AN: Hello again, everyone! This one is chock full of angst and drama (surprise!). It also has some major time jumps. Okay…on with the show…

*.*.*.*

Chapter Six

- October 9th -

Draco was sitting in the window seat of his bedroom with his knees pulled up to his chest and his back pressing against the cool glass.

His hands trembled very slightly as he lit a cigarette and glanced over at the sleeping form of Cedric. He's such a good man and you're just going to hurt him.

Cedric had stayed with him almost every night since that night three weeks earlier. Draco had enjoyed having him around and was comforted by his strong arms wrapped around him at night. They had taken their time to get to know one another, but tonight, they had finally done it. They had finally given into their desires and had sex. Really, really fucking fantastic sex.

What disturbed Draco though was his inability to look Cedric in the eye while he was inside him. He had almost bitten a hole through his lip in order to keep himself from saying Harry's name when he came. Luckily, Cedric himself had been crying out at the same moment, so he hadn't noticed the strangled "Har – " that had escaped Draco's lips before he had been able to stop himself.

Guilt was eating at him and he couldn't believe how violently ill he felt.

"Dray?" Cedric whispered as he stirred. He propped himself up on his elbows and stared at the empty side of the bed where Draco had been lying when he had fallen asleep.

"Over here," Draco said as he lowered his feet to the floor and rested his elbows on his knees.

Cedric rolled over and sat up to face him. He smiled at the blonde and scratched at his messy hair. "Hi," he said softly.

Draco gave him a warm smile. God…he's beautiful. "Hi."

Cedric stretched and yawned before leaning over to grab his boxers from the floor. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked as he pulled them up over his hips.

Draco shook his head and looked down at the carpet. "You alright?" he asked, his voice hardly more than a whisper.

Cedric laughed as he walked over and sat down next to him. "I'm a lot better than alright," he said as he lightly bumped Draco's shoulder with his own. He was silent for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice was soft and full of concern. "How about you? How are you doing, love?"

Draco took a long hit from his cigarette and exhaled slowly. "I'm good," he said softly.

Cedric reached out to stroke Draco's hair, letting the baby fine strands slip through his fingers again and again. "You know…it's only been three weeks. Maybe it was a bit too soon?"

Draco looked over at him, a silent apology written all over his face. "Maybe."

Cedric cupped Draco's chin and gently ran his thumb over his lower lip. "There's nothing to regret," he told him. "Don't beat yourself up over your feelings. You feel what you feel and there's nothing you or I can do about it."

Draco smiled and was surprised by the relief he felt. He loved the fact that Cedric had just seemed to know what he was thinking without making him say it aloud. "You always know exactly what to say to me. How do you do it?"

Cedric shrugged and leaned in to kiss him gently. He stood and headed for the door. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Draco stubbed out his cigarette and followed his new lover to the kitchen. He smiled to himself as he watched him cooking and singing softly to himself. He really is perfect. As long as he has a little patience with me, this may just work out.

*.*.*.*

- December 21st -

Blaise smiled as he watched his best friend of many years examine himself in the large mirror that hung on the wall behind his desk.

"Have I put on weight?" Draco asked as he turned to the side and placed a hand on his perfectly flat abdomen.

Blaise laughed and shook his head. "I don't think it's possible for you to gain weight. You're probably the same size now as you were when we met."

Draco turned away from the mirror and looked over his shoulder to examine the reflection of his butt. "Are you sure? It's just, Cedric has been cooking for me almost every day for about three months now and I'm afraid I'm going to end up a fat cow and he'll never want to touch me again."

Blaise snorted. "Are you drunk?"

Draco glared at him. "I just want to look good for him."

Blaise walked over to him and wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. "I really don't think Cedric cares what you look like. He loves you just as you are. We all do." He kissed his friends cheek and squeezed him tightly before letting go.

Draco stared at himself in the mirror and couldn't help the smile that developed at Blaise's comment.

