Chapter 2: The Necessity Of Chivalry
Cedric, in his yellow sweatshirt and blue jeans underneath the sink had a wrench in hand and was twisting the pipe. Harry sat on a stool watching him amusedly.
"Just use reparo." Harry said with a chuckle.
"No, because if I'm to pass as a muggle I need to this on my own." Cedric said with no small amount of stubborness.
"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't spilled that batch of hair restoration tonic down the drain like that." Harry said.
"Hey, that stuff worked on you and you got your hair back after it fell out now." Cedric said a little sharply. Harry looked a little abashed.
"Thanks for the effort it really meant a lot to me."
"Of course! All guys like their hair."
"You're doing well with the plumbing and a lot of other stuff. Ovens, television, mobile phones and even traveling the underground. What's your secret?" Harry asked.
"Muggle studies. It really comes in handy in these new times." Cedric as gave the pipe one last twist. Harry flinched. The thought of Hogwarts really hurt since it was now a stronghold for monsters. "Okay, turn it on." Harry got of the stool and Cedric moved from underneath the kitchen sink. Harry turned on the tap. A great grinding noise was heard and the murky water in the sink bubbled up but nothing happened. Luckily, the pipes didn't explode or anything like that even though the grinding noise was rather loud. Harry turned off the water. Cedric cursed softly under his breath and just waved his hand. "Reparo." he chanted and soon with a flash of light the sink was repaired and the water flowed again with the backup completely gone.
"See, a little magic didn't hurt." Harry said. Of course it was a small spell and all of the curtains were drawn so no one can see the light so no harm, no foul, pray to the Lord and Lady.
"I guess. You think you're up for some magic practice this evening?"
"With you? Definitely."
"No, with our imaginary friends."Cedric replied. Harry just rolled his eyes. He turned the tap off then turned on the tap again and it worked fine without the loud noise. Cedric washed his hands. "I'm going to the market, want anything special?"
"You back in one piece, some soda and lemon cake. But mostly you back in one piece." Harry said quietly. Cedric gently cupped Harry's chin with one hand.
"I have to do this or we'll starve."
"I don't have to like it." Harry said darkly.
"It'll be okay."
"Take your wand."
"It'll look suspicious."
"Take it." Harry said while biting his lip. He always got worried when Cedric left to get supplies and with good reason with the muggle authorities doing very thorough searches for magical items, not to mention the monsters roaming the streets.
"Sure."said Cedric. He then put his hand behind Harry's neck and gently pulled him forward into a kiss. This was as far as they could go due to Harry's sickness. Cedric had powerful protection magic on him that prevented the plague from attacking his body but it would dissipate with sexual intercourse. Only a small percentage of the wizarding population had the power and materials necessary to place the barrier charm against disease on themselves but Amos Diggory not wanting anything to happen to his most precious son pulled out all the stops before the plague was unleashed full tilt, while others less fortunate were dying. After a few moments into the kiss Harry pulled back not wanting to even go accidentally beyond the point of no return. "I'll be back." Cedric spoke as he gave Harry one last look before going to put his trenchcoat on.
"I'll be here." Harry said quietly standing in the kitchen.
Cedric walked outside in the London streets towards the local market under an overcast sky. People hurried along the busy streets pretending not to notice some of the buildings were crumbled and burnt. There were a normal amount of people on the streets for a Saturday afternoon but everyone was understandably tense waiting for the next Death Eater ambush or demon sighting or some other mystical terrorist attack. Cedric passed by the florist and saw a window display of roses. He got an idea and decided to put it on hold until he got the groceries.
At the market people complained about the high cost of living as usual. He got some vegetables and some stew meat and not forgetting, also got the soda pop (a wonderful muggle concoction) and the lemon cake as well. Two men were in front of Cedric in the checkout line having a conversation.
"Did you see that crazy naked flying thing the other day?" One of the men asked. He looked like a harried businessman.
"No, but I heard it picked off a lot of stray birds in the area." The other man said. He was short and looked like a factory worker.
"I had to make sure my dog was in the house when that thing was in the area."
"Bet the little wife enjoyed that."
"Hoo boy, she tolerated it because it was a close friend of mine but every time he wanted to go on the bed she looked like she wanted to kick me." he then laughed. "I guess it's true that all wives tend to get jealous of their husband's best friends."
