Rise from the Ashes

Chapter 5: strange how we know each other

"You're supposed to be revising for Defence."

"You said I get an "O" on my O.W.L.," Cedric said, continuing his exploration of Teddy's neck.

"You're impossible."

"I like to think of it as challenging."

"I can think of a few other names for--oooh!" Teddy sucked in his breath and arched his back.

"Oh, so you like that."

"Uh-huh," Teddy said, dropping all pretences of helping Cedric revise and lowering his chin, allowing better access to the lips and tongue that were sucking on the back of his neck.

"This is so strange," Cedric said before sucking hard on a particularly sensitive area.

Teddy gasped. "My neck is strange?"

"No, idiot," Cedric said against his skin. He pushed Teddy's head forward even further and licked close to his nape. "This. Doing all this with a bloke."

"I can morph some tits if it'll make you feel better."

"You can't, can you?" Cedric asked and his expression was slightly horrified. "Big tits and a cock. Merlin, now that would be strange."

"I'll do it for you sometime, get you really pissed first though, 'cause that would be a laugh, but anyway, I thought, you know, Davies..."

"I told you we hadn't. Wanking's one thing, isn't it? It's just, you know, getting off. This is different. Us. All the snogging and licking and stuff. Nice though." He moved to the side along Teddy's shoulder, biting and sucking, and Teddy groaned in appreciation.

It was strange. And definitely nice. It was the middle of Easter holidays, so Cedric didn't have classes, and the two of them had been spending a lot of time in the Room. They'd experimented with its abilities and had managed to turn it into an indoor Quidditch pitch three days ago. The Room had even provided brooms, and though they were nothing like Teddy's Firebolt X-treme back home, it was more than enough to be flying again.

The two of them had whooped and raced around, acting like a couple of first years. As they were both Seekers, of course it became a competition over who was the better player. Cedric had an advantage, used to the slower brooms of the time, but overall they were pretty evenly matched.

Afterwards, Teddy would change the Room back to the familiar bedroom he'd come to think of as his own, and the two of them would flop down on his bed, exhausted and exhilarated, laughing and joking and enjoying each others' company. Cedric, who spent so much time nicking food from the kitchen, had become friendly with a couple of the house-elves, and they were more than happy to bring food up to them in the 'Come and Go Room', saving them numerous trips across the whole of the castle.

Cedric did have O.W.L.s looming, and Teddy hoped to take his N.E.W.T.s when he returned home, whenever that might be as he found new reason every day to delay. So when they were finished playing, they revised.

It had all been fairly innocent until yesterday. They were sprawled across the bed on their stomachs, legs dangling over the side, textbooks open in front of them, when Cedric had turned to him and kissed him. Teddy had hesitated at first. They'd kissed that one time, but he'd been impersonating Roger--badly--and it had been more out of panic than any kind of desire. It was also different from that time with Simon back in fifth year. They'd been completely pissed for one thing, and for another, Teddy wasn't attracted to Simon. It had been a lark, something they'd laughed over and the incident was never repeated. They'd had a wank or two together, but again, that had been different as well.

But he was attracted to Cedric, and that had confused him. He'd never really thought about it one way or the other. When he dated, it was girls. He noticed when certain blokes were fit and whatnot, but it had never really registered as anything more than that. Cedric was different, and it wasn't just that he was fit. He realised that he'd probably had a bit of a crush on portrait-Cedric back home before he ever met the real article, and this Cedric was almost larger than life to him. His personality drew Teddy like a magnet.

Cedric had noticed his hesitation and pulled back, apologising. Teddy had seen the brief flash of disappointment on his face and before he realised what he was doing, he'd rolled over on top of Cedric, their books falling forgotten to the floor, and snogged him as if his body had known exactly what it wanted, and taken it before his mind could catch up.

And here they were this afternoon, Teddy shirtless and trying to quiz Cedric on hexes and counter-hexes, and Cedric behind him exploring every inch of his neck and shoulders with his mouth. It was strange and nice, and his cock straining against the fly of his jeans was a testament to how bloody marvellous it felt.

He leaned back against Cedric's chest, turning his head and nudging closer. He sucked Cedric's lower lip into his mouth and ran his tongue along it, nibbling gently, then sliding his tongue between Cedric's lips.

