Title: A Lack of Color, Chapter 25
Author: kevo
Pairing: Harry + Cedric.
Rating: mostly PG-13, slight NC-17 toward the end.
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to these characters or the series they're from.
Summary: In his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry falls for fellow Hogwarts student and Triwizard champion, Cedric Diggory. (Goblet of Fire canon re-write)
WARNING: Sexual content.
The Love So Green Collection
Playlist #1:
a lack of color
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
"Not While I'm Around"
Cedric tugged at the Snitch locket's chain around Harry's neck and pulled him in, kissing him so fiercely it made the younger boy's teeth hurt.
"Happy anniversary," Harry murmured breathlessly as they pulled apart.
"Hmm, you too," Cedric said with a laugh.
Harry climbed off of Cedric and stretched out across the couch, catching his breath. His feet ended up in Cedric's lap. This proved to be a bad idea, as Cedric proceeded to tickle them.
"Hey, stop that!" Harry giggled, kicking his legs a little.
"What? I'm not doing anything," Cedric said innocently, folding his hands.
"Yeah, sure," Harry said, unconvinced.
He reached for his wand, lying on the floor with his pants and the rest of his clothes, and pointed it at the mess they'd made of themselves saying, "Evanesco." It always felt a bit weird using the Vanishing Spell to clean up in that way, like a tickle or a chill. In a good way. Cedric stroked Harry's legs, smiling.
"I can't believe it's been six months," he said.
"Mm," Harry replied.
It was rather unbelievable. In some ways, their relationship still felt so new, like they'd just started dating. And yet, Cedric had become such an important part of Harry's life that he barely remembered a time that Cedric wasn't in it.
But there was more to it that. It wasn't simply Cedric's presence in his life. He had a profound influence on Harry in the six months they were together. Where a year or two ago he was ashamed of his scrawny frame, now Harry was lying unabashedly naked on a couch with another boy. He was so much less afraid to be himself than he used to be. And he owed that, mostly, to Cedric. That and so much more.
He'd thought about that quite a bit in the days leading up to their anniversary. It made him want to do something for Cedric, and for himself, to commemorate the change. They'd agreed on no gifts, but still Harry wanted to make some gesture, something to mark how far they'd come.
"I wonder if the Room can conjure a television for us," Cedric pondered. "I've always wanted a television."
"I think we should have sex," Harry blurted.
Cedric stared down at him, perplexed.
"Didn't we just do that?"
"No," Harry said, scrambling to sit up. "I mean really have sex. You know? That stuff we talked about? The, um," Harry screwed up his courage and said, timidly, "the intercourse stuff."
"Oh!" Cedric said. His eyes widened and he shifted awkwardly in his seat. "W-well. That's, uh. Er, that's… Wow. Really? You think – you think that we're ready?"
"I don't know," Harry replied honestly. "I mean, I think so. Don't you?"
"Well, you – er – uh… I don't know," Cedric confessed. "You're not, you know, just saying you're ready because you think that's what I want, right?"
"Whaat?" Harry said. "Of course not. I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately. And I really do think I'm ready. That is, if you are."
"Oh, I'm, uh, I'm definitely ready," Cedric grinned.
"Yeah?" Harry said, glancing at Cedric's crotch.
"Not right now!" Cedric laughed. "I'm sort of spent for the night. You," he said, pulling Harry to his chest, "totally take it out of me. In case you haven't noticed, you're quite the hottie."
"I thought you were the hottie," Harry argued.
"We can share the title," Cedric told him. "'Harry the Hottie.' I like the sound of that."
"So, erm, if not tonight," Harry said, "when were you thinking?"
"I don't know," Cedric said, running a hand up and down Harry's arm. "Maybe in a week or two?"
"Two weeks!" Harry cried in outrage. "You'd make me wait that long?"
"All right, calm down, you horn dog," Cedric chuckled. "I only say a week or two because don't want us to rush it. We should talk some more first. It's a big deal, the whole sex thing. There's no hurry. We've got all the time in the world, right?"
"I guess so," Harry said in defeat. "I mean, you're right. I just got carried away, is all. A few weeks, that's good."
"Good," Cedric said. He kissed Harry's temple. "Now, seeing as tonight's a school night, I think we should probably get going."
Harry groaned.
"This is what I get for dating a prefect," he muttered.
O
As stealthily as he could, Harry crept in through the Gryffindor Tower portrait hole. He was doing a pretty good job, too, until he saw Ron sitting at table near the window in an otherwise empty common room. He nearly shrieked before composing himself.
"What are you doing up?" Harry asked. "It's almost midnight."
"I could as you the same question," Ron shot back. "Out with your loverboy?"
"Don't call him that," Harry said, taking a seat at Ron's table, "and yes, I was. It was a, um, special occasion."
"Oh that's right," Ron said. "The anniversary. Did you, uhh, enjoy yourself?"
Harry grinned in spite of himself.
"Yeah, I did."
"So, I was wondering," Ron began uneasily, "when you two, er, you know… 'play Quidditch', who's the, uh… I guess you could say Chaser, and who's the Keeper?"
"Actually, right now, we're both Beaters, mostly," Harry responded without thinking.
They looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed hysterically.
"That was an odd question, coming from you," Harry said.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Oh, be honest," Harry said. "When I first started dating Cedric, you weren't exactly the most supportive. Frankly I thought you'd never be comfortable with me being gay."
"Hey, not everyone can be the one-woman cheering squad that is Hermione Granger," Ron said in his defense. "Besides, it had less to do with you being gay and more to do with feeling threatened by Cedric."
"Still, asking me about me about my sex life, what's that about?"
"We're men, Harry," Ron told him. "This is what we do. Believe me, you'll be hearing about my sex life, once I have one. You don't need to give me the dirty details or anything. But, well, like I said: we're men."
Harry grinned.
"So what are you doing up, really?"
"Ahh, History of Magic essay due tomorrow," Ron said, holding up his class notes, which always looked suspiciously more like diagrams of Quidditch plays than anything else. "Hermione gave some notes on my draft but she wouldn't stay up with me to rewrite it."
"How long are the two of you going to be weird like this?" Harry asked grimly.
Ron shrugged.
He and Hermione had developed a very business-as-usual attitude with each other. Hermione finally admitted their kiss to Harry two months earlier, but only after he'd implied heavily that he already knew about it. At first she was angry that Ron had told him until Harry pointed out that she knew everything about him, Harry, and it was unfair for her to keep secrets like that. She acknowledged that he was right and quickly stopped talking about it after that.
Whenever Harry tried to talk to one of them about the problem, they would automatically clam up. He'd given up broaching the subject unless one of them mentioned the awkwardness first, and even then he rarely pushed. He found it easier to, instead, ignore it like them and move on to a different subject.
"You know," Harry said, doing just that, "it's funny you should mention the whole, uh, Chaser/Keeper thing. Cedric and I, we, er, we decided tonight that we're gonna go for it."
