Shipping: D3 - Unconventional Date
Fall B5 - Telescope
Setting C1 - Beach
Stacked With: SoC, PP, LL, NC, StL, ToS, BAON, FPC, Cluster, MLG, AV, ER, Shower, Fence, Star, SHoE, RoIL, O3, SN, T3, TY, CM, Mea, Ship, FaB, Set
Individual Challenges: Long Haul (Y); The Real MC; Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Chef MC; Neurodivergent x3 (Yx3); Rian-Russo Inversion x2 (Yx2); Ethnic & Present x2 (Tx2); Disabled (Y); Tiny Terror (Y); Ship Sails (Y); Hold the Mayo x2 (Yx2); Zed Era (Y); Gryffindor MC; Hufflepuff MC; Magical MC x3 (Yx1); Old Shoes (Y); Culturally Inclined; Ysdyrnuds; Human Companion; Tell My Story (Y); Citrus Sale; Go Fluff Yourself; Adult Activities (Y); Kinder (Y)
Representations: BC Use
Primary & Secondary Challenges: Jet Fuel; Second Verse (Dog Star; Rock of Ages; Deadliest Catch; Car in a Tutu; Unwanted Advice; Nontraditional; Sneeze Weasel; Teat Juice; Not a Lamp); Chorus (Some Beach; Infinity; Tomorrow's Shade; Mouth of Babes; Machismo; Fizzy Lemonade; Pear-Shaped)
Tertiary & Generic Challenges: SHoE (Onus); RoIL (Satisfaction; Amelioration); O3 (Orator; Oust); SN (Ameliorate); T3 (Thimble); TY (Enfant; Ntaiv); Mea (Bisect)
Warnings: Mentions of past relationship troubles
~o0o~
When Cedric and Hermione were the ones to pick Rose up from school, the young girl screamed happily and hugged him so tightly he nearly cried. He still planned to sleep on the couch, but Hermione had cleared space in her closet and drawers for his things until they could find a second dresser. He figured he could start accumulating things again. Maybe if he asked Luna she'd send him some of the things from his mother's (may her memory be a blessing) vault. Photos, things like that.
Though he was more preoccupied with taking Hermione out on a date. He had it all planned out. Rose had been invited to stay the night with her friend Lila, Leilani's daughter, and would be taken to school the next morning with her.
Leilani's grin when they dropped Rose off was enough to make him feel entirely embarrassed. He knew everyone thought he and Hermione were already sleeping together, but did they have to act so smug about them deciding to be a couple?
Based on her love of stargazing, Cedric decided stargazing and a picnic would make a good first date. They had worked that morning but would have the evening and the entire next day off.
"Bye, Mama! Have fun on your date," said Rose, running up to meet her friend Lila.
"I will," said Hermione.
"Have lots of fun," said Leilani.
"Uh-huh. Tell the grapevine I said hi," said Hermione. "Make sure Rose gets to bed at a decent hour."
"No problem." Leilani went back into her apartment.
"I don't think I told you this, but you look lovely," said Cedric.
"Really?" she said. "Thanks. It's been a few years since my last date."
She had taken her hair out of the braids, leaving it loose and she put on one of the dresses her cousin sent her for Hanukkah. It was a pretty shade of yellow that complimented her dark brown skin well. Of course, he was wearing more makeup than she was. She mentioned that she didn't see much point in buying it since it was usually gone by the end of the work day anyway. At least, she complimented him on his choice in makeup and jewelry. She didn't make him feel weird about it.
They had packed a picnic and would be going to the beach. He wanted them to be alone with her and not have friends chatting with them.
"Is this the way to the beach?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
"There's three private areas set aside for wixen and those privy to magic, which is basically all the locals," said Hermione. "This beach is pretty much dead after sunset during the off season. Most touring wixen prefer the private beaches on the other islands, and you know how many magical people there are on this island?"
"I do not."
"Less than a thousand," she said. "And they all live here. Keeps property value reasonable. You know some. Leilani, Kai, Rachel…"
"Huh… so why wouldn't they be at the beach?"
"High tide makes quarters pretty tight, so they go to one of the other spots. There will be plenty of room for us two." She glanced at him and smiled.
