Entry tags:

fic, nc-17, percy/cedric, percy/harry, slash

A gift for nqdonne!
Title: Once Upon a Time
Author: TBA
Giftee: nqdonne
Pairings: Harry/Percy, Percy/Cedric
Rating: NC17
Word Count: ~7700
Warnings: wanking, blow jobs, frottage, first time, a smidgen of dirty talk
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Harry persuades Percy to tell him about the first bloke Percy loved.
Author's Notes: I really enjoyed trying to work in many requests as possible into this fic. I hope this is sufficiently smutty and not too much of an established relationship for you, nqdonne, and that you enjoy reading. :-)



i. Prelude

Boxing Day, they decided, would be a day for the two of them. Between the whisky and the fire and the relief at having survived the hubbub of another Christmas at the Weasleys', Harry was feeling relaxed, almost playful, when he asked Percy, "Who was your first love? I promise I won't go all jealous on you or anything, I'm just curious; want to hear you tell me about it."

Percy's arm tightened around Harry's shoulders. "It was so long ago..." He took another deep gulp of his whisky.

"It can't have been so very long, unless you fell in love when you were three. You're not that much older than I am," Harry pointed out. He took Percy's right hand and brought it to his mouth, using his tongue to trace across the lifeline on Percy's palm. "Come on, tell me about your first time. I'll make it worth your while," he added persuasively, with another lick that caused Percy to shiver against him despite the warmth of the room.

"Cedric Diggory," said Percy. "It was Cedric."

Harry twisted around so that he could look at Percy's face. "Really? I had a terrible crush on him in my fourth year, when we were both in the Triwizard Tournament. I thought he was straight, though; I had no idea that the two of you were ever together."

"Oh, yes." There was a softness around Percy's eyes as he gazed into the fire. "Not many wizarding families around Ottery St. Catchpole, you know, so Cedric came over quite often. He was closer to the twins' age than mine, but he had a lot of spirit, and he wasn't so much into the practical joking and rough-and-tumble sorts of things that they always liked, so he played with me quite a bit when we were little, and even as we grew older." He shrugged. "It was flattering, actually. Fred and George were always so self-sufficient with each other, but Cedric always seemed to look up to me."

"So, what happened?" asked Harry. He stroked Percy's thigh with one hand and raised his drink to his lips with the other, then set the glass aside.

"He was the one who kissed me first," said Percy, bending to put a swift kiss on Harry's forehead. "The summer I was sixteen, so he would've been fifteen, I suppose."

"And? Come on, Perce, details. You're not going to tell me that you don't remember the details."

"What, you want to hear about every bit of snogging and groping we ever did?" Percy laughed, but it sounded forced.

"No, just the highlights. What did the two of you do? You know I never had a chance to do much fooling around during school, always too busy with the whole Boy Who Lived thing." Even after so long, Harry still felt a trickle of resentment at the way those years had been stolen from him. "Did you just snog? Hand jobs, blow jobs, more?"

Percy bit his lip. "More," he said. "But only once. We were going to, at the Quidditch World Cup..."

"You're kidding," interrupted Harry. "At the Quidditch World Cup?"

"Mm-hm," said Percy, nodding. "In the woods, you know?"

"So, tell me what happened." Harry tucked his head under Percy's chin, feeling the rise and fall of Percy's chest against him as Percy began to tell the story.

---

ii. Into the Woods

Percy spent quite some time considering whether he should take the Portkey with the rest of his family, or Apparate. He had been making a point of Apparating everywhere he could, now that he was licensed to do so, but if he took the Portkey he would see Cedric sooner. Then again, was that really a good idea? The other boy was still in school; was it fair to either of them to carry on with this... with whatever it was between them, when they wouldn't be able to see each other again any time soon, not until the Christmas holidays? Percy smiled to himself. Perhaps not quite that long, for if he were lucky Mr. Crouch might have him carry out some of the duties associated with the Triwizard Tournament. But he couldn't tell Cedric that. In the end he decided to Apparate. It seemed more casual, more as if he weren't depending on seeing Cedric.

When he reached the campsite, he was glad to discover that his decision had meant that he would not help have to assist in putting up the tents. His father loved that sort of thing but was hopeless at it; Percy suspected that Harry and Hermione must have helped out a good deal with the process. There was plenty of time to have a cup of tea before the game started, though. After he had drunk one, Percy wandered about the campsite for a short time, shaking his head over the muddled way that the hundreds of tents were scattered about with no attempt at order.

"Percy." Cedric was sitting with his father outside one of the smaller tents. Percy hadn't especially been trying to find the Diggorys, he told himself, but he found that he heard Cedric's voice above all the buzz of activity, and his breath came short. He turned quickly.

