Dissension

A/N: Thanks as always to my Trifecta beta team, charmed310, snapeophile and JaneAverage. Any mistakes are mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, Cedric was only able to see Harry occasionally that morning between classes, but the feeling that he needed to be near to the Gryffindor was something that he couldn't escape. They were still able to share glances in the halls, and although Harry seemed hesitant at times, their mutual attraction felt blatantly obvious to Cedric, even in the presence of Markus and Jamie. He suspected that Harry's nervousness meant that he wasn't as eager to divulge their relationship, even though he hadn't said as much.

At lunch, Cedric stood at the entrance to the Great Hall as the rest of the student body filed in while he searched the crowd for unmistakably messy dark hair. He was as jittery and anxious as he could ever remember being, but was finally able to send a charmed note into Harry's hands as they passed each other through the doorway. Harry's face registered surprise as he looked at Cedric, but after reading the note a brief nod was his only response. Cedric tried not to look over at the Gryffindor table too often during the meal, but it was easier trying to get the sun not to set or the moon not to rise.

Several minutes later as he stood beside the younger boy in the small antechamber just off the Entrance Hall, Cedric wasn't certain how to begin. The air around them hummed with a nervous energy, no doubt predominantly his own, and a thousand questions ran through his mind, all vying for attention. He took a deep, steadying breath. 'Have you... Do any of your friends know? About what's going on with you and me?' Cedric cringed inwardly at how asinine he sounded and how positively juvenile his question was, but his mind had picked that question for his opening salvo and it was already out there, hanging in the air between them. Cedric had prepared for evasiveness or even embarrassment, but Harry's expression was almost hostile, and Cedric felt a change in the vibrations surrounding them.

'No, actually, they don't.' Harry's clipped answer and brusque tone surprised him, and Cedric took an involuntary step backwards.

'Don't they even suspect?' Cedric sounded almost desperate to his own ears, but he plunged on nevertheless.

Harry scrubbed his hand through his hair in the usual, familiar way that tugged at every part of Cedric, and his eyes were dark in the light of the lamps. 'Hermione might, I guess, but Ron is clueless about that sort of thing, and quite frankly, right now I prefer it that way.'

'Er...' That was quite a shock, but even though Cedric didn't imagine that everything would be flowers and happiness, he didn't expect the blatant refusal either.

'Look, Cedric,' Harry shifted his weight, shuffling his feet in a way he did when agitated. 'Ron and I didn't have much of a friendship at the start of this whole Tournament business, back when nobody believed me. Even he didn't, and that betrayal hurt more than I ever thought it could.' His aura crackled and changed, morphing from its customary confusion into sheer chaos, the colours whirling so rapidly that Cedric began to feel a little dizzy. Harry's voice dropped low, the hurt and anger barely masked. 'Things were really tense back then... You can't know what it felt like... '

Cedric didn't know what to say, but judging from Harry's body language, it was better not to say anything just yet, and when the flickering green eyes met his a second later, he knew that he had been right.

'Everybody wanted you to enter and be chosen, but nobody wanted...' Harry's voice was uncharacteristically harsh, and he stopped suddenly, almost as if he had said too much.

'Nobody wanted what?' Cedric couldn't help himself. He wanted to understand Harry's point of view and put himself in the younger boy's place, but really, he couldn't.

'Me.'

The word was almost a whisper but bitter with disappointment. 'Everyone only wanted to believe the worst about me and was happy to think that it was a publicity stunt, or a way of getting attention; that I'd cheated when I bloody well didn't, and Hermione was the only one who believed me, the ONLY ONE! Not even Ron, and he's one of my best friends. You don't know the loneliness that I felt being set aside once again as someone different.'

Cedric knew that he'd often felt much the same way inside, although he'd never been vilified in public, and he wondered whether he'd have the strength to cope with it the way that Harry had. Even this brief glimpse into Harry's psyche made Cedric consider that Harry had more strength of character than any fourteen-year-old he'd ever met, and he needed the younger boy to realize that.

'But you are someone different, Harry, in all the good ways. You can't control your past or the things that happened to make you who you are, but the future is yours to take, yours to mould and shape the way you want it. Don't give up on things because they might be difficult or you're a bit afraid of the fallout. You're a Gryffindor, aren't you? Bravery is your middle name,' he said jokingly, but with serious undertones.

