HARRY
XXXVIII
He had made peace with the fact that being friends with Cedric didn't mean talking or running into him every day. Their schedules did not coincide and they did not have many spaces in common. Harry no longer felt so unmotivated by it, but he had to admit that it was easier to accept when there were other more complicated matters on the table, such as deciding if Cedric was just a friendly boy he liked as a person or a probably impossible crush.
His head seemed to explode from thinking so much about the subject.
He would listen to Hermione and give it time. He didn't have to define it right now. Besides, he would most likely be able to clarify it himself when he spoke to Cedric again...
Whenever that would happen.
The thought that it would not be any day soon did not comfort him. He would have liked to spend time with Cedric, even if he now felt strange when he saw him in the halls. Different, as if the lens of his glasses had been changed and everything was blurry. He paid more attention to every detail he noticed and to his own body every time they crossed paths. Not that he expected Cedric to talk to him, even though deep down it was what he wanted. Cedric had said "see you soon" the last time and, although Harry didn't dwell on it at the moment, he remembered those words so well that he could almost hear them.
It didn't occur to him that Cedric had meant it.
His conclusion had been that it was something people said casually. A week after the match, as Harry headed off with Hermione and Ron to their last class of the day, he noticed Cedric's greeting. Harry walked past, so self-conscious that he winced. A touch on his shoulder and his name in the softest voice he recognized made him turn to face the boy who had invaded every corner of his mind in the last few days.
Filling it with doubts.
With that smile, the same one that had Harry so confused, Cedric introduced himself to his friends, even though they already knew who he was. Hermione shook his hand and Ron stared. "I'm organising one last Quidditch practice for fun, to loosen up a bit before exams. If you are interested, you are all invited to participate or observe, as you wish. I've also invited a few people from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams, of course," Cedric explained, turning to Harry as he added, "Cho has already said she was going. And of course you can tell the rest of the Gryffindor team."
His gaze fell on each of them.
Harry felt so nervous that Hermione answered first. "Of course we'll go. I don't know how to fly, but I'll be happy to attend."
"Yeah," Harry muttered, managing to raise his voice. "Sounds good."
It seemed like the perfect opportunity to figure out his feelings.
Although too soon, the thought of spending time with Cedric was not one he could pass up. Even if he was afraid of what he might discover.
"Ron here likes Quidditch," she continued, nudging him nonsubtly. "He could play."
"I don't know. I don't think I can," Ron said, not looking at anyone in particular.
"Why not? He didn't say the day," she replied. "I'm sure that-"
"I should probably study. Exams, remember?"
Such a thing has never, even been heard coming from Ron. Neither had he ever rejected anything related to Quidditch. Harry knew how much he loved the sport and several times he had lent Ron his broom to practise his flying skills. It would be an ideal occasion to train and learn for when he joins the team.
He didn't understand why he would waste it.
Cedric, who usually looked confident, wore an expression Harry couldn't bear to see. He placed his hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "I'll tell you later what they all say," Harry spoke, letting his arm fall back next to his own body and trying to flash a reassuring smile.
What Cedric returned was nothing more than a hint of a grimace, with one of the corners of his lips raised.
Harry wanted to do something, anything, to light him up.
"I think we should go to class," was Hermione's way to say goodbye. "See you there, Harry. Thanks for the invite, Cedric."
Cedric smiled gently at her and they both watched her take Ron by the arm. Then he turned to greet two friends who were waiting for him in the distance. A tall blond girl and a boy with curly, dark hair who looked familiar to Harry waved back and disappeared, leaving the hallway empty.
Nerves from being alone and the lack of concern about being late spoke quite loudly in Harry's ears.
He was no longer sure that he needed to wait until then to...
"I didn't mean to make it sound like something just for the team's players," Cedric said. "I'm sorry if I have offended your friend in any way. Being a Weasley, I thought he would be interested. Quidditch pretty much runs in his blood."
"You're not wrong about that," Harry tried to soothe him and had to stop himself from placing his hand on Cedric's shoulder again. It was a real shame Ron wasn't around to hear that last comment, because he would have liked it. Perhaps then he would realise how unjustified his attitude had been. "Maybe next year he'll give it a try. With the vacancy that Oliver has left, it's possible that he will make the team. And you haven't offended him, I don't know what's wrong with him today. I apologise for his behaviour. I'll let the rest of the team know."
Cedric nodded, still looking at him.