"Oh yeah?" Ron replied, glancing up from his essay.
"Yeah," Harry told him. "Probably in the next week or so." He noted Ron's hand twitch when he said it.
"Whoa, that's… soon," Ron noted.
"Not that soon," Harry said defensively, "we've been together for a while now."
"Hey, no arguments from me, mate," Ron assured him. "Hermione'll probably have something to say about it, but I think it's great. Seriously, man. Cheers."
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said. "Need any help on your essay?"
"Nah," he said. "But I could use the company, if you want to stay up with me."
"Of course," Harry replied. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table, making sure not to jar it while Ron was writing. Amused, he asked, "How long have you been waiting to ask me that, anyway?"
"Like, three weeks," Ron told him. They shared another laugh at this. Then Ron said, "So, which are you going to be then? If you don't mind me asking."
Harry frowned.
"I – I don't know," he said. "I never thought about it."
The boys sat in silence for a while after that, one contemplating the distant past, and the other the very near future.
O
As Ron had predicted, Hermione did have something to say about Harry and Cedric's decision. Harry had enough sense to wait until their first break of the day to tell her so that she didn't glare at him all through History of Magic. She did, however, still freak out a bit when he informed her of his impending plans.
"Calm down, Hermione," Harry said. "It isn't a big deal."
"How exactly is it not a big deal?" Hermione asked.
"We've been doing stuff for months!" he reminded her.
"Yes," Hermione said. "Stuff. But not this. Anal sex is—"
"Ohh no," Ron groaned. "Can someone Obliviate me so that I won't have to remember Hermione saying 'anal sex'? Please?"
"—is a big deal," Hermione finished. "Being with another person like that, letting them into your body, is major, both physically and emotionally."
"I know what I'm doing," Harry maintained.
"Oh," Hermione said flatly. "Okay. You're right. You know exactly what you're doing. I suppose you already have condoms, then?"
"You know Cedric and I are both v-virgins," Harry stammered.
"They're not just for protection, Harry," Hermione chided. "Sex is messy business. I'm sure you know what sort of lubrication you'll be using, though. Whether you're a top or a bottom. What positions you'll use."
"There's positions?" Ron asked. "Blimey, it really does sound like Quidditch."
"All right, Hermione," Harry said, defeated. "I get the point."
"I'm not trying to be difficult," Hermione said in earnest. "I just want to make sure you're prepared, so that you're okay. Both of you."
"Thank you," Harry said. "Except now you've gotten me more freaked out than I already was about all this."
Hermione sighed.
"Hang on."
She leapt out of her armchair and hurried through the entrance to the girls' dormitory. Harry and Ron looked at each other, bewildered.
"Don't you hate when she does that?" Harry said.
"Actually, I kind of like it when she does that," Ron grinned.
"You're both ridiculous," Harry said.
Moments later Hermione came back into the common room. With a book.
"You have a book?" Ron asked. "For this? Seriously?"
"Yes," Hermione answered.
"You really do have a book for everything," Harry observed.
He took the book from her. It was a small paperback, not very thick. The cover read Arithmance Me and boasted ways to use arithmancy in your everyday life. But Harry knew better than to trust its cover. He opened it to the title page, which read: The Young Wizard's Guide to Gay Sex. Harry looked up at Hermione, astonished.
"Let me see," Ron said, snatching the book from him. He flipped through its pages. "Oh, gross," he laughed, "there's pictures. EW! And they move, too!"
"Don't be such a child, Ron," Hermione scolded.
"Hermione, if you can't laugh about sex, you're never going to have it," Ron said wisely.
"How long have you had this?" Harry asked.
"Not too long," Hermione said. "When the two of you started being intim—started doing stuff together, as you so crudely insist on calling it, I thought it might be a good idea to look into something like this. I sent an owl to Flourish & Blotts in Diagon Alley asking what sort of resources they have for young gay wizards. They replied with a whole list. Apparently there are loads of books like this one, but this was the most highly recommended."
"You're a good friend, Hermione," Harry told her. "You know that?"
"Just remember that without me you'd be blundering aimlessly through life," Hermione replied. "I still have the list, too, if you ever want to give it a look."
"I'd appreciate that, thanks," Harry said. "Really, thank you."
"Someone's got to look out for you," she shrugged.
Harry smiled, glad that someone was.
O
For the next two days, Harry read The Young Wizard's Guide every chance he got. He was extra careful not to take it out of his room, though. Wizardry and Homosexuality was one thing, at least that was merely a history book. But the Guide, on the other hand, was highly inappropriate. The images Ron had been grossed out by were indeed very graphic, and there were plenty of them. Harry only looked at this book in the safety of his own bed. This turned out to be for the best anyway, because the moving illustrations of attractive wizards demonstrating various sexual acts proved to be quite a turn on. More than a few times Harry found himself fantasizing about doing the things he read about to Cedric, or having Cedric do them to him.
The more he read, however, the more nervous Harry became. Now that he was really thinking about it, and seeing what sex entailed, he started to believe that Hermione was right: being that intimate with another person was definitely a big deal. He wasn't sure that he was ready to let Cedric top him, not yet. But what if Cedric wasn't willing to bottom? He was older, and bigger. In most of the pictures he saw, that was the man who topped.
Harry was so distracted by his thoughts that he almost walked right past Professor McGonagall asking him to stay a moment after Transfiguration. He nodded when she told him to be at the Quidditch field at nine o'clock that night, but he was barely paying attention to what she was saying.
At about eight-thirty, Harry left Gryffindor Tower for the meeting with Bagman and the other champions. Leaning against the wall across from the portrait of the Fat Lady, with a charming smile on his face, was Cedric.
"May I escort you down to the Quidditch field, Mr. Potter?" he asked playfully.
"Why thank you, Mr. Diggory," Harry replied.
They headed downstairs together.
"So, I have something I want to show you," Harry said, pulling the Guide out of his pocket. He handed it to Cedric, who looked at the cover quizzically.
"Er, thanks, but I've never really been into numbers," Cedric remarked.
"Check the title page," Harry told him.
Upon opening the book, Cedric gave a startled laugh of disbelief.
"Good lord, Harry" he said. "First that gay history book, and now this? Where do you get these –" Then it dawned on him. "Another helping hand from Hermione?"
"She's just full of information," Harry answered. "She found a whole bunch of books like this one. Did you know there's even a gay wizards' magazine? It's called Wands Out."
Cedric snorted.
"That's a bit suggestive," he commented.
"I think that's the point," Harry replied. "I haven't decided if I want to subscribe yet. It's probably the only way we're going to see it. I doubt they have any issues available in the library."
"Can you imagine if they did, though?" Cedric wondered. "The look on Madam Pince's face when you tried to check them out?" He flipped through the pages of The Young Wizard's Guide. "This stuff is, uh – pretty intense."
"Yeah, it is," Harry said hesitantly.
"So I guess you've been thinking about, um, it, huh?"
