'agraventoT aniidre'
"What the hell were we even doing there?" Cedric was bellowing at them as Harry was cleaning the blood out of his mouth. Theodore was putting up protective charms as the Hufflepuff ranted. "What was the purpose of that if you were just going to nearly get us caught and killed?"
"Shut our mouth, will you?" Theodore snapped between spells, but Cedric ignored him.
"Do you even HAVE a plan? Do you even KNOW what you are doing? Or are we just on some wild goose chase?" Cedric paused to give a glare and then he growled. "Or maybe you're really just running. Maybe you don't have some special mission from Dumbledore. Maybe you're just hiding and thought 'right beneath their noses' would be the safest place."
Harry had stood. "I AM NOT HIDING!"
"Then what is going on?" Cedric roared. "WHAT ARE WE DOING?"
"You agreed that if you were coming along, you'd be left in the dark!" Harry bellowed back. "You agreed that you would help us without knowing the plan!"
"Well, it's pretty damn clear that you don't know the plan either!"
"We're working off of everything Dumbledore gave us!" Harry shouted. "We're doing everything we can to follow his orders! Admittedly, they were vague! We don't know as much as we'd like, but we're still doing it, aren't we?"
"Apparently with blind faith."
"Well, maybe that's what it takes! It wouldn't be the first time blind faith in Dumbledore helped me conquer the Dark Lord!" His memory flashed to the Chamber of Secrets where his loyalty to Dumbledore had brought Fawkes to his aid...instantly, he wished Fawkes would aid him now.
"Whatever!" Cedric shouted. "It doesn't matter now, does it? He's dead! And he obviously didn't give much of a damn to help you otherwise he'd have told you more!"
"SHUT UP!" Harry screamed. "JUST SHUT UP, CEDRIC!"
"Please..." Theo snarled.
Cedric spun on Theodore. "KEEP OUT OF THIS! It has nothing to do with you!"
The taller crossed his arms, eyes catching fire with rage. "Has more to do with me than it does with you, Diggory. Might I also remind you that you didn't have to come."
"Someone has to look after him!" Cedric waved his arm at Harry, whose eyes widened in disbelief and disgust. "Especially when he's travelling around with a filthy Death Eater!"
Theo's wand had risen into the air, but his wasn't the only. Harry's wand was now also raised.
"DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Harry threatened, every fiber of his being shaking with rage. "EVER!"
Cedric, looking startled and momentarily confused, swallowed, evaluated the situation, and then gave a shrug before turning away. "Whatever...stupid Slytherins...sticking together..."
"Please let me hex him into silence." Theodore muttered under his breath so only Harry could hear.
"We need him." Harry mumbled back.
Abruptly, Theodore grabbed his forearm, a gleam of pain entering his eyes. "H-have to go."
"Theo..." Harry started and then realized what was happening. "All right."
Theodore Apparated away without further word and Harry, feeling the cold sting of being suddenly very alone, stood there for several minutes of thought before he could urge himself to search Theodore's abandoned bag for, hopefully, a tent.
Theodore did not reappear for several days, during which Harry had nightmares about Voldemort attacking the wand-maker Gregorovitch. Despite all his employment of Occlumency, the Dark Lord's mind was still breaking through to Harry's, leaving Harry feeling both agitated and inferior. Why was the Dark Lord's mind still stronger than Harry's? Why couldn't he keep him at bay?
He knew his stressing over Theodore wasn't helping. He hardly ate the food that Dobby had helped Theodore pack for them. Sleep came slowly and painfully. His desire for company and seclusion all at once pushed him to talk with Cedric and then abandon him as soon as the conversation gave him an excuse to. The two Burok were becoming increasingly his companionship as the days wore on into weeks. Harry worried and fretted and worked himself into a sweat at least twice a day, wondering if Theodore was being tortured, locked away, caught...worse...dead...he kept hoping Theo was on some kind of mission for the Dark Lord and that he wasn't in agony.
I don't care... He kept thinking to himself. I don't care if he's hurting other people as long as he's not getting hurt himself.
These thoughts disturbed him. He kept questioning his sanity, his moral standings, and wondering what Dumbledore would say to him if he heard what Harry had been thinking.
