Cedric's unease had still not died down despite Queenie's multiple reassurances. He was convinced that if he truly cared for her as much as he should, he should of known and now because he didn't he was trying to spend every waking (and sleeping) moment, with Queenie to 'earn his keep' and 'prove his loyalty'. Cedric just wanted her to know he did care and he did love her. Of course Queenie knew this but his mind was hazed because of the circumstances and the worry had consumed him and tinted everything he did. Cedric, now more than ever, needed to be in physical contact with her at every moment possible for as long as possible. His very clingy behaviour did grate upon their friends occasionally but for the most they found it sweet and Cedric's harem found it positively sublime. His over affectionate displays and shows of tentativeness not only fuelled their love for the boy (and their petty dislike for Queenie) but also got them firing on all canisters when it came to imagining what being an the most precious object to Cedric was like.
The weeks were passing but the school was still buzzing with the thrill of the second task, much to Cedric's dislike. Now relaxing in the common room before business the ever gossiping Rita bounded in, paper in hand . The students were in their school uniforms, collecting their bits and bobs for the day or just simply chilling in an armchair or on a sofa. The Hogwarts it couple were doing the latter. Cedric sat a sofa, Queenie in his lap - her back to the arm of the sofa while he traced invisible patterns on her knees.
"Guys! Have you read this?!" Rita exclaimed, almost skidding to a halt because of the speed she came skipping in at.
"Read what Rita?" Nathan grumbled, ransacking the spare equipment drawers for a 'quill that actually works and writes nice' as he so eloquently put it.
"Right, ok. Rita Skeeter …" Rita began but groaning cut her off. A majority of the student body voiced their protests at the vile creature's name. Queenie rolling her eyes and dropping her head to Cedric's shoulder for dramatic effect as he chortled at her immaturity
"Oh, hush. Harry Potter's secret heart ache. A boy like no other, perhaps - yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents …"
"Enough" Queenie abruptly jumped in, raising to stand as she collected her bag and helped up Cedric.
"Rita she's a cruel heartless cow. That woman is a low, slanderous and more than likely promiscuous vamp who exploits others and for some reason, God knows what she's got it in the neck for Harry. She writes demeaning and nasty articles based of the testimonies of Pansy Parkinson and always, without fail, brings his parents into whatever story she's concocting" Queenie ranted and the others made noises of agreement.
"I know I completely agree with you, Queen Bee. It's just, well, you're mentioned later on" Rita held out the paper and suddenly all Queenie's immediate friends gathered around her and Cedric, who read from his head's spot on her shoulder.
"He bestows his heart on a worthier candidate, like Miss Askoy. The half Greek, half blood is a stunningly attractive witch with a dangerous feel to her. She's a year older that Harry and a member of the 'others' but has already captured the heart of both Diggory and Krum, what's to stop her luring in another champion? Then again her Hufflepuff status may deter the pure Gryffindor lineage that Potter possesses" Queenie read allowed before rolling her eyes again.
"That woman" Cedric mumbled, kissing Queenie's shoulder
"Is a …" Queenie went to finish but her house mates beat her to it with varied replies.
"Toad"
"Harlot"
"Git"
"Slag"
"Satanic media dictator"
"Arse Peg"
"Well I was going to say irritating bint but yeah, those work too" Queenie shrugged.
-line break-
Hogsmeade weekend was upon the students in no time. Unfortunately Queenie had become rather ill, violently bringing up anything that went down meaning she was condemned to spend the Hogsmeade trip laid up on the hospital ward. Thankfully Cedric stayed with her. He rubbed her back and held her out of the way when she was sick. He rubbed her belly when it felt like it was contracting into a tiny coiled spring which was being compressed far too much. He gave her more blankets when she got cold and wiped her head with a damp cloth when her temperature sky rocketed. When she had visitors he did most of the talking because she was either asleep or too ill to do so and throughout it all he stayed right next to her. Cuddled up in bed with his lover, even when he tried to pull away a little when she got warm, Queenie heaved him back and gladly accepted her weak form into his strong arms despite the risk of illness. Part of her was gutted she missed the Hogsmeade because it meant she and Cedric couldn't have their usual dates in the little village but another part like being at school when only the 1st and 2nd years were there, as her and Cedric's first dates were on one of the weekends where the school was almost empty. However she was slightly swinging towards wanting to be in Hogsmeade as she'd overheard the golden trip talking about 'Snuffles'. Queenie was no Ravenclaw but worked out it was a code name for something or someone and she knew they were meeting the alias 'Snuffles' today in Hogsmeade - she was curious at to who or what Snuffles was.