A part of him thought that snogging a bloke should be rougher, frantic, a testosterone-induced struggle for some illusion of dominance and a race to climax, but Teddy had always liked slow kissing; that sensual drag of tongue, soft lips, and gentle fingertips stroking across his cheek, through his hair, down the back of his neck. The pleasure lasted longer, and after a while, they were so aroused they ended up tearing at each other frantically anyway.

Cedric pulled away and crawled around him, pulling Teddy up onto his knees. They faced each other across a breath of space, skin flushed with heat and hungry for touch. Teddy's pulse was racing as he drew closer, leaning forward just a fraction of an inch more, warmed by the mere presence of this boy he'd yearned to know, never thinking he'd know him so well as this.

Cedric cocked his eyebrows and reached out, fingers light as a feather through the denim of Teddy's jeans, playing over his balls while the heel of his hand cupped and pressed, sliding along his cock. He groaned, a low, ragged sound and thrust his hips forward into the touch.

"Off," he murmured against Cedric's lips, "take them off."

He lifted his own hands, fumbling for the zip on Cedric's jeans as Cedric reached for his own, fingers twisting to undo buttons, jerking denim and cotton down over bony hips, and oh, he was so warm, skin like newly spun silk, so smooth beneath his fingertips. He stroked lightly at first, alternating his rhythm, slow and long, a gentle squeeze around the base, thumb curled around the underside, pressing, stroking.

He slid his lips down over Cedric's jaw, tongue swiping along the underside, down to the juncture between neck and shoulder, a hint of salt as he sucked on the warm, sweet skin. The air was thick with their mingled scent, clean sweat and sex, male and pungent, hands sliding, faster now, closer and closer, Cedric's moans in his ear, his whispered entreaties of yes and more and don't stop.

Oh, just like that, Teddy thought, so close. His breathing was ragged and he buried his face against Cedric's shoulder, biting down hard as he felt the spasms vibrating and pulsing beneath his fingers, bitten-off fingernails digging into his shoulder as Cedric came.

Teddy thrust into Cedric's tight-fisted grip, and he cried out, eyes closed, as wave after wave convulsed his body.

He wrapped his arms around Cedric's back and rested his head on his shoulder, and Cedric did the same, the two of them supporting each other from collapse until they felt free to move again.

Cedric carefully extricated himself and flopped down on top of the blankets. He kicked off his jeans and pants, and lay naked grinning impudently up at Teddy.

Teddy tried to knee him in the thigh and lost his balance, tumbling on top of Cedric with a whump.

"Daft bastard," Cedric wheezed from below. "You did that on purpose."

Teddy laughed and pushed himself off, lying down on his back beside Cedric and kicking his own clothes off. He raised his feet in the air and regarded them solemnly.

"We look really stupid just wearing socks."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "So take 'em off."

"Nah, then my feet'll get cold."

"You can put them back on."

"I'd have to find them first."

"You have an answer for everything, don't you."

"Yup," Teddy said, and swung his right knee into Cedric's left. "So when's the Cup final? Harry's playing and I want to watch."

"Week from next Saturday," Cedric said and yawned, turning onto his side to face Teddy. "They're down by two hundred points; it's gonna be tough. Slytherin cheats."

"Nah, they'll win," Teddy said confidently.

"Is that wishful thinking or more secret knowledge of the past?"

"Not telling. But if you've got a few extra galleons you can loan me..."

Cedric punched him in the arm.

~*~

"Last one in's an Erumpent's saggy bollock," Cedric cried, leaping and canonballing into the multicoloured, bubbling foam.

"Classy," Teddy noted, hopping while trying to pull off his left sock.

"You coming in or what?" Cedric called, wiping suds from his eyes.

"Did we really need that much foam?" Teddy asked, standing on the edge and peering down into the pool-sized bath. "That stuff tastes like arse."

"I'm not even going to ask you how you know enough to make the comparison."

Teddy growled and leaped, his legs scissoring as he hurtled toward Cedric. Cedric ducked down under the foam right before Teddy hit with a huge splash. They chased each other around the bath, dunking and roughhousing, until they finally called a temporary truce. Leaning against opposite sides of the bath, they gasped for breath, laughing, and ineffectually flicked suds at each other.

