Title: A Place in Displacement Requestor: idea_of_sarcasm Author/Artist: Rating: R Pairing: Katie Bell/Cedric Diggory Summary: In dark times, we all need something to look forward to. Warnings (if any): None. Author's Notes: Well I hope you enjoy this, a new pairing for me, but one that I think I could really like! Much thanks of course to my beta, who makes things make much more sense.
"A Place In Displacement"
She padded across the bathroom floor, the tiles cool beneath her feet, her toes curling slightly as they reacted to it. Sitting on the edge of the bath, she replaced the plug, and started the taps. Wishing to herself that she had bubbles or something, the charm escaping her at that time. The hot water however would be a welcome change from the coolness of the air. No matter it being the depth of summer, she couldn't find any warmth.
As the bath slowly filled, she stood in front of the mirror; inspecting herself. This was who she was, she was letting herself out now, this person staring back at her. The mask had come off; she could allow herself to be someone she couldn't be in front of them. They couldn't see this, there was no way they could see who she really was. Oh, they knew who she was, she couldn't have come here and pretended to be someone else. They might not be the smartest wizards in the world, but they weren't stupid. The first meeting had gone long past one hour, and they had ways of seeing past glamour charms and such. So they knew who she was, they just didn't see that she was still who she used to be.
Strong, determined, and with a will all of her own. Katie had walked in down below, looking for a job, looking for anything that would make it possible for her to survive. Knowing fully what they would have wanted her to do --- she wasn't blind. Her blonde hair, her height, her figure; there was only one position they intended for her to have. She danced. Every night she pretended to be someone else, someone without a thought in the world, other than moving to the beat. Swinging her hips to the left, to the right, pulling their eyes to somewhere they went all too easily.
It didn't come easily, moving like this, encouraging them to think about her that way. Growing up she was always taught to respect herself, and never give anyone an opportunity to treat her the way she was allowing them tonow. She shut those feelings out, she had a goal, a purpose; those such thoughts would just disrupt her plans. To insert herself, to incorporate herself into their world. She was the Order's ears and their eyes; she had too many people counting on her to let them down by just quitting now. Her strength and her determination were going to get her through this.
Katie gritted her teeth every time one of them touched her, as if they had the right. She never gave them her body, though they thought they could have her. She was forever on high alert in case one of them decided to push the limits, heading into no-mans land. No-mans land for them. To them she was purely a dancer, someone moving bonelessly to their music. Her ears were forever open, flipping from conversation to conversation, taking in every bit of information she could get.
These were not good men, nor were they just misunderstood. They were firmly entrenched with the Dark Lord, and his followers. They were on the fringes of the Death Eaters, never acting, but always there, willing and able. How they liked to brag about their miniscule involvement. How many men, or women they had tortured, raped, and killed? It was one giant pissing contest. What she heard was all one-upmanship, a real load of bullshit. Occasionally, without knowing it, they would pass on something useful. Something they didn't even realise, maybe they weren't even supposed to know, but now she knew, and she could tell the real heroes.
Days had gone by so slowly at the beginning; as she adapted to her new surroundings, it started to go a little more quickly. She didn't like it, she never could, but she adjusted, and just counted down the time till these moments. Where she could be alone be herself. They didn't come often enough, so she grabbed them and savoured them while she could. She would, most of the time, just sit to herself, and dream. Dream of what could be, what would be. She would think of them, wondering what they were doing then at that moment. Wondering if they were thinking of her, and if they were, what it was that they were thinking. If they wondered whether she was okay, if she was surviving. Katie had no doubt that they had their own ways of knowing, whether it be by spying or some other way; and if something was drastically wrong they would be here in a heartbeat, or as soon as they could.
It was hard not to be bitter, there were days when she felt like packing her meager things and leaving. Just walking down those stairs, out that door, and never looking back. Sometimes she got as far as placing her bag on her bed, and opening the cupboard, ready to remove her things. Each time she stopped, thought of all the people who wanted her here, and she stopped. She knew they would understand if she left here, they might not like her leaving the job unfinished, but as she chose to come here; she could also choose when she left. She never did, though.
Every time the will to leave overcame her, she just thought of what she was working for, what they all were working for. Freedom. Not that little slip of freedom they had indulged in before he returned: complete, and utter freedom. What they had before was nothing like what they would have when successful. She could do whatever she liked; she could leave this place and never look back. When she wanted to go, that's what she clung to. Knowing what she could have when she left; knowing who she could have. That's what pulled her through, thinking of him.
Katie crossed back to the bath, turning the taps off. Shedding her robe, she placed it over the back of the chair, and then slipped into the hot water, hissing slightly as the temperature shocked her cold limbs.
As she relaxed in the tub, she closed her eyes and imagined she was somewhere else. Somewhere where the grime wasn't caked on the walls; where the light wasn't artificial, somewhere that was home. It came all too easily, she could hear their laughter, the joy that was rare and fleeting in these times was natural, and not forced. She imagined she was home, and with home, came him.