He and Cedric had had a rocky start, but they had both held on and within two months they had settled into a happy, fulfilling relationship, complete with a very active sex life that did not include thoughts of Harry Potter. Well, mostly anyway.

Draco knew that Cedric was in love with him, though he had only ever said it when he thought the blonde was asleep. The thought of it usually made Draco happier than he could remember being in years, but he still had days where the guilt ate at him when he realized that he did not love him back. He had very, very strong feelings for the other man, but just knew that it was nothing like what he had felt for Harry. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Damn it, Malfoy! Don't think about him, not today. His smile fell and he smoothed down his clothes and turned away from the mirror.

"You alright?" Blaise asked as he looked up from his computer. "You look a bit pale."

"I always look pale," Draco snapped.

"Whoa…what's up with the mood swings?"

Draco sighed and collapsed into the chair at the desk across from Blaise. "Christmas Eve is in three days."

"I'm aware."

Draco fell silent and started straightening up his desk, trying to ignore his best friend's eyes that seemed to follow his every move. Why is he watching me? Stop it! "Did Pansy invite Potter to dinner?" he finally asked.

Blaise was silent for a moment. "Would that make you change your mind about coming?" he eventually asked.

Draco forced a laugh. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous." He went back to straightening his desk, hoping with all his heart that Blaise would say that Harry would not be there. He knew he could control his feelings as long as he didn't have to face him.

"He'll be there," Blaise said softly.

Draco hung his head and breathed deeply, trying to control the racing of his heart. "Why'd she have to invite him, anyway? She knows how I feel."

"Yes, she does," Blaise agreed, though he was sure to keep his voice calm and soft so as not to provoke a fight with his sometimes volatile best friend. "But she also knows that Ron and Hermione are his best friends. Since we are having them to our house this year, we can't really leave him out of it. He's their family."

"I'm weak around him," Draco admitted, though he couldn't bring himself to look at his friend. "I used to be a strong person. I don't know how the hell it happened, Blaise, but he knocked down all my walls. All he has to do is say my name and I'm screwed."

"Literally," Blaise laughed.

"Shut up." Draco glared at him. "What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't get him out of my fucking head and I think it's driving me insane."

Blaise stood and went to Draco's side. "Dray…breathe."

Draco took a deep breath.

"All you have to do is remember that Cedric is there with you. He knows your past and he's not going to let Harry get too close. Between him and me, we'll keep you in line."

"But it shouldn't have to be like that. I'm not a hormonal teenager for fucks sake, I'm an adult and for whatever reason, I don't seem to remember that when he's around. I should be able to control myself, especially since I have Cedric."

"Do you love Cedric?"

"No," Draco said, though he wasn't harsh about it. "But I'm pretty damn close. If Potter would just stay the hell away from me, maybe I could finally let myself fall completely." He looked up at his friend. "I really, really want to fall completely."

Blaise smiled and patted his arm. "Well, this will be the first time that you are around Harry while you have a boyfriend. I bet once he sees that you two are still together, he'll back off completely."

Draco shrugged. "Maybe."

"Speaking of boyfriends…isn't yours supposed to be picking you up on his way home from the airport?"

Draco glanced at the clock which read 3:22 am. "Shit…I'm late." He grabbed his jacket and pulled it on, then wrapped a long plaid scarf around his neck. "Don't forget to lock up," he yelled as he hurried down the stairs. He ran to the door and burst outside to find his boyfriend parked just twenty feet away.

He felt a wonderful tightness in his chest when he looked at Cedric. He was leaning against his car, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He was wearing a red, hooded sweatshirt and a black scarf, but no coat. His cheeks were red from the cold and his hair was full of snowflakes.

"You're going to catch your death," Draco said as he hurried over to the other man and threw his arms around his neck.

Cedric smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a deep, passionate kiss.

"Mm…I missed you," Draco whispered as he wrapped his arms tighter around the taller man's shoulders. He buried his face in his neck and breathed deeply.

