My Love Affair with Cedric Diggory

[oakstone730]

I love Cedric Diggory.

His character was marginalized by JKR, but I don't fault her for this, the characters that she created are all wonderful and unique, but she couldn't possibly flesh out everyone. Fortunately we have the fandom to do it for us.

Here are some of the Cedric-centric stories I've come across.

Touching the Sky by florahart - lovely Cedric/Charlie story. She starts us at the beginning, in Ottery St. Catchpole with a very young Cedric and wonderful, carefree Charlie.

It was within by Twinsuns - This story represents Cedric so well. It is a gen-fic that just gives lovely insights into who Cedric was as a boy on the verge of manhood.

Not Yet by Dazzledfirestar - Cedric/Oliver - Just a little snippet of a story that has you wondering what happened between the two of them that makes Oliver yearn to join Cedric twenty years later.

I've posted four Cedric-centric stories and drabbles myself. Having had to follow canon and kill off Cedric in two of my stories, I am determined to write an AU where he lives.

Beyond the Words (Cedric, Luna, Harry/Draco - Drabble)

Last Dance (Charlie/Cedric, 8,400 words)

Dragonlover (Charlie/Cedric - Drabble)

Finally, my Harry/Draco story book, Twist of Fate, actually started with this conversation between Harry and Cedric. I never intended it to be a hp/dm story when I wrote it: in September, 2011 I had just started reading slash Harry stories and it got me wondering what it would be like for Harry Potter to go through the realization that he is gay, and hoping he would have had someone to help him/support him through this journey. That is where the story of Twist begins:

1994, Quidditch World Cup

"Harry, I was going out for a walk to look around, want to come with?" Cedric Diggory, the 6th year Hufflepuff, stood before Harry in the tent that they were staying at for the Quidditch World Cup. Surprised, Harry looked around. Ron and Hermione were playing wizard chess, Mr Weasley and Cedric's father were discussing politics.

"Um, sure." Harry set down the latest issue of Quidditch Today he'd been reading. Although he knew Cedric from school, he and the other boy had never spent any time together. Cedric was the Hufflepuff Team Captain that had beaten him last year. Cedric held open the tent flap and they both stepped outside. Cedric turned to the left and started walking down the lane between all of the tents. Now that night had fallen many of the tents had campfires burning near their tents. Harry had never been Muggle camping, but he was pretty sure that campfires usually weren't purple, green, blue and the other colors that were sending rainbow colored sparks brightly into the night sky.

Harry looked curiously over at the tall figure walking quietly beside him. Harry had often watched the Hufflepuffs practice and knew he was an excellent Seeker. The boy's curly hair fell over his eyes and he restlessly pushed it back with his fingers.

"So, where are we going?" Harry asked at last. He was glad for the chance to wander through the campground and see all of the wizards gathered from around the world, but Cedric didn't appear to be looking around at all. He seemed lost in his own thoughts as they slowly made their way through the campground.

Cedric looked up and noticed for the first time they had left the tents behind and were on a small path. "Oh, nowhere I guess." He stopped walking and Harry stopped to, puzzled. "I wanted to ask you a question or tell you something, I think is more the thing."

Harry felt the first flicker of alarm, "A question about me?" He looked over at Cedric. Although he still didn't like it, he had grown reluctantly used to people asking him for autographs, which he always refused. Why would anyone need his autograph? Or for favors, or questions about Voldemort. Cedric hadn't seemed the type but Harry guessed he'd been wrong about him.

Cedric nodded back towards the camp and looked at Harry, "I imagine it is hard, always living your life in the full view of everyone. Every move you make, people notice." Harry nodded, slowly, this was nothing new. He somehow didn't think he was going to like the question that the Hufflepuff was going to ask him.

Cedric looked straight at Harry. "I noticed that when you were looking at Quidditch Today you weren't exactly reading the articles, like most blokes do."

Harry took a step back, that definitely was not what he had anticipated. "I read the articles!"

Cedric gave a half smile "You look at it the same way I do, more for the pictures than the articles." Before Harry could think of a response, two wizards came down the path towards, them. "Evening, boys, nice night for a walk, 'eh?"

Cedric looked and saw more people were following the path. "Look, Harry, it isn't a big deal, maybe I'm wrong. I just thought that maybe if I was right that you might want to have someone to talk to about it. If you want to go back to camp that is fine. But if you want to talk, we can find someplace quiet."

