Tags: pure fluff • snowy Hogwarts nights • soft kisses in the snow • snowball fights & stolen moments • Cedric being adorably perfect • established relationship sweetness • sneaking out after curfew • warm hands in cold weather • laughter echoing through the courtyard • winter magic & romance
"Cedric, wait!" I laughed breathlessly, nearly tripping as he tugged me forward by the arm of my robe. Our boots crunched against fresh snow, the flakes swirling in the moonlight and settling gently in our hair like stars.
He glanced back at me with that boyish grin that always made my chest flip. "We're nearly there, lovely," he called, his voice tinged with excitement, like whatever was waiting ahead was worth every freezing step.
Snow clung to his tousled brown curls, his cheeks flushed pink from the cold. Merlin, how was he still so effortlessly perfect?
I shivered, pulling my robe tighter around my shoulders. "But it's cold, Cedric..."
He stopped beneath a glowing lamppost, the light casting a warm halo around him, like something out of a storybook. Without a word, he stepped toward me, wrapped one arm around my waist and gently pulled me against his chest. Then, he took his robe and folded it around both of us, enveloping me in his warmth.
"That better?" he asked, his voice low and soft, his smile so close I could see the crinkles at the edges of his eyes.
I nodded slowly, barely able to breathe as I looked into his eyes—blue like frozen lakes, clear and steady.
He didn't rush. Cedric never rushed. His hand came up to cradle my jaw so gently it made my heart ache, and then, in that quiet hush of winter air and glowing snow, he leaned in and kissed me. Slow. Tender. Certain.
I wasn't cold anymore.
Cedric pulled back slowly, his smile curling with anticipation. He took my hand again—this time gentler, more purposeful—and gave it a squeeze. "Come on," he whispered, voice barely louder than the hush of the snowfall. "I've got something to show you."
We weaved our way through the trees, crunching over icy ground until the path opened up onto the shore of the Black Lake. The surface was frozen solid, shimmering faintly under the soft light of scattered lamp posts dotting the perimeter. Snow danced in the air like confetti, and silence hung between the trees, broken only by our footfalls.
Then I saw it.
Near the edge of the lake, Cedric had laid out a circle of glowing orbs—magically enchanted to flicker like fireflies. In the center: a thick blanket, two steaming mugs, and what looked like a little enchanted gramophone quietly humming a tune. The scene was dreamlike, like a page from a winter fairytale.
"You did this?" I breathed, awe washing over me.
Cedric shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Well... I enlisted a few charms and a bit of help from Flitwick. But mostly me."
He led me onto the blanket and handed me a mug—hot cocoa, of course, with a dollop of cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. "I figured you deserved a break," he said softly. "Something lovely for someone lovely."
His words landed with a warmth that rivalled the cocoa. As the music played, Cedric pulled me gently into a sway, dancing there on the snowy shore with only magic and moonlight as witnesses.
I leaned into him. "You're kind of perfect, you know that?"
He smiled, brushing a bit of snow from my hair. "Not perfect. Just lucky enough to have you here."
request: hiya, so i'm currently obsessed with Cedric I've been watching Goblet of Fire over and over again. what about a Cedric Diggory x fem!reader. Where a new teacher arrives at Hogwarts with the last name Diggory. (He’s like the youngest professor at Hogwarts). One day the class finished early and one of his students asked about his father and mother. So he tells them the story about his parents.
How his father died and his mother was left to raise their child by herself months after his death. And how she died sacrificing her life for her son since she was a muggle born. And as well how legend says that they’re still in the castle but as ghosts, happier now that they have each other in the afterlife
pairing(s): cedric diggory x fem!reader, charles diggory (oc) x mom!reader
a/n: sorry this took so long to get to, this probably isn't exactly what you had in mind but hopefully it still works? thank you for the request! flashbacks will be in italics.
trigger warnings: character death, shitty writing, unedited work, swearing
wc: 1.8k
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
Professor Charles Diggory was known around Hogwarts as the kind-eyed History of Magic professor, but more commonly, the offspring of deceased Triwizard champion Cedric Diggory and his girlfriend, Y/N L/N. He was one of the youngest teachers Hogwarts had seen till date, charms genetically inherited from his father, but his wit was his mothers alone. Upon laying eyes on him for the first time, surrounded by other first years in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall had nearly broken down; for he was a carbon copy of a certain Hufflepuff she had taught years ago. And when Charles returned to Hogwarts aged 21, to apply for the teaching position, she had actually done it: he was older than both of his parents lived to be.
There was comfort in the thought, though, that this orphan had survived. That Y/N’s sacrifice hadn’t been for nothing.
It was a cold winter day and class was nearly finished, when a rather plucky Gryffindor finally summoned up the courage to ask Professor Diggory the story about his parents. “It is historical,” the witch with the scarlet tie reasoned, “Since it was a direct effect of the war, and History is always more interesting when it’s told through stories. No pressure, though.”
Charles sighed, running a hand through his hair- if anyone had caught sight of the back of his head, they would have mistaken him for his father- before speaking, “Fine, I’ll tell you, nosy lot.” The class chuckled, for his tone bore no malice, but quietened quickly as he spoke again.
“My mother, Y/N L/N, was a muggle born witch in Cedric’s year. The two of them met in their first year, but it wasn’t till the fifth that they finally started dating.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“Oi, L/N! Wait up!”
You turned, taken aback by the six foot frame running frantically towards you and slowed your step, your books balancing precariously in your arms.
“Yes, Diggory?” you asked, noting the way Cedric appeared to fumble with his words with a raise of your eyebrow. His cheeks pinked darker the longer your eyes stayed on him, and when you threw a glance over his shoulder, you saw a small crowd of his friends gathered in a cluster, both of your names thrown into the mix of the conversation they were having.
“Let me carry your books,” Cedric blurted out, already reaching for them as he spoke, “I’ll walk you to Potions. You do have Potions, right?”
“Yes,” you said, letting him relieve you of your items, “But you have Charms. That’s on the other side of the castle, Flitwick will have your head-”
“Let him,” Cedric cut you off, offering you his free hand before heading to your class. It was a testament to your relationship that the two of you had each other’s schedules memorised, he knew that, but he wasn’t going to ask you out while his friends ogled at the two of you. No, he didn’t want it to seem insincere, even if he was anything but. You had gone from being a stranger to someone he believed was his soulmate, and he wasn’t going to fuck it up.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“Wow. You look like shit.”
“Way to win a girl’s heart, Ced.”
He laughed, sliding into the seat next to you, getting his own books out. He had spent most of the day searching for you, before Nearly Headless Nick had finally taken pity on the lost Hufflepuff, directing him to the library, where you were frantically cramming for your OWLs next week.
“I don’t even know why you bother studying,” Cedric said, noting the way your hand shook in exhaustion as you scribbled down notes after notes, the dark circles under your eyes etching black holes in his heart, “We all know you’re going to ace every subject. Wouldn’t be surprised if you topped the entire grade.”
“I won’t,” you said with conviction, “Not if I don’t drastically improve my understanding of Herbology in the next five days.”
“I can help with that,” the words were out of Cedric’s mouth before he even knew it, but judging by the way your head snapped up to finally look at him, your tired eyes somewhat filling with relief, it was worth it. “Really? But don’t you have your own OWLs to study for?”
“I do,” he agreed, “But I can’t really study on my own, as you probably know by now. So why don’t we help each other out?”
“Alright,” you responded, nodding your head slowly as you considered it, “But don’t you dare try to distract me, Diggory. These exams are important, and I don’t want to fuck them up.”
“Promise,” Cedric said solemnly, holding a pinky up like you had told him muggles do. You just laughed and swatted his hand away, before the two of you hit the books.
Five long days later, it turned out, you were the one who distracted him. Cedric was just about to walk into his first examination when he heard his name called, and upon turning, found arms thrown around his neck and soft lips on his mouth.
“For good luck,” you had cheekily whispered to him before running off, leaving the poor boy standing dazed in front of the classroom door, one hand touching his tingling lips.
“Well, Mr. Diggory?” McGonagall’s voice cut into the poems of praise he was inwardly writing for you, but she sounded almost amused. “Planning on entering anytime soon?”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“In my father’s seventh year, as you all know, he was chosen for the Triwizard Championship. His competition was Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Harry Potter. My father placed second in the first task, after successfully defeating the Swedish Short-Snout dragon. For the second task, it was my mother who was held hostage underwater, something I like to assume is what propelled him to finish first.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
You were pregnant. It wasn’t something you had expected would happen, but now that you knew, you more than welcomed it. Your only regret was that you found out before Cedric had entered the tournament, maybe the knowledge that it was more than just you who needed him to stay alive would have held him back. Or maybe it wouldn’t have, you’d never know.
At school, you found yourself thrust into newfound popularity. Cedric had always been a social butterfly, having a friend in almost every corner of the castle at all times, but it had never extended so much to you. Everywhere you went, you received a clap on the back and a cheer, but you also had your fair share of jealous girls and guys, wondering what exactly it was that Cedric saw in you. What was curious was that you had barely caught sight of your boyfriend himself, but you reasoned that you’d see enough of him when all this was over.
The summons from Dumbledore was curious, but once he explained what the task was, you found no choice but to consent. Maybe it’d even give you a reason to finally talk to Cedric.
You were underwater for a long time, but it felt like mere seconds before you resurfaced again, Cedric’s hands desperately clinging to your waist as the two of you gasped for breath after breath, until your breathing finally returned to normal. Your hands found his shoulders, and you stayed there for a second, Cedric’s forehead pressing against yours as he asked you if you were okay in quiet, worried whispers. (A picture of the scene would make the cover of the Daily Prophet the next day, but neither of you knew or cared.)
“I’m pregnant,” you whispered into his ear as the two of you sat on the docks again, wrapping your towel around the shivering boy because he had given up his own to someone else. His arm came to wrap around your shoulder and pull you closer, before your words finally registered and he looked at you with wide eyes.
“Are you serious?” he asked, eyes searching yours for any hint of deception or mischievous. When you nodded yes, Cedric meshed his lips with yours, and though the crowd roared, the only thing that mattered was his hand tilting up your chin, and your own resting over his derailing heart.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“My father,” Charles said, but his voice cracked on the words, glass splintering on the floor, “As you know, died at the hands of Voldemort. It was my mother who was left behind to raise me, and she did the best she could, for the three years following my birth.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
You weren’t safe anymore. Voldemort had put a price on the head of all muggle-born witches and wizards, and you were one of the last ones to survive. You had fled from city to city, finding refuge in the short moments you shared with your son, the few moments of peace where you could just hold him and shut your eyes, pretending your life wasn’t the nightmare it really was. A part of you knew that when they found him cradled in the hands of a Mudblood witch, they would consider your son poisoned, his magic tarnished. They would spare neither of you.
Currently, you were hiding out in Amos Diggory’s home. Your son, Charles Cedric Diggory, seemed happier with his grandfather than he had in a long while. Watching the two of them together, you felt an odd sensation of peace. An odd feeling of acceptance.
It was why, when the Ministry came calling, ripping the neighbourhood apart, you gave yourself up quietly. You wrote your son a letter explaining everything that had happened, explaining why he had no parents, and entrusted it to Amos to deliver when your boy was old enough. You were silent till the end, even when Umbridge taunted you, asking for any last words, you tipped your chin up defiantly, your mouth sealed shut.