"I hate being sick" Queenie mumbled, her voice croaky and her glassy as the strain of being ill and the general fed up-ness caught up with her making her emotional
"I hate it more, trust me. You're always ill nowadays. You've either felt a bit peaky or actually physically thrown up 15 times since the arrival of the delegations to my knowledge" Cedric tunnelled her hair through his fingers.
"I'm pretty sure it's impossible to hate me being sick more than I hate being sick"
"Trust me. It is. You're not comfortable and it's obvious. You're in pain and it's obvious. You're fed up and it's obvious. I should be stopping you from feeling like this and I can't. You being like this makes me feel inadequate, as selfish as that sounds"
"Selfish?"
"I'm thinking about how it makes me feel and yet you're the one going through it" Cedric croaked, he too sounding a little upset
"Cedric Diggory, you are not selfish. You are the most caring, sweet, delightful, intelligent and not to mention attractive boy on the planet! Don't you ever, ever, ever even think otherwise. Now as punishment for your silliness I order you to cuddle with me" after stressing the 'ever's 'she tightened her hold on him
"I'm already cuddling you" he laughed and kissed her head
"It's still punishment because I'm ill, you might get sick"
"Yeah but then I'd have you to play nurse so it's good"
"That maybe but you playing Doctor is absolutely terrific" Queenie smirked, snuggling closer to him.
-line break-
After a few days, Queenie was still in the Hospital wing. Her vomiting having subsided but her temperature still spiralling up and down out of control. Cedric had spent the entire time with her and currently, despite her sickness, they were indulging in quite a heated and passionate kiss. They were lying on her bed, cherishing their time alone - Rita, bless her sweet and worrying soul, had also spent a majority of time with the couple meaning they had to tone down their displays of love. Of course most of their friends would have scoffed at the mere suggestion, saying their love is never toned down but in reality it really was. Their tentativeness alone was 1000 times more than when they were with even the closest friends. She had her hands on his chest and his muscular arms wrapped around her shapely figure.
"I love you" Cedric breathed against her lips as they came up for air. Queenie's sole response was to lean up, pressing a chaste kiss to his swollen lips.
"I love you too" she relayed the common yet true confession. Cedric pulled her body on top his, both giggling as he did so. She smiled down at him as she straddled his waist while he propped himself up on his elbows. They gazed into each others eyes and Cedric had a little grin on his face as his eyes roamed down from her eyes to her slightly parted and puffy (from kissing) lips. Cedric leant back down on the bed fully, moving his arms so he was no longer resting on his elbows and bringing them up so his hands could cradle her cheeks. His used the light grip on her face to pull her down, so she was flush to him, smashing their lips together again. Her eyes shut as she moved one hand to run caress his scalp while the other rested in his chest. His hands, however, stroked down her sides and came to rest on her hips, He lightly moaned into the kiss, pulling her hips even closer to his. At his action the kiss became more heated, full of passion and lust as they forget their surroundings. Normally they would have stopped, the Hospital Wing being a very open area and all but the lack of patients instilled a confidence that allowed them to continue. Their lips slowly unlocked from one and other, a moan escaping Queenie as the cold air hit her warm, tingling an swollen lips. By this point Cedric had already moved on and was now kissing her jawline, leaving her to gape ever so slightly with her head tilted to allow more access, above him, as he began slowly kissing, nibbling and sucking her neck.
"Ced …" she breathed out, her warm exhale hitting his shoulder evoking the skin to erupt in goosebumps. She massaged his biceps as he sucked and punctured her collarbone as he kissed it. His hands found their way up her pyjama top. His hands swept over the cups of her bra before playing with the clasp.
"Madame Pomfrey, I - OH MY GOD! I'm so sorry!" The voice of Hermione Granger caused them to jump apart. Queenie sat on the end of the bed while Cedric scooted up, closer towards the pillow. The younger Gryffindor had her hands clasped over her eyes as she rambled an apology.
"It's fine, 'Mione … er, your hands? What's happened?" Queenie enquires getting off the bed and approaching the girl who'd now removed her hands from her face. Cedric tried and failed to hide his whine. Her caring ways was one of the many reasons Cedric loved Queenie but sometimes he wished she draw a line and refuse to care. This was one of those situations. He wanted Queenie to show Hermione she cared and then dismiss her so they could continue.
"I angered Rita Skeeter" Hermione confessed as Queenie tentatively took her hands.
"Oh my! But she can't do that! Can she? I mean, this is child abuse!" Queenie protested and she inspected the frizzy haired girl's hands
"This is Rita Skeeter we're talking about. I don't think morals come into the decisions she makes"
"She's a wench" Queenie deducted with a firm nod of the head.
