To be honest, Cedric isn't as good of a father to Cedric than Cedric. Cedric has been a dad for Cedric longer than Cedric, and it took a long time for Cedric to become good for himself and for Cedric. Overall Cedric and Cedric are two Cedrics that Cedric loves, and they should both be recognized for what they both give to Cedric
prompt ; imagine being one of the mermaids who lived in the black lake
words ; 4.5k
pairing(s) ; cedric x maledictus-mermaid fem!reader, fred & george x reader (platonic)
a/n ; i wrote this at 3am after sobbing over goblet of fire, pls enjoy :)
take a shot everytime i saw grindylows for liver failure
Ever since you were as small as a guppy, you had always known you were different from the other merfolk who resided in the Black Lake. Your more human-like features and your lack of proficiency in mermish music, stood out amongst the folk in your village. It wasn’t until you were thirteen, that your mother revealed her darkest secret to you.
Many moons ago, your family was bestowed with a curse. A blood curse. The curse had been passed down the women of your family for centuries it had seemed. From your understanding, the type of blood curse meant your fate was predestined; and that in time you would be permanently stuck beneath the dark waters of the lake.
You had never thought to question the days you spent on land. The ability to change your tail into legs had never seemed odd to you, until a young mermaid told you that it was very strange indeed. You would be lying if you said it didn’t cross your mind as to why none of the merfolk took you up on your offers of picnics on the river-bank.
You had come to realise that your mother had unfortunately succumbed to the curse, unable to transform into a human anymore. As the days went on, she seemed to grow more and more miserable, for she missed the feeling of the sunshine on her skin, the grass beneath her feet and the friends she made in the wizarding world. All of the young wizards she knew had abandoned her as soon as she was limited on the time she could spend above water. You tried to convince her that the younger generations of wizards were more understanding, and that those who visited you after school hours and weekends were the nicest people you had ever met.
You took a deep breath as you broke the surface of the Black Lake, the warm sunlight being a welcomed feeling on your cold skin. As your ears adjusted and popped at the sudden assault of air, you heard cheering from the shore. Looking over you noticed a cluster of Hogwarts students jumping and waving to you. You couldn’t help the smile that graced your features, diving back under the water so you could swim closer to them.
“Y/N!” A voice called out to you as you resurfaced once more. Propping yourself up on the lakes edge slightly, your eyes instantly recognised the black and yellow robes of the Hufflepuff boy who had come to visit you.
“Diggory!” You yelled in glee, flinging your arms up into the air at the sight of him, making you fall back into the lake slightly. This seemed to amuse him and his rabble of fangirls, them all chuckling beneath their breath as your clumsiness.
“How is my favourite wizard...Don’t tell Fred and George I said that,” You winced, only imagining the backlash you would receive from the twins if they ever found out.
“Cedric has only gone and put his name in the Goblet of Fire,” One of the Hufflepuff boys yelled with a giggle, making your smile drop suddenly. You pushed yourself up further, motioning for Cedric to lean forward. The boy did so wearily, noticing your sudden change in expression. He was right to do so, as when he was in close enough reach you sunk your hands into the collar of his robes, using your great upper body strength to fling him over your head and into the lake.
Everyone went quiet.
He resurfaced shortly after, spitting water everywhere. “What in the bloody hell was that for?!”
“HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO PUT YOUR NAME INTO THAT STUPID CUP DIGGORY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE HAD TO DRAG BACK UP TO THE SURFACE BECAUSE THEY NEVER MAKE IT PAST TWENTY MINUTES IN HERE?” You yelled, splashing water at the boy to emphasise your words.
Cedric was silent. When he put his name in, he had heard of the terrible feats some of the tasks held. He had heard whispers of those that sunk beneath the murky waters of the lake to never return. So it was safe to say, your reaction had been pretty tame to what he initially imagined you would do.
“I might as well drown you myself! How could you be so, so-” Ah! There it was. He had half expected you to drag him straight down to the bottom of the lake and leave him there, but he knew you didn’t have the gall. You couldn’t even hurt a Grindylow, no matter how prickly they got sometimes.
