Thank you to everyone continuing to read--Jack

4, 215 hits and 981+ visitors about a month after I first posted Chapter 1 of "Decoding You"!

SORRY FOR TAKING SO DAMN LONG! Wow, I must say I am very excited and pleased to see how many people found (and like) my fanfiction. To all who reviewed, or added me to some alert list, thank you so much!! And an equally big thanks to those who just read my fiction as well. Your support means a lot. I apologize again for how long this took to update but unfortunately, college work is insane and takes priority over my hobbies. Need to make good grades, you know?

: /

Chapter 10: The Romantic Rescue

Cedric Diggory was in a stupor for the days following the incident with Harry in the library. He was not the type of person to ever sink into a rut, however, the events following the incident helped to shift him into one. Harry was ignoring him, but not in a way where it emanated anger. No, it was an indifference seemingly masked in hurt. It was evident on Harry's face; Cedric had hurt him.

Guilt coated the older teen's gut and he continually stared at his Runes partner from the corner of his eye. He had been silently staring at Harry for four days now. Not once had the Griffindor brought up their fight or even had spoken to him. Like a good student, Harry had thrown himself into taking hefty notes in Ancient Runes. It was the Hufflepuff boy who was slacking off this time.

After class ended, Harry left with Hermione without saying a word. Cedric was slow packing up his things. Then he was out in the corridor heading for his next class. Meanwhile, heading in the opposite direction, Hermione was interrogating Harry.

"What's with you? You're like a zombie!"

"Nothing's wrong," Harry mumbled back, glaring at his shoes as they walked.

Hermione narrowed her chocolate eyes at him suspiciously. Her intuition was telling her something was wrong but she chose not to press the subject. Looking at Harry though, his face somewhat ashen and emerald eyes hazed over, worry settled in her stomach.

"Tell me when you're ready then Harry," she said comfortingly, tucking a lock of fluffy hair behind her ear.

This statement raised a reaction from the third year boy and he turned towards Hermione, chapped lips parted in surprise. How did girls manage to be so damn perceptive? Well, he probably made it quite obvious he was depressed. Harry felt as though he hadn't smiled in ages, let alone laughed. It was making a part of him feel much older than thirteen. The Boy Who Lived furrowed his brows momentarily and then gave his best friend a shallow nod before Ron sprang up to them.

"I'm starving!" was the first thing to leave the red head's mouth. The abrupt change of conversation was too much for Harry's stretched nerves and for the first time in days, he cracked a grin.

"Yeah, so am I."

--

Up in the Aviary, Cedric sat on dropping strewn steps surrounded by mashed up parchment balls. His hand moved quickly across the paper, words flying out from beneath his quill in deep blue ink.

Dear Harry,

Forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. I really didn't. Is there anything I can do to

He paused at this part of the sentence, sneered, and then promptly crumpled up his fifteenth piece of paper. Hissing in frustration, he pulled out a fresh sheet. All of his letters we either too uncaring or too gooey. This last one had sounded like second rate song lyrics. Cedric couldn't seem to find the happy median for his apology to Harry. Taking up his quill once again, he lowered it to the parchment. He took a deep breath and began to write once again.

Dear Harry,

I never knew apologies could be so difficult. Usually an "I'm sorry," works and then life goes on. Somehow, I feel "I'm sorry," just doesn't cut it right now. What I said to you was wrong. I wasn't thinking and in my temper, said something hurtful to you. So how am I to apologize? You won't talk to me or even look at me. I'm not using that as an excuse though.

Harry, you seem to bring out the worst in me. No, I think instead you just show me my weaknesses. I don't like being shown them. Who would? All my life I've really never noticed I even had them. Am I that vain? Or am I just a blind man? Being blind to my faults…..that is just too convenient an excuse for my arrogance. I'm not going to use it. Yes, I admitted I'm arrogant. You helped me to see that one night in the library. I asked what you desired most. I figured you'd want to become more like me. Popular and such. But I think I understand now that your desires go so much deeper than that. You're missing a piece of your life you can never get back. Parents. I really need to learn to think before I speak. I messed up big time.

Since our fight, I can't get my mind off of what you said to me. Calling me a coward and telling me my behavior wasn't the Hufflepuff way of handling things. A part of me really hates that you were right when you said that. And Harry, as for what I'm afraid of…it's definitely my dad rejecting me. I don't want him to look at me with disgust or worse…shame. I really love my father and although I know he loves me back, the knowledge of….what's happened between you and I….would not please him in the slightest. He can be a real git sometimes. I'm afraid of what he would think of me. And of us together. So I guess that also makes me afraid of being with another man. I am ashamed that I feel this way; that….I feel things towards you. It's a passion as intense as what I experience playing Quidditch. A powerful rush. Do you believe me when I tell you that? It's a fire burning inside that threatens to…eat me alive. Consume me. Devour me. Destroy me.