So intimidating that Harry felt the urge to fill the silence. "Count me in."
A big smile spread across his face at that statement, with a dimple included in one of his cheeks.
One that Harry had never noticed.
"By the way, I didn't congratulate you on winning the Cup this year. That match was really awesome. Like it kept me on the edge of my seat."
Harry wanted to tell him that the luck he'd wished had helped.
He couldn't find the words.
Or the ability to say them.
"I even bet on you."
"Really?" Harry couldn't help but ask, impressed. "I didn't think you'd be the type to place bets. Luckily we won, otherwise you would be asking me for your money back."
Cedric's laugh was light, contained. "I'm not. I made an exception."
How could Harry keep it casual when he said something like that?
Even though he knew he had to say goodbye, he was aware that Professor Trelawney was not very stern and that he had never skipped her class before. Harry almost considered staying with him. Instead, he decided that it was better if he attended. After all, his friends were expecting him, and "I was talking to a friend" wasn't a good excuse.
At least not one that he could say with a straight face.
He told Cedric that he had to go and ran to the classroom, fifteen minutes late.
XXXIX
"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SO RUDE TO CEDRIC?"
They were reaching the entrance of the common room after the last hour listening to gloomy predictions of his life when Hermione asked Ron that question, who had no explanation and assured that it had not been impolite on his part.
"It did sound harsh," Harry said helplessly. "You could have refused differently."
Once they walked through the portrait, they headed straight for the available airchair.
"How could I have said it?" Ron was curious. "I understand that you want to go because Cho is going, but why should I? I'm not on the team and I don't even know him. He invited us because he knows you, out of obligation."
Harry didn't entirely agree.
Hermione shook her head. "It was kind of him to invite us, Ron. Wouldn't kill you to recognize it."
XL
When Harry bumped into the Weasley twins later, he told them about Cedric's offer and they didn't seem to buy it. "Are we really talking about Pretty Boy Diggory? Organising a practice? With other teams? Why?" Fred was betting that it was a joke, although George didn't understand why it would be funny. By the time he could think of a way for it to be, Hermione had already convinced them that it was true.
The nickname had taken Harry by surprise.
As accurate as it was, he wasn't sure he liked it.
"Angelina and Katie won't want to miss out on this."
"Oliver, I don't think he's going."
"Alicia is not such a fan of Diggory."
George and Fred were debating amongst themselves who would go.
"Are you in?" Harry asked them to confirm. "Let me know what the rest says."
They both shrugged. "Why not? It will be interesting to play against them."
"I don't think it's like a rematch," he felt the need to clarify. Even when Cedric hadn't mentioned it in those words, Harry was sure he hadn't set it up for that purpose. "I don't even know who else is going."
George's mischievous look was a warning sign for embarrassment. "Is a certain Ravenclaw girl going?"
"How do you know that?"
"Oliver told us," Fred explained. "He mentioned that he almost thought you would let her win."
"Harry, falling over heels in the sight of beauty. We wouldn't have blamed you." George winked at him knowingly, as if he understood something he didn't, and kept talking to his brother when Fred said that wasn't his type but he understood. Harry stood still and watched them walk away, laughing. What had that been?
Had someone noticed?
Notice what? he wondered internally. That you fancy a boy?
There was no way they could know.
XLI
Cedric had stopped Harry in the middle of the hall to update him about the day and time. Harry told him who had confirmed and who might go. Hermione, Fred, George, Angelina and Katie were a (huge) yes. He reserved to mention the excitement of the last two to meet him.
There was still a chance Ron would accept.
The fact that so many Gryffindors were going surprised Cedric. "I thought it would be more like a social gathering on brooms, but maybe we'll have enough players for a friendly match."
Harry would have gone along with any plan. "I haven't been on one of those in a while," he tried to joke. "Or at an aerial meeting. What would that be like?"
Cedric's face went slightly red. "It would be... Mhm, flying around while talking in the air. You know, sharing experiences. It was all Cho's idea, really. She suggested we could practise together, and it occurred to me that we could learn from each other. The more, the merrier."
It felt weird for a moment when he mentioned Cho. Harry let it go, continuing the conversation. What was impossible to ignore was the warmth that filled his chest as he talked to Cedric. And his thoughts were already betraying him and they weren't even in the field.
I think I really do like him that way...