You died quietly, but the silence was deafening.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“She was executed, along with countless other muggleborns, before Harry Potter finally trumped Voldemort.”
The class was silent, save for the sniffles and sobs of a handful of students, silent tears streaming down the face of the witch who had asked. Charles took a shaky breath to regain composition, his own eyes glistening, before he continued the story.
“Legend has it,” he said, softer now, “That the two of them, Y/N L/N and Cedric Diggory, the brave people who I am proud to call my parents, are still in this castle, but as ghosts. Hidden away somewhere, maybe, no one knows exactly where they are. But a fortunate few have been lucky enough to glimpse a girl walking to class and a boy with a Hufflepuff tie scrambling behind her, her books in his hands. They are happier now, because although they missed out on time while they were alive, they have plenty of it in the afterlife.”
CONTENT WARNING: angst, so much angst/ pivotal character death
SUMMARY: when cedric survives the third task, he takes it upon himself to become an auror. he joins harry during the battle of the hogwarts and fight alongside him, to repay the young boy for saving his life. we can always change our fate, but not what is destined for us.
A/N: based on this request. jfc it’s taken me 2 months to write it, i’m so so sorry. hope you like it nevertheless.
WC/ AVG. READING TIME: 3565 words/ 16 minutes
return to the cedric masterlist here
YOU WATCHED FROM the stands next to mr diggory as harry potter hovered over a body, the triwzard cup next to it.
you were about to cheer when harry started wailing, "he's back! he's back!"
since you were slightly taller than him, mr diggory had asked you what was going on. you tried to peer over all the standing bodies but to no avail, simpling shrugging to the older man in response.
that was when ernie had shouted, "it's diggory! that's cedric!"
"pardon?" you and mr diggory whipped your heads toward your blonde friend.
"that's cedric body." ernie exclaimed.
without thinking twice, mr diggory had started weaving through the stands, "let me through, let me through. that's my son."
you were hot on his tail, practically shoving your peers to the side to get on the grounds.
"my boy!" mr diggory crouched down next to cedric's unconscious body.
"what's happened? what the fuck happened potter?" you shook harry roughly, wanting an explanation.
"h-he's back. you-know-who's back, he used the crutacius on diggory!" harry sobbed.
you felt your blood grow cold, and you lost your footing. you would have fallen onto the floor if it were not for ernie holding you up.
you watched as the head of houses ushered the students back into the castle.
you watched as harry retold the events of the past hour to headmaster dumbledore.
you watched as cedric was brought away back to hospital wing to be healed.
throughout it all, your chest heaved as your eyes felt deafened. your body was shaking as ernie held you close, comforting you.
without realising, your legs carried you towards the castle entrance and outside the double doors of the hogwarts hospital wing.
mr diggory had apparated home for the night, despite his reluctance.
for student safety, dumbledore had sent anyone who was not staff or a student away from hogwarts grounds.
"are you sure you don't want to return to your dorm?" hannah asked you once more.
you shook your head as a silent 'no'.
"let's just leave for tonight, i'm knackered," justin whispered to hannah and ernie.
"what? have you lost your mind? we can't just leave her alone, she's beyond devastated." hannah whisper scolded justin.
"but it's not like us being here make any difference. she hasn't spoken a single word in the last two hours," justin frowned.
"mate, you're unbeliavable. i can't believe you," ernie shook his head.
"you lot can leave. i'll be fine by myself," you finally spoke up, effectively stopping their small fight.
"y/n, fletchley was just being a dickhead. we would stay here with you all night if we have to." hannah's eyes softened as she shifted her gaze to you.
"it's fine, i'll be fine," you pursed a smile.
"see? she said she's fine," justin started walking away dragging ernie and hannah along with him, "come on then."
"i'm sorry," hannah turned around and mouthed to you before turning the corner of the empty corridor.
you sat by the large windowsill in the corridor and rest your head in your hands as you prayed that cedric would be alright, that he would bounce back as fit as a fiddle.
you felt two figures settle next to you, causing you to pick your head up.
"hey," ernie, who was on your right, placed a hand on your shoulder while hannah, who was on your left, rubbed small circles on your back.
"we had to follow fletchley back just so he'd shut up," hannah explained, "we would never leave you alone."
"oh! here," ernie placed a grey knit cardigan on your lap. you knew it to be cedric's. "thought it might make you feel better."
you picked the cardigan up and slid your arms into it, tugging it closer to your body for warmth.
"thank you," you said gratefully, mustering the best smile your heartbroken and worried self could.
"your welcome lovey. ced will be okay, he's always been a tough arse." hannah joked.
"yea, he is, isn't he," you chuckled lightly.
hannah looped her arm around yours and you leaned your head on ernie's shoulder.
the three of you stayed like that through the night, solemn and hoping that cedric would be alright.
you woke up the next morning with an ache in your neck and a weight in your lap.
you blinked the sleep away and lifted your head up from ernie's shoulder, the bones in your neck cracking as you did. you looked down in your lap to see that hannah had fallen asleep on it.
ernie was still asleep as well, the back of his head leaning against the window behind you.
it was clear that neither of them were in a comfortable sleeping position and that they would've preferred spending the night in their plush beds. however, they had chose to accompany and comfort you through the night.
you were beyind grateful you had the friends you had.
ernie and hannah soon stirred awake when the doors of the hospital wing opened, mdm pomfrey and a healer dressed in st mungo's uniform walked out.
"is he alright? cedric, i mean," you asked politely.
"mr diggory's alive. he is no longer under critical condition, but is under induced sleep from the calming draught that was administered."
"yes, of course."
"i must make haste to see dumbledore and inform him of mr diggory's condition, you may visit if you wish," madam pomfrey gestured to the slight crack in the hospital ring door.
the three of you nodded, signalling a small goodbye to the two healers.
"we're going to return to our dorms, we'll come back after breakfast?" ernie suggested.
"yea, i'll see you two later," you agreed.
the creak of the hospital wing door opening echoed through the room.
you pattered into stone-walled room over to the cot cedric was lying in.
you frowned as you watched cedric—your cedric—laying lifelessly. you urged the will to cry again and sucked in a deep breath, sitting on the wooden chair that was next to the cot.
"oh ced," you sighed, hands trembling as you brushed the back of your knuckles against his pale, cold, face.
you pulled the woolen blanket further up cedric's torso in hopes of helping him conserve some warmth.
you were sat on the uncomfortable chair for about an hour when ernie, justin, and hannah walked in.
"has he woken up since?" hannah asked and you shook your head.
the four of you conversed in small talk when you heard the rustling of sheets behind you.
you whipped your head towards cedric and watched as his eyelids slowly fluttered open.
he tried to sit up and ernie was immediately there to help cedric up.
your poured cedric a cup of water and held the bendy straw to his lips.
"are you feeling alright?" hannah placed a comforting hand on cedric's shoulder.
you placed the cup on the small table by the cot.
"nothing hurts so i'm feeling rather well," cedric cleared his throat, his voice scratchy.
"is it true? that you-know-who's back?" justin blurted out.
you winced slightly at the bluntness of the question while ernie and hannah sent him death glares for his lack of sensitivity.
cedric licked his lips and nodded.
justin was about to open his mouth to ask yet another absurd question when ernie thankfully cut him off.
"you scared us to death mate, but we're glad you're alright. our poor y/n's been worried sick the whole night," ernie gestured to you.
suddenly all eyes in the room were pointed at you and you sniffed, wiping the fallen tear that had excaped your eye with your palm.
you sniffed with a chuckle as to try and shake off the uneasiness of being the current center of attention.
"y/n..." cedric's eyes softened at your state.
ernie and hannah shared a look with a mutual understanding that it was their cue to leave, dragging justin along with them.
"lovey," cedric reached out to grab ahold one of your fidgeting hands.
"i don't even know why i'm crying. it's so selfish considering what you had to go through to end up here but i'm just relieved you're okay," you whimpered.
with his free hand cedric's callous but gentle touch wiped by your damp lash line.
"it's not selfish lovey, it's okay to feel worried. i'm all good now so you no more tears, okay?"
"okay," you nuzzled your cheek into cedric's hand, sighing softly.
"besides, madam pomfrey said all the bleeding was internal. that's where all the blood's supposed to be!" cedric had mischievous glint in his eyes, trying to lighten your dampened mood.
you could scoff at the boy's words, shaking your head with a small giggle you rebuttled, "you are so silly sometimes."
you lurched over to cedric so you were slightly hovering above him.
"i love you," you whispered, almost afraid that if you spoke too loud it would break the serenity of the hospital wing.
"i love you too," cedric whispered back with a kiss on your lips.
following the days of cedric's recovery, him and harry potter had explained to dumbledore in great detail what exactly happened in the maze during the third task.
it seemed as though not many people believed what they had to say, claiming that cedric and harry were just trying to claim their five seconds of fame.
but you trusted cedric and what he had to say, because your golden boy could never do such a thing like lie to officials.
it seemed that the incident with he-who-shall-not-be-named had caused a slight shift in cedric.
as much as cedric tried to put him a hardfront and false facade that he was just as fine as before, you knew that he was just trying not to make anyone worry about him.
you noticed how he was more jumpy than before. he was also more alert and wary of surroundings, almost as if preparing himself for an attack at all times.
not wanting to add more stress on the already heavy weight on his shoulders, you pretended not to know.
your NEWTS happened just months after the last task. thankfully, cedric did not let the trauma of the duel in little hangleton affect his marks.
both of you had done splendidly for them, not that it mattered anymore.
before, you had wished to work at the ministry of magic, but after they had discredited cedric for claiming voldemort's return, you quickly changed your mind.
you and cedric both wanted out of the wizarding world, having enough of everything that had happened during your last year in hogwarts.
instead, with the little money you had saved, you had opened a quaint bakery in muggle watford.
your business was doing rather well. something about magically baked pastires attracted muggles back to your shop regularly, not that your customers needed to know that.
life was peaceful and you and cedric were happy.
save the occasional nightmares cedric would need waking up from.
it took a year or two for your boyfriend to open up to you about the trauma he was experiencing.
"i'm scared. i'm beyond terrified that he's going to come back one day and finish what he couldn't that day," cedric admitted with sweaty palms and a heaving chest.
“lovey,” you cooed, running your hands through his hair then settling them on his cheeks.
“it stinks. it fucking stinks. because i want to be happy, i want to live a life where i’m not in fear every waking second,” cedric looked up at the ceiling and blinked quickly to rid the tears that were about to fall.
“i’m sorry that i will never truly understand what you had to go through and what you feel because of it, and i’m sorry that you, of all people, were a victim. i would take all the weight of your shoulders and carry them for you no hesitation. but i can’t do that. what i can do, however, i’d be here for you in every way possible. i can’t say that it’d be easy, but talking about your fears alleviates them.” you sucked in a breath and shifted your position in bed, sitting on the back of your calves so you could look right into cedric’s face.
“i love you so much ced and you’re such a courageous and strong man. the man i love with all my heart and soul. so when you’re ready, i’ll be here for you.” you tried a small smile.
silence filled the room for a while.
cedric said nothing but offered a small, albeit grateful, smile and that was enough for you to know that he was feeling a little bit better.
the birth of curtis edward diggory caused something to shift in cedric, in the best way possible.
since his son’s birth, cedric smiles a little bit brighter and the creases in his eyes were a little bit deeper.
curtis was your little bundle of joy and when your baby boy turned one, it felt like all the worries in yours and cedric’s life dissipated.
