Little Talks | Fred Weasley x Cedric Diggory

Two.

Fred wasted no time in returning to the common room. Everyone would be out at dinner, leaving him some much-deserved peace and quiet. The fire crackled as he entered and jogged upstairs to relish in the seclusion of an empty boys dormitory.

This was his first time being in the room by himself. All the times before he was accompanied by the other Gryffindor boys laughing both in the seconds after they had woken up and in the moments before their heads hit the pillow for sleep. Fred often joined them, yet at a distance. He sat on the floor, leaned against his bed, forcing out some laughs and creating some with sincerity. This time he was alone; he liked that. He got to see how chaotic the dormitory was even in silence. Order forms for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes were tucked partially underneath George's other belongings. Batches of their products were strewn all over the space between the two brother's beds. Lee's luggage had been opened yet not completely unpacked; one of his textbooks was lying open next to his pillow as if he'd started to read and had gotten bored halfway through.

The sun had already begun to set on the castle when Fred walked over to the window of the dormitory and stared out over its walls. He had once joked to Cedric about sneaking out during the night and going for a late ride on their broomsticks. The image in his mind was enviable; the two of them racing each other to see which one could circle the perimeter the fastest. Fred had been confident it would be him. Cedric had politely declined. He was a prefect after all, and prefects were supposed to uphold the rules, not break them in glorious fashion.

The knowledge that he had a period of privacy led Fred to start shuffling through his trunk for one of the things he'd brought with him to school. They were packaged carefully in a small box: inconspicuous to everybody excusing himself. Inside that box was a stack of photos, the wizarding kind. Mr. Weasley had found a camera lying around during one of his excursions to investigate illicit activity for the Ministry. When he brought it back home, he had charmed it to be able to produce moving pictures, like they were used to. Fred had asked to borrow it just before sixth year. The family was shocked at first, senselessly assuming he had no hobbies besides good pranks. Mr. Weasley saw no reason why his son shouldn't be able to use, and so to Fred's delight, it was his. He practiced over the summer to get good at taking steady pictures. By the end, the walls in his room were covered with photos of his siblings lounging around together. Many involved George making obscene gestures with his hands that would have lead to a fight with Mrs. Weasley had she discovered them. Those pictures were only practice. The real goal was to capture the target of his affections for photographic remembrance of the moments they shared. There was only one element putting a fold in those plans; Fred had to make Diggory his before that could happen.

Sitting in that alcove window, Fred opened up that small box and pulled all the photos out. The first one on top was just Cedric. The background showed a landscape both covered in light snow and showcasing the grasses of a forthcoming spring. The picture had been taking just before the second task of the tournament. Cedric had been fretting about the event for days. So, Fred demanded that he join him for a break from the worrying. The offer was accepted and they met up in an empty patch of grass near the lake. Upon seeing the water, Cedric was reminded of the daunting challenge ahead of him. Fred saw his face change from quiet excitement to apprehension and knew what he had to do. He gently grabbed Cedric by the waist and slowly turned him around so the champion's back was to the water. All Fred had to do was smile, and the other followed. Once his idea had worked, paces were taken in the opposite direction and a picture was taken. The result was one of Fred's favorite possessions. There was a reason it was on the top of the stack. It was the way the afternoon sun illuminated Cedric's eyes, how the gentle winter wind rustled through his hair. But most of all, it was that smile. Fred could go on and on about that smile. He noticed how the left side of his mouth was usually higher up and that only one side of his face had a dimple. The happiness that radiated off Cedric's smile was nauseatingly contagious; it was his secret weapon. Fred leaned his head back against the wall and grinned as he looked at that picture. They were so blissfully unaware back then. It seemed inconceivable that the happy boy in that picture had been taken from the world so soon. Nobody deserved it less than him.