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It felt so strange to be here. It had been almost three years to the day that he had received his first Hogwart’s letter, and Harry still felt like it was a fairy tail. At the moment he was strolling through a field full of magical tents, the ones at the world cup. The excitement had been wonderful, the game spectacular, but now he was tired and Ron and his brothers were too much to handle.

The boy sighed as he reached the edge of the drove of tents. His hands were shoved into his jeans’ pockets as he looked up at the twinkling starts. They always looked brighter here, he wasn’t entirely sure why. No matter what the reason, though, he still loved to look at them.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down, kid. A celebrity like you might get snuck up on.” The voice was as cool as a snowball in hell. It made Harry’s heart melt and skip a beat. “Cedric!” He exclaimed. His eyes lit up as he turned to the other boy, smile plastered across his face. “Cedric, you came!” No matter how ‘manly’ Harry usually looked, just then he looked like a little child as he ran to Cedric Diggerdy, one of the most handsome students at Hogwart’s School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

“Of course I came, you dolt.” Cedric chuckled as he took the smaller boy into his strong arms, resting his hand on the back of his head. “I can’t stay for long, though. My dad thinks I left to use the bathroom.” Harry understood, and he showed this by nuzzling his face into Cedric’s sweatshirt. The older boy chuckled a little more and hugged his boyfriend a little closer. “Listen, listen, ok? You go back to the Weaslies (SP?). They’ll take good care of you. I’ll see you at school.”

Harry’s heart sunk. There had been so much hope behind this meeting, behind this short bit of time together. And now there was nothing. Broken hearted, Harry nodded sadly and backed up a little bit and looked up at Cedric. He was tall, muscular, handsome, and all together… Irresistible. “Yeah, ok.” He managed, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. Cedric couldn’t stand seeing Harry sad, though. Grinning softly, he spoke, “That face never suits you, kid.” He murmured. “Hm?” The younger boy responded. Just as he turned his face so that his stunning green eyes were resting upon Cedric’s face, he found a pair of soft, warm lips against his. He grinned and pushed a little, twining his fingers through Cedric’s.

The kiss lasted longer than expected and both participants were left panting quietly as they parted. Harry had one of those stupid grins on his face as he returned to the tent, barely looking up at Ron as he asked, “Oy, Harry, what’s makin’ you so happy?” Harry glanced up at Ron, his brothers, and Jenny and Hermione as they looked back at him. “Hm? Oh, nothing.” He waved them off as if it really were nothing and went back to making fun of Ron with his brothers.

A week or so later, Harry and his friends were on the train to Hogwart’s. Everyone was bewildered over the events at the Quidich World Cup (the ones coming after Harry and Cedric’s kiss). Well, not everybody. There were a lot of people that were just scared out of their wits. Harry though, only had one thing on his mind at the moment; Cedric was just yards away. They were on the same train, and soon enough, they would be able to see each other face-to-face. It made his stomach twist into knots just thinking about it. Maybe tonight would be the night. Maybe, but Harry knew better than to hope for that.

The train ride went slower than a history test in the boiler room for Harry. What took even longer was the banquet. Why in hell’s half acre did all the first-years have to get placed during it? And then that whole thing about the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you had to be seventeen, why announce it to the whole school? Of course, all this was just him getting frustrated about seeing Cedric, but still!

The night crept slowly by. Each tick on the clock felt like an eternity. And then there finally came the time that Harry was inching along the corridor that lead to the great hall. As he slipped between the heavy wood doors to the dining room and glances around the dark space. “Hello?” He hissed. “Hello? Anyone here?” Almost immediately, a voice answered. “You shouldn’t let your guard down, kid.”

“CEDRIC!” Harry was so excited, he almost actually screamed. “I missed you!” Cedric chuckled and reached forward, almost pulling Harry into his warm embrace. “I missed you too, you goof.” He ruffled his beloved’s hair and smiled, kissing the top of his head. “Hey kid, I want to talk to you about something.” Harry looked up from his position clinging to Cedric’s abdomen, still beaming despite the serious tone in the older boy’s voice. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“Well, you know that competition thing…” Cedric started, trying to think of how to say this. The easiest way, he supposed, was straight-forward. “I want to enter it.” Harry’s face darkened considerably. “But… But Cedric! Dumbledoor said… He said it was dangerous! That… that the entrants could get hurt! That they could… that they could die!”