XLII
Ron told Hermione that Cedric had wished Harry luck when they played against Slytherin. She didn't find it all that unusual, considering that Cedric had tried to call for a replay of the fateful match. Something she said spoke highly of his character and ethic. She was very excited to meet him and get a chance to talk, and Ron didn't seem to go down well with it. Harry remembered when he'd get upset because Hermione said Cedric was handsome...
Now he realised that it must have been jealousy.
"I'm not going." Ron hadn't changed his mind and didn't understand why Hermione wanted to attend. "Are you going to study in the stands?" he asked, astonished when he heard her say that. "Wouldn't you like to learn to fly?"
"I don't think learning is the right word."
"It scares you, doesn't it?"
She didn't answer.
"I can help you," Ron offered. "You weren't so bad at flying lessons. You passed, right?"
"With the bare minimum..."
"That's more than enough for me."
Harry had spent over half an hour trying to reason with Ron and had given up a while ago. Without even trying, Hermione almost had him. Although she didn't look so sure about accepting the offer, she said yes. "So you'll teach me tomorrow?" she verified that she understood correctly.
Ron nodded in agreement and neither of them wanted to press in case he changed his mind. The moment he left the common room to go get something from their dorm, Hermione came over to Harry on the couch. "That was close," she said quietly, amused.
"You convinced him."
"I don't know how I did it, but I'll have to get on a broom..."
"You'll do fine. I'll be around in case you fall."
He was glad to hear Hermione laugh again.
This year Harry had seen his best friend more stressed than he had ever seen her. Ron wasn't the only one who worried about her. Neither of them knew how to help her. They weren't smart enough to offer to lighten her load and often forgot about their own weekly chores. It was she who always reminded them of important dates, and all they could think of was to accompany her in the library.
"Hermione, I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately," he was finally able to express those words that he had kept in store for months. "And I also know that sometimes it can seem like... I side with Ron when you two fight. It's not like that. I'm on your side too, and if you ever need help with anything, we're here. I know Ron can be stubborn at times, but he really cares about you."
She smiled. "Ron's side is a hard one to take at times."
Harry laughed heartily.
CEDRIC
XXXV
In order to carry out such an idea, the first thing he had to do was to make sure it was possible. After class, he went to the greenhouse to talk to the head of his house and tell her about his wish to organise a non-competitive practice among members of various teams. He had never heard of anything like it, and he didn't know if there was any rule about it.
"My dear, that's an excellent idea." Professor Sprout was a short, middle-aged woman with grey hair and the softest eyes. It was she who had chosen Cedric for prefect. Her class was Herbology, a subject that despite not having Cedric's full initial interest, the way she taught it had made him appreciate nature and it was now his favourite. "Uniting the houses is something no captain has ever attempted before," she continued, inviting him to take the empty seat across from the table where she was transferring a plant to a larger pot. "I'm proud of the work you've been doing this year, Cedric. Let me know the day and time and I'll get a turn for the field. Can I help you with something else? How is the preparation for those exams going?"
He kept all the classes up to date and had a good study group.
And he hadn't had any nightmares where he failed yet.
That was more than okay.
He stayed for a few minutes chatting with the professor, who considered it was important to relax in those times and wished them to have a good time. Cedric returned to the common room, relieved. For a moment he had thought that she would tell him that it was not allowed or that it was not convenient three weeks before the exams, something he had been debating with himself. Although it would only be a few hours one afternoon and he had earned a break between daily study sessions, he didn't know if anyone else would be interested in attending.
In between classes he talked to Cho to tell her about what he was planning. It had been her idea after all, and Cedric hoped she'd still want to practise together. He told her that he would like to invite some people from other teams, such as Harry from Gryffindor, and his friends from the Hufflepuff team and that she could invite her teammates too, if she wanted to.
Cho didn't seem to have a problem with it.
In fact, she was excited.
A positive reaction that caught him off guard and motivated him to continue. He mentioned it to several members of his team, of which only Hunter signed up and Tam said she'd think about it.
Not bad, it was what he expected.
Most of them were busy studying or tired from the season, enjoying the free schedule. It made him a little anxious to organise something like that, because he was afraid it would turn out to be a failure. Perhaps nobody would go. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. It was not the type of activity that his friends would do. But Cho had said yes, and even though he felt quite nervous about inviting Harry and his friends, he really wanted to hang out with them. Especially with Harry, with whom he hadn't spent time in a while.
It didn't come out as he expected.
