To Bedlam and Partway Back

NOTE: WARNINGS FOR UNDERAGE SLASH

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters

Chapter Eleven

In the end, Cedric's promise to Sirius was irrelevant. Amelia Bones got her confession from Pettigrew; the man was Kissed, and Black and Lupin both got their revenge. Amelia told him they had both died barely an hour after Pettigrew lost his soul. There were letters, but Harry hadn't wanted to read them. He wasn't going to their will-readings, either; Gringotts would owl over the finalised list of properties. Cedric had taken care of all that. Harry hadn't wanted anything to do with either of them.

Snape had to be released from Auror custody though, as a universal pardon granted more than a decade ago awarded him immunity from any persecution for his actions done under Voldemort's mask. Still, he'd been exposed as the spy on both sides that he was, and could no longer claim Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts, not that that held very much political sway anymore. Word had gotten out to the streets, and not even two days later, their old Potions Professor was found dead on the streets on Knockturn Alley. Harry was little grieved for Snape's death, but the suddenness and violence of his murder came as a bit of an abrupt shock for most people. To make matters worse, the DMLE had no leads on his case, as no one in any of the Alleys was talking.

They had run into Malfoy on the way to the Great Hall the day after news of Snape's murder had reached Hogwarts.

"Now do you understand why we fight so hard against him, Potter?" the pale, pointy-faced blond had asked, his eyes and voice deader than they'd ever seen him. "Dumbledore isn't half as perfect as those Gryffindorks think he is. We know what he's actually doing; how he has the entire wizarding world under his sway. What good could ever come out of that? What good has ever come out of that?"

"M-Malfoy-" Harry had stuttered, unsure of what to say to this pale imitation of the boy he once knew.

"If he'd been that much faster, he would have gotten out, you know." There was no asking who the 'he' was. "He would have Disapparated out, and then just maybe he'd still be alive." Grief at the death of a loved one warred with the anger at his betrayal.

Cedric's eyes widened. "But you can't Disapparate or Apparate out of Hogwarts," he said cautiously.

Malfoy's grey eyes had been dead. "After all the old man has done to 'protect' his students, you honestly think he wouldn't skimp on something like that, just for convenience's sake? Trust me," he drawled viciously, "you can Apparate and Disapparate out of Hogwarts, just like that!" He snapped his fingers loudly at the last, making Harry jump.

"If this is what it feels like for you each time, Potter, I don't know why you haven't killed yourself yet. You'll be seeing my father at the Wizengamot. If nothing else, they'll break the old coot for this."

He'd shuffled away from them like a zombie, disillusioned by the betrayal of someone who'd been so close for so long. Word had it Snape had been his godfather, of all the strange and bizarre things in the world.

Malfoy wasn't the only one who came to them after the events of that day. Sprout had also come to speak to them about what she had gleaned from Lupin.

"I hate to speak ill of the dead, but the four of them really messed this up bad," she said.

Harry looked up at her with flat eyes.

"Maybe it was good that you managed to nab Pettigrew, since sending an innocent man to Azkaban- that's a terrible ordeal, that no one should have to deal with. Still, I can't condone what they did," the petit professor stated primly.

"And what exactly was that?" Cedric asked calmly.

"Exactly what we suspected," she said. "They both swore the bonds, Lily with Remus- Professor Lupin- and James with Black, although what in the world she was doing placing herself in a bond with a werewolf is beyond me." She shook her head disapprovingly.

It wasn't that she disapproved of Lupin's being a werewolf; rather she knew the life expectancy of one wasn't comparable to the expectancy of a witch. Even if the war had passed, and they'd come into peace, her children would have been rendered motherless as mere infants.

"Lupin claimed that he lived for vengeance, but with Black in Azkaban, there wasn't much else he could do. And so he thought he owed Lily the pain of living, for being so foolish. I'll say he was being foolish," she huffed, "but it certainly wasn't for living!"

"Thank you, Professor Sprout," Harry whispered.

She smiled warmly at him. "Of course, dear. I hope you're settling in fine?"

He managed a smile for him. "Yes, 'Mione and I've been made very welcome. It's- it's a lot nicer than the Gryffindor dorms."