"Only a little," Harry lied. Realizing Cedric deserved better than that, and that he could probably see through Harry's fib anyway, he admitted, "Okay, a lot. I knew what I was getting into when I said we should, but I never thought—"
"Harry, it's okay," Cedric said immediately. "We don't have to."
"No, I'm not saying that either!" Harry insisted. "I'm – well – to be honest – what I'm not sure about is, the, uh…" Harry cursed his body for making him blush at that moment and said, "Bottoming."
"Ah," said Cedric.
"It's not as though I don't want to," Harry said, adding, "someday. I don't think – I mean, it's a big thing." Cedric smirked, forcing Harry to amend, "I don't mean your thing! I mean, your thing is big, but I didn't mean…" He sighed. "I hate you."
"Harry, relax," Cedric told him. "It's okay if you don't feel ready. I'm not disappointed or upset. Promise." After a moment, he went on, "Besides, I, uh… I sort of figured you wouldn't be ready for that."
"Oh," Harry said, a little frustrated that his hesitance had been expected. Confused, he asked, "Why did you say okay to doing it, then?"
"Well," Cedric replied, a shy smile creeping across his face, "I sort of assumed that I would."
Harry gawked at him.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"You aren't nervous?" Harry asked, not sure what answer he'd prefer.
"A bit, yeah," Cedric stated. "Nervous, and excited, and – happy."
He smiled, and took Harry's hand briefly to give it a good, affectionate squeeze. The boys beamed like the two lovestruck teenagers that they were for a minute before each releasing the other's hand. As they stepped out through the double doors, Harry tried to ignore how suddenly tight his pants had become.
"So what do you think the third task is?" he wondered.
"No idea," Cedric replied, slipping the Guide into his pocket. "Fleur said something about underground tunnels a few weeks ago. Thinks we've got to find buried treasure."
"Fleur, huh?" Harry said impishly. "What else does Fleur think?"
"Shut up," Cedric mumbled.
They headed down the stone front steps and across the Hogwarts lawn toward the Quidditch field. Harry had a lot on his mind, about the wild acts depicted in the Guide. The fact that Cedric was not only willing to bottom but had even been planning to since Harry brought it up made the younger boy's lust burn with a renewed intensity. The whole time they were walking Harry felt the urge to tackle Cedric and take him right there in the grass.
At least until he saw what had been done to the Quidditch pitch. After that, all sexy thoughts were temporarily banished from his mind.
"Whu- what have they done?" Cedric cried, stopping momentarily in his tracks.
The atrocity to which Cedric was referring was the alteration that the Quidditch field had gone through since Harry last saw it. There were now a series of interconnecting walls, almost reaching knee-height, that stretched over the entire pitch. The walls didn't seem to be made of stone or wood. They were green and leafy and –
"Hedges," Harry realized as they got closer. "They're growing hedges on the Quidditch field."
"Hello there!"
The boys pulled their eyes away from the abomination that was their beloved field to see Ludo Bagman standing in the middle of the whole mess with Fleur and Krum. Harry and Cedric scrambled over the hedges to get to them as quickly as possible. Cedric, being the taller of the two, was much better at it than Harry, but was clearly moving more slowly than he needed to so he wouldn't leave Harry behind. Fleur smiled at them both when they reached the center, convivially at Harry and enticingly at Cedric. Harry had to stop himself from pulling Cedric closer to him and scowling at the veela-descended girl. Much like Krum was scowling at Harry himself. The Bulgarian's demeanor confused Harry. He usually got along with Krum pretty well. Harry didn't have much time to dwell on this, as Bagman began telling them about the upcoming task.
Krum was the first among them to guess that what they were growing was a maze. So Fleur was half right; they would be searching for a treasure, the Triwizard Cup, only it would be in a hedge maze, and not in any underground tunnels. That was for the best, as far as Harry was concerned. After the incident beneath Hogwarts with the Sorcerer's Stone and his trip into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry was growing tired of being underground.
The students and Bagman dispersed after that. Bagman was trailing Harry closely as he worked his way out of the maze with Cedric. Harry wondered if the man was going to try and offer him some advice again, and if he was brazen enough to do so in front of Cedric. Before Bagman had a chance to say anything, Krum tapped Harry's shoulder.
"Could I haff a vord?"
"Uh, sure," Harry said, a bit surprised.
"Vill you valk vith me?"
"Okay," Harry replied.
Bagman seemed annoyed at the interruption.
"Shall I wait for you, then, Harry?"
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Bagman," Cedric said, cutting off Harry's chance to respond. "I'll be walking with him back up to the castle."
The Department Head looked as if he wanted to argue but, seeing there was no way he could without appearing suspicious, gave a curt nod in defeat and went off on his own. Krum frowned at Cedric.
"Not you," he said. "Only Potter."
"Either he goes or I don't," Harry told him, his wariness starting to rise.
The Bulgarian champion frowned but made no further argument. Instead he turned and led the way out of the stadium. Harry and Cedric looked at each other, as if silently wondering between them what Krum was up to. Cedric shrugged and began to follow. Harry was close behind.
"Where are we going?" Cedric asked as they passed Hagrid's cabin. They were heading toward a very secluded area of the grounds.
"Somevere private," Krum grunted. "I don't vant to be overheard."
After they'd passed the enclosure where the enormous Beauxbatons horses were being kept, they came to a halt in a small clearing at the edge of the woods. Krum reeled on Harry, glowering more fiercely than Harry had ever seen him.
"I vant to know vot there is between you and Hermy-own-ninny," he ordered.
Harry and Cedric looked at each other for a moment. Then, in unison, burst into fits of laughter.
"This is no joke!" Krum snarled.
"Really?" Cedric asked, gasping for air. "Because it's bloody hilarious."
"And vot is so funny?"
Harry glanced at Cedric. The older boy appeared uncertain.
"It's up to you," Cedric told him.
"Vot is up to him?" Krum demanded.
"Whether or not we tell you that Cedric and I are the ones who are together," Harry elaborated, "not me and Hermione."
Krum looked wary, shifting his stare between the two boys.
"You two are, ahh, vot is vord – poofs?" Krum said.
"We're gay, if that's what you mean," Harry corrected crossly.
"My apologies," Krum said sincerely. "I did not mean to offend."
Krum sighed. His entire demeanor changed instantly. The gruff, angry Seeker melted away, leaving in his place a frustrated, distressed teenage boy.
"Hermy-own-ninny, she, ah, is broken up with me," Krum declared. "I had thought that, maybe, after vot that Skeeter woman wrote…"
"Rita Skeeter made all that stuff up," Harry said. "Hermione and I are friends, nothing more. Always have been. Even if I wasn't, you know, she's like a sister to me. I'd never."
"I see."
"Are you all right, mate?" Cedric asked.
Krum nodded.
"I haff an uncle who is homosexual," he told them. "No one in my family speaks of it, but he is a good man. Vos alvays kind to me growing up. Buys me my first broomstick."
