delicate [hedric fanfiction]

wavering feelings (chapter 3)

The second task was actually pretty scary. Exploring the depths of the Black Lake to look for something you don't even know what it is, surrounded by a large amount of merman and other threatening water creatures was definitely not what Harry could get used to.

After he had saved Ron — and also Fleur's little sister, after being attacked by the creatures in the lake —he wrapped himself in a towel. Not short after, Viktor resurfaced and quickly climbed on the land with the person he had saved. Before Harry, the first one to get back to the surface was Cedric, who brought back a girl. Harry didn't know the person, but she was a year older than him, he thought. A feeling of jealousy started to bubble up in him. Dumbledore had placed people, their treasures, in the lake for the champions to rescue. Who was this girl to Cedric?

"God, I'm glad you're alright," Cedric said as he got a little closer to Harry. He was trembling, still cold from the water —Harry wanted to offer him another towel, but he decided not to. He felt a sense of betrayal. The boy was still wondering who that girl was and he wondered if Cedric was cheating on him. "Yeah," Harry responded, but a short answer meant something else and Cedric was very well aware of that.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Still a little shaky from the task?"

"From the task, no. But," Harry replied, looking at the girl Cedric brought with him to the surface, "from that..."

Cedric raised his eyebrow. "Oh, no, Harry, that's definitely not what it looks like," he stated, reaching out for Harry's shoulder, but he backed away. In fact, Harry stood up and stormed off. Ron, who had seen the entire scene, kneaded his eyebrows and widened his eyes. "What's his problem? I thought I was the one with a temper of a teaspoon." Cedric sighed and looked out at the width of the lake. The crowd was still cheering, even though everyone had resurfaced already. He needed a little bit of silence —he supposed Harry did, too.

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"So, according to you, Cedric's cheated on you?" Hermione asked, resting her chin on her knuckles as she sat with her legs crossed on the floor in the Gryffindor common room. "Does it even make sense to you?"

"Doesn't to me," Ron mumbled, taking a cookie from the basket on the low table in the middle of the room. "Do you see the way he looks at you? Someone who'd cheat on you doesn't look at you like that."

Harry mumbled something angry under his breath. He felt so angry, disappointed, and confused. After devoting himself so much to Cedric to the point they did the unspeakable, he turns his back to him like that? "Please, Harry, do you even know who the girl is?"

"Does it matter?" Harry asked. "The point is, Diggory is hanging out with her, to the point she's his treasure."

Hermione groaned. "Yeah, and Ron was your treasure, but does Cedric lose his marbles over that? No, he doesn't, because he knows you're loyal to him and he's loyal to you. Stop being such a kid and get over it. You're not Ron, you can control your emotions pretty well."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, slightly insulted by her statement. Harry looked at the two. "Well, I thought that he was actually loyal. Isn't that literally his House's trait?"

"He is loyal, you dimwit," Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up. "Now, go apologize! You've got no right to be angry. Only until you've officially confirmed whatever you're thinking. Got it?" She pushed Harry towards the door. "You're a dumbass, Harry."

Ron grinned at her, impressed by her word choice and applauded. "You heard her, Harry. Go get your man."

Harry cursed under his breath and walked out of the common room. It was just an hour before curfew and he wanted to cool his head down —whether that be with or without Cedric. He walked to the bridge where he had a magnificent view over the lake, only to be greeted by a very familiar voice behind him. Harry wanted to ignore him. He did his best to, but he kept hearing his name. In defeat, he turned around. "What?"

"You've been avoiding me," Cedric said. "I can tell you're angry, so what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You haven't noticed?" Harry didn't maintain eye contact.

Cedric sighed and walked towards Harry, slowly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Is this about the task?"

"Who is she?" Harry muttered under his breath, looking down at his shoes. "What?" Cedric asked, leaning forward so that he could hear Harry better.

"The girl, Cedric. Who is she?"

The Hufflepuff exhaled deeply and put his hand under Harry's chin, pushing it up so that Harry was looking at him. "That's Cho Chang. A Ravenclaw, a fifth-year, and someone who's terribly in love with me, according to her."

Harry wanted to walk off and push Cedric away, but he stopped him in his tracks. "And for the record, I don't have a crush on her. She's been following me —stalking me —since I got chosen for the Triwizard Tournament and it's been crazy. Dumbledore must've mistaken her for someone I treasure deeply, while in fact, I don't even know anything beside her name, her year, and her house." He caressed over Harry's cheek. "The one I treasure most is you and I'm sure that Dumbledore had seen that. Except, we're both champions, and he couldn't just throw you in the lake or the other way around." Cedric pulled Harry into a long hug, kissing his temple a few times before pulling away.

"Do you mean that?" Harry asked softly. Cedric nodded. "Of course I do, Harry. Why would I ever cheat on you?"

Harry bit the inside of his cheek and looked up at Cedric. "Okay... then state three things that you don't like about Chang." Cedric furrowed his eyebrows while raising them, in confusion. Harry nodded. Cedric let out a chuckle and rubbed Harry on his head.

"Well, for starters, she doesn't know when to shut up," Cedric said, looking at his surroundings to check whether or not there were any Ravenclaws nearby. "And she stalks me, for Merlin's sake. There's not a single second where she's not watching me. Oh, that does remind me." Cedric walked to the middle of the bridge and turned into all directions. "She only gets to the boys that are currently... how do you call it, trending," he exclaimed, his voice clearly louder and easier to hear for people a few meters further away from them. "Yeah, I recall hearing stuff about her having a crush on you, Harry, when you first got here at Hogwarts." Cedric looked behind him and his patience was rewarded —a silent sound of sobbing was heard before Cho Chang ran away shouting something foul at the both of them, before covering her face in her hands. Harry blinked quickly. Not exactly what he was expecting.

"I think I've lost her," Cedric grinned, putting an arm around Harry and pulling him closer. "Let's get you back to your House. Curfew is in less than an hour —I don't need you to get into trouble for something stupid." He pressed a kiss onto Harry's cheek and accompanied him to the Gryffindor common room.