CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

[Mystery of Love]

HARRY 1994-1995

"The Irish don't stand a chance."

"That's rubbish! Victor Krum may be an amazing seeker but the Irish defenses are the best in the world. Not even Levski can get a goal past their seeker."

"The Bulgarian team hasn't lost a single match all season. Offense is more important anyways. It keeps the quaffle away and scores points. Defense is a good strategy but requires you to depend on a seeker. Nice try seeing Lynch take the snitch from Krum."

Harry turned to see his best friend and Diggory argue in rapid-fire about their predictions for the upcoming match. Harry opted to keep his mouth shut and look anywhere but the boy sitting a seat away. He didn't exactly know why but it felt crucial he did otherwise he'll mess something up. Still, he couldn't help sneak a few glances their way when something particular caught his ear.

"Harry, tell him! You pulled off a wronski feint when we were first years! It's not that hard, really. Now if he could pull off a sloth grip roll- no wait I think he did! Last year, right? It was the match with-"

"Ron!" Harry hisses under his breath.

"With Hufflepuff. Yeah, I remember." Cedric takes his attention off the redhead and onto a desperate-looking Harry. "You took a pretty nasty fall though, didn't you?"

Harry, with no other choice, turns to finally take Cedric's features in. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerizing colour of dove feathers, not the albino kind, but the ones with a hue so softly grey that they could have been pencil drawn. They had that look of birds flying on sunlit days, the shine and quick movement, yet relaxed, purposeful, at ease. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eyebrows, which arched upwards in a playful expression. The serious line on his face he had in front of his father earlier that morning was long gone.

Harry gulped. He quickly turned away, eyes glued on the Quidditch pitch, and nervously started tapping his thigh. "Yep. Almost broke my arm."

"I've seen you play a lot. You really are a brilliant seeker. Had it not been for the dementor I don't think we would have never won. I still stand by what I said. Rematch anytime you want."

Harry laughed meekly with a smile and tried to forget the way the compliment filled him up. "I'm really not. Ron's just exaggerating. I'm sure your team would agree with that very much either."

"No, really. I insist. A rematch is only fair."

"I-"

"Come on Harry! We could beat him! What about a two-on-two when we get back to Hogwarts?" Ron interjects. Harry discreetly elbows him in the side earning him a glare. "Oi! What was that for?"

"I'll be happy to. Perhaps you could show me how to pull off that signature dive of yours? No one in Hogwarts history can pull one as close as you."

Harry laughed nervously again. No doubt Cedric thought he was weird now. But it seemed like his brain had reverted back to the prehistoric age cause he couldn't seem to string a single sentence together. The way Cedric was looking at the side of his face had blown every thought away.

"Mate, are you okay? You look to be running a fever." Ron reaches out to touch his forehead and Harry ducks away just as fast.

"I'm fine," Harry speaks a little too quickly. "Just a little warm out today."

"Are you sure? My father said it wouldn't be over twenty this afternoon." Cedric's eyebrow arches as he speaks. Harry tried not to stare.