Before either Harry or Cedric could respond to this statement, the trio of champions was interrupted by a man stumbling out of the forest. All three immediately had their wands out, lit, and pointed at the shaggy figure. Cedric was the first to recognize him.
"Mr. Crouch," he said.
The man appeared completely mad, both in appearance and demeanor. He seemed to be muttering instructions to a tree.
"He vos a judge, vosn't he?" Krum recalled, staring nervously at the babbling man. "He is vith your Ministry?"
"He was," Cedric answered. "I'm not sure who he is right now."
"You think he's bewitched?" said Harry.
"Don't know," Cedric admitted.
He took a cautious step toward Crouch.
"Careful," Harry whispered.
"Mr. Crouch?" Cedric said warily. "Do you know who I am? We've met a few times before. My name is Cedric Diggory. You work with my father, at the Ministry of Magic. Mr. Crouch, can you understand me?"
Without warning, Mr. Crouch crumpled to the ground, falling hard on his knees. The champions all rushed forward. Cedric reached him first.
"Mr. Crouch!" Cedric exclaimed.
"Vot is the matter vith him?"
"Cedric, be careful!" Harry warned.
"Mr. Crouch, can you hear me?" Cedric asked, kneeling beside the fallen man.
"DUMBLEDORE!"
Crouch latched onto the robes of the nearest boy, that being Cedric. He pulled Cedric to him. His voice was urgent, pleading, but his eyes were still vacant, staring at the canopy of trees above them.
"I need … see … Dumbledore …"
"All right," Cedric said soothingly. "All right, we'll take you to him. Can you – can you stand up, can you walk?"
"I've done … stupid … thing …" was Crouch's response. "Must … tell … Dumbledore …"
"What do we do?" Harry asked.
Cedric gnawed at his lower lip. He looked at Krum, and at Harry, then back at Crouch. He looked nervous, which made Harry even more nervous.
"Harry," he said. "Can you go up to the school and find Professor Dumbledore?"
"Nu-uh," said Harry. "I'm not leaving you here with him."
"Krum can't go, he doesn't know where Dumbledore's office is," Cedric reasoned. "I know Dumbledore will listen to you, Harry. I need you to do this. Please."
Harry searched Cedric's face. He was worried, that was obvious, as was the fact that he truly needed Harry's help. Harry wasn't sure why, but this, the idea of Cedric needing his help, surprised him. Harry always thought of Cedric as the capable one, the dependable one. It was interesting to learn that Cedric felt he could depend on him. Without any further consideration, Harry nodded.
"Thank you," Cedric said. "The password is 'Cockroach Cluster'."
"Ew. Really?"
Cedric only smiled in response.
They held each other's gaze for a moment before Harry broke it. He turned toward the castle and ran, still able to dimly hear Crouch's confused ranting long after he'd passed the Beauxbatons carriage. Harry ran faster than he ever had from Dudley and his gang. He hurtled up the marble staircase and the one after that that so rapidly it felt almost like he was flying. The whole time his mind was racing faster than his body. No one had seen Crouch in months. How had he turned up in the dead of night at the edge of the Forbidden Forest? And was leaving him alone with Krum and, more importantly, Cedric a good idea? Sweat was pouring down Harry's face and his lungs were seizing but still he ran. He skidded to a halt in front of the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Cockroach – Cluster," he gasped, clutching his aching chest.
The gargoyle leapt out of the way, allowing Harry access to the opening that had appeared in the wall. Inside was the spiral staircase leading to the headmaster's office. Harry sat on one of the stairs, trying to catch his breath, as the staircase rose upward. In just a few seconds Harry found himself in front of the polished oak door. He was about to knock when the door opened all on its own. Dumbledore stood there, looking at him curiously.
"Harry," the headmaster greeted warmly. "What are you doing here?"
"It's Mr. Crouch!" Harry explained. "He's outside, in the forest, he kept saying he needed to speak with you!" He swallowed. "Professor, he seems – he's behaving a bit… deranged."
Dumbledore stared Harry for a moment.
"I suppose we'd better hurry then," he said.
And hurry they did. Dumbledore moved with swiftness that Harry never would've expected from someone his age. He was almost going faster than Harry, his speed contrary to his smooth, graceful strides. Harry explained on the way, about Crouch, and his muttering madness.
"—and then Cedric sent me to come and get you," Harry wrapped up. "He gave me the password to your office."
"He gave you my password?"
Harry stumbled when he heard Dumbledore ask this. His tone was stern. Had Harry just gotten Cedric into some sort of trouble?
"Yes, sir," Harry reluctantly answered. "He said we needed to find you, and that – that he was certain you would listen to me."
"Well, he was right about that," said Dumbledore.
They hurried passed the Beauxbatons paddock, and soon were approaching the clearing Harry had left Cedric and Krum in. He'd expected to be able to hear Crouch's incoherent jabbering from this distance, and was surprised that he couldn't.
"Cedric?" Harry shouted.
There was no answer. Only the night sounds of the forest. But there was no way that they couldn't have heard him, and definitely no way Cedric wouldn't respond to him. Unless something happened… At last they reached the clearing only to find it empty.
"They were here," Harry said firmly. "I know they were here."
"Lumos," Dumbledore muttered, lighting the tip of his wand.
The beam darted over the forest, casting tall and ugly shadows. The trees and bushes looked cold and gray in the dim light. Harry could feel himself beginning to panic. Then the beam happened to pass over a pair of feet. It traveled further, revealing an entire body. Cedric's body. Lying sprawled on the forest floor. Harry nearly threw up at the sight of it.
Oh my God, he's dead, sprang into his mind, and echoed over and over again. He's dead, he's dead, he's dead…
Harry rushed forward, falling at Cedric's side. He grabbed the front of the boy's shirt. Cedric couldn't be dead. There was no way. He'd only just been talking to Harry, just smiling at him. Harry was only staring into his beautiful gray eyes a few minutes ago, he could not be dead!
"Stunned," Harry heard Dumbledore mutter.
He tore his gaze from Cedric to see Dumbledore kneeling beside Viktor Krum, who Harry now noticed was lying only a few feet away. Dumbledore was looking around the darkened forest.
Stunned. Stunned was good. Stunned meant not dead. Stunned meant alive. Harry's mind was reeling so furiously that it didn't even faze him when Dumbledore shot something silver and translucent out of the tip of his wand that flew toward Hagrid's cabin. He then turned his wand on Cedric and said, "Rennervate."
Cedric's eyes flew open.
"Where's Harry?" were the first words out of his mouth.
"I'm here," Harry told him, so overwhelmed with relief that he nearly kissed him. "What happened?"
"Ve vere attacked!" Krum, also awake now, bellowed. "By that crazy old man!"
"Cedric?" Dumbledore asked. "Is this true?"
"Maybe," Cedric mumbled, clutching his head as he struggled to sit up. "Maybe. It's possible. I didn't see who attacked us. It happened so fast. We heard something moving in the forest and then suddenly – I'm sorry, I just don't know."
