Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Blunt Blade, Twisted	By : Wolfiekins Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Ron Views: 2880 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-A Blunt Blade, Twisted
- 1
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never will be. All HP characters belong to JKR and Warner Brothers, etc, etc, etc.

A/N: This is seen from Harry's POV only, and is presented as a series of non-sequential flashbacks. This is a slightly different version than the one I originally published on Cipher.

Beta'd by Evil Auntie Snape

~~~~~A BLUNT BLADE, TWISTED~~~~~

The Great Hall was filled with anxious students. The restless chatter died out as a tall, drenched form strode across the flagstones. Harry leaned against Ron, whispering excitedly.

"Look! It's Cedric Diggory! He's going to enter the Tournament."

Ron snorted.

"Right. As if a Hufflepuff stands a chance against a true champion like Viktor Krum."

"I don't know, Ron. He's quite the athlete. And a bang on Quidditch player, too."

Ron made a rude noise as Cedric tossed his bit of parchment into the Goblet. Harry cheered and clapped.

Cedric looked right at him, smiling.

"Brilliant," Harry breathed.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Jumping Merlin's tits! It's bloody freezing in here!"

Harry slammed and locked the door.

"Well, it could be worse, I suppose."

Cedric drew his wand and aimed it at the small fireplace. A second later, a blazing fire crackled away merrily.

"Who told you about this dump?"

"Fred and George."

"Should've known. And that surly git, Woolcott. What rock did he crawl out from under, huh?"

Harry crossed the small room, hugging Cedric and burying his head against his chest.

"How about we just cast a cleaning charm on the whole room and get under the covers, yeah?"

Cedric grinned.

"Best idea I've heard all day."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Potter! Hey, Potter!"

Harry jerked his head about so swiftly his neck popped. It was late on a Wednesday afternoon, three weeks after the second task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and the narrow dungeon corridors were packed with students hurrying to their next classes. Turning against the flow, he was bumped and jostled by a swirling wave of Hogwarts robes. He stopped to see who had called out. Clamping a hand to his neck, he rubbed the sore spot firmly as he craned his head above the mass of students.

He smiled as he finally located the source.

"Hey, Cedric!"

Looking back down the corridor, Harry watched as Hermione threw him a sour look and continued on to their Transfigurations class. He was buffeted by a never-ending stream of rushing Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Slytherins and Gryffindors as he made his way towards Cedric. He was standing on one of the rough stone benches that lined this particular dungeon corridor. His auburn hair hung across his forehead in a comfortable wave, his eyes bright, his smile, nearly blinding. Harry's own smile matched Cedric's, the two competitors finally coming together amidst a swiftly roiling sea of students.

"I've been looking all over for you, Harry."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to thank you again for helping me out with the Dragons."

Cedric jumped down from the bench, landing a scant few inches from Harry.

"No problem, Ced. It was my pleasure, really."

That was the first time Harry had called him Ced. And he liked the sound of it.

So did Cedric, apparently. He grinned even more broadly, his cheeks flushing pink.

The corridor was quickly becoming deserted as Snape stood at the doorway to his classroom, bellowing the last call to any unlucky, tardy students. The pair watched as Snape glowered at them and disappeared into his room, slamming the heavy door with an echoing bang.

They both laughed.

"Well, I'm late for McGonagall's class. See you later."

"Harry, wait. Do you have a minute? I need to, uh, I need to talk to you about something."

The corridor was nearly empty. It was pretty much just the two of them now.

Alone. Together.

"Sure. What is it?"

"How about we find someplace a bit more private."

Cedric was so close now they were almost touching. Harry could smell the wonderful mixture of aloe and brindlesoap, and a hint of some sort of Muggle cologne. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in Cedric's wonderfully fresh scent.

Sighing, he blinked and looked up.

"Okay, sure, Ced."

Cedric smiled, quickly staring at the stone floor. When he looked up again, he gently laid a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Brilliant!"

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Dumbledore hugged him tightly, his thin, withered fingers amazingly strong.

The Hogwarts Band finally stopped as a hush fell over the crowd.

"It's fine, Harry, it's all fine. You did wonderfully. You brought him home. He's safe now, Harry. He's safe."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

The tiny sliver of sunlight peeked through the curtains of Cedric's four-poster, washing across the unbelievably smooth surface of his taut stomach. The gold satin sheet fell across his hips. His right hand lay comfortably on the silky fabric, the thumb barely touching his belly button. A few tiny brown hairs peeked out from under the sheet. The ray of light made them look almost red.

