Shipping Bingo: E2 - Game Night
Trope Bingo: E2 - Chess With Death
Spring Bingo: D3 - Rain/Drizzle
Team: Finders Seekers
Ship: Viktor/Cedric/Hermione
Scavenger Hunt: Sp Consumables (Fruit)
Chimera Creator: Jerry (Love/Hate)
Stacked With: FPC; BAON; ToS; Star; Fence; T3; Shower; LiCK; Ship; Sp/Tr Bingo
Individual Challenges: Gryffindor MCx2; Hufflepuff MC; Durmstrang MC; Ravenclaw MC; Neurodivergent (Y); Rian-Russo Inversion (Y); Ethnic & Present (Y); The 3rd Rule (Y); Lovely Triangle (Y); Ship Sails (Y); Hold the Mayox2 (Yx2); Lunar Era (Y); Zed Era (Y); Old Shoes; Long Haul (Y); Bucket Listing (Y); Small Fryx2 (Yx2); Tiny Terror; Fix-It Felix (Y);
Chimera: Jerry (Love/Hate)
Representations: Hermione is autistic; Poly Ship; PoC Hermione and Cedric; Resurrection
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Unwanted Advice; Spinning Plates; Middle Name; Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; Second Verse (Sneeze Weasel; Nontraditional; Found Family; Not a Lamp; White Dress; Persistence Still; Ladylike); Chorus (Peddling Pots; Machismo; Pocky Pockets) Demo 1 (Three's Company; Casper's House; Bad Beans; Most Human Bean; Hot Apple; Where Angels Fear); Demo 2 (Eternal Rhapsody; Creature Feature; Strange Potatoes)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Thimble); LiCK (Poppy, Amaranth)
Warning: Death, buried alive (though with consent)
~o0o~
It had to be here somewhere. Harry said he dropped it in this area and it had to be the right area due to the damage to the trees. Viktor scoured the ground, swiping rain water from his eyes, praying to whoever was listening that it was there. Hermione was helping him look. She was resistant at first, but after he pleaded and explained, she caved and agreed. Now they were in the middle of the Forbidden Forest with Harry's invisibility cloak and the Elder Wand. Under any other circumstances, Viktor would want them to be rid of it. After all, his mother's father was killed by Grindelwald because he was believed to be the owner of the Invisibility Cloak. It turned out that Harry and Viktor shared a common ancestor, but when the families diverged, the cloak went with the Podhars instead.
This was too important. If he was successful, then he could make sure the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone were no longer in existence. Hopefully he would be allowed to retain the cloak.
His hand hit something sharp and he grasped for it, bringing up a clod of dirt. He pushed the soil away and came up with a tarnished ring. Was this it? He rubbed it on his shirt and studied the stone perched on it. It was a simple piece of quartz, but inscribed was Grindelwald's Mark.
"I found it!" he called to Hermione.
She jogged over and a scared part of him thought she might knock him out and take on the task herself. He squashed it down, reasoning that his desperation was fogging his mind.
"That sure is it," she said, stooping over to look at it. She didn't touch it, instead bringing out the Elder Wand and the cloak.
Viktor fastened the cloak around his shoulders and slid the ring onto the Elder Wand. It fit perfectly on the knot at the base, as if it were a long, bony finger.
"Now what?"
"The difficult part," said Viktor. He waved the Elder Wand, surprisingly finding no resistance, and removed some of the Earth. Death had seen this place and he really didn't want to go into a graveyard.
When he read of this many years ago, he had thought it strange and foolish. Now… he would try anything if it meant he could right a wrong.
"Viktor," said Hermione, taking his hand. "Are you certain about this?"
"Yes. I betrayed him and I have never known peace since. At least this way, I can say I tried."
She'd heard this before and nodded.
"Okay. But if I think it's looking hopeless, I'm digging you up because I refuse to lose you, too," she said and kissed him. "Deal?"
He nodded. "Deal."
