"Right." Cedric stops smiling with his mouth, but he conveys the same general sentiment of friendliness with his eyes. He listens patiently, and...well, he shows faint surprise. It's not a massive shock after Hogwarts. And Howard had seemed very invested in the state of his hair.

This is difficult. Cedric knows how much it must be killing Howard to admit to this, to put himself on the line like this. He'd really thought Cedric would be angry enough to throw him off the cliff. And part of Cedric wishes he could say yes, soothe Howard's fears, and give him a little happiness in his life.

But he isn't the right guy for Howard---not now.

"I'm honored," he says sincerely, just to let Howard know he's not disgusted right off the bat. "And I promise I won't let my ego overinflate. But..."

He looks guilty. "You're a great guy, Howard. I just...have a girlfriend, possibly in the pods somewhere."