Title: Just Like Magic
Summary: Similar heartbreaks have Hermione seek Cedric at the Yule Ball and, after a string of uncertainties, ultimately bring them together. But with Voldermort's return can it truly last? A "what if Cedric lived and fell for Hermione" story.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.
A/N: Thanks as always to my amazing awbffe, LoveBadBoyVamps for beta reading this chapter. I'm still working on the outline of this story and I would really appreciate it if someone could send me a write up of scenes in Deathly Hallows and a brief description of what is going on in each scene. If you can do that, PM me. Thanks.
It was chilly out on the bridge that overlooked Hogwarts. I was bundled up in my usual pleated coat and my Gryffindor scarf was wrapped tightly around my neck. That still didn't stop my hair from blowing every which way. Not that I cared— Cedric seemed to like my hair messy.
Cedric. Just the thought of his name rushed hot images to the forefront of my mind. I was sore, no doubting it, but I didn't regret it. The way I saw it was that if I wanted it so badly last night, I have no reason to regret it. Cedric was the perfect gentleman and a perfect choice for my first time.
"Hermione, why do you have that smile on your face?" Harry asked while attempting to hide a smirk.
I flushed. "Nothing." I shook my head. "Nothing. What were you saying?"
Harry let it go. That was one of the reasons I loved him so much. He knew that when I was ready to tell him something, I would. We had the sort of relationship that was based on a severe trust. Harry and I couldn't let the each other down and we relied on one another in a way that was well beyond our years.
"I still can't figure out this next clue. Every time I open the egg, a loud scream comes out. It's deafening." He paused. "Is that the next clue? Lose your hearing and find a sound?"
"Harry you told me you had this egg figured out weeks ago! The task is two days from now."
Harry leaned over the railing looking down at the lake. "What did you do after we left? Did you and Viktor have fun?"
"Viktor." I groaned. "He's not exactly insightful- that one. He's more of a physical being. He just watches me while I study. Not very vocal."
Harry put a knowing smirk on his face, no doubt thinking I spent the rest of the night ridding my problems with Ron by snogging Viktor Krum. If only he knew.
"Harry," I gripped his arm and he turned towards me, "these tasks are supposed to test you, in the most brutal way, they're almost cruel." I swallowed a lump in my throat. The truth was losing Harry was something I just couldn't deal with. "I, um, worry about you. You got by the last task mainly on luck… I'm not sure if it's going to be enough this time."
Just then we heard someone calling Harry's name in the distance. We turned to look and saw none other than Cedric Diggory walking towards us. I watched every part of him as he strode toward us. He was dressed in his robes and wore a scarf that was colored in the Hufflepuff colors. I was fighting to keep from whimpering as Cedric approached us and smiled a toothy grin that went straight to my nether regions.
"Hermione." He smiled. "Potter, if I could have a word?"
Harry nodded and they walked until I was out of hearing range. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. The way his mouth moved as he talked caused me to imagine the way his mouth moved on me. He held his hand on Harry's shoulder and I thought of how his hands held my body. The way his fingers knew just how touch me.
So, much for a one time deal huh?
Harry nodded and they said their goodbyes. As Harry walked towards me Cedric gestured with his head to meet him at the end of the bridge. I nodded just as Harry approached me.
"Well," I asked as curiosity got the best of me, "what did he want?"
Harry leaned in to whisper. "He told me to take my egg with me to the prefect's bathroom and mull things over."
I smiled. "He's paying you back for cluing him in on the dragons."
The fact that Cedric helped Harry out only solidified the fact that messing around with Cedric wouldn't be a mistake. He was a good guy and the way I reacted to seeing him was reason enough to continue what had happened in the prefect's bathroom. The very bathroom Harry was heading to.
When Harry disappeared, I turned and walked in the direction that Cedric had disappeared down. Just as I reached the end strong arms pulled me against the rock and covered my mouth with theirs. I melted into the kiss and indulged myself before my wits got the best of me and I pushed on his chest.