He jumped into the grave and laid down. After a few deep breaths, he nodded at Hermione. She used her own wand to move the dirt onto him. It was the scariest thing he had ever done. As soon as the dirt settled, everything was much too quiet. He tried not to open his mouth or eyes or even breathe too deeply. It was heavy, warm, damp. He couldn't breathe. He was suffocating. It was false. He couldn't move his arms, much less raise his wand. He struggled and choked. Help. He needed help.
Just before he felt like he would pass out, a pair of lips settled over his and air filled his lungs. His stomach lurched like he was free falling and he opened his eyes. He inhaled deeply and coughed. Kneeling over him was…
"Cedric."
Even dead, he seemed to grow and change as he would have had he lived. His dark hair was long, falling down his shoulders into a gentle curl and his grey eyes were soft and kind, though a bit confused, rather than the hurt betrayal he remembered from their last encounter. His sand-colored skin was unmarred and his features had sharpened some, which only served to make him more handsome. Rather than the tournament attire, he wore long robes that sparkled like the night sky.
Viktor sat up and hugged him fiercely.
"My love," Cedric murmured. "I've waited so long to see you again." He paused and pushed Viktor away. "Not long enough! What are you doing here? What about Hermione?"
"I'm here for you," said Viktor. "I didn't want to risk Hermione getting hurt, as well. I wanted to make things right. If I had been able to fight off the Imperius Curse, I could have warned you and Fleur that the third Task was rigged. You… you could have lived."
"Oh, Viktor…" He rested a hand on Viktor's cheek. "Have you been blaming yourself all this time?"
Viktor sniffled and leaned into his touch, kissing his palm. They embraced once again.
"If you agree… I could take you home," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Young man," said a new voice.
The pair looked up to see a skeleton standing eight feet tall. They had massive black wings and wore long robes made of shadows. Perched on their head was a wide hat topped with candles. Strangely, Viktor felt no fear looking at them. The place he was sitting in sharpened into a forest with trees much taller than the ones he left behind in Scotland yet no sky to speak of.
"Death is not your enemy," Cedric whispered, before standing up. "Hello, my lady."
Her skeletal grin seemed to soften upon looking at Cedric.
"Hello, dear," she said. "You're so thin. Have something to eat."
She brought out a freshly cut pomegranate and gave it to him. He plucked out the seeds and ate them, offering one to Viktor.
"Won't that bind me to the land of the dead?" asked Viktor, scrambling to his feet.
"I'm not Hades," said Death, sounding amused. She tipped her head. "Are those the Hallows?"
Viktor looked at the wand in his hand and nodded.
"Yes," he said. "I've come to take Cedric home."
"He is home," she said. "Everyone comes home at some point."
"But he can't fulfill his dreams here," Viktor replied. "I stole them from him and I have to give them back. Please. I'll do anything."
"Do you love Cedric?"
"With all my heart."
"With all your heart," she said. "Well… that's a start." She pressed her bony fingers to her mouth. "I can't just let you go. I love Cedric dearly. I love all the gifts Life sends me. Theoretically, you could fight me, but then I would be obligated to go after you to take you back."
"I don't want that," said Viktor. "Do I need to trade my life for his?"
"Viktor, no," said Cedric. "If I'm going to live, I'd rather it be with you and Hermione. We're a trio. The Three Musketeers."
"The Three Musketeers did not date."
"Are you sure about that? Have you read the book?"
"No."
"Neither have I."
Viktor laughed and pressed his forehead into his cheek. He missed him so much.
"I won't require your life," said Death. "However, I do have to test you. Many say that Death is unfair, but I'm the only certainty anyone has out of Life. This will be challenging, but direct."
"I will face whatever you ask of me," said Viktor, squeezing Cedric's hand.
Death snapped her fingers. A table and two chairs formed from the smoke.
"If you win, you bring Cedric home," she said. "If I win, you leave the Deathly Hallows with me and I will return you to the Land of the Living. You will be unable to try again and you must wait for Life to take its course before you come home."
"I understand," he said, placing the wand on the table and sitting down.
Cedric stood behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Viktor leaned into him.
"I know life wasn't easy for you," he said. "Before this game begins… Do you truly want to return? Or do you just think it will make me and Hermione happy?"