"Hello, Cedric. Hello, Mr. Diggory," Percy greeted them.

Cedric caught Percy's eye and gave him a hint of a smile. Percy firmly willed himself not to blush.

"Good to see you, son," said Amos Diggory. "I understand that you've taken up a position with the Ministry?"

"Yes," said Percy with pride. "I'm assistant to Mr. Crouch in the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

Mr. Diggory nodded. "A good position to begin with, very good. I hope Cedric will do as well. Congratulations to you."

"Thank you, sir."

"Want to meet up when the match is over?" asked Cedric.

Percy hesitated. He did want to... perhaps too much. It would be easy to give themselves away, here, but there was really no way that he could say no, not with Cedric's eyes fixed on him like that. "Of course," he said, as enthusiastically as he could to make up for the pause. "Come by my family's tent? Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, we saw it." Cedric smiled a happy smile that made Percy's heart turn over despite himself. "I'll see you afterward then." The smile widened. "Especially if Ireland wins, eh?"

"Of course," Percy assented. "Enjoy the game, Mr. Diggory."

As he turned away he could hear Mr. Diggory and Cedric beginning to discuss the relative merits of the Bulgarian and Irish teams. Percy had never been terribly keen on Quidditch, but years of sharing a room with Oliver Wood, who seemed able to think of little else, had taught Percy more than he had ever hoped to know about the finer points of the game. His brothers had given up on him years before, but Oliver didn't care if Percy was interested or not – he kept talking, regardless.

The match was exciting, Percy had to admit that, and he was certainly pleased when Ireland won. He found his reaction to the Veela interesting; he certainly didn't behave like Ron, who seemed practically ready to jump over the railing to get at the creatures, but he was strangely attracted nonetheless. It was nothing like what he had felt for Penny. That had been mostly just friendship, he had eventually realized, enhanced by a lust that derived more from the fact that he was an adolescent boy than from any genuine attraction to Penny herself. He rather wished that he had realized sooner that he hadn't been messing about with Cedric because Cedric was there and seemed keen to do it, but because it really was blokes he fancied in general, and Cedric in particular. Oh, well. Penny hadn't seemed too unhappy when they had agreed to break it off. She was excited, anticipating her apprenticeship at St. Mungo's, and Percy had been relieved not to have to explain everything to her.

During the madness that followed Ireland's win, it wasn't difficult for Cedric to come up beside Percy as the Weasleys returned to their campsite.

"I've been thinking we should have a private celebration of our own," he said in Percy's ear, not quietly, but the noise around them was so great that no one else could possibly have heard. "You know what I mean?"

Percy struggled not to let the shock and surprise he felt at Cedric's suggestion show on his face. "Are you sure?" he asked Cedric in an undertone.

Cedric nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Everyone's going to be celebrating tonight; no one'll notice if we're gone." Then he flushed. "I brought what we'll need; bought it at a Muggle shop a couple of weeks ago, but there never seemed to be a good chance, back home, since I did."

If Percy had needed persuading that Cedric was serious, that would have convinced him. "Straight north of my family's tents, at the edge of the woods, there's a big oak tree, with a great gash across the bark near the base. Meet me there in an hour?"

"All right." Cedric slipped away.

Despite the commotion, Percy's father insisted that they all go to bed after a mug of hot chocolate.

"I promised Cedric I'd meet him for a few minutes," Percy said, drawing his father aside to speak privately. "Please." He wanted to add, "We might not get a chance to see each other again until the holidays, now that I'm no longer in school," but thought he had better not.

Arthur nodded resignedly. "Since you promised. Not for long, mind."

With a silent sigh of relief that the twins were sufficiently preoccupied not to notice and draw attention to his departure, Percy eased his way out of the tent, walking towards the forest. He was careful not to move too quickly, lest he draw attention to himself from the crowd still awake and celebrating, though he would have liked to run.

By the time he reached the designated oak tree, Cedric was already there, and when he saw Percy a smile lit his face, making a joke of his words: "I'd started to think maybe you weren't coming."

Percy snorted. "You can't believe I'd turn you down." He glanced around. "Let's move a bit further in; there's too many people around."

They went a few dozen yards further into the forest. From here they could still hear the noise of the crowd, but the light from the fires was dim, just enough so that they wouldn't run into a tree or trip over a rock. Percy reached out to Cedric only to find him already there, pressing close and turning his face up. He was almost as tall as Percy, these days, and more strongly built. His prick was hard against Percy's thigh as they kissed. Cedric's tongue darted into Percy's mouth, swift and sly as a fairy at twilight, and he tasted of Butterbeer and sausages and the smoke of the bonfires. Percy's cock was rigid inside his pants. He let go of Cedric with one hand and fumbled to undo his robes.