Harry lay on his side, his head propped up on his elbow, observing the sleeping Hufflepuff. Cedric's nicely muscled chest rose and fell gracefully, air drawn into lungs, heart beating, blood pumping. He didn't know how long he watched, how long he marveled at him in the silence, the simplicity of it, of Cedric's being. He had never felt so comfortable before. He didn't even care if any of Cedric's roommates found them. He carefully pressed closer, the feeling of skin on skin almost too much for him to bear. He ran a finger across Cedric's forehead, chuckling quietly as he attempted to straighten a particularly stubborn lock of auburn hair.

It resisted his efforts, as always.

Harry sighed and gently laid his head on Cedric's chest. The smooth, steady rhythm of his heart was incredibly strong. Comforting, welcoming, yet arousing. Cedric took a deep breath and shifted slightly, throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling him in tight.

The clock tower struck two.

Damn, I'm late for Potions, he thought.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"But we don't blame you at all, dear," Mrs. Diggory offered softly. "We're so very grateful that you brought him home to us, aren't we Amos?"

Harry glanced over to Cedric's father, tears blurring his vision. Amos nodded stiffly, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder.

"I believe Harry's had enough for one night."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"What?"

Hermione stared at him, wide-eyed, her spoonful of oatmeal frozen in space.

"You heard me."

Her spoon fell back to her bowl with a soft plop.

"Cedric Diggory? And you? For Merlin's sake Harry, what's going on? First, you tell me you're gay, then that bit with Ron at The Burrow, then musings about Draco Malfoy, and now this? Are you mad?"

"No, 'Mione, I'm not mad. Please don't make me sorry that I confided in you."

She leaned over the table as far as she could. Ginny noticed something was up. Hermione whispered in hushed tones.

"I'm sorry, Harry, it's just a bit much to take in. Cedric? Really?"

"Yeah, really. He's wonderful. Strong, smart, witty, kind, and drop dead gorgeous, too. Without him, I never would have figured out the thing about the egg."

"He told you about the Mersong?"

Harry paused a moment. "Well, showed me, more like. In the Prefect's Bath."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "You don't mean..."

Harry beamed. "Yeah, I thought Moaning Myrtle would never leave."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Distant rumbles of thunder echoed across the sky. The rain hadn't really stopped; it reluctantly decreased in intensity until it was merely a nuisance. And it was an unusually cold rain for late June. Amazingly frigid trickles of water dripped off of Harry's hair and found their way down the stiff collar of his shirt.

The blank, steel gray sky was very nearly featureless. The long, graceful limbs of the nearby oak tree offered false protection and little comfort.

The quality of light was strangely muted, opaque almost, as if a filter had been imposed atop everything.

A sort of metaphysical soft focus.

To help diffuse reality.

The reality of the richly polished mahogany coffin that was not two feet in front of him.

Raindrops beaded and rolled across its highly varnished surface, languidly dripping down the sides, dropping on the burnished pewter handles. Three on this side. Three on the other. Harry stared at the first handle. The one on his left. The one he had held in his hands. It was amazingly heavy. It was customary that no levitation spells were used.

So that one could feel the weight of it.

How heavy it was.

How crushing it was supposed to be.

He looked up again, staring at the deep, glowing finish.

Why did it have to be so beautiful?

Amos turned to look at him again. Eyes bloodshot. Beyond puffy and red. A faint smile and a nod.

He knows.

A bright flash of lightning and a bracing peal of thunder rocked him yet again.

He's in there.

Ced's in there.

All alone.

My Ced.

Dear Merlin, help me!

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Hey, that tickles!"

Harry dove at Cedric, lowering his head and lunging into the taller Hufflepuff with a fair amount of force. They fell to the grass in a tangled, laughing heap. Harry moved his head up and found the bare skin of Cedric's neck, eagerly lapping and laving it with his seemingly uncontrollable tongue. Cedric's giggles morphed into moans as he stretched out flat, allowing Harry to press against the whole length of his wonderfully tall, muscular body. Harry licked the entire span of Cedric's jaw, finally reaching his favourite destination.

"Hey there."

"Hey yourself."

The sun somehow managed to work its way through the heavy canopy formed by the tightly packed branches. The warm breeze lifted the willing leaves into a gentle, hushed symphony of song. Dappled splotches of sunlight danced across the two lovers as they pressed against each other hungrily. Harry sighed as he pushed himself up, resting on his elbows, smiling down on Cedric.

"That wasn't the Wronski Feint, you know."

"So sue me then, Mr. Quidditch World Cup."

