The cherry blossom was a delicate blend of dusky pink and white. Its unblemished form danced through the air, the gentle spring breeze carrying the flower with unparalleled tenderness, as though it knew of its fragility.
The blossom swayed in time with nature’s rhythm as it slowly lowered down to the grass. It nestled itself amongst a bed of greenery, settled and composed.
Cedric stretched out an arm along the soft mossy carpet from where he reclined, and wrapped his fingers around the blossom’s petals, languidly pulling it from its slumber.
As he gazed down at the little plant that lay in the middle of his outstretched palm, he suddenly became aware of his own power. One small movement, using barely an ounce of his strength, and the blossom would be gone. A mutilated imitation of its former beauty.
Life was fleeting.
He moved his gaze to the figure beside him, who sat lazily against a tall oak tree. Harry’s signature black hair fell in front of his eyes, his brow furrowed and mouth slightly agape.
Cedric’s eyes flickered upwards to Harry’s forehead to see the harsh red lines of his lightning-bolt scar just barely noticeable through his fringe. How easily he could have lost Harry before he ever had him. But the fates, it seemed, were kind.
‘What’s another word for ‘unusual’?’
Harry’s words broke Cedric from his reverie, though he had to stare blankly at the younger boy for a good minute before they made any real sense in his head.
Harry tapped his quill against his parchment in a way that would’ve indicated impatience to anyone that wasn’t used to Harry’s nervous energy. His eyes were bright and wired, and he had a small black smudge of ink on the corner of his mouth.
Cedric smiled sweetly and inched himself along the grass so his hip grazed lightly against Harry’s knee. ‘…Rare?’ he suggested.
‘Hm…’ Harry absent-mindedly brushed his quill-tip against his face, making Cedric stifle a laugh when more inky smudges appeared along his jawline.
‘No,’ he said finally, oblivious to Cedric’s amusement. ‘I’ve used that already. Ugh, Snape’s going to rip my work to pieces. Literally.’
‘For repeating a word?’ Cedric questioned, but the exasperated look he got in return was enough to make him nod in agreement.
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. The wind whispered to the trees in hushed tones as it passed by; the birds chirping excitedly from their nests in response.
‘What have you got there?’
Cedric frowned, but followed Harry’s gaze to his hand, where the flower still lay.
‘Oh. Just a cherry blossom.’ He held it up towards the other boy, but as though the blossom had a will of its own, it was quickly whisked away back into the air. It pirouetted with incredible elegance, spinning higher and higher towards the clouds, towards freedom-
Harry snatched the blossom from the air with alarmingly quick reflexes.
‘Good catch,’ Cedric noted, nodding in approval.
‘Seeker.’ Harry grinned. He gently unfurled his grip, and to Cedric’s surprise, the blossom was still very much uncrumpled and intact.
He smiled in disbelief, mind still swimming with unspoken thoughts and worries.
‘You look troubled.’ Harry observed, eyes shining with concern. Cedric opened his mouth slightly, an onslaught of words resting on the top of his tongue, desperate to be released. But he quickly swallowed them back down.
‘Not at all.’ Cedric pushed himself up onto his elbows, the blades of grass tickling his bare forearms. He reached over, plucked the flower from Harry’s palm, and proceeded to place the delicate plant behind the Gryffindor’s ear.
‘That’s better.’ He smiled contentedly at his own actions.
Harry looked a little befuddled, but Cedric considered the pink dusting across his cheeks a success.
‘Thanks.’ Harry said finally, a small smile gracing his lips. His eyes darted around him for a moment before he suddenly lurched forwards, nails digging into rough soil as he grabbed something from the ground.
Grinning shyly, he returned to his former position. He unfurled his fingers once again to show Cedric his prize – it was another cherry blossom, just as beautiful as the last, but a little more weathered by the elements.
‘You should have one too.’ Harry decided. Cedric watched him with childlike wonder, his eyes wide and curious as he observed the younger boy placing the blossom in his hair with feather-light gentleness.
‘Perfect… just like you.’ Cedric’s heart clenched at his words. The bumbling awkwardness that usually came with Harry’s compliments was gone; there was nothing but pure conviction in his tone. That made Cedric feel worse.
Cedric smiled at Harry nonetheless, hoisting himself upwards so he could rest his golden curls on the Gryffindor’s lap.
He exhaled softly as his eyelids fluttered shut, his hands gripping the rough fabric of the other boy’s trousers.
‘I’m not perfect, Harry.’
*
Harry’s hands were shaking, but he still maintained a firm grip on the back of Cedric’s shirt. The world around him was a discordant mixture of bright colours and harsh sounds but Harry paid it no mind. Everything seemed muted, as though the vibrancy of the world had been dialled down.
He could feel rough hands gripping his arms, his back, pulling him away, but he remained steady and sure. The moment he relents is the moment he loses him for good.
He pressed his face to the Hufflepuff’s chest, and took a shuddering breath in. He held him tightly in his arms, desperate to preserve this moment. But even as he lay there, he could feel the warmth fading away.
The shirt beneath his cheek quickly became damp from his own tears, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.
It was the wrong way around. It should have been him.
The unblemished, beautiful blossom was mutilated and crushed, while the stained, weathered blossom was left to live another day.
‘You are perfect.’ He whispered.
But no one was there to hear him. Only the wind, which gently picked up his words and carried them far away.