Celebrations
By J.C. Vascardi
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Disclaimer: All characters and places featured in this story that relate to Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers, and Warner Brothers. I'm not profiting on this story and it is not my intent to infringe on anyone's copyright or trademark.
Author's Note: This is a one-shot Alternate Universe story set in the current year: 2006 (I know its 2007 now; but I started the story in mid-September 2006). The war is over and Voldemort is dead. The story is HP/CD and it assumes that September 17th is Cedric's birthday. This story also contains a flashback to the infamous graveyard scene which I've made some changes to in order to explain why Cedric is still alive, but there may be some similarities to Goblet of Fire.
Author's Note 2: This is one of my older works, so, yeah, it's 2012 now, not 2007 as it says above. Anyway, this version of the story has been edited to be suitable for posting here on . To read the story in its entirety, including the love scene which was cut, you can read it on my eFiction archives, the links to which are in my profile.
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Possible Spoilers for All Books (NOT Deathly Hallows), Adult Language, Sexual Situations
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Chapter One of One
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Twenty-six-year-old Harry James Potter smiled as he awoke in his bedroom on the morning of September 17th, 2006. The war was long over; Voldemort's Horcruxes were destroyed – he was dead and gone forever. This would be reason enough to be happy, but Harry knew he had another reason as he looked over at the sleeping form of the man he loved.
His smile grew larger as he watched each rise and fall of his husband's chest, and he thanked the Gods profusely that his beloved hadn't died that night in the graveyard years earlier.
Harry slipped quietly out of bed, deciding to let his love sleep in, as today was his birthday. Putting a pair of slippers on his feet and pulling on his robe, Harry made a pit stop in the bathroom, before heading down to the kitchen to prepare a breakfast tray for his sleeping lover.
The house that Harry called home was nothing overly fancy, though it was certainly big enough that he wouldn't mind having a house-elf or two to help out occasionally. Harry had never obtained one though, as he knew that his friend, Hermione, would probably want to castrate him if he did. He also wasn't very keen on house-elves in general, especially after owning the wretched Black family elf, Kreacher, who thankfully had also passed away several years ago, still bemoaning being owned by a half-blood and singing Walburga Black's praises.
As Harry began cooking breakfast, his mind went back to that night in June, of 1995, that could have been the final night of his love's life, and Harry was overjoyed that it had worked out in his favour.
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"Take it, Cedric, go on and take it. You're closer."
"No."
"Stop being the noble Hufflepuff, will you?" Harry said in an exasperated voice. "Just take it so that we can get out of here."
Cedric just stood there, watching the younger boy. He hadn't told Harry, but he had been thinking of the younger boy as so much more than a friend for the last several months. Standing there, watching Harry cling to the hedge as he steadied himself, Cedric said, "You warned me about the dragons, Harry. I'd probably be dead right now if you hadn't."
"I wouldn't have even known about them myself if Hagrid hadn't shown them to me beforehand," Harry said. "Um, promise me you won't tell anyone I just said that, I don't want Hagrid to get in trouble. Besides, you helped me with the egg. The way I see it, we're even."
"I won't tell anyone Hagrid helped you," Cedric said. "I'm glad he did, otherwise we might both be dead. As for the egg, I'm not sure I would have even solved it myself if it hadn't been for Professor Moody tipping me off."
"We're still even, Cedric," Harry said as he carefully tested his injured leg. "We both had help from professors and we both helped each other."
"You should've gotten more points for the second task," Cedric argued. "You stayed to get all the hostages. I should've thought to do that. Like you said, I'm the noble Hufflepuff; I wasn't being very noble that day."
"Your nobility isn't in question here, Cedric," Harry snapped. "As for me staying to get the hostages, that was just my own stupidity! I took that dumb song too literally. So just take the bloody Cup, will you?"
"No," Cedric repeated.
"Have you gone mad, Cedric?" Harry asked. "Your house hasn't had this kind of glory in centuries. You're just going to pass on it?"
Cedric remained quiet for a moment before he said, "Yes. Now take the Cup, Harry."
"Cedric, I'm not touching that Cup until you give me a good reason why I should let you give up the glory that your house is craving."
"Because we already have one undeserved victory on our record," Cedric said, and noticing the questioning look on Harry's face, he elaborated, "Remember the Quidditch match last year? You fell off your broom and Hufflepuff won. That shouldn't have happened, Harry. If it had been a clear day outside and, I had seen you falling, I would have never gone after the Snitch. I would have gone after you instead."
Harry took a moment to digest what Cedric was telling him. Looking at the older boy, Harry could tell that he was completely serious and nothing he could say would convince Cedric to take the Cup. Unless...
"We'll both take it," Harry said at once.
"What?"
"We'll both grab it at the same time," Harry said. "Hogwarts will still win, Cedric; we'll simply tie for the victory."
Cedric stared at Harry. 'Is he serious?' he thought and, after looking at the boy before him a bit longer, continued, 'Yeah, I think he is, but, I'd better make sure.'
"You're sure, Harry? I mean, you're absolutely sure?"
"Yes, Cedric, I'm sure," answered Harry. "Neither of us would probably have gotten this far if it wasn't for the help we've given each other along the way. Let's just take it together and end this."
During the silence that followed, Harry thought Cedric couldn't believe what he was hearing; then the older boy's face split into a grin and Harry couldn't help but think, 'Well, if nothing else, seeing him grin like that has just made this argument worth it.'
"You're on, Harry," Cedric said, with what was probably the biggest grin Harry had ever seen on the older boy's face. "Come here."
Cedric came over, wrapped his arm securely around Harry's waist, and pulled Harry's left arm up so that it was resting on his shoulder, thus allowing the younger boy to use him as a crutch. Smiling at each other, Harry and Cedric walked forward to the pedestal where the Cup sat. Reaching for the gleaming Cup, they both held out their hands and prepared to each grab one of the handles at the same time.