Harry giggled and leaned down to kiss Cedric again.

"You're really a great flyer, Ced."

"So are you. You're the best Seeker I've ever seen."

"But I'm not the one that's been recruited by Puddlemere United."

"Not yet, anyway. But at least you'll have Season Passes."

"Oh? I'd really rather have locker room privileges."

"Done!" Cedric purred, his face beaming.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Avada Kedarva!"

"Cedric! No!" Harry screamed.

The angry green energy leaped across the space, striking Cedric squarely in the chest. His already dead body lifted up and off of the ground, landing flat on his back.

Harry could clearly see his wide, lifeless eyes.

Staring.

Surprised.

Those beautiful eyes that had looked at him so many times.

With hope. With life. With love.

Gone.

"Ced!"

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Amos grinned, throwing an arm about Arthur's shoulders.

"And this is my son, Cedric."

A dark shape fell down from the upper branches. It hit the ground with a sharp crunch of leaves, instantly bounding to its feet.

"Hey, there. You must be Harry Potter."

Cedric put out his hand, smiling.

"Yeah. Pleased to meet you," Harry returned with a wide grin.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"He's home, Harry. You did it, my boy, you did just fine," Dumbledore repeated, hugging him tightly.

"I couldn't just leave him, I couldn't! He asked me to bring him back! I couldn't leave him!'

Fudge's eyes were wide. "We've got to move him, Albus! Too many people!"

"No! Don't touch him!" Harry wailed, hugging and covering Cedric's body protectively. "He asked me to bring him home. Don't you touch him!"

Dumbledore ran a hand across Harry's back, giving him a swift kiss on the top of his head.

"Not now, Cornelius! Mind, there's Amos to consider."

"Right," Fudge nodded.

Harry's mind reeled then, his world tilting askew, gravity releasing and his stomach lurching up into his throat. He was vaguely aware of Cedric's father wailing very close by.

"That's my boy! Oh no, that's my boy!"

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"What was that?"

"Nothing, probably just Neville sleepwalking again."

Cedric shifted, drawing Harry in close. He left a wet kiss directly on Harry's scar.

"Wow, it's really warm."

"Yeah, no one really knows that. But you."

Cedric drew in a deep breath. "Good thing you had that Invisibility Cloak, huh? Your Dad's?"

"Yeah. Good thing you knew an effective Silencing Charm."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Me too, Ced."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"They sing underwater!"

Harry stared, wide-eyed, as the Merpeople's song echoed up to him from under the soapy water. The open egg was glowing brightly, its interior swirling with bits of bright, golden light.

"Wow, it's so beautiful."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Cedric shrugged, closing up the egg, pulling it out of the water and placing it on the rim of the huge Prefect's tub.

"What do you mean? You don't think it's beautiful?"

"It's okay. But compared to you," Cedric grinned, sloshing through the bubbles, "It's just some ruddy old egg."

He pressed against Harry, their firm, muscled bodies sliding together effortlessly in the slick, soapy water. Harry moaned, throwing his arms about Cedric's shoulders.

"Aww, c'mon, Ced. That's embarrassing."

"But it's true, Harry," Cedric murmured, nibbling at his lover's ear. "You're so bloody beautiful."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Kill the spare, Wormtail!"

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

The empty classroom was shrouded in late afternoon shadow. Cedric closed the door and pointed his wand at it, murmuring an incantation.

"Locking and silencing ward," he shrugged.

"Right," Harry responded.

Cedric hesitated a moment, nervously glancing about the empty room before taking a few steps towards Harry. His bright, gray eyes sparkled in the fading sunlight.

"Well, I just wanted to say thanks. You know, for the Dragon thing."

"Sure. No problem."

"Yeah," Cedric answered, grinning anxiously and staring at the floor.

It was incredibly silent in the room. Time seemed to forget about the pair of Champions, and for Harry, it stretched on and on. And that was totally fine. Because Cedric was here. With him.

"So, that's it, I guess," Cedric offered.

He stared hopefully at Harry, and for the briefest of moments, Harry's mind seemed to click off. He froze, completely blank. Cedric's handsome face imprinted itself upon his very being, like some sort of arcane camera. With a rushing of air, he returned to his senses.

"That's it?" he blurted out, much too loudly for the empty room. "Is there anything else you wanted to say to me?"

Harry held his breath as Cedric's gorgeous gray eyes widened. He took a few more steps closer. The two were now barely inches apart.

"Yeah, there is. I know something about the golden eggs."

