You're What I Couldn't Find
Wednesday, 24 May 1995
In the wake of Harry’s admission that his home life was worse than Cedric had imagined, he spent every free moment reminding Harry that he was important and that he deserved to be treated as such. Not because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, but just because he was Harry.
It took time and effort, but by the time the champions were instructed to meet up at the quidditch pitch on the evening of the 24th of May, Harry was starting to believe him.
“What have they done?” Harry breathed out as he took in the hedges growing across their sacred quidditch pitch.
Cedric just let his jaw drop in shock and nodded at Harry’s words.
“Don’t worry,” Bagman was saying, “it’ll be back to normal by next year.”
Then they were asked to guess what the task was, which Viktor very succinctly answered, “maze.” and then they were told that it wasn’t just a maze, but that Hagrid would be stocking it with various creatures. Harry and Cedric both shivered at that which confused Fleur and Viktor, but they just waved them off. Finally, they were told the date for the last task, 24 June 1995, one month away.
As they were leaving, Viktor asked Harry for a word and Cedric watched them walk toward the edge of the forest, likely the first place Harry could think of where they wouldn’t be overheard or interrupted. Cedric told himself he’d see Harry later and fell into step next to Fleur as they walked up toward the castle.
“What creatures do you think there will be?” she asked as they walked.
“Who knows,” Cedric said, “Hagrid has a love for all things dangerous, so I’d study up on your Care of Magical Creatures knowledge if I were you.”
“Thanks for the tip,” she said with a laugh as she split off toward the carriage and bid Cedric goodnight.
Cedric continued up to the castle on his own and started wandering the halls, knowing Harry would find him eventually. A few minutes later he heard the sound of hurried footsteps heading toward the main entrance and watched as Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry darted back outside. Cedric decided he’d get an answer later so he didn’t follow them, instead settling down onto a bench in the main courtyard and waiting for Harry to return.
A while later, as the sun was sinking toward the horizon, Cedric heard someone approaching and looked up to find Harry who looked slightly thrown. Before he could ask what that was all about, Harry said, “do you want to train together for the last task? I think we’re going to need a wider catalogue of spells for this one.”
“Of course,” Cedric said, patting the bench next to him and nodding for Harry to set down, “now do you want to tell me why I saw you, Snape, and Dumbledore tearing out of the castle and toward the forest?”
Cedric sat and listened to an insane story that absolutely ended in Barty Crouch’s murder and found himself wondering whether or not whoever had attacked Crouch and Viktor was the same person who’d put Harry’s name in the Goblet, but he didn’t want to voice that thought and add to Harry’s already palpable anxiety.
It was fully dark by the time Harry stopped talking and he took the opportunity the anonymity of darkness provides to let out a breath and rest his head against Cedric’s shoulder.
Cedric turned his head to press a kiss to the top of Harry’s curls before he intertwined their fingers and leaned his head against Harry’s, “how are you feeling about all of this, H?”
“I’m not sure,” Harry said with a quiet sigh, “I think I’ll feel better if we practice for it and do everything we can to keep ourselves safe.” He was quiet for a moment before he softly said, “I’m not sure what I’d do if something happened to you.”
Cedric let the silence settle for a minute before he turned his head and pressed his nose into Harry’s hair and whispered for only Harry and the stars to hear, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“You are my everything, Harry,” Cedric said, pressing his lips to Harry’s head, “my sun, my moon, and my stars.”
“My sun, my moon, and my stars,” Harry repeated.
* * *
Saturday, 24 June 1995
The third task wasn’t until that night, but McGonagall stepped up to the Gryffindor table and told Harry he was needed in the side chamber at breakfast. Harry looked up at her confused and she explained, “the champions families are here to spend the day with them.”
Harry had a moment where he worried that the Dursleys would be waiting for him when he stepped through the door but then he decided that was insane. He was equal parts ecstatic and touched that Mrs. Weasley and Bill were waiting for him alongside the other families.
Molly wrapped him into a bone-crushing hug and Bill clapped him on the shoulder with a grin before he raised an eyebrow toward Fleur and sent Harry a look that obviously said introduce me and you’ll be my favorite brother.
Harry laughed and squeezed Molly back before he pulled away and dragged them toward the Delacours. He was immediately nearly tackled by Gabrielle who’d decided that Harry was her favorite person (after her sister) ever since the lake.