"On three, then," said Cedric and Harry in unison, as their hands inched closer to the handles. "One... Two... Three!"
Harry and Cedric's hands each closed over one of the handles at the same moment. Instantly, they both felt a jerk behind their navels and their feet leave the ground. Neither of them could let go of the Cup, which was pulling them forward in a rush of wind and swirling colour.
Within moments, Harry cried out in pain as the foot attached to his injured leg slammed into the ground. He would have fallen flat on his face if it not for the secure hold that Cedric had on him. The Triwizard Cup fell to the ground, as both boys were finally able to let go.
"Where are we?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea," Cedric said as he looked around. In the darkness, all Cedric could make out was a yew tree, what looked like headstones, and the shadow of a mansion on a nearby hilltop. "We're not at Hogwarts, but other than that, I have no idea."
Looking at the abandoned Cup, Cedric studied it for a moment, before looking at Harry and asking, "Did anyone tell you that the Cup was a Portkey?"
"No," Harry answered. "I take it nobody told you, either."
"Definitely not," Cedric confirmed. "You think this is part of the Tournament?"
"If it is," Harry said, "it would have been nice if they'd warned us first! They made it seem like all we had to do was get through the maze and find the Cup."
"Yeah, that's true," Cedric said as he loosened his grip on Harry and walked about a foot away from him, before turning back and asking, "You think we should have our wands out just in case?"
"Probably," Harry agreed as he got his out. "There's no telling what we might be in store for now. If the creatures in the maze were anything to go by, I shudder to think what they might expect us to go up against next."
"What's left, though?" Cedric asked. "I mean, we've already faced off against dragons, Blast-Ended Skrewts, a sphinx, an Acromantula. I mean what's next, a Basilisk?"
"That'd almost be a relief, if true," Harry said.
Cedric looked at Harry like he had gone completely insane and asked, "Are you crazy, Harry?"
"No, but I've already defeated a Basilisk once," Harry explained. "At the end of my second year in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, so at least I'd know how to defeat it. Of course, I had a sword then. Know a spell to conjure one?"
Cedric didn't answer as he had noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. A black hooded figure was approaching fast, and for a second, Cedric thought it might be a Dementor, until he noticed that the figure had feet. Whoever it was, though, they were short, their face was obscured by the darkness, and the hood was pulled up, over their head. The figure was carrying a bundle that, at first glance, appeared to be a baby, but as the figure got closer, Cedric was sure that isn't what it was.
A long silence followed as Harry and Cedric did nothing but stare at the figure, who stared right back at them. Then, without warning, pain flooded Harry's scar. The most intense pain he had ever felt in it before and he screamed. Knowing it must be Voldemort to cause this kind of reaction from his scar, Harry steeled himself against the pain, which was no easy feat, but he knew that if he and Cedric had hands on Molly Weasley's clock, they'd both be pointing at 'Mortal Peril' right now.
"Kill the spare!" a cold voice exclaimed, which prompted the figure holding the bundle to raise its arm, a wand held aloft, and a second voice said, "Avada Kedavra!"
A blast of green light shot out of the wand and Harry knew it was headed straight for Cedric. Harry couldn't let Cedric die, so without thinking, he hurled himself sideways in Cedric's direction, pushing the older boy out of the way just in time, as the curse had only missed Cedric by less than a couple centimeters.
Harry landed on top of Cedric and quickly whispered into his ear, "Cedric, listen, we don't have much time. Voldemort is nearby; no time to explain how I know that, just trust me. It's me they want, so pretend you're dead and then go for help when they're not looking."
Cedric wanted to refuse, but he knew that two student wizards stood little chance against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, so he nodded imperceptibly, as he closed his eyes and held his breath.
Within seconds, Cedric felt Harry being pulled away and he desperately wanted to help the younger boy who, whether he had been willing to admit it before now or not, he had fallen in love with. Harry's plea that he pretend to be dead sounded in his mind again, however, and he knew that he had to do what Harry said.
'This isn't the first time that he's stood against You-Know-Who,' Cedric thought. 'I just have to trust that Harry will be okay until I can get back with help. I hope they go far enough away that they don't notice my moving or all is lost. Speaking of moving, I hope they do it soon. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold my breath.'
Watching through a cracked eye, Cedric saw the hooded figure drag Harry a good twenty meters away to what looked like a cemetery. The figure carefully placed the bundle he had been carrying on the ground, and then he began to bind Harry to a large headstone.
'Good, their back is turned,' Cedric thought as he let go of the breath he was holding, before crawling over to the Cup and touched it. Just before the hook behind his navel pulled him away, Cedric heard Harry yell, "Wormtail!"
Peter didn't respond as he began to prepare a large cauldron. It was, by far, the largest cauldron Harry had ever seen and he momentarily wondered if even Snape had ever used a cauldron as big as this one. Peter knelt down and lit a fire under the cauldron, and Harry could see that whatever was in the bundle of robes seemed to be stirring more, as if desperate to get out in the open.
It wasn't long before the contents of the cauldron had obviously begun to boil, as Harry could see the liquid bubbling furiously. Fiery sparks and thick steam were emitting from the cauldron and if Harry thought for a second that Peter would actually answer him, he'd ask what was going on.
"Hurry," the cold voice said again, and Harry recognized it as the same voice that had told Peter to kill Cedric. As the faint memory of his mum's death played in his mind, Harry realized that he was right about Voldemort being nearby, as the voice definitely belonged to the snakelike bastard who killed his parents.
After a few more moments, Peter said, "It's ready, Master."
"Good, Wormtail, you know what to do," the cold voice said.
Peter nodded as he unwrapped the thing in the robes, and Harry felt sicker than he had ever felt in his life upon seeing the hideous creature inside. Harry watched as Peter lifted it up and dropped it into the boiling cauldron.
'Please let it drown,' Harry thought as he heard the creature hit the bottom. 'For the love of Merlin, please, let it drown!'
