WARNING: Underage gayness (no sex though.), slash, severe changes to Ms Rowling's esteemed novels. Etc.
DISCLAIMER: I still don't own it, but I'm getting closer!
SUMMARY: This is an AU; what would happen if Harry and Cedric decided not to go together at the Triwizard Tournament. With a bit of slash and bathroom fun thrown in to the mix!
In The Bathroom.
Harry slipped into the bathroom, nervously adjusting his bundle. Why, oh why was he doing this? Aside from the fact that he had no idea what else to try and Diggory did owe him his life, really. Not that Harry was about to comment on that or anything, because it wasn't entirely fair to Cedric. Diggory! It wasn't fair to Diggory! Harry was not about to get friendly with "the competition" when Ron was so furious at Hermione for it. Personally Harry thought it had more to do with Ron being jealous, but he wasn't about to test that theory. In fact, he didn't seem to be doing anything without checking with Ron first lately. Sure he was glad to have his friend back, but surely he could wipe his own arse without Ron telling him what paper to use?
These disturbing and faintly unfair thoughts (okay, he and Ron may have had a bit of an argument and Harry may have realised he was caving far too easily just before he fled to the bathroom) distracted Harry when he walked in, so at first he didn't notice the presence of Cedric Diggory, already happily immersed in warm bubbles and so relaxed he could have been asleep. Or dead, that little morbid voice at the back of Harry's mind piped up. Harry had flashes of Cedric's wide eyes, so like his mothers only a crystal blue rather than green; of ghostly silver skin and a still chest.
Harry's breath caught and pain speared across his senses; emotional wounds whipped open by these thoughts and a headache flashing behind his eyes. It was always like this and he hated it. Hated that whenever he really saw someone, he saw death in them.
He began automatically stripping off, figuring that the bath was plenty big enough for them both (and the rest of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff combined) and since Diggory wasn't throwing him out…
Indeed, when Harry finally slipped under the blue bubbles (Harry tried not to think of the strangeness that his bubbles were blue), Diggory just raised one legarthic hand in silent acknowledgement and slipped further into his relaxed state without even looking at Harry. He didn't even know if Ced – Diggory knew it was him.
He looked down at his egg, fingering the catch and wondering what to do now. He was in the water (and trying not to think that the man who had invited him… enticed him … into the bath was not more than a few feet away from him, completely naked and sleepy and wet) but what now? Should he try to open it, or would it make that horrid screeching and upset Diggory? Should he put it in the water and see if something happens? Should he –
"You put it in the water and then your own head and you open it. You'll probably need a few goes before you hear it all." Harry nodded dumbly, a small part of him acknowledging that at least Diggory knew who he was sharing the bath with at least. He took a deep breath and slipped under the water, opening the egg as he did so and bracing for more screeching. Instead what he heard was a lovely sound of faraway voices, singing a soft song. It undulated and washed against his ears like water as it told him what he needed to know.
Diggory was right, it did take a few tries before he finally had the entire thing, but once he did he was able to put it to the side and wipe water out of his eyes. Miraculously, these bubbles didn't sting, but a part of him had already guessed that.
When he finally put the egg to the side and relaxed into the water, he realised he must have moved a lot closer to Diggory while under the water because when he looked, he realised they were nearly touching. And he could see… Oh Gods, Diggory was huge. And hard. Well, semi-hard, anyway. He flushed at the though and quickly bade Diggory a goodnight, slipping out of the water and leaving, dressing self-consciously as he felt Diggory's eyes on him.
Diggory was everywhere, Harry decided as he bumped into the older boy for the third time in as many days. Wherever Harry looked, there he was; in person or on badges while people jeered at him. People hated Harry as much as they loved Diggory and they just had to use pictures when they demonstrated this and those pictures reminded him of Diggory and he got images of Diggory that, for the first time, were not of death but of life; life and love and happiness and warm, wet relaxation. He needed help; he was seriously weird. But who was he supposed to talk to? Ron saw Diggory as "the enemy", Hermione would just act weird about it; he couldn't trust the teachers and who would really understand if he told them that when he looked at people they were dead except Diggory because he was too alive for Harry and it was disturbing.
------
"Potter!" Harry had to suppress a groan as he turned to greet Diggory. The seventeen year old jogged the last paces up to him smiling comfortably at him. There was a flush in his cheeks - probably from the cold weather - and Harry remembered again that he was alive.
"Yes?" he asked politely, trying to pretend that he hadn't spent the last two weeks completely obsessed with this man.
"You trying to avoid me or something?" Diggory asked. Harry noticed a flash of hurt cross his face when he hesitated to answer.
"What? No, no, I've just been a bit busy. Practicing, you know, for the last task." He answered hurriedly. He felt a worrying flash of happiness when the hurt cleared and Diggory smiled.
"Oh good, I thought... Never mind. Listen, would you meet me... Where we met last time. The password's the same. Seven tonight?"
"Umm... Yeah, okay. Seven. I'll be there."
"Okay." Diggory breathed.
"Yeah."
"Bye." Diggory finally said, waving.
"Yeah, bye." Harry replied as Diggory turned and left.
-----
"You came then. I... I was worried you'd change your mind." Diggory said as he greeted Harry at the door. Harry was hardly surprised he was already there, but he was surprised that Diggory was only wearing a bathrobe and little - if anything - else.
"You're naked!" He blurted in response. Diggory laughed a little and waved him in, shutting and locking the door behind them.
