He only paused before continuing his way out of the door. I followed to see my friends stood there. Along with Cedric. Thankfully they hadn't heard. Then again having witnesses might not be too bad but no one would believe us anyway, not without proof, now would be a great time to have the Cullens on my side, Dammit stop thinking about them Bella.
"Thanks for stopping that Bella." Cedric still had a haunted look it his eye. Something was telling me it wasn't as simple as him being responsible for the spider's pain, maybe one of his family members had been tortured with the curse?
"Don't mention it Cedric, I only did what was right." Keri butted in before any of us could say another word. Funny that she was trying to set me and Cedric up and yet whenever we were talking she'd but in. Then again Keri can never be quiet too long.
"Brilliant. Isn't he? Completely demented of course, terrifying to be in the same room as him but he's really been there yanno?"
"There's a reason those curses are unforgivable. But to perform them in a classroom, I mean –" Cedric grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him, his eyes were still haunting but he was gaining some colour. There was something in the way he grabbed me that made my heart race.
"Oh leave it Bells, they're just thankful to be learning off someone who is experienced in that area." I know he was trying to be helpful but knowing what I did, well it was the wrong thing to say.
"Okay I'll get my dad in, learn off him, embarrassing as it would be no one would come out of there with the haunted look in there eye that you have." I only whispered it so no one else could have heard but I knew that I'd made him feel worse with saying that.
"I'm sor –" He cut me off.
"Whatever Bella." With that he walked away and my friends were left standing there. Ahh shit.
"Smooth Bella, very smooth." I leant my head against the wall and tried to pretend there was no one else there.
"Shut it Keri!" Jordanna and Kiera both said before they came to stand with me and put their arms around me.
"It doesn't matter B, he'll come around. Come on we don't want to be late to potions you know what Snapes like." I smiled at them and we headed off, me still feeling guilty, Hazel, Kiera and Jordanna comforting me and Keri unusually quiet. One thing about Kiera, you never want to get on her bad side and Jordanna is constantly looking for someone to have a fight with.
I went straight to the common room after potions and spent the hour's lunch we had doing the homework Snape had set. I knew that it was right anyway, I may not be as much of a potions genius as Kiera but I knew my way around a cauldron. I refused to go down to the Great Hall with the others, I wasn't hungry and was gathering my resolve to put my name in the goblet in my free period which was next. As I stood up ready to leave there was a tapping at my window. It was my owl and in its beak lay a letter. As I opened the window Shadow flew in and I took the letter from her, lightly stroking her wing as I did.
Bella
I'm sure you know what I'm going to say, I honestly don't want you to put your name in the Goblet in case you get hurt, or worse, but you're my daughter and I know that you won't listen and so even though I will be worried sick you have my blessing. You're strong and brave and smart, more so than I ever was at your age I'm sure that you'll be fine, good luck my daughter, all my love
Dad
P.S How is Alistair doing as the DADA teacher?
I was unsure whether to tell my dad about the fact it wasn't him but there would be a lot of explaining to do, too much to write in a letter. I hurriedly grabbed my quill and parchment and wrote a short note.
Dad,
I'm about to put my name in now so this letter will be short, I find out if I've been chosen this week anyway. About Alistair; can you meet me in Hogsmeade this weekend, I'll use the secret passage to Honeydukes and meet you at the three broomsticks please? Don't tell anyone else about this note either and I mean anyone.
All my love
Bells
I gave the note to Shadow and headed to the Great Hall. Ron, Hermione and Harry were already down there along with some other students. I took a deep breath and walked in; I could feel the parchment in my pocket and was wondering if this was a good idea. I went to stand with Harry and Ron as Hermione read from her book. A few people had put there names in the Goblet whilst Harry and Ron spoke and I thought about when to do it, Hermione is going to be furious either way, maybe Ron and Harry too but they know me, and should already know I was going for it.
"Eternal glory. It would be brilliant wouldn't it? Three years from now when we're old enough to be chosen."
"Yeah rather you than me." Harry laughed and I joined in.
"Yeah best to let the trouble come to you not the other way around." He chuckled and looked at me knowingly.
"When you putting your name in Bells?"
"In a minute, just waiting for a good moment." Ron looked shocked and Hermione, overhearing looked furious.
"Bella! No! You can't be serious! It's too dangerous!" Her voice was shrill and I winced.
"I'm not a child Hermione, I know the risks." I stared her out and she looked down at her book; disagreement weighing heavily. Before I could say anything I heard Keri shouting.
"Go on Cedric put it in!" I looked over to see him laughing with his friends and stood in front of the age line with a piece of parchment in his hands. The flame from the fire shone across his face making him look more handsome than ever.