Cedric nudged him with his shoulder, half-playfully, but Harry was perhaps still a bit annoyed and he retaliated. Soon they were trading shoves and mock-punches in rapid succession. Cedric observed Harry as he fought; the way his hair glistened, slightly damp with perspiration and the way his fringe stuck down over his forehead, obliterating the scar and making him seem just like any other young wizard. Harry's eyes were fierce, though, and as his punches got harder, Cedric saw some of the annoyance still bubbling beneath the green irises. He pushed the Gryffindor off him, still semi-playfully, but to his surprise, Harry pushed right back, startling Cedric so much that his back was against the wall before he realized what had happened. Harry was breathing quickly, through his nose, Cedric noted distractedly, which would indicate arousal as opposed to true breathlessness. Oh, God, and then Cedric's senses were filled with Harry, and he was drowning in the sheer desperation of the younger boy's vibrations. Cedric knew that Harry needed to be understood, wanted to be believed and yearned to be accepted for who he was, not what he was supposed to be.

Harry's forearms were against Cedric's chest – holding him valiantly against the wall, and although Cedric knew that he could remove Harry with little effort, he didn't because, damn him to hell, he wanted this. He let his head fall back against the wooden walls for a moment and closed his eyes as he relished the sounds of Harry's breathing, the smell of him and the feel of the young body against his, inexperienced and yet completely beguiling, but as he started to feel the sinking of his body into acceptance and the hardening in his pants, he pushed against Harry's chest, perhaps a little more forcefully than was strictly necessary. The Gryffindor's look of confusion and hurt was intensified by his open mouth, describing yet another perfect O, this time not of desire, but of disbelief. 'Cedric, I need...'

'Harry, we can't. Not now and not here.' Reluctantly, Cedric pried Harry's hands away from him, even though tendrils of his own magic strove to keep the contact between their bodies; he could feel them, almost like tethers, tugging gently yet insistently at his skin.

'For Christ's sake, Cedric, what are you doing? You're bloody well driving me crazy, you know that? Everything is going to hell, and there's the final task in two bloody days, and I can't get... clear... of anything.' The Gryffindor's anger had resurfaced quickly, and Cedric wasn't prepared for it. Harry held his head in his hands, and all that Cedric wanted to do was hold him, comfort him, feed on his warmth and return it tenfold, but he was cautious, still considering Dumbledore's words and wondering yet again how much Harry should know.

'Harry, I had a word with the Headmaster earlier today about you.'

'Is that so? Getting last-minute tips, were you?' Harry snarked, his eyes narrowed in frustration.

'That's not fair. He wanted my assurances that we had no plans of collusion.'

'Why would we?' Annoyance still bled through Harry's tone, and Cedric hesitated.

'Well...' Cedric couldn't really put the words out there, but instead spread his arms to indicate the two of them, and his pause seemed clear enough for Harry.

'But, why would he think that?'

'It's not completely outside the realm of possibility, you know. Collusion between participants has been part of the Tournament's history.'

Harry snorted impolitely, and Cedric couldn't help but smile as the younger boy shifted his pose defensively.

'Well, what did you tell him?

'I told him that we intended to complete the final task as we'd started the first one, as opponents.'

Harry frowned at that, and Cedric realized that the boy hadn't thought quite along those lines. Even he had difficulty separating his Harry from "Harry Potter, Triwizard Champion", and hadn't fully appreciated how difficult that must be for a fourteen year old.

'I can't wait for this Tournament to be over.' Harry's voice was numb, bleak, expressionless, and Cedric agreed with him completely, but Dumbledore's words kept replaying themselves over and over in his head "... a great deal can be won or lost..." He felt nervous and needed something to do with his hands, so he shoved them into his pockets as he steadied himself for Harry's reaction. 'Harry, I think there's something you should know. Something that Dumbledore said.'

'What did he say?' Harry's face was suddenly open and questioning, and for a split second, Cedric regretted initiating this conversation and wished he could take his words back. After this, things would be different, one way or the other.

'He suggested that someone with a great deal of power – someone like you – might be influenced by another force to such an extent that they... that is, you... could be used as a weapon, and I wonder whether your being entered in the Tournament mightn't be some sort of preparation or some way of honing your abilities.'

The silence was unbearable, and Cedric could hardly bring himself to look at Harry, but the boy's hurt and disbelief was all encompassing.

'You... wonder.' Harry's voice was unsteady. 'You think that I'm being used as a weapon?'

'I didn't say you were; I said you could be.' Cedric felt as though he was sinking deeper into a desperation that he couldn't alleviate.

'And you think that I've been entered in the Tournament...'

'By others, others with less than honourable intentions to see whether you're strong enough to be...'

'To be what, Cedric?' Harry's voice was suspiciously low, and that made Cedric decidedly nervous. He didn't want to answer, didn't want to verbalise it, but the blood pounded in his ears and the word refused to stay.

