The World's
Gone Crazy . . .
By Allanasha Ke Kiri
Chapter 28 -
It was sometime later that James and Draco finally managed to return to their common room. When they did, however, they noticed several people snickering at them.
"What's so funny?" James asked, dropping into a seat next to Pansy. Draco sat next to him, though more slowly, an annoyed expresion on his face.
"Oh, just that we're the next hottest couple," she said.
"What?!" both James and Draco shouted.
"Here." She handed him that days paper, one James had neglected to read, of course, he figured that he had a decent excuse.
Preparing for the worst, James unfolded it and read the article.
The First Task
By Rita Skeeter
The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts yesterday morning, to the excitement of many of the students. This task was designed to test how the three champions -- Amiel Ven, 17, of Durmstrang, Gabrielle Delacour, 16, of Beauxbaton, and James Medin, 17, of Hogwarts -- dealt with the dangerous and unknown. To do this, they pulled in three dragons and told the champions to get the golden egg that resided within a nest of other eggs; not an easy task when given to the professionals. The champions, however, preformed spectacularly.
Ms. Delacour went first transfiguring several objects into large birds and sent them at the swedish short snout she was to face. It worked marvelously at distracting it, until she was close enough to grab the egg. At that moment, the dragon noticed her and moved to strike her with it's claws. Her arm had some severe gouges, having shattered the weak shield she managed to put up, but she managed to grab the egg and keep her arm mostly intact. The Beauxbaton champion recieved a total of 36 points (out of 50) for her trouble. Not a bad starting score.
Ms. Ven was second with a Chinese Fireball, and it was obvious to any who cared to look that she was nervous. Her performance was not at it's best. She made several blunders, that will not be written, as I do not wish to embarass the poor girl. Eventually, she retreived her egg and got a total of 35 points. A very generous start for her performance. We shall have to wait and see if it is her usual ability, or if it was just the starting jitters that everyone gets upon occasion.
Mr. Medin was last, facing the most dangerous of the three, a Hungarian Horntail. Those watching would have assumed Mr. Medin to be bundle of nerves when he entered and saw the fearsome beast, but he was not. The entire time he was in the ring he cast only one spell: Accio. One would wonder why he would cast this spell, until they saw that he had summoned his broom, a Firebolt 360. For several minutes, Mr. Medin evaded the dragon, its fire, and its claws until he managed to draw it away from the nest and and collect the egg. There was not a single scratch on him after this entire encounter. His score was 42, though I, and several others, feel he deserves a much higher score than the one he was given. We look forward to seeing what Mr. Medin has in store for the rest of the year, if this is what he managed to do with just the first task.
Also, readers who remember the last article about the tournament (interviews with the individual champions), will be interested to note that Mr. Medin, who refused to disclose his current love interest, was rarely seen outside the company of one Ms. Pansy Parkinson after his turn at the task. One must wonder why he felt the need to keep her from the public eye. After all Ms. Parkinson is a child of one of the more prominent pureblood families. Perhaps they will soon allow their obvious interests to some to light sometime soon.
The second task is set for Feburary 24, and the champions must muddle through the clue they were given to figure out what the next task will be. It is sure to be a fasinating year with such champions competing for their schools.
"Bloody hell," James choked, passing the paper to Draco. "Surely she doesn't really believe that?"
"This is Rita Skeeter, James. She doesn't have to believe what she writes. Her readers will though, as will at least half of Hogwarts."
"This is absolute hogwash," Draco snapped, throwing the paper down in disgust.
"Well, what can you do about it?"
Draco didn't reply to Blaise's question except to glare at him.
"Translation," Pansy said, "Nothing, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Pansy!"
James, along with several others, laughed at Draco's indignation.
"Mr. Medin."
James stopped, turning to face the voice. "Professor?"
"You are aware of the dance this Christmas?"
James blinked. "Yes, sir."
Snape nodded. "As a champion, you are required to bring a date, as you will be leading the first dance."
James sighed, he'd forgotten about that.
"I understand, sir."
