Misery || Harry Potter's Twin Brother

Chapter Twenty One

Sirius was dreaming, at least he was sure he was dreaming. He hated dreaming, it never ended well. He felt strange, as though he had a sudden weightlessness.

Suddenly Cedric was by his side, as soon as Sirius turned towards him the older boy slumped into his arms, he was dead. He was gone. And he had left him. His eyes were wide, but empty. Cedric was gone from them, it was as though something had sucked everything that made Cedric out of this body. Leaving it hollow. Leaving it empty.

Sirius screamed. He couldn't help it, it was his worst nightmare to see his boyfriend dead in his arms. To see Cedric dead. Cedric, his everything. Dead.

Darling, dearest, dead.

Dead.

He couldn't stop screaming, it was as though he had lost the ability to do anything else.

"Sirius-" how was Cedric talking? Why was this happening. "Sirius wake up."

**
Sirius awoke to see Cedric leaning over him with worry. He just reached up and grabbed his boyfriend tightly, beginning to sob into his chest.

"Hey, it's okay." Cedric said gently, he began to play with Sirius's hair to try to calm him down. "Did you have a nightmare?" Sirius nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"You... you died Ced." Sirius whispered. "I lost you."

"You're never going to lose me." Cedric replied. "I mean where do you think I'm gonna go?"

"I don't know." Sirius replied, he didn't move from where he had his tight hold on Cedric. Cedric didn't try to talk to him further, just held him as he stopped crying. "I dont want to lose you."

"I'm never gonna leave you Sirius." Cedric kissed the top of his head. Sitius heard him take a deep breath. "I think... no I know it."

"Know what?" Sirius  looked up at him.

"I love you Sirius Potter. I really do." Cedric told him. "I love you."

Sirius just stared at him, it was not something he had ever been told before, and especially not like that. "I love you too." He whispered, reaching up and kissing Cedric, Cedric smiled and kissed him back.

Cedric was first to pull away. "Let's go for a walk." He stood up, pulling on a hoodie and passing another to Sirius. It was far too big for him, but Sirius didn't care, because it was Cedric's and that made all the difference.

Pulling on his shoes and following Cedric, Sirius soon caught up with him and reached for his hand, Cedric taking it. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know, I just thought we should go for a walk." Cedric replied. "How are you feeling, after what happened with Moody?"

"Its a little hazy." Sirius admitted, he sighed. "I was so scared."

"I won't let him do that to you again." Cedric paused, looking at the boy, who had nothing but trust and adoration for him in his eyes. "I'm sorry no one listened to you the first time."

"I'm glad you did." Sirius replied, Cedric smiled and kissed him, before grabbing his hand again and pulling him down the corridor.

"Please, not again." They heard someone whimper, followed by pitiless laughter.

The two boys exchanged a frown and ran towards the source, where they found an outnumbered Theodore Nott trying in vain to protect himself. He was surrounded by Avery, Mulciber, Yaxley and another Slytherin Sirius didn't recognise. Theo himself looked like he'd lost the fight already. He was bruised and bleeding and Sirius wished he knew why they were always picking on him so much.

"Awe the little half blood is scared." Avery teased, hexing the poor boy again.

"I'm not a half blood." Theo tried to defend himself.

"Oh come on Nott, everyone knows your father had an affair with that muggle girl whilst your 'mother' was ill." Mulciber laughed harshly, grabbing the boys hair. "You're filthy, that's what you are."

"Hey, let go of him." Cedric couldn't stand it any longer.

"What are you going to do about it Diggory? Set your little pet on us." Mulciber asked. Sirius moved forward angrily, but Cedric pulled him back.

"Don't talk about him like that." Cedric was calm, but there was a steel to his words. "Now leave Nott alone."

Deciding it better to not fight with the Hogwarts champion, the group sloped off, leaving Theo in the corner, looking as though he was about to cry.

"Theo?" Sirius asked gently, moving to crouch in front of the boy. "Are you okay?"

Theo just nodded, despite the mountain of evidence that told them otherwise.

"We should get you to the hospital wing." Cedric said as he carefully got the boy to his feet. Theo shook his head at once.

"Please, no." He begged.

"She'll help, it's okay." Sirius told him. Theo shook his head.

"Its not that. I-" he sighed. "I told Blaise that they'd stopped."

"Why?" Cedric frowned.

"Because he was so worried, and... I hated seeing him like that. Especially because of me."

"Theo! Theo!" They heard Blaise shouting the boys name. Theo shook his head at once.

"Please I don't want him to see me like this." He begged.

"You can't keep this from him!" Sirius said. "Not something this bad."

"I don't want to worry him." Theo muttered, he was gripping Cedric's shoulder for dear life, as though he would fall if he didn't.

"He'll worry more if you don't tell him." Cedric advised. Theo sighed. Blaise sprinted around the corner.

"Theo! What happened?" He asked running towards them and cupping the smaller boys face in his hands delicately. "How badly are you hurt?"

"We were just about to take him to the hospital wing." Cedric explained. "They've gone now."

"I knew you were lying that they had stopped." Blaise sighed. "And when Mulciber dragged you out of the dormitory for a 'word' and you didn't come back... I was so worried."

"I'm sorry." Theo murmured, all but collapsing into Blaises arms.

"I'm going to have to tell Draco, we need to get them to stop. Look what they've done to you." Blaise shook his head, gripping Theo close to him, tightly but without hurting him.

"I just want them to stop." Theo muttered. Blaise nodded, kissing the top of his head before turning to to two hufflepuffs.

"Thanks." He nodded to them.

"Make sure he goes to the hospital wing." Cedric advised, before taking Sirius' hand and pulling him down the corridor.

"Poor Theo." Sirius sighed. "That was awful."

"All because of a rumour." Cedric shook his head, watching the boy rub his eyes, finally worn out again. "Come on, you need to sleep."

"So do you." Sirius pointed out, but he gladly followed Cedric back to the warmth of their bed.