She could see him pottering around his tiny flat in London, opening cupboards, and then pushing it all back in as it all threatened to fall upon him. Organised chaos was what he liked to call it, she thought it was all just a giant mess, but it was him, everything about it was him. Katie had loved nothing more than being there with him, watching him live, doing the things that he would do if she wasn't there. Cedric pretended not to be self-conscious, but as he washed the dishes in the sink, or went over paperwork for the Order; he would push his hair back, or chew his bottom lip slightly. He wasn't shy by any stretch of the imagination though, he just found all the attention distracting.
If she hadn't been keen on coming here, it was nothing compared to his reaction. As soon as the plan was first put forth, he had been enraged. It was a crazy plan, she would only be hurt, or worse, killed. Even if it wasn't her she that went, it was still lunacy to send someone at all. Cedric had been horrified when she had agreed to it, turning to her and looking at her like he'd never seen her before. It had taken her some fast talking, and most of that night to convince him that she could handle it, and that nothing could go wrong.
The week before she went passed in a blur, as herarely let her out of his sight; not that she had minded at all. They spent most of the time at his flat, moving between the living area and the bedroom, the time broken up by the times she had to go to briefing sessions, and shopping. Ordinarily a shopping trip in the middle of all this chaos would have been welcomed, a chance to escape for just a little while; but with what she was shopping for, and what she was sacrificing for it, she much rathered not having to. She would have preferred being with Cedric savouring the small amount of time they had left together.
It wasn't like they were completely separated, there were random bits of time, when he would Apparate directly to her, and they could spend an hour, or maybe even two together. There was never a set amount of time they had together, nor was it ever routine. They were careful, they did nothing that could alert the men who lived around her that a member of the Order, their mortal enemy, was in their midst. The risks for both of them were much too high, and neither of them wanted to bear the consequences. For Katie, right now, it felt like an age since she had seen, felt, and breathed with him.
She dreamed of him most nights, and the life they would lead once they were free from the doom that overshadowed now. They were married, with one or two kids; it was something she had come to long for. Katie pictured them happy, she saw those days when they aggravated each other, fighting over stupid things, doing ordinary things. Being ordinary, not being scared or anxious over what was to come, she wanted that now. Instead they had this: tiny moments, fleeting touches. It wasn't enough. Not nearly, not by half. It seemed all she did was wait for him to return, with news for her, and for her having news to pass to him in return.
She wore a necklace, nothing overtly flashy, rather simple. It was always on, when she danced, while she slept, while she was waiting. Every now and then it would warm slightly, and she knew. He was coming. She didn't know when, all she knew was that sometime in the next few hours, he would be there; and for a few hours she could return to her world.
It had happened earlier, while she was downstairs. Now all afternoon she had waited for him. He wouldn't come before dark. Katie really had no clue at all when he would come, so all she could do was wait. She had busied herself by cleaning her little flat; she had tried to read. It seemed the only thing that made her truly relax was a bath. She would shut off the lights, light one or two candles, and would sink into the tub and drift away.
Every time before he was due, she found her thoughts wandering to what they would do when they were reunited, what they had done when they'd been together before. Only seeing each other once every few weeks if they were lucky, had only strengthened their relationship. The connection between them was stronger now than it had ever been, leading to reunions that kept her warm many nights awaiting the next one. The last time he had been there now lingered in her mind, taunting her with the possibility of what was to come.
The wait between the time previously, and to the present had been the longest they had endured yet. Attacks and fighting had been steadily rising; it was at its worst at that time, he had been barely able to come at all, but they had persisted. Good for morale, he had told her before he left. Katie had hoped that it was only his morale that he was referring to.
She had known he was coming, her handy reminder letting her know well ahead of time. Cedric however, still managed to catch her by surprise. She had stood on the threadbare mat in her bathroom, drying herself, when he came up behind her. He had murmured a quick hello, before taking the towel out of her hands and taking over the job himself. Cedric hadn't left a part of her skin unattended as he ran the towel over her, as with painstaking detail he had ensured that she was dry.
Katie had watched as he knelt in front of her, moving the towel down her legs. Then lifting first one foot, then the other and drying her feet thoroughly. Maybe it was because he'd never paid much attention to her feet in the past, or it was a direct effect of being alone and apart for so long; but the gentle attention he was giving her toes had left her quivering and rather unsteady on her other foot. As he stood, he had placed lingering kisses against her thighs, her stomach, and her breasts before they were at eye level. She usually liked to take her time to breathe him in again, but she had no patience for that that tonight.