"Prat," Cedric called.

"So I am," Teddy agreed. He swam closer, ducked underwater and swam the rest of the way, surfacing mere inches from Cedric, and spitting a stream of water in his face.

"Gah!" Cedric cried, jumping on Teddy's shoulders and dunking him under the water. Teddy reached out and grabbed Cedric's legs, yanking him under with him.

"I win." Teddy grinned, wiping water from his eyes and pushing his wet hair off his forehead.

Cedric stuck out his tongue and took a step forward. "You play dirty."

"Mmm, is there any other way--Oi!" Teddy jumped and fell backward with a splash. He surfaced, spluttering, to find Cedric laughing and pointing at him. "I play dirty?"

Cedric ducked his head, holding his hands palms-up just above the water, then made a squeezing gesture with one, flexing his fingers, a shameless grin on his face.

"I don't know how anyone ever thought you were fair-minded and kind," Teddy said, trying to affect an air of petulance.

"Is that what they say about me in the future? Maybe I grow into it," he teased, this time holding his hands up in surrender and walking slowly towards Teddy. "Come here."

Teddy took a step back. "So you can grab my bollocks again?"

"Among other things," Cedric said mildly, but his eyes were full of mischief.

"Feeling a bit randy, are we?" Teddy stepped closer.

"Unless you've been busy casting Engorgement Charms--though I've long suspected you use your...'talents'...inappropriately anyway--I wouldn't go calling the kettle black."

"I don't have to cheat, you're just jealous," Teddy said.

"Desperately," Cedric said, closing the last of the distance, cutting off any reply by the swift expediency of covering Teddy's mouth with his own.

It was good, always good, kissing Cedric. It was a competition of a different kind, one that required no rivalry, only participation. He welcomed the intrusion of Cedric's tongue firmly swiping across his own, the slow burn of excitement it induced, every nerve in his body responding to that little twist here, that long lick across his palate there.

When he was finished feigning passive resistance, he would chase Cedric's tongue back across the border of their lips in an attack of his own, the echoes of their battle tingling across the surface of his skin, underneath where the blood thrummed in his veins. He never tired of this endless game between them, and even when it followed the same patterns, it was always new, always thrilling.

Teddy drew his arms around Cedric's hips, hands cupping his arse, pulling them close. The heaviness of the water made their thrusting sluggish, leisurely, more teasing than earnest fucking. Cedric drew his legs up and wrapped them around Teddy's waist, and Teddy held him up, their lips and cocks never breaking contact as he walked them both toward the edge of the shallowest end of the bath until Cedric's shoulders were against the tiles.

Cedric broke their kiss, and leaned his head back along the edge of the bath, clenching his thighs as Teddy fucked him up against the tiles, the resistance of the water no longer a hindrance. Teddy slid his hands sideways; thumbs curving around the side of Cedric's hips, palms flush on his arse. Cedric slid his hand between them and loosely gripped the two of them, not sliding, just holding their cocks together, letting Teddy do all the work.

They watched each other, and Teddy loved to see the way Cedric reacted to every hint of movement between them. The way his jaw moved, his lips forming sounds, some of which escaped in long, lush moans, or sharp, quick breaths. Every thrust, every touch drew a reaction. The water was rushing away from them in concentric waves, splashing up against the wall and over the side, the surface of the entire bath echoing the movement of their bodies.

"Come," Teddy said softly.

Cedric bucked his hips and cried out, a long low, sound that tapered off in a hiss.

"Yes," Teddy said, "I want to watch you come."

Cedric clenched his thighs in a single pulse, and Teddy felt them spasm and go slack against his hips. Cedric's thrusts were erratic, and he closed his eyes, jaw going slack, his breathing a staggered, arrhythmic panting.

"Yes," Teddy whispered, "yes, yes, yesss...."

Cedric slowly unwrapped his legs, stretching them out and letting them float near the surface of the water, holding onto the edge to keep him afloat. Teddy gave Cedric's arse an ineffective slap under the water, then turned around between Cedric's legs and leaned back against his chest and shoulder. Cedric threw a casual arm around Teddy's middle while Teddy ran light fingers along the underside of Cedric's thighs as they relaxed, the waves subsiding and lapping softly against the tiles.