“hi little lovey, who’s my baby boy?” you cooed while bouncing curtis in your hip. he had yet to show any signs of magical capabilities but you knew it was soon come.
you were currently watching cedric who had just put in a tray of unbaked lemon biscuits.
“your little baker”, you thought, as cedric wiped his buttery hands on his apron and wiped the side of his cheek, leaving a dusty swab of flour in its wake.
“that’s the last for the sunday pickup order,” cedric walked over to your and curtis, placing kisses on the crown of both of your heads.
you basked in cedric’s embrace, your head on his chest while curtis was on yours.
you were in complete bliss.
the comforting atmosphere was broken when the flaps of an owl’s wings sounded through the kitchens.
cedric pulled away from you reluctantly with a confused glance to the window.
there, on the windowsill, perched an owl that looked awfully familiar.
the weasley family’s owl dropped the letter in cedric’s hands before flying off to deliver the other letters that filled it’s beak.
knowing that you and cedric wanted to separate your muggle lives from your magical ones as much as possible, bar the occasional visits from those closest to you, communication between family and friends were limited, letters included.
cedric’s eyes scanned the letter, the worry on his face growing as he read.
“p-potter…” cedric stuttered, “potter’s fighting voldemort, tonight, at hogwarts.”
your eyes widened in shock, “w-what?”
you and cedric decided to close up the shop early that day, returning home in a hurry.
curtis was napping with his cheek against your shoulder as you watched cedric pace the small area of your sitting room for what felt like a full hour.
cedric chewed on the back of his thumb, his furrowed brows in a deep frown.
“i have to go,” cedric said, almost as if it was the most obvious thing.
you quickly shot that idea down, “no, lovey, it’s not safe.”
“i have to. potter saved my life that day at the cemetery. the least i could do is fight by his side tonight.” cedric remained firm.
tears welled in your eyes and you hiccuped from the gut-wrenching sobs that were bubbling from inside you.
"darling..." cedric was on his knees in front of you, stroking your hair as you sat on the sofa trying your best not to wake curtis with your beating heartbeat and shaky voice.
"i-i know it's selfish, but i get to be selfish. i don't want you t-to g-go. i c-can't lose you, not again."
"i have to do this, you know that." cedric affirmed.
you nodded your head in understanding. you knew that since the triwizard tournament, cedric had always felt indebted to potter, that he owed his life to the young boy, but you deserved the right to beg your husband to stay, no matter how selfish it was.
"you won't lose me, neither of you won't. i promise." cedric held your face with both hands.
you watched with deafened ears as cedric changed into a more ‘battle appropriate’ outfit.
the bottom dresser was opened for the first time in a while, and cedric picked up his wand.
“i’ll always love the both of you, you know that right?” cedric began his teary goodbye.
you couldn't find it in you to respond. merely nodding your head and sniffing at his rhetorical question.
cedric placed a kiss on curtis’ chubby cheeks before placing him back in your arms.
“i love you, lovey,” you mumbled against his lips, fisting cedric’s shirt.
“i love you,” cedric chased a kiss, pulling away only to wrap his arm around you shoulders, his hand holding the back of your head endearingly.
with a small wave, and blow kiss from you and curtis, cedric disapparited.
the only way you could keep your anxiousness at bay was to keep yourself busy and so you rushed around the house, cleaning and wiping down every surface.
you played with curtis for a bit, then cooked dinner for the both of you. you eventually fell asleep on the sofa, curtis laying on your torso.
you awoke the next day to knocking on your front door. you placed curtis in the small crib in the living room and stalked to open the door.
the moment you saw the solemn look on the two ministry officials that were standing in the corridor, your stomach dropped.
you had finally signed a franchise deal with a major corporation to expand your small bakery to open more locations around london.
that meant you could afford to move out your rental.
it was difficult to live in a home you had started with the person you thought you would have spent the rest of your life with.
waking up to a cold and empty bed was miserable and yet you felt guilty for moving.
moving away felt like you were leaving cedric.
you heaved a sigh and shook yourself out of your thoughts as you placed the paper-wrapped plates into the large moving carton.
you heard rustling and the barreling of feet on the parquet flooring.
you turned on your feet, ready to greet curtis with open arms but as you did, you were met with your brunette boy clad in a familiar knitted grey cardigan, a unicorn hair, ash, wand in his hand.
your breath hitched as you dropped the plate you were holding in your hand.
curtis immediately flinched as the ceramic shattered into a millio pieces over the kitchen floor.
“shit,” you murmured under your breath as you bent down quickly to pick the pieces up in your hands, “curtis, stay in the front room okay? let mummy clean up.”
you swept away the remains of the dish and vacuumed the area for good measure, less curtis cut himself accidentally.
when you walked into the front room to see curtis sitting down on the sofa, his legs dangling off it since he was too short to reach the floor, while inspecting cedric’s old wand.
when the ministry had visited you the day after the battle, they had returned cedric’s wand to you.
after the battle, you swore off the wizarding world bar the biweekly visits to cedric’s parents’ place. you weren’t sure what you would do when curtis would start showing his magical abilities but for now, you wanted him safe and away from the world that took your world away from you.
“curtis? where’d you find all this?” you sucked in a breath and balanced yourself by gripping the arm of the armchair and settling shakily into it.
curtis looked so much like his father, and now clad in cedric’s cardigan, it felt like deja vu.
“you told me to help back the things in your room and i found them in a box under your bed,” curtis explained.
noting your expressionless face, curtis hopped off the sofa and treaded lightly towards you.
“are you mad at me?” he asked with his adorable doe eyes staring up at you.
“n-no, no, lovey, i’m not mad. it’s just, those things were daddy’s a-and you remind me so much of him,” you swiped your cheek with your palm.
living in this house was big enough of a reminded of cedric’s passing, and so after his burial, you packed everything that reminded you of cedric in a box, never to see the light of day again because you knew just one look would cause all the effort you had put in to try and move on to crumble.
but somehow seeing curtis jn cedric’s cardigan, which was overtly big on the little boy, it didn’t bring up any miserable or longing feelings for your deceased husband. instead the feeling of curtis being able to have some form of physical connection to his father made you feel warm inside.
“really? this cardigan’s daddy’s?”
you nodded along and stroked curtis’ hair, “it is, and you look so handsome in it, just like daddy.”
curtis beamed at your statement and pulled the cardigan, which was so big on him that the hem of it dragged along the floor, closed to his body.
“can i keep it?” curtis asked hopefully.
“of course you can, little lovey,” you offered a small but loving smile.
A/N: My first Cedric fic! I kind of forgot how Quidditch works, so I'm so sorry if this isn't accurate. I'm planning on getting better with different characters, so see this more as a test run. Enjoy! <3
Summary: Cedric is overjoyed for your win in a Quidditch game but can't help but feel upset with himself for not winning.
Warnings/content: Suggestive comments, fluff, angst if you squint, Fem!Reader, Gryffindor!Reader, Boyfriend!Cedric
Word count: 1.6k words
THANK YOU TO @divvision FOR THE DIVIDERS! ALL CREDITS GO TO THEM!
It goes without saying that being in a relationship with someone who's not in your house at Hogwarts is hard. No, not hard, laborious.
You and Cedric had proven it to yourselves every day. You'd started noticing the difficulties of being a Gryffindor with a Hufflepuff almost as soon as you started dating the grey-eyed luminary. First, there was the fact that Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were seldom paired in the same class. This year, your sixth year, you and Cedric only shared one period; Potions. Against your luck, Potions was the only class with assigned seating with Gryffindors on one side of the room and Hufflepuffs on the other. Second, there was the bias against Hufflepuffs that seemed to ruminate in every other house.
But among all these difficulties, the one thing Cedric couldn't stand the most was that you were both on your house's Quidditch teams and had to play against each other. Personally, you thought it was fun. You loved the competition. Of course, it was even more fun when Cedric would take out a lost game on you and your body, but you didn't mind the more harmless banter in-between whenever you caught the Snitch before Cedric. Cedric, on the other hand, hated it. No, loathed it.
"Great going, Y/N. Your hard work is paying off." Your team captain Oliver said to you, exiting the locker room as you entered, sweaty and ready to take a shower.
Fred and George pat you on the back simultaneously, enthusiastically breathing a "Congrats, Y/N!"
"Breathtaking as usual, Y/N/N." One of your best friends, Ginny said, jokingly curtseying to you, which you returned graciously, in your baggy Quidditch uniform.
"A sight for sore eyes." Angelina laughed, giving you a quick hug as she exited the locker room.
"Good job today, Y/N!" Harry cheered, shoving you to the side playfully. You and he were close friends and often pushed each other around like that.
"Thanks, Potter." You grinned, nodding at Ron, who followed him, smiling brightly at you.
"You truly are amazing." Cedric said as you approached him, hugging him from his side. He hugged you back and giggled, melting at the sight of your adoring eyes on his. "I am so proud of you." He teased, knowing you were waiting for the usual extra-special affection both of you only received after a win.
Your frivolous grin morphed into a fake frown. "I know you know what I'm waiting for." You said, poking Cedric's side.
"Congratulations, my love!" He exclaimed, bending down to press a long victory kiss to your lips. Both of you were used to it. You were a better Seeker than him, after all. Diggory was good, but you were more than promising. Still, you'd just won the fourth game of the season, something you'd been practicing your entire summer for.
"I say we go wherever I want tomorrow night as celebration," You said, remembering that there would most likely be a Gryffindor party in your name tonight. "your treat." You and Cedric laughed, knowing that it was always his treat.
"And the very stunning and relentless Y/N Y/L/N spots the Snitch!" Lee Jordan, Hogwarts' favorite announcer, boomed, excitedly watching where the game would lead to. "Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff's Seeker, and Y/N have been dating since last year," Lee said, which earnt a few annoyed groans from the audience. "Yes, we know, you all want Y/N and Cedric, too bad." Lee said, which caused you to smile at the satisfaction that Cedric was yours and nobody else's. "Anyways, I've recently received intel that it's nothing but game when they're out on the field!" Lee smirked, knowing this comment would bother Cedric.
"He would be right!" You yelled across the field to your boyfriend, who had yet to spot the Snitch and was watching you intently in hopes that you'd lead him to it.
Cedric only rolled his eyes at this comment, finally spotting the Snitch. Merlin, I need to get my eyes fixed. Cedric thought, shaking his head as if to make his vision perfect. I must be more screwed than Potter.
Y/N smiled cheekily at Cedric before speeding up tremendously, missing a few Bludgers by a hair.
"She's going for it, she's persistent, she's alluring, she's-" Lee was cut off by Cedric throwing his middle finger up in the air, now tired of the useless comments his peer was making. "Oh, come on, mate, all in good fun!" Lee laughed through the mic. Fred and George, beaters for the Gryffindor team, laughed at this, too. "She's lunging, and she's close, but so is her boyfriend ... and she caught the Snitch! Ladies and gentlemen, big applause for Y/N Y/L/N!" Lee cheered for his team and hyped up the crowd to the point that their cheers were almost ear-deafening.