"No, don't," he said when Cedric reached to touch him.

"Why not?" Cedric's voice was husky. "Oh. But we've plenty of time, we could do it more than once."

A little embarrassed that Cedric had realized how very excited he was, Percy nevertheless agreed, despite his father's admonition. If it had been his mother back in the tent, that would have been a different matter. But his father would only look at him in disappointment, and Percy was not afraid of that look any more.

"We could, um, you know... suck each other first?" He loved sucking Cedric, loved the way that Cedric squirmed and moaned and the way that he tasted, fresh and bitter like the greens his mother always made them eat in the spring.

"Yeah, that would be good." Cedric pulled out his wand. "The ground here's rough; shall I transfigure a few of these rocks into cushions?"

"Yes, do. I'll do a few, too," said Percy.

When half a dozen large pillows lay before them, just barely visible in the dim and flickering light, Percy stretched out on them, pulling Cedric down as well.

"You first," said Cedric firmly. He pushed Percy's robes out of the way and tugged off his pants, wriggling down so that his lips hovered above Percy's cock. At first he simply ran his tongue up and down the shaft, wetting it, but before Percy could beg him not to tease his lips had parted and he was sucking Percy in, his head bobbing up and down and his fingers brushing against Percy's bollocks.

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah, Cedric." Percy touched Cedric's thick hair gently. When Cedric's teeth grazed him he gave a moan, not because it hurt but because the flicker of pain only enhanced the overall pleasure.

Cedric didn't like the taste of semen very much, Percy knew, and moreover he had a hard time keeping his teeth out of the way at that moment, so when Percy felt his balls tightening he gasped out, "Almost there," and reached for his prick as Cedric raised his head. A couple of hard strokes with Cedric's hand under his and Percy was coming, thick white streaks decorating his stomach, the smell of it musky and sharp.

Without bothering to clean himself up yet, Percy said, "Now you," and Cedric smiled and kissed him before rolling over onto his back.

His cock was hard, a little fluid already leaking from the tip when Percy bent to it, his fingers brushing over the sparse hair around the base before he wrapped firmly and began to stroke. Sometime, he hoped, he would be able to take all of Cedric's prick into his mouth, let the other boy fuck his throat, but he still had trouble relaxing enough to do that, for all that he had been practising all summer with courgettes from his mother's vegetable garden. Instead he concentrated on the head, running his tongue along the edge of the crown, dipping into the slit, using his fingers to rub the base. Cedric was panting, murmuring, "Oh Percy, oh yeah, oh yeah," over and over, interspersed with groans whenever Percy sucked harder. Quite soon he gasped and shuddered, his hips jerking as he shot into Percy's mouth. Percy swallowed, running his tongue along the length of Cedric's cock to make sure he'd caught every drop. To know that Cedric trusted him, admired him enough to give him this gift of himself made Percy feel warm all over.

Sitting up, he reached for his wand and cast Tergeo on them both; it might be a bit before they were ready for another round – although his prick was already half hard again at the thought that he'd be inside Cedric's arse – and Percy didn't enjoy feeling all sticky for long.

"That was great." Cedric squeezed Percy's hand. "But I bet it'll be even greater when you fuck me."

"I hope so. I'll be careful, you know, but you have to tell me if it hurts." Percy had never done this before either, although he certainly knew the general principles involved. He had found Bill and Charlie's stash of magazines and books several years earlier, and discovered that they found a wide variety of activities to be interesting. Mostly ones to do with buxom witches, but there were some mags that included wizard-on-wizard action as well. He had never asked either one of his brothers if they had ever gotten off with other blokes, but he suspected there might have been the occasional experiment, and that made him a bit less uncomfortable with his own preferences.

"I will," promised Cedric. "It shouldn't though. I, um, I've practised a little bit. With the lube, you know?"

"That's probably good," said Percy, slightly surprised. He had never done much of that sort of thing himself, but then, he had never wanted someone else to fuck him. Perhaps someday he'd let Cedric do it. If Cedric wanted to; he'd never asked, only offered his own arse to Percy.

They talked for a little while, then, about everything from the Quidditch World Cup to the difficulty of getting a N.E.W.T. in potions to what Cedric hoped to do when he had finished school.

"I've thought about training to be an Auror," he said thoughtfully, running his thumb across the back of Percy's hand, "but my dad says it's less glamorous than it sounds. So perhaps something else. It might actually be rather fun to do some of the liaising with Muggles."

"There's plenty of time to decide. You still have almost a year," said Percy. He turned his head to kiss Cedric. "I'm going to be living at home for now, but maybe next summer, if you're working at the Ministry, we could share a flat?"