Peter raised his wand, his eyes closed, as he said something too softly for Harry to hear.
Harry was scared out of his mind when he felt the earth beneath him start to rumble. Suddenly, part of the grave opened up and a white dust, that Harry knew must be crushed bone, flew upwards and into the boiling cauldron.
Harry watched in horror as Peter pulled a long, silver dagger from inside his robe. At this point, Peter's voice broke and it was obvious he didn't wantto do what he was about to do.
Peter screamed in pain, the shrillest scream that Harry had ever heard, a scream Harry was sure would put the banshee to shame, as he used the dagger to cut off his hand and the bloody appendage fell into the cauldron.
Peter then turned toward Harry and moved closer. A wave of nausea, brought on from the pain in his leg and watching Peter mutilate himself, washed over Harry and even with the man standing mere centimeters away from him, he couldn't hear what Peter was saying.
Instinctively, however, Harry had a feeling what was coming due to Peter's close proximity. Harry screwed his eyes shut and braced himself for more pain, as he knew that he was too tightly tied up to be able to do anything to stop what Peter was about to do. He just prayed with every fibre of his being that Cedric would return soon with help. Harry cried out as he felt the dagger slash across his right arm and he knew that he was bleeding.
The pain of the new wound, combined with his already injured leg, caused Harry to slip into a fog and he didn't really understand what was happening around him. He knew that he had to keep his wits about him, though, or he would surely die, so he forced his mind to clear. Opening his eyes, he could see Peter tipping a vial full of blood, which Harry knew to be his, into the boiling cauldron.
For several long moments, nothing happened and hope began to creep into Harry's mind as he thought, 'It drowned. Whatever that hideous creature was, it drowned and Wormtail has failed. Oh thank you, Merlin, it's dead.'
Harry should have known better than to think that, even for a second. Ever since he was born, fate had a way of being very cruel to him, so why should tonight be any exception? From the steam pouring out of the cauldron, Harry could see the outline of a man standing up. The man was tall, and as thin as a skeleton. Harry again felt the urge to throw up as he realized that his greatest fear, not to mention the greatest fear of so many others in the Wizarding world, had come true: Lord Voldemort had returned.
Harry watched in utter horror as Voldemort stepped out of the cauldron, took the wand from Peter's grasp, which Harry realized was actually Voldemort's, and pulled Peter's left arm roughly, pushing up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. Placing the tip of his wand against it, Voldemort summoned his Death Eaters, before turning to Harry and sneering at him.
"I'm back, Potter," Voldemort hissed. "You thought I was gone, but it will take much more than a pathetic boy like you to bring me down."
"I did it once," Harry said. "I'll do it again."
"So confident," Voldemort hissed. "Good, it'll make killing you even more fun."
Several pops could be heard nearby and Harry prayed it was Cedric with help, but he soon realized, much to his horror, that it was the Death Eaters responding to Voldemort's summons. As the Death Eaters gathered around, Voldemort launched into a speech about how disappointed he was with them for not coming to look for him. Voldemort also told the Death Eaters that while Peter was certainly not any more loyal than the rest of them, he did at least come and find him, even if it had taken several years and fear was his main motivation. Still, Voldemort couldn't deny the fact that Peter had played a big part in his return, and thus rewarded him by replacing his severed hand with one that looked to be made of solid silver. Voldemort then proceeded to explain how it was that he managed to return and the part Harry had played in that return.
"Untie him, Wormtail," Voldemort hissed as he pointed at Harry. "And give him back his wand."
Peter hurried to do as he was told and Voldemort asked, "I trust that fool Dumbledore has at least made sure you were taught how to duel, Potter?"
'Oh great,' Harry thought. 'He expects me to duel with him. I only learned the bloody Disarming Charm! Depriving Voldemort of his wand, even if I could, isn't going to help, not when I'm out-numbered thirty-to-one. Oh Merlin, please, Cedric, get here soon!'
"Answer me, you insolent boy!" Voldemort shouted as he raised his wand and said, "Crucio!"
As if the pain from the wound Peter had given him and his injured leg wasn't bad enough, Harry now felt a level of pain coursing through his veins that he had previously thought impossible. He had never felt this much pain and while some would probably disagree, Harry was sure that even childbirth paled in comparison to this. Releasing the curse, Voldemort began to explain the specifics of a wizard's duel to Harry.
"I will not bow to you, you fiend," Harry spat.
"Oh, yes, Potter, you will," Voldemort hissed. "The traditions must be observed and I shall make sure they are."
With a flick of his wand, Harry was forced to bow before Voldemort, as Voldemort bowed to Harry for a split second, before he said, "And now, we duel, Mr. Potter."
Harry stood up and raised his wand, pointing it directly at Voldemort, as the snakelike fiend pointed his wand at Harry. They both spoke at the same time, "Expelliarmus!" "Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of green light left Voldemort's wand and a jet of red left Harry's. When they met each other, Harry could feel his wand begin to shudder in his grasp and it felt like an electric charge was surging through it. Harry knew that even if he'd wanted to, he would have been unable to drop his wand, as his hand had now locked painfully around it. A golden beam of light suddenly shot out of both wands and connected in the middle of the two.
Harry soon realized that both he and Voldemort were no longer standing on solid ground, as whatever was happening had lifted them off the ground, and a golden dome was forming around them.
"Stay back, you fools," Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters. "Don't do anything unless I tell you to."
After the dome erected itself, a loud and gorgeous sound filled Harry's ears, and he instantly recognized it as the song of a phoenix. Hearing the beautiful music gave Harry more hope than he had felt since he'd first landed in this wretched place, and he could almost hear Dumbledore whispering to him, ordering him not to break the connection between the wands. Of course, just as that realization came, it become that much harder to not break it, as now the light connecting the wands changed, and Harry could see large balls of light moving up and down the thread between the two wands.