"It's okay that I picked this, right?" he asked.
"Of course," she said. "Cedric, you could have suggested we watch paint dry and it would still be the best date I've had. Ever."
"Oh, come on, that can't be true."
"Cedric, the last time I almost had a good date was with Viktor and my night was ruined by Ron," she said. "And any date with Ron ended in disappointment or an argument or both. Since having Rose, I've been set up on four blind dates and I had to sit my friends down and ask them if they were happy in their relationships because each man was worse than the last! The first stared at my breasts the entire time, the second got drunk and spilled his drink down my front before puking on my shoes and passing out, the third didn't ask me a single question about myself before proudly admitting that he didn't believe in tipping, and the last we didn't even make it out the door. Rose was very clingy that night and didn't want me to leave. He called her a pest, so I used my grown up words and sent him on his way."
"My G-d," Cedric whispered.
"Yeah. Now you're already at an advantage because I know you, you're an amazing roommate, and my daughter and dog love you."
He exhaled. "No pressure. I know what you mean though, since I lost my legs I haven't had a single genuine date that wasn't out of pity. Who even does that? Flirts with a bloke, makes him think he's got a shot at normalcy, and then when you try and be intimate you find out that she finds your stubs weird and a turn-off. That's happened to me three times now, and well, Cho and I sort of imploded before all that. After I left, I didn't get close to anyone. Didn't see the point if all they would see was…"
"The outside," she finished.
"Yeah."
"Well, they must've been idiots," she said and turned down a nearly hidden path. "You're a dish."
Cedric held onto the grab handle as the road turned rough and they both stopped talking to avoid biting their tongues. He got slightly nervous as they approached a dead end sign, but he told himself that things weren't what they seemed. Sure enough, they phased through it onto a smoother path, which led to a small car park. Sure enough, there was nobody on the beach. It was a small patch of sand with massive rocks and thick foliage surrounding it. The way the setting sun hit the water and colored the sky was absolutely breathtaking.
"Will your prosthetics be an issue in the sand?" Hermione asked.
He froze. "Ah… Er… I can take them off but then…"
"So take them off," she said. "I don't want sand getting all caught up in your joints, the restaurant isn't accommodated for a wheelchair. Which it really should be; we need to make it disability friendly. Er, as much as we can. I don't see how we can feasibly make it accessible for those with aversion to noise."
He bit his lip and removed his legs and silicone socks. She wasn't put off, he had to remind himself of that. He'd been made to feel insecure in himself for so long, it was weird being with someone who just didn't see it as an issue and seemed more upset at the world for not suiting him.
While he made his way to her, Hermione laid out the blanket and weighed it down so it wouldn't blow away. She set the basket down and waited patiently for him to catch up.
"Hands," she said.
He held them out and she used the aguamenti spell to rinse the sand away. He dried them off on a napkin.
"Okay," she said. "Show me what's for dinner."
"Well, I went with vegetarian options," he said. "Because I know if you have to choose between meat and cheese, you go for cheese. And I also know how much you love sandwiches, and well, parcels of any kind."
"I do love cheese," she said. "And sandwiches are my favorite. It's just great texture-wise. Parcels are in the same category really, you have dough surrounding filling."
"Well, we've got spring rolls from that place you like to start, then tofu parmesan sandwiches with red peppers and fresh basil, harajuku salad, and for dessert, Japanese fruit sandwiches. I bought the milk bread from that bakery you like. To drink: water and that sangria recipe you showed me. I put them in these bottles so they don't spill."
Everything had been kept fresh like he'd just finished making it moments ago thanks to some preservation spells.
"Screw the dating stuff, just marry me right now!" said Hermione, her eyes gleaming.
His face grew hot at that. He handed her a bottle of Sangria (he only packed them one each) and quickly sipped his. Them. Married. He felt excited by the idea.
"Sorry, did I make things weird?" Hermione asked. "I say things without thinking sometimes."
"No, sorry. Like I said I haven't been on a real date in—" he exhaled slowly "— a long time."
"Well, I'm enjoying myself," she said.
Still the need to babble overwhelmed everything else.