You raised your arms in triumph, showing off the Snitch to the crowd, which made them go even wilder. Winning a game for you was nothing uncommon, but it always made you feel like you were floating on cloud nine. Flipping your body backward on the broom, so the brush was now at your head instead of behind you, you laid down and blissfully watched the sky, floating in the middle of the field. On your descent to the ground, you caught a glimpse of your boyfriend. He was smiling like an idiot for your success, but the lie in his grin selfishly peeked through when he thought about how he'd let himself down. "Aw, don't be sad, baby; I'll make it up to you." You winked, not knowing that he was actually sad. Getting back up on your broom, you zoomed, doing a few laps before you decided to come back down onto the ground finally.
All the Gryffindors and Slytherins, who were utterly contra Hufflepuffs, raced up to you, cheering your name over and over. To hundreds of students, you were as light as a feather, so picking you up was no big deal. "Y/N! Y/N! Y/N!" Everyone cheered for as long as Professor McGonagall would allow before ushering the student body back to the castle.
All-day, people came up to the Gryffindor table where your boyfriend ate with you to congratulate you. "Oh... and good job out there, Diggory." One boy said, awkwardly punching Cedric's arm before returning to the Ravenclaw table.
Cedric smiled at your content mood but couldn't help but feel upset with himself, knowing he could've done way better than he had. Noticing this, you decided to leave. "We're going to go get ready for the party. See you later, guys." You said, grabbing Cedric's still hand and mumbling a "let's go, love."
"Tell me what's wrong, darling." You said, lying down with Cedric on your bed. You grabbed his hand and held it tight to your stomach, playing with his fingers calmly.
"Nothing's wrong, Y/N/N! I love you so much, and-"
"I love you, too." You smiled up at Cedric, urging him to keep going.
Cedric's worried demeanor took a change and turned into a sheepish smile. "I'm so proud of you for winning today." He sighed. "So proud you wouldn't believe it." You could tell he meant it. His eyes twinkled with nothing respect and love as he spoke. "I just feel like maybe I didn't do as much as I could have. I could've tried harder, practiced longer hours... I'm just disappointed with myself." Cedric said, wanting to hide his face. He thought you'd think he was jealous of you, and that was the last thing Cedric wanted to get across to you, especially because of how excited he always was for your wins.
"You are a Seeker and bloody good at it. I don't think we have to train as much as the others, and if I'm honest, the games I win are based on pure luck." You said, not yet proud at your (poor) attempt to comfort him. You inched closer to his body, resting your head on his chest and creeping your hand under his shirt to graze your fingers over his toned abs. "You practiced as much as you could, and I'm so proud of you in everything that you do. You could get full marks on a first-year's assignment, and I'd be over the moon for you, trust me. I love you so much." You said, kissing his cheek softly before scooting up so your head could fit into the crook of his neck. "You are an incredible player and an even more incredible boyfriend, and that's gotta count for somethin'!" You laughed, which earnt a soft giggle from Cedric. "My point is: don't punish yourself. You did amazing today." You said, your voice almost cracking at how gently you said it.
"I love you so much, have I ever told you that?" Cedric said, looking down at you, lightly grazing your jaw. "My pretty witch." He said, lowering his lips to yours to lock with you once again. "Why don't you show me what you're going to wear to that party tonight?" Cedric asked. "I bet you'll look gorgeous as always." He smiled purely.
"I suppose I could do that." You smirked, coming up with an idea, ready to corrupt the innocence on his face. You glanced over at your bedside clock. You still had two hours until the party. "I could show you me wearing... nothing." You whispered in his ear, pulling back with a "what-do-you-think?" look.
"Always trying to one-up me with your ideas, Y/N." Cedric laughed melodiously, beginning to love you the way only a certain tall and extremely handsome Hufflepuff could do.
Request: Hi can I request a Cedric Diggory x Gryffindor reader where they’re actually the best of friends and she has liked him for years but she lost hope because it’s like he never sees her y’know? so when Cedric starts to pursue Cho, she decided that it’s time for her to move on but when Cedric saw her getting close to someone else he just got really jealous and possessive and confess that he actually like her too, he just doesn’t want to ruin their friendship if it doesn’t work out? thanks! - @elia-the-bibliophile
A/N: I had so much fun with this! I’m really liking writing for Cedric, but I think I need to work some kinks out with how I write his character. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy and I hope I have done your request justice! Title is from The Vamps - Somebody to You because I am a sucker for pop.
Warnings: unrequited love, crying, a bit of drama, but there is fluff
Word count: 4.6k
Cedric Diggory was like sunshine; warm and bright.
For years, he had been your best friend. Your families had always been close, being the nearest wizarding family to their home after the Weasley’s. You and Cedric had bonded from such a young age; making pinkie promises under the large oak tree in your back garden, promising how you would always remain friends. That nothing could tear you apart; not even being sorted into separate houses would keep the two of you away from each other.
The fates decided for you early on that you would fall in love with Cedric. You felt the cliché; falling in love with your best friend and knowing it was unrequited. Cedric simultaneously made your heart race and break. He was so impossibly wonderful and caring that a simple look from him had your heartbeat increasing something worrying. But in the same minute, the small voice in your head, reminding you that he didn’t truly see you, had your heart breaking all over again. In his presence, you felt like Icarus flying too close to the sun, to feel the warmth on your face, not realising all the while that the wax of your wings are melting and you’re about to fall, fall, fall.
For so long you had pined for your best friend. With each hug; each take of the hand and each kiss pressed to the side of your head, your heart filled with hope that he was feeling the same as you. You were hopelessly praying that one day he would look at you and for it fall into place. For him to take you into his arms and whisper promises of love and forever.
But it was nothing more than a dream.
You knew of his feelings for her; he wasn’t exactly subtle when it came to watching her from across the Great Hall or classroom. And you understood; you understood it all. How could you compare? Cho Chang was something else entirely; both her and Cedric would be the ultimate power couple for Hogwarts.
It would only be a matter of time before they’re hanging from each other’s arm as you would watch from the side line. Seemingly destined to always love him from a distance.
---------------
Cedric bounds up to you in the Hufflepuff common room on a Wednesday afternoon, calling your name and for your attention. Cedric always joked that you would rather be a Hufflepuff than a Gryffindor with all the time you spent in their common room.
“What is it?” You ask, looking up from your essay plan.
“I asked her, and she said yes!”
“You asked who? To where?”
“I asked Cho to the Yule Ball and she said yes.” Cedric grins at you, looking so happy at this news.
“That’s great, Cedric!” You crow, smiling at him, silently praying he wouldn’t see how your heart was crumbling inside your chest.
Your heart sinks at his news; some part of you hoped that he would ask you to the Ball. That he would take you and show you off to the whole school, but like a lot of things, it was only a dream. You keep the smile pasted on your face as he starts to babble about dress robes and coordinating outfits. Your heart urges you to confess; to confess every feeling you’ve ever had for him.
But he looks so happy. You couldn’t tell him now; you wouldn’t break that.
----------
Being in the same room as them was becoming painful. You could feel your heart crack in your chest as you watched Cedric open the Yule Ball with Cho, looking at her as if she were the only girl in the world for him. How could he not? She looked incredible; she looked like everything he could possibly want.
How your heart yearned for him to look at you that way. How it broke when you realise that he never will.
You gather your skirt in your hands, leaving the Great Hall. The scene too painful for you stay there any longer. It was masochism at this point; you were hurting yourself intentionally by staying there longer.
You pause at the stairs; sitting down to gather your breath but they soon turn to sobs. You grab at your chest with both hands as if you could physically stop the feeling of your heart cleaving itself in two.
The sound of footsteps has you wiping your eyes, but you recognise the sweet perfume of your friend Rose. She sits next to you, holding your hand tightly and directing your head onto her shoulder. She wasn’t bothered about this dance anyway; you needed her more than she needed to waltz with a boy that was going to try and kiss her later.
“Loving him shouldn’t have to hurt so much.” You cry into the shoulder of your friend, Rose.
“It shouldn’t.”
“I really thought…” You trail off, your mind finishing the sentence. I really thought something would happen.
“I know you did,” Rose murmurs, brushing the hair away from your face.
Rose is your anchor that night, letting you sob into her shoulder for another minute before helping you to your room. The sobs have you bent in two; you hold a hand to your mouth, trying to keep them in, to keep them silent but it doesn’t help.
Rose helps you out of your dress, handing you your comfiest pyjamas before helping you get into the bed. The tears are slower now, having exhausted yourself. Rose brushes your hair back with a gentle hand, lulling you to a light sleep. You know though, that you won’t be sleeping much tonight, the image of Cedric and Cho burned onto the back of your eyelids would surely haunt your dreams tonight.
-----------------------
Cedric notices your absence from the Yule Ball – of course he does. His mind had been on you since you descended the stairs in your mauve velvet dress, holding hands with Rose, sending his mind into overdrive and his heart racing.
Cho had to pull his attention back to her multiple times but soon gave up when she could see how occupied he was.
He hadn’t seen you leave; he didn’t know where you had gone. So he looks for Rose, knowing that you would be close by if he could find her. But he can’t and he starts to panic.
He spins Cho out before drawing her back into his arms; all the time wishing it was you he was holding close to his body. Cedric had wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball, but he couldn’t. In the end, he asked Cho. He had planted the seeds the week before he asked with longing gazes. She had said yes, but he couldn’t help but want it to be you who said yes to him.
Cedric was terrified. He was a current champion in the Triwizard Tournament – the most horrifying of challenges for witches and wizards alike but he was simply more petrified of confessing his feelings for you, to you.
He would rather face his dragon again, a thousand times over, than face your rejection.
He’s loved you all his life. He just didn’t know it until the end of Fourth Year when you smiled at him over the rim of your Butterbeer glass and something within him clicked into place.
He was just so scared of ruining your friendship. If he lost you as a friend because of his feelings, he doesn’t know what he would do. The fear of rejection and loss keeping his confession secret.
For now, you both teeter on the edge of a knife blade. Neither one willing to confess their feelings first, but their touches would linger, and their stares would last that little bit longer – eyes filled with the adoration and love they feel.
---------------------
Rose is on eggshells around you the morning after the Yule Ball; worried about what could possibly set you off again. Robotically, you get dressed and head to breakfast, plastering a serene smile on your face before you enter the Great Hall in case you into Cedric, or Cho, or worse, both of them.
You’re buttering a piece of toast when Rose asks, “How are you feeling?”
“Better. Thank you for being there last night.”
“I didn’t want to leave you; I’ve never seen you like that before.”
You point your buttery knife at her, “And you won’t ever again. Want to know why?”
Rose raises an eyebrow, “Why?”
“Because as of right now, I am going to get over Cedric Diggory.”
Rose’s eyes widen, “Really?”
You nod, biting into your toast, “Really. I have loved him for so long and it’s come to nothing. It’s time I move on.”
Cedric sits down next to you a moment later, reaching for the pumpkin juice, “Where did you go last night? I tried to look for you, but I couldn’t find you.”
You meet Rose’s eyes, “I didn’t feel too well so Rose brought me back to the common room.”
“You should’ve said something, I’d have taken you back.”
“Cedric, you’re a Triwizard Champion, they needed you there. I was fine without you, I had Rose.” You say, smiling at the girl as she nods affirming your story.
Cedric frowns, not happy with your answer. He places a hand on your forehead and then your cheek, checking your temperature. You melt into his touch before turning rigid. Reminded of your vow from only a moment ago, you pull away, chuckling, “You’re a mother hen, Ced, I swear. I’m fine, I feel a lot better now.”
You turn your attention back to your breakfast, picking at the food on your plate. The need to get over Cedric was now your most important aim. Your heart had been broken and smashed beyond recognition. It was now time to build it back up again.