Merlin, why couldn't Ron shut up?

~~~

"You're raving mad."

Cedric throws his head back in a laugh. "I know."

Snape would be pissed as soon as he found out there was no 'champian business' to take care of. Both of them would be scrubbing cauldrons till their hands bleed for the rest of term.

"He'll kill us."'

"Relax. I had Cho cover for us. No one will know we're missing for a couple of hours or so."

It was seven at night. Most of the school was gathering in the Great Hall for dinner and it left the hallways free for them to roam. Cedric had his hand on his wrist and was dragging him who-knows-where despite his pleas.

"I hope you know this is a terrible idea. Trouble follows me wherever I go. We could get hexed any second now."

Cedric stopped suddenly causing Harry to nearly run into him and they're hands to drop between them. They're gazes meet and the intensity briefly startles them both. "Just...trust me, okay?"

"...fine."

The grin that broke out on Cedric's face was contagious. They were soon flying through the corridors with stupid smiles on their faces and their laughs bouncing off the walls. They went through a couple Harry didn't recognize until they stopped in front of a large portrait of fruit. He raised his eyebrow as Cedric held a finger up to his lips.

"Hufflepuff secret. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

He nods. Cedric turns back and startles tickling the pear. The painting lets out a childish squeal then a large green handle appears. He gestures to Harry to get inside quickly before they get caught.

Once inside Harry held his breath. It was a kitchen, that much was obvious, but it had been transformed. It looked like a scene out of one of those sappy romantic films aunt used to watch when she thought no one was looking. Except for this time, there were floating candles above a small, booth-like table in the corner of the dim room. On was a fancy red tablecloth with plates of food that looked delicious even from afar. Music was playing faintly in the background as well.

"Cedric?" He asks carefully. He was frozen to his feet. He had already admitted to himself that perhaps he had a wee-tiny-bit crush on Cedric. It was hard not too. Cedric was the bucket of water that woke people up to their sexualities. The situation wouldn't be so bad if he didn't give him those looks occasionally that led them to believe anything would ever come from it. But the scene in front of him.... He really couldn't think clearly. The blood rushing in his ears was too loud.

"It's sappy I know. Alexi thought it would be romantic though... Are you okay?"

"Romantic?" He asks. Harry's slow at processing the words. He looks up at Cedric with a confused look.

Cedric's face falters. "If you're not...that's okay. Shit. I just assumed you were. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You can go if you want."

"No no, I am just..."

"Just...?"

"I didn't know you were."

Cedric's mouth drops. "I thought I made it pretty obvious. I mean, I thought the entire school knew? I've been pretty open about it."

"Oh." Is all Harry can say. He wants to look away from the soft grey eyes but he can't. Cedric seems to be thinking the same cause it's silent for a long moment.

Without hesitation, they both slowly moved in. Not knowing when it happened his lips were suddenly locked with Cedrics', kissing him. Soft and slow and he tasted like November, like hot chocolate on stormy evenings and crisp autumn air. The start of the soft-touch sent a strong feeling of warmth spiraling through his system. It was a bit sloppy for Harry's first but neither cared. His eyes closed fearlessly, but the closure didn't let him see darkness, it instead created colours of fondness.

~~~

"Ron's okay with it you know. You and Cedric."

Harry nearly snaps his head towards the girl sitting next to him fast enough to break it. Hermione was looking at him fondly with a knowing look.

"We've known for a while now."

"How?"

"Well, you aren't exactly subtle with your staring... And you've never mentioned any girls really."

Harry's face tinges a soft red. "Well, you're a girl. What would it be weird to talk about with you, wouldn't it?"

"That's not what I meant Harry and you know it."

His gaze shifts across the Great Hall that was transformed for the ball. Cedric was spinning Cho Chang, his best friend. They had both thought it would be better to bring other dates as Harry wasn't ready to come out yet. Now that as Harry sat on one of the benches watching him spin her around he was starting to regret it.

Cedric catches his eye and winks at him. He jerks his head towards the exit and holds up a hand. The message was clear. Meet me in five.

"Go to him. We can talk later. Ron and I can distract Parvati."

Harry gives her a wide relieved smile and gives her a huge hug. "Thank you so much."

"Be careful!" She teases as he walks away.

"Shut up!" He yells over his shoulder. Cedric was standing by the exit by the time Harry had weaved his way through the crowd. His knee-length dress robes complimented him ever better up close.

"You clean up very nicely," Cedric says, pushing himself off against the wall. "Care to dance?"

"And cut the line for some other hoping girl on your tail? I don't think that'll be very fair."

"Me? Harry, have you looked around yourself? Even McLain is staring at you."

He turns to look and Cedric chuckles. "Come on. There's an empty classroom not far. I figured just because we couldn't be public there's no reason we had to waste the whole night."

They leave when they're sure everyone has stopped staring at them. Harry has to walk twice as fast to keep up. Yet sure enough, when they get there Cedric has the whole room transfigured into a miniature ballroom just for them.

"Show off."

"Perhaps. I have to put my talents somewhere though."

The younger teens' bright eyes shone as he placed his delicate hand in the other's; he placed his hand on Harry's waist and whisked him onto the small dance floor and they turned and twirled as if they were professionals. Every couple of seconds they stopped and switched roles. Harry was dreadful at both and stepped on Cedric's feet more than a couple times earning a few laughs."