"Bella!" I looked over to see all of my friends nodding their heads in encouragement. All of them were in the room and I smiled as they made their way over to the circle Kiera and Hazel were holding their parchment too but didn't make a move to cross the line. They probably wanted to wait until less people were around. Stood behind me now were Hermione, Seamus, Keri, Dean, Kiera, Hazel, Harry, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Lauren, Ron and Jess. Cedric glanced over but quickly looked away, that was all the encouragement I needed, I walked over to the age line and stood tall, the whole place had gone completely silent, I could feel the air stirring as I crossed the line and placed my name in the Goblet, as soon as I did my face lit up in a huge smile and all of my friends were whooping and clapping, I laughed but before I could step out of the circle someone grabbed me and pulled me in the opposite direction. I looked up to see Cedric; you could feel the anger rolling off of him. He didn't stop pulling until we got to a private corner in the Great Hall people stared after us but no one made a move to follow.
"What the hell Swan?" Steam might as well have been coming out of his ears; he seemed that angry, what's his problem?
"Me? What about you? You can't just go all caveman on me and then ask me 'What The Hell?'" He didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed or ashamed; nope he just stared at me in rage.
"You just put your name in for that stupid tournament!"
"From what I could see so did you!" My voice was rising and so was his.
"But, I won't get hurt!" His voice was a full out yell now that echoed around the room.
"And what? You're saying I will? You think I'm weak Diggory? Test me!" There was a bunch of 'oohs' around the room but I paid them no mind.
"You know what I mean, for fuck sake, you don't get it do you!" He was really starting to bug me but I can't deny hearing him say 'fuck' made my panties moist. Shit, no, bad Bella. If anything he being hot in this moment made me angrier.
"Don't get what?"
"Forget it!" Why do people always do that say something and then act like they didn't.
"No! You said it now explain it!" My hands were curled into fists and my eyes were glaring, tears started to well in them. Dammit this is not the time for angry tears. As soon as he saw the tears he immediately looked ashamed, I didn't want that I would rather him be angry, anger I could relate to. Before I could say anything he had wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my hair, rubbing my back. My fists had a mind of their own and were hitting anywhere they could reach until eventually I had ran out of energy and just let myself be hugged, my arms managed to find there way around his shoulders. I looked up into his stormy grey eyes and realized how close our lips were; my breathing picked up and so did the crowds voices.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" We broke away from the embrace at the same time; realizing where we were and how many people were here, thankfully Fred and George showed up, effectively breaking the awkward silence. They ran through the room yelling and laughing, people clapped and they high fived those stood on the benches.
"Thank you, thank you, well lads, we've done it, cooked it up, just this morning." They each had a vial in their hands and I immediately knew what they had done. An aging potion? No way will it work. Even though they were in the same year as me they were only sixteen, their birthday wasn't for two months yet.
"It's not going to work." Hermione said my thoughts out loud.
"Oh yeah, and why's that Granger?" They were both knelt down beside where she was sat and everyone was now listening in to their conversation.
"You see this?" She pointed at the thin blue line of smoke that circled the Goblet. "This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself."
"So?"
"So. A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled with something as pathetically dim witted as an aging potion."
"Well that's why it's so brilliant."
"Because it's so pathetically dim witted." Got a point if anything's going to fool him it'll be something simple because he'll be looking for something more complex.
"Ready Fred?"
"Ready George."
"Bottoms up." They hooked arms and drank the potion before jumping into the area between the Goblet and the age line, well they got in.
"Yes." Both of them were dancing inside the circle laughing. Everyone clapped, even me, well everyone apart from Hermione that is, I swear that girl is too serious for her own good sometimes. The twins held their parchment by the fire.
"Ready?"
"Ready." They threw them in, again they were still stood in the circle without getting kicked out. For about three seconds that is, then their parchment flew back along with a flame that threw them across the room. When they sat up their hair had turned white and they had long Santa Clause bears and moustaches. My chest was hurting from laughing so much. They looked at each other and felt their own faces.
"You said!"
"You said!" That's when they flew at each other and were rolling across the floor trying to throw in some punches at each other. Everyone was chanting 'fight.' I looked over to see Cedric had gone. I looked around and decided to leave as well, I didn't want to be here any more especially not when my friends realized they could ambush me. As I rushed out of the hall I bumped into Krum just outside, he must have been going to put his name in.
"Ello, beautiful, where are you rushing off to?" I had to control myself and not heave, as if I would ever consider dating him.
"It's none of your concern, goodbye." I carried on going but didn't miss the slight flush of his cheeks and astonishment in his eyes. He thinks he could have anyone; well he definitely cannot have me.