"It's all right," Harry assured him.
He took Cedric's hand and gave it a squeeze. Cedric smiled gratefully, though a little weakly, still looking quite pale. Harry responded with a feeble smile of his own. After a few seconds he realized that the headmaster was staring at them. Harry quickly released and looked away.
"It vas that man!" Krum insisted. "It had to be! He is insane!"
Any further accusations were interrupted by the thunderous arrival of Hagrid. The rest of Harry's time in that dark forest clearing went by in a flash. Moody appeared, claiming to have seen them rushing across the grounds from his office window. Soon Karkaroff arrived as well. With all the people there and the finger-pointing that was going on it reminded Harry of the night he was selected as the fourth Triwizard champion. After Hagrid assaulted Karkaroff for insulting Dumbledore, it seemed the headmaster felt his students had seen enough.
"Hagrid, please escort Harry back up to the castle," he ordered sharply.
"I can do it, Professor," Cedric chimed in. "I'd like to. I mean, if that's all right with you, sir."
Dumbledore looked around at Cedric, almost as if he was surprised Cedric had the strength, or possibly the courage, to make such a suggestion. He studied the Hufflepuff boy for a moment, and then turned his discerning stare on Harry. Harry wanted to look away again but he held the man's gaze.
"Yes," Dumbledore said finally. "I thought you might. Very well, Diggory. But straight up to Gryffindor Tower. Any detours you may have had in mind, to the Owlery, for example, can wait until the morning. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Cedric answered for them.
He then grabbed Harry by the elbow and pulled him away before another word could be exchanged. Harry wanted to ask Dumbledore how he knew Harry was planning on going directly to the Owlery to send a letter to Sirius relaying the evening's events, but he didn't. He much preferred to let Cedric drag him away, especially after Cedric slid his palm into Harry's. Cedric's hand was shaking the tiniest bit. Harry didn't say anything, simply squeezing Cedric's hand comfortingly. He regretted having to release the older boy's hand when they were in view of the castle, but continued walking closer to him than might've been advisable. After the night they'd had, he didn't care much.
It was nearly eleven o'clock by the time they reached the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry gave the password and the painting swung open, revealing the hole leading into the Gryffindor common room. Harry turned to Cedric. He didn't want to let him out of his sight. Not yet.
"D'you want to come in?" Harry asked.
Cedric chewed his lip. He was still a little pale. He looked down the corridor, down the way he usually went to get back to his dormitory. Then he looked at Harry. He nodded. Harry went through the portrait hole first, followed, for the first time ever, by his boyfriend.
There were a handful of people still up scattered about the common room. In their usual corner by the window, sitting as far as they could from each other while remaining at the same table, were Ron and Hermione. They looked up when the two champions approached.
"Cedric?" Hermione said. "What are you doing here?"
"Yeah, you know this is the Gryffindor common room," Ron informed him. "Wait. This is the Gryffindor common room, right?" He looked around suspiciously. "This isn't one of those dreams where suddenly I'm going to be naked, is it?"
"Why would Harry and I be in one of those dreams?" Cedric asked without missing a beat.
Ron's ears turned pink.
"Really, though, what's going on?" asked Hermione.
So the boys proceeded to fill them in.
The next couple of hours were devoted to hypothesizing what might've happened at the edge of the forest that night. Cedric told them about the rambling Harry had missed by going to retrieve Dumbledore, how Crouch had mentioned Bertha and his son and the Dark Lord getting stronger. Harry was almost glad he wasn't there to hear that part. Cedric claimed that he and Krum were attacked by someone coming out of the woods. The man (for Cedric was certain it was not a woman) had Stunned Krum first and then, before Cedric had time to react, Stunned him as well. Next thing he knew, Harry was hovering over him, and Crouch and his attacker were gone.
"It's my fault," Harry grumbled after Cedric was finished telling his part.
"How do you figure?" Ron challenged.
"Well, this is probably connected to whatever reason my name was entered in the tournament," Harry rationalized. "And now we know it has something to do with Voldemort." Cedric was the only one who didn't wince at the sound of the name, though even he didn't seem happy about hearing it. Harry looked at him. "You could've been killed. And it would've been my fault."
"It would not have been," Cedric affirmed.
"He's right, Harry," Hermione agreed. "You can't beat yourself up about this. Neither of you can," she added, turning pointedly to Cedric. "You both did everything you could to help Mr. Crouch tonight."
"Yeah," Cedric said, unconvinced. He looked at his watch. "Oh, okay. It is officially too late for any of us to be up."
"Aww, but I wanna keep sleuthing!" Ron whined.
"We have double Potions tomorrow," Hermione pointed out, "do you really want to be falling asleep during that?"
"That's like asking if I want to light my own head on fire," Ron retorted.
"I'll walk you out," Harry said to Cedric.
After saying goodnight to Ron and Hermione, the boys stood outside the Gryffindor dormitory, the Fat Lady pretending to be asleep in her portrait. (Harry once confronted her about how much she'd seen of him and Cedric late at night. She swore that, as much as she loved gossip, it wasn't her place to reveal the most personal details of students' lives to others, especially ones such as this, and that his secret was safe with her.) Harry stared up at Cedric. He couldn't stop picturing the older boy sprawled on the dark forest floor.
"Are you all right?" Cedric asked, concerned.
"You have no idea what it was like," he said. "To see you lying there like that."
"I saw you fall of your broom, remember?" Cedric replied. "I think I can imagine what it's like."
"I thought you were dead!"
"But I'm fine," Cedric assured him, taking Harry by the shoulders. "I'm very tough."
Harry nodded.
"You know, I've always been aware of how much older you are than me," he said.
"Does it bother you?" Cedric asked nervously.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Harry said. "I've always felt being the younger one in this relationship. I've always thought of you as older, as a protector, never someone to be protected. And—and then seeing you, lying there like that, I thought you were dead. It sort of – it made me realize that you aren't invincible or invulnerable. That maybe you need protecting as well."
"We all do sometimes, Harry," Cedric replied.
"I know," said Harry. "I know that. And I want to do that for you. Be that person for you. I want to be the one to protect you."
"Harry…"
Cedric pulled the younger boy into his arms and held him tightly. Harry hugged back just as tight.
"I'll never let anything hurt you again," Harry told him.
"I know you won't," said Cedric.
Harry pressed his face into Cedric's chest, and Cedric rested his chin on top of the smaller boy's head. Harry reflected on the trepidation he'd been feeling about advancing their sexual relationship. After nearly losing Cedric it felt rather stupid. He knew what he wanted. And he wasn't afraid anymore. Coming to a decision, Harry pulled back a little to look up at his boyfriend.
"This whole thing has gotten me thinking," he said. "You know, we believe we've got all the time in the world, but with everything that's going on, who's to say? It's like back when the Chamber of Secrets was opened two years ago. I remember how all the older kids were going at it left and right because they didn't want to die as virgins."
"I know," said Cedric. "That was the reason Cho gave me that we should do it."