"You know," he said, "when I first got fitted for my legs, they asked me if I wanted to be taller than my original height. See, my dorm mate, Aiden, had this real bug up his arse about surpassing me in something and it seemed whatever I did he failed to do better. Well, when I was first in the chair he kept going on about how he was finally taller than me. He was like an inch shorter than my original height when I lost my legs, and he grew two inches over the summer, so when I was asked if I wanted to be taller I said, 'Absolutely!' and they added on three inches."
"Ooh! I bet Aiden hated that," Hermione giggled.
"Lost his damn mind when I walked in after winter holiday," said Cedric.
"I always thought you were tall," said Hermione. "But I've always been tiny. My mum said my emotions were too big for my body, which is why I react so strongly to everything but really that's the autism. Er, I think the best analogy is Changeling?"
"Oh, yeah," said Cedric, nodding. "People with fae blood, like my cousin Luna, tend to have qualities that make them changelings. But I take it autism is its own thing?"
"That's right. Rose is autistic, too. Of course, her main interest is numbers. I never really had any, so I just threw myself into studying. Lila has autism, but she's not a savant. I think they just understand each other and that's why they're best friends. But it got me into quite a bit of trouble in my primary days. My reactions got me expelled, but it was shortly before I was accepted to Hogwarts."
"I can't really imagine you being expelled," said Cedric. "Yeah, you were a rebel, but you seemed to know where the line was."
"Well, nobody at Hogwarts bullied my deaf sister," said Hermione. "And by that time my anger spirals switched over to tears. Which I think is worse really, but what can you do?"
"Ah. Well, that's alright then," he said. "I grew up homeschooled and my mum had incorporated farm work into our lessons. Can't tell you how difficult it was counting sheep. I kept falling asleep in my saddle."
Hermione laughed again and he was warmed by the sound.
They ate and talked and when it got dark, Hermione cast baubles of light for them to see by. The surf grew closer and closer, yet never touched the blanket. After eating their fill, Hermione packed the basket back up, brought out a hand held telescope, and stretched out onto her back.
Cedric's imagination ran wild until she tapped his arm.
"Aren't you going to lie down?" she asked.
"Oh, er, right." He laid beside her and she doused the baubles of light.
His eyes adjusted to the darkness and soon he could see millions of stars.
"We'll have to do this again in the summer," said Hermione. "That's when you can see the galactic core."
"The what?"
"The band of the milky way," she said. "The galaxy our solar system resides in."
"Oh." He gazed up at the stars. "I don't really see how this can get any better. It's beautiful."
"It is, isn't it?" Hermione scooted closer and found his hand, entwining her fingers with his. "How good were you at finding constellations?"
"Pretty good," he said. "Orion, Gemini, Canis Major, Taurus. I know all of them."
"Then you should have no problem finding Lanalana the spider."
"Er…"
"Or the Wives of Makali'i. Or Hōkūlei?"
"Are you making those up?"
"All constellations are made up," she said.
"Ah, true."
"But no. These are the Hawaiian Constellations. If it were summer I could point you to Maui's fish hook. Instead I'll tell you a different story. Here, look through the telescope and find Pleiades."
Cedric listened intently, staring up at the sky as Hermione's soft voice fell over the waves that grew closer and closer to the blanket.
"Oh, look, a shooting star!" said Hermione, pointing out where a meteor had streaked across the sky. "Make a wish!"
He looked over at her and in the pale light of the rising moon, saw her cross her fingers and scrunch her face as she made a wish. It was an unexpected reaction from her and he found himself falling a little more in love.
"Did you make a wish?" she asked.
"Didn't need to," he said. "My wish came true when I met you."
She turned towards him and he knew she was blushing. He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. She slipped her arms around him and deepened the kiss.
Neither noticed the clouds roll in or the wind pick up until Hermione squeaked and jerked her legs in.
"What's wrong?" Cedric asked and saw lightning flash, illuminating the ocean that licked at their picnic blanket. "Oh."
Hermione sat up and grabbed the basket before it could be swept away.
"Back to the car!" she said as the rain began to fall.
She could have snatched their things up and made it back. Instead, she kept his pace even though it meant getting soaked by torrential rainfall. His hands and legs were covered with wet sand by the time he made it to the car. Hermione made sure he got in okay before running around to the driver's side.
