Shipping Bingo: E5 - Mixtape of Love

Spring Bingo: D2 - Design

Trope Bingo: C3 - True Companions

Team: Earth Tones

A/N: Ties in with Because Why Not
Scavenger Hunt: Sp Items (Box)

Chimera: Love/Hate

Stacked With: Star; Fence; Shower; BAON; ToS; T3; Ship; SpB; Chim; Hunt

Individual Challenges: Hufflepuff MC; Setting Sail; Lunar Era; Old Shoes (Y); In A Flash (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Neurodivergent

Representations: Cedric has ADHD; Budding Relationship; Making a Gift; BC Use

Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; Second Verse (Found Family; Nontraditional); Chorus (Endless Wonder; Wabi Sabi; Bee Haven; Machismo; Peddling Pots)

Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Terrarium)

Warnings:

Word Count: 688

~o0o~

The work room was filled with boomboxes and parts. It had taken a while, but the workshop Cedric made out of the Room of Things was perfect for what he needed to do. He had plenty of shelves and work tables and a place to wrap up finished orders. At this rate, he would be able to buy his own store. There wasn't much in the way of profits yet, but he was getting there thanks to people bringing their own radios and boomboxes for him to fix up and customize. The money he got from using magic to keep cassettes from breaking and even self-rewinding was nothing to sneeze at. What he was currently working on, though, would be most popular yet.

The walkman was almost perfect and Hermione would be the first one at Hogwarts to have one. It was thanks to her he was able to get started on this anyway. She found him the right books, gave him the money she won from her dance competition so he could buy materials, and was just all around supportive.

Music was so important to her and he just wanted her to have it no matter what. When he gave her the boombox a few months back he had thought (and hoped) she was going to kiss him for how excited she was. Her happiness was enough and he knew she used it every single day.

Cedric put on his filtered mask as soon as he finished taping off the important parts of the walkman. He grabbed the silver spray paint and stenciled stars along the sides of the purple plastic. He had thought the generic grey and orange of the walkmans and boomboxes was boring. With a little bit of permanent color changing spells, some spray paint, and a scratch resistant coating, he could make them as fun and funky as people wanted. Every color of the rainbow was possible and it was a part of his order forms. For an extra fee of course. Most people didn't hesitate.

"Perfect," he said, setting the walkman up to set. Now he could take a break to work on the second part of her gift.

He had heard from Roger, Hermione's dad, that sometimes the best way to tell a girl you liked her was to make her a mixtape that said your feelings. He had thought Hermione had done that a couple months ago, but she had put other tapes in the box so he tried not to read too much into it. It didn't matter if she returned his feelings or not, he just needed her to know. Yes, her turning him down for the Yule Ball wasn't a good sign, but maybe if he hadn't covered it up as just friends?

He sighed and rested his chin in his hand. Why did things have to get so complicated?

"It is what it is," he said out loud. "I can't change my feelings by just ignoring them and the sooner she turns me down, the faster I'll be able to get over her."

Perhaps the hours listening to love songs in order to create the perfect mix had made him sappy. Or perhaps he just always liked schmaltz, but he really wanted to make some grand declaration of love. Of course, if he just outright said, "I love you." She would smile and say, "I love you, too." Because of course they loved each other, they were best friends. He was just also in love with her.

Cedric set up the recorder and his boombox. He had spent days picking the right songs to fit on the cassette while making sure to include her favorite artists.

We Belong by Pat Benatar

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams

Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer

Time After Time by Cindi Lauper

My Love by Selena y los Dinos

I Was Born to Love You by Queen

Your Song by Elton John

Among a few others.

When he was done, he listened to it play. It was corny, cheesy, and downright sappy.

Perfect.