Setting B5 - Hot

Fall E4 - Harvest

Shipping E1 - Hobby

Stacked With: FPC; BAON; ToS; SIN; PP; SoC; Star; Fence; Shower; ER; MLG; Cluster; T3; TY; FaB; Set; Ship

Individual Challenges: Short Jog (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Neurodivergent (Y); Rian-Russo Inversion (Y); Ethnic & Present (Y); Disabled (Y); Setting Sail (Y); Hold the Mayo (Y); Lunar Era (Y); Gryffindor MC x3; Hufflepuff MC; Magical MC x5; Chef MC; Old Shoes (Y); Green Acres; Go Fluff Yourself; Adult Activities (Y)

Primary & Secondary: Second Verse (Deadliest Catch; Unwanted Advice; Teat Juice; Not a Lamp; Ladylike); Chorus (Some Beach; Larger Than Life; Tomorrow's Shade; Mouth of Babes; Bee Haven; Machismo)

Tertiary & Generic: T3 (Thimble); TY (Enfant)

Word Count: 1326

Warnings:

~o0o~

"Cedric, when you're done I need you to take these crates of fruit to Miss Dahlia," Mum called out.

"Alright!" he called back, his stomach lurching with excitement. He hurried to pick the last of the ripe cherries in the trees.

Miss Dahlia was a nice lady who was the only "out" witch in town. At least, the Muggles called her that because of her amazing home remedies for colds, burns, and itches. Everyone knew to go see her for whatever ails them, but she was really known for her bakery. And all her eggs, milk, and fruit came from Rosehill Farm. Cedric liked her and she always had a box of treats for him to bring home, but every summer for the past eight years he would jump at the chance to bring her the supplies because it meant her niece would be there.

Hermione. Hermione. H-E-R-M-I-O-N-E.

At first, she was just someone new to talk to. She was a student at the Kilokilo Academy of Magic all the way in the Pacific Ocean. She was smart and clever and she liked his wit. They talked about everything and nothing while she watched the front of the store. And they wrote to each other often during the school year.

And one day, he walked in and found his heart jumping in his throat when he saw her. He got butterflies everytime she sent a letter and he caught himself thinking of her more than he used to. When he would flirt or get asked out on dates at school, he felt guilt and wondered what Hermione would think. Which was silly, they weren't even dating. He didn't even tell her that he liked her.

Cedric hurried about loading up the blueberries, strawberries, cherries, plums, courgettes, rhubarb, crates of eggs, and tanks of milk into the cart before bringing out Tank and attaching him to the front. He wanted to shower and change before going in, but the summer was so much hotter than normal that he would be a sweaty mess before he even got there anyway.

It took even more self-control not to take Tank at a gallop. Miss Dahlia would be furious if anything came in broken, spilled, or bruised. It was the beginning of summer. Hermione would be there.

He whistled cheerfully and stopped outside the front of the store. He grabbed the bouquet of sunflowers that he picked from the borders of his land and hurried inside. Sure enough, Hermione was there. She was reading a book at the counter, her cloud of brown hair held out of her face with a brightly patterned scarf. Her skin was the color of freshly tilled soil and her eyes were the same brown as the chestnuts that grew in the neighboring field. She looked up and smiled a broad, gap-toothed smile that was more charming every time he saw it.

"Hi, Cedric!" she said, tossing her book aside.

"Hello, Hermione." He handed her the bouquet. "For you."

"Sunflowers! My favorite!" she gushed and set them in a vase of water that she had ready, minding the thorns along the stems. "Let me help you bring everything in."

She maneuvered her wheelchair around the counter and followed him out to the cart. He handed her the basket of blueberries, then lifted the milk containers. They were heavy, but he was used to it. Hermione followed him to the back of the store where everything would be placed in the massive walk-in refrigerator.

"Hello, Cedric," said Miss Dahlia cheerfully, looking up from the wedding cake she was decorating. "Hermione was anxiously awaiting your delivery today."

"Auntie!" Hermione hissed.

Cedric felt quite pleased at that and grinned. He set the milk down and hurried to bring the rest in so one) it wouldn't get stolen, and two) he had more time to flirt.

"It's a scorcher," she said. "I don't think I've seen a summer so warm."

"How long are you here this time?" he asked, handing her the strawberries. The length of her visits always varied.

"Until the end of the summer," she said.

Two whole months! Cedric didn't think his smile could get any bigger. A few customers came in, so he continued bringing in the produce while Hermione helped them out. When he was done, he washed his face and changed his shirt in the bathroom. He still smelled of dirt and barn, but at least he wasn't drenched in sweat. He walked to the front to see half the Weasley boys plus Harry Potter crowding around the counter and ordering treats of their own.

"You know, you've gotten really cute Hermione," said Fred.

Cedric felt his cheeks flush and the little monster of jealousy nest in his stomach. Hermione furrowed her brow.

"Are you saying I wasn't cute before?" she asked.

"Er… What I meant… Of course you were cute before!" he stammered, growing flustered.

"Then would it not have been better to just call me cute?"

"I guess. Do you think I'm cute?"

"You're adorable." There wasn't much feeling behind it, but Hermione didn't lie.

Still, this encouraged Fred and he tried to be suave again. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

"I dunno. Probably going to help Aunt Dahlia go through the inventory, sort out what will be used in pies and what will be made into jam."

Cedric sidled up next to her and rested his arms on the counter. "What Fred is getting at is that he wants to ask you out on a date because you're cute."

"But he asked what I was doing tonight," she said. "So I told him."

"Is she putting me on?"

"N—" Cedric snorted as Hermione made the Hannibal Lecter slurping sounds. "Stop. No, she's just very literal. You have to say exactly what you mean."

"That's mental," said Ron.

Hermione slid over the boxes of sweets and flicked her fingers. "Got all the produce and such put away?"

"Yes. All sorted," he said. "Do you want to go on a date with Fred?"

"No."

The little green monster inside him purred and he tried not to look too smug. "Sorry, mate."

"Yeah, whatever." Fred handed over the money for the pastries.

"I made those," said Hermione, giving him his change. "I've been practicing and Aunt Dahlia said they're good enough to sell."

"Really? Can I have one?" Cedric asked.

She nodded and brought one out for him.

"Careful, Diggory, you're one sandwich away from fat," said Fred sourly.

Cedric twitched and frowned. He liked food and he was bulky from hard work. What was wrong with that?

"Don't be mean," Hermione scolded.

"Oh, I get it," said George. "You two are dating!"

Cedric nearly dropped the fruit and cream cheese filled pastry. "Er. No."

"We are not," said Hermione. She craned her neck when the bells above the door chimed. "Excuse me, I have customers."

Cedric wandered off to the side so she could work and the Weasleys and Harry left. He took a bite of the pastry and couldn't stop himself from scarfing down the rest. Before he could ask, Hermione slid over a second and smiled at him. When the customers had gone, he returned to her side and talked and cracked jokes with her.

"So, you aiming to be the world's greatest pastry chef?" he asked.

"No, baking is just a hobby," she said. "I do it to take a break. I'm in all advanced courses at school and I stress myself sick, which is why my parents send me here for the summer. Otherwise, I'd just take a summer course and I wouldn't rest at all. They call me a savant. A child genius. I don't have any friends back home."

"Well, I'm glad you visit every summer so we can be friends here," he said. "But I hope you know that I'll exclusively eat whatever you make."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.