Cedric was surprised when Harry—timid little Harry who never dared to push away from people—pulled away from him and pushed him back. “How could you do that?! To all your friends and yourself and… and me! How could you do that to US?!” Cedric’s face fell and he looked almost ashamed, but he wasn’t backing down any time soon. “Why can’t I do anything that I want?” He retorted, crossing his arms. “Why the hell can’t I, huh? How come I have to do what you want me to?!” It was Harry’s turn to be taken aback. Cedric had never, not once, raised his voice to the younger boy.

It cause Harry to bolt from the room without another word.

Cedric watched him go, gut wrenching terribly. Even though he had good reasons for wanting to compete, he felt guilty for making Harry feel so upset. He sighed heavily and shoved his hands into his pockets, then headed back to his dormitory.

It was almost a month until the two spoke again, and even then it was only briefly, as if they were just acquaintances. Harry was one of the competitors. So was Cedric. They were to be pitted against each other, and it was eating Harry alive. Especially since the Yule Ball was coming up. He had no date, but Cedric… Of course Cedric already had a date. He’d asked Cho, and she’d said yes.

Harry felt like a deadweight at the ball. His date had gotten bored and left, and all night he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of Cedric and Cho. They seemed so happy. It put an awful taste in Harry’s mouth and a terrible grimace on his face. And then, finally, Cedric looked at him. His eyes were so sad, so serious, and then there was a soft, flirtatious wink. He leaned down and told Cho something, which happened to be “Good night.”

The older boy parted with his date and walked aimlessly down a hallway. It only took a few minutes for Harry to catch up with him, and at that point, they were far from everyone else at the party. “Cedric…” Harry barely got the word out before they had their lips pressed together. They both seemed almost hungry for each other after having been apart for so long. “I missed you, kid.” Cedric said after they had finally parted. Harry smiled for once in a long while. “I missed you too.” He murmured, putting his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and leaning against him. Unconsciously, they both began to sway with the music that could still be heard from the great hall.

“Cedric?” The word was quiet and soft coming from Harry, who was nervous to the very core. “Yeah?” The older boy responded, looking down at his partner. “I love you…” There was a pause as Cedric thought about it for a moment. “I love you too, kid.” The response came finally, to Harry’s relief, and he smiled. Now THIS was what he had wanted for so, so long.

A month or two later, Harry had started freaking out about the tournament. The dragons had been easy enough, but what the hell was with this god forsaken egg? And then he saw Cedric again! “The prefect’s bath?” He repeated to himself, looking at the egg curiously. Seriously?

And so he went. In his robe and with a towel, he went to the bath. It already smelled like soap, though. He could smell bubble bath from almost down the hall. And he could hear the running water. As he neared the bath, a smile appeared on his face through the confusion. “You shouldn’t let your guard down, kid.” Cedric returned the smile with a grin, turning off the water just as Harry reached the tub. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Harry watched hungrily as Cedric slipped off his bathrobe and into the tub. Then, bashfully, he followed suit, feeling a tad inferior and underdeveloped. The two sat silently for a while in the hot water, the older boy with his arm draped lovingly around the younger’s shoulder as Harry became redder and redder.

“You goof, you’re pink all over.” Cedric chuckled as he slipped out of the large tub first. He quickly dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waste. Harry unplugged the drain and carefully climbed out, searching for a towel for himself (he’d lost the one he brought). “Here, I brought an extra one just for you, kid.” Cedric tossed the towel at his boyfriend and it landed on top of him, giving him the “ghost effect.” Indignantly, Harry took the towel held one end to his chin with both fists. “I am NOT a kid! Stop calling me that!” Cedric raised an eyebrow and took a step forward. “Alright then. Harry.” Harry’s face went blank and he blushed pink just across his nose, the rest of him pale. “And I suppose… You’ll want to be treated like an adult now, huh?” Harry could only nod softly in response as Cedric’s face neared his. “…That’s fine with me.” The older boy concluded the conversation and the two were kissing.

Somehow, the kiss was different than all the others. Harry didn’t know how or why at the time, but it was. And it lead to something even better. That night, Harry Potter lost his innocence to Cedric Diggerdy, and for the next few days, he would be in a daft bliss that no one could get through.