He hadn't meant to say that, not yet. Not when there were too many reasons why they shouldn't make any kind of commitment so soon; anything could happen over the next year. When Percy was seventeen he'd been going out with Penny, and look what had happened there. Why should he think Cedric's feelings would be more consistent than his own had been? Percy held his breath and waited for Cedric's reply.

Cedric's voice cracked a little as he said, "D'you really mean that? Because I'd like that more than anything." He put his arms around Percy and kissed him, hard.

"I mean it," said Percy softly, still unsure. Cedric seemed so happy that he couldn't bring himself to retract the suggestion, though he warned himself against depending on Cedric going through with it.

"Come on, Percy. I want you, want to see what it's like to have you inside me," Cedric said. "Now? Please?"

He fumbled in his robes and handed Percy a tube, then knelt on all fours, turning his head to look back at Percy and grin, his teeth gleaming white in the dimness. Percy swallowed, suddenly nervous now that he came down to it, but his prick seemed to have no such fears; it was hard and eager again and he could feel moisture leaking from the slit.

"All right." He knelt behind Cedric, stroking over the parted cheeks of his arse, putting lube on his fingers to help spread Cedric further open. Cedric grunted and shoved back against him enthusiastically, and Percy was just about to try pushing the head of his cock inside when shrieks and screams and loud crashes interrupted them.

"Don't stop," Cedric begged.

"That sounds like some kind of serious trouble, more than just high spirits. We'd better go see what it is," said Percy with regret. "At least we're sober, which is more than most of them can say, I suspect, so if there's something badly wrong we could help."

Quickly they shrugged on their clothes – Percy stuffed his underpants into a pocket, unwilling to take the time to put them back on – and Cedric cast a Finite Incantatem to turn the cushions back into rocks before they hurried back to the meadow. Percy managed to reach his family's tents and pretend to his brothers that he had been there all along. In the confusion and distress at the appearance of the Dark Mark, he didn't see Cedric again that night. He didn't see him again until he was at Hogwarts that fall.

---

iii. Interlude

"You sly dog," said Harry. "I never suspected you were anywhere but in the tent that whole time."

He had undone his trousers and started stroking himself as Percy talked about Cedric, and now his cock was hard, the moist head poking above the elastic of his pants. "It's hotter than I expected, hearing you say all that. You don't mind?"

Percy shook his head, his hair brushing across his cheeks, a few strands catching on his glasses. He'd let it grow, some, at Harry's request; he would never have it as long as Bill's, but Harry loved being able to run his fingers through it. "You know I like watching you."

"You can watch all you like." Harry lifted his hips from the sofa just enough to peel away his clothes until he was bare from the waist down, except for his socks. He held Percy's gaze as he licked his own palm before wrapping it around his prick again, his need too urgent to bother summoning the lube from their bedroom.

"Wish I'd been there to watch you and him together," he said, his eyes half-closing as he imagined Percy's lips wrapped around Cedric's cock. He wondered if Percy had already known how to do that flicker with his tongue that drove Harry wild every time, and if it had done the same to Cedric. "Wish I could've been with the two of you..."

"Oh, fuck yes," said Percy, and as always the obscenity seemed incongruous on his lips. Harry wanted to kiss him, to taste him, but his hand was flying over his cock and he couldn't stop, not when Percy was watching with those flame-blue eyes, hot with lust at the sight of Harry wanking himself just for Percy's pleasure – well, and his own.

"I couldn't have said no to that, even if you were too young, you know," Percy growled, and the thought of it made Harry almost come, but he held back, deliberately slowing his stroke, turning over and teasingly bumping his prick against Percy's thigh, rubbing against the fabric that separated him from Percy's skin, then swinging his leg across so he was sitting facing Percy.

Harry's glasses had fogged over. Percy pulled them away and Harry blinked, both easier and harder to see now, leaning close to let Percy bite at his neck as Harry moaned and rocked his way towards orgasm on Percy's lap. Percy was muttering in Harry's ear, saying, "That's right, you can't wait for the end of the story, can you, have to have it now, go on, touch yourself, let me see that beautiful cock of yours come for me," and Harry knew that Percy was really turned on because he hardly ever talked like that, and when Percy repeated, "Come for me," Harry did, all over Percy's clothes.

He felt limp and relaxed, then, his softening prick pressed against Percy's still-hard one. "Tergeo," he murmured. Percy's hand was kneading his arse.

"God, you're hot, Harry."

Harry laughed. "You're the one who made me so excited I couldn't wait; I think that qualifies you as pretty hot, too." He stroked Percy's cock to emphasize his words.

Percy snorted in return. "I wasn't the one voted Witch Weekly's "Most Fanciable Wizard" three out of the last five years... even though you haven't dated a witch in six."

"That just means I get you all to myself." Harry gave him a smirk. "So go on, tell the rest of the story... and then you can have me as your reward."