Sprout looked unbearably proud when she heard that. "Minerva won't be pleased," she chortled, and it took Harry a moment to realise she was referring to his old Head-of-House.

"On to other things, then, Mr. Potter. Have you thought about Quidditch?"

Harry looked startled at the question, and glanced up at Cedric. The blond's face was as blank as his.

"Quidditch? I didn't expect to play anymore," he said truthfully. "I don't have a broom ever since my Nimbus-" his face tightened at the memory of his old, faithful steed "-was smashed, and Hufflepuff already has a brilliant Seeker." He smiled up at Cedric, and the older boy smiled softly back, brushing his bangs away from his eyes and kissing him. Both of them ignored Sprout's romantic sigh.

"I understand that, Mr. Potter, and I hate to sound callous, but brooms can be replaced. And you are- admittedly- the best Seeker Hogwarts has seen in generations."

Harry suddenly looked wary, as if he didn't like where this was going.

"We could make arrangements for you to play for Hufflepuff-"

"No," he immediately snapped. "I won't do that to Cedric, I wouldn't-"

"Harry, hush." The boy immediately quietened as Cedric's finger brushed his lips, but he stared obstinately back. Once Cedric pulled his finger away, Harry opened his mouth again. "I won't play Seeker," he declared fiercely. "I won't."

Cedric sighed, and tucked the boy's face against his shoulder. "It's a waste of your talent," he wheedled. "You're bloody brilliant, we all know that."

Harry's emerald eyes were fierce. "Then I'll try out next year for another position. Wood said I'd do well as a Beater too." Cedric had to quickly swallow a laugh or two at the thought of his little Bonded Beater. "I'll try out next year, but I won't break your team apart." His small face looked troubled. "I've done that too much as it is."

"Stop thinking like that," Cedric told him fiercely.

Harry looked away. "I've messed up everything as it was already," he said glumly. His green eyes were dull when he looked back up at Cedric. "Is it still worth it now?"

The blond sighed again, and cupped Harry's cheek. "How many times do you have to ask me that before you're satisfied with the answer?" he asked. "Will you be satisfied when I say no?" Those already-large eyes widened even more. "And I should be the one asking you, if you finally think I've done my job, if you think I'm worth it."

"Of course you are!" Harry blurted out, looking indignant that anyone could even consider it otherwise.

Cedric clutched him close, his lips pressed against wild hair. "Exactly, love," he breathed, resting in contentment as the orange and vanilla-scented strands wafted in his face. "How could you ever doubt me?"

Neither of them noticed when Sprout discreetly left, her face hardly able to contain her smile. Minerva nearly did a double-take when she saw her.

They were interrupted when Herbie let out a lusty sigh above their heads. "How romantic," he cooed, and then ducked as they both picked up cushions and flung them at him. "He-hey!" he yelped, dodging badly,"no throwing! I'm not conditioned to dodge, damnit!"

As a Keeper, it was his job to block the goals, and this time when he wanted to avoid them, he found it hard to go against his ingrained instinct and ended up getting smacked in the stomach.

"Oof!" he moaned, going down. Hermione giggled at his crumpled form as she gingerly stepped over it and perched herself on a sofa.

"Save me, somebody save me…" he moaned weakly.

"You bloody prat," Cedric said exasperatedly. Herbie grinned at him, not the slightest bit repentant. Harry smiled at the chestnut-haired keeper. "Herbie," he said by way of greeting. The older boy had finally dragged himself into a chair beside them.

Harry sighed as he leaned into Cedric's shoulder. "I never expected to feel sorry for Malfoy, but after seeing him this morning…no one deserves to have their world broken apart like that. Not even him."

"This morning didn't turn out that bad, did it?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Cedric's face immediately darkened. "That was only because we were ready for it. But when my father-"

"-pulls his head out his arse, the Wizengamot will declare it a miracle and a national holiday," Herbie declared flatly. "Yes, we all know that. Could we move along now, please?"

Hermione was giggling again, while Harry glanced worriedly between them. Finally the blond let out a rueful smile. "Yeah. Yeah he is. Sorry, Herbie, you've had to pull mine out several times already."