I want to be your friend but I don't at the same time. Our intimacy can't really be denied, can it? Do I want more? I know…that my body does. And to be honest, I'm not really sure how to deal with that fact. I don't care that you're gay…or half-gay. Or whatever you are. It doesn't matter. I mean, despite all the labels, you're still Harry…right? And I think that is all that matters. For once, I'm going to try and ignore titles and opinions. Maybe then I can learn what it truly means to have Hufflepuff pride…

Cedric let out a long breath. He hadn't realized he had been holding it until his quill dotted the final period of the letter. His writings had gone much further than he originally had planned. Far from an apology, it was more like a reflection of his inner turmoil. It was too personal and revealing. A croaking whine slipped out of Cedric's throat and he tore the letter in half, shoving it gruffly into his bag. He missed his entire lunch with nothing to show for it. No food to rid his hunger and no apology for a boy he felt so tenderly towards.

--

Sleepless nights were becoming an issue for Harry. He would lay in bed for hours with nothing better to do than stare blandly up at the canopy of his bed. That, and think of Cedric. Harry knew that Cedric hadn't meant to say what he did. True, the statement stung a little when he thought about it but it wasn't why he wasn't speaking to Cedric. No, it was the look of relief that had washed over Cedric's features when Harry suggested they forget—or ignore—the feeling between them.

An ache rose deep in the raven haired boy's chest and he slid the curtain back from his bed. Like every night since their fight, Harry wandered over to his trunk and pulled out his father's cloak. He slipped it over himself, grabbed the Marauder's Map, and tapped methodically down the stone spiral staircase. The common room was barren, unsurprisingly. It must have been around two in the morning. Harry reached out from under his cloak and pushed the back of the Fat Lady's portrait. She opened silently to his satisfaction.

Outside, Harry wandered barefoot down random corridors without any destination. It felt good to move. Something about remaining stationary seemed to amplify his stress level. There was so much going on right now. Between Sirius Black, Hagrid's disappearance, and then Cedric…well, Harry was feeling overwhelmed.

Harry had come to a stop in front of all the shifting staircases and debated which one to take. Any of them would do, he decided, as long as they didn't bump him into Filch. Invisibility Cloak seemed useless on Filch's cat who probably relied on scents; not to mention the Filch could understand her—mostly.

Pulling out the Marauder's Map, Harry unfurled it awkwardly underneath the Cloak and scanned it. Luckily for him, the sadistic janitor was creeping around in the dungeons. So, the best option was to go up. There weren't too many dots prowling around at this time of night, so when the spot labeled Cedric Diggory could be seen on the 9th floor, Harry's heart skipped a beat. Up it was for sure—

Inwardly, the third year worried if his actions were borderline stalking. He wanted to take advantage of the fact Cedric couldn't see him. Harry had been avoiding looking at the handsome Hufflepuff and his chest ached painfully at the fact they hadn't spoken in days. Lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't even realize his feet were carrying him (which seemed to be a new habit of his) anywhere until an odd rattling caught his attention. The cloak made his vision slightly hazy and the dimly lit corridor made it impossible to see what was ahead of him. After a moment, Harry slipped off the cloak and draped it over his forearm. His wand was removed and gripped by his steady right hand.

"Lumos…" he whispered.

A beam of light shot out from the tip of his wand and Harry squinted ahead of him towards the clanking noise. Ten feet in front of him was a trunk, wheezing and creaking. It jumped slightly before slamming into the wall behind it. The chains wrapped about the trunk clinked and rattled ominously, managing to plant a seed of fear in Harry. He frowned at it, disturbed.

Suddenly the trunk burst open, shards of chains and metal flying about. One scraped past Harry's cheek and he felt warm liquid seep from the wound. Out from the trunk rose a dark, hooded creature. Harry's nostrils filled with the pungent odor of rot and he gagged, covering his mouth quickly. The Dementor floated towards him, scaly hands raised to pull back the hood. The raven haired boy staggered further backwards, stumbling as well as dropping his wand. He gazed at it in despair as it rolled away in the direction of his worst nightmare. His mother's scream started to fill his ears and then—

Pop!

The Dementor was gone and a handsome, somewhat balding wizard stood there, his back to Harry. His robes were clean and made from glamorous, shiny material. Then the man charged away from Harry and began shouting vehemently,

"Are you serious? You can't possibly be serious! My son is not some botty boy! Do you hear me?! I did not raise my son to be some limp wristed queer! I'm ashamed of you! Two bloody men can't love each other! That's fucking disgusting! You don't love him, he doesn't love you! Don't be such a bloody git! What would your mother say if she knew?! She'd be heartbroken to hear she gave birth to a bloomin' shirtlifter! You'll burn in Hell for—"

"R-Ridiculous!" a quaking but deep voice shouted.