Cedric held him tighter. "I missed you, too," he said as he stroked the blonde's back.

Draco pulled back and smiled up at him. "No more trips out of the country." He kissed him again and let go. "Not even if they want you to examine the Mona Lisa."

Cedric smiled and touched his boyfriend's cheek. "How about next time I just take you with me?"

Draco beamed at him, loving the idea of time away with his man. "It's a deal."

They climbed into the warm car and immediately leaned towards each other for another kiss. Draco rested against Cedric's arm and sighed contentedly. "I'm glad you're here."

Cedric kissed his head. "Me too." He put the car in drive and started the drive home.

"How was your flight?"

"Fairly uneventful."

Draco looked over at him and for the first time noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "You look so tired. You really didn't have to pick me up. Blaise would have driven me home." He rested a hand on Cedric's knee. "I can't imagine how exhausted you are."

Cedric shrugged. "I knew if I went straight home I would fall asleep and then I wouldn't have gotten to see you until morning. And I really wanted to see you." He looked over at Draco and gave him a wink.

Draco moved even closer. "Sure you're awake enough for that, Mr. Diggory?" He ghosted his lips over the other man's neck. "I have eight days of pent up frustration to work my way through. I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with me." He ran his tongue lightly over the shell of Cedric's ear and smiled to himself when he felt his boyfriend shiver against him.

"Oh believe me, I'll manage to stay awake." Cedric stopped the car at a red light and turned to Draco. He pulled him roughly against him and kissed him hard.

Draco moaned softly as his heart thumped painfully against his breastbone. He was grateful he was sitting, because he knew if he had been standing, his knees would have given out. Cedric had never kissed him like that before. It was full of desperation and yearning and love and it made Draco's entire body scream for the other man. Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

And that was the moment that Draco Malfoy fell in love with Cedric Diggory.

Draco was propped on his elbow as he gazed lovingly down at his sleeping boyfriend. He lightly traced the man's features with his fingertips. His strong jaw. His perfectly shaped lips. His nose, which was just a tiny bit crooked from having been broken a few years earlier. He even traced the shell of his ear and his Adam's apple.

Cedric stirred and sighed heavily in his sleep, the corners of his lips turning up into a slight smile.

Draco's heart swelled as he leaned over to kiss him.

There was a quiet moan as Cedric woke to the brush of soft lips against his. He eagerly kissed Draco back as he slid his arms around the blonde's slim frame and pulled him closer.

Draco sat up straight, straddling Cedric's hips. "Good morning," he said with a smirk. He licked his lips as he stared down at his boyfriend's mouth.

Cedric ran his hands slowly up Draco's legs and to his hips as he smiled back at him. "That it is." He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and laughed as he looked back up at Draco. "Love…it's only 6:30. Have you even slept yet?"

Draco shook his head. "I had better things to do." He leaned in to kiss him again.

Cedric rested his hands on Draco's bare back, holding him close. "What kind of things?" he asked against his lips.

"Watching you sleep…" He kissed Cedric's neck, licking and sucking softly at the sensitive skin. "Listening to you breathe..." He kissed his jaw. "Feeling you next to me…" He kissed him hard on the mouth. "I didn't realize how intensely I missed you until you were back here with me…where you belong." He ran his fingers over his love's mouth before stealing another quick kiss. "I am never letting go of you."

Cedric's hazel eyes were wide and shining with unshed tears as he looked up into sparkling silver-grey eyes. "What has gotten into you? You're never this…sentimental."

Draco smiled and lowered himself to his elbows so their chests were pressed together and their faces were only inches apart. "I need to say something," he whispered, his breath blowing soft and warm over the other's face. "I didn't want to wake you, but I got restless."

Cedric laughed. "That's alright…I never mistook you for a patient man."

Draco grinned and kissed him quickly.

"Go ahead," Cedric urged as he brought a hand to Draco's face.

