wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck. He didn't know what Cedric had in mind; but he trusted his boyfriend, despite his earlier roughness—something that Cedric seemed to want to make up to him.
Cedric carried Harry until he came to a statue close to the end of the hall, whispered the password and stepped inside. When the statue moved back into place, it was pitch black. Harry's arms tightened around Cedric, and the Hufflepuff returned the gesture.
Cedric managed to find the couch in the dark and lowered himself into a sitting position, settling Harry in his lap. Harry knew he had promised to stay quiet; but his curiosity got the better of him. "Cedric? Where are we?"
"Sshh. It's just my common room, babe. Relax." Cedric stretched out along the length of the couch and settled himself so that his warm front was pressed into Harry's back. Harry turned to face him and burrowed into his chest, shivering.
Cedric silently cursed himself for his thoughtlessness. "I'd forgotten you weren't dressed. No wonder you're so cold." He summoned a blanket from a nearby chair and spread it over them, tucking it around the Gryffindor tightly. "There, now. Is that better?"
"A little." Harry startled when he heard more thunder begin in earnest. "Oh, Cedric!" He threw his arms around the Hufflepuff's chest and hid his face again.
Cedric tightened his grip. "Hush, Harry. I've got you. Nothing can hurt you here, understand?" Without waiting for a response, he tilted Harry's chin upward and kissed him gently on the lips. Harry clutched him and kissed back.
Cedric smiled and tucked Harry underneath him, hoping that his weight and warmth would make the smaller boy feel safer. Harry purred appreciatively.
"Cedric?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Thank you for protecting me. And for bringing me here."
Cedric cuddled him. "I love you, sweetheart. I'll always be right here for you. I promise."
"I know, Ced. And I love you, too."
Harry could barely see his lover in the darker; but he could see enough to tell that the older boy was smiling. "Good to know, Harry. Good to know." The Hufflepuff nuzzled a spot below Harry's ear. "Does this mean I can come crawling into your bed if something frightens me?" he teased gently.
Harry nuzzled him back. "Of course, you can. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't reciprocate?"
Cedric kissed him. "Mine, Harry." He pulled the smaller boy deeper into his embrace and settled down to sleep. "Always mine."