Just Like Magic (Cedric Diggory and Hermione Granger Fan fiction)

Chapter 6: Truth

Harry clasped his hands in front of him and I watched as his gaze drifted to the birds flying above my head. The silence between us was discomforting as he continued to stare at the birds orbiting above us.

"Charm spell." I released a shaky breath. "Just practicing."

"They're really good."

I knew he was just placating me. Waiting for when I would tell him what had me upset. Harry was an excellent friend that way. He didn't push you to tell him everything. He waited. If there was anyone I could trust with this, it was Harry. I had a feeling he already knew in a way.

My face turned to look at him and he looked taken aback by the fierceness of my tears. "How does it feel, Harry? When you see Cho with Cedric?"

He began to stutter-to deny that he had any feelings for her. But, I knew. I knew just as I knew I was falling for Cedric that Harry was in love with Cho. It wasn't hard to notice. The way he stared at her-it was full of longing.

"I see the way you look at her." I continued. "You're my best friend."

The tears began to fall. There was no holding them back when I thought of all I held back from Harry these past couple weeks. Something was eating me up inside and I had no one to talk to. But I could trust Harry.

He moved to the same stair as me and wrapped his arm protectively around me. I melted into his chest letting the full weight of all that happened tonight out. If I was going to tell him everything I couldn't be breaking down in the middle of it.

Harry's hand rubbed against my arm. "It feels like this."

I knew how much it meant for him to say that. He finally admitted his feelings for Cho with me. It was that simple act of trust that proved I could tell him this dark secret of mine. I hesitated simply because, in telling him, Harry will see a new view of me. A careless and free me.

The strength deep inside me finally made its presence known and a final tear falls from my eye. I took a deep breath and removed my face from the cotton of Harry's shirt. He kept his arm around me to show that he's there for me and I knew I could do this.

"Cedric and I...." I paused because I wasn't exactly sure how to explain what Cedric and I were. We had sex but I felt it was more than that. "Well, we've been... sleeping together. Though, there isn't exactly much sleeping going on, per say. Oh, now I'm just rambling. You get what I mean, right? Right?"

He hesitated which I understood. How exactly can you respond quickly to a response like that? I chewed on my bottom lip to keep from babbling more. I knew I had to give Harry the time to process all that I was telling him.

Finally he answered. "I figured something was going on with you two. You're both beaming when you're around each other."

"I'm..." I shook my head. "I'm not sure he feels the same way I do."

"Why do you think that?"

I sighed. "I told him I didn't want it to amount to more than what it was."

"I see." And he nodded his head as if that statement answered all the questions as to what has been going on since the Yule Ball.

Possibly that was my one fault. The decision to limit what I could be with Cedric truly put me in a place far worse than if there were hope with my affections. It would have to be me to break the rules I set in place. I would have to ask him what I was to him.

Harry squeezed me tighter to him. "How do you feel about him, Hermione?"

That's just the question, isn't it? I thought back on all the times we spent together and I wasn't sure how to answer. Nothing about this was normal for most couples. We didn't start off as friends and slowly build our relationship as lovers. We were mere acquaintances that had a tryst in a bathroom that needed repeat appearances.