"Especially since you can talk to him better than the one you sleep with every night." the other snorted amused. As the line moved and Cedric went to pay for his groceries his thoughts turned to his father. His parents loved each other and him very much. Harry's parents died and he flatly refused to talk about his relatives that raised him when asked by Cedric to elaborate on his home life. Cedric seemed to know there was a severe undercurrent of pain to Harry's feelings regarding his home life. In the time they spent together Cedric drew out a certain vulnerability to Harry's feelings and thoughts that hadn't been there previously. His heart was glad that Harry could shed the old armor of heroism and wounded pride for a chance to let his real self be exposed. The Harry that sometimes hates "the right thing to do" with a passion, the Harry that wanted to beat Malfoy up with a cast iron frying pan, the Harry that did his best to be Cedric's everything, even while stricken with disease. Walking through the parking lot and seeing the florist shop he went to the little shop with the intent to buy a single red rose. As he tucked his purchase in his shopping bag he knew his father would grind his teeth and have heartburn over Harry if he ever knew (particularly since Harry was rather young) but Harry's words gave him strength. Before the world was thrown into chaos and he and his beloved were able to join together in love, Harry whispered in his ear words he had been craving for since he can remember.
Even if this ends badly and we're torn to shreds...you're more than your father's personal trophy. If nothing else you should know that.
They got to know every part of each other right there in Cedric's four poster at Hogwart's and Cedric told Harry he loved him simply because he knew, instinctively, that Harry was almost desperate with waiting for him to say it first. Cedric made it home without incident but as he was fumbling for the keys to the apartment he heard Harry cough up a little on the other side of the door. Then his personal reality kicked in.
Diggory, you're not a kid anymore. Reckon its been that way for sometime now.
The tournament was not his passage to manhood even though going through the tasks was a serious test of courage and skill. Walking away from the cup was not his passage to manhood either though admitting defeat to a more worthy champion could have made the perfect coming of age. No, the passage to manhood was now in the apartment. He was running a household, guarding against enemies, being a caretaker and faithful companion...
And the crowning glory, someone's lover as well. "Harry, I'm back." he said opening the door.
Later that evening after the dinner dishes were put away Harry announced he was ready to practice some magic together with Cedric. The sessions they have together were meant as a way to pass the time and to strengthen Harry's magical abilities as well. In their bedroom beside the bed below his poster of The Beguiling of Merlin, Cedric laid a cloth with a pile of salt shaped into a encircled hexagram on its surface. Harry sat across from Cedric in the lotus position on the floor.
"You're gonna appreciate this one." Cedric said with undisguised mirth.
"I can't wait." Harry said excitedly.
"It's called The Ritual of Sub-Rosa and I hope we can pull it off."
"What are we gonna do?" Harry asked. He then flushed at the sight of Cedric placing the rose he bought earlier in the center of the hexagram.
"We're going to float the rose, then call forth our personal power to pluck the petals off one at a time. It's a test of synchronicity. Our minds have to be perfectly attuned to work as a single delicate instrument." Cedric explained with an almost quiet reverence.
"A Wingardium Leviosa precision test huh? Brilliant." Harry said smiling.
"Oh yes, and it should be very pretty." Without another word both lads joined their hands together, closed their eyes and concentrated on casting a levitation charm without saying its words. For an all too transient moment Harry felt Cedric's warmth and sincerity inside his body and Cedric felt Harry's courage and strength inside of his. It was like being in the Hufflepuff dormitory at 1 AM all over again. A warm breeze reminiscent of springtime enveloped the room and soon the rose gently floated off the magic circle that had been erected. Harry opened his eyes and Cedric opened his as well. Harry smiling and looking healthier than ever almost brought Cedric to tears but he composed himself so as not to disrupt the ritual.
"It worked." Harry whispered.
"Now for the hard part. The petals." But before they could proceed Harry got into another coughing fit and soon the rose ripped apart in half.
"Ack! Cedric I'm sorry!" Harry said mortified. Cedric just shook his head and got up and sat next to Harry. He gently picked up the pieces of the rose and caressed them like he would Harry. The rose then magically healed and was whole again. "Teach me to do that." Harry whispered. Cedric now was almost on top of Harry, breathing in the same air as him. Their foreheads were in contact with each other.
"My father taught me that little cantrip, healing the flower like that, on my fifteenth birthday. He showed it to me and with a smile and wink said that all men are natural gardeners, without having to lift a single spade." Harry had a puzzled look on his face, then came the realization and his face turned scarlet. Cedric started to laugh.
Harry laughed too, eventually.