Time Is Life

bath

Cedric rests his pounding head on Harry's lap as the latter's fingers trace through brown locks. The Hufflepuff's hands are securely wrapped around the egg.

"What type of egg d'you reckon this is?" Cedric asks, genuinely curious. Harry smiles down at those breathtaking grey eyes. "I don't know, we'll just have to wait it out. Either way, when we get back to the bathroom you should keep the egg hidden. How about you use the necklace we both share?"

"That's a great idea and a warming charm too!"

Harry nods as he twirls a wavy lock around his finger. Cedric's hair is so soft and such a pretty colour. Harry hums softly while Cedric just stares up at him. Hand firmly placed around Harry's left. The room around them is still in the same comforting disarray. The type of disarray that gives you a sense of home, earlier Harry scourgified the room in an attempt to get rid of the dust. While it did work, the room is nowhere near to being clean. It's now left with a sense of being used.

They stay in that same silence for the next thirty minutes or so, the only sound being the soft tune Harry is humming.

Cedric yawns, the stroking on his head slowly lulling him to sleep. He doesn't fight it either and his breathing evens out as he falls asleep.

Harry chuckles and continues stroking his mate's soft hair. That's one of his best qualities; Harry loves everything about Cedric, especially his humble personality. Insecurities or not, Cedric is special in his own right. He's righteous, has a sense of humour, and his laugh is absolutely addicting and adorable to boot. Harry could go on and on. He's grateful for this second chance and he won't butch it up this time.

Harry can admit that he still misses James and Albus, in particular Albus. He doesn't know why he feels a stronger connection to his youngest but he does. Harry also knows that Ginny was pregnant with their third child before he was driven away. He wonders if he created a new timeline by going into the past or if he's overwriting the future... Who knows? If it's the former he hopes that Albus can cope without him. His little Albus resembles Cedric more and more now that he thinks about it, certainly not appearance wise but personality-wise. Although admittedly, Albus was by far shyer than Cedric.

Cedric isn't shy he's just insecure and he tends to hide those insecurities behind a mask of perfection. Everyone expects him to be this perfect role model student, an example to the student body. But that's not what Cedric wants to be known for and Harry wishes to help his precious Hufflepuff out of that self-deprecating mindset. He twirls another wave around his finger as his thoughts run rampant inside his head.

He stares down at Cedric with a smile, caressing his cheeks and leaning their foreheads against each other. Cedric is a beauty like no other, Harry wants Cedric to see himself for his strengths and not his weaknesses. Cedric is one of the humblest people Harry knows and that's another thing that draws him to his mate. His beautiful, handsome mate.

"You just don't know how much I love you." He whispers into soft brown hair. Harry won't let anything happen to Cedric, not again.

...

He paces back and forth in his office. Bright blue robes billowing behind him, everything is falling apart around him and he needs to stop that. He cannot allow himself to lose any of his carefully crafted pieces and their roles in his intricate plans. Especially not his knight, Harry Potter.

The boy must defeat the dark lord! He must marry Ginevra and grant her at least one child. All of that needs to happen. Yet here he is trying to find his mistake, where did he go wrong? What happened to make his masterpiece change so drastically? Another part that intrigues him is the fact that his compulsion on mister Diggory did not have the desired effect, seeing as miss Chang and mister Diggory are not walking around hand in hand.