All but throwing herself at him, she had wrapped herself around him. Cedric had fallen against the wall behind him, his arms suddenly filled with her naked self. It had taken all of one short second for him to take advantage of his sudden windfall. Katie had thought she had regained the upper hand, but like so many times before it, one kiss from Cedric, one caress, and she was butter in his hands. His hands were not idle, touching every bit of skin they could reach, alternating between firm and gentle. She could barely think straight, not that she wanted to do. Just being in his arms again was enough to make her head spin. His touch was lighting a fire that she was quite content to let burn, and when his lips joined in, she gave up trying to retain a sliver of self awareness.
When he realised that her pokey little bathroom wasn't the right place, he started walking them both into her bedroom. While being carried the short distance, Katie had busied herself with removing his clothing. It was an awkward task, being carried, and draped all over him. All she had managed was to tug his jumper up and off, before being dropped onto her bed. She had moved onto the bed as he began to remove his remaining clothes. As much as she liked to watch him slowly unravelling in front of her, revealing what she was aching to see. He was too slow about it, and the self-satisfied smirk he wore as he did it, well, she just wanted to wipe it off his face, and move onto more pressing matters.
Reaching across to the table beside her bed, she grabbed her wand and solved her predicament. The smirk had disappeared for a moment, before the smile turned into that of a predator. He was upon her in seconds, pressing her into the mattress. Katie had reacted instantaneously, her ankles wrapping around his, locking their bodies together. Cupping her face he had kissed her, and as always it felt like he was trying to become part of her. It almost felt though there was no way he could get deep enough. He invaded her, and it wasn't enough. Wrapping her fingers through his hair, she gave as good as she got. Their questing tongues, exploring at will, left no bit untouched.
When breathing became necessary she pulled back, gasping against her pillow, drawing in deep breaths as he continued. She directed his wandering lips to where she wanted them most. His hands had cupped her breasts, his fingers brushing her erect nipples slowly, his lips burning a trail towards them. As his lips finally met her breasts, his hands left them, moving down, as he took a nipple between his teeth, applying just enough pressure, blurring the line between pleasure and pain. His tongue brushed softly against the hardened tip.
An insistent hand was moving down her stomach, so caught up was she in other sensations that she barely noticed its movement till it rested between her legs, pressing her thighs apart. Letting go of his ankles, she placed the soles of her feet on the bed, cradling his hips between her thighs. Keeping one hand resting next to her on the bed, he began stroking her inner thigh. Her sensitised flesh, inches away from his fingers, was aching for his hand to go just a few centimetres further, but he didn't. Slow, even movements, going close, but never close enough. Her head fell back against the pillow with a groan of exasperation; the soft chuckle she heard in reply tested the last shred of patience that she was grasping.
Taking hold of his hand, she put it right where she wanted it. Running along her slick folds, his fingers pressing more into her on each stroke, finding her throbbing clit, making her arch off the bed from the pressure he applied. He began circling it, all the while whispering to her, telling her how much he'd missed her, all the wicked things he'd thought of doing to her, and how he planned to do as many of them as possible in the short time they could share. The combination was driving her closer to the edge; she just needed more. Groaning intelligibly as his fingers worked her to her peak, he upped the pressure, moving it in opposing directions.
Katie could feel it, just there, coming closer with every stroke, every brush of his fingernail over the sensitive flesh, when he removed his hand. Enough of that, he said, and with one smooth movement buried himself inside her to the limit. Cedric didn't move, leaning over her, he was breathing deeply, his eyes closed. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she pulled him down into her, sweeping her legs down, keeping him wrapped in her.
Too long, he whispered to her, as she pressed kisses over his chest, all that she could reach. Nodding her head in agreement, Katie lifted her hips slightly, you're here now love.
Kissing her deeply, he began moving inside her. Slow, smooth strokes touching the very core of her. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she moved her hips in counterpoint to his. She could see it in his eyes: he wanted this to last, gritting his teeth, his hands gripping the sheets on either side of her. She wanted it to last, but she also wanted him to lose control. To let go.
Raising herself up on her elbows, taking a earlobe between her teeth, fuck me, she whispered as she bit down. With a primitive growl, she was pushed back down, and he started moving in earnest. His cock hitting her deeper, she couldn't keep up with him --- all she could do was hang on. The pressure building up as he moved inside her, nonsensical words were tumbling from her lips, her hands gripping whatever part of him she could.
Then it began, her walls started convulsing around him; the sensations sweeping over her. From her toes to the tips of her fingers she felt it, and watching Cedric follow her moments later only intensified it. This was their moment.
He turned them, lying down on his side, pulling her languid form against his. Worth the wait? With her hand resting on his chest, feeling his heart beat rapidly beneath it, burrowing her head under his chin, she replied, absolutely.
They had spent the rest of the evening telling each other all relevant information. Then spending the rest of it wrapped up in each other, listening to the rain banging on her window. It always seem to come too soon, the time when he had to go. Somehow the time they spent together, made the first few hours, as the days went by, longer and so much harder. Her resolve strengthened in those hours, her will for this to work.
He would be here soon, and for a few hours she would forget that world that lived outside her door. She would lose herself in the arms of the one she loved.