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.


Cedric and I made promises to try a date after the school year was over. Everything was hectic and crazy now and we needed to wait until it simmered down a bit before finding time for a date. The papers were already swearing that Harry was telling lies about Voldermort's return and Cedric was truly his only witness. Dumbledore and Mr. Diggory would let no one near the hospital wing in order to wade off the onslaught that was sure to occur.

We had all the time in the world for a date.

I still couldn't believe he asked me.

Cedric already had me in so many ways—my heart, my mind, my body. In the small amount of time that we had gotten together we had already been through so much. He had opened me up in ways I didn't know existed in me. Cedric was what I wanted and I wasn't going to let him go. He commanded attention in every part of me and heat now ran through my veins. I no longer had to hide behind my books in fear that no one would want me. Cedric wanted me and he was willing to do it the old fashioned way by courting me.

We ran through ideas from magical to muggle and finally settled on something that would work for us. A mixture of our two worlds. That was what our relationship was like—a simple teenage romance that had the added bonus of us being undeniably drawn together, like magic. We were in this for the long haul. Wherever life found us, we would be together.

After Cedric had fallen back to sleep—a side-effect of the medicine—I removed myself from his embrace to sit beside Harry. He was constantly surrounded by visitors that it seemed that this would be my only opportunity to talk to him in the hospital. He was perched up on his bed eating a chocolate frog when I finally sat beside him.

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

He shrugged. "Better. Madame Pomfrey said I should be ready to be released today."

"That's good." My eyes wandered to the bandage on his arm. "What happened that night?"

"It all happened so fast, Hermione." He finished off the chocolate frog and discarded the wrapper on his nightstand. "One minute Cedric and I are excited because we're both going to win, and then we're in the cemetery and Peter Pettigrew is using my blood to create a body for Voldermort. Then I saw…"

His voice drifted off and I could tell he was worried about how I would take what he said next. My hand reached over onto his open palm on the bed and I squeezed. "What did you see, Harry?"

"My parents." He looked away from me. "They saved me."

My mind was immediately wracked with all possible outcomes for why Harry would see his parents in that cemetery. It was impossible to bring back the dead—every witch and wizard knew that. Surely, Voldermort couldn't bring them back as a cruel way to torment Harry. I was reminded of our first year when Harry wandered off and stumbled upon a mirror. The mirror showed Harry standing with his parents who admired him proudly. The mirror was the Mirror of Erised, an ancient magical heirloom that showed the looker his heart's desire. I knew all about the mirror having seen it in some light reading I had done the previous summer. Many wasted their lives standing in front of it and I was hoping that whatever had happened in the cemetery didn't drag Harry back down to that lonely little boy.

When his eyes met mine again, I saw all the hope and fear that hid behind them. Harry was only a young boy who wanted his parents more than anything in the world. The fame of being the Boy-Who-Lived meant nothing to him. It only reminded him of what he had lost. As much as it hurt me to answer him truthfully, I had to be his friend. He couldn't live in a dream.

"They weren't really there, Harry." His face fell. "It might've been their ghosts or one of Voldermort's tricks but… they can't come back."

The silence stretched on between us, but I knew better than to interrupt it. Harry needed to deal with this and I knew when Dumbledore sought him out again an answer might be remedied. Dumbledore dealt with Harry in a way I couldn't. Smart as I might be I truly didn't know everything.

"It was you who figured out Mad-Eye wasn't Mad-Eye, wasn't it?"

I nodded grateful that the awkwardness had passed. "He kept checking his arm when you were in the maze as if waiting for something to appear. When I saw Snape and Igor Karkaroff wince in pain over the Dark Mark coming back to life it all just clicked."

"Thank you."

I shook my head. "Thank you, Harry." My eyes drifted over towards Cedric's sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Why was it all people looked younger when sleeping? It was as if all the worry that was etched onto their features while they were awake just disappeared and they entered a world where nothing could touch them. I smiled and continued. "You brought Cedric back."