She turned the ignition over and bumped up the heat before driving them home.
Cedric was still cold, damp, and shivering by the time they made it there. As she parked, the rain stopped.
"Perfect timing," Hermione snorted. "Wait here, let me get your chair."
He waited patiently for her to return.
Another wave of rain came through after they were inside the house. While Etta begged for pets from Cedric, Hermione placed her shoes into the tub by the front door and carried their picnic things to the kitchen, no doubt to put the blanket in the basin in the utility room and the dirty dishes in the sink.
His insecurities bubbled up. Was she upset with how the date turned out? What if she decided he wasn't worth it? Or she didn't want him after all? That he was too broken or just too strange to be attractive? What if she hated the way he dressed, how he liked to wear jewelry and makeup, or just grew bored of him?
"Er, I'm just going to clean up," he said, waving the dog along.
"Wait a moment, there's something I need to do first," she said.
"What is it?"
She came out and went straight for him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. Any doubt he had fizzled out.
Groaning softly, Cedric locked his wheels and pulled her into his lap so he could hold her in his arms. His heart somersaulted with joy and he could sense similar happiness in her. A crack of thunder sent them apart like they had gotten caught doing something wrong. Hermione moved like she was going to get up, then turned back to him. She settled closer, her legs draped delicately over the arm of his chair. She gazed at him softly, carding her fingers through his hair. Their lips brushed ever so slightly, but the action sent thrills through him.
She kissed a trail along his jaw and then found a sensitive spot on his neck that made his breathing hitch. Was this happening? He didn't want it to end. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, her wrist, the Little Prince quote along her forearm. He ran his hand down her side, then up her thigh, the other clutching the fabric around her lower back.
She paused her kissing. At first he was worried he went too far when he heard her splutter.
"Sand," she said, looking at him to show a bit of sand that had made it on his collar crusted around her bottom lip. She swiped at it and cringed at the texture.
"Maybe we should clean up before we continue this," he said, pushing down the temptation to keep going. If there was sand there, he didn't want to get more somewhere uncomfortable.
She sighed, disappointed. "Yeah, probably."
She eased off his lap and went to her room.
He watched her walk away and exhaled slowly. One thing was certain: He wanted her. He grabbed a trash bag from the kitchen for his sand-covered clothes, glad Hermione had thought to lay a towel down on his wheelchair. Though he was sure he'd be finding it for days.
Hermione was done before he was, and was watching a movie on the couch.
He got dressed in her room in a t-shirt and shorts before joining her. She had changed into a tank top and the shortest shorts he'd ever seen her wear. His heart fluttered wildly and he wondered if he should ask to pick up where they left off or just start snogging her. He decided to go for a compromise.
"Alright," he said, climbing onto the couch. "Where were we?"
"Wait. Sand check." Hermione straddled him.
Every nerve felt electrified as her hands swam over him.
"Yep, all clear." She looked into his eyes and hers softened. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Just… proving that a relationship doesn't have to be miserable," she said. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't compare but I can't help it. No one's ever made sure I had my favorite foods or done something that I would love to do or even care about what I might find pleasurable." She pressed her face into his shoulder. "I wonder if I even deserve you."
She really has had shit luck with relationships, hasn't she?
Cedric hugged her tightly.
"You deserve happiness," he said. "And I want to make you happy because you make me happy." He huffed. "God, I'm not being eloquent, am I? What I mean is: I care about you and I know you care about me, too. Relationships are always give and take, and I think we both know what that entails so we can make this work."
"I think so, too." She inhaled sharply and clutched her stomach. "Shit. Excuse me."
She jumped to her feet and ran to her room.
She didn't curse often. Something was wrong. Furrowing his brow, Cedric listened to his own instinct and got up, getting the hot water bottle and a Tylenol.
"Murder me," Hermione muttered as he returned. She had curled back up on the couch.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," he said and handed her the water bottle.
"How'd you guess?" she asked. "Was it the fact that I climbed you like a tree then burst into tears?"
"I'm an empath," he reminded her. "I sensed something was wrong. Can I get you anything else?"
