This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Word Count: 2117
Title: Rumour Has It I'm The One You're Leaving Her For
Note:
Warnings: prejudice
Beta: Aya Diefair
Quidditch League:
[Team]: Pride Of Portree
[Position] Captain
[Theme]: Procrastination Thread
[Prompts]: [creature] Cat
[Theme] Book Club
[Prompts] [dialogue] "Why does being a good [girl] always have to be such hard work?"
[Theme] Pokemon
[Prompts] (character) Ron Weasley, 124. Jynx: Write about someone dancing.
Hogwarts
Assignment 9: Journalism: The Principles of Journalism: Task #3 - Reviews: Write about someone forming an opinion on something based on rumours.
UBC: Hungarian Horntail [Familiar] (Spiky. Equip Effect: Deals 7 dmg if your opponent writes in the Trio era.) - Price: 1k, Cedric Diggory
"So, Pansy Parkinson is saying that Cedric is gay," Seamus was saying to Dean. Ron sat up in his bunk, pretending the news hadn't affected him at all. He never told anyone about his secret crush on the Hufflepuff seeker, he was too worried about what everyone would say. It wasn't like he didn't have enough to deal with.
"But Cedric had taken Cho to the ball," Dean replied. Spotting Ron, he looked over to him as if asking for confirmation.
"Yeah, but apparently it was to make Harry jealous."
"Harry? No, that doesn't make sense," Dean insisted.
Ron felt like he was going to explode, so he made an excuse to leave the boys dormitories without waiting for them to finish talking. Ron was convinced that this rumour was true, and the worst part was, he knew he wouldn't make Harry choose between dating Cedric or being his best friend. He had just made peace with Harry after realising he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire after all.
Of course, no matter how rational Ron was trying to be regarding this news, he had formed an opinion that he needed to push the two champions together, as a good friend should. Ron felt a tug of jealousy, realising that once again Harry was getting what he wanted. Surely, Harry would admire Cedric, find him attractive, dream about his golden blond hair and his tall, toned body. Ron found Harry downstairs, lounging on an armchair by the fire, reading Quidditch through the Ages.
"Hey, mate," Ron said, trying to calm his racing heart.
Harry eyed his friend curiously. "Is something the matter? I thought you were heading to bed."
"Oh, yeah. No, nothing," Ron muttered. "Dean and Seamus are simply talking my ear off, so I thought I would see how you are doing. Weren't you supposed to be working on the egg?"
Ron wasn't sure if he was really curious or trying to change the subject. Harry's sharp laugh was the reply he had been expecting. It wasn't like Hermione wasn't pestering Harry every day about the stupid clue.
"Sorry," Ron muttered. "I just worry, you know."
Harry smiled at him. "I know."
"I wonder how Cedric is doing," Ron said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
Harry's emerald eyes flickered with confusion again. "You don't still think he is the real champion, do you?"
Ron shook his head so violently his hair went smacking him in the face. "No mate, nothing like that."
The next time Ron saw Cedric he was leaving the Prefect's bathroom. His eyes seemed alight with realisation, and Ron wondered what the sudden epiphany had been about. Did Cedric figure out the clue of the egg? He followed behind him until he saw Cedric talking to Ernie McMIllian.
"I think I got it," Cedric said softly.
"You figured out the clue?" Ernie asked. Cedric nodded, cheerful. Ron missed some of the other whispered mutterings between the two Hufflepuffs, but he already knew what he needed to know.
Ron remembered that Harry told him about the dragons, and wondered if Cedric would be returning the favour. Surely even though Cedric fancied Harry, he would still want to win for the school and get Hufflepuff some of the glory they often lost in the face of all Gryffindor accomplishes, mainly due to Harry.
Ron waited for a while until Cedric was alone and walked up to him. "Hey Cedric," Ron said.
"Yeah, Hi Ron," Cedric replied. His smile was wide as he greeted Ron, and Ron felt himself go weak in the knees.
'Why does being a good friend always have to be such hard work?' Ron thought to himself, it was hard to stick to his resolve in the face of such a glorious smile.
"So yeah, I overheard you earlier," Ron admitted, blushing slightly. He didn't know how else to approach the matter.
"Oh," Cedric's ears turned pink. "Which part?"
"About the clue," Ron stated, as if there was nothing else that was important.
"Oh," Cedric's smile vanished, but so did the glorious pink around his ears.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, despite his resolve not to.
"I thought you wanted to talk to me, not just find out the clue for Harry."
"I—" Ron felt terrible. "It was a complete coincidence."
"Yeah?"
"Totally," Ron insisted. "I actually wanted to ask you something else, and I just happened to overhear. Of course, I do want Harry to get help with the clue…" Ron trailed off.
"Okay, I'll give Harry a hint," Cedric said, his smile was back, but hesitant now. "So what else did you want to talk about then?"
"So, I was thinking we should get to know each other better," Ron said.
"That sounds great," Cedric admitted. "I have been wanting to speak to you, but I didn't want it seeming like I am making you choose me over Harry, you know."
Ron nodded, taking this as consent to the theory that Cedric was in love with Harry, which spurred him on in his avenue as matchmaker. "I'm sure Harry is going to be fine. So, I was thinking we could meet by the lake in about a few hours, perhaps around five?"
Cedric grinned and nodded. "I'll be there."
Ron had everything set up, there was a picnic basket with snacks that Dobby helped him get, and when he had told Dobby it was a surprise for Harry, the elf was delighted to help. Ron struggled to carry the overfull picnic basket to the area beneath the tree that overlooked the lake.
He had also told Dobby to tell Harry to meet him there in half an hour. The elf had nodded and disappeared with a small pop, leaving Ron beside the lake, wondering if this date would be what pushes the two of them together. Harry deserved to be happy, and if Cedric liked him, Ron wanted them to be together.