“I’m going to be fine! I have all but perfected the bubble head charm-”
“You think that now Ced, but wait until you're in the water. Because it's not just your air you have to worry about, there’s the Grindylows and the kelpies, not to mention the giant squid and he’s feeling particularly tender after those Durmstrang kids ran their boat over one of his arms-”
“Love, you’re overreacting! Plus I have you don’t I? Or will you bail on me if we have to come to the lake?” Cedric asked, cocking his eyebrow as he splashed you slightly.
“Are you doubting me Diggory?” You asked, raising your voice as you splashed him back once more.
“I would never!” He feigned hurt at the idea, making you burst out into laughter.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’VE NEVER RODE A BROOM?” Fred and George yelled in unison as you climbed further up in the tree you were all gathered around.
“My mother kept me in my mer-form most of my life! I’ve never even held a wand even though we’re supposed to be witches,” You giggled as you rose higher and higher.
“YOU WHAT?” They yelled even louder. Even Hermoine had a surprised look on her face at the remark. It was no lie. Your mother thought it may have been best to keep you a mermaid most of the time, that way when the transformation became final you would not long for the wizarding lifestyle she so desperately missed. You had never ridden a broom, never held a wand. Hell, you had never even cast a spell as simple as an accio charm.
“Well this simply won’t do,”
“Not at all,” The twins rambled on in turns. You could never quite get over that, their twin telepathy and always knowing what the other was thinking at all times. It must be a terrible thing to have to deal with.
“C’mon then guppy, we’re off to the castle.”
“Wait, what? I mean is that even allowed, I’ve never been inside the castle, I don’t even have shoes, are you sure Dumbledore wouldn’t mind that I-”
“Christ, you’d think being underwater all the time would limit your skills of communication,” George laughed as you began your descent towards the ground.
“Who cares if you don’t have shoes, Potter walks around looking like he’s just woken up in a parallel universe half of the time,”
The laugh that erupted from you had you throwing your head back, a chorus of chuckles resounding from below you too. You were laughing that much that you had forgotten to keep a tight grip on the branches, and in the next moment your wobbly legs had slipped from their place, sending you tumbling through branches and leaves. Hurtling towards the ground, you braced for the impact. You almost wondered what would happen if you were to break a leg. Your mother would kill you, there’s no doubt about that, but would your tail also be broken? You didn’t particularly want to find out.
After what felt like a lifetime, you landed. However, it wasn’t the hard, painful landing you were expecting. Instead what you had landed on was soft, and warm...and moving? Opening your eyes, that you had not remembered closing, you came face to face with a chest. It was only when you looked up, you were met with the slight pained expression of Fred Weasley.
“Try to be a hero and I just get the wind knocked out of me,” He wheezed, making you blush bashfully.
“Could say you just took my breath away guppy,” He winked, making you burst out in another uncontrollable fit of laughter.
“CEDRIC?” You yelled out as you ran through the courtyard of the castle, the whole place completely unfamiliar to you. You did however, manage to blend in quite well, Fred and George had taken you to Hogsmeade and had provided you with a set of Hogwarts robes, out of the allowance their mother was sending them. You had nearly cried when you found out they had been saving up for weeks just to make you feel more included. Your heart swelled even more when they told you that you could come and visit the castle any time now, looking like a student wouldn’t put you under too much scrutiny. You were still scared as to what would happen to you if Dumbledore, or god forbid Snape, ever found you.
“Y/N?” Someone called, making you spin around sharply. Your hair still dripping, as you had not waited a single minute from jumping out of the lake to sort yourself out fully, slapped you in the face at the speed of your turn. Looking through the flashes of black, blue and fur, your eyes landed on the boy you had been searching for.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, looking over you in worry that something had happened. He paused when he noticed the robes you were wearing.
“Are those Hufflepuff robes?” He asked with a small smile.
Looking down, you took in the sight of yourself. The sunshine yellow looked amazing against your skin tone, and the slightly oversized robe made you feel so comfy and to your amusement was surprisingly swishy.
“Uh yeah! Fred and George bought them for me!” You enthused, ever the one to be easily distracted. “They sorted me themselves, said I was the en-a-body-mans of a Hufflepuff,” You sounded out the word, some words were a little more difficult for you to say, still not entirely used to speaking English after years of speaking mermish beneath the waters.
