A/N: So yay another chapter's up finally. I'm sorry it took so long but my firewall was down so I wasn't allowed to get on the computer. Were back to Cedric's P.O.V. Hope you enjoy!

~ charmedchica234

Chapter Thirteen: The Black Lake

Two more weeks, that's all the time I had left to figure out what the second task was. It wasn't enough time at the rate I was going. I had tried so many times to open the egg and find a clue but all it would do was shriek at me until I had to close it again. I was having a real problem concentrating on my school work, so when Professor Moody approached me saying he thought he could help me figure out the second task you can imagine how relieved I was.

"Mr. Diggory I can't tell you much." I nodded. I had expected as much. "I understand that you are a prefect." I nodded again. "I think that the prefect bathroom would be a nice place for you to take your egg and do some thinking." He gave me a wink and was on his way.

So it was a bit cryptic, but still a cryptic clue is still better than no clue at all right? It was a clue I would get right on when I could. Though as of recently Moaning Murtle had been taking up a residence in the prefect bathroom (so I was a little hesitant to take a bath in there) it was my only lead so I would just have to make it work.

***

If there is anything to say about Hogwarts at night is it is very creepy. After being a prefect for so long it doesn't really bother me as much as it used to but still it was creepy none the less. After my shift I slinked into the prefect bathroom.

I set my egg by the pool sized tub and went around turning on all the knobs. The water flowed from them and into the bath at the perfect temperature. Once all that was done I undressed my self and climbed into the water.

I sat there thinking about all the times Faye and I had come here to get away from everything else. I sat there wishing I had something else to think about but after about 20 minutes still nothing came to me about the egg. What sort of hint was this anyway? What was I supposed to do in here, other than apparently think about Faye and feel sorry for my self? I sat about five more minutes and was ready to give up when I heard a bought of laughter and a splash of water in the direction of the stalls. The splash, strange as it may seem, gave me an idea, a probably stupid idea, but an idea all the same.

I reached around and grabbed my golden egg. I opened it and just like the times before screeches erupted from it but as soon as they did I dropped the egg into the water. The screeches stooped as soon as I did. However no clue was coming, but that's when I got the idea to put my head under the water as well, and finally my clue was being heard.

Come seek us where

Our voices sound

We can not sing

Above the ground

An hour long

You'll have to look

To recover what

We took

An hour long

You'll have to look

To recover what

We took

Your times have gone

So tarry not

Less what you seek

Stay's here to rot

Mermaids. The word just popped into my head once I was back above the water. But it made sense once I actually thought about it. I had read once, that mermaids' normally beautiful songs turned into ugly shrieks above the water. Why hadn't that occurred to me before? They were in the black lake that much was certain, so the only remaining questions were how I would stay under the water for a whole hour and what they took from me.

After I was sure I was still alone in the bathroom I got out and put my clothes back on and made my way back to my room. Nothing looked missing, so maybe nothing had been taken yet. There was still about a week till the task, and for all I knew what they were taking might not get taken till the last moment. But what they would take shouldn't be my biggest concern right now. Tomorrow, I decided I would go to the library and figure out what I was going to do about the breathing under water thing.

***

"Bubble Face Mask" Alex had found me where I was sitting underneath the tree near the bridge.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked looking up from my magic water creatures book which I had been reading to see if there was a way to replicate an under water creatures way of breathing. She looked around nervously and shoved the book; she had been somehow managing to carry with her hidden all this way, in to my arms. "Is this what I think it is?" She shrugged "Alex, is this the Book Of Shadows?"

"Yes" She said adamantly pointing at the page that the book was open to in my arms. "Bubble Face Charm" When I actually read the description of the Bubble Face Charm I realized it was the solution.

"Aren't you mad at me?' I asked. She thought a moment and nodded. "Then why are you helping me?"

"Because you wouldn't accept Faye's help even if she offered it to you." Alex sighed. "She loves you and if something happened to you she'd be in an even worse place than she is now, of course if that's even possible. I am here to make sure you don't die on her."

"I didn't know she cared that much. You'd think that even if she did she wouldn't any more because of how many times I've pushed her away."

"She's been doing a pretty good job of hiding it lately but if you died she probably would never recover. Maybe she would even take her own life if she didn't know that her family needs her." Feeling just a bit uncomfortable my eyes shifted down, back to the charm.

"So how exactly does this work?" I said changing the subject. Faye's death wasn't something I wanted to think of as possible.

