-Rose-
The conversation with Flitwick and Terry Boot was, of course, completely pointless. The best strategy Boot could come up with was to stay alive. Really, staying alive was the only thing he could think of? Every first year is taught that that's what you want to do in the Hunger Games. As for my strategy, well, I couldn't very well tell Flitwick about having two winners this year, could I? So, that was how I wasted an hour of my life, an hour that could have been spent searching the library for a book that may or may not be there, an exception that may or may not exist, a way that may or may not bring both Holly and I out of the Games alive.
I walked out of Flitwick's office, along with Laine and Luna, considering if I should tell them about my idea. They could help me with finding the book, but if it was found out that they had helped me with my plot...no, I refuse to consider what could happen to them.
"Rose," began Laine "Please tell me that stuff you were telling Flitwick about hiding in a tree for the Games was made up. For one, you don't even know if there will be any trees, and two, you can't even climb a tree; I've seen you try."
"I have not, though it seems that it would be most amusing." said Luna in her dreamy tone of voice.
"Of course I'm not going to do that. I just couldn't tell him what I am going to try to do in there."
"Then what are you going to do?" demanded Laine, her voice rising shrilly. "Because if you kill Holly, so help me, I will break my way into the arena, hunt you down, and..." she trailed off as she tried to think of a bad enough threat. I was already going into a deathtrap.
I interrupted her before she could, "Listen, I have a plan, but I have no idea if it will work. It hinges on too many things. But if either of you want to help-"
"Of course we do." said Luna.
"-you need to know that it will incredibly dangerous for both of you, if people find out you helped me with it."
"Where do we start?" asked Laine.
"The library." I said.
"Of course." muttered Luna.
-Holly-
I hoped Rose was enjoying herself. She was probably in the library, studying or looking for something. I, on the other hand, was here listening to McGonagal talk about past winners. Collin just finished talking about his strengths, which honestly wasn't a very long list.
"," McGonagal said, turning towards me. "Your strengths?" I racked my brain for a few seconds.
"Well I can run for a bit, I'm decent with a knife, I'm not really weak. I'm fast, generally, and when aggravated I can be quiet the...beast." I started. The young boys' faces showed fear yet had some mix of admiration in them.
"I'm focused and learn quickly." I finished. I guess my list wasn't particularly long either but at least it would be more helpful then Creevy's; "I'm small and hide well."
"Stratigies?" McGonagal asked.
"To stay alive." Collin and I both answered but his ended with, "as long as possible." I looked sympathetically at the kid. I remember what it was like to be that young. When you were carefree and life didn't throw punches at you randomly. I told myself to snap out of it.
"You're dismissed." McGonagal said.
"Wow wifey, I hope this goes well." Dylan said as we exited the room.
"Yeah, for everyone's sake." Seamus said. Dylan punched him in the arm and replied, "I have confidence she'll win."
"I don't want to win!" I cried. They looked at me shocked.
"What do you mean?" Seamus questioned.
"I refuse to kill one of my best friends!" I replied hotly. Dylan nodded her head.
"I agree. At least one of them is already working on bending the rules." Dylan whispered. I cracked a weak smile and replied, "It's hard to break old habits." Dylan smiled warmly at me.
"I'm going to head outside." I told them.
"It's almost time to head in though." Dylan said looking back in the direction of the courtyard.
"I won't get in trouble if I'm not caught." I told them with a wink. Seamus smirked and said, "She's right you know." Dylan let out an exasperated sigh.
"I guess."
"I swear Dylan you're starting to sound like Hermione." I replied with a smile before I tore off to the grounds. I slipped through the door and past the Bloody Barron.
"Where are you going ?" a voice came. I turned on my heels to face the Minister of Magic and Dumbledore.
"Ohhhhh god." I thought in my head.
"To get some fresh air." I chimed in a happy tone with a sweet smile.
"Okay, just don't try to run." the Minister of Magic said with a laugh that to anyone but him would be portrayed as sinister. I laughed awkwardly and slinked back to the Common Room. I imitated his stupid laugh.
"Stupid leader of the free wizarding world!" I muttered to myself with a roll of my eyes and waves of sarcasm. I felt someone bump into me and say,
"Watch where you're going oh mighty tribute!" came the voice.
"Not now MALFOY!" I spat at my attacker. He just smirked and after a few seconds of silence said,
"If I could put my money on anyone to come out of this, it'd be you." Was that a compliment?
"Bailing on your boy Crabbe are we?" I asked.
"You Americans are so odd." he said with a small smile.
"I've been told." I said sarcastically, thinking of how everyone pointed out our Minnesotan accents.
"Father's interested in you. All the other tributes are dead beats." he said with a smirk.
"Not Rose!" I yelled at him in my head.
"A Gryffindor?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, unfortunately. But you are pure blooded. " Draco replied with a smirk at me.
"We're not that bad, are we?" I asked with a small smile.
"Not all of you." he said, looking at the ground.
"Incoming Slytherins." I told him. He looked behind him and sure enough there was a pack of fifth year Slytherin girls gliding towards us.
"Bye Holly." he said as he ran off in the direction of the girls. They swooned, unnoticed to him.
"Your audience awaits." I muttered with a smile as I walk into the Gryffindor Common Room. I was tired so I stalked straight up to the room Dylan, Natalie, and I shared and flopped into bed. The other two were off doing who knows what. I thought of what an interesting day it has been as I drift off to sleep, my eyelids growing heavier and heavier until the portal to my view of the world closed gently.