"Yeah well, you do come to the bathroom for a bath, don't you?" He responded with a little grin. Harry looked down at his baggy jeans and old t-shirt with a frown.
"I guess. I..." Harry's mouth went dry when Diggory, completely nonchalantly, stripped out of his bathrobe and sank into the already full bath. He flushed and turned away when Diggory looked up at him.
"You what? Aren't you getting in?"
"Yeah." Harry agreed, before realising what he'd said. Blushing still under Diggory's intense scrutiny, he tugged his clothes off and slipped into the water at the opposite side to Diggory. "So, you wanted me? To talk to me, I mean." He stammered.
"No, I think you got it right the first time." Diggory replied completely calmly.
"What?" Harry gasped.
"You heard me. I want you, Harry." Diggory - Cedric? - reiterated, moving closer to him in the water until he was hovering just in front of him.
"But... I'm only fourteen! And you're so gorgeous and... I mean." He trailed off with a sigh.
"I know you're only fourteen, and I don't expect you to just jump into bed with me, but I want you none the less. There's a ten year age difference between my parents, so I guess I thought that a three year gap didn't matter; especially with someone as mature as you are."
"I... What makes you think I'm -."
"You expect me to believe you're not?" Cedric asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry blushed and looked away.
"So... You want me, but you don't want to go to bed with me?"
"Of course I want to go to bed with you. Just, later. When you're older, much older. But I want to... Date you. Keep you for myself, so there won't be someone else come and steal your affections. Kiss you."
"Kiss me?" Harry squeaked. Cedric smiled, raising one wet hand to brush a soft trail across his cheek. He leaned forward, breath warm and moist against his cheek.
"Kiss you." Cedric repeated, before doing just that.
He kept it light and teasing, putting very little pressure on Harry and pulling away after only a few seconds.
"So, what do you think?"
"I think... I think you're insane, but I'll do it anyway. Just, slowly. I've never... I've never been in a relationship before." Harry admitted quietly.
"Don't worry, I'll be gentle." Cedric teased lightly, before placing another light kiss on Harry's lips.
-----
"Harry, you take it. I don't care, okay. Please, just... You saved my life, you deserve it." Cedric pleaded.
"Together? We could -." Cedric shook his head. He took Harry's hands in his own, leaning in and giving Harry one of those kisses that melted him.
"You deserve this. Hell, you're three years younger than us and if you hadn't saved me you'd have won hands down! It goes to Hogwarts either way, and I'm sure that money will be used to buy me something wonderful anyway. It's your cup, love. Take it." Harry nodded and let out a shaky breath.
"You're sure?" Cedric smiled and nodded, taking a step backwards to give Harry space.
Harry stepped up to the podium, flashing a small, shaky smile Cedric's way before picking up the cup.
Cedric's smile dropped and panic widened his eyes as Harry span away into the Portkey.
-----
"Is he alright?" Cedric asked when Dumbledore finally left the Hospital Wing where Harry was recuperating from the ordeal he'd returned from.
"Yes, he'll be fine." Dumbledore told him with a small twinkle. "You may see him in the morning if you wish, Madame Pomfrey has said he will be able to have visitors.
"What's going to happen now, Sir? He said... He said that Voldemort was back." Dumbledore looked very grave.
"There is a time for everything, and now is a time for you to sleep. Harry is not the only one who has been through troubles this night my boy. Do not worry yourself over things you can neither change nor affect for now." Cedric understood the dismissal and nodded before leaving to go to his dormitory.
"The boy is right Albus. What do we do now?" Cornelius Fudge asked, twisting his bowler cap in his hands as he stepped forward from other corridor.
"Now, Cornelius? Now we have Mr Crouch transported to Azkaban where he belongs and we worry about Harry's presentation. Voldemort will not act this night, nor the next. We will use this time to gather our forces; but first, there is another issue I need to deal with."
"And what is that, Albus?"
"I have a man who could be very influential to this war who is trapped by your laws and unable to help. Don't you think it's about time you stopped blinding yourself to the truth. Voldemort is back and both Harry and Mr Crouch have corroborated the sightings of Peter Pettigrew. You have an exoneration to sign, and if it could be done by Harry's presentation tomorrow?"
"Albus -."
"You cannot deny the truth, Cornelius!"
"I have no proof!"
"You have Barty's testament under Veritaserum, that should be enough. You could take his testimony under Veritaserum as well."
"Albus, if I do this..."
"You will gain the trust of the Wizarding World, for being able to admit to your mistakes."
"Very well. I will make the announcement tomorrow."
"Thank you, Cornelius. Now, I have some very fine Whiskey in my office that I believe now would be a prefect time to open."
"Lead the way, Albus. Lead the way." Cornelius Fudge sighed, and followed Dumbledore, inwardly grateful that he could.
-----
"Kill the spare." A flash of green light, a cold laugh and Harry screamed in terror and pain.
"CEDRIC!"
"Harry!" Harry gasped as he woke, nearly crying (more) at the sight of Cedric above him, alive; so, so alive.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Harry shook his head, burrowing it into Cedric's warm chest. Cedric leaned back against the headboard on Harry's hospital bed.
"Nothing, it was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare." Harry leaned up and placed a kiss on Cedric's lips while he could, knowing that today would be a difficult day after the horrors of yesterday.
"I love you, Cedric. I love you so much." Cedric smiled tremulously at his young boyfriend, pressing another kiss on his lips.
"I love you too."
-----
End.