The professor gave a curt nod before striding off. James watched him go silently. He still wasn't sure what to think of his potions professor. Since his sorting into Slytherin, he'd seen a slightly different side of the man. Of course, any side that wasn't belittling him or giving him detention was different, but that wasn't what he meant. James had often seen Snape taking care of one of the students from one of the younger years, all from his own house of course. James shook his head and continued down the hall, it was difficult to get used to, and he hoped the professor didn't see how tense he was around him.
Well, at least this time I got more than five minutes warning.
James smiled suddenly, and nearly ran the rest of the way to the Great Hall. It was about time people knew of him and Draco. Draco was already there, as were Crabbe and Goyle. A seat was left open for him. He took it silently.
"Sorry," he said. "Professor Snape stopped me to talk about the dance."
Draco blinked at him. "Snape wanted to talk about the dance?"
James shrugged. "Well, he just stopped to tell me I needed a date, and that I had to lead the first dance, as one of the champions."
"Perfect." Draco smirked.
"Huh?"
"Well, it would be the perfect opportunity to let the school know."
Any confusion James might have had was cleared up in an instant when Draco gabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"And just who decided this would happen?" James asked, eyebrow raised, even though he was going to have suggested it anyway.
"I did. I got tired of watching those lesser beings throw themselves at you."
James snickered. "They aren't throwing themselves at me."
"Yes, they are.
"No, they aren't"
"You wouldn't know if someone was throwing themselves at you if they told you it to your face."
"I would too!"
"You would not."
"Yes, I would!"
"Says the boy who still doesn't know his appeal." Draco smirked.
James frowned at him. "I just don't try to remind everyone of the fact, unlike some I could name."
"Said like someone truely clueless," Draco crowed.
"Better clueless, than arrogant." He leaned towards Draco.
"At least--"
"Would you two shag already?" Pansy exclaimed quietly so no one past their table would hear.
Both James and Draco turned to face the new voice. As soon as what she said registered, James buried his head in his arms, blushing, while Draco just smirked.
By the end of the day, James was ready for it to end. He'd had a total of six girls (one of whom had been Amiel Ven) and three boys ask him to the bloody dance. Draco, assured that James was going with him, had silently laughed at him while fending off his own admirers (much more elegantly than James did). Sighing, he rolled over on the bed and opened his eyes, to find Draco looking him over with a very critical eye.
"What's wrong?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Your wardrobe."
"My . . . wardrobe? What's wrong with my wardrobe?"
"Just about everything," Draco replied with a faint hint of distaste.
James blinked. "They're comfortable."
"So will the additions."
"Why the sudden interest in my wardrobe?"
"We plan on going public, not just to the school, but all of Wizarding Britain. As I've said before, Malfoy's only go for the best. Your wardrobe needs work."
"And if I happen to like my wardrobe as is?"
"Well, than I'll just have to convince you otherwise."
It was James turn to raise an eyebrow. "And just how do you plan on doing that?"
Draco smirked, sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning over James. "Like this." He then captured James' lips with his own. James responded immediately.
"Oh," was all James said when Draco pulled back.
"Well?"
James sat up, giving Draco a haughty look. "I am not that easily convinced, Mr. Malfoy."
"Well, then."
He watched him silently, watching. His anger simmered silently below the surface. It wouldn't be long, he knew, before he could get his revenge. No one turned him down, not if they knew what was good for them. He would make sure the other boy knew his place. He had been kind long enough, it was time to cow that Slytherin into the place he belonged. It was only a matter of when.
Soon, he thought. Soon
"Why am I doing this again?" James asked staring down at the newest selection he was in, and than back up at the mirror.
"Because my convincing skills are magnificent."
James rolled his eyes. "If I'd known that your ego could get bigger I'd have continued to say no."
"Add it," Draco said to the attendent.
"Must we?" James asked as he was pushed back into a changing room. "I think we've bought half the store already."
"Not by half, James," Draco replied, voice laughing.