"Well, I didn't really understand that compulsion until now. Someone may have entered me in this tournament to kill me, and I don't want to die without having been with you. Completely. I love you."
"I love you too, Harry," Cedric replied, smiling. "Okay. So in a few days—"
"No, that's too long," Harry immediately interrupted. "You're not getting it: I almost lost you already. This needs to happen, like, now."
"Now?" Cedric blinked. "Oh. Okay. Wow. Wow, that's… Okay."
"Is that too soon for you?"
"I cannot begin to tell you how not too soon that is," Cedric assured him. "It's a bit short notice. Plus there's the small matter of we've been up rather late and I was Stunned earlier this evening. Exhaustion is not sexy."
"Ah," said Harry. "Tomorrow then? Saturday tomorrow, not Friday tomorrow. I think we'll both be too tired for Friday."
"Tomorrow. Okay. Wow."
"You're been saying 'wow' a lot," Harry observed.
"I think this is a 'wow' kind of situation, Harry, don't you?" Cedric said.
"So, tomorrow night?" Harry smiled. "Room of Requirement?"
"Actually," said Cedric, "I was thinking we might try somewhere a bit more special." He bit his lip for a second and then smiled slyly as he asked, "How would you like to see my room?"
"Your room?" Harry repeated. "You know, for a prefect, you sure do promote a lot of rule breaking."
"There's no rule saying I can't have you in my room," Cedric reasoned. "Maybe for what we have in mind, but I'm willing to bend the rules a little if you are."
"Isn't it kinda risky, though?"
"Well, you're kind of a risk taker, Potter," Cedric countered. "I'll make sure it's safe, though. What do you say?"
Sneaking into the Hufflepuff dormitory to lose his virginity to the competing male Hogwarts champion. It certainly was a risk. Probably the biggest one they'd ever taken, and that included kissing in the dark at Fred and George's New Year's party. At least then if they'd been caught, even with all the Rita Skeeter scrutiny Harry seemed to be under right now, they only would've been outed. Fornication between students probably also meant some sort of punishment. If they were caught.
Harry thought about it.
In the end, there was only one answer he could give.
O
They immediately hatched a plan for how to sneak Harry into the Hufflepuff Dormitory. Actually, it wasn't so much a plan as it was Cedric telling Harry to follow him in using his Invisibility Cloak. Not that complicated, but the simple route was sometimes the best.
Harry barely slept after everything that'd happened, and everything that was now going to happen. He rose early to send an owl to Sirius describing the previous night's events. Ron grudgingly accompanied him. In the Owlery they ran into Fred and George arguing about a letter they were sending and blackmail. Although Ron was still too groggy to comprehend much, Harry was mostly awake.
"You're blackmailing someone?" Harry asked as they came to the top of the stairs. The twins froze for a second, but recovered quickly.
"Never you mind, Harry," George said dolefully. "Never you mind."
"Oy, Harry," said Fred with a smirk, "was that Diggory I saw in the Gryffindor common room last night?"
"Might've been," Harry replied. He wasn't entirely willing to let the blackmail subject drop, but he also wasn't equipped to attempt going toe-to-toe with Fred and George Weasley, the rhetoric masters.
"Good one, mate," Fred told him, winking.
The twins released their owl and left Harry and Ron to their own devices. It wasn't until Harry had sent his owl and they were halfway back down the stairs that Ron asked, "Was Fred and George jus' back there?"
"Yes, Ron," said Harry.
Ron nodded sleepily in response, and did not pursue the subject any further.
Throughout most of the day, Harry felt like he was drifting. During History of Magic he kept falling into vivid daydreams about what was coming the following night. He wondered what Cedric's room would look like. It was weird to think that it was underground. Harry'd been inside the Slytherin dormitory, which was also below the castle, but theirs was dank and uninviting. The Hufflepuff dormitory couldn't possibly have the same feel to it.
More than that, however, he wondered what being with Cedric would be like. Everything they'd done so far was pretty spectacular, so Harry couldn't imagine it getting better. But it must be for people to be so keen on it. Harry's heart raced and his stomach fluttered as he thought about being with Cedric, being inside him. It was maddening, having to wait. How did Cedric ever think Harry could wait a week or two when he hardly could another day?
At Hermione's suggestion they checked in with Professor Moody during their break before Charms. Unfortunately, he had no news for them; his search for whomever or whatever attacked Cedric and Viktor turned up nothing.
"You can't beat yourself up about it, Potter," Moody told him.
"I said that!" Hermione blurted excitedly. "I said that very thing to him last night!"
"Smart girl," Moody praised. Hermione smiled, delighted. "She's absolutely right. You boys did a pretty decent job for students."
"It wasn't good enough to prevent Cedric from being attacked," Harry mumbled, adding hastily, "and Krum."
Moody raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you'll just have to look out for each other, that's all," Moody said. Then, pensively, "That's what you'll do. You'll look out for each other."
You're right about that, Harry thought grimly.
O
Harry and Cedric met in the entrance hall at seven o'clock on Saturday night. It reminded Harry of their first date, after the first task of the tournament. Only he wasn't late this time. However, like then, Cedric was already there waiting for him. He smiled when he saw Harry descending the marble staircase.
"Hi Harry," he said. "Are you ready?"
Harry took a deep breath.
"As I'll ever be," he replied honestly.
Still smiling, Cedric went through the door on next to the staircase with Harry following close behind.
"So, how was your day?" Cedric asked casually.
"I got a letter from Padfoot," Harry informed him, having long since explained his godfather's old Marauder nickname.
"Oh? What did he have to say?"
"The usual," Harry sighed. "Yelling at me for not being more careful, reminding me that someone's probably trying to kill me, insisting that I keep my head down, etcetera. He had a go at you, too. Said you shouldn't have let me go up to the castle on my own. Completely ignoring the fact that you were the one who was attacked."
"He's right though," Cedric said. "I wasn't thinking, I panicked. I should've gone with you, or gone in your place."
"If you'd gone in my place, then I would've been the one who was attacked. And they might not've left me alive," Harry argued. "We're going around in circles here with this blame game. Let's stop feeling guilty and just be grateful we're both alive."
"You're absolutely right," said Cedric.
"It wasn't all bad, though," Harry added. "He said that you and I are to stick close to each other, and watch out for each other more carefully from now on."
Cedric took Harry's hand.
"Sounds good to me."
They passed the entrance to the kitchens and kept right on going. After a while they came to a bend in the corridor. There they found a statue, an amicable-looking man wearing Victorian era attire, standing front of a wooden round top door with no visible handle.
"Harry," Cedric said, pointing at the statue, "this is Frederick the Friendly. Otherwise known as the guardian of the Hufflepuff dormitory."
"How do you get in?" Harry asked. "Password?"
"Just watch," Cedric told him with a wink. He turned to the stone man and said politely, "Excuse me, sir. I'd like to be allowed in, please."
"Friend or foe?" the statue asked in a gravelly voice.