"I'd get out and lie down, but I'm too lazy to move right now," Cedric said after a while.

"Lazy sod," Teddy agreed. "I can sympathise with that sentiment."

"Problem is, my wrist is awkward like this, and I don't think I can hold myself up for much longer."

Teddy stood, turned, and lifted Cedric up onto the side of the bath.

"Well, that was decisive."

Teddy grinned. "C'mon, we'll lay out some towels and have a lie-down. We can have another swim after if we feel up to it."

They stretched out on their little nest of towels, Cedric on his back, Teddy on his side facing him. Teddy let his gaze wander over Cedric's body. He was beautiful to look at; broad shoulders, firm, lithe muscle beneath smooth, pale skin, square jaw with a hint of stubble, straight nose and clear grey eyes. He reached out his hand and gently toyed with the trail of hair below Cedric's navel. Cedric lifted his right arm and rested his fingers on the back of Teddy's hand.

Teddy smiled, lowered his head onto his makeshift pillow, and closed his eyes, his fingers still rubbing.

In quiet moments like these, Teddy could almost forget he didn't belong here.

Cedric was beautiful, and he enjoyed looking, but it was his personality - his easy, playful, friendly manner, his intelligence and wit - that Teddy found himself most attracted to. He was genuinely nice, and there was a gentleness to him, yet he was confident in his abilities, and completely unabashed, particularly when it came to sex. Teddy thought of it as being comfortable in his own skin, and he admired Cedric for it.

They had continued to spend time together even after the Easter holidays had ended, finding themselves together more and more frequently, despite Cedric's busy schedule. They spent their evenings in the Room, revising, flying or playing other games, talking, and of course there was plenty of sex.

He'd put his plans to return to his own time on temporary hold, and every day the notion of leaving was less and less appealing. He knew he had to go, but each new day he'd tell himself, just one more day. Tomorrow, I'll leave tomorrow. What's one more day?

One more day had become a week had become a month and a little more. It was now early May, and he had been here for nearly three months.

It wasn't the sex that kept him here, no matter how good it was between them. That would be far too shallow and selfish a reason for taking such a huge risk. His reason was selfish, however. He stayed as much for himself as he did for Cedric.

Cedric was ridiculously easy to talk to, to confide in, and he never asked Teddy to tell him about the future. He didn't care about the future for its own sake; his only interest in it seemed to be how it pertained to Teddy himself, what his life was like, who he was, and he understood that there were many things that Teddy wouldn't--couldn't talk about, and didn't hold it against him. His own mortality wasn't ever an issue either. Like all teenagers, he expected to live a long life and grow old and decrepit before he died.

Even when Teddy slipped a bit, telling him about being orphaned as an infant, growing up with his Gran, how Harry was his godfather, he trusted Cedric, and even if he hadn't been so confident in Cedric's discretion, he also knew that it didn't matter. Cedric would die in a year, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

He missed his friends and his family, especially Harry and the kids, and tried not to think about them too often, but they would still be there when he returned home. His father and Cedric, however, would not.

He opened his eyes, blinking sleepily. Cedric was dozing, his hand still covering Teddy's. His hair was damp, and there were still beads of water on his shoulder and neck, glistening in the soft light from the torches. He sat up on his elbow and inched closer, trying not to disturb their hands, lowered his head, and licked Cedric's shoulder, his tongue lapping at the tiny drops.

Cedric stirred, but didn't open his eyes. Teddy gently extricated his hand and shifted his body closer, bending once again, searching for more droplets, licking at Cedric's collarbone as he worked his way toward the middle. Cedric grinned, eyes still closed, and tilted his head, exposing more of his neck.

Teddy continued to move, tongue dipping into the hollow of Cedric's throat, travelling up around the curve of his jaw and back down, sucking softly just below his left ear, and moving back down again. He nibbled on Cedric's collarbone as he passed it again, travelling lower still. Cedric wriggled with pleasure as Teddy sucked a pert, pink nipple between his lips, tongue circling the nub, his hand stroking Cedric's belly.