James sighed, but dutifully changed into the next outfit that was passed through. Draco whistled when he came back out, and James forced his arms down by his sides, hurrying over to a mirror. The shirt was purple silk (making James very much afraid that he'd do something to ruin it), that was just loose enough to allow him free range of movement. The attendant made James eep and blush as the shirt was tucked into his slacks. Said slacks were a nice neutral black, a single strip of green going up each leg. It made his legs look longer, and effect he liked, he had to admit. Wasn't so happy with the attendant being so close.
"Add it," Draco said, and this time, James didn't complain.
He was very happy to note that the next thing passed through was a dress robe. They were almost done!
The robe was a nice midnight blue, which, he noticed as he stared into the mirror, made 'his' eyes explode into being. Draco ended up trying on six before he was satisfied, deciding on a blue and silver one. James put his foot down when Draco suggested getting a second one (he hadn't even seen the need to get the first one. The one he had from over the summer was still perfectly good, in his opinion. Draco hadn't agreed). He eyed his purchases warily until Draco mentioned that they would be delivered.
"Oh, good," James said. "I was not looking forward to lugging it all back to the school."
"I never do, it's part of the service, if you know where to go."
James shook his head. "I am never shopping with you again, Draco."
Draco shook his head, eyeing their selections critically. "It was alright, for Hogsmead. After school ends, we're going to Diagon Alley."
"Did you not hear me when I said I was never shopping with you again?"
"Sure, but I have all year to convince you," Draco smirked.
James groaned, closing his eyes, already imagining the torture he would experience that summer.
"What is it, Goyle?" James asked as soon as the door closed behind the other boy. He had only been back to Hogwarts a few minutes before the other boy had pulled him away from Draco without even an 'if you please.'
And, if I really just thought that, I've been around Draco too long.
"Well . . . " Goyle shifted, looking vaguely uncomfortable.
"Yes?"
"I want to go to the yule with Hermione."
James blinked. "Hermione?"
Goyle nodded.
I wasn't expecting this. He didn't think he could have been more surprised if Goyle had told him that he wanted to be a muggle ballerina, complete with pink tutu.
"Why?" he asked, shaking the thought from his mind.
"Well, I . . . I've been thinking, about that book you gave me? . . ."
James nodded slowly.
"Well, if that's true than it's really not a good thing for there to be purebloods from so far back, right?"
James gave another, very slow nod, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he wanted to go with Hermione.
"Well, then Muggleborns can't be that bad, and Hermione's really very smart, a brilliant witch really. In fact, the only thing keeping others from pursuing her is the fact that she's muggleborn."
James nodded again.
"Well?" Goyle demanded, suddenly annoyed.
He cleared his throat. "I think," he said, just as slow as he'd nodded, "that if you want Hermione to go with you, you're going to have to drop the act."
Goyle blinked as if that hadn't accured to him. "I will?"
James nodded. "From what I know of her, she likes intelligent conversation. If she thinks that all you can do is grunt and follow orders, she's not going to look twice."
Goyle bit his lip. "What do I do?"
"Simple, just drop the act. Start answering questions in class, the more you can answer, the better. You need her to notice you, and quick. Also, when she hangs out with us, talk. Pull her into conversation, convince her that you can string more than two words together. We have a limited amount of time to work with, so we've got to use it all."
Goyle nodded, looking a little shell shocked.
"Also, you're going to have to convince Draco to take you to Hogsmeade."
Goyle's face took on a frightened quality. "Why?"
"Hermione's not one to care about looks, but it never hurt to look nice, besides, you still need to get dress robes."
Alright, so, here's another chapter. What do you think about Goyle's surprise?
Confession time . . . I wasn't planning on doing this. It kind of just jumped out of nowhere. I was writting this chapter, decided I wanted it longer, and my muse threw this out.
I have to say, though, that I like it. I hope you do to, but, if you don't . . . (shrug) oh well. My story, I get to do what I want with it. (cackles evilly)
(Stops) well, okay, I have to do what my muse wants, but that's techniqually the same thing as me, right?
Until next time
Allanasha Ke Kiri
