chapter4
 (all hail natalia heart's desire)

She sat in the library for what seemed like eternity with Ron and Harry comforting her. Telling her the Goblet couldn't make a mistake and that it was going to be okay. She had only put her name in to stop Ginny whining about missing a great opportunity, she had never considered that she'd ever get picked.

When she had finally been pushed into the chamber behind the staff table she had argued with Dumbledore, saying that there was some kind of mistake and that she really didn't want to compete. But she was simply reminded of the binding magical contract in which the goblet is.

Ever since her name had been pulled out of the goblet the deaths Dumbledore had spoken of kept plaguing her mind, so after leaving the chamber she did the only thing she knew she went to the library and researched it. She had found numerous records, none that calmed her nerves though. So Hermione had opted for her favourite book 'Hogwarts: A History'.

Hermione hadn't realised she'd fallen asleep until Harry and Ron were sitting next her. Though they looked worried it was a loving worried, which nearly brought Hermione to tears, they care so much about her. What would she do without them?

"Ron broke Malfoy's for you," Harry whispered.

With that she smiled and hugged them both. She would be alright with them by her side.

Natalia had fully expected to get picked, as no-one else from her school was allowed to enter. She felt extremely guilty that they had missed out on this opportunity, which had been forced upon on her. What she hadn't expected was for Hermione to walk in after her.

She knew there was something 'special' about her. She was a brilliant witch in her own right, it was that Natalia never expected Hermione to enter it just didn't seem like her kind of thing. And maybe it wasn't, as she was practically pushed in by the teacher that taught Transfiguration, she was as white as a sheet.

"Please Professor, there's been some mistake."

"Shhh Granger! Go sit down," the professor urged her.

When Dumbledore had entered, she had begged and pleaded that someone else gets given the chance, instead of her. Dumbledore simply stated the rules and she remained silent for the rest of the evening. Natalia had left thirty minutes later, Hermione's friends Harry and the red-head were waiting. They looked extremely tense. Seeing the ginger headed boy's face full of worry for Hermione made Natalia have a pang of envy, which she shrugged off when her stomach did an unexpected back flip. Ignoring her body's strange unfamiliar reaction, she continued down the Great Hall, stopping next to Harry. Hermione had kept walking passed and the boys looked even more worried than before.

"She's just overwhelmed, she probably never thought she'd actually get picked," Natalia said, resting a hand on Harry's arm.

He just acknowledged her with a reassuring smile.

Natalia had heard that Hermione had fallen asleep in the library, she had also heard that Ron - Natalia had discreetly asked Pansy - had broken Malfoy's nose and her stomach did another one of those funny back flips.

"I should really go to the infirmary to find out if what was causing them," she thought to herself walking to her Herbology class.

Natalia was the first to the green house so she sat down leaning against the wall, closing her eyes from the sun she floated off day-dreaming about flying over the lake on the Hogwarts grounds.

She could feel the wind racing passed her face, she loved the feeling it was soothing and she felt her entire body relax, slumping into another body. That's when she noticed strong hands gripping the broom in front of her, turning round the first thing she saw was red-flaming hair flying in the wind. It looked so soft, and she had the urge to play with it.

Just as she was about to reach out and touch the red hair, she got the sense that someone was watching her. Blinking she saw that there was a pair of legs standing directly in front of her, they looked male. Glancing up she recognised Harry. He was grinning broadly at her.

"I was just...day-dreaming," she confessed, accepting Harry's hand as she got to her feet.

"About what...a boy?" he mocked.

"Quidditch actually," she lied, no-one had ever mocked her she liked it, it was as if she was a normal girl.

"Well that's alright then," Harry said more serious than before.

Twenty minutes later they were standing in threes, Natalia had been paired with Harry and Hermione, as Dean and Shamus had asked Ron to join them to continue their discussion on who were the better seekers in the league. Ron was adamant it was Victor Krum, relying on his own experiences from the Quidditch Cup he went to in his fourth year.

They had been assigned a Krastius Plant which required its flowers to be cut off, as Professor Snape needed them for his 5th years Potions class tomorrow. It sounded easy enough, but apparently the plants were extremely attached to their flowers and as they were equipped with long vines they kept whipping the student's arms every time they reached towards the stems.

The argument among the boys was getting so heated that it attracted Professor Sprout's attention. She was already not in a good mood, as Malfoy had thought it would be amusing to create a slimy mucus for her to slip on. It had been quite funny, however Harry had respectively restrained himself from laughing when the Professor had landed flat on her bottom with a loud thud. Though he did allow himself to laugh out loud when Malfoy received a week's detention with Filch, along with fifty points from Slytherin.

"Weasley, switch with Granger," she bellowed across the green house.

Natalia stomach did another back flip. Hermione frowned and moved over to the other table, while Ron came trudging over fuming. Harry was laughing under his breath.

"Oh shut up Harry," Ron spat.

He was so mad he hadn't noticed Natalia and when he grasped the sides of the pot his hands had over laid hers. When their hands touched Natalia had gasped, mentally kicking herself she hoped nobody noticed. But Harry had indeed heard her quick intake of breath. "That's interesting," he thought.

Harry watched Natalia closely for the rest of the lesson and noticed that since Ron had come over she was instantly clumsier. She jumped at the smallest thing and she kept fumbling with the pot. She had even started stuttering, much to her frustration. Harry was truly enjoying himself watch the young royal try to hide her obvious infatuation with his oblivious best friend.

"So Natalia, who's your favourite quidditch seeker?" Harry asked noting Ron's ears prick to attention.

"Um, probably...prob...probably Victor Krum, not that he doesn't already know how good he is," she muttered nervously.

"Yeah, so you're a Bulgarian supporter?" Harry nodded.

"Um...no...no actually..it's..it's the Cudley Cannons," she muttered again.

Ron nearly jumped out of his skin in excitement but he refrained himself from saying anything.

Harry just laughed under his breath again.