He could see Cedric's stomach quivering, dipping into concavity and back when he sucked hard like that--yes--and stroked him around the side, down, around and back up over hipbones which strained against his skin. He liked the way Cedric's belly jumped, like a hiccough, the torchlight playing shadows across his pale skin, so he pressed forward, tongue abandoning nipple with a final dragging lick, and surging lower over ribs and onto the plain of his stomach. The skin was soft here, almost delicate, nice for licking, his tongue firm, leaving narrow trails of saliva. He paused a moment and blew a soft breath over Cedric's stomach

Cedric sucked in another breath and broke out in gooseflesh. Teddy continued lower, tongue circling round his belly-button, dipping inside the shallow depression for a quick taste. Cedric whimpered when Teddy kept going, following the trail of dark hair he'd been playing with earlier. Cedric's cock was resting against his lower abdomen, bobbing along in an opposing rhythm each time the muscles of his stomach quivered.

Teddy licked his lips and turned his head to glance behind him. Cedric was on his elbows watching with wide eyes. Teddy licked his lips again and Cedric started, a hungry look in his eyes. Teddy turned back, inching closer, and lay his head on Cedric's stomach. He yawned loudly and stretched, arching his back and then nestling, rubbing his cheek against Cedric as if he were a pillow.

"Mmmm, 'm knackered."

He could feel Cedric fall back against the towels, groaning, and he grinned against his skin.

"You're not!"

"Hmmm? Whassat?" Teddy murmured.

"Bastard! You're just gonna leave me here with a great bloody... y'buggering cocktease!

Teddy rolled off and looked up at Cedric, affecting an air of innocence. "Oh, did you want something?"

Cedric narrowed his eyes and sat up on his elbow. "Right. That does it," he said, just before he pounced.

~*~

Teddy woke a short while later, and Cedric was sitting on the edge of the pool, washing himself.

"Hey," Teddy called softly.

Cedric turned and smiled, and threw a sopping wet towel at him. He flinched and raised his arm, and the towel smacked him in his stomach.

"Thanks," Teddy said. "Always so thoughtful."

Cedric snorted as he rose from the water's edge and sat down next to him, picking up the towel and squeezing water onto Teddy's chest, rubbing gently. He shook his head, amused. "Better?"

"Much."

Cedric tossed the towel aside and stretched out beside him again.

"Knackered?" Teddy asked.

Cedric nodded. "In a good way."

"We should probably go soon, but I can't be arsed to get up at the moment." Teddy closed his eyes again, stifling a yawn.

"So stay. It's late, but it's not that late. Morning's still a good ways off," Cedric said.

"Mmmm," Teddy agreed.

He rested with his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of Cedric's breathing, the hiss and sputter of the torches, the creaks and moans of the wind through hidden cracks in the stone walls. A shadow moved across his face and he opened his eyes to see Cedric above him, grinning down at him. Something fluttered in his belly and he felt warm.

He had to tell him. He couldn't let this boy, this young man, so bright, so full of promise; he could not let him die. He made up his mind to tell him the truth and damn the consequences. Tomorrow. I'll tell him tomorrow. But right now...

He reached for Cedric, pulling his head down to kiss him, his cock stirring yet again, obviously not quite finished for the evening. He grinned against Cedric's lips and gently swiped his tongue along the crease between--

--when the door to the bath slammed open and a dark, robed figure stood glowering at them from across the pool, wand pointing threateningly at them. It was too dim to see a face so Teddy scrambled up from the tile floor, changing his face instinctively to the first one that came to mind, and pushed Cedric back behind him. Their clothing, and their wands were on the other side of the pool and Teddy's heart sank. They were in big trouble.

There was a flash of light and his limbs snapped together before he fell backward. Cedric caught him, but whoever had hexed him was quicker. A voice seemed to come from a very great distance.

"Leave him be, Mr Diggory, and stay where you are."

He flew through the air across the pool and came to rest on the floor, facing up. He heard a whisper and his limbs went slack. He blinked several times, and when he could focus again, his father was looming over him.

Teddy gasped when Remus pressed a knee into his belly, his eyes cold and penetrating, and he thrust the tip of his wand against the hollow of Teddy's throat. Teddy swallowed painfully, his heart beating loudly, his head aching, and tried to breathe.

"Who the hell are you?" Remus demanded.