Cedric moved still closer, their chests touching ever so gently. His breathing was slightly ragged as he leaned his head down, his breath warm on Harry's cheek.

Harry leaned up, brushing their faces together. The feeling of Cedric's stubble against his skin sent shivers down his spine. He hesitantly slid a hand inside Cedric's robe, gently caressing his stomach.

"Really," he whispered, his own breath suddenly hitching in his chest. "I suppose you'll have to show me."

Cedric moaned softly, pressing his hips into Harry's waist. "Good idea," he murmured, nuzzling Harry's ear. "After your class, then?"

"Bugger class," Harry breathed, quickly pressing his lips to the taller Hufflepuff's, his rucksack sliding from his shoulders and hitting the floor with a muffled whump.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Madam Pomfrey's lips moved with incredible speed. Her hands danced over Cedric's still body, her eyes squeezed shut in concentration.

"Poppy!" Dumbledore hissed.

She shook her head stiffly, murmuring incantations without pause. Her hands touched and caressed and massaged nearly every inch of Cedric's head and chest.

Amos' head was buried against Fudge's shoulder, while Moody firmly restrained Harry.

Aurors did their best to disperse the anxious crowd.

Poppy stopped chanting suddenly, her breath hitching in her chest. A single tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She slowly moved her hand over Cedric's face, the other clutching at her robes. When she withdrew her hand, Cedric's eyes were closed.

"I'm so sorry, Albus!" she spluttered, her huge eyes blinking furiously. "The Killing Curse. There's nothing....I tried...but there's nothing. So sorry!"

Dumbledore drew in a deep breath.

"I know, Poppy, I know. We had to try."

Harry stared down at Cedric's still form as Amos fainted.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

The water in the huge tub was incredibly warm. And soapy. Harry had accidentally infused it with every bath oil available. The soft splashing sounds were drawing closer. A ripple in the layer of bubbles was moving towards him.

Rising upwards like some sort of shark's fin, Cedric's head broke the surface and floated nearer. The handsome Hufflepuff was grinning broadly, a stream of soap bubbles slowly dribbling down his temple.

"I thought she'd never leave."

Harry returned the smile, sinking down until the water was level with his chin.

"Have a bit of pity for poor old Myrtle, yeah?" he replied coyly. "She said you knew something about the eggs."

Cedric grinned as he swam up between Harry's legs. He came to a stop, their noses nearly touching.

"Enough talk."

With that, he pressed his lips against Harry's, and the rest of the world melted away.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Kill the spare, Wormtail!"

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"And this is my son, Cedric."
~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"But we don't blame you at all, dear," Mrs. Diggory offered softly.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Harry wailed, their sweat-slicked bodies sliding together with a delightful friction.

"Oh, sweet Merlin!"

"Are you okay?" Cedric asked breathlessly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm fine," Harry panted. "I love the feeling of you."

"Oh, Gods, Harry, I love you so much!"

He continued to bury himself into Harry, carefully, gently.

Harry's response was drowned out in a series of simultaneous gasps and moans as they both reached release.

Rain pelted the windows of their rented room at The Hog's Head as Harry released the pitted metal bars of their bed's headboard.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"He's safe now, Harry. He's safe."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

Harry pushed against the heavy doors to the Infirmary. They refused to budge.

"You shouldn't go in there," Dumbledore whispered, a thin hand clamping down on his shoulder. It was amazing how much power coursed through the old Wizard's fingers.

"But I need to," he answered thinly. His own voice seemed to be coming from a million miles away.

"Albus," Molly offered softly, "Perhaps it's for the best. Not the time for logic and reason, is it?"

Harry spun about, startled at the sound of her voice.

Molly stood there in her old baby blue housecoat, Ginny hugging her tightly. Arthur stared at the floor, just behind her, flanked by Ron and Bill. The Twins leaned against each other, their faces horribly pale in stark contrast to the bright Gryffindor colors painted on them. Hermione threaded herself through the Weasleys, her eyes red and wet.

"He needs to see. To know, Albus," Molly murmured, her voice wavering. "He needs......"

Harry stared up at his Headmaster.

Dumbledore considered for a moment before nodding slightly. With a minute wave of one hand, the double doors to the Infirmary clicked and bumped open.

Harry started moving. He was vaguely aware that Dumbledore was speaking, but he couldn't hear him.

All was silent. Total, complete, silence.