Draco closed his eyes and pressed his face harder against his lover's hand, loving the feel of his rough fingers against his cheek. He sighed softly and opened his eyes.

Cedric smiled warmly as he waited.

Draco leaned in a little closer, until their lips were almost touching. "I love you," he whispered. "So much." He pressed his lips to Cedric's and kissed him soft and slow, trying to illustrate just how true his words were.

Cedric whimpered softly and clutched at Draco's shoulders, holding him closer and deepening their kiss.

Draco tilted his face back enough to look at his boyfriend and was surprised when he saw a tear rolling down his face and into his messy hair. He smiled as he gently wiped it away.

"Do you mean it?" Cedric asked, his voice shaky and quiet.

Draco raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend's sudden insecurity. It made him a bit uneasy, but he brushed it aside. "I've never been more sure of anything. And I would never have said it otherwise." He sat up. "I love you, Cedric…I really do."

Cedric swallowed hard as he just looked at him.

Draco's good mood was swiftly leaving him to be replaced by a sense of dread. "What?" he asked quietly.

Cedric looked down at his hands. "What about…?"

Draco just stared for a moment, then folded his arms tightly over his chest. When did it get so fucking cold in here? "What about what?" he asked when Cedric didn't continue.

"Never mind." Cedric shook his head and forced a smile onto his weary face before making eye contact again.

"What about what?" Draco repeated, his voice sharper than he had meant it to be.

Cedric turned his head towards the wall and did not respond.

Draco snapped and scrambled to his feet. "What the fuck is going on? I spill my guts out to you and you have nothing to say about it other than that you don't believe me?" He pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed his boots. He sat down on the window seat and slipped them on, not even bothering with socks. I knew he was too good to be true. Should have kept my mouth shut instead of spouting off all this ridiculous romantic nonsense. I should know better by now.

Cedric sat up and pulled the blanket up around his shoulders. "I never said that I didn't believe you," he said softly.

Draco stood and grabbed a hooded sweatshirt and pulled it over his head. "Maybe not in so many words. But you certainly didn't say that you love me, did you?"

"But I do!" Cedric jumped to his feet and reached for him.

Draco pushed at his boyfriends desperate hands. "I need to go for a walk. Maybe when I get back we can talk about whatever it is that's bothering you." He grabbed his jacket from the chair in the corner.

"Wait!"

He stopped in the doorway with his back to Cedric.

"I…I was going to ask…what about Harry?"

The room was silent for a long time. All Draco could hear was the rush of blood in his ears. "What about him?" he finally managed, though he thought he knew what Cedric was going to say.

"You love him." Cedric's voice was quiet, but he had regained the calm, confident tone that had been one of the first things that Draco had noticed about him.

Draco slowly turned around to face him. "Why do you say that?"

Cedric stared right into his eyes and took a step towards him. "The night I left for Japan…"

Draco nodded for him to continue.

"You called me Harry when you came."

Draco's stomach dropped and he froze in horror, speechless. No! No, no, no! Not this again, I'm supposed to be past this!

Cedric finally looked away when Draco's silence became too much. "I tried to brush it off and pretend it didn't happen, but I…couldn't."

Draco cleared the painful knot from his throat. "Understandable," he said softly. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

"And…I don't think it was the first time either." Cedric sat down on the side of the bed and looked down at his hands. "You fell asleep right after so I just kissed you goodbye and left for the airport. I had hours on the flight to think about it and the hurt and jealousy just ate at me and I became so… angry."

Draco raised his eyebrows. Cedric rarely got angry, and he had certainly never gotten angry with him.

"When I got to my hotel room, I called you immediately and I tried to tell myself that the whole thing had been my imagination, but-"

"It wasn't," Draco admitted as he sat down on the window seat across from him.

Cedric nodded. "I know."

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered. How do I fix this? I have to fix this before he leaves. I won't be able to bear it if he leaves me.