Voldemort had a look of intense concentration on his face, and it wasn't long before the balls of light were moving towards Harry and something told him that he had to reverse their direction. Concentrating harder than he had ever concentrated before, Harry was soon able to make the balls of light slow down, stop, and then they slowly began to move in the opposite direction. The expression on Voldemort's face changed from one of concentration to amazement and, Harry realized with satisfaction, fear.
Voldemort's wand was now shaking violently as the echoing screams of past victims could be heard. Voldemort's red eyes widened as the smoky ghost of a hand shot out of the tip of his wand, followed by more shouts of pain, and finally, an even denser smoke than before, as something much larger began to come out of Voldemort's wand. Harry soon realized that it was the head and torso of an old man that he had never seen before and he could hear Peter saying, "Impossible. That old man wasn't the last one the master's wand killed, unless..."
"So, Potter," Voldemort hissed, "you managed to save your little boyfriend, I see. When this is over and I am victorious, he will be the first to die. I shall give you a temporary stay of execution, Potter, for I will enjoy watching you as I torture and kill him."
'He's just trying to make you mad, Harry,' a voice said in Harry's mind. It sounded a little like Dumbledore's, but it was probably just Harry's mind playing tricks on him. 'Don't pay any attention to him; he just wants you to lose focus so that he can gain the upper hand. Concentrate!'
The old man, leaning heavily on a gnarled walking stick, looked between Voldemort and Harry and then said, "That snakelike bastard killed me. Fight him with everything you've got!"
Try as he might, Voldemort couldn't get the balls of light to change direction and go back towards Harry, and Harry was almost sure he could hear Voldemort cry out in distress as another head began to emerge from his wand tip.
Bertha Jorkins soon added her voice to the voice in Harry's head and that of the old man, Frank Bryce. "Fight him, Harry. You can't let him win!"
Bertha and Frank began to pace around the interior of the dome, while the Death Eaters circled the exterior. Whenever they neared Harry, Bertha and Frank whispered words of encouragement and whenever they neared Voldemort, they hissed words that Harry couldn't hear at him.
It wasn't long before another head began to emerge from Voldemort's wand and she too fell to the ground. Once she had stood up and pushed her long hair out of her face, Harry realized it was the ghostly shade of his mother, and for a moment, the balls of light moving between the two wands began to slow as he lost some of his concentration.
"Concentrate, Harry!" Lily shouted. "Don't let him win! Just hang on, Harry, it'll be okay; your father is coming. Just hold on!"
Spurred on by his mother's words of encouragement, Harry concentrated even harder than he had before, causing the balls of light to start moving back towards Voldemort's wand faster than they had been before. Then it happened. Another head began to emerge from the tip of Voldemort's wand and Harry knew it was his father. The smoky form of James Potter fell to the ground, stood, and said, "Harry, my boy, listen to me. We will only linger for seconds when the connection is broken, but we will buy you time. Help is on the way, Harry, but you must get back to where the Portkey brought you. Do you understand, Harry?"
"Yes, I understand," gasped Harry, as he fought hard to maintain his concentration and keep his grip on his wand.
In the distance, Harry could vaguely hear the sounds of several more pops and James said, "Now, Harry. Break the connection and be ready to run! Help has arrived, my boy, so break it now and RUN!"
Harry did as his father's form told him and pulled his wand upward with all of his strength. The golden thread connecting the wands broke, the dome disappeared, and the phoenix song died. Frank, Bertha, Lily, and James did not disappear, however, and they were closing in on Voldemort, hiding Harry from his view.
Harry took off running as fast as his injured leg would carry him. Just before the forms that had emerged from Voldemort's wand disappeared, Harry heard his parents' voices in his head one last time.
"We want you to be happy, Harry," James said. "Cedric is a good man."
"And quite handsome, Harry," Lily added. "We approve."
Harry had been struggling with his feelings for Cedric for the last couple of months. To know he had his parents' approval meant the world to him. It gave Harry the strength he needed, despite his injuries, to run even faster. As he got closer to where the Portkey had delivered him and Cedric at the beginning of this nightmare, he could see several figures with their wands drawn.
"Stun him!" Voldemort screamed as the Death Eaters began running after Harry, and jets of red light began shooting past Harry's head. Harry kept running and as he got closer, he could see Cedric standing next to Dumbledore. McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Tonks, Remus, Shacklebolt, and Amos Diggory were also there, along with about two dozen other people that Harry didn't recognize. Harry continued to run heading straight into Cedric's awaiting arms, as the help that Cedric brought began to attack the pursuing Death Eaters.
"This isn't over, Potter!" Voldemort shouted, as he realized that he wasn't going to recapture his nemesis tonight. "We will meet again, boy, and you won't be so lucky next time!"
Voldemort Apparated away, as did several of the Death Eaters who had gathered to witness his return, but not before many of the people Cedric brought with him saw Voldemort and realized that he was back. Several Death Eaters escaped that night, but some were captured. Among them were Avery, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle, but most importantly, Peter was finally caught. The truth would finally come out and Sirius would be cleared.
"It's okay, Harry," Cedric said as he held onto the younger boy in his arms. "You're safe now."
"Thank Merlin, you're okay, Cedric," Harry said, as he wrapped his arms around the older boy. "I was so worried about you."
"Worried about me?" Cedric asked. "You were the one who was dealing with You-Know-Who. If anyone here should be worried, it should be me; Harry, you're hurt."
"Cedric?"
"Yeah?"
"Just shut up and kiss me."
"What?" Cedric asked. He couldn't believe his ears. While it was true that he had fallen in love with Harry over the past year, he had certainly never expected Harry to return those feelings.
"You heard me," Harry said, as he placed his hand behind Cedric's neck and pulled the older boy's head down. Their lips met and the sounds of the battle around them soon became distant whispers, as they put everything they had into the kiss.
"Harry. Harry, darling, are you okay? Earth to Harry." Harry could hear Cedric talking and he was shaken out of his memory.
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Harry turned away from the counter to see Cedric standing behind him with a concerned look on his face.
