And Cedric No Longer…
Cedric's warm, full lips had ghosted over Harry's, the proximity unnerving. The dark-haired boy had felt hot breath rushing against his skin and squirmed under the intensity of Sir Diggory's stare. "Good luck tomorrow, Harry."
And the seventh year had disappeared from the deserted hallway as if he had merely been a figment of his imagination. But no, that couldn't be. Cedric Diggory was the handsome, smart, popular boy..talk of the entire school. It had seemed as if for a moment in time he hadn't been wishing Harry good luck in the final task of the triwizard tournament but more coming on to him and that had made him feel wonderful. Special.
What would it feel like, he often wondered to be Cedric's? To have danced with the blond at the ball instead of Parvati? Because right then in the middle of the evening just before returning to his rooms, Harry knew he wanted the seventh year. He knew it.
(oOo)
But then Cedric was gone and the people he had to thank for that were himself and fucking Voldemort. His veins pulsed and contracted with angry jolts of blood as he thought of the "dark lord". God how he wanted to rip the man, if you could call him a man, limb from limb and tear his followers to pieces. There was such hate there. Such anger.
Harry's eyes prickled with tears he held in very well as he gazed up at Professor Dumbledore from his seat in the audience. He had been ready. He had been ready to tell Cedric after the tournament had ended. Finally, he had mused, he would be able to voice his thoughts and let Cedric know and maybe even be loved or wanted or even just liked in return. Maybe wasn't such a bad thing. Maybe..
But Cedric no longer breathed. Cedric no longer spoke. And Cedric no longer loved. There was nothing the-Boy-Who-Lived could do about that.
FINIS
I do hope you enjoyed that tidbit. I just saw GoF a couple of days ago and have been Harry/Cedric-ing since. It's quite beautiful, this pairing. But so, so sad and hopeless.