Harry looked down at a tuft of grass and kicked it with the heel of his foot, stalling while he decided what to do. The noise from the camp, excited chatter and laughter seemed far removed now from where they were standing. He looked back at the path to the camp and then finally over at Cedric. The tall Hufflepuff stood there, waiting for Harry's answer. Harry was tempted to say that they should just go back but he had needed someone to talk to about this for too long. There were so many questions in his head and nowhere to go to find the answers.

Hesitantly, he said, "We could walk on a bit farther, I guess." Cedric gave him a smile and nodded. They started walking down the path into the grove of trees that surrounded the campground. "I think there is a clearing through here..." They walked on and soon came to a meadow. Cedric looked around carefully "I don't think there is anyone here..." and without ceremony he sat down in the middle of the field. After a moment's hesitation Harry sat down next to him.

Away from all of the campfires, Harry could see all the stars filling the sky with pinpricks of light. "Can you believe I never saw the night sky until I went to Hogwarts?"

"You never went camping or anything with your folks...Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry. Harry. I really forgot who I was with..." Cedric sat upright, embarrassed. "I'm-"

"No, it's okay. I understand, I grew up living with my aunt and uncle, they're Muggles. And definitely not interested in camping or anything like it." Harry was glad that Cedric had made the slip, it confirmed to him that Cedric wasn't interested in 'Harry Potter', and all the attention the name gathered.

Silence filled the space between them, in the far off distance Harry could hear the cheers and shouting. Harry knew that Cedric was waiting for him to say something. He wasn't sure how to start the topic up again. He hadn't dared to tell anyone, not even Ron and Hermione, his secret. That Cedric had guessed was disturbing. He started to say something and then stopped, restlessly he pulled up blades of grass and tore them into pieces.

Cedric said quietly, "I realized I was gay during my third year at Hogwarts. I couldn't fool myself into thinking that maybe it was just some phase I was going through that I noticed all the guys in my class but hardly any of the girls."

Nervously, Harry continued to tear the grass blades into tiny pieces. "How did you feel? When you realized it?" He didn't look over at the other boy, staring down at the small pile of torn grass he was making.

"Relief, I guess," Cedric said with a sigh, "I had never been interested in talking about what girl had the biggest boobs or the best ass. I never wanted to do those things and I thought there was something wrong with me. Suddenly everything made sense and it was a relief to me."

"How many people know?" Harry asked hesitantly, "Do you tell people that you are, erm, gay?"

"Do I walk up to people and say 'Hi, I'm Cedric, I'm gay'?" Cedric chuckled, "No, but I don't keep it a secret either. My family and friends know and I'm guessing many of my classmates know or at least suspect. My teammates know and I'd have to guess that with 90 percent of them it doesn't make a difference."

Cedric lay back in the grass and stared up at the sky. After a moment's hesitation, Harry lay down on the grass next to him. He shifted uncomfortably against the hard ground, staring up at the sky. He didn't know what question to ask next.

"Harry, let's just talk hypothetically, I think you would feel more comfortable with that." Cedric paused but Harry didn't stop him, "Hypothetically, if you were gay, I know it would be tougher on you than anyone else I know. You get a lot of attention focused on you. Everyone knows who you are and want to know what you are doing. But I thought that maybe, knowing that you weren't alone, that there was someone you could talk to if you need to, would help."

"That ten percent, that do care that you are gay, how do they treat you?" Harry asked, his eyes were focused on the faint trail of a satellite's illuminated path traveling across the arc of the sky.

"They behave like dicks, won't shower when I'm in the locker room. One tried to hex me and keeps saying dumb comments. But I know it is their problem, not mine. I don't have a problem with who I am."

Harry took a deep breath and asked the question that he had been wanting to ask, "What made you think that I might be...like you?"

Harry could hear Cedric's smile in his voice as he answered "Afraid you might be emitting a gay signal? Nah, I just notice things more than most people. I saw you looking at the photographs of the Quidditch players a bit longer than some people would. When we were walking through the camp you were looking at the guys rather than some of the very attractive girls we were passing by."