"Friend, sir," Cedric replied, holding out his hand.
Frederick the Friendly looked down at Cedric, then extended his hand as well. They shook cordially, and then Frederick stepped out of the way.
"That's it?" Harry said flatly. "All you have to do is shake the statue's hand?"
"Well, you have to do it properly but, yeah, basically," Cedric answered. "It's not a fortress, Harry. We don't feel the need to try very hard at keeping people out. Now hurry up and put on your Cloak."
Harry complied as Cedric pushed the wooden door open and led the way in.
The Hufflepuff common room was ovular in shape, stretching to their left and right. The walls were a warm, inviting yellow with stone columns half embedded in the wall placed evenly around the room. The floor was hardwood with black and yellow rugs. There were comfortable armchairs and, mostly, couches around tables spread throughout the room. Opposite the entrance was a small fireplace, which was surrounded by haphazardly-arranged shelves. There were a number of awards and prizes littered over the shelves; some looked old and dusty, like they'd been left there for years, while other were as shiny and new as though they'd been won within the past week. A beaming girl was eagerly adding an O-grade paper to the collection. Cedric had told him about this wall once. It was an accumulation of Hufflepuff house members' achievements, a tool meant to boost the students' self-esteem. It was an odd notion, but Harry sort of liked it. Bookending either side of this wall were hangings with the Hufflepuff colors. The ceiling overhead was dome-like and made of shimmering, pale yellow crystals that lit the entire room. At the far ends of the common room were round openings that ran downwards in a curve so that Harry couldn't see where they led.
Looking back surreptitiously, and then shaking his head, no doubt realizing that there was no way he could tell whether Harry was still following him or not, Cedric went through the opening to their right. Harry went behind him. The opening was actually a large tunnel, almost perfectly round except for the path they were walking on. There were torches mounted on the dirt walls lighting the way. Their warm glow overpowered the tomb-like feeling that the tunnels inspired, leaving Harry much at ease. The tunnel sloped almost imperceptibly downward, going in a wide clockwise spiral. Every now and again they would pass a very large, circular wooden door. It wasn't until the fifth they came to that Cedric at last stopped. He pushed open the door and gestured inside.
"This," Cedric said, "is my room."
Harry yanked off his Invisibility Cloak and entered, looking around at Cedric's room. It was mostly similar to Harry's own, same five beds with the same, though differently colored, hangings, except the Hufflepuff's was room a little bigger. This difference allowed for each boy to have a full desk rather than a nightstand. Another major variation was the windows. They were circular and clearly enchanted. Not only did they portray an outdoor scene that was impossible to see so far below ground, but each window had a completely different setting. One was of a mountain peak in a snowstorm. Another was of a sunny tropical island. The one by the bed that Cedric sat down on displayed a vast field with tall, green grass waving in the breeze under a clear blue sky.
"It's great," Harry told him. "I always imagined living underground being more claustrophobic. But this… this is nice." He looked around, noticing a lack of clutter in the room. "I'm surprised it's so tidy, our room's usually a mess."
"It's our hard-working Hufflepuff nature," Cedric replied. "Plus Professor Sprout runs a tight ship, with room inspections and such. For a woman who's never caught without a patch of dirt on her she sure values cleanliness."
"Yeah, you think you know someone," Harry opined. "Where are your roommates?"
"Gone," said Cedric. "I asked them to clear out until curfew."
"What did you tell them?"
"Nothing," Cedric replied. "I just said I needed the room. I think they're under the impression that I'm going to use it to deflower Cho. That is, if they don't believe I have already."
"They're not too far off," Harry pointed out. "They think you're with Cho?"
"Based solely on the fact that we spend time together and she's a girl, yes," Cedric said, rolling his eyes. "People see what they want to see, you know? Story of my life."
"And mine," Harry added.
"At least we have each other," Cedric grinned, ruffling the younger boy's hair.
Harry smiled.
"Curfew for you is nine o'clock, right?" he verified. "You're sure none of your roommates will come back before that?"
"Pretty sure," Cedric answered hesitantly. He gnawed his lip for a second. "I think I'll lock the door. Just to be safe. You make yourself comfortable. Feel free to have a poke around my things. With a curiosity like yours, I'm sure you're dying to."
Feigning insult, Harry stuck out his tongue at him. Cedric laughed.
Not one to turn down free reign to riffle through his boyfriend's belongings, Harry sat at Cedric's desk and did exactly that. The desk was quite tidy, which was no less than Harry would've expected of him. The textbooks were neatly stacked in one corner. The quills and parchment and ink bottles in the drawers were all nicely arranged. Harry envied his boyfriend's organizational skills. His own possessions were strewn all about his portion of the fourth year Gryffindor boys' dormitory.
There was an item in the bottom left drawer that piqued Harry's interest. A small, rectangular box, about half the size of an ordinary shoebox. It was a pale shade of green. He pulled it out.
"Cedric?" Harry called, looking over the item in his hands. "What's this?"
"What's what?" Cedric asked as he returned from the door. He froze when he saw what Harry was holding. "That?" he squeaked. "That's nothing."
"Yeah, because when your voice goes all high like that it means you're telling the truth," Harry scoffed.
He pulled the lid off before Cedric could stop him. Inside it was –
Harry.
Quite literally. Staring up at Harry from inside the box was a picture of himself, the one featured in the Daily Prophet last November. The accompanying article was there as well. There were also the Witch Weekly article about his "secret heartache", the packaging from the Bertie Bott's Harry had given Cedric for Christmas, a larger version of the picture of them at the Yule Ball that Harry kept in his locket, and various notes and cards Harry'd given him. They were all there, though Harry saw that the note he'd sent Cedric the night they broke up was conspicuously absent. Towards the bottom of the pile there was another article from the Prophet, one Harry hadn't ever seen before. It wasn't very long. The title read: "BOY-WHO-LIVED REJOINS WIZARDING WORLD."
"What's this?" Harry asked, holding it up.
Cedric, who was standing over him biting his lip nervously, squinted at the clipping.
"That," he said, "is an article they had in the paper the year you started at Hogwarts. My mum sent it to me. She thought I should, um, try to make friends with you. Because she figured you wouldn't have very many here, growing up with Muggles and all."
"That's very nice of her," Harry said. It reminded him of the way Mrs. Weasley had doted on him when she realized who he was.
"She's a very nice lady," Cedric replied.
"Clearly you didn't, though," Harry remarked. "How come?"
"I was shy," Cedric admitted. "You were two years below me and in a different house and back then I bought into the hype about you being the famous Harry Potter. A lot of people did. No one really knew how to approach you."
"Yeah, well, people see what they want to see, right?" Harry quipped.
"I wanted to. Talk to you, that is," Cedric insisted. "But, well… like I said, I was shy."
"We're friends now," Harry said. "That's all that matters." He stared at the article. "You kept this? All these years? And all of these things…?"
Cedric shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed having been caught with a small collection of Harry memorabilia.
