Author's notes: Well, well, well, aren't Cedric and Eloise swimming in a vast sea of denial? Hehe. This chapter will cover the second task among other things. Also, the way that Cedric discovers the secret to the egg is slightly AU. I apologize ahead of time. I'm just pointing that out now to save everyone the confusion. I hope that you guys enjoy it. Also, I am continuing this, but I may not be able to update as often. I am not abandoning this story though. I will finish it. The speech that I use is spelled the way that it is because I am trying to put an emphasis on the character's accents. Just thought I'd clear that up. Oh, and slight Fleur and Cho bashing.

Special shout out to Edrose, FaithCullen4U, and ValueMyHeart!

Points of view will change. Be pre-PARED! Muhahaha! (Uh, sorry about that. Too much caffeine.)

I do not own anything (except for the Ocs. Their mine I tell you! MINE! *enter chorus of birds from finding Nemo*)

Chapter Ten

Cedric's POV

I think Eloise thought that I was a bit rude for leaving her all of a sudden. I mean, I didn't mean to. It's just that when I get an idea into my head, I have to put it into action right away or I lose it.

Which is why I took off for the Prefect's bathroom in such a hurry.

I recited the password to the portrait that guarded the entrance to the Prefect's bathroom. Once inside, I grabbed a clean towel off of the towel rack and walked over to the faucets. I turned the faucets on and waited for the water to reach the perfect temperature. While I was waiting, I disrobed. When the water was finally at the right temperature, I placed myself and the golden egg into the water.

For ages, I sat in the massive tub, holding onto the egg. Surrounded by a huge cloud of perfumed bubbles, I mulled over the possibilities in my head. I knew it had to do with water, but what creature could produce such a sound? Was it a grindylow? It was possible. When grindylows were angered, they made high pitched shrieking sounds. But, it wasn't hard to subdue a grindylow. All you needed was a well placed relashio hex and the grindylow was off of your tail.

No, that cannot be the right answer, I told myself.

But what could it be then?

I heard giggling coming from behind me. It sounded like a female, and I automatically dipped lower into the bubble covered bath to hide myself. When I turned around, I chuckled a little. The giggling was coming from the portrait of a beautiful mermaid. She was seated upon a rock in the middle of the ocean, and was flopping her scaly, teal tail from side to side. When she saw that I was watching her, the mermaid batted her eyelashes at me. I groaned. It was like the half-veela all over again. What is it with these gorgeous, magical creatures? Can't they see that I am not interested?

Trying to ignore the mermaid's flirtations, I turned my back to her and tried to solve the egg's mystery. Unfortunately, as I was turning around, the egg slipped out of my grasp and landed on the bath bottom below. Cursing my bad luck, I ducked beneath the surface to retrieve the egg.

It was as I was trying to recover the egg that I was struck with an idea. Grabbing onto the egg, I opened it up. This time, I was rewarded with the sound of someone singing in a very pleasant sounding voice. I could feel myself starting to become light headed from lack of oxygen, so I put my head above the surface. I was careful to leave the egg submerged in the water. I did not want to hear it wailing again. Once I had gained a decent supply of oxygen again, I went back down under the water. I listened hard to the lyrics of the song.

"Come and seek us where our voices sound

We cannot sing above the ground

And while you're seeking, ponder this

We've taken what you'll sorely miss!"

"An hour long you'll have to look

To recover what we took

But past an hour

The prospect's black."

"Too late

It's gone

It won't come back!"

Holding onto the now closed egg, I resurfaced. I swam over to the steps that led into the tub and sat down. The shallow water covered three fourths of my entire body, so that only my head and neck were above water.

I began to think about what the eerie song lyrics had meant. What did the mer people take that I would miss? Was it one of my family members? Was it a friend? Or did they take a material possession of mine that I would miss? Like my magical herbs and fungi book. If that was the case, I definitely would miss it dearly. At least for Potions' class anyway. Because Professor Snape would murder me if I lost it.

But then I really started to think about it, and I realized that it wasn't a material possession that was taken from me. Material possessions could be replaced. What was stolen from me had to be something that was irreplaceable, meaning a human being. Which meant that it was someone who was close to me, but who?

In the distance, I heard a clock chime. I got out of the bathtub and looked at my watch that was laying beside my pile of clothing. It was midnight. Even though I was a Prefect, I could still get into trouble if I was caught going back to my dormitory at this hour. Throwing on my clothes, I peaked out of the door to check for any ghosts, Peeves, Filch, or any teachers. Relieved to see none of the above, I began to make my way for the Hufflepuff Common Room. Maybe some sleep would help me to figure out who I was going to have to rescue from the Black Lake.

Eloise's POV (once again, it skips ahead. But it's for a good cause. I swear.)

Cedric's been under a lot of stress lately. He keeps telling me he is worried that he won't be able to recover his beloved family member from the Black Lake within an hour. Apparently, that must be what the second task is about, but he's forbidden me from discussing it with anyone. He claims that no one, apart from the champions, is really supposed to know what the details of the tasks are.

Somehow, however, word of a Yule Ball has been leaked. It's to take place on Christmas Eve, and everyone in fourth year and up is allowed to go. Which is why a lot of the girls from those year levels are staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. They are going absolutely batty about the Ball. I can't walk down the hallway to my dormitory without hearing a conversation regarding the Ball. And quite frankly, I'm starting to get a little irritated by it.