---

iv. The Tallest Tower

Percy had been surprised when Cedric had written him that the Goblet of Fire had chosen him as the Hogwarts champion, although he didn't tell Cedric so. And really, when he came to think of it, who else among the seventh-years was any better qualified for the honour? The news made Percy more than a little apprehensive, however. These three contests would be dangerous. Even with safeguards in place, Percy couldn't help remembering that in previous competitions, champions had died. He tried not to think about that, concentrating on Cedric's happiness instead.

When the owl from Mr. Crouch came, apologizing once more that he was unwell and directing Percy to attend the Yule Ball at Hogwarts in his place, Percy was delighted. He had heard, of course, about the first task. He suspected that Cedric had glossed over some of the details, but he hadn't been too seriously injured so Percy supposed that there wasn't much he could say. They had hoped to meet in Ottery St. Catchpole over the Christmas holidays; since the champions had to stay at Hogwarts for the ball, regretfully they had abandoned that plan, which made this unexpected directive from Mr. Crouch all the more welcome.

Percy combed his hair for the third time and straightened his robes. There was really no point in it, given that he would have to Apparate to Hogsmeade and then walk up to Hogwarts, but he did so anyway. His reflection pleased him. The new navy-blue dress robes, which he had bought with his first month's salary, lent him an air of dignified authority, he decided.

The ball itself was very much as Percy expected. On impulse he beckoned Harry Potter to sit next to him for dinner – Harry shouldn't have been among the champions at all, and looked terribly young and nervous as he walked in beside Parvati Patil. Besides, if Cedric sat beside Percy, they might have a difficult time keeping their hands off each other, whereas this way they could exchange glances across the round table as long as they weren't too obvious about it.

The Weird Sisters' music was on the loud side, and rather more dissonant than Percy preferred, but he wasn't there for that. Cedric danced with Cho Chang a good part of the evening, as Percy had known he would. He quashed the feelings of jealousy that rose up. It wasn't as if Cedric had much choice. As a champion, he had to have a partner, and since it couldn't be Percy, better that it should be a girl about whom Percy knew Cedric cared very little, save perhaps as a friend. And, too, Percy could watch Cedric dance, enjoying the sight without being called upon to dance himself. He was not particularly graceful and he knew it, although Penny had at one time insisted on teaching him the basics.

Instead of dancing, Percy drank a Butterbeer and made conversation with the other judges and some of the Hogwarts staff. Since Mr. Crouch's letter had arrived two days in advance, Percy had been able to contact the Headmaster and ensure that he would be permitted to stay at Hogwarts overnight. He made the excuse of not wanting to make the long walk back to Hogsmeade so late. Percy knew precisely where the room that Professor Dumbledore assigned him was – one of the benefits of having been Head Boy – and had owled Cedric a note to share his plan.

When the ball was over and the students were beginning to disperse back to their Houses, Percy rose, thanked Dumbledore and the rest for a delightful evening, and made his way along the still-familiar corridors to the guest room. He caught glimpses of couples in several niches along the way, but didn't bother to pause and reprimand them. That was no longer his responsibility. He waited, eager but with a touch of apprehension, for Cedric's knock. There was a deliciously forbidden thrill at the thought of what they were going to be doing, here in his old school. He patted the pocket of his robe; finding the jar of lubricant still there, he pulled it out and set it on the table next to the bed. He thought about taking his robes off altogether, but there was some slight chance that Cedric might have someone with him, or that there might be someone passing in the hall behind when Percy opened the door, so he sat and waited with growing impatience. It was nearly half an hour before he heard Cedric tap.

"I'm sorry," Cedric said as soon as he was inside the room. "I had trouble getting away from Cho."

Percy didn't need to ask if Cedric had been kissing her. He could tell. Cedric's lips were reddened, fuller than usual, and his eyes were bright. He wanted to say something cutting, something like, "Since you couldn't get away, how far did you go?", but he bit back the words. If they quarrelled it would ruin this one chance they had to be together, perhaps until next summer; and they'd never made any promises to each other, after all.

"It's all right," he said, taking a deep breath. "Come here."

Percy couldn't taste Cho on Cedric's mouth, only Butterbeer, as they lay kissing hungrily on the bed.

"God, Percy," Cedric muttered between kisses. "Missed you so much..."

"I missed you, too. Wanted you." He had thought about Cedric every time he'd wanked all autumn, reading and rereading the awkwardly passionate letters Cedric sent.

Cedric groaned, pushing his hips against Percy's. "Oh yes. Wanted you too."

There was no reason to hurry, this time; there would be no Dark Marks blazing in the sky above Hogwarts tonight to interrupt them. But they had been waiting for so long that Percy hurried anyway, with Cedric encouraging him.