He watched in barely concealed amusement as Fleur tried her charm on Bill and he was unaffected, which seemed to endear him to the part-Veela immediately. He was pulled out of his musings by someone tapping his shoulder. Harry turned around and looked up to see Cedric’s sparkling grey eyes and bright smile, he threw an arm around Harry’s shoulders and guided him toward his family, “I’d like to introduce you to some people.”
Harry sent Bill a panicked look over his shoulder but realized quickly he’d been abandoned.
“Mum, dad,” Cedric said as they approached his parents, “this is Harry Potter, you’ve met dad before, but this is my mum, Josephine.”
Amos Diggory was barely concealing his dislike for Harry. Ever since Rita Skeeter had decided to release that article that made it seem like the Triwizard was the Harry Potter Show, he’d decided to captain the Harry Potter Hate Train. Josephine Diggory was a different story, though. She was exactly how Cedric had described her. Grey blue eyes and light brown hair and a kind smile.
“Hello, Harry,” she greeted, “it’s wonderful to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you,” she added, shooting Cedric an amused look.
Cedric blushed but recovered quickly and turned to Harry, “we’re going to walk around the grounds, what are you lot going to do?”
“I’m not sure but I don’t think it’ll involve separating Bill and Fleur, I’m not entirely sure what I just set up but it’ll either be incredible or explosive.”
Cedric looked over his shoulder to look at Bill and Fleur who were openly flirting and grinned, “I’m sure it’ll be incredible. She’s talked about wanting to find a job with Gringotts, so we know they have something to talk about.”
“You’re right,” Harry said, “I’d forgotten about that.”
They spent the day wandering around the grounds and Harry got to know Josephine Diggory. She’d spent her entire career working in the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s and when Harry mentioned that he was good friends with Neville she gave him a knowing look and a soft smile. Harry decided he rather liked Cedric’s mum.
As it got later, the champions split off to get ready for the evening. When they reached the spot where Cedric would have to head down to get to Hufflepuff and Harry would have to head up to get to Gryffindor, Cedric pulled Harry behind a tapestry and into a tight hug.
Harry buried his head into Cedric’s chest and soaked up every ounce of warmth and love he could. He had an odd sense of foreboding about this task and was happy to take any comfort his boyfriend could give.
“I love you,” Cedric said, “I love you so much and I am so proud of you, you’re going to do great tonight and then tomorrow it’ll all be over.”
“I love you too,” Harry said, holding Cedric tighter, “more than I’ve loved anything or anyone.”
“My sun, my moon, and my stars, lover boy.”
“My sun, my moon, and my stars.”
* * *
The maze was easier than it should’ve been.
It was almost like someone had cleared his path.
And then he heard the scream. Fleur. He darted through the maze until he found her and shot up sparks so someone would come get her out, he hoped she was okay.
He continued on, and then he heard another scream. Cedric. Harry took off at a breakneck pace, crashing through the hedges until he came upon Viktor standing over Cedric. His eyes were glassy like he’d been … fuck, Viktor was under the Imperius and was currently Crucioing Cedric. Harry shot a stunner at Viktor and helped Cedric to his feet. They shot up sparks over where Viktor lay, and Cedric pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s cheek before they split up.
He didn’t see Cedric again until they were fighting off an acromantula and then there it was, glowing in the low light of dusk and the shadows of the maze.
“You take it,” Harry said, feeling the acromantula venom coursing through his veins. Oddly, he found himself thinking about how it was much less painful than basilisk venom. He hated that he had that point of comparison.
“No,” Cedric said, pulling him out of his thoughts, “it’s yours, I wouldn’t have made it here without you, you take it.”
“And I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t helped me with the acromantula!”
They stared at each other, seemingly at an impasse when Cedric’s eyes lit up and Harry saw where he was going and said, “together.”
“Together,” Cedric agreed, grinning.
They limped to the platform and just as Harry was about to start counting down, Cedric pulled him into a tight hug, “I love you, Harry.”
“I love you too, Ced,” Harry said, pulling out of the hug just enough to tug Cedric down into a searing kiss, “my sun, my moon, and my stars, Pretty Boy.”
“My sun, my moon, and my stars, Harry. I love you.”
“On the count of three?” Harry asked.
“On the count of three,” Cedric confirmed, pressing one last kiss to the top of Harry’s head.
Together, they counted, “1, 2, 3,” and each reached out to grab a handle.
And then it all went wrong.