In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter XLV: Sound Like a Plan?

CEDRIC:

"When's your meeting, Ced?" Henry asked as he dramatically draped himself across the foot of my bed after a particularly challenging Quidditch practice. I followed suit and laid on my back next to him, running my fingers through my sweaty hair.

"Tomorrow morning, fairly early. I'm guessing you'll be right after me, with the last name Furls."

"Yeah, should be." He sighed heavily.

I waited a minute for him to explain the sigh, but I reckoned I knew well enough why he was upset. "Any idea what you'll say, or are you still planning to wing it?"

"Well, I reckon Professor Sprout would be happy to hear that I want to intern at the Ministry of Magic after I graduate. Nowhere near as impressive as your internship at St. Mungo's this summer, of course, but at least it's something."

"Hey, no need to compare yourself to me. It's not your fault I've wanted to be a healer since-"

"Since the second you knew what it was," Henry finished for me, laughing. "Don't worry, I know better than to compare myself to you at this point. I'm still allowed to think it's bloody awesome that my best friend landed an internship even before he's taken a single O.W.L."

"You know it was my dad's idea." I lowered my voice to impersonate my dad as best as possible. "'Think of me and your mother. You want to make us proud, do you not? Bring a new level of prestige to the Diggory name? Think of your sister! Don't you want to set a good example for her to try to follow? Yes, yes, I know, you tell me she's done quite well for herself, but son, think of all there's still left for you to accomplish!'"

"You know your sister thinks the world of you no matter what, right?"

I sighed. "I know. Honestly, sometimes I worry I've set too good of an example. Not that I don't think she's capable," I amended quickly, "I do, 100%. I just... I don't want her ever feeling like she has to do exactly what I do, if that makes sense?"

"It makes perfect sense, mate. I have a sister, too, even if she is a lot younger than me."

I sighed and sat up. "Speaking of my dad and my sister and my intership, I guess I should go study."

"Oh no you don't," Henry said, grabbing my arm and pulling me back down next to him.

I tried to squirm free, but Henry had always been stronger than me. Keepers needed to be bigger than Seekers. He wrapped his arms around my chest and held me in place.

"Henry, let me go!" I grunted, wriggling uselessly.

"No."

"No?"

"You studied every waking hour of this entire Easter holiday. I was surprised you even scheduled a practice for today, the way you've been revising. You're working too hard."

"Hufflepuffs are unafraid of toil," I argued in a monotone voice, quoting the Sorting Hat.

"Well, maybe we should be afraid of toiling too much. I'm not letting you go until you promise to take the rest of today off."

"But-"

He tightened his arms around me and laughed. "Alright, guess we're staying just like this, all day long."

"Alright, alright, I won't study today," I relented. He released me, and I rolled off him back onto my bed. "I'll go find Cho. After a shower, of course."

"I don't know, mate, maybe she wouldn't mind your natural-"

I stripped off my outermost layer of robes and tossed it onto his face in one fluid motion.