He undid Cedric's buttons with fingers that trembled, stroking Cedric's bared chest, feeling the few sparse hairs, the shift in texture of his skin at the nipples, the way Cedric sucked in a breath and tried not to laugh when Percy ran his hands along Cedric's sides.

Cedric had been unbuttoning Percy's robes as well, and soon they were both naked to the waist, shoes toed off and fallen to the floor. By unspoken agreement they kept their trousers on for the moment. It had been too long since they'd seen each other in person and Percy, at least, felt a little shy, although he wanted this, wanted Cedric enough not to worry about breaking some rules. He uttered a quick Nox which put out the main light, leaving only a candle. That was better. They touched and kissed and panted against each other's skin, sweaty fumblings that left Percy forgetful of anything except the sheer pleasure of it.

Cedric was already hard and there was a damp spot seeping through his pants when Percy finally unzipped his trousers and reached inside to cup the length of Cedric's cock through the tight cotton. Cedric gave a throaty growl when Percy ran his fingers lightly over the bulge, and pushed hard against Percy's hand, almost tearing Percy's trousers open in his haste.

Percy gasped. Cedric had slipped his fingers inside Percy's underwear, skin on skin, sweat-damp fingers wrapping around his equally damp prick.

"No, wait," Percy muttered, worried that he was going to find it too difficult to keep control to fuck Cedric properly. "I brought lube, if you want to...?"

"Oh, I do. I brought some too." There was a chuckle in Cedric's voice and his hand moved away again, tugging now at his own clothes, pulling his trousers and underwear and socks off and dropping them all in an untidy ball on the floor.

Percy did the same, looking down briefly to see his cock nestled purple in the thatch of auburn hair. Hastily he turned back towards Cedric; with the candle behind Percy, Cedric wouldn't be able to see too much. Cedric's body was so gorgeous, strong and muscular, that Percy felt skinny and unattractive despite Cedric's obvious interest.

"How do you..." said Percy, just as Cedric said, "Do you want to..." Percy laughed nervously.

"How do you want to try this?"

Was Cedric flushing a little? It was difficult to tell in the flickering light.

"Um, I'll get on my hands and knees, like we were going to do last time? That's how I've, I've practised. You know." He was definitely blushing. "Thinking about you."

Percy swallowed. "All right." It seemed the best idea to him, too, easiest to control what he was doing, and stop if he should hurt Cedric too much. Since summer he had done a little more reading up on the mechanics of it all, even experimented on himself to see how it felt. He grabbed the little jar of lube from the table, unscrewing the cap, and dipped his fingers in as Cedric rolled over and knelt with his bum towards Percy. Percy swallowed again as he began slopping lubricant around Cedric's arsehole.

"Merlin, that feels good, better than when I've tried it," Cedric said as Percy gingerly pushed his index finger past the ring of muscle and into the soft tight heat inside.

He moved that finger in and out a few times, enjoying the little sounds that Cedric made, before adding a bit more lube and trying with two. As he eased them further in, twisting his wrist a bit, he felt one fingertip brush over a protrusion and when Cedric cried out, deduced that he had found Cedric's prostate. He understood from his reading that many, although not all, men enjoyed such stimulation, and was glad that Cedric was also one of them. It didn't seem like it would be very pleasurable otherwise.

Percy was concentrating so hard that he scarcely noticed the sweat breaking out on his forehead until a drop rolled, stinging, into his eye. He wiped at his face with his free hand. One more finger, he supposed; his cock was definitely thicker than two, and he wanted to be certain that Cedric was relaxed enough to enjoy this. With three fingers working into Cedric's arse, Percy ran his other hand along Cedric's back, reaching around to stroke his cock. "That good?"

Cedric twisted his head to look at Percy. "Fuck yeah. Please, I'm sure I'm ready enough, I want you now."

"Tell me if it hurts," Percy muttered, belatedly remembering to put lube on himself, too. He knelt up and nudged against the puckered hole that again seemed far too small to take his throbbing prick.

"...all right." Cedric took a deep breath and exhaled it. Percy held onto his hips and pushed. Oh, sweet Circe, he was about to fuck Cedric right here at Hogwarts, and the thought was both deliciously wicked and sweet, as sweet as the way that Cedric was moaning "yes" and "god" and "Percy" as Percy's cock slid into him, as slowly as Percy could manage.

He was inside, completely enveloped in that amazing slick warmth, his bollocks pressed against Cedric's skin. He wanted to move, but he held back. "You okay?"

"Yes," Cedric growled. "Fuck. Oh fuck," he said as Percy pulled back a little and then pushed in again, trying to find the angle that would stimulate Cedric's prostate some more. It was much more difficult to tell with his prick than it had been with his fingers, but he was fairly sure he had managed it when Cedric hissed, "Yesss..." once again and his hands clenched on the covers.