“Embodiment?” He chuckled, affection filling his grey eyes making them glisten like the river-stones you had been collecting from the river banks. He watched as slowly drying wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. He would never say it to you though. Terrified of your reaction. Of course he was, in himself, conflicted. He had been dating Cho Chang for a while now, and while he cared for the raven haired beauty from the neighbouring house, he couldn’t quite get over his feelings for the innocent Maledictus that lived in the lake just beyond the school grounds.
“Yes that’s what I said,” You waved your hand, blushing at the correction. “Anyway, what I’m here for is to tell you about the second task!” You whisper-yelled, pulling him to the side, away from the hustle and bustle of the other students.
“How do you know what the second task is?”
“Because it’s me Ced!” He furrowed his brows, confused by your phrasing. “That egg you got from the first task? It’s mermish. There’s been whispers around the village for a few days now, I don’t know much, but I can tell you that you’re going to be in the lake for a long while.” You hated the thought. You had remembered telling the Hufflepuff about the bodies you had dragged from the lake. Even when there wasn’t an event on, there were many students that would go swimming too far or too deep and lose their lives. The Black Lake was not one to foolishly meddle with.
Cedric had assured you that there was nothing to worry about, but you could see the flash of fear in his eyes at the mention of being in the lake for longer than twenty minutes. You silently vowed to yourself to do anything in your power to help him through the task though. You couldn’t, no, you wouldn’t lose him to the lake.
When the day of the task came, you were unsure of what to do. Obviously, you didn’t want to get Cedric disqualified from the tournament, or all of his hard work would have been in vain. Fighting off that dragon was no easy feat. But you didn’t want to leave him completely alone in the water. You knew Harry was competing too, but you had also heard that Neville had provided him with some Gillyweed, and whilst its effects are a little unpredictable, you weren't worried.
“You know you shouldn’t be getting involved with this Diggory boy.” Your mother called from just beyond the rocks.
“He’s a good person mum-”
“They all say that. They all act like they would walk the earth for you, but in reality, they would drop you the moment they have thoughts of you becoming a burden.”
“Yeah, well Ced isn’t like that. You’d know that if you actually took the time out of your busy schedule of moping around the kelp to properly meet him-”
“Do you have any idea who his father is Y/N? Amos Diggory is a very proud man. He will not settle on having a Maledictus as a wife for his precious son.”
“I didn’t ask for this mum! None of us did. But I sure as hell won’t let it define me and everything I do in life. If I am destined to be stuck underwater for the rest of my life, I would sure as hell love to experience life to the fullest before I lose it.”
“It will break you. It broke me.”
“I’m not you, mother.” You whispered, turning away from her and swimming off further into the lake to await the arrival of the champions.
About half an hour into the task, you had managed to locate where they were keeping the champion’s treasure. And you were shocked to say the least. For the ‘treasure’ the village folk had whispered about, wasn’t diamonds or gold. It was people. You were almost horrified at the emotional manipulation these games were playing with the students, the torment of having to try and rescue a loved one from the bottom of the lake; all whilst evading the things that posed a threat to them, trying to keep their charms working and all whilst being against the clock.
It was cruel.
You waited for what seemed like the longest time, not doubting Cedric’s ability to get past the first lot of Grindylows or even his charms skills. But you didn’t trust what might happen once he recovered Cho who was floating in the water. You felt slightly hurt that Cho was the one deemed as Cedric’s ‘treasure’, and your mother's words rang within your ears. It would be more trouble than it’s worth for them to try and capture you. Also, Cedric had been very publicly dating the Ravenclaw student. You had no ill feelings towards the girl, none at all. All of the times you have met, which have been seldom, she was always lovely. Her bright, yet soft voice dancing in the air. Her timid demeanour was very comforting. She was soft, delicate and entirely enticing. You could understand why Cedric was interested in her. They did make a lovely couple.
It was a shame they had been arguing a lot as of late. Both Cedric and Cho had confided in you about their relationship troubles. The pair of them not being entirely sure whether they were meant to be. They cared for one another, but they weren’t sure whether their romance had run its course. You didn’t dare hold a bias to their troubles. It would be unfair of you to take advantage of a situation like that. No. Instead, like the good friend you were, encouraged them to talk it out between themselves and trusted that this was just a rough patch and they would be right as rain by next week.