'Dangerous.'

More silence, but this time it seemed indeterminably longer, stretching forever as his heartbeat sounded out the seconds. He still hadn't been able to look at Harry but he could feel the betrayal and hurt around them in waves, flooding his senses and threatening to drown him in their intensity. Harry gave a shuddering sigh and Cedric's chest constricted so tightly that he fought for breath.

'I can't believe that you of all people would think that I'd allow myself to be used. I just...' Harry shook his head angrily as he paced back and forth, stomping on the floor as though trying to drive the thoughts from his head.

'Harry, I don't think that you're a willing anything in this, but you must admit that the circumstances surrounding your inclusion in this Tournament are suspicious at least and downright unethical at worst. I'm just telling you what I suspect after that talk with the Headmaster.'

Anger. Cedric felt it vibrating in the air between them, unsettling and destructive, and his eyes fixated on every movement of Harry's fists as they clenched and unclenched. Harry's breathing was once more rapid and uneven, through his mouth this time; definitely anger, not arousal.

'So we're back there, are we? Back to accusing me of cheating, of being a liar.'

'That's not... Harry, no, I never accused you.' Cedric was both horrified that Harry would think that Cedric meant it that way and frustrated because no matter what he said, Harry took it to mean something else.

'Look, I'm not playing any game, Cedric, and I thought you of all people would know that by now. I'm just trying to get through this without getting myself killed, and I'm scared shitless most of the time, and I feel like nobody cares enough to support me, and everything's wrong, and I can't fix any of it.' Harry was almost shouting, his hands clenched so tightly into fists that the skin on his knuckles was white and bloodless. The bitterness of those words and that voice tore into Cedric, knowing that he'd been the one to put it there. If only he hadn't said anything... but could he have protected Harry without the boy suspecting something?

A heavy silence shouldered its way between them, obstinate and unyielding, as Harry battled with himself while Cedric stood by, hating the walls that surrounded them and hating the sudden chasm that had appeared between them that seemed to stretch for miles. Harry was shaking, his entire body tensed by his anger, and Cedric realized that things had gotten way out of control. He had never seen Harry this way, and whereas the aura that normally surrounded the young Gryffindor had often been chaotic, now it was almost undecipherable, virtually invisible.