Percy had intended to hold on to Cedric's prick as he fucked him, but the sensations were too distracting, too overwhelming, and far too soon he felt the familiar tightening that preceded orgasm, the itch that seemed to curl up along every nerve from his toes to his palms, wrapping around his cock along the way, and he gasped out Cedric's name as he thrust one last time and spilled himself deep into Cedric's arse.

He took his left hand off Cedric's hip and used it to roll them over. With his prick still buried to the root, he reached with his right hand to grasp Cedric's cock, hot and heavy with blood, slick with precome and lube, and he used a fast rough stroke, the way he knew Cedric liked it.

Cedric squirmed his arse against Percy's hips and thrust into his hand, panting, noises coming from his throat like nothing Percy had ever heard from him before, not even when Percy had sucked him off. He stiffened, his cock pulsing. The wetness leaked through Percy's fingers and Cedric grabbed Percy's hand, bringing it to his face to lick up his own come. It felt so good that Percy's cock showed renewed interest, but he pulled out of Cedric's arsehole anyhow and just rutted slowly between Cedric's thighs.

"Percy..." Cedric said in a half-whisper.

Percy tightened his arms around Cedric's waist. "Mm-hm? How d'you feel?"

"Like a million Galleons." Cedric moved gently back against Percy, encouraging him. "It was better than I thought it would be... and I thought it would be amazing."

"I'm glad." Percy kissed Cedric's shoulder. "I wish you could stay all night."

"Me, too, but I shouldn't." Cedric sighed. "For a little while longer, though. I wish there hadn't been this Ball; if it had been a regular holiday between terms we could have had more time together. And I wouldn't have had to dance with Cho as if I meant something by it."

He didn't say anything about kissing Cho, but he kissed Percy's hand again, and Percy was fairly certain what he was thinking.

"I know," said Percy. His prick hardened further, imagining it. They wouldn't have another chance to be together until who knew when. Probably not until after the end of the school year, when Cedric would have finished his N.E.W.T.s and would be looking for a position at the Ministry.

"You, uh."

"What is it?" Percy stopped frotting against Cedric, worried that perhaps he was too sore for it to feel good, even though Percy was staying away from his arsehole now.

"You talked at the World Cup about maybe sharing a flat, next summer?" Cedric turned his head awkwardly to look over his shoulder. "No, don't stop, that's nice."

"Okay." Percy resumed his movements. "If you still want to, yes, I'd like that very much." The thought that Cedric had been making plans about living together warmed him, and he pressed a little harder against Cedric's thighs.

"We could do this all the time," said Cedric. "Well, every night. We'd both be working I suppose." He reached behind himself to squeeze Percy's hip. "But with this to look forward to, even a dull job would be worth it."

"Mm. Yes," said Percy breathlessly. He rarely was able to come twice so quickly, but he hadn't wanked in days, wanting to wait until he was with Cedric, and now... "Oh, oh yes," he half-shouted, as Cedric's fingers slipped down to caress his prick, still slick with the remnants of lube and come, and his back arched in a second orgasm.

"There." Cedric's voice was filled with satisfaction. He turned over to face Percy, putting his arms around him and nuzzling into his neck. "I'll really like being able to do this with you every night."

"You're not worried about being too, I don't know, too serious, too soon?" Percy hated to ask it, but he had to know.

"No. Why, are you?" Cedric tipped his head back. "Honestly, I'm not. I think we can make a go of it, for a while at least. And we'll always be friends, no matter what, right?"

They'd been friends since they were practically babies. "Of course." Although Percy wasn't quite as sure of that as Cedric seemed to be. Most of the people in his own year hadn't stayed close to their former girlfriends and boyfriends when they'd broken up, he'd noticed, but they hadn't usually known each other all their lives. It seemed like it might be more difficult with someone of the opposite sex, too.

"There's one thing though." Cedric looked almost shy. "Um. Yeah. Would you want to tell your parents? That we're together?"

"We could hardly not tell them that we're living together," Percy pointed out.

Cedric shoved him gently. "Prat. You know what I mean. That we're together together."

"I know." He hadn't really thought about it; had put off thinking about it, in fact, quite deliberately, because he couldn't quite see going up to his parents and telling them that he was gay. Not that he thought that they'd throw him out of the family, or anything; he didn't know what he thought they'd do, but the idea was embarrassing. Who wanted to tell his parents about his sex life? "Would you tell yours?"

"Maybe not right away. If we had a flat with two bedrooms, we could really share one of them, but it wouldn't have to look like we did."