Love makes us do strange and wonderful and sometimes terrible things...it isn't logical, of course not, as emotion is never logical and love least of all...do not be afraid of your feelings, but remember who you are and do not let them impair your judgment...it does not make you evil to think these things, only if you act on them...
He only hoped these would be some of the things Dumbledore would say.
Cedric's annoyance was also heightening. He wanted to do something, but they were held up by Theodore's disappearance. He kept telling Harry to abandon Theodore, that they didn't need him to do whatever it was Dumbledore had told them to do, and that if Theodore was going to keep disappearing like this they would never finish the task. Harry ignored him, shouted at him a few times, and finally told Cedric not to talk to him anymore if he was going to keep pushing him to abandon Theo. The Hufflepuff finally agreed.
On the nights of the full moon, Harry would morph into his falcon and hide in the trees while Cedric, a werewolf, would snarl at the Burok, who didn't seem to really mind him. For fear of the werewolf getting out and terrorizing people or alerting others to their presence in the woods, Harry had cast a spell around their campsite that kept Cedric confined to it. For the first night it was entertaining to watch the werewolf run into the invisible wall and get ferociously mad at it, but this grew boring as the next two nights wore on.
The night of the first waxing gibbous, Theodore finally returned to their camp, looking wornout and still in his Death Eater robes. Harry had rushed him and, ignoring Cedric's protests, kissed him. Theodore was kissing him back, trying to speak between their lips colliding and their hands rushing around each other.
"Should...check...see...if..."
"Shut up..." Harry gasped and dove in again.
"But..."
"It's you!" Harry said in exasperation as he tried to pull Theodore closer to him.
Theo gave up trying to convince Harry and they continued to kiss in euphoric bliss as Cedric complained throughout. Finally, they pulled away, breathless, and Theodore went inside the tent to collapse at the table.
"Where were you?" Harry questioned as he took a seat beside him, an arm wrapping quickly around Theo's shoulders.
"Hogwarts..." Theodore explained, waving his wand to trade out his robes. "Had me and several others searching the Forbidden Forest for you. Guess they didn't see us leave on the Burok and thought we were on foot still."
"What's the damage?" Harry whispered anxiously as Cedric finally joined them.
"Half the Thestral herd needed to be "hospitalized" for all intensive purposes. Two died. Hagrid was pretty upset and kept giving me dirty looks when I was there. McGonagall and the rest of the staff were quite shocked to see I was amongst the Death Eaters, but I guess they never knew until now."
Cedric gave a snort of disgust.
Theo continued. "Snape was furious you escaped, but no where near as angry as the Carrows. Were screaming about it the entire time I was there. Think Amycus killed one of the Dementors that failed to stop us...didn't really know you could do that."
"They didn't recognize your Patronus?" Harry asked worriedly.
"No." Theodore gave him a small smile. "Think my Patronus is a water deer, remember? Thought the falcon was yours."
"Your Patronus changed?" Cedric raised an eyebrow and then comprehension washed over his face and he fell silent.
"But they lost our trail, right?" Harry continued.
"Yes. They have no idea where you are. Burok are impossible to trace."
"Yeah, well, we better never ride them again." Cedric muttered bitterly.
"They're fine as long as they stay on the ground." Theodore explained coolly. "It'll probably be best if we don't Apparate too much."
Cedric made an irritated sound, but made no comment.
"Did they hurt you?" Harry mumbled in a voice so quiet he could see Cedric straining to hear.
"No. Wouldn't dare." Theodore eyed Harry. "Well, the Carrows. He didn't stick around very long once he figured out they didn't have you actually in custody. Was mad at them...tortured the Carrows, but not Snape. Favors Snape."
"Wonder why." Cedric's sarcastic tone made Harry's heart leap. Instinct told him to defend his old professor, but the new emotions in his blood kept his mouth closed.
"I'm glad you're all right." Harry told Theo as he leaned in to give him another kiss, which the taller returned fully. Cedric left the tent quietly. "Try not to stay away so long again though..."
"Will try..." Theodore mumbled back, breath shallow.
It was the first night since Theodore left that Harry slept well.
Translation: "Dark Lord" in my language :D