"No, just your company," she said. "Sorry, spoiled the whole thing didn't I?"
"Of course not," he said. "We can try snogging a bit later if you feel up to it. As for shagging, we'll talk about it another day."
He added that last part hoping to break the tension, he didn't expect her to nod in agreement.
"Definitely," she said and laid down, resting her cheek on his thigh.
They watched some show on the food network until Cedric wanted to go to bed. Hermione went to her room and he wondered if she was upset about something, until she returned with her pillow and settled in next to him.
"Is this okay?" she asked.
"Absolutely," he said and kissed her lightly.
She cuddled up to him, tucking her head under his chin and resting a hand on his chest.
~o0o~
He felt terrible. Cedric knew he wasn't feeling well the past few days but he had assumed it was allergies or fatigue. He coughed wetly into his sleeve and shuddered from chill.
"Rosie, time to get up," he heard Hermione say.
She switched on the lamp in the living room and took one look at him.
"Oh, darling, you're sick," she said, resting her hand on his forehead. "Yeah, a fever. There's no way you're going into work. Let me make a call."
His throat was too sore to speak, so he just stayed as he was. He hadn't been sick like this in a long time and he felt absolutely horrible. He couldn't hear what Hermione said over the phone, his ears were stuffy.
"Okay," said Hermione. "My dad's got your shift covered."
He nodded.
Hermione put another blanket over him and placed a bottle of water in his hand.
"You need your fluids," she said, rubbing his back. "Will you be alright while I take Rose to school?"
"Yes," he croaked.
"Okay. Get some rest. Here's some tissues."
He gulped down half the water and burrowed under the covers to doze off.
When he woke up next, he was sweating through his pajamas. He kicked at then shoved the blankets off of him. He hated feeling like this.
"Oh, you're awake," said Hermione.
He lifted his head. She turned his pillow over and placed a water bottle on top, which rattled with ice.
"Here you go," she said. "Lay back down."
He settled back into it and was instantly soothed by the cold on his neck. Hermione laid a damp washcloth on his forehead and readjusted the blankets on him.
"Here we go," she said, pouring a thick, orange liquid into a spoon. "Take this."
She fed it to him. It was grainy, but soothed his throat.
"What potion is that?" he whispered.
"Delsym," she said. "I've got some Pepperup brewing but it won't be ready for several more hours. I hopped to Kilokilo, picked up my assignments for class, bought the ingredients and went to the grocery store. My Dad is picking up Rose and he's going to take her out."
"Sorry," he said.
"Darling, you're sick. Don't apologize." She brushed his hair back. "Just let me take care of you, okay?"
"Okay."
She handed him the TV remote. "Watch something. It will take your mind off it. How's your stomach feeling?"
"It's alright, I'm just real thirsty," he said.
"Let me get you some juice. You need your vitamins."
He felt like he was doing something wrong being taken care of like this, but Hermione didn't even give him a chance to try and help himself. So, he turned on the television and skimmed through channels finding an old movie.
Once he cooled down, he used the bathroom and changed clothes. When he came out, Hermione had changed the sheets and laid a towel down in case he started sweating again. Still feeling guilty, like he should be doing something productive, he laid back down.
"Have any appetite?" Hermione asked.
"Not much," he said.
"Well, at least have some soup." She walked out with a tray. "I have avena caliente going, too. The Pepperup will help you feel better, but I want you home and taking it easy for at least a few days so you don't relapse."
Cedric sat up and she set the tray over his lap. She had made him chicken and rice soup and a cup of green tea. She rubbed his back gently and he was sure the congestion was already breaking up from the steam.
He realized what he was mostly feeling was embarrassment. He wasn't trying to make her life harder.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Stomach upset?"
"No," he said. "Just… er… nothing."
"Well, alright, but if you do want to talk about it, I'm here." She kissed his temple and got up. "I've got some homework to do but I'll check on you when the Pepperup is done brewing."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Of course." She got up and returned to the kitchen.
Cedric ate his soup, drank his tea, and settled down for another nap. She wasn't upset at him. She wasn't huffy about taking care of him. This was love, wasn't it? They'd only been dating for about a month, but living together for four… oh, they were doing this all out of order weren't they?