Cedric nodded again. "I know…me too."

Draco looked up. "What for?"

Cedric's cheeks were burning as he leaned his elbows on his knees and hung his head in shame. "I was with someone else…in Japan."

Draco suddenly couldn't breathe. It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the room and he struggled to take in a breath, but couldn't. His lungs and throat burned with need. This isn't real…it's not happening! He's not supposed to do that to me. Not him. My Cedric would never do that to me.

"I regretted it immediately," Cedric continued, his voice back to the insecure tone that Draco had just heard for the first time a few minutes ago.

Was that really just a few minutes ago? It seems like forever.

"I hardly slept the entire time I was there. I made myself sick with worry and shame and I couldn't wait to come home to you so I could make things right." Cedric wasn't looking at him, he just kept picking at his fingernails.

Draco watched Cedric's picking, desperate not to think about what the other man was actually saying. What a horribly repulsive habit that is. I'll have to work on breaking him of that.

"I should have told you immediately. I shouldn't have let you…we shouldn't have made love when I got home. Not without telling you first."

"Why are you telling me?" Draco tried to keep his voice as calm and indifferent as he could, but he could hear the slight tremor and he knew that Cedric could hear it as well. Harry didn't do this to me. He may have hurt me again and again, but he never made promises and he always admitted when he was leaving.

"Because I love you." Cedric looked up and into steely grey eyes. "I wasn't going to tell you. But when you said that you loved me…I wanted so badly to believe it and I knew we could never be happy unless I told the truth." He wiped quickly at his tearing eyes.

"I think I would have preferred you'd lied," Draco said softly as he stood. "I would still be happy. After all, what I don't know can't hurt me."

"Dray…I'm so sorry," Cedric whispered. He covered his face with his hands and began to cry harder.

Draco rubbed his tired, burning eyes, refusing to cry in front of him. Never again. I won't cry in front of him and especially not over him. "I think I'll sleep in the guest room for a bit. I'm suddenly quite tired." He let his shoulders slump as he made his way to the rarely used room down the hall. He didn't bother undressing. He just climbed under the covers, boots and all, and buried his face in a pillow as he began to sob silently.

- December 24th -

Draco woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve hating the world. He hadn't slept in the same room as his boyfriend in three days and tonight he was to face Harry again for the first time in three months.

He sighed and turned onto his side to look out the window. It opened onto a large empty field that was currently covered in a blanket of snow. He closed his eyes to block out the beauty…he wasn't in the mood.

"Knock, knock," a soft, feminine voice came from the doorway.

He kept his eyes closed and feigned sleep. Go away, go away, go away.

He heard light footsteps across the wooden floor, then felt the dip of the bed. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as fresh tears stung at his raw, burning eyes. He had known that the minute she showed up, and he was sure she would show up, he would lose it again.

"Dray?"

He started to cry softly and quickly wiped at his face.

Pansy pulled the blanket back and slid underneath. She pressed herself against his back and slid an arm under his head to cradle him to her. She wrapped her other arm around him and held him tightly, resting her cheek against his.

Draco took deep breathes and tried to blink away the relentless flood of tears.

"Blaise is worried," she said softly as she stroked his arm. "We're all worried."

Draco pulled her arms tighter around him. "I can't stop crying," he whispered, his voice sounding hoarse. He laughed softly. "I feel so stupid. With the way I'm carrying on, you'd think someone had died." He took a deep breath, filling his senses with the smell of her. He had always loved how she smelled.

She kissed his head and held on tighter. "It's better he told you, yeah?"

"I wish he hadn't." He untangled himself from her arms and turned to face her.

"Oh, Draco," she said softly when she finally saw his face. She reached out to gently wipe away tears from his puffy, bloodshot eyes.

He moved closer to her so they were sharing a pillow and their foreheads were almost touching. He gripped her small hand in his and cleared his aching throat. "I want to forgive him. I know that he was deeply hurt by what I did and I honestly believe that he regrets it and would change it if he could, but I just can't bring myself to say the words. I can't bring myself to talk to him at all."