Harry never felt the need for proof of how Cedric felt for him. He showed it every day, in little ways; the things Cedric said or the way he looked at Harry. Yet right here, in Harry's hands, was concrete evidence that Cedric loved him. It was one thing to know it, to believe it. It was another to actually see it. And it made Harry all the more certain that he was ready.
Oh yes, he was ready.
Harry got out of the chair and leaned up to kiss Cedric, wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck. Cedric's hands wandered up Harry's back. Harry took a few steps backward, toward the bed, pulling Cedric along with him. They tumbled onto the mattress and kicked off their shoes, never breaking their lip lock. They made quick work of their clothing, eager as they were, wrenching off garments and tossing them in a pile on the floor.
"Okay, stop. Stop!" Harry cried out.
Cedric stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Harry assured him, heart pounding. "Too intense. I don't want to end up doing something that'll ruin our plans."
"Right, right," Cedric grunted.
He rolled off of Harry to lie at the boy's left side. Cedric stroked Harry's arm as Harry struggled to reign in his hormones.
"So how do we…" Harry trailed off.
"Do this?" Cedric supplied.
"Yeah," Harry said sheepishly. "I understand the basic mechanics, but I'm not sure how we accomplish it."
"There was something in the Guide," Cedric said. "Hang on."
He climbed over Harry and off the bed, where he began searching through the desk drawers. Harry put his arms behind his head and watched, smiling. It was hard not to while Cedric was standing there naked and Harry was able to think, He's all mine.
"Aha!" Cedric cried triumphantly, holding up The Young Wizard's Guide to Gay Sex.
He sat at the edge of the bed. Harry moved closer to read over his shoulder. Cedric flipped through it, past now-familiar moving images that made Harry all the more eager to keep going. He halted when he came to a certain page.
"Here we go," he said. "It says there's a particular spell you can cast on your, uh, yourself, you know, down there, when you're going to bottom. It'll sort of loosen me up and reduce any, er, pain or discomfort I may experience."
"'Pain or discomfort?'" Harry reiterated. "I don't like the sound of that."
"It's part of the deal, Harry," Cedric asserted. "And I'm okay with it. I want this." He turned and kissed Harry. "I'm pretty sure you want it, too," he murmured into the boy's lips.
"What gave me away?" Harry smirked. "All right, if you're sure you're okay."
"Promise," Cedric said, resting his forehead against Harry's. "Now, let me try this."
He bent over and pulled his wand out of their pile of discarded clothing while Harry took off his glasses and put them on Cedric's desk. After studying the Guide briefly, Cedric pointed his wand underneath him.
"Concedo coire familiaritas," he said. His eyes widened a fraction. "Huh."
"You okay?" Harry asked fearfully,
"Yeah, yeah," Cedric assured him, placing his wand on the desk next to Harry's glasses. "It feels… weird. Like I'm, I dunno, empty, or something." He grinned cheekily at Harry. "Are you ready?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Harry replied.
Cedric laughed.
When they were finished, not too much later, Harry fell back into the sheets beside Cedric, both boys' chests heaving to catch their breath. Cedric leaned over and kissed his boyfriend, a kiss fueled more by love now than lust.
"Thank you," Cedric whispered, taking Harry in his arms.
"Thank you," Harry said back. "How do you feel? You know, down there?"
"Empty again," Cedric sighed. "But okay. The spell hasn't worn off yet. I guess we'll see what happens when it does. How do you feel?"
"Awesome," Harry laughed. "It was incredible. I can't wait to have another go."
"Well," said Cedric, "unfortunately that won't be tonight, as I am now exhausted, plus it's," he checked his watch, "oh shit, ten to nine."
"Shit!" Harry cried, sitting bolt upright. "Shit!"
He scrambled out of bed and began yanking on his clothes. Cedric did the same. They sorted through the pile, passing each other any items they'd mistakenly picked up for themselves. Despite their sense of urgency, Harry found himself giggling a bit. Soon Cedric was, too. Ron was right: if you couldn't laugh about sex, you shouldn't be having it.
"Whoa," Harry said suddenly, bracing himself against the desk chair. "My legs are shaking. Do you think that's, like, normal?"
"I don't know," Cedric said. "There wasn't anything in the Guide about it." He eyed Harry nervously as he handed him his Invisibility Cloak. "Come on, I'll walk you out."
Harry threw the Cloak over himself. He followed Cedric out, taking one last look around the room as they went. It didn't look any different than when he'd entered, except for the slightly messy bed.
That seemed strange to Harry. The world was completely the same. It was funny to think that there'd been a time, less than a year ago, when Harry thought being gay was the end of everything. And now – now he'd just made love to another boy for the first time and the world kept on spinning. Madness. As they made their way back up the tunnel to the Hufflepuff common room, Harry considered the legions of horny Hogwarts students who'd lost their virginities in that very castle. Those who, literally, came before him. Now he was a member of their ranks. Did wonders never cease?
It was more difficult getting out of the Hufflepuff dormitory than it had been getting in. Now that it was nearly curfew there were more students crammed into the common room. Harry had to be extra careful not to bump into anyone by accident. This was made even more difficult by the fact that his legs were still shaking. Somehow he managed. A group of boys on the far side of the room cheered when they saw Cedric; his roommates, Harry guessed. Cedric waved and kept walking right out the door. Frederick the Friendly stepped aside to let them out, then went back into place. Harry pulled off the Cloak.
"How are your legs?" Cedric asked.
"Not entirely unwobbly," Harry admitted.
"Maybe I should walk you back to your room. Just in case."
"I'm sure I'll be fine," Harry told him.
"Well, maybe I want to," Cedric argued. "Did you ever think about that?"
"Of course not," Harry responded, starting slowly down the corridor with Cedric close at his side, "because I am deeply selfish and rarely consider your feelings. If ever."
"I figured as much," Cedric said. "Using me for my body, eh? Gonna chuck me now that you've gotten me in the sack?"
"Obviously," said Harry. "What use do I have for you now?"
"More sex?" Cedric proposed.
"Ooh, good point," Harry said. "All right, I guess I'll keep you around then."
"Promise?" Cedric asked as they walked up the stairs to the entrance hall.
"You know I do."
End Notes: Holy crap is this chapter long. It just kept going, and far be it for me to stop myself. I know I completely deviated from canon with my description of the Hufflepuff House entrance. My reasoning is that each House's entrance should be different. For Gryffindor it's, of course, the Fat Lady's portrait. For Slytherin it's a blank wall. For Ravenclaw it's a door with a knocker. And for Hufflepuff it's – what? Another painting! Lame, JKR. Way to drop the ball on creativity. Which is why I made it a statue instead. As for the common room, well, I simply thought that'd be cute. Who else is super pissed that we got in-depth descriptions of every common room except Hufflepuff's?
Anyway, this is dedicated to my boyfriend, Nicholas, for our six month anniversary. He is the Cedric to my Harry. :) -kevo