"This…" Alex said as she pulled out some sort of necklace from her pocket. "…is a charm that will cause a bubble to form around your mouth and nose so that you will be able to breath under that water. It will activate once you are in the lake and the bubble will last an hour before the charm starts to ware off." She handed it to me and it looked like nothing more than a pouch of herbs attached to a leather string, but I knew better than to question Halliwell magic.

"How did you know I would need? How did out find out what the second task was?"

"I had a premonition of Harry putting his egg under water and figuring out what it meant. I didn't tell Faye because I didn't want to worry her, but I figured she would have wanted me to warn you and, or help you and came up with this."

"Well thank you Alex. I know you don't really like me right now so I really appreciate the effort you are making."

"You're welcome but now I have to go find Faye and bring her to the nurse's office." She then covered her mouth. "I mean…" She started to say but she couldn't come up with anything.

"What's wrong with Faye? Did something happen to her? Is she okay?"

"Oh it's nothing serious. It's just a small Cornish pixie bite that she wants Madam Pompfrey to look at, but I wouldn't worry." I could tell she wasn't telling me the truth but decided not to push the subject. "Okay well I guess I'll see you later then." She waved me goodbye and orbed away.

After Alex was gone I noticed that Harry and Hermione were talking on the bridge. I hadn't really properly thanked him for warning me about the dragons. Then the thought hit me. Shouldn't I at least give him a hint incase he was just as stumped as I had been? It seemed only fair.

"Hey Harry" I walked down the bridge as I called to him and he looked up at me.

"Hi Cedric, what's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for warning me about the dragons."

"It's not a big deal. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Exactly" I said smiling. "That's exactly what I'm here to talk to you about." He looked confused. "About the egg… the prefect bathroom isn't a bad place to think. Just bring the egg up there… and mull things over." I couldn't help smiling as I gave him basically the same clue Moody had given me.

***

(Faye's P.O.V)

Since I had known that there was no way Cedric would let me help him (and it seemed he had already figured it out anyway) the night before the second task I found my self in the library with Hermione and Ron trying to help Harry figure out how he was going to breath under water for an hour.

"Maybe if I just checked in the…"

"No offense Faye but I think we might be better off with the school library. They might think we were cheating if we used anything from the book of shadows." Hermione said trying to be as nice as she could. I sunk into my chair. I felt useless.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and Miss Halliwell…" The four (yes Harry turned too) of us turned to see that Professor McGonagall had appeared in the library. "You three are needed in Dumbledore's office."

"Right now?" Hermione protested. "But it is only mere hours before the second task!"

"And Mr. Potter surely needs to get some rest. Now you three come with me." Hermione sighed defeated, and reluctantly rose from her seat with the rest of us and followed McGonagall out of the library. Neville passed us on our way out.

"Neville" I stopped to beg. "I don't know if you can do anything but if you could go and just try to help Harry. Maybe you could at least help him put his books away or something." I felt bad about leaving Harry on his own and Neville was better than nothing. Neville nodded and made his way back to where I had been.

In Dumbledore's office besides Dumbledore the only other person in there was a small, frightened, blonde, Beauxbatons girl who looked like she could be no older than eleven. I had seen her before around the school with Fleur. It seemed to be a good assumption that this girl was Fleur's sister.

Dumbledore told us all to be seated and that he would soon explain why we were all there.

"Miss Halliwell, Miss Granger…" He began. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Delacour…" So the girl was Fleur's sister. "You have all been brought here as a part of the second task because you are the most important thing at this school to one of the champions. Incase there is some confusion, you" he said as he pointed at Fleur's sister. "Are for your sister. You" he said pointing at Ron. "…are for Mr. Potter. You" he said pointing at Hermione who was blushing because she now realized why she was here. "…are for Mr. Krum. And you…" He pointed at me but he didn't need to say it. I had already figured out why I was here. "…are for Mr. Diggory." I told Cedric he couldn't hide the true way he felt about me. Why hadn't he listened to me? He could be so thick sometimes. "The four of you will be placed in the black lake for your champions to find you." Fleur's sister gasped. My face flushed white. "Don't worry it will be perfectly safe for all of you."