Herbie shrugged nonchalantly and began unwrapping a chocolate frog. "Yeah, well, you're doing my summer homework for me, so I figured I should at least do something for you in return."

"Cedric!" Hermione screeched disapprovingly, and Cedric knew that Herbie had done that on purpose. His grin didn't make him any more innocent, either.

"I'm glad you're doing better, Herbie," Harry said, smiling trustingly at him. Herbie's smile grew a little more fixed, but Cedric knew from experience it was hard not to smile back whenever someone had his Bonded smile at them like that. "We'll just see what tomorrow brings, shall we?"

On those words they all headed up to their respective dormitories. Hermione beat them all over the head with her hugs, and then tore off towards the Third-Year girls' room. Herbie shook his head at her retreating back. "Mad as a hatter that one, I tell you…"

Harry and Cedric completed their nightly ablutions, and changed into their pyjamas. Cedric didn't wear anything other than a thin shirt and boxers. Harry's shirt was just as threadbare, but he was wearing actual pyjama bottoms. It made Cedric smile when he saw Harry clambering into his bed without even thinking about it, ignoring the one on the far end of their dorm that had never once been used.

When he slipped in alongside him, the boy latched onto him without even really thinking about it. He was already more than half asleep. Cedric, on the other hand, had to take a couple of deep breaths so as not to…react. He thought he'd gotten away with it until-

"Cedric?"

Hazy emerald eyes were looking into his own. The name was slurred, but the intention was clear: what in Merlin's name were you still doing up?

"Don't worry about me, I'll fall asleep soon enough," Cedric said, trying to reassure the boy. He even moved closer, but then froze as his hardening cock pressed against a soft thigh. He hoped to all gods that Harry hadn't felt anything-

"I-is that why, then?"

Harry's voice was faint, and he looked pale, but rather than disgusted he seemed more dazed. "I-I didn't think-"

Cedric caught on quickly. "I- have- wanted you, Harry, even though I shouldn't. I know you're too young right now, but don't ever think you're not-"

He stilled when a small hand found the front of his boxers. He was trying not to breath, trying not to think about how the flap was just right there, and the thought made his cock jump with the boy's hand right on it. Harry looked startled at the movement, but more from a sort of surprise and wonder.

"Look, Harry," Cedric said, talking faster and faster as he blinked the perspiration from his eyes, "you really, really, really, don't have to. We didn't-"

His words cut off with a groan. Damn, but Harry had found the flap. His fingers brushed tentatively against his flesh, and the cool tips were a welcome relief, as was the feel of the nails lightly scrabbling on him, making him moan.

Rather than slip his hand through the slap, Harry timidly sought the band of his boxers and gave it an experimental tug. "Is it okay if I want to? Can I?" he asked in hushed tones.

"Merlin, why do you even need to ask," Cedric wheezed as he was bared.

Harry didn't look like he was getting aroused himself, but Cedric supposed he was still a little young for that. The boy appeared intrigued by the texture of his cock, rubbing his thumb up and down his shaft several times, before gripping it firmly and giving it a few hesitant pulls. Cedric arched into the touch.

"Mmm, Harry," he mumbled, "just like that."

He didn't see Harry staring at him wide-eyed, amazed by the amount of control he had over the older boy just because of this piece of flesh in his hand. He tightened his grip rather shakily, and the boy moaned, completely at his mercy. Then he began shuffling his hand, up and down, faster and faster, firming his grip nearer the tip, and Cedric's head fell back, his mouth agape as he panted and jerked his hips up in time. It didn't take Harry too long to have the older boy coming over his hand. That, more than anything, surprised the bollocks out of Harry.

Cedric sagged back against his pillows, still in disbelief that he let a thirteen-year-old wank him off, and at first didn't realise that said thirteen-year-old was still in shock over the jizz that was sprayed all over his hand. "Harry?" Cedric asked sleepily, looking for him. "Oh shit, Harry, I'm sorry-"

He quickly fumbled for his wand and cast a Cleaning Charm on them both. Harry looked at him with large eyes. "Wha- what was that-"

The older badger turned beet-red when he realised he'd have to explain the birds and the bees to his thirteen-year-old Bonded.

It's all in a good humour (o: Updates for Bedlam will resume every Friday, once more. Cheers.