Cedric wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek.
"I think I can manage if I have you," he said. "I want to be with you and my heart ached being apart."
"Okay, then. I will win. So we can all be together again."
Viktor kissed him tenderly, then turned to face Death.
"I am ready," he said.
She nodded and the pieces appeared on the board. She picked up a pawn and moved it forward. Viktor knew chess well and when he had played against Hermione, it was always a toss up. He thought she might have a better chance in a game of Chess against Death, but he would not let uncertainty shake him.
Cedric said nothing during the match, but kept his hands on Viktor's shoulders, watching quietly.
"Oh, no," he whispered when half the pieces had gone.
Viktor saw what he meant. Three moves ahead. No matter what he did, his King would be captured and his King would be lost. He looked at Death who made no indication or boast that she had won. They would see this to the end, if only to get as much time left with Cedric as he could. He only wished Hermione could be here too, to get her last goodbye.
One move left. A hopeless move. Viktor grasped onto Cedric's hand and made his move.
"Interesting," said Death, as she captured the King. "You knew you had lost, yet you remained in the game rather than concede defeat."
"Yes."
"Hm." Death tipped her head. "Would your third, Hermione, have done the same?"
"I think she might have asked for a rematch," said Viktor.
"She can strong arm anyone into doing anything," said Cedric. "That's why we love her."
Death hummed.
"I think you have proven yourself worthy," she said. "You didn't give up, even when all hope seemed lost. Cherish life and live it well. It will be hard, perhaps some days you might regret the eternal peace you've experienced. Not many get this chance and I fear some may bear ill will."
"Then we'll go somewhere," said Viktor.
"Where no one knows us," Cedric agreed. "We'll disappear."
"Of course," said Death.
"May we have cloaks to hide us?" Viktor asked, picking up the wand and ring and offering them to Death. "Please?"
"Of course, my darlings." Death took the gifts she once left into the world and from the shadows of her robes withdrew three cloaks. "I would appreciate it if you return the one you wear to Harry before you disappear. Have many children, even if you adopt, and prosper."
"We will," said Viktor, rising to his feet and accepting the cloaks. "Thank you! Thank you!"
He picked Cedric up and spun him around, laughing joyously.
"I will see the three of you when you are ready," said Death. "Take a deep breath."
Viktor inhaled and squeezed his eyes shut. Once again, he was under the earth, but this time there was someone next to him, clawing upwards. At once, the pressing weight lifted away and Hermione's tear-streaked face was shining in the moonlight. The rain had ended.
"I've been digging for hours," she said. "The earth sank and I thought something had gone wrong and you disappeared and I've been digging deeper and deeper trying to find you and then I moved around and…"
Her words trailed away as she saw Cedric. He was covered in dirt and his clothes had reverted back to the ones he was buried in, but he was still the age he should've been if he hadn't died. Hermione squeaked and bent over, pressing her face into the ground. She straightened up and touched his face.
"It's really you…" she said and looked at Viktor. "You did it."
"There was a condition," he said.
"What is it? A trade? Life for a life?"
Cedric huffed a laugh and hugged her tightly. "You two read too many books."
Overwhelmed, Viktor tackled them both to the ground and showered them both with kisses. He was happy, nearly hysterical. Which is perhaps why he started sobbing. Cedric was still the biggest out of the three and wrapped him and Hermione up in his strong arms. He still smelled like the earth, but there was also the bit of hay in sunshine that had stuck with him, no matter how long he was away from the family farm.
"What's the catch?" Hermione asked.
"Nobody can know I'm back," said Cedric. "Everybody loses someone. You had the Deathly Hallows, why me? Why not anyone else?"
"I see your point," she whispered. "Then we'll… we'll go somewhere nobody will look for us. Far away. I speak Spanish, you speak Arabic, Viktor speaks six languages."
"Except the ones we do," said Cedric, making both of them laugh.
"There's lots of places we can go," said Hermione, wiping the tears from her face. "A crowded city where no one will see us or notice three very close roommates."
"As long as I'm with you two," said Viktor.