Cedric pressed a light tap on my lips as he pulled back. He was breathing heavily and smiling. When I tore myself away from the beauty that was his face I looked around us to make sure no one was watching and then I slapped him lightly on his chest.
"What if someone sees?"
He chuckled. "It's freezing out. No one is going to see." He eyed me in an appreciated manner and smiled. "I guess this means it wasn't a onetime thing."
"I tried real hard to push you off me. Really I did." I chewed on my bottom lip.
His face moved closer to mine and his breath fanned my face sending me into a Cedric induced daze.
"Hermione, do I have to worry about your safety from horny students when I'm not with you?" He asked jokingly.
"I've survived an encounter with a troll and a werewolf; I think I can handle some horny teenagers."
He pressed his mouth to mine again and I wound my hands into his hair—pulling him closer. Cedric's body pressed against mine and his hand made its way to my thigh pulling my leg to rest on his hip. He was hard against me and feeling him pressed against me spurred on a moan from my innocent mouth.
When we pulled apart we took the time to regain control over our breathing. Something about us joining in this way seemed right no matter how different our outsides were. I was the smart girl who faced too many dangers to date, and Cedric was the handsome popular guy who all the girls loved. If we were going to do anything we had to keep this a secret—I couldn't deal with the whispers of our classmates.
"If we do this," I began, "no one can know."
His eyes met mine and after a moment he nodded. "Whatever you want."
"Then we're doing this."
I smiled and he kissed me again. The feeling of his mouth on mine and the fact that this part of me—the side only Cedric brought out—would be kept from everyone made the kiss more heated then it was originally. His mouth was soft and yet hard. His touch gentle but firm. He was sending my mind reeling that I almost forgot we were outside in public where we could get caught at any time.
We pushed apart again. "Cedric."
He began kissing every part of me—starting with my nose. "Yes, Hermione?"
"You're trying to distract me."
And boy was it working. My whole body was on end and keenly aware of every move he made. Every intake of breath. Cedric was handsome and just being in his presence made me feel inadequate. How did someone like him end up with someone like me? That's why I settled for Ron. He was just… there. But, with Cedric, we didn't know each other at all really. We knew each other carnally but I knew nothing about the gorgeous boy who had me pressed against the stone wall.
Cedric opened up his robe and placed it around us. His hands pulled apart my jacket and felt the softness of my skin that was exposed. He pulled at the waist band of my suede skirt and his cool hand slipped beneath my jeans. I shivered at the contact but once his cold hand was met with my hot core the sensation was enough to buckle my knees.
"Oh." I moaned. "That feels good."
He slipped a cool finger inside me while his thumb rubbed against my clit. My hands gripped the lapels of his robe and I pulled him closer to me. As his fingers worked their magic I felt a tight sensation in my lower abdomen. A sensation I only felt once before and with brush on my clit I became undone.
"I want you." He breathed against my neck. "Right here."
"But…" I stuttered. "We're outside."
Cedric pulled back and smirked. "What's the matter, Hermione? Not ready for a little exhibitionism?"
He didn't give me time to answer. His hands reached beneath my thighs and pulled both of them to hitch over his hips again. I reach between us and unbuckled his belt and undid his fly. As his pants came undone I released his erection from the tightness of his briefs. My hand stroked him several times and— just as I had—Cedric shivered. There was something to this temperature difference and I made a mental note to research it when we finished our tryst out here.
Cedric rolled on the condom as his mouth kissed mine. I reached down and moved him to my entrance since he was busy holding me up. With a shift of my hips he filled me completely. We both took a moment to revel in the completeness of our joining.
"You feel so good." He grunted.
I nodded as he shifted his hips and moved within me. His mouth never left my face, my neck. My hands gripped and tugged needing him closer and knowing it was impossible. Who would've thought that I would enjoy sex this much? I had a feeling it had a little something to do with my partner.