-------------------------------
It’s hard at first; getting over Cedric because he makes it so difficult. It’s as if he dazzles you with the simplest of movements such as running a hand through his hair or grinning at you or turning a page in a book with a focused look on his face. Each action had you out of breath and your heart racing before you pulled yourself back and reminded your overly hormonal self what you were aiming to do.
Cedric notices your apprehension around him, asking you one morning, “Are you okay?”
You frown, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Cedric fixes you with a look, “You’re pulling away from me and I don’t know why.”
Your heart stutters in your chest, “I’m just going through some things right now, Ced, but I’m okay, I promise.”
“You’re sure?” Concern overtaking his features.
“I’m sure,” You say, taking his hand in yours, “Now, let’s get some breakfast, I’m starving.”
Cedric laughs, leading you to the Great Hall. He’s still worried though; he’s noticed your distance, not being as open with him. Not pulling him in for hugs as often. Your friendship mattered so much to him; it being over a decade old. He treasured your friendship and your presence in his life more than he treasures his place on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Over the last week, he had felt you pull yourself far away from him, building a wall around you that he had no hope of tearing down.
Cedric’s heart falls as he begins to realise that he’s losing you.
----------
Michael Rhen approaches you at breakfast a week after the Yule Ball. A week after your promise to get over Cedric.
You’re sitting with Cedric as Michael joins you at the table, “Morning, (Y/N).”
“Hi Michael,” You greet, smiling. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I was hoping you could help me though.”
“I’ll try my very best.”
Michael smiles, “I’m having trouble with our History of Magic essay – the one about witch trials in Yorkshire and Lancashire. And I know that you’re the best at this subject, so I was wondering if you help me?”
You nod, “Of course. Do you want to meet in the library tomorrow evening after dinner?”
“That would be great, thank you.”
“It’s no problem, I’ll see you in the library tomorrow.”
“It’s a date.” Michael grins, getting up to leave.
You shake your head amused.
Cedric was not amused. He was not accustomed to the ugly emotion growing in his gut. Jealousy was rearing its ugly head and Cedric was having a hard time keeping a lid on it.
“I didn’t know you tutor now,” He says innocently.
“I don’t.” comes your reply.
Cedric frowns, “Then why?”
“Well, we have OWLs coming up even if you are exempt, Mr. Champion, so I’ll take all the extra studying I can get and also: why not? Michael’s nice, we get along just fine.”
“I don’t know… something seems off about him.”
“Oh, you’re just nit-picking now.” You say, hushing him. “It’s only an essay.”
But the both of you have the same thought: what if it could be more?
-------------------
The library was always quiet. Madame Pince controlling the volume with an iron fist.
You hurry to the back of the library where you know the relevant books are. You place your quill and ink on the table along with some parchment before wandering to the shelves. Your fingers run across the worn spines of the books; thinking of the thousands of students before having done the same action.
Footsteps behind you alert you to Michael’s presence. You turn to greet him with a smile on your face.
Michael smiles in return, taking a seat at the table, “Hey, (Y/N). Thank you for doing this.”
You pull a couple of books from the shelf before sitting across from him, “It’s no problem, Michael. Now what is it exactly that you need help on?”
Michael bites his lip, looking sheepish, “All of it? How much time do you have?”
You chuckle, “Until curfew. I hope you’re ready to take notes. This is a whistle stop tour.”
In no time at all, Michael had a good understanding of the differences between the different types of witchcraft practiced in Yorkshire and Lancashire as well as a decent understanding of rival families and why there is still tension in the counties today as a result of it.
Michael puts his quill down, flexing his fingers to free himself of the cramp, “Wow. You really know a lot on this subject.”
You shrug, “My family originally hail from Yorkshire. I made it my mission to know as much as I could about my ancestors.”
The grand clock above the entrance hall begins to chime signalling curfew and the end of your study session with Michael.
“That’s all we have time for, unfortunately. If you need any more help, I’m happy to help.”
“There is something you could help me with…” Michael starts.
“Oh?” You ask, pausing in stacking the books for the shelves.
“Would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?” He says in one rushed breath.
You hesitate; your mind flashes to Cedric, thinking of all the Hogsmeade weekends you had spent with him, ambling from shop to shop and generally enjoying each other’s company.
Michael starts to look worried. But before he can say anything, you ask, “As a date?”
Michael looks away flustered, “I was hoping it would be, yes.”
You’re taken back again. Your mind flashing back to Cedric, your heart wishing it was him asking and not Michael. No, you chide yourself, he has Cho now… though you hadn’t seen him with her since the Yule Ball… NO. Michael was asking you out, he was genuinely interested in you. You think of your promise; he was handing you the opportunity to start getting over Cedric.
You smile at Michael, “I’d like that. I’ll meet you in the courtyard at nine?”
Michael’s answering grin is blinding. “That’s great. I’ll see you then.” He even goes so far to drop a kiss to your cheek before leaving the library with a whispered goodbye.
-------
The Hufflepuff common room is silent when you return from the library. The majority of students had retired to their beds, but the odd straggler remains in the common room. You recognise them all as classmates as they continue to revise for the upcoming exams. Curfew had come and gone but you couldn't finish your day without seeing Cedric.
Cedric is laid across one of the couches, an arm tucked underneath his head; eyes pouring over one of his books. You watch him fondly. His exemption from the exams made him able to catch up on the books you had given to him to read.
You tap his thigh, silently telling him to shift, “What are still doing up?”
He moves into a sitting position, shrugging, “I was waiting for you. I knew you’d come see me.”
Your heart softens at his whispered confession. “You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to. Did Michael complete his essay?”
You smile, “He did, and he asked me out on a date.”
“He did what?” He asks, turning to you with wide eyes.
“Don’t look so shocked, Cedric. Just because you don’t find me attractive doesn’t mean that others don’t.” You say, hurt.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
You look down at your hands, fingers fiddling with themselves. Cedric sighs, placing a finger under your chin, lifting your face to look you in the eyes. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” he repeats.
“How did you mean it then?” You question, your eyes narrowing.
Cedric pulls away, his mouth a thin line, “I just didn’t think he would move that fast.”
“Well he did, and I said yes.”
An awkward silence falls between the two of you. Bodies angled to each other, but eyes focused on the fire as minds begin to wander.
You think of your feelings for the teenager sat next to you. These overwhelming, defining feelings that you hold for him and you wonder whether Michael would be the one to help you move on. Whether Michael could be the one to help you revert back to friendship with Cedric. You wanted to chuckle as your heart whispered how impossible that task would be. You glance at Cedric, curious as to whether he had any clue about how entirely he owned your heart.
You pat his knee, deciding you had thought enough for the night. You hope for a dreamless sleep, “I’m heading up for the night. I’ll see you at breakfast?”
Cedric smiles smally, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
You smile in return, walking away from him before his words could settle in your skin. The smile drops from your face as you walk back to the Gryffindor common room; your mind overthinking and your heart breaking that little bit more.
Cedric watches you walk away, no longer ignoring the deep ache in his chest. He was starting to lose you; the distance between the two of you increasing. As Cedric sits there, book open on his lap, watching the spot where he had last seen you, he promises himself that he would not lose you from his life.
-----------------
Cedric found it hard to leave you alone over the next week. Finding any and all excuses to sit next to you; to touch you. The jealousy he felt over your date with Michael had him interjecting into conversations and disturbing seating plans so he could be near you. He waited for you to pull away, for you to tell him off, but you never did. Hope bloomed in his stomach and in his chest at that.
Your heart basked in the attention; wanting nothing more than Cedric to wrap his arm around that little bit tighter and for him to distract you from another conversation. Your mind berated your heart for enjoying this too much; the small voice in the back of your mind reminded you constantly that you were supposed to be moving on from him and here he was putting a spanner in the plan.
------------
Bounding down the stairs to the common room, you pause in front of a mirror to check how your hair looks. Deciding it was good enough, you enter the Gryffindor common room surprised to find Cedric sat on the couch, staring away into nothing.
You tap him on the shoulder, “Are you okay? You look to be lost in your thoughts.”
He hums before answering, “I’m good. You look lovely by the way.”
You look down at your outfit, brushing out invisible creases; heart racing from his compliment. You internally scold yourself for reacting this way. “Thank you, Cedric.”
Cedric nods. His heart breaks as he sees how you’ve dressed up for Michael and how happy you look to be meeting him. He wishes he had told you earlier; confessed to you before the Yule Ball how much he adored you because if he had, he would be the one to be walking you to Hogsmeade, to be sharing a butterbeer, to be whispering sweet nothings in your ear.
Instead, he’s resigned himself to the fact that after today, he will have lost you forever.
He watches you check your watch, brushing your fingers through your hair one more time before going to meet Michael.
He decides to take the moment to plead, to beg you not to go. To stay with him; spend the day with him so he can gather the courage to tell you how he feels. How he has felt for years but didn’t know until last year and if you would give him the chance, he would spend the rest of his life earning your affection and showing you just how deep his love for you runs.
Cedric grabs your hand, making you turn to face him, “Don’t go,” he pleads.
“I have to, Cedric.” You pull your hand from his grip, rushing out of the common room to meet Michael in the courtyard.
--------------
The day with Michael had been pleasant. You had walked around Hogsmeade, entering the bookshop and Honeyduke’s to stock up on your stash of cauldron cakes. Michael, ever the gentlemen, had paid for your sweets with a smile and a wink at your protests.
The pit in your stomach was getting larger; you felt awful for not feeling anything more for Michael other than friendship. But your heart would not let you forget the brunette Hufflepuff you had left in the common room with a dejected look on his face.
The conversation with Cedric had played on your mind all day. His face as you left the common room, was printed onto the back of your eyelids. He had look so crestfallen, as if he had accepted some terrible fate. Your chest aches at the memory of it.
Michael takes your hand as he pulls you into The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer or two. You head to a small table as he goes to the bar for your drinks.
“Thank you.” You say as Michael places a foaming glass in front of you. You immediately take a drink, relishing the sweet butterscotch taste. You wipe your mouth on a napkin before smiling at Michael. “Thank you for today, I’ve had a lot of fun.”
Michael grins, “I have as well. But I think I’ve had more fun than you.”
You run a finger around the rim of your glass, “Michael…” You start, but he cuts you off.
“It’s Cedric, isn’t it?”
You bite your lip, nodding.
“It’s okay, I suspected as much when I first asked you out. It was confirmed when I saw his reaction.”
“His reaction?”
“The possessiveness.”
You nod, remembering it, “I’m really sorry, I thought I could… can we be friends?”
Michael smiles at you, “We can be friends.”
You sigh in relief, “Thank you, Michael.”
“You know he’s jealous.” He states, sipping at his butterbeer.
“Who?”
“Who? Cedric.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“I’m telling you; he totally is.”
You think back to his possessiveness over the last week. He had never been like that; not once over the time you had known him. It only started when Michael had asked you to help with his essay and then asked you out.
Everything clicks into place; you drop your head into your hands with a groan. Michael laughs, “I told you so.”
Michael walks you back to the school and the Hufflepuff common room, making you promise to tell him what happens tomorrow. He squeezes your shoulder before walking away. You take a deep breath, steeling yourself for the conversation you’re about to have.
Cedric hadn’t moved from where you left him this morning. He remained sat on the leather couch, his eyes on the fire but his mind elsewhere. You throw yourself down beside him. Cedric leans back into the couch; your legs going over his.
