Darling - Cedric Diggory

31

I can't really help the nervous pacing of the living room as I await Cedric's arrival. Draco is sat in an arm chair watching with an exasperated look on his face while Harry stands in the doorway trying not to laugh at my evident nerves.

"You really do need to calm down. It'll be fine," Draco groans "and anyhow you are stressing me out with all the pacing," he adds, grabbing onto my wrist and holding it so I'm forced to stand still.

"This could go so badly. I mean what was I thinking? Dad and uncle James around my boyfriend for a whole week. Have I gone insane?" I rant, my hands running through my hair purely out of stress.

"Probably," Harry deadpans, dropping onto the sofa.

"Okay you are the least helpful per-" my scolding is cut off by a polite knock at the door.

"That's him. Shit!" I state. Jumping up and attempting to fix my hair "do I look okay?" I question the boys

"You look great," Draco smiles. Harry agreeing loudly as they both stand up to follow me.

"No. Go to the kitchen, give us a minute," I demand. Ignoring their grumbles as they retreat down the hall and into the kitchen.

I pull the door open, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. He's standing on the doorstep, bags at his feet, with a wide grin on his face.

Immediately all my nerves are gone and I feel completely calm in his presence.

"Hey," he grins, opening his arms wide and chuckling slightly when I fling myself into them. Wrapping my arms tight around him as he pulls me as close as physically possible, a large kiss planted to the top of my head.

"I missed you," I whisper. Pulling out of his grip slightly and looping my arms round his neck. His grin is bright and his eyes seem to sparkle in the sun light.

"I missed you," he beams back. His lips pressing to mine in the most tender kiss he has ever given me.

I help him take his bags upstairs, putting them in the spare room I know my dad will ensure he sleeps in.

"You ready?" I question lightly

"As I'll ever be," he nods back. His hand grabbing mine as I lead him back down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

"We saw him get here! Has he spoken to you boys yet? Does he seem nervous?" Uncle James's voice carries down the corridor. He may have briefly met Cedric at the quidditch World Cup last year, but he had been pestering me for a formal introduction ever since February.

"He looked cute. When they kissed they looked like a film poster and he seemed respectful. She seemed happy too," Aunty Lily adds, I turn to see Cedric looking a lot more nervous now we are so close, squeezing his hand in comfort.

"He seemed like a good bloke when I met him, not too fond of their history and the rocky start but hey, he seemed nice and respectful and he's smart apparently which is good. He is a good kid right Moony?" My dads voice sounds. Uncle Remus, who is leaning against the kitchen counter and immediately notices us round the corner smirks a little.

"He is," he nods, sending Cedric a warm smile as we approach

"As long as he-" Aunty Lily is cut off when Cedric and I enter the kitchen.

Draco and Harry are sat watching with wide smirks at the kitchen table, Uncle James and aunty Lily standing by the open back door as if they've just burst in.

"Cedric, how are you mate?" My dad questions with a smile as he walks towards us.

"I'm good. Thankyou for having me sir," Cedric returns politely, shaking dads hand.

"Ced this is my aunty Lily," I introduce as she walks over

"Hello lovely, Emily has told me so much about you," she grins, pulling him into a quick hug

"Oh yeah we can't get her to shut up about you," Uncle James teases, laughing loudly when I shoot him a dirty look. Ced chuckles, sending me a wide smirk but wrapping an arm around my waist and giving me a gentle squeeze

"It's great to meet you Mrs Potter, Emily loves you and she always talks about you," Cedric smiles politely

"Who does she talk about most? I bet it me, I am clearly her favourite," James calls, having dropped into a seat next to Draco who is watching all of this with a wide grin.

"If you ever were it's safe to say you're not anymore," I joke with a pointed look before turning back to Cedric "that's my uncle James, he's clearly very self absorbed,"

"I call it confidence," he calls back with a laugh

"Yeah, I remember meeting at the quidditch World Cup last year, nice to see you again," Cedric grins

"And you kid," James smile back

"And obviously you know my uncle Remus and the boys," I finish with a grin. The boys both nodding in greeting

"Welcome to the mad house Diggory," Remus jokes lightly

"Happy to be here Professor,"

"Please, none of that here, call me Remus,"

**

I wake up late the next day, pulling an old sweater on over my tshirt and booty shorts I slept in before brushing my teeth and heading downstairs.

I can't help the grin on my face as I watch Cedric talking easily with my dad and uncle James, having easily been the most nervous about them meeting him.

"Here comes sleeping beauty," Dad smiles as I enter the kitchen

"What time do you call this?" Uncle James teases with a smirk as I drop into the seat next to Cedric at the breakfast table, pressing a quick kiss to the cheek.

"I remember when I was the only boy you'd kiss, claimed all the others had gross germs. Especially Prongs over here," my dad sighs, watching with a smile as Cedric and I laugh at his story

"God I hated you for that," uncle James groans. Standing up from his chair with a stretch. "The wife wants you two to drop by for a lunch with her today by the way, claims she knows Cedric the least and it's not fair," he informs

"Tell her we will be over at one," I agree with a nod. James grins, grabs his coffee cup and exits through the back door.

"By the way kid I heard back from your uncle Regulus and he's going to be able to make your birthday barbecue after all, isn't that great?" Dad smiles as he too stands up, beginning to wash the empty plate that had been in front of him

"Yeah I'm so glad," I smile back happily, excited to see my uncle

"Another family member for you to meet Cedric," dad adds with a grin "you'll be there right? Molly insisted on hosting so she could do all the food, I assume she invited you,"

"Yeah she did, I'll be there, I can't wait," Cedric returns politely

"I'm going to work now you kids have a good day," Dad announces. We call our goodbyes as he heads out the front door before I turn to Ced.

"Do I get a proper good morning now your family are gone?" He questions with a cheeky grin. I laugh lightly, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips before turning back to the array of breakfast foods on the table

"Good breakfast with my family?" I question as I heap cereal into the bowl in front of me

"Yeah it was, lots of embarrassing family stories and such," he smirks, a loud laugh filling the room as I groan

"Whatever they said I did, I can promise they made it sound worse than it was," I laugh

"Oh but they didn't," Harry calls as he enters "don't look so panicked, uncle Rem shut them up before they got to the time you were in the changing rooms with my mum at that sw-" he's cut off when a muffin I've thrown at him hits him hard, square in the face.

"Good aim," Draco grins from the doorway

"All that quidditch did me good. Made me physically fit too Potter so watch yourself," I joke as he hands his hands up in mock surrender.