![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lomonaaerenTitle: Not True Love’s Kiss
Pairing: Harry/Cedric
Content Notes: Angst, fourth year AU, underage kissing
Rating: PG-13
Harry was about halfway to the floor of the lake, he thought, when a merman caught his eye and began to gesture urgently. “Here!” he croaked. “Here!”
Harry floated where he was, the gills the gillyweed had given him fluttering, and looked at the merman suspiciously. He thought they were supposed to keep the Champions from getting to the people who had been taken or something. Why did this one look like he was signaling to Harry?
But the merman didn’t stop gesturing, and Harry got the sense that he probably wouldn’t. With a sigh, he swam over to him.
The merman immediately turned and pointed through the lake, saying, “Look there!” Harry squinted as best as he could when the murky water was getting in the way, and saw someone floating in place, head down. His heart leaped for a second, wondering if it was Ron.
Then he saw the odd bubble-shaped charm around the figure’s head, and frowned. It looked like it was one of the other Champions.
The merman caught Harry’s eye and waved his arm wildly again. Harry pointed to himself with an incredulous expression. He was supposed to do something about this? When all the other Champions knew loads of magic that he didn’t, and he was competing against them?
From the way the merman grabbed Harry’s leg in warning and growled, “You,” he very much was supposed to do something about this. Harry sighed and swam towards the figure.
When he got close, he saw that it was Cedric. He was floating motionless in the water, not going up or down the way Harry had thought he probably would, and the charm that surrounded his head flickered a little and then strengthened, like a candle about to go out.
He’s going to drown! He seemed to be under some sort of spell, but Harry had no idea what it was.
He swam a frantic circle around Cedric, looking for a clue. But other than the strange dead weight of Cedric in the water, he couldn’t see one. Harry tried shaking and kicking him and yelling in his ear, although he only produced bubbles when he did that, but nothing worked. He looked over at the merman in desperation.
The merman swam straight towards Harry. Harry did his best to brace himself with nothing to brace against. The merman grabbed Harry’s wrists and held them out to the sides a moment. He glanced at Cedric, then turned to Harry again and with slow, exaggerated movements, leaned in to kiss Harry’s cheek.
Eurgh, Harry thought. The merman’s lips were cold and oily, and he supposed he did know what people meant now when they said someone kissed like a fish.
The merman pulled back and gestured at Cedric. “You must kiss him on the lips to wake him.”
I have to kiss him? Harry thought about it for a long second, and wanted to groan. If this got out, then he would probably never hear the end of the teasing.
But if a kiss would break the spell that Cedric was under (why?) then he thought he probably didn’t have a choice. Cedric’s life was more important than the kind of teasing that Harry got anyway because people thought he’d put his name in the Goblet of Fire.
As Harry looked at Cedric, though, he saw another problem. He would have to get rid of the charm around Cedric’s head to kiss him, and that meant that Cedric would probably immediately start choking and drowning and dying.
Harry grabbed the merman’s hand and pointed towards the bubble, then held up his hands in a helpless gesture.
“Destroy the charm,” the merman said, with a glare at him that clearly said he thought Harry was too stupid to live. “Then kiss him and shove him to the surface as fast as you can. Without the kiss, he will not wake. Without the charm, he will drown.”
“Why are you doing this?” Harry tried to ask, but of course he only produced bubbles.
Maybe the merman could read lips, though, because he shook his head. “We do not help the Champions, but this was done by a rogue amongst our kind,” he said, gesturing to Cedric. “Should one of you die, your kind will hunt us down.”
Harry grimaced. He supposed that made sense, as much as he wanted to say that wizards wouldn’t do that. Wizards also weren’t supposed to go around wearing badges that said POTTER STINKS on them, either.
He swam up close to Cedric and began shoving him towards the surface. His heart pounded wildly all the while, as he thought about possibly abandoning Ron to drown, but Cedric had a lot less than an hour.
And Harry couldn’t leave someone in danger like this. It wasn’t in him.
When they were close enough to the surface that Harry thought he could take the risk, he gestured with his wand and concentrated as hard as he could on the Finite Incantatem, since he couldn’t actually say it. He tried to visualize the time that he’d shrunk Dudley’s hideous jumper and opened his cupboard to get his things out after he’d blown up Aunt Marge. He wanted this to happen. He wanted—
The bubble around Cedric’s head vanished. His mouth yawned open as if he was about to suck in water.
Harry slammed his lips over Cedric’s and kissed him as hard as he could.
Cedric flopped and twisted and twitched. Then his eyes shot open.
Harry dropped back and shoved Cedric to the surface of the water.
Cedric drew in another breath and began to cough in shock. He looked down at Harry with a puzzled expression. Harry shook his head, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to pop his head out of the water without feeling like he was suffocating, and he wouldn’t be able to say anything understandable if Cedric did go back under again.