"I couldn't leave him there." His eyes reverted back to the fear I had seen in them second earlier.

"You know I'm here, right?" I asked. "I'm not going anywhere just because Voldermort is back and I have a… boyfriend."

My heart swelled as I said the term. It was the first time I had said it out loud. He was mine and I was his, and nothing would stand in the way of us again. Not even dark wizards threatening to take over the world and trying to kill my best friend.

Harry nodded in agreement. "I know."

"He won't hurt you again, Harry. You have a whole group of people standing behind you—willing to do anything for you. Never forget that you have family here."

"I needed that."

Harry smiled to himself and I knew he believed me. While Harry had lost his parents and his aunt and uncle were bonkers, he had Ron and me and Sirius and a whole slew of people who considered him family. Harry was the brother I never had and I knew the Weasley's welcomed him as one of their own. Now more than ever Harry needed Sirius in his life.

"Does he know?" I asked in a hushed tone.

He nodded immediately knowing who I was speaking of. "Ron helped me write a letter to him this morning. I know he wishes he could be here but with people still looking for him, he can't exactly come out in the open."

"I'm sure he would risk it, for you."

We laughed together and both looked around the hospital wing for a stray black dog. It was foolish but when it came to Sirius you never could be sure. We even searched the skies for our favorite Hippogriff but he was nowhere to be found.

My mood changed as I realized what was ahead of us. Voldermort would be searching unrelenting for Harry and all of the wizarding world would be in danger. Our friendships would be tested. Lives might be lost and altered. Dark times were ahead of us.

My voice was somber as I spoke. "Everything's going to change now isn't it?"

"Well, of course."

We stared at the brightening sky and out into the world that didn't have a clue.


Mrs. Diggory and I were in Cedric's room packing all of his belongings. All of the other champions were out of the hospital and Cedric would be released later today before all of Hogwarts hopped on the train. He was to be going home with his parents and I was going to miss him terribly.

I barely left his side when he was in the hospital. Rotating between snuggling into his nook, talking about everything and anything and sleeping in his strong capable arms. I told him about how Harry had seen his parents and that Dumbledore explained it to be Priori Incantatem. Cedric remembered a brief moment when all he saw was a blue haze surrounding Harry and Voldermort. When their wands had joined—since they were from the same phoenix tail—all prior spells were recreated. Since the last spell Voldermort's wand had done was to perform the Killing Curse on Harry's parents they appeared and lingered enough to give Harry time to grab Cedric and the cup and get out of there.

"I want to be part of the family too." He had said.

I chuckled. "The family?"

"You, Harry, Ron. You're all willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect each other." His hand caressed my face. "I want to protect you and that means becoming a part of your family here."

Needless to say, Cedric had gotten some under the cover fondling and seemed very satisfied. It was all we could do with him being kept at the hospital under the watchful eye of Madame Pomfrey. She was already stretching the rules by letting me sleep in the same bed as him and I didn't want to push her limits by having her walk in on me riding Cedric's cock.

"Why are you blushing, dear?" Mrs. Diggory asked.

Her voiced pulled me from my fantasy causing me to blush more. I shouldn't be thinking about Cedric's cock in the presence of his mother. I finished folding the grey shirt that I was holding and looked up at her.

"Cedric always looked good in this shirt." I smiled.

"We bought that for him on his last holiday. Brings out his eyes, doesn't it?"

I nodded in agreement and we continued stuffing everything into his suitcases. He didn't nearly have as much stuff as I would have thought, and Mrs. Diggory didn't really need the help but I thought it would be best to get to know her better since our last meeting was rather sordid.

When we finished I helped her bring it all to their room. "That should be all of it."

"Thank you very much, Hermione. You didn't have to do that."

I shrugged and went back to lining the suitcases up in height order. Mrs. Diggory laughed behind me eliciting a few giggles from me. She wasn't used to my perfectionist behavior… yet.