He moved through the doorway, walking slowly down the wide aisle. Empty beds with crisp, white sheets were on either side of him. There was a covered shape on the last bed on the left. A small tensor lamp on a side table next to that bed was the only illumination in the entire infirmary. The night outside was perfectly cloudless, and the huge, arched windows at the end of the large room were awash with bright, twinkling stars.

Harry noticed that Amos was standing next to Cedric's bed. He looked up with a jerk as Poppy moved swiftly from Amos' side. She met him as he was still a few feet away. Cedric looked so peaceful.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Poppy said softly. "You can't be here right now."

"It's fine, Madam P, really," Amos croaked out, his voice rough and weak.

Amos shuffled towards Harry, his eyes red and wild, his face drawn and incredibly pale.

"It's fine."

Amos grabbed Harry, pulling him into a suffocating embrace.

"Thank you for bringing my Ced home. Thank you for bringing him home to me."

Poppy gasped, covering her mouth with a shaking hand.

"He was so very happy. Because of you, Harry. You made my boy so very happy."

Harry felt as if his lungs were about to burst. His brain was suddenly swimming, throbbing, as if it were bouncing about the inside of his skull. Amos released him, clapping him on the shoulder as he shambled out of the Infirmary. Harry sucked in deep breaths of air, wobbling slightly.

Poppy moved in and hugged him tightly, giving him a soft kiss on the forehead. She ran her hand through his hair, sniffling loudly as she moved away. Harry stood there, gathering his strength. He glanced to his left at the form lying on the bed under the thin sheet.

It was him.

What was left of him, anyway.

Harry didn't recall how he ended up sitting next to Cedric. Or how he slowly reached out to lay a hesitant finger on Cedric's cheek. He was as beautiful as he had been the first time. And every time after that. He had no idea how long he sat there, blinking away the tears.

And then he leaned down, leaving a tentative kiss on Cedric's forehead.

Cold.

His love was so very cold.

But he held him anyway.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"And that one, the big puffy one just there, that one looks like a Chinese Fireball. See?"

Cedric pointed at the collection of fat, lazy clouds moving across the electric blue summer sky. Harry leaned back against Cedric's chest, craning his neck up so that he could see the indicated cloud.

He watched it for many moments, comfortable and content in Cedric's arms. A warm breeze ran through the leaves of the larch tree that they were sitting under. He nuzzled his head against Cedric's cheek.

"Naw, that's not a Chinese Fireball, Ced," he offered playfully. "I think it looks more like Madam Pince."

"What? Are you daft? It most certainly....."

Harry looked up. Cedric was frowning.

"I don't know why I even bother sometimes," he pouted. "You never take me seriously."

Harry giggled as he watched Cedric attempt to school his features. He failed miserably, his hurt, prideful expression melting away almost instantly.

"It's quite clearly a Chinese Fireball. Any fool can see that."

Harry shifted and turned around, kneeling between Cedric's legs. He leaned in, gently kissing his cheek.

"Well, that makes two of us then," he whispered into Cedric's ear.

Cedric wrapped his strong arms about him, sitting up and pulling them tightly together. Their lips connected, and they kissed passionately. The sounds of the summer's day slowly faded away as Harry slid down onto the soft grass, pulling Cedric with him. Harry's foot jostled their broomsticks, which were leaning against the tree trunk. As Cedric licked and nibbled at his neck, he watched as the brooms began to topple over.

The two Firebolts fell, in slow motion, hitting the ground simultaneously with a soft whump.

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"I love you, Harry."

"Me too, Ced."

~~;@ ~~;@ ~~;@

"Hey, are you right, babe?"

Harry blinked, quickly swimming back up to the reality of his present.

He took a deep breath, suddenly sitting up in his favourite squishy armchair by the fireplace. A huge fire blazed in the hearth. Harry looked about dazedly, finally recognizing their sitting room at Godric's Hollow. A faint rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. There was a moment's pause as lightning flashed beyond the leaded glass windows.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied wearily, rubbing his eyes. "The storms always remind me, I guess."

Ron leaned in, cupping his lover's cheek gently.

"I know. That's why I let you alone. Thought you could use the nap."

Ron flashed a wan grin and left a fleeting kiss on Harry's forehead.

Harry nodded, grabbing at the half-empty glass of vodka on the small table next to his chair.

"Sure, sure. Just what I needed," he murmured, taking sizable gulp. He formulated his best smile.

Ron nodded, standing up.

"Well, Draco and Blaise will be here any minute. And I'm sure my Mum, Hermione and Seamus will probably jump the gun too."

He paused a moment, staring at Harry intently.

"Are you sure you're ready to handle this? We don't have to do it now. We could wait a few months, so, you know, it wasn't, well, now."