He was probably overthinking things like he always did.
He didn't doze for very long. The movie playing wasn't even over when the front door opened and Rose walked in.
"Hey, Ced," said Manny behind her. "How are you feeling?"
"Ugh."
"Yeah, I hear you. Just dropping Rose off, but feel better okay? Don't come into work when you're sick like this."
"Okay."
"See ya," he backed out of the house and the door locked.
Rose came over to Cedric's bedside. "I drew you a picture to help you feel better."
She handed him a crayon drawing of four stick people and a little black cloud with a pink collar. It was brightly colored and it made him happy just looking at it.
"It's you, me, Mama, Etta, and Tutu Kane," she said.
"Rose? Is that you?" Hermione called.
"Yes, Mama!"
Cedric took the picture and smiled. Rose had drawn herself holding hands with him and Hermione, all had big smiling faces.
"I feel loads better already," he said. "I'll have your mum put this on the fridge."
"Put what on the fridge?" Hermione asked, bringing him a mug of something steaming.
"This picture Rose drew for me."
"Oh! I love it," she gushed. "Yes, we'll definitely put it on the fridge. Here, love, drink up."
Cedric took the mug and recognized the bright red Pepper-Up Potion. He took a deep breath and drank it in two swallows. It was bitter and he felt his face flush before steam erupted from his ears like from the stack of the Hogwarts Express. His congestion cleared a lot of the way and the germy feeling in his chest dissipated. Unfortunately, the drainage wasn't a pretty sight, but Hermione had tissues ready. He was glad the steam obscured it some.
"I've got extra just in case Rose and I catch it," said Hermione. "The recipe I got has a shelf-life."
"That's good," said Cedric.
"I'll put this on the fridge and bring you more soup. Rose, keep Cedric company for me, okay?"
"Yes, Mama."
The Pepper-Up Potion helped a lot, but he still felt weak and lightheaded. Rose sat down at the coffee table and brought out her homework. Cedric switched off the TV so she wouldn't get distracted and laid down to take a nap. If he slept enough, then he might wake up feeling better. Despite the steam that persisted coming out of his ears, he fell asleep easily enough. His dreams were odd.
He was at the Yule Ball and had attended with Hermione, yet somehow Rose was there, too. They were so happy. Dancing. Was this the ball? Or a wedding? She had worn periwinkle, not white.
And then Ron Weasley showed up and Cedric was swallowed up by the ground while Hermione looked away.
He woke up with a sharp gasp.
"Ced? You okay?"
Rose was sitting in Hermione's chair and looking at him worriedly.
"I'm alright," he said. "Just a bad dream. What are you reading?"
"Addy," she said, holding up the American Girl book. "I can read it to you. When I get sick, Mama reads me stories so I'll feel better."
"Sure," he said. "Tell me about Addy."
Fifteen minutes later, he burst into the kitchen, waving Meet Addy in the air.
"Is this all true?!" he demanded.
Hermione glanced at the title and back at him. "It is historical fiction, meaning the characters aren't real but the situations are. Children need to learn the truth about these things, Cedric. And if they make one describing what colonialism did to Hawaii, I'll buy that and read it to her, too."
"Merlin's beard."
"You shouldn't be getting worked up," she said, rising to her feet. "You still seem feverish. Why don't you lay down in my room?"
"No, I'm alright," he said. "I don't want to get you sick."
"The Pepper-Up should help with that," she said. "Besides, it's likely Rose and I will show symptoms in a few days anyway. People are contagious even before they start showing symptoms."
"Oh." He furrowed his brow. "Are you training to be a healer now?"
"No, but when I had Rose I made it my business to read up on all common illnesses and treatments. I didn't want to be the type of mother who purposely sends her child to school sick."
"Ah." He looked down at the book in his hands. "I'd… better give this back to Rose."
"Yes. I hope soup is okay for dinner too."
"It's fine."
"Really Cedric. You're not a worker bee or an ant, it's important to get some rest. Just like you were there for me, I'm there for you. Okay?"
He stopped in the door and hesitated, looking back at her.
"I love you, Hermione."
She looked stunned a moment. She got to her feet and hugged him tightly.
"I love you, too."