"That's an idea." They wouldn't actually need to lie about it, just... not tell all the truth. Not right away, not till they wanted to.

"Good," said Cedric, in a relieved tone. "It's not that I'm ashamed, it's just, you know. Not quite ready to have everyone know?"

"I'm not, either. It's a good plan."

"So I figure I'll go home after the end of next term, and tell my parents that you and I talked about being flatmates, and then we can start looking for a place once I've found a job?"

"Mm hm. I might look around a bit before then, see what there is available, find out how much they'd cost to rent."

"Great." Cedric snuggled closer, his skin warm against Percy's own. "That'll be grand."

---

v. Postlude

Percy gave a sigh. "We wrote, of course, the rest of the winter and spring, and I was at Hogwarts for the second task. You remember."

"I remember," Harry agreed. He would never forget the taste of gillyweed, of going into the lake in search of Ron. "But it was Cho who was the person Cedric would most miss, not you."

"Yes." Percy's voice was tight. "I was never sure why. He swore to me, in his letters, that he wasn't in love with her, that they were just friends. All the people who were chosen were school-age... maybe that made a difference? Not that it matters now. I had hoped that he and I might manage a little time together that day, after the task was over, but Madam Pomfrey took you all up to the castle, you were all so cold and drenched, and... well. That was that."

"I thought you were worried about Ron," said Harry, thinking back. "You practically grabbed him out of my hands and pulled him to shore."

"I couldn't do that when Cedric came back, could I?"

"No, I suppose not. So then the two of you kept writing?"

"All the rest of the term. I was disappointed when they wouldn't let me stand in for Mr. Crouch for the third task, naturally, but by then the term was almost finished, and I'd started looking at flats, a little bit. I thought maybe I'd have good news for Cedric once the tournament was over."

Harry pushed himself up on his hands – he had been lying half on top of Percy for the second part of the story, toying idly with the hair on his chest where Harry'd unbuttoned his robes at the same time Percy had described how he and Cedric had undressed each other – and stared until Percy met his eyes.

"Don't," Harry said firmly. "Don't feel bad about Cedric's death. If anyone ought to, it's me, and you were the one who taught me, ages ago, that I shouldn't take on guilt that isn't mine. You weren't there, and if you had been there was nothing you could have done; it was not your fault." He held Percy's gaze, waiting, and finally Percy nodded. Then Harry kissed him, using every bit of knowledge he had to make it a kiss that would make Percy forget everything for the time being except for the fact that Harry was there, in his arms.

It worked. Percy pulled away, just a bit, but only long enough to snatch up his wand and cast an Engorgio on the sofa, so that when he rolled them over and began pulling at Harry's remaining clothes, the two of them didn't fall off onto the floor.

Percy's skin was hot and dry and Harry traced patterns across his chest, going from freckle to freckle, then from nipple to navel, then further, tasting the musk of Percy's cock and rolling him over to sample the green bitterness of his arse, thrusting his tongue as deeply as he could until Percy was writhing beneath him, rubbing frantically against the cushions. Then he slowed down, licking at each wrinkle softly, rubbing the wetness that spilled over into the skin between Percy's arsehole and balls.

Harry was kneeling on the floor now, frotting himself against the sofa, both his hands and his mouth working to take Percy up to the height of passion and keep him there, burning, for as long as possible.

"Fuck, oh fuck, please," Percy begged. "Need, need you, in me, oh fuck please..."

"Soon," Harry mumbled against him.

"Now, Harry, oh fuck, can't.."

With a last slurp Harry pulled his mouth away. "Move forward."

Percy scrambled away from the edge and Harry knelt on the sofa; spit was really not enough lube but neither of them could wait, so he pushed into Percy anyhow, and Percy cried out to urge him on, rocking back against him. "Yeah, oh fuck yeah, fuck me hard, please."

He did, riding Percy roughly, feeling the clutch of Percy's arse tight and almost scraping, wrenching the orgasm from him.

"God, yes." Percy's voice broke as Harry fell forward. He grabbed Harry's hand and together they stroked Percy's cock, Percy pinching his own nipples until he gasped and bit his lips and came, shuddering in Harry's arms. He tasted of metal when Harry kissed him, and held Harry tightly as if fearing that he might disappear.

Harry breathed, in and out, brushing Percy's hair back from his forehead – he'd never taken off his glasses, and they were smudged and askew under the red strands, so Harry carefully removed them. "It's all right," he said. "It's all right."

"I know." Percy whispered the words against Harry's neck.

"I'm sorry that you and Cedric didn't get your happily ever after."

"We mightn't have, anyhow, you know. Not that young." Percy moved away just far enough – which was to say about four inches, given their mutual bad eyesight – that he and Harry could look at each other properly,.

"But I think I got mine anyway."



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