The Boy I Love -HEDRIC (2)

46.(C) for that and for this

CEDRIC

XLVIII

A couple of familiar Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff faces came over, asking if they could join. He perceived the precise moment they noticed Harry sitting at the end of the table, against the wall.

Cedric nudged him gently. "See? You are not a repellent," he pointed out under his breath the contradiction with his previous words.

His amused smile didn't match Harry's expression, who nodded weakly and continued talking to Hermione.

It wasn't that he hadn't noticed the slightly offbeat mood Harry was in. So hard to describe, down or dejected didn't cover it. He wondered if this was how Malcolm felt, because despite a hunch inside Cedric that said something was wrong, he was unable to figure out exactly what it was.

XLIX

The table was full and several conversations were taking place simultaneously over glasses of Butterbeer. Harry tended to veer on the introverted side, so it wasn't so surprising that he kept in more contact with Hermione and Viktor, whom he asked about his sporting history and the main topic was the differences between Durmstrang and Hogwarts. 

Cedric was trying to participate too, but Cho and the rest implicated him as well. 

Holding a muggle camara, Willow pointed flashes everywhere, laughing as the snapshot came out. 

"It would be better if it had movement," Marietta commented. "Life is not static."

"How could we charm the device? I bet there must be a way," Cho considered, and Cedric recognized that tone in her voice when an idea caught her interest. "I know muggle artifacts are made differently."

"With electricity and computers," Hermione told her, interrupting whatever Krum was saying. "The substitutes for magic that Muggles use don't work at Hogwarts. There is too much magic in the air, interfering with the signal of…” She flushed at the attention she was receiving. "I read about it."

Hermione looked embarrassed for adding that, but Cho wanted to know where.

"It's true. That's why I only use it here. Smile!" Will yelled, pointing so fast in Cedric's direction, with Harry and Cho on either side, that neither of them could stay still. "It came out shaky,” she complained with disappointment, and then laughed. "Not exactly the kind of movement we'd expect."

Cedric remembered how long it had taken him to find a way to charm the music player for that night at the Yule Ball, and it hadn't even been a muggle device. As he spoke about it, Harry looked at him curiously and Cedric almost stumbled in the middle of a sentence when he felt Harry's hand on his leg, dipping right between his thighs and causing a rush of warm sensations. 

L

"Say magic!" Will said, even though it was Madam Rosmerta who was holding the camera for everyone to get into the picture. They thanked her in unison and when Will had the device in her possession again, she began to point with advance warnings. "Cho and Marietta! How many years have you been best friends?"

Both girls posed, answering that too many.

“Harry,” Will called, loud enough for him to hear, “and Cedric. The two Hogwarts Champions. No offense, Krum,” she hastened to say. "You're on the wrong side of the table, and those two are our boys. Smile!"

Cedric reached to put an arm around Harry's shoulders, and laughed.

He held Harry close for a moment as Willow photographed a reluctant Hermione and a scowling Viktor. I thought he would be more photogenic, Cedric heard her mutter to Tam afterwards, as she held the camera up in front of them to try and get them both into the frame. Cho snatched it from Will to take some very nice photos of them, with their faces side by side, smiles and a sweet expression in Tam's eyes that Cedric had never seen her direct at anyone else.