Another Pop and then—

Harry gazed up from the dusty floor at…himself. His doppelganger stood there, a heavy sneer set on his face. One hand was perched on his hip defiantly and his green eyes seethed with hatred. Then his twin turned around and spoke in a wretched voice,

"Me, love you? Are you stupid? We're just fooling around. It's nothing serious. You said it yourself. We aren't gay. We just got swept up by hormones. Bloody Hell, get over yourself. How could I possibly love someone like y—"

"Ridiculous!!" bellowed Harry, pointing his wand up at, well, himself. There was a mighty whoosh of air as whatever the creature was, fled back into the trunk. The lid slammed shut loudly, echoing off the stone walls. For a moment, Harry just lay on his stomach, arm outstretched where he had reached his wand, stunned. When the dust settled, Harry's eyes focused on a pale, upset Cedric Diggory a few yards in front of him. Reluctantly, the older boy stepped forward and offered the third year a hand up, which was accepted warmly.

"W-What was that?" asked Harry shakily, brushing dust off the front of his robes.

Cedric shifted uncomfortably in front of him, avoiding eye contact. In the wandlight, Harry noticed that his hazel eyes were brimmed with dampness. Angry tears? Sad tears? What kind—and why were they there? "It…was a Boggart," muttered Cedric finally, visibly shaking in front of Harry. It was as if his body was out in a snowstorm without any coat. Harry chewed on his lip, worried. Trying to keep the conversation flowing, the raven hair boy asked,

"What's a Boggart?"

A tense silence blossomed between them. Cedric was plainly unwilling to answer and was currently engaged in a fierce staring contest with the tapestry hanging on the wall near them. After a few minutes, the fifth year swallowed and faced Harry, eyes fixed in an intense gaze. The sudden mood shift took Harry off guard and his mouth fell open.

"Cedric, wha—"

Harry's waist was grabbed roughly and lips crashed down on his in a flurry of passions. His smaller body was pushed up against the tapestry and urgent hips bucked into his own. All at once, Harry's body was on fire. Cedric released a throaty groan and large hands snaked into the third year's silky black hair. They were kissing deeply again, tongues locked in a battle neither boy could win. The sensation of Cedric sliding that damp heat over him created a pressure in the pit of Harry's stomach. He rolled into that pressure and felt something firm on his thigh, In the haze of pleasure that was threatening to consume him, it took Harry a good long moment to realize exactly what the hardness was.

Shocked but equally aroused, Harry dug his nails into the Hufflepuff's upper arms. Cedric seemed to revel in the sensation and he leaned down, practically purring into the base of Harry's neck. Teeth were on him there now, nipping, scraping, and dragging all along his skin. Mewls passed through Harry's lips against his will and he felt a droplet of sweat trickle down the length of his face. He writhed against Cedric's form and the older boy dropped one hand to grip Harry's arse through his robes, using the leverage to force their erections together. The friction was both painful and delicious.

Suckling began on the lobe of Harry's ear, sending wave after wave of thrills down his spine. His back arched and that warm tongue moved to trace the curve of his ear. Then, it mapped its way down his jaw line and back into his mouth. Harry moaned wantonly into the kiss, clinging to Cedric. He let a small whine out when the sandstone lips parted from his.

"I…I'm sorry!" exclaimed Cedric, wrapping Harry into a tight embrace.

Confused, aroused, and flabbergasted, Harry replied after a moment, "S'ok…?"

"I never meant to say that stuff about your parents Harry. I was the world's biggest prat!"

Huh?

Oh.

Cedric was apologizing for their fight—

"I-It's fine. I'm not mad anymore," mumbled Harry, trying desperately to ignore the fact his boner was digging into Cedric's leg. Nope, he was anything but mad. However, Cedric continued to embrace him tenaciously.

"Harry…I'm…a coward just like you said. I'm afraid of so many things—no—people in my life. I can't keep denying this,"

Mutedly, Harry nodded, though he honestly couldn't get his brain to operate at the moment. It had stalled somewhere between Cedric biting his neck and grabbing his arse. He was still waiting for it to reboot.Cedric's lips brushed Harry's ear, coaxing a shiver out of the smaller boy. Harry braced himself for the intimacies to start back up again when suddenly Cedric whispered,

"Harry Potter….I've fallen for you,"

--

Well, dear readers…please don't become too frustrated with me. I'm learning to time manage in college and well, it took three weeks before I finally got the hang of it and got to write this chapter. Woo. This was probably the hardest one to write and I'm still trying to figure out why. This is an infamous, somewhat cliché, cliff hanger.

I know…I know…but this is how the chapter naturally ended. I will update in less than a month this time, since I'm settled. For all you readers out there who aren't in college, people don't exaggerate about the work load. There's my forewarning to you, lol! Thank you for all your support!!