Eventually, the music (from the muggle record player he just realized) started to play more upbeat. The boys continued their dance, and to Harry, every movement was full of chaos and pure joy. They advanced, retreated, pirouetted, their arms waving from side to side above their heads, their heads swaying, their robes fluttering. Harry doesn't even notice the wide, permanent smile on his face. Everything was perfect.

~~~

"We'll do it together."

"Together."

Cedric nods. "I go in first. I'll be waiting a couple meters ahead."

Harry nods. He couldn't trust himself to speak. The last task was in less than twelve hours. They had spent countless hours together practicing and researching spells that could help them. Despite it, he couldn't shake off the paranoia and nerves that came with the event. The third task was always the most dangerous in Triwizard Tournament history and he'd barely survived the first two. They had no idea what they were getting into.

"You'll do fine," Cedric says sitting down next to him and takes his hand. The fake dummy's Dumbledore had provided them were gutted and thrown about the floor around them. It was their longest time in the practice room yet. They were sweating and exhausted because of it, but Harry himself could care less. The repetition of it helped calm his nerves.

"You don't know that."

"You've come this far not even without the same amount of time to study magic as the rest of us. You're better at me in defense in a long shot too."

Harry tilts his head so it's leaning into his boyfriend's shoulder. "It's still dangerous. Hermione said most casualties were always in the last task."

"That's why we're doing it together. Do you still have the snitch I gave you?"

Harry digs the golden ball from his pocket. At Cedric's touch, it fluttered to life and started to dance above their heads.

"Good luck charm. If we get separated somehow you still have that. Here, hide it up your sleeve."

Cedric caught it and handed it back to Harry who obliged and rolled up his sweatshirt. The dragonhide gloves Harry got him for Christmas scratched funnily at his forearm as Cedric showed him how to smuggle it in properly.

"Use Point Me if you can't find me," Harry says quickly. "The judges won't know."

Cedric nods before engulfing Harry in a hug. His nose nuzzles itself in his thick mess of hair. "You'll do fine." He whispers.

"That's not who I'm worried about."

~~~

The grief came in waves and threatened to consume him entirely. He was at the mercy of its whims and at times it bit at him with such ferocity he feared it would leave him an empty shell. The emptiness in his heart, the numbness pounding his brain, the salty tears that flowed unchecked from his eyes, the sheer nothingness that now took hold of his soul threatened to engulf him entirely.

He stood on the brink of something he couldn't describe. The weight of everything seemed to press down on his shoulders and he struggled to take even a single step forward. It was too much. All of it. And somehow, he kept moving. But every step cost him. The darkness grew darker; the pain grew sharper; all of it seemed to only grow in strength and he began to wonder if things could ever get better.

Harry felt dead inside. His tongue felt dry. His throat felt as if someone thrust a handful of itching powder inside. His eyes were scruffy. He hadn't gone down to eat in days and what Hermione and Ron did bring up to him ended up in the trash. He simply wasn't hungry. How could he be when the only thing in his mind was the scene in the graveyard on repeat?

His fingers twitched painfully at the memory of the crucatious. The way that bastard held him, tied him up, after what he'd done. He hadn't even hesitated. Every time he slept he could only see the blood, the death, and the blinding green of the killing curse.

Cedric was gone and the man who murdered his parents was back. In only a few hours it felt like his life had morphed into a nightmare, except there was no waking up from this one.

His red eyes slowly opened to take in the stillness of his dorm. It was the end-of-term feast where Dumbledore was to make a speech on Cedric's behalf. Everyone else was gone. He couldn't bring himself to join. Just the thought brought a familiar soreness to his eyes.

Moonlight from the open window weaved its way through the curtains. Somewhere in the distance, there was the sound of hooting owls and croaking frogs. He moved his breathing to mimic it.

Then he saw it. The gold sitting on top of his bedside table. His heart nearly cracked in half just then. The snitch Cedric had won the first time they had spoken. He reached out and touched it, half expecting it to flutter alive. It stayed motionless.

'Kill the spare.'

Was that all everyone was going to come down to in the end?

~~~

How much sorrow can I take?

Blackbird on my shoulder

And what difference does it make

When this love is over?

~~~

LMAO SORRY THIS WAS CHEESY AS HELL I'M SORRY. IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT THOUGH!!

I wanted to do some more building on Harry's past with Cedric and so... I feel I made Harry very OOC in this chapter but you gotta remember Harry was a MESS™ at fourteen so maybe not??

We getting back to Drarry next chapter ;)

Words: 2610

Published: 6/25/20