Strange Melody
by Eleawin

English isn't my mother language. If there's some mistakes, please point it out x)


1. Book

Marcus sighed heavily and smashed down the book he was pretending to read. He wondered for the twentieth time in the last hour what the hell he was doing here, sitting on an uncomfortable chair with absolutely nothing to do. He was the great captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, proud member of Salazar's house, after all. He wasn't supposed to be here, in this fucking place where he couldn't even breathe without being glared by the other students.

Marcus Flint was not the type to go in a library. His marks were here to prove that.

His problem – if you believed he had a problem – was sitting behind a shelf of old books. It was something trivial, and Marcus didn't give a shit about it, really. He was why he didn't understand why he was still sitting here, since he knew he was losing his so precious time. Salazar, why wouldn't he just quit the bloody place and instead go freak out some first-year Gryffindors, for example?

He sighed again and looked at the boy. He was reading a black-covered book and was taking notes on a piece of parchment. Cedric Diggory was the new captain of de Hufflepuff Quidditch team, it was a fact. He did fly well for a Hufflepuff – insert some disdain here --, it was another fact. So he was dangerous, even if the rest of the team was full of shit. And now he thought about it, it was surely why he had spent the last two hours watching the brunet. Study the enemy, you know.

But sadly enough, he didn't learn much in two hours, except maybe the fact that the library chairs were painfully uncomfortable – he really missed the soft armchair in the green and silver common room. And the fact that Cedric sucked on the top of his quill when he frowned in concentration...… Well, it wasn't like it would be helpful in a Quidditch match, but it was still interesting, eh.

Marcus had to accept it: he was clearly loosing his time. Watching Mister Handsome Diggory study wasn't a good way to spot his weaknesses. He struggled on his chair and muttered some curses in his breath, and was awarded by angry looks sent by three Ravenclaw girls. Very annoyed, he glared at them hardly before returning his attention to the Hufflepuff. Cedric was still reading, a soft expression on his face. Marcus scoffed. What the hell was so interesting in a school manual, seriously?

He spent the next half-hour searching for an answer. Or he tried. His thoughts were wandering, and he finally found himself gazing at the youngest captain. If you looked carefully, Cedric's hair seemed incredibly soft, especially near his forehead and his temples. The way they fall prettily on the nape of his neck was utterly… perfect. Bloody hell. Marcus felt somewhat jealous, in a no rational way. Salazar, it was so unfair! He wanted hairs like that too! He imagined himself touching the Hufflepuff hairs, playing with them and messing them up, because, well… Diggory would have looked great with dishevelled hairs, wouldn't he?

He was meditating on this very important question when Cedric looked up. Their eyes met. If like was not a bitch, Marcus could have told you that time had stopped, letting them breathless and curiously flushed, but reality gave no place for romance. It took approximately two seconds for Cedric to return to his book and to make a Marcus very angry and scandalized.

Nobody could ignore Marcus Flint! He was the great captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, the feared king of the dungeons (fuck Snape and Malfoy), so how dared he? Now, Marcus had to make him pay. In a loud noise, he stood up and walked proudly to the insignificant Hufflepuff, ignoring the angry glare Madam Pince shot at him. Cedric frowned and looked at him expectantly.

"Flint? Need something?" he asked, with the soft voice of his.

… and now, Marcus felt somewhat stupid. He couldn't exactly tell him how much a nice Hufflepuff should blush when someone – Marcus – spoke to him, couldn't he? He shot a hard look to Cedric because all was his fault, really, but the brunet didn't appear impressed.

"I want this book," Marcus finally grunted. He didn't have better idea.
"What?"
"The book you're reading. Want it."

Cedric looked distressed, staring at Marcus as if the Slytherin had lost his mind – the little bugger. Very annoyed, Marcus raised his arm to catch the book, but Cedric grabbed it first.

"I still need it!" he protested, holding it out of the older boy's reach.