"Harry, darling, what's burning?"
"Burning?" Harry repeated, before he noticed the distinct smell of something burning in the air and turned around, only to realize, to his horror, that the muffins he'd put in the oven as part of the birthday breakfast in bed that he planned on serving Cedric were burning.
"Bloody hell," Harry said as he grabbed a hot pad, removed the tray of blackened muffins from the oven, and looked at them. "Why aren't you still asleep, anyway? I wanted to let you sleep in."
Cedric grinned at Harry and said, "Well, I woke up and I was alone. I missed you, Harry, and then I smelled something burning, so I came running down here to see if you were okay."
Setting the tray on the counter, Harry turned around and looked at Cedric. A huge grin spread across Harry's face as he took in the sight before his eyes. Cedric was standing there in all his glory, naked as the day he was born, which was, incidentally, exactly twenty-nine years ago.
"What are you grinning about?"
"Oh nothing," Harry said. "I'm just enjoying the fact that my sexy husband was so concerned about me that he didn't even pause to put any clothes on."
Cedric blushed as he looked down and realized that he was naked. Harry walked forward, wrapped his arms around Cedric, and pulled him into a passionate kiss. In the years since they first got together, Harry had a major growth spurt, so Cedric no longer had to lean down to kiss the younger man. The two of them kissed for several minutes, before Harry pulled away and said, "Happy Birthday, Rick, I love you."
"I love you too, Harry," Cedric said with a smile. "Where were you before anyway? You seemed like you were a million miles away."
"I was remembering the night we got together," Harry said, knowing that Cedric would know he meant he was remembering the graveyard and Voldemort's return. Turning his head to look at the ruined muffins, Harry groaned and said, "I so wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed for your birthday."
Cedric grinned and said, "That's very sweet of you, Harry, but I can think of something I'd much rather have for breakfast than the food you were planning on bringing up."
"Oh really?" Harry asked with a knowing grin on his face.
"Yeah, really," Cedric said as he gave Harry a peck on the lips, before adding, "Now, since it's my birthday, I think I should get what I want and what I want right now is you, upstairs in our bed, pronto."
"Your wish is my command," Harry said with a grin, as the two men left the kitchen and headed upstairs.
-o-0-o-
Later that afternoon, after shagging enough times to make a rabbit envious, Harry and Cedric got dressed and exited their home on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. They were both professors at Hogwarts now, so they usually didn't come down to their home during the school year, but with it being Cedric's birthday, Headmistress McGonagall had given them permission to sneak away for the weekend, as long as they didn't go any further than their home near Hogsmeade, in case she needed them.
Harry took over as professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts a few years after the war ended. He had now been in the position for the last four years, making him the longest-serving Defence professor in almost five decades, ever since Dumbledore refused to hire Voldemort in 1957.
As for Cedric, he took over as Charms professor, following Professor Flitwick's death four years ago. Professor Sprout retired two years later, wanting to spend more time with her grandchildren, at which point McGonagall named Cedric as the new Head of Hufflepuff House.
Walking hand in hand down the path into Hogsmeade, Harry and Cedric simply enjoyed the nice September weather and each other's company. It was a wonderful day, which made both of them happy, because who wants to have foul weather on your birthday or on a loved one's birthday? Arriving in Hogsmeade, Harry and Cedric stopped at Honeydukes for a snack and the Three Broomsticks for some libations, before heading to the edge of town and climbing into the horseless carriage that McGonagall had sent down to bring them back up to the castle.
After the short ride, the two young professors exited the carriage and found McGonagall waiting for them at the entrance.
"Hello, Harry, Cedric," McGonagall said with a smile. "And Happy Birthday, Cedric."
"Thank you, Professor," Cedric said.
McGonagall got that stern look on her face that had scared both Harry and Cedric on more than one occasion during their school years and said, "You are both on staff now. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Minerva?"
"Sorry, Pro... Minerva," Cedric apologized. "It's just a bit strange calling you by your first name. After seven years of calling you professor, I guess that's just what I'm used to."
"I understand that, Cedric," McGonagall said, "However, you have been on staff now for four years, so I'd think that you could have changed what you were used to in that time frame."
"I'll work on it," Cedric said with a smile.
"Good," McGonagall said. "Now, I need you two to accompany me up to the Room of Requirement."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Staff meeting," McGonagall answered.
"In the Room of Requirement?" Cedric asked, obviously perplexed. Staff meetings were usually held in the staff room, after all.
"I decided to have the staff room remodeled," responded McGonagall. "Make it a bit more comfortable. The design wizards arrived after you two went home yesterday and they're still hard at work, so Hermione suggested we use the Room of Requirement instead."
Harry and Cedric nodded, before following McGonagall into the castle and up the stairs to the entrance to the Room of Requirement, nodding and smiling at passing students as they walked. Arriving in the seventh floor hallway, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, the door was already visible. Neville Longbottom, who had taken over as professor of Herbology when Professor Sprout retired, was standing guard outside, to make sure that no students tried to go in.
"Hello, Neville," Harry said as he nodded to his fellow professor and former housemate. Looking at Neville now, you would have never known that he was picked on in school. He was, in fact, one of the most popular professors at Hogwarts now.
"Hi, Harry," Neville said. "Hi, Minerva. Happy Birthday, Cedric."
"Thanks, Neville," Cedric said with a smile.
"Is everyone already here?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, we were just waiting for you three," Neville answered.
McGonagall nodded and then said, "Harry, Cedric, I need to have a word with Neville for a moment. Why don't you two go in and make yourselves comfortable with the others?"
"Okay, Minerva," Harry and Cedric said as Harry opened the door, and the two of them entered the Room of Requirement.
Upon entering the room, Harry and Cedric were rather confused by the fact that there was supposedly a staff meeting about to take place and there were no lights on in the room. Of course, this oddity didn't last long, when the torches around the room suddenly burst to life and several people shouted, "SURPRISE!"