Ever since I was young and as a family we had , had to defeat the water demon (the same one that killed my grandmother Patty and yes the same one that you would think was already defeated since my aunts had 'already taken care of it' years previous. Why doesn't anything stay dead?) I had been terrified of living bodies of water. Pools and baths were fine, but lakes, oceans, etc. gave me the wig. Then a new thought of terror struck me. What about the baby? Just because it was safe for me didn't ensure that of my baby.

"Dumbledore, can I talk to you over there in private for a moment?"

"Of course" We moved away from the rest of the people. "What is on your mind Faye?"

"I know you said this is perfectly safe for me, but, and I beg you just listen to me before you judge, would it be safe for someone who was pregnant or say the baby of said pregnant person?"

"Surely, Miss Halliwell, you are not telling me that in fact you are pregnant." He gave me one of those disappointed looks adults use to make you feel bad.

"Please I really don't want to talk about it right now." I pleaded. "Just tell me if it is safe or not." He sighed.

"It is perfectly safe for anyone you needn't worry." I nodded and went back to my seat.

Madame Pompfrey entered the office and was handing out vials of what I assumed to be the sleeping draft that would keep us alive under the water. I popped off the cork and slipped the potion down my throat. Everything went black.

***

(Cedric's P.O.V)

It was kind of a chilly day for swimming, not that I really had a choice. Standing at the dock I tied Alex's charm around my neck. The wind blew fiercely as the other champions approached. Harry looked nervous.

"Have you seen Hermione?" I shook my head. "What about Ron?" No again. "Faye?"

"No why?"

"No one's seen them. They wouldn't miss this would they? Not even Alex or Fred and George have seen them." I was about to tell him there was probably nothing to worry about but the cannon went off and it was too late.

I jumped into the water and thankfully a bubble produced around my nose and mouth just like Alex had promised. The water was murky but my eyes adjusted as I swum in the most likely looking direction, I should go in. I only ran into a few obstacles before I reached where Harry was and the 'things' the mermaids had taken from us. I shot something away from Harry and pointed at my wrist trying to tell him he should hurry. Grabbing Faye I swum to the surface. As soon as I reached the surface the bubble popped. Faye coughed up a bit of water and I patted her on the back.

"It's okay I've got you." I told her. "Just hold on to me." She nodded. I remembered her once telling me she had a fear of water, just like her aunt Prue had, while she was still living. This had to suck for her. She sniffed and held me really tight as I swam back to the dock. Her heavy school robes where weighing her down. But I managed. When I got up to the dock I realized I hadn't gotten there first. Fleur was already there wrapped in towels but her sister was no where in sight.

"Get her some towels." I said pointing at Faye. We both were immediately wrapped in warm, dry towels. Faye latched onto my arm. Seeing how traumatized she was from waking up in the lake I let her.

"Cedric…" Her voice was frail and muffled by sniffles. "I told you." She breathed in harshly. "I told you they wouldn't be fooled. They knew you loved me." She rested her head on me.

"But maybe if I continue to distance my self…"

"No." Her once quite voice was now quite loud. "You can't leave me alone." She sniffed, probably about to cry. "I can't do this alone. I can't do this with out you any more."

"This? What is this?" I asked holding her arms. What was wrong? Had something happened?

"Cedric…" Her lip quivered. It must be important. "I don't think I can tell you right here. And I was planning on not telling you until after the tournament so you wouldn't be distracted but if there's any chance you won't leave if you knew…"

I thought about it realizing it had been so hard on both of us. And know that I knew trying to hide away my feelings for her had failed was it even worth trying anymore? Taking my arms from her shoulders I wrapped them around her lower back and she put her head on my chest.

"I don't think I could leave you ever again, even if I tried. Not know that I know it is pointless." This seemed to satisfy her." But after the scores are announced we are going to find a nice private place to talk and you are going to tell me what's going on okay?" She looked up at me with a smile that I hadn't seen in a long time and I wiped a tear from her eye. I kissed her and the crowd gasped.

We both automatically looked out at the lake and sure enough Ron and Fleur's sister had floated to the surface. But Harry wasn't with them. Shortly after Ron and Fleur's sister reached the dock Harry shot out of the water like a cannon ball. The crowd erupted with sighs of relief.

Harry had technically gotten back last but because of his bravery he tied for first with me. A couple of Hufflepuffs protested but to tell you the truth I thought he deserved to have first place. If anything he shouldn't have to share it with anyone.

"Faye" she turned to me. "I'm going to head to my room would you meet me there in like thirty minutes?" She nodded. My decision had been made and I was on my way back to the common room.