Cedric's body pushed into mine; pressing me even further against the stone wall we were against. I knew I would pay for this later but at the moment the pain was only spurring on my enjoyment in this moment. Cedric was so caught up in our pleasures that he didn't take in the fact that he plummeting me into the wall. There were sure to be bruises. They were going to be sex wounds.
I whimpered and Cedric sped up. My hands gripped at his hair tighter as I chewed on my bottom lip. His mouth was busy kissing the underside of my jaw. He nipped at it slightly and my body unraveled. He quickly brought his mouth to mine to muffle my scream that would bring on his own release. His body stilled and he grunted.
Cedric dropped my legs and I found my footing while still gripping his shoulder. He pulled out of me and disposed of the condom while we both righted ourselves. Without the warmth of his body and his cloak I found myself once again fighting off the fierce cold of the weather. Cedric looked up and quickly wrapped me in his arms.
"Sorry, that was a little rough."
I blushed. "I liked it."
"Are you hurt?" His face searched mine, mentally checking me for injuries.
"Nothing that won't go away in a couple days. It was worth it."
He leaned over and kissed me. I had to stop myself from deepening the kiss knowing my body needed the rest. My body wasn't used to this type of workout and I needed to regain my strength for the next time Cedric surprised me. We were lucky this time that no one decided to take a walk in the cold near the large bridge. If anything the loud moans would've drawn a crowd.
"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?"
"You can walk me to the school." I offered.
Cedric smiled. "I'll take what I can get."
Cedric reached down and took my hand in his and we made our way towards Hogwarts. We filled the time talking about trivialities. He told me about some classes he was taking this semester and about playing seeker and being captain for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. The conversation eventually turned towards the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
"I wanted to thank you for helping out Harry."
He nodded. "He helped me out first with the dragons."
"Cedric," I paused—not entirely sure how to go about this, "Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet. Someone wants him in there. Someone is trying to hurt him."
Tears welled up in my eyes and I fought them back. It would not do to cry in front of Cedric. Sure, I had my fears that something bad could happen to Harry but I couldn't exactly let his opponent in on that fear, could I? Then again, Cedric seemed like a good enough guy to not let something wrong happen to Harry.
"Are you crying?" He asked.
Suddenly, we stopped walking and he turned to face me as his fingers wiped underneath my eyes. Concern was written clearly across his features as he did this and I fool-heartedly let my mind wander to what he would be like as a boyfriend. Quickly, I shunned the thought, not allowing my heart to not fall for a trap.
"Please stop crying," he begged. "I'll look out for Harry. If it'll make you feel better I'll watch out for him. For you."
I shook my head. "I can't ask that of you."
"Yes, you can." He paused. "I want you to trust me, Hermione."
"Why?"
We began walking again and he still hadn't answered me. My thought began to run wild as I imagined every bad thing as to why Cedric would want me to trust him. Was this one of his sick player games? Get the girl to trust you completely and once she's unaware break her heart. That thought alone was enough to bring me down from the high that usually accompanied being with Cedric.
The last thing I wanted was to be another girl that got played by Cedric Diggory. His previous relations were anything but secret in the girl laboratory and I knew from his own mouth that he did do other things except sex. Could that have been a lie too? Unless I had access to truth serum from Professor Snape's cabinets there would be no way of knowing.
Finally, he answered. "It's important to me."
And that was all he said until we made it to the huge doors that opened to Hogwarts. I stepped up several of the marble stairs and turned to face him. He was looking up at me, beautifully and I knew I had to get this out before I delved deeper into my pessimistic musings.
"I'm nervous about the next task," I looked up and met his eyes, "not only for Harry but for you."
He walked up one step so that we were even in height and pressed his mouth to my forehead before turning and walking in the other direction towards the Hufflepuff common room. I watched after him until he disappeared into the darkness until I made my way to my own dorms. As, I slipped under the covers of my warm bed and stared into the night sky the only thought that invaded my mind was if messing around with Cedric was a huge mistake. For the first time in my life, I followed my heart and believed that it wasn't.