Marcus felt satisfaction pouring in him. What little dark secrets Cedric was trying to hide? There was obviously something if the other captain wouldn't let him have the book. After all, he was a Hufflepuff, you know, one of these simple-minded, nice and helpful people. Maybe he was reading an essay on Quidditch Tactics and didn't want Marcus to find out his new strategy. Or maybe it was a book about love potions and beauty spells (explaining his good look and attractiveness), and in such a case, Marcus would be very happy to have some blackmail material, ah!

He was sure Pretty Diggory wouldn't mind. Cute boy.

Place to action. He tried to tear out the book of his hands, but Cedric wasn't the Hufflepuff Seeker for nothing. Marcus almost fell lamely on the ground when the brunet stood back, startled. It was noisy, and Madam Pince appeared immediately at his side, yelling angrily at them. Cedric had the decency to look sheepish, but Marcus didn't care, since he had just found out that Cedric blushed when he was yelling at. Interesting…. for Quidditch's sake, of course.

After the librarian's departure, he fell on a chair in front of the other captain.

"Your fault," Marcus said calmly, ignoring the harsh look Cedric shot at him.

Cedric didn't answer but now, he was looking at him rather funnily. There was a strange glint in his eyes, and Marcus frowned. He didn't like that. He struggled uncomfortably on his chair, very annoyed.

"What?" he grunted. "I have something on my face?

Maybe it was time to do something and find a better and healthier activity (including some Gryffindor trashing, of course). He was getting sick of the place. He was ready to get up and find the exit, when Cedric grinned. For absolutely no reason, Marcus could swear. It was kind of freaky and Marcus tried to look at somewhere else, but he quickly found out that he couldn't break the visual contact.

Much to Marcus' horror, Cedric seemed to realize it and looked actually… pleased. Marcus blinked. It couldn't be… He was talking about fucking nice and gentle Diggory, right? Why would he look like he had done the big mischief of his life? He had to have some kind of hallucination! Cedric' soft and innocent expression seemed to give him the point. The Hufflepuff sighed and picked up his belongings, holding Marcus the book.

"I've worked enough for today, you can have it," he smiled. "Well… Later, Flint."

They looked at each other for a few seconds, and Cedric left. Marcus felt horribly deceived. He didn't have the time to analyse correctly the exact colour of Cedric's eyes, somewhere between light grey and anthracite, subtly embellish by a nice green, very much alike to the green of the Slytherin room – a very nice green. It was absolutely fascinating and…… Marcus would immediately forget it now. Fucking hell. Was he turning crazy?

Somewhat disturbed, he opened mechanically the book the youngest boy had left. And blinked. "Birth and growth of Sunflowers – the Theory"…

… Diggory had not spent the last three hour on this, right? And he had not watched him spend the last three hours on this instead of going out and molesting some first year, right? It was properly disgusting! Who care about sunflowers, anyway? Damned Hufflepuff! He threw the manual on the table, when a piece of parchment fell on the floor.

It was the paper Diggory was taking notes on. Very curious now, Marcus caught the sheet and unfolded it. And raised a thick eyebrow. Drawings. Just some fucking drawings, made with black ink, representing little faceless characters doing Marcus didn't know what. What the hell? Cedric had not seriously spent three hours doing little dirty drawings, for Merlin's sake!

Marcus knew he was a dense boy, but he could be intelligent too. And his intelligence was telling him that something was wrong. Even a Hufflepuff could not seriously spend three hellish hours on an uncomfortable chair for nothing. It had to be something. He was sure he knew it but… Marcus frowned. He was so close to the truth! Think harder, Marcus, think!

And then, realization dawned. He stood up brusquely, making his chair fall on the ground. He knew it! It explained everything! Why Diggory had acted so creepily, why he had gave him those glances and those cheeky smiles!

"Salazar! This guy is gay!" he exclaimed loudly, feeling strangely happy.

And the truth was he fancied him, Marcus Flint! In a daze, he didn't react when Madam Pince threw him out painfully of the library.


(tbc)