The final task was coming up soon. Cedric and Harry had not seen loads of each other since that night, but every time, they both seemed so happy. They had planned to meet the night before the final task, and that is what they did.

Cedric stood outside in the courtyard. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but it was getting close. Harry had to show up soon or they would both get in trouble. “Cedric?” There came the familiar whisper and Cedric practically slid to right behind his little lover, where he enveloped him in a warm embrace and kissed the top of his head. “You shouldn’t let your guard down, Harry. A celebrity like you could get hurt.” Harry smiled, loving the feel of Cedric’s breath on his neck, closed his eyes, and put his arm over the older boy’s.

“Whatever happens tomorrow,” Cedric murmured, both sets of eyes turning to look at the stars. “I am always going to love you. Forever.” Harry’s stomach wrenched in a million different directions. He didn’t know whether to be sad or happy. “Promise that… that we’ll always be together, Cedric?” There was only a very short pause as Cedric kissed the smaller boy’s cheek. “I promise.”

Happy music played as the three champions entered the maze. How naïve they all were; celebrating and laughing at a time like this. These four kids were going to go into a deadly maze, and some of them might never come out.

Harry didn’t mind the frightening fog. He didn’t mind the collapsing bushes and the bewitched Krum. The thing that made him really, truly scared were the words “Get off me!” They scared him because they came from the mouth of the one he loved.

The two of them raced, Harry usually behind Cedric, to find the cup. Harry found himself crying the entire way there, devastated by those three little words. And then Cedric tripped.

Wasn’t revenge supposed to be sweet? Wasn’t it supposed to make you feel better? But it didn’t make Harry feel good to see Cedric being eaten by vines. It made him feel sick and upset. “REDUCTO!” The magic shot from the tip of his wand and he ran to help his lover up. There was an awkward pause, and then the bushes began collapsing.

The two ran for it and found the cup. At the same time they grabbed it, and at the same time they were transported to a graveyard. Harry was bewildered. He’d been here before. In his nightmares, he wasn’t sure how many times. “Cedric, get back to the cup!” But it was too late. Vuldemort, held like a baby by Wormtail, appeared from within the house. “Kill the spare.” A flash of green light filled both boy’s eyes as Cedric Diggerdy was killed.

Harry wanted nothing more than to dart to his lover’s side and cling to him, but it was no use. He was restrained, suddenly, by a large statue that represented the grim reaper. For a while, things became a blur. First his parents, and now Cedric? The only other person who had loved him unconditionally was dead. He was dead and Harry would never see him again. It made him want to cry and wail and moan, but the tears just wouldn’t come.

“DON’T TOUCH HIM!” The world through Harry’s eyes was snapped back into focus by none other than his own voice. “Ah, Harry, I’d almost forgotten about you.” Vuldemort laughed to his present followers about how Harry had escaped, and then, quite suddenly, a duel began.

“Cruscio!” Harry writhed in pain on the floor. His expelliamous wasn’t doing any good against this powerful wizard. He cried out in pain and Vuldemort released him. “Cruscio!” Harry ran. He hid behind a pillar while Vuldemort did a little ranting. Then, he spotted Cedric. He was laying on the ground, not too terribly far away. His eyes were vacant. There was no happy spark, no good-natured laugh as he poked a little fun. And then, Harry got angry. How can one person be so heartless and cruel? To take away everything someone has and leave them all alone?

The boy stood, fists clenched, and faced his nemesis again. “Have it your way.” The two wizards locked in position, wands pointed at each other as magic sprayed from them. The two beams, one of dark magic and one of light, connected in the middle. Both were suddenly surrounded by a sort of dome, and spirits began to fill said dome. There were Harry’s parents, just inches away. And there was Cedric.

“I told you not to let your guard down.”

Harry choked on a sob, still trying to hold his wand steady. “I love you, Harry. Forever.” Harry’s mother spoke next, “Sweetheart, let go. Get home, go!” Harry dropped the connection and ran to Cedric’s body, summoned the cup, and they were suddenly back in the winner’s circle, surrounded by happy music and noise.

But Harry wasn’t happy. He was sobbing, and hard. He lay half on and half off Cedric’s body, clinging to him, sobbing out his words. “Cedric… Don’t leave me! Cedric, don’t… Don’t go… You said we would always be together!” No one heard him over the ruckus, but that moment would always haunt Harry.

“I told you… not to compete…”