Gathered all around the room were the other Hogwarts professors, in addition to friends and family of both Harry and Cedric. The room was festively decorated and a huge yellow banner with flashing black letters said, "Happy 29th Birthday, Cedric!"
Cedric was grinning from ear to ear, as he looked around at all the smiles, the decorations, the gift table, and the food, just everything. He was certainly feeling very happy in that moment, because he hadn't expected anything like this.
"Thank you, everybody," Cedric said, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears.
"Happy Birthday, son," Amos Diggory said as he walked over to Cedric.
Cedric was rather surprised to see his father at the party. They hadn't been in regular contact for years – ever since Cedric married Harry. While same-sex marriages were legal in the Wizarding world, many in Wizarding society thought it was a crime against the natural order.
From the very beginning of his relationship with Harry, Cedric's father had made it clear that he was against it. He had even refused to attend the wedding and that had been a damper on Cedric's happiness. He was still very happy that day, as he had married the man of his dreams, but it still hurt that his father hadn't been there to share in his happiness.
'Is it too much to hope that he might accept me now?' Cedric thought. 'With Mum gone, it would be nice to know that my one remaining parent accepts me for who I am and who I love.'
"Thank you, Father," Cedric said.
"I know you must be shocked to see me here," Amos said. "I haven't been part of your life since your marriage. Since your mother's death, however, I've had a lot of time to think. I've come to realize that love is love and it was wrong of me to cut you out of my life because you fell in love with a man. I'm sorry, Ced, can you ever forgive me?"
Cedric looked at his father for a moment, before stepping forward and wrapping his father in a hug. After a moment, he pulled back and said, "Of course I can forgive you, you're my father. With Mum dead, I really need you in my life. Just one thing, though?"
"What?" Amos asked.
"Could you drop the Ced nickname?" Cedric asked. "I never really liked it, to be honest. I prefer Cedric or Rick."
"Of course, son," Amos said as he pulled his son into a hug. "I'm just glad to have you back in my life."
"So you're totally okay with my being gay?" Cedric asked. "And married to Harry?"
Amos remained quiet for a moment and then said, "I'm still not totally used to it, but my desire to see you happy outweighs any discomfort I might feel. It'll just take some time and I'll get use to it. I mean, you are my only child, Cedric. I never expected that I'd have a son-in-law, but as I said, I want you to be happy, so if Harry makes you happy, then I'm happy."
"He does, Father," Cedric said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Harry. "Harry makes me deliriously happy."
"And what about you, Harry?" Amos asked.
"Same here, Mr. Diggory," Harry answered. "I love Cedric with all my heart."
"That's good to know," Amos said and after a moment, he added, "You can call me Amos if you want, Harry. I don't think I'm quite comfortable with my son's husband calling me 'father' yet, but I am trying."
"Okay, Amos," Harry said with a smile. Harry was very happy for Cedric, because he knew that he had been deeply hurt by his father's rejection. A part of Harry was also hoping that with time, he could develop a close relationship to Cedric's father. Harry already had surrogate parents in Molly and Arthur Weasley, and his godfather, Sirius, but certainly wouldn't object to a good relationship with his father-in-law.
"Happy Birthday, Cedric," came the drawl of a cool and aristocratic voice that Cedric instantly recognized as that of Professor Draco Malfoy.
Dumbledore had gone to his grave convinced of Professor Snape's loyalty, but even Dumbledore couldn't be right about everything. Snape's true loyalties had always remained with Voldemort, so he was now serving a life sentence in Azkaban. It wasn't long after Snape's arrest that Headmistress McGonagall hired Draco to take over as Head of Slytherin House and Potions professor, or, as Draco liked to think of himself, Hogwarts' Resident Potions God.
"Thank you, Draco," Cedric said as he turned to face the blond. "Where's your husband?"
"He sends his apologies," Draco said, "but he's swamped at work and couldn't get away."
"He's working on a Sunday?" Harry asked. "That doesn't sound like him at all."
"Well, Harry, you know that the Ministry seized the entire Malfoy fortune and left me penniless. You also know that professors do not make a ton of money, so my darling husband has taken on the responsibility of working overtime to bring in extra money when he can."
"I'm sorry, Draco," Harry said, "I know he's changed quite a bit these last few years, but I still find it very hard to think of responsibility when thinking of Ron Weasley."
"Yes, I know," drawled Draco. "I find it hard to believe myself sometimes. Not as hard to believe as the fact that I married the Weasel, but that's beside the point."
Cedric shook his head, a bemused expression on his face. "Draco, you have a very strange relationship."
Ron and Draco had been married now for the last six years, and the strange part about their relationship was that they continued to insult one another on a regular basis and call each other 'Ferret' and 'Weasel'. Despite that, however, one only had to look at them when they were together to know that there was no malice behind the insults. Somewhere along the line, Ron and Draco had actually fallen in love with one another, proving that miracles do happen.
"I'm the first to admit it, Cedric," Draco said, "but I couldn't be happier. Well, I'm getting hungry, so I shall take my leave and check out the food table. Before I go though, Harry, you may want to steady your husband, as I get the feeling he's going to get bowled over in a few seconds."
Harry and Cedric gave Draco identical looks of confusion as the blond just smiled and walked over to the food table. It wasn't long, however, before Cedric and Harry realized what Draco had been talking about.
"Happy Birthday, Uncle Cedric!" a young boy exclaimed as he ran up to Cedric and threw his arms around Cedric's legs, very nearly succeeding in making him lose his balance and fall over, if it hadn't been for Harry's quick reflex action of reaching out to steady him. "Hi, Uncle Harry," the boy added, seemingly as an afterthought.