Finally, you saw someone emerge from the kelp just beyond the village centre. It was Harry. He looked almost as confused as you were when seeing the students in the water. Ron, Hermoine, Cho and Gabrielle Delacour. She could only imagine the kind of internal battle Harry was currently facing. Ron and Hermoine were his best friends, he had quite the flaming crush on Cho, and Fleur had not yet arrived to collect her younger sister.
Swimming closer to the boy, you placed a hand on his shoulder making him jump slightly. When he saw it was you he calmed down, you nodded towards the ropes tying the students down to the bottom of the lake. Harry nodded in understanding, reaching to untie Ron first. You noticed the other merfolk drawing closer, and you knew you were in for a lecture once the task was over for interfering. You guarded Harry, worried more of the Grindylows may work their way closer and drag him down into the depths. You tried to stop him as he reached for Hermoine, but one of the merfolk got their first.
They aimed a spear towards his neck in warning, “You must only take one,” They sneered, their long hair floating in front of their face.
“But she’s my friend too!” Harry argued. You placed a hand on his arm and shook your head.
“Only one Harry, I know it’s cruel but someone will come for Hermoine.” You tried to reassure the Gryffindor. He sighed softly, looking back over between Ron and Hermoine. That was until you watched the mermaids scatter, spinning around you and Harry both noticed the shark head swimming towards you at a rapid pace. You weren’t scared as such. You knew these waters like the back of your hand, and you were sure there were definitely no sharks here.
Your thoughts were confirmed when the shark headed figure swam past the pair of you, biting through the thick rope that held Hermoine. It was the Durmstrang boy, you couldn’t quite remember his name. Krun? Krud? Oh well it didn’t matter. You were still looking for Cedric. The shark man pulled the girl along, dragging her back up towards the surface. From said direction came a flash of yellow, making a smile stretch across your face.
“Finally, where have you been?” You asked, moving backwards in the water slightly. Cedric didn’t answer, only flashing you a small smile before tapping his watch, Harry nodded, the three of you knowing that time was growing short. You moved back as Cedric cast a spell, splicing the rope and letting Cho free. He took her arm and waved at you before heading towards the surface.
“Come on Harry, there isn’t much time left.” You told the boy, he shook his head.
“I can’t just leave her here,” He pleaded, motioning towards Gabrielle. He was right. Fleur still hadn’t made an appearance. You had just hoped she had been pulled out of the water and hadn’t drowned.
“Okay, but we’ve got to be quick,” Harry nodded, casting the same spell as Cedric, setting Gabrielle loose. You quickly swam over, taking the French girl into your arms and lead the way towards the surface. You could hear the screams of protest from the merfolk, you were so getting a lecture late. Tension started to bubble in your chest as you neared the kelp, knowing the Grindylows couldn’t be far. Making sure Harry was behind you, you continued on.
But as soon as Harry breached the edge of the kelp, they came for him. Scratchy limbs and tentacles wrapping themselves around his limbs dragging him down. He let go of Ron, pushing him over towards you. “Get them to the surface!” He yelled, the water making his voice sound funny.
“But what about you?”
“Just go!” He yelled again. You complied, taking both Ron’s and Gabrielle’s hand and speeding towards the surface. It was no hardship for you, your large tail making gliding through the water so smooth. Just before you reached the surface, you pushed the pair up; knowing you couldn’t be seen or Harry would be disqualified. You waited for a moment, making sure they surfaced, and swam away before you dove back down in search of Harry.
You could vaguely see the boy, still being attacked by Grindylows. Racing down there, you were able to sweep a few of them off of the boy. Just enough for him to reach his wand up into the water. “ASCENDIO!” He cried, and just like that the boy went propelling through the water, breaching the surface like a torpedo and landing back on the dock.
“So when are you asking Cho to the Yule ball?” You asked Cedric as the pair of you walked through the school grounds.
“I, um, we’re not going to the ball together,” Cedric trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in awkwardness. You paused where you stood, Cedric not realising for a moment that you weren’t still walking beside him.
“What? Why not? You two would look amazingggg,” You dragged out your last word to further emphasise how strongly you felt on the matter.