Cedric’s fingers draw aimless patterns on your legs as he apologises, “I’m sorry about this morning. I was out of line.”
You nod, “Yes, you were. But I appreciate your apology.”
“Did you have a nice time?” Cedric asks, punishing himself for his actions this morning.
“It was interesting,” You start, “Or at least, Michael told me something interesting.”
“I’m all ears.”
“He told me you were jealous of him, but I denied it of course because if you had feelings for me in any sense you would have told me by now, right?”
Cedric is silent; seeming very focused on the seam of your jeans as he traces a fingertip up it. You repress a shiver at the feel.
“Right, Cedric?” You repeat.
“Michael was right.” Cedric whispers, looking down.
“He was?”
“No, he is. I’m jealous. I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t in the end.”
“Why didn’t you say anything, Ced?”
“I was worried that I would ruin our friendship. We’ve been friends for so long, I thought if I suddenly confessed how I felt, you wouldn’t believe me, and you’d reject me.”
You sigh, “This is a mess.”
Cedric frowns, “What is?”
“We’ve been dancing around each other and being miserable all because we were scared to ruin what we already have.”
“We?”
You fiddle with your fingers, eyes focused on the fire, “I’ve felt jealous too, and heartbroken. I promised myself I would get over you.”
Cedric swallows around the sudden lump in throat, “And have you?”
You sigh, shaking your head, “I don’t think I ever could. I was so destroyed watching you at the Yule Ball with Cho, and I completely understood why you asked as her. She’s gorgeous and comes from a prestigious family. The match works.”
“I asked Cho to the Yule Ball because I panicked. I thought if I asked you, you would see through to my feelings for you. She called things off after the first two dances, she realised that I was looking for you.”
“We’ve both messed up, haven’t we?”
Cedric nods, taking one of your hands in his. “I think we have.”
You point at him, “Alright, naked truth time, Cedric. Are you ready?”
He raises an eyebrow, “As I’ll ever be.”
“Do you like me?”
Cedric blushes, “I think I more than like you. I think I love you.”
“Oh… I didn’t expect that.” You answer, your body warming at his words.
“Your turn: what do you feel for me?”
“I think I love you too.”
“You do?”
You fiddle with your fingers, “Yeah, I don’t know the exact moment it happened. It was just one day that I realised that I was in love with you, but you didn’t see me for so long. All I wanted to be was somebody more to you.”
Cedric closes his eyes as if in pain, “I royally screwed up, I hurt your feelings so badly. Will you ever forgive me?”
You purse your lips. You hold your hand out for him to take, which he does, “On one condition.”
“And that is?”
“You take me on a date.”
He grins, “I can definitely do that. Can I do something before though?”
HIII :) i havent seen that much cedric fluff/smut lol cedric is literally my comfort character 🤠 if ur requests are open could you write a fluff/smut? i literally dont mind what kind i just WANT MORE CEDRIC FANFICTION CAUSE THERE IS BARELY ANYYY :((
HellO! I love ur work can I request you make like a Cedric x F reader hufflepuff, friends to lovers, fluff and smut. I know it's vv vague but go off. I just want cedric content i love him sm :,)
info: cedric diggory was your best friend, nothing more, but when he tells you about an upcoming date, you start to question that.
genre: fluff, some angst, SMUT, fem reader, hufflepuff reader, friends to lovers
warnings: so much smut, oral (receiving), cursing
word count: 5.7k+
a/n: HIIIII i was able to complete 2 reqs in 1! this was long overdue but i hope you like it,, also i edited the first half and just gave up on the second half GHFHJFSG
cedric diggory was your best friend.
he smelt of vanilla, his voice warm, flowing smoothly like honey. his presence gave you a sense of comfort, almost as if he was home. his eyes were a slight grey, full of wonder, color like a foggy autumn night, or the clouds that filled the sky on the day you two had met. his brown hair, always effortlessly styled, never failing to make girls swoon when he ran his fingers through it. and his smile — god, his smile.
adored by most and kind to all, you truly believed that cedric diggory deserved the world. it was impossible for any girl to get a glimpse of him and not feel their heart flutter.
the good-natured overachiever was your best friend because you hadn’t developed any romantic feelings for him, despite his good looks and unforgettable, lovable attitude. you knew that you wouldn’t have been friends with him in the first place if you felt the same way as the hundreds of other girls who yearned for cedric diggory, so the day he told you that he had a date, you were unsure of why there was a slight pang of pain that struck your heart.
“finally,” you sighed in relief, a playful tone hidden in your voice as you wiped fake sweat off of your forehead. the sound of your heartbeat felt like it was louder than the crackling of the hufflepuff common room’s fireplace, and you weren’t sure if it was in your head or not.
the both of you sat on the snug fabric couch that was placed right in front of the small flames, the cushions soft. cedric shoved you playfully, making you jokingly hold your arm in pain. cedric muttered a “shut up,” a smile on his face as he looked down in his lap. you stuck your tongue out at him, scrunching up your nose.
the fidgeting of your fingers went unnoticed as you smiled at him, a sense of dread washing over you as you began to think about how his date might go. you remained unassertive of why these negative emotions swallowed you whole, reassuring yourself that it was probably just because you were afraid of losing your best friend.
“seriously though, i’m really happy for you,” you say, patting his shoulder lightly. somewhere in the back of your mind, you knew were lying, you knew that you wanted to say “please, don’t go on that date,” but you ignored it.
“i just don’t know what to do! or wear, or say,” he complained, waving his arms around, before falling back and relaxing on the couch. “do you think i’ll mess this up?”
no cedric, you’re perfect.
“yeah, you’re an idiot,” you lie, making cedric kick your leg. “you know i’m only joking, if you want, i’ll help you choose an outfit.”
cedric shot up, his hands on either side of his body as he looked at you with joy filled eyes.
“really? you’ll help me?”
you laugh, “that’s what friends are for, idiot.”
you hated every bit of how your conversation was going. you felt like the more you two discussed about his upcoming date with cho chang, the longer that stinging pain stuck to you. you didn’t know what you wanted to do, you didn’t know if you wanted to cry, scream, yell, it was all left a mystery to you as cedric’s excited voice talked about how amazing cho was.
“she’s smart — and i mean, smart smart; and beautiful, wow, she really is beautiful. i’ve never met someone like her.”
you continued to smile and nod, enduring the ache that stayed with you the entire time. before, you were confident that you would never gain feelings for cedric, but now, you weren’t so reliant of your previous beliefs as the lurking torment hit you.
“well, can you blame her? she’s a ravenclaw,” you gave him a nonchalant reply, crossing your legs as you played with your wand.
“but she’s different, you know?” he went on and on, while you had an internal battle with yourself. you thought you were different. you hoped that you were different. but, you guessed, not to cedric.
“i’m getting tired,” you yawned, trying to get yourself out of this situation. you weren’t really tired, you just didn’t want to hear anymore of cedric talking about how cho was his dream girl. you wished that he would talk about you like he did her.
“really? it’s only eight o’clock,” he raised an eyebrow at you, smirking. you nodded, stretching your arms and standing up. you stood in your penguin pajama pants and an oversized tee, waving to him.
“i’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay? and i’ll help you with your date,” you say, regretting the statement you made about how you would assist him in preparing for his date.
“wait!” he quickly stood up, walking towards you and wrapping his arms around you for a hug. you froze for a moment, before melting into his touch. “thank you, y/n, for being such an amazing best friend.”
he placed his chin on the top of your head, while you buried your face into his shoulder.
“of course.”
while you headed up to bed, your loud thoughts echoed throughout your mind. you were rubbing your eyes, stifling your soft cries so you wouldn’t wake up your roommate. you crawled into your bed, wrapping the blanket around you, silent cries escaping your lips.
it was like a cliche love story, the girl finally realizes she has been in love with her best friend this entire time, only to be met with unintentional rejection. it hurt, of course it hurt. you were beginning to register that you wanted be cedric’s, you wanted him to be yours, but it was impossible. he had eyes on another.
—
the next day was even more dreadful than the previous, you woke up in a bad mood, lazily putting on your uniform and making your way to breakfast. cedric was quick to catch you on the way there, attempting to scare you from behind.
“boo!”
you turned and slapped cedric, who now, regretted his horrible effort to spook you.
“don’t do that!” you whisper-shouted at him, and he raised his hands, surrendering. “sorry, sorry. forgot about last year.”
last year, you repeatedly told cedric about how much you hated being jump scared. it was no surprise that the idiot had forgotten. you giggled, cedric infamous laugh following your own. he began to walk side by side with you, continuing your conversation from yesterday.
“so.... you’re still going to help me, right?”
you wished you could say no, you wanted so badly to say no, but you knew you couldn’t. his happiness counted too, not just your own.
“with your fashion sense? do you think i have a choice?” you teased, squinting your eyes at him. you two entered the dining hall, every student was talking to another, some girls watching you and cedric walk by. you spotted cho across the room, cedric also seeing her. he waved at her, a smile on his face as she waved back.
you sighed internally, sitting down at the dining table. cedric sat down as well, but still kept his eyes on cho.
“what the hell are you doing?” you asked, grabbing an apple on the table.
“me? nothing,” he replied back, resting his head on his hand as he stared at her in awe, you were tempted to slap him again, but you held back that said urge. your fingers traced the creases in the wood as your best friend eyed his crush, and you wanted nothing more than to leave the room.
“hey y/n are-”
“yes, i get it. cho is beautiful. she’s smart. i heard you the first thousand times.”
you turned to glare at cedric, who was looking at you, concerned. “no, i was going to ask if you were okay.”
your cheeks turned a light pink as you felt butterflies erupting in your stomach. you smiled at him, “sorry. just a little tired, i didn’t get much sleep. i’m alright.”
it was a half-lie, but you couldn’t risk telling cedric the truth. you were so sure that it would be the end of your amazing friendship, he would never look at you the same, and you weren’t sure if you could get over your feelings. you were stuck, in this in-between state of mind, one side of you begging to let your confession out, while the other just stayed quiet.
so yes, you caved into yourself and lied, but your only problem was that cedric knew that you were lying. there was no way of hiding it from your best friend, even if you thought you were concealing it well.
“hey cedric.”
the voice of the seemingly irritating asian ravenclaw snapped you out of your thoughts, and you immediately pivoted your head to look at her. cedric was already standing, looking at cho.
“hey y/n,” she smiled at you, and you replied back with a small awkward wave of your hand, a fake smile on your face before you turned back around to roll your eyes. your face scrunched up, biting into your apple as the two lovebirds talked behind you.
every word that came out of her mouth, every compliment he gave her, every giggle you heard, it made you want to turn around and walk out. jealousy was an ugly emotion, and you never thought that you’d actually get a chance to experience it, but here you were, annoyed out of your mind.
you waited for what felt like hours, for their talking to be over (it was really only a few minutes), time felt especially slow when they began to flirt about their upcoming date tonight.
“so, i’ll see you after classes then?” cedric asked her, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“of course.”
cedric watched her walk away, gazing at her with those ever so beautiful eyes of his, taking a deep breath before sitting back down.
by the time cedric sat down, you were already getting up from the table, with a loss of apetite. cedric glanced at the single bite you took out of your apple, then glancing back up at you.