Harry hoisted himself up from his chair.

"it's okay. I'm fine," he tailed off as the lightning flashed again. "It's fine. I think we've waited long enough."

Ron sighed, moving across the sitting room to draw Harry up in a tight embrace.

"I just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better. To make you forget."

Harry sniffed, burying his head into his fianc�e's chest.

"But I don't want to forget. I never want to forget. I don't think its supposed to work that way."

Ron sighed again, nuzzling Harry's cheek.

"I suppose you're right. I just want...."

"What?"

"Nothing, babe, nothing."

Harry sniffed.

"I've let him go, Ronnie. It's been over ten years, but the hole is still there. And it always will be. No matter what I do, I can't fill that void. So the pain will never go away. I just have to deal with it. It doesn't mean that I don't love you. You have to know that, right?"

Ron grinned. "I know. I just hate feeling so helpless when you get like this."

"It's the way it's supposed to be. And you do more for me than...I'd be lost with out you, ya big git."

They held each other for long moments, silent.

Suddenly, the flames in the hearth turned green.

"Shite, they're here," Ron blustered, his eyes wide.

Harry paled "I, um, need a few minutes, please?"

"Sure. I'll handle the infidels." Ron leaned down, giving him a swift kiss.

Harry whirled about, quickly leaving the sitting room, the lumps already rising in his throat. As he mounted the stairs, he heard Draco clucking loudly about the floo residue. At the landing, he made a sharp left into the small room they used as an office. He slammed the door and quickly moved over to the computer desk. The Muggle contraption hummed away to itself, as always.

Harry sat down in the chair, blowing out a deep breath. He flipped on the small desk lamp, adjusting the shade and turning to gaze out the nearby window.

He fingered the silver engagement ring Ron had given him that morning. It was a beautiful piece of work, hand made with lovely, intricately carved lions and both of their intials in a beautiful, flowing Celtic script.

He turned it over and over on his finger. It was what he had always wanted. He and Ron had travelled such a long and winding road together. The War had taken so much from them, and miraculously, they had both survived, the Fates giving them another chance to make things right.

He loved Ron with all his heart; he knew deep down that he always had. He couldn't imagine any sort of life without him, his brave, fiery redhead. And Ron had waited, nearly five years all told, before offering the ring and proposing over their morning tea and croissants.

He'd said yes immediately, happy yet intensely sad at the same time. They'd both cried tears of joy like a pair of emotional teenagers, holding each other tightly in their tiny kitchen.

And then all the memories had filled his mind, flooding him with visons of Cedric. He had long since dealt with the guilt he felt over Cedric's murder, but no matter how hard he tried, the black, overwhelming sense of loss always seemed to overpower the happy memories, drawing him deeply into that yawning, howling void.

It was so awful, so tragic, so bloody unfair that Cedric was taken from them; his parents had never been the same afterward, either. Harry had used his grief and pain, channeling it into sheer, unadaultered hatred for the one who had taken such a warm, caring soul so frivolously.

The last thing Pettigrew heard before Harry consigned him to oblivion was Cedric's name...

And now their closest friends were here for a small celebration of their engagement.

Voices wafted up to him from downstairs.

He smiled as he made out the muffled tones of the usual, macho banter between Draco and Ron. And the predictable interjection from Hermoine, always the mediator. And by the pops and crackles emanating through the floorboards, it sounded as if George had crashed the party. No doubt Molly was already banging about the kitchen, pots and dishes flying to and fro in a frenzy of prepartion. And Seamus would be rooting through their rather paltry collection of liquors.

He smiled, supremely thankful to have such a wonderful, loving 'family'. He had Ron to thank for that also, for giving him the one thing he had never had while growing up.

And he was going to be a true Weasley now, and that was perfectly fine.

The Potter name would end with him, and hopefully, so would a dark page in history.

After a time, he reached out, picking up a small framed picture next to the computer.

Cedric grinned crookedly, his auburn hair sufficiently mussed. He rolled his eyes, mouthing the words 'C'mon, Harry' over and over.

"I wish you were here right now," Harry murmured softly. "Just so I could say...so you would know..."

Lightning flashed again, with the thunder very close behind, rattling the window panes. The room was awash in shadows.

One of them moved.

"Love you, Ced," Harry whispered, rubbing a thumb across the face in the snapshot. "Always will."

The shadow bent down, enveloping him.

Yeah, I know, Harry, I know.

~fin~

-- for Gina
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A Blunt Blade, Twisted