As easy as that, Harry thought. He felt a flash of anger rip through his body. Anyone could have guessed. Some of the rage he had been feeling all summer bubbled to the surface. He spent all of his time trying to fit in at school. He didn't need another reason for people to gossip about him. Unable to stay laying down he restlessly sat up and folded his elbows on his knees, laying his head in the fold of his arms. Cedric sat up too, "How old are you, Harry? Fourteen? Fifteen?"

"Fourteen, just turned." Harry said, not lifting his head up.

"Does anyone know, uh, hypothetically? Do you have anyone you can talk to about it?"

"I think we can abandon the hypothetical," Harry said with a sigh, "No, no one knows. I have a godfather, but he has his own worries right now. I can't bother him with this. I've been trying to get up the nerve to tell Ron and Hermione, but I thought that maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was just..."

"Going through a phase?" Cedric smiled, "Sounds pretty familiar to me. These kind of phases last a lifetime. Trust your friends, Harry. It is part of who you are, a significant part. If they object then it is better to know sooner rather than later. Somehow, I don't think that it will be an issue with those two though."

Harry contemplated, "Do you, what do you call it? Date anyone?"

"I have a boyfriend, Simon. He graduated this last spring. We thought he would be able to make it here but he couldn't get off of work." He hesitated and seemed to understand the question that Harry wanted to ask next but couldn't ask.

"We've been together for a year. We dated in school but weren't that open about it. Not because we were ashamed or anything, just that it isn't our style to snog in the hallways."

Harry stopped breathing for a second. For all the time he had spent in the last few months thinking about his "other problem" (his main problem being Voldemort) he hadn't once thought what it would be like to kiss a boy. His mind was filled suddenly with the image of Cedric kissing some faceless boy in the hallways of Hogwarts. The image suddenly switched to Harry kissing a faceless boy in the Potions room. He scrambled quickly to his feet, trying to shake the image from his head.

Cedric slowly stood up too, he reached out and put one arm on Harry's shoulder. "It's getting late and you probably have had more than you can handle for one night. If you ever want to ask questions or just talk, let me know. You can trust me not to tell anyone, but I think you should tell Ron and Hermione. It will feel a lot better once you aren't keeping it bottled up inside."

Harry nodded, "Thanks, Cedric. For everything. I didn't know what I was going to do..."

"I'm glad I said something, I almost didn't, afraid I might be wrong. Then I remembered what it felt like to be in your shoes at thirteen and thought I would take a chance. I could have used a friend who understood what I was going through back then."

They turned back towards the path that lead to the campground. Harry was surprised to realize how late it was, the campfires had been put out and most of the campground had settled down for the night. Neither of them spoke during the walk. Harry was lost in his own thoughts.

They reached the Weasley's tent. Hesitantly, Harry held out his hand, and Cedric shook it with a smile. "Remember, Harry, you can come to me anytime you want to talk." Harry nodded and pulled back the tent flap and went inside. Everyone had already gone to sleep. He quietly made his way to the cot set up for him next to Ron.

"Whereyoubeen..." Ron asked sleepily when Harry accidentally bumped into his cot as he tried to slip past it.

"Just out in a field, watching the stars." Harry said as he lay down on the cot and stared up at the tent ceiling. It was strange how just knowing one other person who was like him made a difference. He turned on his side and slept for the first restful night's sleep he'd had in weeks.

Comments

[omi-ohmy.livejournal.com]

I love the way your write Cedric, and his role in Twist of Fate is wonderful - his character stayed with me for a long time after I read the fic. In fact, your Cedric never fails to make me sigh with feels. I love that you have this passion for the character, and the way in which it percolates through your writing.

Cedric is, of course, an interesting character in hiw own right. I remember reading GoF, and Cedric's death being deeply shocking. It showed that JKR was serious about her story, and it marks a real turning point for Harry - it's the moment Voldemort becomes real, more than any flesh, blood or snake.

I haven't read any of the Cedric-centric fics you rec, so thank you for the recs. :)

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

We all need more Cedric in our lives!

[capitu]

I'm so in love with your Cedric from ToF! I'm like 3/4 of it now! (so good!)

Have you read Title: The little death by pauraque (Viktor/Cedric)? It's really good, too.

I'm keeping your recs on my to read list. :) Thank you, bb.

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the rec, I have read The Little Death but have mixed-feelings about it--it is brilliant and disturbing, to me. That Cedric is so different that my vision of Cedric that it jars, but still a lovely story.

So glad that you are still liking Twist.