lucunty_cerys on ao3
Cedric tossed and turned in bed, unable to shake off the unease that gripped him. Every night, as he lay in the quiet darkness, he was plagued by the sensation of something slipping away, just beyond the grasp of his memory. No matter how much he wracked his brain, the source of his discomfort eluded him.
Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the room. Cedric sat up, rubbing his temples. He glanced at the empty space beside him. Harry had yet to return home. The pattern had become all too familiar: Harry's odd behaviour, his late nights, his reluctance to be intimate.
Their once fiery and passionate relationship had dwindled to mere embers.
Getting up, Cedric headed to the kitchen to make coffee. As he waited for the brew, he reflected on the past few weeks. They had been nothing short of tumultuous. With every passing day, the distance between him and Harry grew, and the weight of his forgetfulness pressed down even more.
Later that evening, as the sun painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, Cedric heard the familiar sound of the front door opening. He looked up to see a weary-looking Harry step in, his green eyes turned away from Cedric's gaze.
"Harry," Cedric began, his voice laced with concern, "We need to talk."
Harry sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Not now, Ced. I'm exhausted."
"No," Cedric's voice was firm, "We can't keep doing this. What's going on? Why have you been so distant?"
Harry hesitated, gathering his words. "It's complicated, Cedric."
Cedric stepped closer, taking Harry's hands in his own. "Whatever it is, we can face it together. But you have to let me in."
Harry swallowed hard, tears forming in his eyes. "I've been keeping something from you. Something big."
The atmosphere in the room grew cold, a stark contrast to the warm hues of the sunset outside. Cedric, trying to brace himself for whatever Harry was about to disclose, looked into his boyfriend's eyes, seeking answers.
Harry's expression changed to so distant, almost cruel. His tears were gone as soon as they came, like they were merely illusion to Cedric's eyes. "Cedric," he began, taking a deep breath, "I've been seeing someone else. Tom Riddle."
Cedric's heart felt like it was being squeezed, the pain intense and immediate. "Harry... How could you? Tom is your best friend's boyfriend!"
Harry's smirk sent shivers down Cedric's spine. "Why not? He offers me things you could never provide. He fucks me the way you can't even fathom, and how passionately he loves me."
Tears filled Cedric's eyes. "Is that all our relationship meant to you? Just a mere stepping stone?"
Harry tilted his head, his cold eyes studying Cedric. "It's not just that. With Tom, I feel powerful, invincible. Most of all, loved."
Cedric's voice trembled, "So all our moments, our memories... they mean nothing?"
Harry chuckled darkly, "They mean something, of course. But not enough to stop me, not enough to keep me from going to him."
Before Cedric could process the full weight of Harry's betrayal, Harry raised his holly wand, "Obliviate."
Cedric's eyes glazed over, his recent memories of the confrontation vanishing. But deep down, a seed of doubt remained, a lingering feeling that something wasn't right.
What Cedric didn't know was that this wasn't the first time he'd been confronted with the painful truth. Time and again, Harry had erased his memory, leaving Cedric in a cycle of hurt and oblivion.