"I hope you know you're welcome to visit whenever you wish." Mrs. Diggory stated as we made our way out of the bedroom.

A huge smile spread across my face. "Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

When we returned back to the hospital wing, Cedric was standing and dressed in casual jeans and a brown sweater. His father had a hand placed securely on his back to make sure his son didn't fall. When Cedric looked up and saw me his arms opened and I ran to them and he held me to his warm embrace.

Our goodbye was short but sweet. I knew we would stay in touch and with the invite to stay at his house freshly in my mind I knew I would ask my parents about Cedric when I arrived home. He kissed my forehead chastely and released me. I walked from him feeling like I was leaving a piece of myself with him.


"Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye!"

The entire school was out on the courtyard waving as the Bulgarians and the Beauxbatons left in their own unique ways from our school. The Bulgarians in their massive ship that disappeared under water and the Beauxbatons in their luxurious carriage that flew through the sky.

Harry, Ron, and I were in a tight circle in one of the open corridors. We watched as both of the groups disappeared from sight. My arms went around both my boys and I pulled them tight to me. Ron and I had made up, for now, and a sense of ending had settled about the castle.

"Do you ever think we'll have a quiet year?" Ron asked a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Harry and I exchanged a glance and spoke at the same time. "No."

The three of us erupted into laughter. This is when everything felt right. If we were together we could face anything that came our way. We were an odd group of friends—the misfits in a way—and yet we worked wonderfully together.

"You'll write me, right? Both of you." I questioned when the laughter died down.

Ron shook his head. "Well, I won't! You know I won't!"

I made a sound at his obvious denial. Ron always played it off like he didn't care, but deep down I knew he did. We had been through a lot this year with the realization of our feelings and the ultimate understanding that we would never be.

I turned towards Harry and hit my hip against his. "Harry will, wont you?"

"Yeah." He rolled his eyes jokingly. "Every week."

We made our way back to the crowd of people and that's when I saw him. He was still wearing his clothes from the hospital and the crowds seemed to part as he made his way towards me. My hands dropped from Ron and Harry's shoulders and my mouth dropped as I watched in utter shock.

What was he doing here? He was supposed to be on his way home with his parents.

When his eyes met mine he broke out into that smile of exhalation I had come to love. Immediately it was as if no one else existed and I ran with all my might to jump into his arms. His mouth was waiting for mine. It was as if they consciously sought each other out. They were puzzle pieces that were waiting to be joined.

My hands were wrapped tightly around his neck and his hands gripped my face not allowing it to release from the grip his mouth had on my bottom lip. I melted into the kiss letting my body fit perfectly into the contours of his.

We finally released and smiled at each other. His eyes tore away from mine to over my shoulder and his arm pulled me into his side as he reached out to shake Harry's hand.

"Thank you for saving me." Cedric stated. "I owe you my life."

Harry shook his hand. "You would've done the same for me." His eyes ghosted over me. "Plus, I couldn't live with Hermione if she lost you."

A small tear made its way down my face as the entire school broke out into applause. The Tri-Wizard Champions. My champions. Cameras flashed and Cedric and Harry didn't falter. Dumbledore made his way over and placed and arm on both the boy's shoulders.

"This year was about coming together. You have made me proud." He turned towards the crowd. "Dark times lie ahead but it is the relationships we made this year are now more important than ever. The ministry does not wish me to tell you but I feel it is unfair. Voldermort is back." The crowd erupted into low mummers but Dumbledore continued unfazed. "While we may come from different places, speak in different tongues, even belong to different houses in a school, our hearts beat as one."

Without waiting for a response he squeezed both the boys' shoulders and returned to the solace of the school. The crowd was in full response at his exit but I didn't pay attention to their responses. Cedric was gripping my face again and he kissed it once more.

"Promise you'll write me."

A smile lit up my face as his thumb wiped away the tears. "Everyday."