"I'm not going to waste a second," said Cedric.
~Twelve Years Later~
Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his face. When Hermione and Viktor disappeared without a trace, it had run in the news for weeks. Some thought there was foul play from rogue Death Eaters, others thought they simply wanted to stay out of the limelight for a while. But if that were true then why not communicate? Why did agitated owls return with unopened letters? Why were their vaults cleared out completely? Soon enough, there was other news and everyone seemed to forget about the youngest Seeker to join professional leagues and the girl who helped take Voldemort down. Harry never forgot. Those close to Hermione didn't forget, either. Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville…
Every spare moment he could afford, which was coming fewer and farther in between, was spent looking for his friend.
"Everything alright?" Luna asked, bumping her head against his shoulder.
"I'm okay," he said. "I'm sorry our little family vacation is turning into a search."
"That's alright," she said. "Phoebe is still a little young yet to think of vacation beyond going somewhere new and we can go on a fun type of search when Teddy gets out of school."
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he stared down at his notes, which made less sense the longer he looked at it. Honestly, libraries per capita? Where on earth did he get that idea?
"Maybe I should've started with rural towns," he said.
"No, no. We agreed that big cities are the best place to disappear," said Luna. "Hermione had family in New York and they hadn't seen her. We checked with her family in Santo Domingo and her distant relatives in Oaxaca de Juárez. Her parents in Australia still didn't know they had a daughter. If she were to live in any small town it would be Kauai and that's where we got the lead from her grandmother. A postcard from—"
"—San Francisco," Harry finished. "Nothing except a well wish and a 'thinking of you'."
"And we knew it was her because of the squiggles she made when she was thinking of what to write down," Luna continued.
"But that was eight years ago, she could have just been here temporarily."
"Then we'll cross this city off the list and try the next." Luna touched his arm. "We'll find her."
Harry returned his glasses to his face so he could look at her properly.
"Why don't we wander tomorrow?" he suggested. "See the sights. Get lost."
"A perfectly wonderful idea," she said. "Now, get some sleep. You're a grouch when you don't sleep."
"I'm not a grouch."
She sent him a teasing smile. "You are Garfield on a Monday."
Harry smiled and stood up to join her for sleep.
The following day, he didn't look at his work and once Phoebe was dressed, the three of them went out into the city. They explored the wharf, the chocolate place, and all the main sites before stumbling into the magic area.
"There's a school here," said Luna. "I think in this area the students go to local schools until they turn thirteen and then they go to Salem Academy of Sorcery."
They found the school as well as a public playground. Phoebe had lots of energy even with all the walking they did and burned it off running around and playing with the other kids. Harry wasn't sure who she got it from but his daughter had the easiest time making friends and was keen on making them everywhere she went from other little kids to the old people at bus stops.
Phoebe began running around with some kids wearing the school uniform. One was about her age while the other two were a couple years older. All three kids had warm brown skin and dark hair. They seemed familiar in a way. The one around Phoebe's age took a tumble and began crying over a skinned knee.
"I've got it," said Harry as Luna brought out her little emergency kit.
"Be careful," she said. "That was Cedric's case and there are a lot of children."
"Don't worry, love."
Luna took Cedric's death hard. He was her cousin after all and he was the reason nobody bullied her until her fourth year.
"Hi," said Harry. "I'm Phoebe's father."
"Daddy, Selena needs help," said Phoebe.
The girl in question, Selena, sniffled and scrubbed her eyes while her brother and sister fussed.
"Not to worry," said Harry. "I've got wipes and band-aids. We'll patch you right up."
"This is my friend, Selena," said Phoebe. "That's her brother Anghel and her sister Zohra."
Harry had to blink twice. With his hooked nose and furrowed brow, Anghel almost looked like Viktor. Zohra had a nose that curved in and her eyes were a startling grey. Harry finished patching up Selena, her big brown eyes glossy in a way he had often seen Hermione's when her emotions got the better of her.
"All better?" he asked.
She sniffled again and nodded, allowing Phoebe to help her to her feet. Harry stood up and watched them get back into play before returning to Luna.
