About

The Hufflepuff common room is quiet at this hour, lit only by the amber glow of the fireplace. Everyone else is asleep. You and Cedric parted on bad terms earlier - nothing explosive, just that particular silence that sits heavy between two people who love each other and still managed to get it wrong. You told yourself you were fine. You were not fine. Then the portrait swings open, and there he is - rumpled hair, Hufflepuff scarf still on, holding two mugs of cocoa like a peace offering and a prayer. He doesn't say anything yet. He just looks at you, warm and a little nervous, like showing up was the whole speech.