He was afraid he had sounded like he was only inviting members of some team and that it might have offended Ron. Cedric was still replaying the scene in his head wondering what he could have done better when Tam and Willow approached him in the common room. He greeted them, with less enthusiasm than he used to. Tam had watched from afar while he was talking to Harry, and was telling Willow about it. She confessed to Cedric that she had only said that she would think about it because she thought that he had invited her as some sort of excuse to go with Cho.
"An excuse?" he didn't understand what she meant.
"I knew Cho had told you to practise Quidditch together, you know, as seekers. That's why I thought you were telling us so as not to leave us aside, and that you expected us to say no."
He still didn't get it.
"Tam," Willow called, placing a hand on her arm, "I told you I didn't think Ced thought that way. Boys don't overthink as much as we do."
"When I saw that you invited Harry Potter, I knew you were serious," Tam went on, nodding. "Have you told Cho? I think she was referring to you two..."
"I didn't think she meant the two of us," Cedric admitted, sitting up in his seat. He thought it would be fun to invite more people. It had never occurred to him that it was something just between the two of them. He had spoken to her first. Was it possible that he had misinterpreted the conversation they'd had? "I told her that I would invite... I'm going to talk to Cho."
He wasn't stubborn enough to believe that he couldn't have been wrong. He hated to think that he had made Cho feel bad and didn't even notice it.
Tam held his arm before he could get up. "Wait, wait. If you did tell her, I don't think she's upset or anything."
Willow tilted her head to look at him. "Maybe next time it could be you two."
"Don't feel the obligation to invite us in that case," Tam added, laughing.
Cedric rolled his eyes, unable to avoid letting out a laugh. "So you thought it was some kind of date with Cho?" They both nodded in confirmation. He didn't even believe that she had suggested that they practise together in that way. "I'm worried about what you talk behind my back," he said, leaning back on the chair so he could look at them better. "Or with Cho. We are friends. I don't... I don't feel comfortable when you make comments as if we were going to be a couple."
The two girls were silent.
Tam looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Ced. We didn't mean to make you feel that way."
He smiled and asked if they were going to the practice, changing the topic of conversation and feeling better knowing that he had managed to communicate his concern.
XXXVI
Malcolm had decided to keep him company that day, saying that it would be interesting to see such a unique mix of people in one place. Almost as if it were an experiment, he would be in the stands watching. He was not a big fan of sports, but he was keen on social research. He made Cedric laugh with his comments all the way to the field, helping to lessen his nervousness because he considered himself the host of the meeting.
Cedric wanted everyone to have fun and hoped he could accomplish it.
"There comes Potter, along with... I don't remember their names," Malcolm said and Cedric reminded him of them.
As soon as they arrived, he greeted them with a smile, which Harry returned. He was wearing the team's usual pants and a simple t-shirt while holding a brand new firebolt.
"I'm Malcolm Preece," his best friend began to introduce himself, shaking each of their hands with a nod. "Harry, Ron. Hermione, I've heard about you. You'll be my companion in the stands. The only time I got on a broom, I fell ten feet off."
The girl blushed and chuckled with the last part.
"He hasn't dared to try again since then," Cedric added.
"I'm going to try to get on one today," she explained, sighing. "We should start before I regret it or someone else comes along and sees me."
XXXVII
The rest went ahead, heading towards one of the corners of the field. Ron was carrying Harry's broom, which he had lent to him for Hermione to use. Malcolm was chatting with her, something that even from a distance Ron didn't seem to like, walking a few paces behind them both while paying attention.
If Cedric thought he'd gotten off on the wrong foot with him, then Malcolm had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.
He walked over to Harry. "Thanks for being here today," Cedric said.
"I wouldn't have missed it," he answered, not looking at him.
It sounded so sincere and casual.
The goofy grin on Cedric's face went unnoticed. "We're already more people than I expected," he commented, happy with how the meeting was going so far. "I see you've talked Ron into this."
Harry turned to look at him, intrigued. "Who were you expecting?"
"To be honest, I thought it would be Cho, you and me."
Not that he would have minded.
"You knew I would come," was all Harry said, as a matter of fact.
He's right, Cedric thought. He had taken his presence for granted. Even if no one else showed up, he was counting on Harry to keep his word. "I remembered how much you like Quidditch."
Harry's laugh was very nice to hear.
All the effort had already been worth it.
Deep down, Cedric knew that Harry had been the one he had wanted to invite all along.