Ron just managed to duck behind a tree when he spotted Cedric arriving first. Cedric seemed confused, but Harry followed shortly after. Ron was sure this date would be perfect, and he left them to it.
Ron was sitting in the common room sulking when Harry arrived back hours later. It seemed like Harry must have had a good time.
"Ron, why didn't you show up? Cedric and I waited on you for hours." Harry's expression seemed slightly annoyed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't set up the date for you both to interrupt it." Ron tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.
"You wanted to set us up?" Harry asked. His expression was clearly baffled.
"Yeah, and did he mention the egg?"
"You idiot, why did you think he liked me? Or I him?" Harry asked. "Just because we are both gay doesn't mean we will automatically fall in love, Ron. You should know that."
"I heard a rumour that he was interested in you," Ron muttered. "He is great, why don't you like him? Was he upset when you left?"
Harry seemed to have a thought, but he didn't voice it.
"What?" Ron asked again. "You were gone long enough."
"Ron, mate, I told him I didn't like him in that way, and he left almost instantly. I saw on the map he is down in the Kitchens right now."
Ron was furious. 'How could Harry do this to me? I am being completely selfless, and he doesn't even want Cedric.' Ron couldn't help but wonder.
"Can I borrow your cloak?" Ron asked. "I want to go make sure he is okay."
Harry nodded, much more easily than Ron had expected. "Take the map as well." Harry tossed it at him. Ron didn't spare a thought at his friend's behaviour. He needed to make sure that Cedric was okay. He rushed out of the common room before Harry could say anything else and made his way down to the kitchen.
When Ron reached the Kitchen, he nervously went in through the door, spotting Cedric sitting by a small table in the middle of the empty kitchen.
"Cedric," he said. Cedric looked up at him, but Ron didn't realise that he didn't look sad. Cedric seemed to be looking smug.
"Ron," he replied simply.
"I am so sorry, I never would have set you up if I knew. I can't believe Harry doesn't fancy you back, I—" Ron cut himself off, suddenly realising a beaming grin crossing Cedric's face. The light was coming in through the high windows from the moonlight, and it made those brown eyes look like they were made of gold.
"It's okay, we agreed. It was sweet of you, really."
"Sweet?" Ron asked indignantly. "It was romantic, and beautiful. It was the best date I ever planned…"
Cedric stood up and walked towards him until they were within arms reach of each other. Cedric's hand lifted to Ron's cheek, and Cedric stroked it. Ron was flabbergasted. What was he doing? Ron wanted to take a step back to clear his head. It was becoming fuzzy with thoughts about kissing Cedric. He couldn't kiss him, Cedric wasn't his. Ron took a step back, and Cedric took hold of one of Ron's hands.
"It would have been, if it hadn't been with Harry," Cedric replied.
"Oh no," Ron said. "You're not gay?"
Cedric laughed. "You can really be a bit dense," he said. "Harry was right."
"I'm not dense," Ron said stubbornly. "If I am so dense, how did I set you up on such a great date?"
"Because the date would have been perfect, if it had been with you."
Ron suspected that time had stopped for a moment as he let the words of this confession sink in. Cedric couldn't seriously have feelings for him instead of Harry James Potter?
"You can't like me," Ron replied.
"Why not?" Cedric asked softly, pulling him closer with the hand he was still holding.
"Because you're handsome, clever, and fair and…" Ron stopped talking. He noticed that Cedric was now so close to him he could see the other boy's eyelashes. He saw a stray lash, and without realising, he lifted his right hand, brushing the eyelash from Cedric's cheek. "You had a, um, eyelash."
Cedric laughed. "I like you, Ron."
"Um, thanks," Ron said.
"Like really like you," Cedric clarified.
"No."
"Yes," Cedric said. "Maybe you don't feel the same about me, but Gryffindor's are brave, aren't they? Can you tell me if I make you nervous? If you want to leave."
"Well, I, yes." Ron muttered. He couldn't process all this. Did Cedric just ask him if he liked him back?
"Do I make you nervous?" Cedric repeated with a laugh.
"Very."
"And why is that?"
"Because I am so crazy about you," Ron finally blurted. The answering smile Cedric gave was the most glorious Ron had ever seen.
"Really?"
Ron nodded. He finally did it. He told Cedric how he felt. Cedric liked him. Not Harry. He liked him.
"So, you really don't fancy Harry?"
Cedric shook his head. "Do you want to kiss me now?"
Ron blushed, but surrounded his courage and kissed the Hufflepuff passionately. It was Ron's first real kiss, but it didn't feel like that at all. It felt perfect in every way, and that was because Cedric was kissing him back with so much passion.
When they were breathless, Cedric pulled back and whispered into his ear. "I wish I could have taken you to the Yule Ball."
"What would you have done with me?" Ron asked, grinning.
"We would have danced," Cedric said, twirling Ron around in the kitchen.
"We can dance now," Ron said. He was struggling to think, but he enjoyed having Cedric touching him so much he didn't want the other boy to let him go.
Cedric smiled and whispered a charm, and music seemed to fill the kitchen. He dropped his wand onto the table, and the two of them danced around, and Ron noticed he wasn't half bad, not when someone else was leading the way.
"You're a great dancer," Ron said.
"You're a great kisser," Cedric said back. His eyes were filled with mischief as Ron blushed.
"I'm not," Ron muttered.
"Come back here, I want to kiss you again," Cedric said, pulling Ron closer before he could walk away.
"Okay then," Ron said, trying not to sound as excited as he felt.
Cedric Diggory fancied him, and thought he was a good kisser. It just doesn't get much better than this. Next time, he will be more careful acting on rumours. He could have really messed things up for himself, Cedric, and Harry.