'This is just like at the beginning of the bloody Tournament, Cedric. Thanks.' His tone was unbearably harsh, but before Cedric could do anything more than swallow, Harry turned quickly and left the room in a huff, but the force of his energy remained.

~~~

Later that afternoon, Cedric, Jamie and Markus joined many other students on the lawn outside the Great Hall. Markus stretched out on the grass, throwing his long limbs about carelessly and taking up room. He propped himself up on his elbows briefly before he conjured a large pillow, which he placed behind his back. Thusly supported, he grabbed half of a sandwich and began eating, his eyes never leaving Cedric's. 'So, Cedders, dish. What's eating you?'

'Poor choice of words, Markers,' Jamie interjected, as they had just completed another debate on whether Muggle folklore was true about Manticores: whether they were actually carnivorous, and if so, whether wizards would be a likely target.

Markus quirked an eyebrow in amusement. 'Cedric has this task in the bag. That Cup is as good as his,' he proclaimed carelessly. Cedric saw movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed a flick of Markus' wrist, then something flew towards his head, and he silently deflected a bit of bread crust.

Markus grinned and Jamie laughed, but Cedric was irritable after not eating anything much breakfast or at lunch, and he was still too preoccupied with his Harry Problem. Images of the boy's angered face swam in his consciousness, and he had the sucking, empty feeling that their argument wasn't something that could be fixed simply. Another piece of bread whizzed towards his head, and he deflected it away irritably.

'His reflexes are good, aren't they, James?'

'Very good I'd say, Markers. He is a Champion, after all.'

'Come on, Diggs...' (another piece of crust) '...don't get all antsy on us now...' (another piece) '...especially with the end so near...' (large piece with some butter on it).

Cedric's anger ignited, and his magic exploded as he rounded on Markus, flicking his wand so sharply that the remnants of the sandwich were smashed into the front of his friend's robes. 'For Merlin's sake, Markus, stop THROWING the damn food at me. Eat it or banish it, but just back off!'

Anger poured out of Cedric in concert with his outburst, but shame burned through him as he noticed the stony expressions on both his friends' faces. Frustration still bubbled turbulently inside him, and he just couldn't find the words to make them understand. Markus stood in a rush of cloth and crumbs, his anger evident on every angle of his body. 'What the hell ever, Cedric,' he snapped as he threw the remaining bits of the sandwich at Cedric, his emphasis on the word doing nothing to hide the fury in his voice. Without another word to either of them, he whirled around and left, Cedric's gaze following his friend as he stalked across the grounds, his robes whipping out beside him. Jamie only stared silently at Cedric, whose shame burned all the hotter for having alienated his friend, and he dropped his head into his hands, shaking in disbelief at how rapidly his relationships had taken their downward spirals.

'That was a bit uncalled for, Cedders.' Jamie's tone was careful and soothing, but the disappointment seeped through regardless. Cedric sighed heavily.

'I know, I know,' he growled in frustration, wondering when his insides had turned to the seething mass of tension and anxiety. 'Merlin's mother! If only I could get past this task! It's like a mountain; an enormously high mountain and its right in my path.'

Jamie nodded, and his eyes were kind. 'You will, Cedders. Two days and that's it. After Thursday night, win or lose, it'll all be over, and in spite what your father thinks, simply being chosen as champion is enough of an honour for a lifetime. Don't let him ruin it for you, not now with the end so close.'

Cedric knew that Jamie was right, of course. The third task seemed passable, but with such difficulty that it required a huge effort just to attempt it. There was no way around this mountain, nor through it, so over it would have to be, and not for the first time, Cedric wished for a Time-Turner so that he could move past Thursday night and onto the rest of his life. 'I know that it's my mind's way of trying to cope with the pressure; it's a mental block against succeeding. Sometimes I wonder whether I want to win or lose, and sometimes I can't decide,' he said darkly, but he shook those thoughts out of his head and tried to smile at Jamie who sat patiently with him, not saying anything.

'Perhaps we've pushed you too hard? After all, there's only so much practice and preparation that a person can take, y'know?' Jamie looked worried as he searched Cedric's face for answers.

'No, no,' Cedric was quick to disagree. 'I mean, yes, we've done all that we can, and, no, I don't think you've pushed too hard, or at least, no harder than I'd have pushed myself.'

'Well, what then?'

Cedric groaned and closed his eyes, holding onto the last image of Harry, angry and shaking as he'd turned to leave Cedric after their argument. He heard Jamie's quiet huff of breath.

'Is it Harry?'

'When is it ever not?' Cedric asked, ruefully, and then steeled himself for an uncomfortable conversation as Jamie cleared his throat.

'Are you still sure about him? I mean, really sure? I know you don't want to hear how young he is or who he is, but, Cedric, this is a lot to put on a fourteen-year-old.'

'I haven't pressured him into anything, Jamie. I've been driving myself crazy holding back this way, but I can't force him into anything that he doesn't want.'

'Harry's not quite so sure about you, is he?' Jamie asked softly.

Surprised, Cedric opened his eyes and took a good look at his friend. Jamie's expression was carefully neutral, but Cedric could feel his apprehension that perhaps he'd overstepped the bounds of their friendship, as if their friendship had bounds.

'I-I... I don't know, Jame, maybe not. Maybe I haven't been clear enough.' Cedric's heart sank at the realization.

'Perhaps you're sending him mixed signals, and if you think you're confused, imagine what it's doing to him.' Jamie's half-smile played at the corners of his mouth, and Cedric smiled in spite of his worry.

'But how can I send him a clear signal when I don't even know what I want?'

'You have to decide, my friend. If you want him, when the Tournament is over, go after him, completely and without reservation. It's hard to open up to someone that way, but you can feel him, can't you?'

Cedric took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'Not always,' he admitted softly.

Jamie nodded. 'Well, the confusion in his aura seems to be part of him, Cedric. You have to get past that – know and understand the real Harry, find a way to soothe him and allay his fears. It's a lot being so young and so globally important, and then having all this attention placed on him, both by the Tournament and by you.'

'I'm running out of time, and I think I may have blown things with him yesterday.'

Jamie's face was suddenly serious. 'What happened?'

Cedric told him and Jamie winced. Cedric tried not to notice his reaction but knew that his friend wasn't about to lie to him just to make him feel better. He'd have to take it like a man and own up to the shite that he'd done.

'Bad move, Cedders.'

'Yeah, no kidding,' he groaned. 'How do I fix it?'

'Not sure, really. Harry's been jerked around by enough people in his life, and I'm sure he didn't expect you to be added to the long list.'

Cedric gently banged his head against the tree, again cursing himself for his stupidity. He'd managed to bollocks things up really brilliantly today, on all sides and with all his mates. It was time he started fixing things, and pronto. 'Look, Jamie, I'm sorry for before, with you and Markus and the food.'

'I know you are, mate, but I'm not the one to apologise to.'

Cedric sighed and nodded. He knew Markus well enough to realize that he'd have to wait until his friend calmed down before he attempted to apologise.

