Part 9: Mates
Cedric, 31st July, 1995
Minisinoo

Number four, Privet Drive looked very nice . . . in a generic, middle-class sort of way.  The well-tended front garden had bright flowers, even hedges, and cut grass just like the neighbors'.  Lace curtains hung in the windows and none of the paint was peeling.  Yet nothing about it stood out, Cedric thought, nothing was unique.  It was boring.

Looking down at himself quickly, he took stock.  Jeans, tan pullover, trainers -- he didn't think there was anything obviously wrong with his attire.  He was wearing the clothes from the Muggle kit his father had bought him to attend the World Cup last summer.  It had to be right, didn't it?

Sighing, he walked up the drive and path to the front door, knocking politely.  Then he stood with his hands shoved in his pockets.

After a minute, the door swung open to reveal a great whale of a boy who appeared to be eating something filled with cream.  There was white all over his mouth.  "We don't want any," he said and started to shut the door in Cedric's face.

"I'm not selling any," Cedric replied quickly.

The door stopped and the boy looked out again.  "Then what do you want?"

"I came to see Harry."

"Harry?  What do you want with Harry?"

"I'm a friend.  From school."

The boy looked him up and down, face somewhere between dismissive and frightened.  "Yeah, I just bet you are."

And he shut the door.  Cedric blinked at it.  "Well, that was bloody rude," he muttered, and knocked again.

There was another wait and this time, a middle-aged woman answered.  She had dark hair and a prim mouth pulled into lines of permanent distaste.  "Hullo," Cedric began again.  "I came to visit Harry.  I'm a friend of his from school."

"We don't appreciate being harassed by your kind," she snapped.  Cedric sucked in breath.  How could she possible know?  Harry had said he wouldn't tell anybody.  "Go away," she said, and shut the door in his face again.  Behind it, he could hear her screech, "HARRY!  GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Feeling shaky and humiliated, Cedric turned away to walk down the drive.  How could Harry have told his secret?  Had he been a joke around their dinner table?  The queer . . .   It just proved a person couldn't trust anybody.

Abruptly the door behind him opened again and Cedric heard Harry shout, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"  Turning, he saw Harry slam the door and sprint towards him.  "Cedric!  Wait!"

Cedric turned away and kept walking.  Harry caught him up.  "What'd she say to you?"

"Why did you tell them about me?" Cedric blurted, unable to keep it in.

"Tell them . . . what are you on about?  I talk to them as little as possible, believe me."

Cedric glanced over.  "They know about me."

"Know what?"  Then he seemed to get it.  "Oh."  But he shook his head.  "They couldn't know.  If Dudley said anything, it's just because he's a prat.  Cracking queer jokes is his idea of humor.  He's dim as a broken bulb."

"No, not the boy.  The woman."

"My aunt?  How could she know anything?"

"She said she didn't appreciate being harassed by my kind."

Harry stared a moment, then burst out laughing.  "She didn't mean . . . "  He sighed, as if relieved, and said in a low voice, "She meant a wizard.  She and my uncle can't even say the word, they have to talk around it."

"Oh."  Cedric felt nonplused.  "Sorry.  I just . . . I suppose I'm a bit sensitive."

"It's okay.  But what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Cedric said, grinning.

Harry stopped walking and stared.  "Why?"

"Because you're my friend?" Cedric replied, amused.

"But Ron doesn't -- "

"Ron can't apparate, can he?"

"Oh.  No, I guess not."  He frowned then, looking thunderous.  "I'm a little surprised they let you come, though.  It's like they're trying to keep me in the dark despite everything.  McGonagall sent me right back here and wouldn't even explain why."  Briefly, Cedric wondered where else Harry had thought he might go?  Wasn't this his home?  "Did you hear they refused to confirm her as Headmistress?" Harry went on, rambling, as Cedric nodded.  "They appointed some Ministry flunky.  I can't remember her name -- starts with a U -- but they say it was Fudge's last act as Minister of Magic.  At least Moody wrote to say he got those Ministry charges against you dropped, so you'll be back at school next year.  That's terrific, Cedric."

"Yeah."  But Cedric wasn't sure how he felt about it.  Relieved certainly, but also guilty.  He still believed he'd deserved some of the blame.  "Fudge being ousted meant a lot of change."

"Fudge being ousted is the best thing to happen the Wizarding World lately.  At least the new Minister isn't denying Voldemort's back."

Cedric winced at such casual use of the Dark Lord's chosen name.  "What do you know about Scrimgeour, Harry?"

"Not much, but Ron said in his last letter that he used to head up the Aurors' division.  Seems like a good choice as Minister if Voldemort's got his body back."

Cedric nodded again.  "He ran his department rather efficiently, but a bit ruthlessly.  My father isn't sure if this is good or bad.  It's too soon to tell."

Harry seemed dubious, but Cedric doubted he ever adopted a wait-and-see attitude.  Partly that was his age, but partly it was being a Gryffindor, and as much as he liked Harry, that leap-first, think-later approach annoyed Cedric.  He preferred to mull things over, but didn't say anything now.  He also wasn't fond of quarrels.

"So you . . . came just to see me?" Harry asked.

"Yeah.  Just to see you."

Harry's whole face lit up and Cedric wondered if he had any clue how bloody attractive he was when he smiled like that?  Then he squashed the thought.  This Harry wasn't the one he'd made love to in his office.  This Harry was just fifteen.  Fifteen today, in fact.

"By the way -- Happy Birthday."  And he pulled a package out of his pocket, handing it over.

Harry's grin looked wide enough to split his face as he took the package.  "Thanks."

"It's not much really."

"How'd you know it was -- "

"Hermione.  I asked her.  Viktor gave me her address."

"I don't know when yours is."

"In September, the 27^th."

Harry was ripping open the package to reveal a new set of Quidditch gloves.  "Wow.  These are . . . is this dragon leather?"  Cedric nodded.  "Thanks.  Just . . . wow.  Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Harry grinned up at him.  "I suppose, now that you're coming back, we'll be playing each other again in Quidditch."

"We'll finally get that rematch," Cedric agreed.  "Although I don't think my poor broom can keep up with your Firebolt this time.  The Nimbus was bad enough."

Harry shrugged and they started walking again, past a park.  Harry tossed the paper in a rubbish bin then put on the gloves, flexing his fingers.  "We could practice maybe, when school starts?  I mean, if you want to."

"I'd like that."

"So, what d'you want to do today?"

"I don't care.  This is your town.  Why don't you show me what Muggles have for entertainment?  I'm at your mercy, Harry."

In more ways than one.

Harry glanced over at him, green eyes speculative, as if he might have caught on to that.  "Let's get a coffee," he said.  "Then you can tell me more of what's going on with Voldemort . . . "

They walked on.
 

Original Challenge:  "Cedric/Harry -- Harry finds out from Cho that Cedric died a virgin.  Determined to put things to right he uses the Timeturner [sic] that Hermione had conveniently forgotten to give back to the ministry to savour the moment before Pettigrew kills 'the spare' . . . "

The challenge also requested that Cedric survive, which I've kept, although I altered how and why.  Obviously, I also put the Time-Turner with McGonagall.  Can't see Hermione either forgetting or the Ministry letting it slide if she had.  It's pushing logic far enough to suppose even McGonagall still has it.

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