She kissed his forehead and stroked his dirty, disheveled hair. "Take your time, love. Don't think you have to do this on anyone else's schedule. It's completely up to you this time. Not even Cedric expects you to forgive him so quickly."

"Did you talk to him?"

She nodded.

"How is he?"

She shook her head. "Not very good. But he understands why you don't want to talk to him. He says he'll stay here until you tell him to leave."

Draco rolled onto his back with a great sigh and stared blankly up at the ceiling.

"Was he right?" Pansy asked as she propped herself up on her elbow.

He looked at her in confusion.

"Do you love Harry?"

He looked back at the ceiling and didn't respond.

"If you don't want to come to dinner tonight, I completely understand."

"No, of course I'll be there, just don't sit me by…him."

"I won't." She lay down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Pans?"

"Yes?"

"Am I completely unlovable?" He sniffled softly and turned his face into her hair.

Pansy bit her lip as she rolled onto her side and hugged him. She blinked back tears of her own. "How could you even think that?" she said softly.

He shrugged, but kept his face hidden from her. "Maybe I'm just no good at all of this. Maybe my father was right and love really is just an emotion for the weak."

"Your father is wrong, Draco. That whole 'Malfoy's don't' nonsense of his has to stop. I know that this is painful for you and it's killing me to see you like this, but it's going to get better. And you're going to be so happy, I know it."

He snorted bitterly. "Right."

She sighed softly and kissed his head. "I love you so much."

He managed a small smile. "I love you too."

"And I'm proud of you. You let yourself fall in love so soon after being hurt so badly. There are a lot of people who would have stayed bitter and alone, but you tried to move on."

"And I just got hurt again." He rubbed his face and breathed deeply before sitting up. "Enough of this. I'm up now. I'm going to go take a shower, then I'll force a smile onto my face and I'll be at your party at 6:00 sharp where I'll mingle and be my normally charming self. I'm going to get really, really drunk and I'll just pretend that nothing is wrong and I won't think about it again until tonight." He nodded to himself, pleased with his plan, even though he knew there would be no forgetting anything.

Pansy tried to smile. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

He nodded and climbed out of bed. "Now scoot. Don't you have an animal to cook or something?"

She raised an eyebrow at his forced cheeriness and straightened her clothes. "Alright…I'm trusting you to be okay. So you better tell me if you're not."

He kissed her head and pushed her towards the door. "Go."

She blew him a kiss and closed the door behind her.

He dressed quickly, despite the fact that he was in no hurry to see Cedric. Even though he was planning a shower, he combed out his hair and made sure every strand was in the right place. There was no reason to continue being lazy after all.

"You can do this," he said softly to himself. Just breathe. He opened the door and walked out into the hallway, feeling like an intruder in his own home. He paused briefly and stood up straight, shoulders back and head held high before making his way into the kitchen and to the sink. He filled the teapot and set it on the stove.

"Draco."

Cedric's voice hit him in the gut like a lead weight. He swallowed heavily before glancing casually over his shoulder in his direction, though he didn't make eye contact. "Morning," he said with a fake smile. He went to the cupboard and pulled out a mug. "Tea?" he asked, his hand still on the cupboard door.

"Um…sure."

The insecure voice. I don't like that voice.

Draco pulled out a second mug then leaned against the counter and stared at the stove, waiting for the water to heat.

"I…" Cedric took a tentative step into the kitchen and cleared his throat. "I wanted to give you your gift before I go." He set a small blue box with a white ribbon on the kitchen table.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the gift. "Where are you going?" He still couldn't make himself look at him.

"Well, I uninvited myself from Pansy and Blaise's dinner. I figure I'll spend the day with my sister and her family."

"You hate them," Draco reminded him as he turned to pull the whistling kettle from the stove.