“hey, how do you expect to grow if you don’t eat?” he joked, earning a pissed off face from you, who only said, “i’m not hungry.”
you walked off without him, muttering to yourself meaningless thoughts. although cedric was worried about your sudden shift of attitude and demeanor, he decided to leave you some time to yourself.
you were already halfway to class, wondering what the hell you had done in your past life to receive this emotional torture. you groaned, looking down at your shoes.
“you alright there, y/n?” a familiar voice called out to you, running up to you. it was ron weasley, an idiot, but a good friend of yours. you turned your head to him, saying, “no, i’m not.”
“spit it out, then,” ron says, lightly bumping shoulders with you. you let out an exhale, grasping at your wand in your right hand, your tote bag slung over your left shoulder. “are you going to take all day? i want to at least make it to potions before snape sends me to detention again.”
“fine, fine,” you whine to him, “you know cedric?”
“no — is that a food? are you mad? everyone knows cedric,” he exclaims. “there’s no one in this bloody school who doesn’t know who he is.”
you sneer, pinching his arm while he cries out a small “ow”.
“so,” you start, avoiding eye contact so you wouldn’t have to see ron’s reaction. “him and cho have a date tonight. i know, not a big deal, but you see, i kind of started to fancy him.”
“i knew it.”
“be quiet.”
ron lets out a snicker at your quick reply, but he shuts himself up as you snap your head at him to give him a death glare.
“are you planning on telling diggory at all?” he questions, and you immediately shake your head, your eyes wide, imagining everything that could go wrong.
“what would he think of me? it would make the situation much worse,” you explain to him, and he nods, trying to understand how you were currently feeling.
approaching his potions class, ron gives your arm a little squeeze.
“well you know, someone must find you attractive, even someone as ugly as y-” his voice is cut off by you kicking him in the shin, and he yelps out, while you giggle.
“get to class.”
your face drops when you hear cho’s and cedric’s voices echoing behind you, and you feel a part of your heart clench. it doesn’t take you long to walk as fast as you can so they don’t spot you, your shoes clicking against the concrete floor.
—
“how’s this?”
cedric stood in front of you with a white dress shirt, black dress pants, with a black leather belt wrapped around the waist. his shiny black shoes tapping against the floor anxiously, the sleeves of his shirt neatly rolled up. he put a slight amount of gel in his hair, he looked amazing.
if anything, the more you stared at him, the more you regretted offering to help him get dressed for his outing. your stomach did twists and turns as his eyes bored into your own, searching for approval.
he had a nervous smile on his face, the kind of smile you wished you had caused. you wanted nothing more than to be happy for him, for he had finally found a girl he actually liked. the only thing that had you upset, was that you weren’t that girl.
“you look,” you pause for a moment, taking him in. you gained a whiff of his natural scent, before exhaling slowly.
“stupid.”
his eyes widen in horror, rushing to go find new clothes. you erupt in chuckles, grabbing his arm.
“i’m just kidding, you look great, now go!” you exclaim, but cedric freezes, sitting down on his bed. he looks like he’s in thought, but his exact mindset wasn’t clear to you.
you sit down next to him, the bed cushion sinking. placing a hand on his shoulder, you ask him, “are you alright?”
“i don’t know, i’ve just never really felt like this for someone, i feel like i’ll mess it up,” his head turns to you, with a neutral facial expression. “what if i do something wrong? do you think she’ll stop liking me?”
“listen to me diggory, every girl i know has a tiny crush on you, i’m sure cho is crazy about you, and i doubt that there’s anything you can possibly do to mess tonight up,” you beam, patting his back. “unless you kill her.”
“i just don’t want to miss my chance with someone like her.”
there’s something that hits you when cedric says that — maybe it’s the fact that cedric would never see you in a romantic way is finally setting in, or the thought of never being able to compare to a girl like cho, or maybe you’re finally understanding you have been in love with cedric for longer than you thought, or maybe it was all of those reasons. something makes you want to crash into a fit of sobs, or maybe a chorus of silent cries.
for cedric’s happiness, you decide it was better to hide you’re sadness, that was slowly eating you up bit by bit, or at least, attempt to hide it.
“trust me, i’m sure she’ll love every bit of tonight. and if she doesn’t, well, i can surely take her head on.”
and here came his beautiful, mesmerizing, bright grin. he enveloped you into a hug, smiling to himself. “you really are my best friend.”
“yeah, i am, aren’t i?”
he lets go, standing up from his previous spot on the bed, dusting off his shirt.
“time to go, diggory,” you say to him, pushing him out the room, the door making a slight creak as you open it.
“thank you, y/n,” he grins, and you shut the door, but not before pressuring him to leave faster. your back is pressed against the cool wooden material as you slide down it slowly, burying your face in your hands as you are being swallowed whole by the everlasting feeling of unwanted rejection.
although cedric had no clue that he had technically rejected you, there was still a fresh feeling of heartbreak within you.
you felt vulnerable, like you were out of control, and that you couldn’t change anything.
there were so many thoughts running through your mind, you barely realized that you had got up and reached for the door handle, twisting it open, and pacing down the hall to where cedric was walking.
before realizing what you were doing, you grabbed cedric by the wrist, making him turn to you. you cut him off in the middle of saying your name, pressing your soft lips against his own.
you screwed your eyes shut, unaware of your own actions, while cedric stood there, eyes wide open in shock. he was frozen, unbeknownst of what to do.
when you slowly backed away from him, you swear you just wanted someone to put you out of your misery, right there. cedric was sputtering words, trying to form a proper sentence, while you were on the verge of tears.
“o-oh my god, i didn’t- shit, i’m so sorry cedric,” you were shaking, bringing your hands to cover your mouth, “just go on your date. this was a mistake- i uh, i’ve got to go.”
you took off fast walking to your dorm, trying your best to forget about the moment that happened seconds before. the adrenaline that was previously pumping through your veins was slowly beginning to wear off as you slammed your dorm room’s door shut, you let out a quiet wail. you quickly got yourself under the covers, gripping at the cotton sheets.
that night, you barely got any sleep, as the only thing keeping you awake was the thought of tomorrow.
—
there’s a soft knock on your door the following day, and you immediately huff in frustration, burying your head further into your pillow.
“go away!” you shout, your voice muffled by the fabric. ron calls your name from behind the wooden walls, ushering you to let him in.
“you can’t just stay in there forever!”
“yes i can, watch me,” you say back, hearing the door opening, followed by ron’s footsteps. he pokes you, repeatedly, purposely trying to irritate you.
“the professors are going to kill you if you don’t show up to your classes,” he scolded. you turn to look at him, the left side of your face still in the pillow. grabbing another pillow beside you, you toss it at his face.
“i don’t care,” you huff, finally turning over to lay on your back. “leave me alone, weasley.”
“i brought you something to eat, you can’t starve yourself,” he muttered, placing a plate of food on your nightstand. the sun shined bright into your window, birds chirping from the school grounds.
ron sighed, “could you at least tell me what happened?”
you gulp, frowning.
“i kissed cedric.”
“could you repeat that one more time?”
“i... kissed... cedric. right before he left for his date.”
“huh!?” ron squeaked, standing up. “what happened to the whole ‘i’m not telling him’ thing?”
“i know!” you snivelled, the feeling of guilt overwhelming you. “i really don’t know what i was thinking.. i just can’t face him right now.”
as if he was right on time, you hear cedric call your name from behind your dorm room door. he’s about to turn the knob, but you jump out of bed to prevent him from opening it.
“please let me in,” he says softly, his forehead pressed against the wood. “we really need to talk.”
“there’s nothing i want to talk about, diggory,” you say back, and ron laughs at your current struggle.
“ron, i swear to god-“
“weasley is in there with you? please, let me in!” cedric tries his best to convince ron to get you out of the way, but you’re prepared to throw the plate of food that ron had gotten you, and ron was not risking that.
“y/n-“
“i don’t want to talk, okay? please leave.”
the room goes quiet for a moment, no talking, no giggles from ron, it’s simply just silent. you hear cedric audibly sigh, before walking away.
you can imagine cedric’s distressed face as his frustration is always visible, and you really wanted nothing more than to go out and hug him, but you couldn’t. not after last night.
“you really do need to talk to him, though,” ron comments as you breathe heavily.
“i-i know, just not yet.”
—
hours after waking up from your hell-induced “sleep”, you finally got the energy to go to your last period, as you had told your professors from earlier classes that you were in terrible condition (you told them you had gotten food poisoning), and they were surprisingly, understanding.
you were battling with the ideas of speaking to diggory or never facing him again, and to be honest, you were liking the latter option a lot more than the first.
each time you spotted him through the day, there was something that felt like a small pinch within you, followed by a longing to talk to him again. you would quickly avert your eyes, or rush to make sure you weren’t in his line of sight, either way, you felt empty.
the worse was when you had just got out of class, only to walk a few steps down the hall, to see him talking to cho, taking her hands into his own, a soft expression on his face as he spoke to her. it’s almost like you could hear an audible shatter come from your heart. you shut your eyes, turning back to the way you came, your head hanging low.
you were so exhausted, physically and emotionally. dodging cedric at all costs, studying for upcoming tests, and losing hope in regaining your friendship with him.
you walked to the gryffindor common room to rant to ron, as he seemed like the only person you could talk to right now.
“i see you actually got out of bed,” he comments, leaning back on the red sofa. you placed your bag on the coffee table, plopping down next to him.
“surprising, right?” you say sarcastically. “but i didn’t come here to be criticized by you.”
you cross your arms over your chest, placing yourself deep in thought as you tried to calm yourself down. you rubbed your temples, trying to think of some sort of solution to end your torture.
“talked to diggory yet?” he asks, writing something down in his notebook. your posture becomes rigid, a pinched expression on your face as you shake your head “no”.
“y/n.. you have to at least to explain to him about what happened last night.”
your fingers begin to fidget, and you stare down at them. “i don’t even know what i was thinking, to be honest. so what am i supposed to tell him?”
“well,” ron trails, “you can start by saying that you like-”
ron doesn’t get to finish his sentence, as someone shouts his name from beyond the gryffindor common room. you immediately recognize the voice, scrambling to hide behind the couch as to not be seen.
seconds later, cedric comes in, a bothered look im his eyes as he approaches the red haired boy.
“hey ron, have you talked to y/n at all?” he asks him, his hair disheveled as you take a peek from behind the couch. he still looked amazing to you.
“yeah i have,” ron replies, nodding, but it’s tight — as if he’s holding something he wants to say back, and cedric is quick to notice it. he’s always been able to see those tiny details hidden behind a person’s actions.
“uh, okay.. and do you know where she is?”
ron looks to the couch, then back at cedric, “yeah, she’s behind the couch hiding from you.”
you freeze, your eyes going wide. you slowly stand up, awkwardly scratching the back of you neck, followed by nervous laughter.
“h-hey! i was just leaving,” you’re at a loss for words, eyeing both cedric and ron. you let out another uncomfortable “haha”, before darting towards the door. cedric is yelling your name, following close behind. you’re able to make it towards your doom room, where luckily, your roommate was too busy having a sleepover with another hufflepuff to be there.
“y/n!” cedric catches the door before you’re able to close it, forcing himself inside. you swiftly turn around to face him, staring intently. your hands were clenched into fists, your legs barely being able to keep you up as you felt something weaken in your knees.
“we need to talk,” he says, sternly. your face is a bright red, almost at a loss for words.
