The Boy In My Dreams -HEDRIC (1)

17.(CH) not the right way to say goodbye

"You've been great!" He heard Hermione's voice before seeing her go by like a speeding blur until stopping in front of Ron and only then did she look at them. "And you too, Harry, of course. And you, Cedric. I don't understand that much about Quidditch, but you seemed like an experienced chaser."

"The boy here sure looks like one."

He felt an arm on his shoulders.

George.

Or Fred, not that he could tell the difference without noticing their shirts.

Cedric was slow to understand what he meant, a little overwhelmed by the physical contact. It wasn't that he was against it, it was that he barely knew him.

"Tall and strong," the other Weasley explained, "instead of light."

Granted, Cedric got nervous.

And red.

"It's been interesting to try another position," he commented, suddenly feeling intimidated by the looks he received. "Everyone played amazing, especially you, Ron."

With that he drew attention away from himself and was released.

The only person who kept looking at him was Harry.

HARRY

L

Without conscious intention, they had taken a few short steps away from the conversation that the others were having. They were still there, and if he focused, he would be able hear what the rest was saying and be a part of it. But he couldn't do it. With Cedric standing beside him, he felt like it was just the two of them.

"You really do look like a chaser."

Cedric's cheeks were still flushed.

"And I look like a seeker," Harry continued, laughing.

"You'll grow up."

One of Cedric's hands rose until he patted his hair gently twice, as if comforting him. Harry felt ridiculous, because Cedric was a head taller than him and was smiling with amusement after having petted him almost like a dog. Ridiculous because he had so many emotions running high that he was surprised he didn't melt right there.

LI

A few minutes after Cho approached, they were left alone. Again. Cedric had insisted that the Weasleys meet Malcolm, and Ron and Hermione were talking to each other. Harry didn't know what to say, but he was going to try.

Cho looked at him for a second and then walked away, leaving the words in his mouth unspoken.

Puzzled, he thought that perhaps he had misinterpreted the situation.

It couldn't be personal.

CEDRIC

XLII

It had occurred to him that Malcolm would get along great with the twins.

He hadn't been wrong. From the first moment, they seemed to hit it off, especially with Fred. Cedric found some similarities between them. Energetic, curious. Malcolm remembered some public pranks they had pulled off and that was the start of a conversation that he let go on their account. Cedric went over to talk to other people, like Angelina and Katie, who were really friendly, and with Hermione, considering that she had been in the stands the entire time. As he had expected, she was an impressive young lady.

When the sun started to go down, everyone gathered to say goodbye.

Cedric took the opportunity to thank them for their presence and was pleased to know that they had fun. Malcolm left chatting with one of the Weasleys, while the other walked off with the rest in a large group.

"Do you need help with something?"

Cho had a kind smile.

He considered telling her that it wasn't necessary.

"If you want, then yes," he said instead. "I have to put some things away. I would appreciate the company."

Yes, he was happy with how it had all turned out.

The little emptiness that came over him had nothing to do with it.

The thing was, sometimes he felt like he was always reaching out to everyone, and suddenly there he was in a dark, deserted field. It was silly, because he knew that his friends cared about him. Malcolm had kept him company before. Tam had also apologized for making him uncomfortable and attended because of him (he knew it wasn't an activity she would really be interested in). And while there were plenty of other little things that made him feel loved by the people around him, at that moment all of that seemed to disappear.

He wasn't really alone, even though he might come to believe so.

"I'll be happy to help you," Cho said without hesitation. "What can I do?"

Willow was right, Cedric realised. He had been spending more time with Cho lately, and he could confirm that this girl had become a good friend. A comforting knowledge as they both collected the brooms he had borrowed and stacked them up. When he was finishing securing the safety straps in the suitcase, he heard his name being called.

Looking up from the ground, he found Harry standing there.

"I didn't get to say goodbye."

Cedric got up and smiled softly at him.

"Did you come back all the way here just to say good-bye?" he said with affection, somewhere between shocked and surprised, but it must have sounded wrong somehow. Because Harry didn't return the gesture. He looked around and clasped his hands together.

What had failed?

Was it the tone or the words?

It wasn't the first time he'd had that feeling and he hated the idea that he'd made Harry feel less than good for some reason he couldn't fathom.

"I didn't mean to sound insensitive or anything," Cedric tried to explain, placing his hand on Harry's arm, drawing his attention. "Quite the opposite. You were away and you came back."

"I thought that..."

Harry was no longer looking at him.

"What?" Cedric asked, already sensing he wouldn't answer.

"I have to go, my friends are waiting for me," he murmured, shifting until Cedric released him. "I wanted to say goodbye. I had a good time today. Thank you. See you."

Cedric hated even more the way Harry ran off. He wanted to follow him. Merlin, he wouldn't even apologize this time if he knocked him to the ground. He didn't understand what happened. Perhaps he should have followed his instincts and gone after him instead of just standing there like a fool.

He would have preferred anything to that sad feeling he was left with.