"...So that's it, you've got that, haven't you, Weatherby?"

Percy scribbled the last sentence and finished it with a flourish. "Yes, sir," he gasped with delight.

The champions sat, rather uncomfortably, in the room where their wands had been weighed. Rita Skeeter was still circling them.

"So I can take them out for private interviews, now, Crouch?" she said hungrily, adjusting her glasses.

Crouch waved his hand. "Fine with me. Weatherby, go with her, will you?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said immediately, shoving his notes into his pocket.

"Fine," Rita spat, clearly unhappy with having a tag-a-long enlisted. She snapped her fingers. "Potter, you're first."

Percy sat uncomfortably in the broom closet that Rita had chosen for whatever reason and kept an eye on her, making sure she didn't "harass the champions" or whatever Crouch was worried about.

There was a revolving door of champions, including that irritating Fleur, until Cedric Diggory entered the broom closet.

Rita smoothed her jacket, and Percy began jiggling his leg.

He sat on the upturned bucket the other champions had and looked at Rita. "Okay, go," he said with a smile on his handsome face.

Percy's quill found the parchment again, blotting it, resting there and waiting for Rita to ask an intrusive question so he would have something to report to Crouch.

Cedric's eyes were blinking more than normal, and there were dark circles under them. Percy felt a twinge for sympathy--he had noticed the same thing in Potter as well. Although Potter had clutched his head once or twice, and Cedric wasn't doing that, just looking nervous and slightly detatched from the situation. His grey irises were very deep, though, and they looked completely awake despite his exhausted demeanor.

Rita's questions varied slightly for each champion, but not enough that Percy didn't find himself rather bored and wishing he could get back to Crouch, until she said, "Oops, I'm out of ink. Will you two be dears and hold on a minute while I go get my purse?" and let the broom closet close behind her with a click.

She had also taken her wand, which had been illuminating them, so Percy muttered "Lumos."

Cedric's pretty-boy face was again lit up. "Thanks," he said smoothly. He gaved a little nervous laugh. "She's a bit nutty, isn't she?"

"Very," Percy said pompously.

They were very close together in this broom closet, and the light was very hot. Percy conciously stopped jiggling his leg and smoothed his robes.

"So, you were in Gryffindor, right?" Cedric said after a beat.

"Yes," Percy said. "Head Boy."

"That's cool. Who's the Head of Gryffindor, again?"

"McGonagall."

"Oh, right."

Percy looked at his notes; or rather, lack thereof. He hadn't written a thing. Maybe Rita Skeeter was doing her job--or he wasn't doing his.

"So," Cedric said, moving a bit closer.

Percy started and dropped his wand--the light when out.

"Oops," Percy said, embarassed, leaning over and searching for his wand with his hands.

Cedric leaned over and began searching for Percy's wand, too. Percy felt how warm Cedric's chest was when he sat up and accidentally bumped into him.

"Sorry," Percy gasped, at the same time Cedric said, "Sorry," with a little smile in his voice.

Percy leaned over and found his wand, but Cedric took it from him and threw it across the broom closet.

"What--" Percy said indignantly, but Cedric leaned in, took Percy's chin, and kissed him gently.

Percy's head reeled. Part of him was still indignant, part of him was reminding the other part just how handsome Cedric was and finding out that he kissed well, too.

"A--" Percy gasped as Cedric let go of him, but Cedric just breathed in and went at Percy again, gently, easing himself onto Percy so they were in each other's laps. "Mmm," Cedric said, running his hand through Percy's red hair. My, he had a muscular arm, Percy thought to himself, and felt his cheeks warm.

And then it was Cedric's tongue, and a lovely tongue it was, filling his mouth and exciting parts of his body he didn't know he had, and parts of his body he knew very well.

Cedric cradled Percy's face in his hands and gently kissed him on the lips, and it was warm, red, exciting, lovely.

I wonder why it never felt like this, kissing Penelope? Percy wondered, as Cedric ran his hands along Percy's chest.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Rita's voice rang out, delighted, as she lit up the broom closet with her own wand.

"Oh--" Cedric said, falling on his rear as he backed away from Percy at amazing speeds.

"Ah, well, this would be an interesting angle to put in your profile, Diggory," Rita said.

"You can't!" Cedric gasped, wiping his mouth--wiping his mouth? Percy thought, indignant again--and standing up. "My father! Cho!"

"All right, Diggory, I won't--if you give me the scoop on Potter."

"What scoop?" Cedric said blankly. "What about him?"

"Ah, I see," Rita said, feigning sadness. "Well, I guess that means your little escapade will find itself in your profile. Tootles."

And the broom closet closed behind her with a click.

"Lumos," Cedric said, and his own wand lit up.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Percy said, ruffled.

Cedric didn't answer.