Cast in shadow, eyes opened wide in astonishment, Draco followed the slow, nervous gait of Harry as he clutched his champion's egg. Colin Creevy's breathing had long-since become rapid and hard. He led Draco up the stairs. Draco's excitement increased with every step.

As Harry approached the top of the steps, he paused. Draco saw him take one last deep breath before pushing open the door into the Astronomy's main observatory. There stood Cedric, leaning against the far wall, peering out of the window into the night. Draco felt Colin's body tighten as he gasped at the sight before him.

"We should leave them be," Colin whispered, more to himself than to Draco. In fact, Draco suspected Colin's own dark thoughts were urging him to watch the scene unfold. Colin was proving to be Draco's greatest triumph. Even before their first kiss, Draco had provoked, teased, and seduced him so thoroughly that Colin appeared to relish the dirty little secret that was Draco Malfoy. The corruption of this noble-hearted young boy was so complete that Colin seemed to welcome the perversions that Draco taught him.

Cedric heard the door swing open and jerked away from the wall, eyes wide and hopeful. "Hi, Harry," he said regaining his composure. A smile stretched across his face. Harry simply stood there, biting his lower lip, looking … worried. Cedric laughed to himself. He loved that Harry seemed so adorably lost; so endearingly sheepish; so nefariously innocent.

The room was dark, bathed in shadows cast by candles of varying sizes all throughout the circular chamber. He drank in the warm they emanated as it drank him. Harry walked towards Cedric, eyes fixed on him. He didn't blink. He couldn't! He was afraid Cedric would vanish in the split second it'd take for his eyes to flicker. Cedric let out a laugh, more audible than the last. With a playful arch of the brow, Cedric pointed at the door and said, "You might want to close the door."

Harry blushed, "Oh… right. Of course…" He began to turn around, but stopped, deciding instead to lay down his cloak and champion egg. As Harry dropped the egg on his bundled cloak, Cedric could have sworn he saw shadows moving behind him. Cedric tensed, pointing his wand and whispering, "Lumos." Light flared from the tip of his wand, jetting over Harry's shoulder.

"Cedric…?" he said, turning to look in the direction of Cedric's glowing wand.

But there was nothing there, just the open door that led to the steps.

"Nothing," Cedric flicked his wand, the light fading. "I thought I saw something…"

Cedric's eyes fixed on Harry. He smiled as Harry's head bowed, gauchely. Although this was not their first dalliance, Harry was still nervous. Cedric was everything Harry was not: devastatingly handsome (beautiful, more to the point), popular, funny, intelligent, and (in accordance to their recent conversations) worldly and sophisticated. Yet, in spite of all Cedric's strengths – and Harry's subsequent shortcomings – Cedric wanted Harry… Cedric chose Harry.

Harry hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Colin remained bundled closely to Draco in a corner, still cloaked by the shadow-spell he had performed earlier. His back pressed tightly against Draco's chest, feeling it raise and lower with each heated breath. They watched as Harry fumbled his way towards Cedric. He was uncoordinated, and Draco couldn't help but almost feel sorry for him. In stark contrast, Draco was in awe of Cedric. He appreciated Cedric's cool and collected demeanor. It was obvious that Cedric was glad to see Harry, but Harry seemed to need Cedric; desperate for him, even.

"Figure it out, yet?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied with a slight smile. Harry felt too embarrassed to make eye contact with Cedric for very long. Instead, he'd look down to Cedric's feet, admiring how staunchly sturdy his stance was. It would be only a matter of time before he'd blush, fluster, and begin to mumble incessant nonsense.

Cedric edged his way closer to Harry. "Good."

Harry's eyes jaunted up Cedric's trousers, focusing on his crotch. Harry felt heat building in his own stomach and a stiffness growing in his slacks that would soon scream to protest its confinement.

Since his last rendezvous with Harry, all he wanted to do was see him again. He dreamt about Harry's soft kisses and his sheepish grins. He liked when Harry's brain began thinking too fast and he'd end up stumbling over his words. He enjoyed teasing Harry about his over-sized clothes and his penchant for amassing more detention hours than the Weasley twins combined. He loved the glint in Harry's eyes whenever they talked about Quiddich. But whenever he was around Harry, Cedric was at a loss. His brain stopped working. He couldn't say anything witty or clever … or profound. All he could do was gape at this boy, two years his junior, and act like a little schoolboy.

Cedric found himself suddenly liking the role of a schoolboy.

"You should talk to me more," Cedric managed, "you know… during classes and what not."

"Your friends don't like me, much," Harry reminded him, sinking into his own posture. He was always reminded that Cedric's friends had a particular aversion to all things Potter. He winced whenever he mentioned it, fearing that one day Cedric may start to agree with their opinions.

Merlin, Harry chastised himself internally, why do you keep bringing it up, then!

Cedric moved closer, "But I like you. Isn't that enough?"

"Thanks for the tip," Harry said, almost lost for words. "About the egg, I mean." Stupid, Potter – Stupid! Stupid! He looked like he would dart out of the room out of fear at any moment.

"Going to run off, then?" Cedric joked.

Harry jerked up with a look of surprise on his face, "What? No... I--"

Cedric moved closer, "Peace, Harry. I was just joking."

"Oh."

"So… what do you want to talk about tonight, Mr. Potter?" Cedric asked, with an eyebrow arched.

Harry shrugged, looking down at the floor, "I dunno. I don't care… " He slowly looked up at Cedric's angelic face, his own face a consummate illustration of innocence. "I don't care what we do, really."

Harry bit his bottom lip again.

Cedric wanted that lip for himself.

"Did you like kissing me before, Harry?"

"… yes …"

"Do you want to kiss me, again?"

"… yes …"