The merman came up behind Harry, holding out something slim. Cedric’s wand. Harry grabbed it with a nod of thanks, handed it to Cedric, and dived again, hoping the merman would explain things to Cedric and that it hadn’t been Harry who had cursed him.
Harry had to get to Ron.
*
Later, when they were on the lakeshore with everyone shivering next to them and Harry was feeling embarrassed at hearing the hostages had never really been in danger at all, he noticed Cedric giving him strange looks. That just made Harry’s face turn redder, but he jutted his chin up a little, too.
Well, welcome to the edges of my weird life, Cedric. This isn’t even in the top five weirdest things that have happened to me this year, so.
Cedric came up to him as they were walking back towards Hogwarts. “The merman explained,” he said quietly, scratching the back of his neck and looking pretty embarrassed himself. “Thanks for saving my life, Harry.”
Harry relaxed a little. Maybe Cedric didn’t like owing someone a life-debt and that was why he’d been giving Harry strange looks. Perfectly understandable. “You’re welcome.”
Cedric coughed, scratched the back of his neck harder as if he had an actual itch there, and then dropped his hand. “What are you doing next Hogsmeade weekend?”
“Er, probably going with my friends.” Harry hadn’t made any solid plans. “Why?”
“Just wondered if you’d—I mean, if you’d like to come have a drink with me in the Three Broomsticks. To discuss what it’s like being Champions and what the Third Task might be.” Cedric was flushed a deep pink now. “Er, if you decide, just tell me, okay?” And he began walking faster and sped up so that he was about five feet ahead of Harry by the time Harry even really thought about what he was saying.
Harry stared at Cedric’s back, and wondered if that was the invitation to a date that it sounded like. But no, he decided a second later. Cedric had an incredibly pretty girlfriend, and he was a Champion too, and had entered of his own free will. He really wanted to win this thing. Maybe he thought Harry would have some insights. Maybe he just wanted to figure out if the life-debt he now owed Harry would get in the way if they had to duel as part of the Third Task.
It had to be that, Harry thought, his face heating up again. Because anything else was—
There was no way that a handsome bloke like Cedric would be interested in him that way, really. That would be too weird. Harry knew how he looked, and he knew his own reputation, and he just wasn’t—
The only reason someone like Cedric would ever want to date me is because I’m the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry told himself firmly. And Cedric’s not like that.
So. It was something else.
Maybe Harry should accept the invitation for the Hogsmeade weekend, and find out what it was.
Pairing: Harry/Cedric
Content Notes: Angst, fourth year AU, underage kissing
Rating: PG-13
Harry was about halfway to the floor of the lake, he thought, when a merman caught his eye and began to gesture urgently. “Here!” he croaked. “Here!”
Harry floated where he was, the gills the gillyweed had given him fluttering, and looked at the merman suspiciously. He thought they were supposed to keep the Champions from getting to the people who had been taken or something. Why did this one look like he was signaling to Harry?
But the merman didn’t stop gesturing, and Harry got the sense that he probably wouldn’t. With a sigh, he swam over to him.
The merman immediately turned and pointed through the lake, saying, “Look there!” Harry squinted as best as he could when the murky water was getting in the way, and saw someone floating in place, head down. His heart leaped for a second, wondering if it was Ron.
Then he saw the odd bubble-shaped charm around the figure’s head, and frowned. It looked like it was one of the other Champions.
The merman caught Harry’s eye and waved his arm wildly again. Harry pointed to himself with an incredulous expression. He was supposed to do something about this? When all the other Champions knew loads of magic that he didn’t, and he was competing against them?
From the way the merman grabbed Harry’s leg in warning and growled, “You,” he very much was supposed to do something about this. Harry sighed and swam towards the figure.
When he got close, he saw that it was Cedric. He was floating motionless in the water, not going up or down the way Harry had thought he probably would, and the charm that surrounded his head flickered a little and then strengthened, like a candle about to go out.
He’s going to drown! He seemed to be under some sort of spell, but Harry had no idea what it was.
He swam a frantic circle around Cedric, looking for a clue. But other than the strange dead weight of Cedric in the water, he couldn’t see one. Harry tried shaking and kicking him and yelling in his ear, although he only produced bubbles when he did that, but nothing worked. He looked over at the merman in desperation.
The merman swam straight towards Harry. Harry did his best to brace himself with nothing to brace against. The merman grabbed Harry’s wrists and held them out to the sides a moment. He glanced at Cedric, then turned to Harry again and with slow, exaggerated movements, leaned in to kiss Harry’s cheek.
Eurgh, Harry thought. The merman’s lips were cold and oily, and he supposed he did know what people meant now when they said someone kissed like a fish.
The merman pulled back and gestured at Cedric. “You must kiss him on the lips to wake him.”
I have to kiss him? Harry thought about it for a long second, and wanted to groan. If this got out, then he would probably never hear the end of the teasing.