You may be wondering why I would be so annoyed by the animated chatter surrounding the Ball? Well, it is because I am not particularly fond of dances of any kind. Not because I don't like to dress up, but because I do not know how to dance. I'm so terrified that I'll make a fool of myself. My grandmother tried to teach me how to dance once and it ended in disaster. I accidentally stumbled into her coffee table and knocked over her vase, which was full of doxy eggs. Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if her pet kneazle, Melvin, hadn't decided to eat the eggs. The kneazle became quite ill from the poisonous eggs, and no potion could cure his sickness. Melvin died the next day and my grandmother buried his body in her garden. Ever since then, I have refused to learn how to dance. But, unfortunately, I won't be able to avoid it much longer.

All because of me and my inability to keep out of other people's business.

I was on my way to Care of Magical Creatures when I saw that the Beauxbatons' champion was chatting with Cedric. Well, chatting isn't exactly the correct term. What she was really doing was pouring on her veela charm. She seemed to be trying to persuade him to go to the Ball with her. The way that she was acting made my stomach bubble in anger. I just stood there and watched the two of them for the longest time. I couldn't tell whether Cedric was going to actually go with her to the Yule Ball or not. Until he finally spoke.

"I'm very flattered, Fleur, but I already have a date."

"With 'oo?" she asked, looking flabbergasted.

"Eloise Midgen," Cedric replied, ignoring Fleur and looking straight at me.

Fleur's eyes traveled to mine. When she gazed upon me, I could tell what she was thinking and feeling. She was wondering how someone with such inferior beauty like mine could have snagged someone as gorgeous as Cedric. The way that her mouth formed a scowl was evidence of that. Also, she was feeling aggravated that she was not going to get to go to the Ball with Cedric. I could tell that she had been imagining the scene in her head for a while now: Everyone would be staring at them the entire night. No one else in the room would matter. The jealous eyes of every girl and guy in the vicinity would be on them. It was her dream to be adored and revered, but since Cedric had refused her, Fleur would have to settle for less.

"Fine, I see zat it ees pointless to try," said Fleur in a huffy, lofty voice. "Eet is too bad. We could have 'ad a great time togezzer."

With a swish of her platinum blonde hair, Fleur sauntered off in the opposite direction. She didn't even spare us a backwards glance. She was too focused on her new target - the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, Roger Davies.

"Why did you do that?" I asked Cedric the moment that Fleur was out of earshot.

"Do what?" he asked. "Not go to the Ball with Fleur?"

I nodded.

"Because, like I explained to Fleur, I am already going with you to the Ball. That is, if you'll have me?"

He was giving me the puppy dog eyes. He looked absolutely pathetic. I really just wanted to laugh at him. I mean, what was with the corny attempts, really? Didn't he have something better up his sleeve?

Yes, what I wanted to tell him was no. But, apparently, my mouth didn't get the memo. So, guess what I told him instead?

"Of course."

"Great, I'll meet you in the Common Room at seven o'clock on Christmas Eve," replied Cedric, giving me a peck on the cheek before departing.

I raised my hand to my cheek. It was quite warm on the spot where he had kissed me. And then, it hit me.

I just agreed to go the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory!

"I must be mental," I said out loud.

"Yes, but that's besides the point," said a voice.

I gasped as I saw Cho Chang standing there. She had a wicked smile on her face. One that meant that no good would come from this conversation that was about to happen. Really, I should just run away now, but something kept me there. I was curious to know why she had approached me. So far, she's been doing a really good job of avoiding me. So, why now is she speaking to me?

"What do you want?" I questioned, trying to appear as though I wasn't afraid of her.

"I just wanted to help," Cho said, trying to sound innocent. Pfft, yeah like that could happen.

"I don't need your help," I muttered.

"Oh, but you do," Cho told me. "See, I know your secret."

My eyebrows narrowed suspiciously.

"How the hell do you know that I can't dance?"

"I don't," Cho replied, her grin even wider. "But I do now. And I happen to know that Cedric loves to dance. So, I'd say that my help would be greatly appreciated."

"Depends on what sort of help that you are offering, Chang."

Cho continued to grin at me. She rummaged through her book bag and pulled out a silver pair of dress shoes. They were slip ons and the heels was two inches. A single strap fastened around the ankle to hold them together. She handed them to me.

"Wear these and you'll be able to dance just as well, if not better, than anyone else there."

I took one look at the shoes and shoved them back at Cho.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Chang," I replied. "I'll figure out some way on my own to deal with my predicament."

As I started to walk away, Cho followed me, holding the shoes.

"Oh, but you have to wear them," Cho pleaded with me. "The champions and their partners always dance the first dance. It's tradition."

"It is?" I questioned. I wasn't sure whether it was or not. My parents had never spoken of the Triwizard Tournament before. Or the Yule Ball for that matter.

"Of course it is," Cho exasperated. "Since the start of the tournaments, there has always been a Christmas dance. And you don't want to embarrass Hogwarts with your abysmal dancing skills, do you?"

"No, of course not," I said, trying not to lose face.

"Well, then, here is your answer," said Cho, tossing the shoes at me. I caught them in my right hand. "Enjoy."

I watched Cho walk away. I couldn't help but feel better about the dance. Although, if I had seen the evil grin on Cho's face or heard her vicious laughter later in the Ravenclaw Common Room, I probably wouldn't have been so relieved.

So, what did you think of this chapter? Let me know.