"Hi, Ajay," Harry and Cedric said, using the boy's nickname. His real name was Adrian William Granger, Jr., Hermione's son with her husband, Adrian. Starting in Hermione's sixth year, she began dating Slytherin Adrian Pucey. After the war, Adrian found it impossible to find a job, because he had been named Adrian William Pucey after his father, who, because of his Death Eater status, had been blacklisted by all of the honest employers in Britain. Therefore, when Adrian and Hermione got married, Adrian took Hermione's surname, which ended his job problems because there were no Death Eaters named Adrian Granger.
"What's up, little man?" Cedric asked of his eight-year-old godson.
"Mum is boring me again," Ajay said.
"Arithmancy equations again?" Harry asked, as he grinned at his godson. Hermione was a great mother, but sometimes she had a hard time grasping the fact that to an eight-year-old, Arithmancy really wasn't the most interesting subject in the world, even if his mother did teach it. Hermione loved the subject, so when Professor Vector passed away four years ago, it didn't take much to convince her to become Hogwarts' Arithmancy professor. Of course, Professor McGonagall once said that she saw herself in Hermione, which is probably why she also made Hermione the Head of Gryffindor House.
"Yes," Ajay said, "I'd rather talk about Quidditch, but Mum gets angry when I do. That's usually when Dad kisses her, though," here Ajay made a face that clearly said 'yuck', "and she forgets all about being angry."
"I know it seems gross now," Cedric said, "but someday you'll meet a nice girl and you'll love kissing her just as much as your mum and dad love kissing each other."
"Eeww," Ajay said. "I'm never going to like girls. I'm going to be like you and Uncle Harry, Uncle Bill and Uncle Oliver, and Uncle Ron and Uncle Draco, and like a guy."
"It's possible that you might, Ajay," Harry said. "But give it a few years; you'll be surprised how much your feelings could change."
"He's right, Ajay," Adrian said as he came over with Hermione. "If you do end up liking a guy, that's fine with your mum and I, but wait a few years before making any decisions. When I was your age, I thought girls were the grossest thing on the planet, but my opinion did change."
"You were my age, Dad?" Ajay asked in wonderment.
"As hard as that is for you to believe," Adrian said, "yes, I was your age once. Everyone in this room was your age once."
"Even Professor McGonagall?" Ajay asked.
Hermione smiled. "Yes, Ajay, even Professor McGonagall," and then turning to Cedric, she added, "Happy birthday, Rick."
"Thanks, Hermione," Cedric said as he hugged her.
"Hey, little man," Adrian said to his son, "I think I see Uncle Fred and Uncle George. Why don't we go say hi?"
"Yay!" Ajay exclaimed, obviously excited about seeing Fred and George Weasley.
Adrian took his son's hand and before being dragged away he said, "Oh, ah, Happy birthday, Cedric."
"Thanks, Adrian," Cedric said with a grin as he watched a very excited eight-year-old dragging his father across the room to where a pair of identical redheads appeared to be spiking the punch.
Cedric leaned over to Harry and said, "We'll have to make sure not to drink the punch."
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Merlin only knows what those two are putting in it. Knowing them, I doubt it's something as mundane as Firewhisky."
Cedric nodded. "Yeah, they're probably trying to test out a new product. Remember your last birthday party?"
"Oh don't remind me, Rick," Harry said as he winced. "That was a disaster."
"You're right, of course," Cedric agreed, as he thought back to Harry's twenty-sixth birthday party that past July.
Fred and George had spiked the punch with one of their latest creations – a potion meant to transform the drinker into a swan. Unfortunately, they'd recently taken on a new apprentice who made some serious mistakes in mixing the potion and instead of swans, half the guests turned into goldfish. As if that was not bad enough, those who saw Fred and George spike the punch did not see them spiking the coffee with another product that didn't have the desired effect. The potion in the coffee was supposed to make the drinker grow fur, but unfortunately, it went a bit too far and instead turned those who drank it into cats. Absolute pandemonium ensued at that point, as the few guests who were still human frantically tried to get all the guests who had turned into goldfish off the floor and into water, not only so they wouldn't die from lack of oxygen, but also so that the cats wouldn't eat them. All in all, it was the birthday from Hell.
"We should probably say something," Harry said after a few minutes of reliving the horror in his mind. "I don't want your day to be ruined like mine was."
"Well, it wasn't completely ruined, was it?" Cedric asked with a grin. "I seem to remember it improving quite dramatically after the party was over."
Harry blushed crimson as the thoughts of his and Cedric's activities after the party came to mind. Silent for a moment, Harry cleared his throat and then said, "Yeah, that's true, but we should still say something to them."
"I know," Cedric said as he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, and together the couple strolled over to the punch bowl. As they approached, Adrian rejoined Hermione, and Ajay ran over to where his best friend, Benjamin Longbottom, was standing with his mother, Ginny.
"Fred, George," Harry said as he approached. "I hope you didn't put anything bad in the punch."
"Yeah, we don't need a repeat of July, guys," Cedric said.
"Harry, Cedric, we are shocked," began Fred, before George continued, "that you would even think that."
"You know it wasn't our fault," Fred said, as George added, "It was all Devon's fault." And then in unison they added, "And we fired him."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "Yet here you are spiking the punch again."
"What is it this time, guys?" Cedric asked with a wary grin. "Something to make people blow up like a blueberry?"
"I think you've been watching too many" George started before Fred finished, "Muggle movies with Harry, Cedric."
"That might be true," Cedric said, "but obviously you two have been watching a few as well, or you wouldn't know that I got that example from a Muggle movie."
In response, Fred and George simply stuck their tongues out at Cedric. After a moment, Fred said, "Honestly, guys, we didn't put anything bad in."
"With you, I'm not so sure," Harry said. "Even if you didn't put some strange concoction that you're testing for your store in it, need I remind you that there's children here who aren't old enough to drink? So if you put Firewhisky or anything alcoholic in the punch, it's just as bad."
George scowled and said, "When did you two become a pair of stick in the muds?"
"You two are hopeless," Cedric said with a grin.
"Thank you," Fred and George said in unison.