“what’s there to say?” you retort, crossing your arms, then sitting on your bed. you try your best to avert your gaze from his, staring at anything but his face.
“please, y/n,” cedric pleads, taking a step closer to you. “what happened last night?”
“it’s really not important, cedric,” your breath hitches, as he was standing directly in front of you. you gathered the courage to look into his eyes, regretting it almost immediately, for they were filled with sorrow, glimmering within the cold moonlight.
the light of the bedroom remained off, you were sure that if you saw cedric’s face properly, you would lose the ability to speak.
“you can’t keep running away,” he tells you, placing a hand on your shoulder and bending down so he was at eye level with you.
you shrug his hand off, crossing your arms, “who said i was running?”
“y/n,” he starts with a small chuckle, “you just sprinted away from me a minute ago.”
“but the reason i chased after you was because we need to speak about the kiss.”
your body becomes stiff, you wanted to curl into a ball on the spot, biting your lip.
“we can’t.”
he sits next to you, taking your hands into his. “but why not? there isn’t any reason for us to not speak-“
“because,” you say in a small voice, “you like cho. she likes you. i don’t want to be the one to ruin that. it’s selfish, i know, but you deserve her.”
cedric stands, running a hand through his hair. “but that’s the thing, y/n! i don’t know anymore. i don’t know who i like — if i even really like cho after last night, it’s just so... confusing.”
“how the hell is it confusing?” you question him.
“don’t you understand? everything is just so, mixed up. after you kissed me, during my entire night, i couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
you feel the tip of your ears grow warm as the pace of your heartbeat grew.
“cedric—”
“please listen to me. think about how i feel right now. i liked you for at least six months, but you always told me the reason we were friends was because of the lack of romanticism between us, so i moved on, i mean, i tried to. but then, that kiss. it just changed so much, and i didn’t know what to tell cho—“
“weren’t you talking to her today? i saw you two together,” he continues pacing the wooden floors, stressed.
“i needed to tell her that things were complicated and about how i didn’t think she was right for me,” he tells you, and you stand up to poke him playfully in the chest, as if nothing was going on.
“you,” poke.
“did,” poke.
“what!?” poke.
“i, uh, um..” he doesn’t know what to say, frantically searching for the right words, but then throwing his hands up in defeat.
“it would be better if i just did this,” within seconds, he’s cupping your face, pressing his plump lips onto yours. they tasted of his fruity chapstick, and you liked the way he moved.
finally, you registered that diggory was actually kissing you. he was the one that initiated it, he was the one running his hands down your body as your hands gripped at his brown locks.
he bites your lip, and you let out a small mewl. he slips his tongue in, dominating against your own, all while removing his robe. he backs up, keeping your lips locked while shutting the door.
you remove your own robe, palming the bulge in his pants. he groans into your mouth, the wetness building in your heat.
he’s quick to switch the roles, your back on the door instead of his. he breaks from the kiss, panting. your foreheads rest against each others, staring into each others’ eyes.
“i need you to tell me,” he says in between breaths, his skin glowing in the moonlight. “do you want this?”
you nod desperately, “yes.”
“good, because i do too.”
he grabs you by the waist, picking you up to toss you on the bed. he’s standing over you, looking down at you with a smug smirk on his face, before peeling off his top.
“enjoying the view?” he raises a brow, and you can’t help but let out a laugh.
“mhm, i guess i’m next,” you reply, sitting up to unbutton your shirt. you make sure to begin slowly, cedric watching your fingers intently. you part your lips, removing the sticky clothing, leaving you in your undergarments and your skirt.
you bite your lip, looking up at him. he brings his lips to your ear, dragging his finger down your cleavage. “i need you to do something for me, baby. i need you to take off everything so i can make you feel good, is that okay?”
your stomach begins to do somersaults, and you comply to cedric with no hesitations, dragging the black fabric of your skirt down and tossing it somewhere in the room. next, you unclip your black bra and take off your panties, throwing them in the general direction of your skirt.
he admires you, who’s now laying down on the bed. you grow a little shy, but remind yourself that this is cedric, this is your best friend. he lowers himself to face your pussy, dragging his finger through your folds.
“let me take care of you, baby.”
with that, he trails a stripe through your heat with his tongue, a quiet moan escaping your lips.
“you’re so cute, writhing from just a bit of contact,” he grins, his hot breath fanning against you. “now what if i did this—“
he places his lips against your clit, sucking gently.
“cedric— ah,” you say, and he moans against you. he sucks harder this time, bringing his hand to your entrance, he sticks a finger inside at the same time.
“oh god,” you sigh, arching your back. you bring a hand to cedric’s hair, the other hand gripping at the sheets under you. his teeth grazes your bundle of nerves, making you shiver. the feeling of his mouth against you was addicting, his finger moving in and out of you at a fast pace combining with that lead to a familiar building up of pleasure within you.
“cedric, p-please,” you mewl, his free hand holding one of your thighs. you began to feel warm, crying out the boy’s name over and over again.
“come, baby.”
your body went stiff, your orgasm washing over you as you began to relax. your breathing was heavy as cedric stood up, looking at you. you smiled, shutting your eyes.
“can you do it one more time?” you hear him ask, and you swallow, nodding your head.
“yes i can.”
he began reaching for the emergency condom hidden in his back pocket, undoing his belt, the sound of the metal buckle hitting the floor as he kicked his pants and boxers off. he ripped the foil open with his teeth, rolling it on the tip. you opened your eyes, watching as he crawled on top of you.
he smiles, kissing your forehead with a loving look in his eyes. “ready?”
you wrap your arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him. “whenever you are.”
finally, he begins to enter you, slowly, making sure it isn’t painful. you moan loudly, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. you didn’t care about how sensitive you were from your previous orgasm, all you could think about was how good you felt. his dick reached deep inside of you, expanding your pulsing walls.
he took this as a cue to movs, creating a steady pace as he let out a breathy groan every time he thrusted.
“fuck, you feel so good,” he praised, thrusting deeper. he would pull all the way out, before slamming back in. his hands were on either side of your head.
you were overwhelmed with pleasure, moaning his name and gasping when he would go deeper than expected. he whispered filth into your ear, talking quietly about how much he enjoyed fucking you, or how beautiful you looked under him.
your sinful cries bounced off the walls, sweat dripping down your bodies. you began preparing for his orgasm, as well as your own as he sped up. you clenched around his dick, making him groan louder. you threw your head back, your hips moving to meet his thrusts.
“holy shit, oh fuck, i’m gonna come,” he growled, kissing you hungrily. you moaned his name into the kiss, digging your fingernails into his back. he buried his head into the crook of your neck, shouting curses as the two of you lost yourselves in an erruption of bliss, only thinking about each other. your cries of his name was a symphony to his ears as he thrusted one last time, moaning loudly.
it ended in heavy breathing and gasps for air as he turned over to lay beside you. cedric removes the condom, tossing it onto the ground. he looks over to you, who was already looking at him.
“does this mean you like me?” you ask, and he lets out his amazing laugh.
“yes, i like you.”
you smile, “also i had no idea you could do that.”
Not that it feels that way exactly, because everyone seems to be moving on already. There’s already talks of gossip, seeds of doubt creeping into everyone’s minds- is Harry lying? How could they trust a 14 year olds words? Was he the one to kill Cedric, just to win the cup?
You don’t want the answer to the last question. You want it erased from your brain, but you can’t, can’t get rid of it. It’s everywhere you look, the glaring doubt about how it all happened, how could you have let this happen? You knew this tournament was dangerous from the start and had even told Ced so, why had you let him convince you? You should’ve pushed harder, you should’ve talked him out of entering, you should’ve saved him.
It isn’t just the shadow in the mirror who thinks this, it’s everyone. Wherever you go, whispers and accusations follow, you were the person closest to him, after all. If anyone had been able to stop him, prevent this, it would have been you. What you can’t tell them is that you fucking agree, that it’s hurting you worse than they could have imagined, that you’re sick of living in the skin of someone so fucking despicable. Your knives trace red into the skin where his lips used to trail, cutting into the wrists he once kissed down slowly, gently, with such care you felt like porcelain. He’s claimed you, heart and soul, your body branded with his name over and over, reinforced with every fleeting touch the two of you shared.
Cedric. Cedric. Cedric.
“Cedric?”
“Who else would it be?”
Your breath catches as you look at him, standing in front of you casually, as if he’s about to walk you to class. His dirty-blonde hair is ruffled but still perfect, his Hufflepuff tie is loose, and his face isn’t as scarred as it was anymore. Not as scarred as it was at-
“-your funeral. You’re dead. You died in the Maze. What the fuck is- is this?”
Cedric looks amused, and it does alleviate some of the strain on your heart, some of the tension in your welling, unshed tears, “I’m right here, love. How could I be here if I died in the maze?”
He smiles. You’re being ridiculous.
You smile.
You kiss him, and he’s real, the floodgates open and your tears spill, red leaks from your wrists, but he’s wrapping his arms around you and it’s Cedric. And it’s perfect.
“Who all know?” You ask him, hands now tightly on both sides of his waist, pinching hard, not wanting to let go for even a second.
“No one but you, and I’d like to keep it that way. Harry’s right about You-Know-Who being the one after me. Is it alright if I lay low here for a while? I’ll be quiet, I promise, you won’t even know that I’m-”
“You can always stay here,” you whisper, your hands crushing into his hip bones but he doesn’t even wince, “Please.”
You spend the next month with him, revelling in his company after having it permanently (or so you believed) taken from you. The two of you settle into domesticity, he wraps your wounds and cooks breakfast, you stroke his hair and kiss his scars, the two of you free-falling down a one way path to the most toxic codependency, but you don’t care, you just can’t. You have Cedric back, see, and that’s all you need. You can keep his secret, you can keep him safe this time, fix what you had broken before.
That’s until Amos visits.
“I see you’ve got two plates set up already,” he greets, new wrinkles on his skin, eyebags sagging deeper with the grief they now hold. “How’d you know I was coming?”
“Lucky guess?” You say a little panickedly, whirling around to look at the table where you were sitting with Cedric, but he’s already gone. Quick on his feet, that one is.
Amos slides into the chair and you take the one across from him, and you finally talk to the man you always hoped would become your father-in-law. It’s the first time you’ve spoken to somebody outside of Cedric for a while now, and evidently it’s his too; he leaves sentences unfinished and can’t meet your eyes, his own overtaken by the ghosts of his follies.
And then they overflow, tears dripping out from them quicker than you can process and your heart cracks in two, the slowly healing crevice splitting open once more as you rush to his side, reliving the sight of Cedric’s body before you and you’re crying too, just remembering how weak and broken he had looked.
But Amos is crying harder.
So, you tell him. It’s only fair. Cedric wouldn’t mind, Amos is his father. Cedric loves his father.
You don’t understand why Amos starts howling, clutching at his chest like you just ripped his heart out of it, why he’s looking right at you when he sobs, why he shouts,
“Oh God. Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, oh God-” he cuts himself off to take a gasp of air, filling his lungs with air and guilt, because his son will never fill his own again, “-Y/N, he’s gone. We saw his body, he’s gone, you need to see that.”
“Y/N, Cedric is dead.”
You kick Amos out, his howls scratching away at your head, grating your skin, he’s lying, he’s lying, he has to be, because if he isn’t, it means Cedric is. You scream for your boyfriend, ransacking through your entire house, searching for him, screaming your throat raw.