“We broke up the day you told me about the task,” He started, looking down at the ground “We both decided it’d be best,” You looked at the boy in confusion. You had thought they were getting back on track. He hadn’t let anything on to you that day. You should’ve been able to tell, or something. You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Cedric had just broken up with his girlfriend and you had been rambling incorrect words at him, like an idiot.
“Cho had started to notice that I wasn’t entirely devoted to her. I feel awful about hurting her, but she found out I had feelings for someone else. I didn’t want to admit it to myself at first, but the longer I denied it the stronger those feelings got.”
“Oh?” Was all you could muster, the sinking feeling growing deeper and deeper. How stupid you had been to think that Cedric could be interested in you in the slightest. I mean look at him. The Hufflepuff Heartthrob and now heart-breaker it seemed. You were just a washed up maledictus, who would one day be just a forgotten memory when you were finally bound to the lake.
“She’s amazing. She’s smart, yet totally clueless about the smallest things. She stumbles over her words in the cutest way, and when she laughs? It feels like it's warming my soul. She’s a Hufflepuff too, so we don’t have to worry about sneaking around, although she would probably prefer we would. I’ve never met her mother, but if given the chance, I would love to convince her how much I love her daughter and that I would do anything just to make her happy,” He sounded as if he was floating. The joy coming from his voice, made your head sink lower and lower until you could not take your eyes off of the ground.
“Wow, uh, she sounds amazing Ced,” You muttered, not really knowing what to say. Because in all honesty, she did. She sounded like Cedric’s dream girl, and by the way he talked about her he knew it too. Cedric paused for a moment, looking back to notice you trailing behind him. He couldn’t miss the solemn expression on your face, he frowned for a moment. He hated seeing you sad. But then he smiled in realisation.
That smiled soon turned into a fit of giggles, slowly becoming louder and louder until you looked up. Cocking your head to the side, you were confused. “Is something funny?” You asked, looking down at yourself and then around the area, trying to locate the source of his amusement.
“You are so bloody clueless,” He whispered, coming to stand in front of you. You raised your eyebrows, still not getting what he meant. But from here, you noticed how smooth his skin was. The faint rosy blush of his cheeks made him look even more angelic. The soft breeze ruffled his honey-brown locks, always perfectly styled to give him that ‘boyfriend’ look.
Cedric smiled looking down at you. He watched those gorgeous eyes glisten in the sunlight, plump lips looking irresistibly kissable. He watched as wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could.
Until finally, after so long…
He did.
Reaching a tender hand up to cup your soft cheek, you leaned into his touch; the warmth from his palm comforting and addicting. Everything about Cedric was entirely comforting and addicting. From his homely scent of cinnamon, brown sugar and honey, to the small chuckles that turn into loud thunders of laughter that make your stomach do flips. Flips like they were currently doing and the thought of him being so close.
Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you froze in place, not daring to move and ruin the moment. “I have loved you ever since I saw you sat on that stupid rock you love so much. I met the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and I was so distracted I walked right into a tree,” Cedric laughed, the memory made you giggle too. The first meeting you had with Cedric had been the best way you have ever been introduced to anyone.
“And instead of leaving, you just laughed. You laughed so bloody hard that you ended up falling off the rock and into the lake. It was then, that was the exact moment I knew I was screwed. It was that moment that I knew that no one else would be able to compare. I don’t want to find anyone else, I don’t care if in ten years time I have to carry you around in your own luxury tank. I love you Y/N Y/L/N, and I would do anything to make you happy,”
You were silent for a moment, the sinking feeling turning into the most boisterous of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. THE Cedric Diggory had just confessed his undying love for you. For you. He mistook your silence for rejection. Looking away from you for a moment. He went to move his hand, but you placed yours on top of it, keeping it firmly lay upon your cheek. He opened and closed his mouth like a guppy for a second, not knowing what to say. Before he could even utter a word, you did what you had wanted to do since the day you met the Hufflepuff Heartthrob.
Until finally, after so long…
You did.
You leaned up as far as you could, other hand coming to circle the back of Cedric’s head pulling him down. His lips met yours, and everything fell into place. Hearts beating like crazy within your chests. Breaths short. But everything, after so, so long.