The party continued without incident, thankfully. Fred and George had indeed spiked the punch with a new product they were testing out for their store, but it turned out to be harmless. Over the years, Fred and George had added many different things to their inventory. Part of what made their store so much more successful than Zonko's is that they didn't limit their inventory to joke and gag items, even though the name of the store suggested that's what they carried.
During the war, they added a number of items for sale to protect people from various curses. In fact, Fred and George were both awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, after they successfully created a line of Wizarding robes that protected the wearer from the Unforgivable Curses, including the Killing Curse. As for what they spiked the punch with, it was an item in their new party supplies line. It was a special mixture that when added to a drink, such as punch, would give it the taste of having been spiked with Firewhisky, except without the presence of any alcohol, thus making it safe for people of all ages to drink.
-o-0-o-
Later that evening, in the staff wing of Hogwarts Castle, Harry was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, with Cedric's head resting in his lap. Harry looked down at his husband with a smile as he gently ran his fingers through Cedric's soft brown hair.
Sighing contentedly, Cedric asked, "What did I ever do to be so lucky?"
Harry grinned. It was a question that Cedric had posed several times over the course of their relationship. Harry never really knew how to answer it, though, because he felt that he was the lucky one to have Cedric in his life. He'd come very close to losing him before they'd even shared their first kiss, so, Harry found himself thanking both Merlin and the Gods that Cedric didn't die that day in the graveyard.
Of course, Harry knew that was precisely why Cedric felt that he was the lucky one. If it hadn't been for Harry's quick reflexes pushing him out of the way, he would most assuredly be dead right now. He would have died that night in the graveyard and he would have missed out on all of the happiness life had given him since. Thinking about it from that standpoint, Harry could certainly understand why Cedric thought he was the lucky one and he had long since stopped trying to contradict the older man.
Cedric adjusted his head in Harry's lap and felt the telltale sign that Harry was more than ready for another round of lovemaking. They'd already gone at it more times than Cedric could count – he'd lost count that morning sometime after the fourth time – and now it seemed Harry was ready for another round.
Grinning up at Harry, Cedric asked, "Is that a quill in your robe or you just happy to see me?"
Harry laughed at that comment. It was a very corny and clichéd comment. However, no matter how many times Cedric said it, it still never failed to make Harry laugh. It was just one of the many things that were good about Harry and Cedric's relationship. Even during the war, when life and death situations were commonplace, they never failed to make each other laugh and put a smile on each other's faces when it was most needed.
Reaching his hand down to Cedric's crotch, Harry smiled and said, "Looks like I'm not the only one with a quill in my robes."
"Well, what can I say?" Cedric said as he sat up so that he could rest his forehead against Harry's. "I have an extremely sexy husband."
"Same here," Harry murmured as he turned his head ever so slightly and brought their lips together for a passionate kiss, smouldering with the heat of a thousand volcanoes. Harry's arms snaked around Cedric's muscular body, pulling him so close that in their matching robes, it was impossible to tell where Harry ended and Cedric began.
Their kiss continued for several minutes, as their tongues darted around each other's mouths and wrestled with one another. It wasn't until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that they broke their kiss and noticed two faces looking at them from the flames in the fireplace.
"Sorry to interrupt," Sirius said with a grin.
"If you were anyone else, I'd be hexing you right now," Harry said. "It's good to see you, Sirius, Remus."
"We just wanted to apologize," Remus said, "for not showing up at your party this afternoon, Cedric. We couldn't get away from work."
During the war, many families were torn apart by the death and destruction that Voldemort's Death Eaters left in their wake. Many children found themselves without a home and without parents, so, with Harry's blessing, Sirius and Remus converted James and Lily's home in Godric's Hollow into a home for Wizarding orphans and took in as many as they could accommodate. This, thanks to the wonders of magic, was quite a few more then what one would think would fit in the house if you looked at it from the outside.
The Ministry of Magic was, naturally, against the project at first, because they thought it was dangerous to have a known werewolf running an orphanage, but in time they realized that Remus didn't pose a threat. The Weasley twins had learned how to make the Wolfsbane potion and made sure that Remus had enough to keep his monthly transformation in check. With the potion, Remus was a very gentle wolf and would certainly never harm a hair on any of the heads of the children he cared for, especially since he'd come to think of all of them as members of his pack.
"That's okay," Cedric said. "I understand why you couldn't get away. Somebody has to stay there and care for the kids."
"Indeed," Sirius said with a smile. "So, anyway, Remus and I will let you two get back to what you were doing before we so rudely interrupted you. We just wanted to pop in for a minute to wish you a happy birthday, Cedric."
"Thanks," Cedric said with a smile, before Remus and Sirius disappeared from the flames. Grabbing his wand from the nearby end table, Cedric quickly pointed it at the fireplace and cast the charm necessary to lock their Floo connection from all incoming traffic, including communication and travel.
"Now," Cedric asked with a grin, as he put his wand back on the table, "where were we?"
"I think we were right about here," Harry responded with a grin, as he recaptured Cedric's lips and the two resumed their kissing. Only this time, instead of simply holding one another, they began unbuttoning each other's robes. Tossing the robes aside, Harry smiled at Cedric before pushing him back on the sofa. Kissing him with a passion that rivaled that of the kiss they were sharing before the Floo call, Harry's hands were wrapped tightly around Cedric's back, while Cedric massaged Harry's neck and shoulders.
Pulling back the covers on the bed, Harry and Cedric climbed under the cool silk sheets and warm down comforter, and snuggled up to one another.
"I love you, Harry," Cedric said as he kissed the tip of Harry's nose.
"I love you more," Harry said with a grin.
"Impossible," Cedric said. "I love you more than any other person who has ever lived has loved anyone else."
Harry grinned and said, "Good night, Rick, my darling," as he placed a light kiss on Cedric's lips, before pulling the older man closer and settling down to sleep. It wasn't long before Cedric joined Harry in dreamland, content beyond words with his life.
-o-0-o-
The End