Cedric didn’t often get free time. Between his responsibilities as the Hufflepuff prefect and Quidditch captain—not to mention the weight of his father’s proud expectations—there was rarely a moment just for himself.

The little time he did get, however, he liked to spend submerged in the warm, soapy water of the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor.

Since the bathroom was only open to prefects or those granted access by one, it usually remained quiet and empty—a perfect place to relax and forget everything but the gentle aroma of the bubbles dancing on the surface of the water.

Today was one of those rare days Cedric had to himself: all his homework was finished, there was no Quidditch practice, and no prefect duties demanded his attention.

His thoughts were light as he imagined sinking into the blissfully warm water while stepping into the bathroom—only to pause when he saw someone already in the bath, a crumpled uniform laid off to the side.

Naturally, he recognized the back of your head. You were the prefect from your house, in the same year as him, though he didn’t know you well.

“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” he said, a faint tinge of disappointment in his voice as he adjusted his yellow and black tie from where it hung loosely around his neck after he’d pulled it slack.

He had been looking forward to unwinding in the embrace of the perfectly tempered water—but now someone else had beaten him to it.