"Yeah…but I don't hate them nearly as much as I love you, so I thought it would be better if I didn't come to dinner. You'll have a better time without me there."

Stupid watery eyes! Draco blinked rapidly and sniffed, though he tried to cover it with a cough. "You really don't have to do that."

"I want to," Cedric insisted, though his tone of voice indicated otherwise. "I just want you to have a nice Christmas."

Draco sighed softly and set the kettle on the counter. He rubbed his eyes and turned around to finally face his boyfriend. "If you don't come, I'll spend all night wondering how miserable you are and I won't be able to have a good time." He folded his arms over his chest and looked at the floor.

"Um…well…don't you want me to be miserable?"

Draco gave a one shoulder shrug. "I thought I did," he said softly as he looked back up at him.

"I'm really, really sorry," Cedric said, his lower lip trembling.

Draco was across the room in a flash, holding Cedric in his arms while the taller man cried. "I'm sorry too," he whispered.

Cedric sobbed into his neck and clutched at the back of his shirt. "I miss you so much I can hardly breathe."

Draco pulled back and gave him a small smile before hesitantly pressing his lips against his.

Cedric's hands were immediately in his hair, holding tightly and pulling him closer as he tried desperately to deepen their kiss.

Draco kept his hands on Cedric's waist as he allowed the kiss for just a moment. Then he pulled away gently and turned back to finish preparing their tea. His heart was in his throat and his hands were shaking as he poured the water, but the crushing pain that had been plaguing him for the last two days was finally easing. It was still there, it was just less.

"Do you…still love me?" Cedric asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Draco said without hesitation. It wouldn't hurt so badly if I didn't. He took two tea bags and dunked them in their mugs, then carried them to the table to sit.

Cedric took the seat across from him, his eyes glued to Draco's face. His shoulders were slumped forward and he fiddled nervously with the place mat in front of him. "I should have just said that I love you too."

Draco glanced up, but looked back at his tea to stir in some sugar.

"I ruined it. I've been waiting so long to hear you say you love me and I couldn't just be happy about it." He took the cup that Draco handed him.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Draco said with a frown.

They fell into silence as they sipped their tea and occasionally shot nervous glances at each other.

"How was your day yesterday?" Draco asked. God…I hate feeling so uncomfortable with him.

Cedric shrugged. "I didn't go to work."

"Then where were you all day?"

Cedric was picking his nails again. "I just walked around for most of the day. I did some shopping then I sat on the bench across the street and just…thought."

"About what?"

Cedric looked up at him. "What I could do to make you forgive me."

"What did you come up with?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," Cedric admitted. "What I did was completely unforgivable."

"I wouldn't go that far," Draco said softly. "I'm partially to blame."

"Saying someone else's name during sex doesn't excuse what I did."

"No, it doesn't," Draco agreed. He looked up at his boyfriend and gave him a sad smile. "But if I had said anyone else's name, we wouldn't be here right now, would we?"

Cedric just stared at him in silence before slowly shaking his head. "No. We wouldn't."

Draco sat back in his chair. "Why is that, do you think?"

Cedric's cheeks colored and he shrugged.

"Have I ever given you reason to be jealous or to think that I might leave you for him?" He leaned forward to take Cedric's hand.

"I've been jealous of him since the day we met and I saw how you looked at him. Then you went and had sex with him in the bathroom…" He looked away.

Draco frowned and let go of his hand. "You said at the time that you wouldn't judge me."

"I'm not judging you, I just hate the effect that he has on you."

Draco sighed. "So do I."

"So all we have to do is avoid him for the rest of our lives. Easy." Cedric laughed softly.

Draco laughed, but it faded fast. "He's going to be there tonight."

Cedric nodded and stared down into his tea. "I know." He tapped at the side of his cup with his fingernail. "Are we going to get through this?"

Draco stood and took his cup to the sink. "I really don't know," he said softly as he left the room.

*.*.*.*

TBC…

AN: Please review!