But if a kiss would break the spell that Cedric was under (why?) then he thought he probably didn’t have a choice. Cedric’s life was more important than the kind of teasing that Harry got anyway because people thought he’d put his name in the Goblet of Fire.
As Harry looked at Cedric, though, he saw another problem. He would have to get rid of the charm around Cedric’s head to kiss him, and that meant that Cedric would probably immediately start choking and drowning and dying.
Harry grabbed the merman’s hand and pointed towards the bubble, then held up his hands in a helpless gesture.
“Destroy the charm,” the merman said, with a glare at him that clearly said he thought Harry was too stupid to live. “Then kiss him and shove him to the surface as fast as you can. Without the kiss, he will not wake. Without the charm, he will drown.”
“Why are you doing this?” Harry tried to ask, but of course he only produced bubbles.
Maybe the merman could read lips, though, because he shook his head. “We do not help the Champions, but this was done by a rogue amongst our kind,” he said, gesturing to Cedric. “Should one of you die, your kind will hunt us down.”
Harry grimaced. He supposed that made sense, as much as he wanted to say that wizards wouldn’t do that. Wizards also weren’t supposed to go around wearing badges that said POTTER STINKS on them, either.
He swam up close to Cedric and began shoving him towards the surface. His heart pounded wildly all the while, as he thought about possibly abandoning Ron to drown, but Cedric had a lot less than an hour.
And Harry couldn’t leave someone in danger like this. It wasn’t in him.
When they were close enough to the surface that Harry thought he could take the risk, he gestured with his wand and concentrated as hard as he could on the Finite Incantatem, since he couldn’t actually say it. He tried to visualize the time that he’d shrunk Dudley’s hideous jumper and opened his cupboard to get his things out after he’d blown up Aunt Marge. He wanted this to happen. He wanted—
The bubble around Cedric’s head vanished. His mouth yawned open as if he was about to suck in water.
Harry slammed his lips over Cedric’s and kissed him as hard as he could.
Cedric flopped and twisted and twitched. Then his eyes shot open.
Harry dropped back and shoved Cedric to the surface of the water.
Cedric drew in another breath and began to cough in shock. He looked down at Harry with a puzzled expression. Harry shook his head, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to pop his head out of the water without feeling like he was suffocating, and he wouldn’t be able to say anything understandable if Cedric did go back under again.
The merman came up behind Harry, holding out something slim. Cedric’s wand. Harry grabbed it with a nod of thanks, handed it to Cedric, and dived again, hoping the merman would explain things to Cedric and that it hadn’t been Harry who had cursed him.
Harry had to get to Ron.
*
Later, when they were on the lakeshore with everyone shivering next to them and Harry was feeling embarrassed at hearing the hostages had never really been in danger at all, he noticed Cedric giving him strange looks. That just made Harry’s face turn redder, but he jutted his chin up a little, too.
Well, welcome to the edges of my weird life, Cedric. This isn’t even in the top five weirdest things that have happened to me this year, so.
Cedric came up to him as they were walking back towards Hogwarts. “The merman explained,” he said quietly, scratching the back of his neck and looking pretty embarrassed himself. “Thanks for saving my life, Harry.”
Harry relaxed a little. Maybe Cedric didn’t like owing someone a life-debt and that was why he’d been giving Harry strange looks. Perfectly understandable. “You’re welcome.”
Cedric coughed, scratched the back of his neck harder as if he had an actual itch there, and then dropped his hand. “What are you doing next Hogsmeade weekend?”
“Er, probably going with my friends.” Harry hadn’t made any solid plans. “Why?”
“Just wondered if you’d—I mean, if you’d like to come have a drink with me in the Three Broomsticks. To discuss what it’s like being Champions and what the Third Task might be.” Cedric was flushed a deep pink now. “Er, if you decide, just tell me, okay?” And he began walking faster and sped up so that he was about five feet ahead of Harry by the time Harry even really thought about what he was saying.
Harry stared at Cedric’s back, and wondered if that was the invitation to a date that it sounded like. But no, he decided a second later. Cedric had an incredibly pretty girlfriend, and he was a Champion too, and had entered of his own free will. He really wanted to win this thing. Maybe he thought Harry would have some insights. Maybe he just wanted to figure out if the life-debt he now owed Harry would get in the way if they had to duel as part of the Third Task.
It had to be that, Harry thought, his face heating up again. Because anything else was—
There was no way that a handsome bloke like Cedric would be interested in him that way, really. That would be too weird. Harry knew how he looked, and he knew his own reputation, and he just wasn’t—
The only reason someone like Cedric would ever want to date me is because I’m the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry told himself firmly. And Cedric’s not like that.
So. It was something else.
Maybe Harry should accept the invitation for the Hogsmeade weekend, and find out what it was.