~~~

Cedric had a restless night with very little sleep, and he awoke the following day feeling as though his head was filled with sawdust. He blinked blearily as Jamie moved around the dorm bareback, searching for something. A glance at the bed to Cedric's left revealed that Markus had already gone down for breakfast, but Jamie was making enough noise to raise the dead.

'Oi, what are you looking for?' Cedric groused sleepily.

Jamie's dishevelled head emerged from beneath his bed where he'd been rummaging, and he flashed Cedric a somewhat embarrassed grin. 'Just looking for my vest, have you seen it? The black one.'

Cedric pondered that for just a moment longer than he wanted to – since when had Jamie been so specific about an article of clothing? 'Um, no, haven't noticed it, Jame.'

A few minutes later, Cedric laughed as Jamie's victorious yell came from the direction of his cupboard, and his friend emerged with the object in question and a broad grin on his face. 'Ha! Found it,' he effused, turning the vest around and inspecting it closely.

'Yes, so I see. Mind telling me what's so important about that vest?'

Jamie blushed extravagantly, and Cedric watched in detached amusement as the rosy colour descended from Jamie's cheeks to his neck and across his muscular chest, but it was quickly covered up as his friend tugged on the garment and tucked it into the waistband of his trousers. He checked himself in the mirror before he ran a comb through his hair. 'Oh, no,' Cedric thought, 'I can't possibly let this go!

'So you're going to wear that to classes today, are you? It's hardly the uniform, now, is it?' Cedric's tone was nothing less than amused, and Jamie grinned wolfishly.

'Well, if you must know, Katie likes knowing that I'm wearing just this, y'know, under the robes.' Jamie glanced at the ground demurely, but the wide grin completely ruined his attempt at playing coy.

'Ah.' Cedric tried desperately to contain his laughter, but he failed spectacularly. Jamie threw a pillow at him in mock-indignation as he pulled on his robes, winking cheekily. 'Come on, champion, it's time for breakfast, and we'd better hurry if we want to get any before class.'

Cedric groaned, but he knew that his friend was right. No matter how fuzzy his head felt, a good breakfast and some strong tea always helped things to seem better.

Less than five minutes later they entered the Great Hall, where breakfast was in full swing. Cedric noticed that Markus was sitting in his usual spot, and even though they'd not said more than a few words to each other since the sandwich episode, the atmosphere wasn't antagonistic, merely strained. Against his better judgement, Cedric glanced across at the Gryffindor table, and his heart tightened at the sight of Harry, who was studiously ignoring him, but Cedric could barely eat anything because the sight of Harry's pale face and pinched features just made his stomach turn over. He felt the tension thick around him, and he took deep, steadying breaths as he sipped his tea and toyed with a slice of toast that tasted not unlike an owl treat.

Jamie provided a good buffer between him and Markus, but kept shooting him significant glances, and Cedric knew that the sooner he and Markus had their discussion, the better things would be. He gave up on his toast as a bad job and stood behind Markus, grasping his shoulder firmly as he bent down and spoke softly into his ear. 'Let's talk in the Entrance Hall before class.' It wasn't so much a request as a statement, but he'd kept his tone purposely neutral, and Markus responded with a nod. Cedric straightened and walked out of the Great Hall to await his friend. He knew it wouldn't be long.

Markus strolled through the large doors of the Great Hall a few minutes later and crossed to where Cedric leaned against the doorway to the kitchens and their common room. Their eyes met with the barest hint of a challenge, and Cedric knew that although his friend didn't hold grudges for long, his anger usually needed time to dissipate before he would become reasonable. The uncomfortable squirming in his stomach receded somewhat as the barest hint of a smile on Markus' face suggested that he might be reasonable enough.

'Sorry, mate, you know...' Cedric began.

'Good, so you're all over your snit then?' Markus interrupted and clapped him hard on his shoulder as he roared with laughter. Cedric felt his face heat up even as his body felt slightly weak with the wave of relief that coursed through him. He never could stay angry for long. He hadn't realized just how wound up he'd been over his disagreement with Markus, and he shook slightly as he tried to apologise. 'Still, Markus, I shouldn't have taken it out on you.'

'True,' Markus agreed, nodding sagely, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought with himself to keep a straight face. 'Still, it's better than turning on the Slytherins. You'd have gotten yourself killed for sure!'

Cedric laughed outright, and Markus pulled him into a fierce hug, and Cedric knew that, just like that, all things were forgiven.

~~~

TBC