"I think my research is getting to me," he said. "Those kids… they almost look like—"
The kids hugged Phoebe goodbye and ran over to a woman in teacher's robes. Harry stood up. It couldn't be. He had been wrong before. It was embarrassing that time he had hugged her cousin thinking it was her.
"Here," said Luna, bringing out his invisibility cloak. "I'll wait here."
"Thank you." He put it on and pulled the hood over his head, quickly catching up to the family.
The woman spoke Spanish, but that didn't mean anything. Hermione spoke Spanish and sign language. If only he could see her face. The way she walked though. They walked up to a brightly colored house and when the door opened they were greeted by the welcomes of two men.
Harry brought out an extendable ear and made his way over to the window, sliding the fleshy string through a small crack in the window. He was used to tailing people in his cloak and didn't worry about being seen.
He could see into the living room and kitchen. One man was cooking while another sat in an armchair, holding a baby. It couldn't be… Cedric? Viktor too… They looked slightly different. Enough that a photo to someone they didn't know wouldn't be connected to them. But Cedric?
"Hello, my wonderful husbands," said Hermione, kissing them both. "Dinner smells wonderful. What are we having?"
"Moussaka," said Viktor.
"Mmm, yummy." She took the baby from Cedric and settled on his lap. "Mi niños, go on and change. We'll get through your homework together after dinner."
"Yes, Mamí!" the kids chorused and stampeded upstairs.
"And how has little Manny been?" Hermione asked.
"Just fine," said Cedric. "He's already had his bottle."
Harry was about to jump down so he could knock on the door. Talk to her, demand to know what happened, but then it hit him. Why she wanted to borrow his cloak and it was returned, folded up neatly on his porch smelling of soil. Why she and Viktor left without a word or a goodbye. They brought Cedric back. He wasn't entirely sure how, but this didn't look like the shadows he saw when he faced Voldemort. This was a living, breathing man.
He understood.
If he revealed them, they would have to uproot what they built here. The more people who knew the harder it would be to keep it a secret. Nobody would leave them alone and they'd wonder "why save Cedric?" and not the people they loved most. Or worse, they'd be attacked and their children held hostage over demands to repeat the act.
As much as he missed her, Harry couldn't do that to Hermione.
Viktor placed a casserole dish on the table and Cedric got up to wrap his arms around him.
"Hey, aren't I going to get in on this manwich?" Hermione teased.
"Your friends at work have been terrible influence," said Viktor while Cedric pulled her into the hug. "If Selena starts saying 'manwich' I will blame you."
Cedric laughed.
Harry pulled the extendable ear back in and carefully climbed down from the window. He went to the door and knocked, quickly stepping back and making sure he was still completely over the cloak.
"I've got it!"
A moment later, Hermione answered the door. Up close he could see a streak of grey coming into her curls and her eyes were tired. She looked around curiously then down to see if someone had left anything. Harry tried not to breathe too loudly.
"Who is it?" Cedric called.
"No one."
"I was hoping it would be the Tamale Lady."
"She came by this morning," said Viktor. "I bought two dozen."
"God, I love you," said Cedric.
Hermione leaned against the door jamb and tipped her face up to the last ray of sunshine, a cool breeze caught the stray tendrils that hadn't made it into her hair clip. She had a peacefulness about her that she never had before.
"Mamí!" called Selena. "I made a new friend today."
"Is that who you were playing with?" she asked.
"Ah-huh! Her name's Phoebe, she's from England."
"I went to school in England," said Hermione. "Where your Papa, Tatko, and I met."
"Can we go to that school?" Anghel asked.
"I made wonderful friends there, but it's really a very silly place. Remember the school song?" She stepped back into the house singing, "Hogwarts, Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please!"
Cedric and Viktor had joined in but it ended abruptly when the door shut.
Harry took a deep shuddering breath and returned to Luna.
"Was it her?" asked Luna.
"No," he lied, knowing she saw right through it. "I think… I think if I haven't found her by now then she doesn't want to be found."
"Alright." Luna stood and kissed him on the cheek. "Let's go home."