"I heard about the World Cup." Adriana announced as she sat down in the carriage. Draco, Theo, Daphne, Pansy and Blaise were already there.

She and Harry made eye contact on the platform but as always they pretended that the other didn't exist. That's what Hogwarts has been like since the Sorting. They led completely different, unconnected lives. It is like the time they are forced to spend at the Dursleys together meant nothing. At Hogwarts they were strangers.

"You wouldn't have to have heard about it if you actually went" Draco said quietly, by the tone of his voice, he was annoyed.

"You wanted me to go to an event that ended with violence from Voldemort's supporters? Your families?" She looked around and no one could make eye contact with her. Blaise and Daphne's families declared themselves neutral in the First War but the majority of the carriage had at least one family member who turned up at the World Cup.

"I guess not. But you didn't know that would be happening when you declined my invitation. Plus, they would never have hurt you. I wouldn't allow it"

"Well, like I told you, I had to stay at my aunt and uncles the whole summer"

"Potter was there" Theo added his two knuts into the conversation. None of the Slytherins referred to Adriana by her last name, so when they say Potter, they mean her brother. It was just less confusing this way.

"Yes, well I am not my brother. He can get away with leaving with zero consequences"

"Oh yeah, and what consequences do you have for staying? Didn't you say that those muggles hated you. Wouldn't they want you to leave? Wouldn't you want to leave"

"How about we move and talk about what is happening this year. We might have a year were things are not solely focused on Potter for once" Daphne stepped in at this point, seeing that the conversation was making Adriana uncomfortable. She hated talking about her family life, but Daphne knew some bits that the others didn't and knew exactly why Adriana would feel uncomfortable with the spotlight on her.

"What's happening?" Adriana sent a grateful look to Daphne, who gave her a wink in return. Now that the conversation was going in a different direction, Adriana began to relax. She leaned against the window but her legs were across Draco's lap. Almost subconsciously he put his hands on top and began making small circles without once looking in her direction. Adriana was still looking at Daphne, who merely raised an eyebrow at the show of affection.

"Rumour has it that something big is going down. Father mentioned that Durmstrang and Beauxbatons have been preparing themselves for weeks to come to Hogwarts"

"What does that mean?"

"Well the rumour is that we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament"

"The fuck is a Triwizard Tournament?" Everyone turned to look at Adriana. She forgot the muggle swear words such as fuck were not in their vocabulary. She waved off their confused faces, encouraging them to answer her underlining question. Blaise was the first to reply.

"In short it is a massive competition between three schools. One champion is picked from each school and they compete in three tasks. The tasks have always been said to be extremely dangerous. Rumours have it that a champion died once.. Whoever wins gets the Triwizard Cup and some galleons. Most do it for the fame"

"Count me out then. Don't really want to be famous for yet another thing. Knowing my luck somehow my brother would get all the glory, even if I was the one who competed" Adriana shrugged.

"I, on the hand, am going enter" Draco declared in an almost prideful tone.

"Didn't know you were so eager to die. Could have just asked me to do it" Draco glared at Adriana, who merely gave an innocent smile in return, much to the amusement of the others. This was a normal occurrence for the two, and the others have learned long ago to not get involved.

"Knowing your luck you probably would have failed at that too"

"I would never waste the opportunity to get rid of you. Trust me, if I was to do it, I would make sure prepare myself adequately. Couldn't risk you coming back to life"

"It is always heart-warming to listen to how much you two love each other" Theo said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't say love is the right emotion to describe their relationship" replied Pansy, also highly amused. There was a time when Pansy, like the rest of the Slytherin's really hated Adriana. Especially when she started noticing how her and Draco were starting to get closer. As time went on, she learned to get on with the girl. She would even call them friends.

"It's a love-hate relationship" Adriana said simply.

"I feel sorry for any future dates of yours. They will have to put up with the other. You are essentially a package deal"

"As if anyone would want to date her"

"Git"

"Slag"

"Asshole"

"Lesser Potter"

"Ferret"

"Know-it-all"

"I think you'll find that is Granger not me"

Draco stopped with his mouth open, but after a second closed it and nodded in agreement.

"I think you will find that someone that does indeed want to date her" All eyes turned to Blaise. The entire carriage looked surprised.

"Umm Blaise you know I love you but …" Adriana began but was immediately cut off

"Not me. No offence but you are not my type"

"Some taken. It seems that all of Hogwarts was your type. Apart from me apparently" Adriana was only slightly annoyed, but even she knew that she didn't mean it.

"Oh hush. Sleeping with you would be like incest. I was actually talking about Adrian Pucey"

"Adrian Pucey?!" Daphne, Pansy and Draco collectively shouted. Draco couldn't describe the feeling in his gut when he heard that someone did want to date Adriana. It's not that she wasn't attractive, it's just that he couldn't imagine anyone actually being with her. The feeling did not rest well Draco. Daphne and Pansy shared a look, having a vague idea of what was going through Draco's head. The poor boy was oblivious.

Adriana's only response was a small huh and a little smile. She couldn't deny that she, as the majority of the Slytherin House harboured at least a small crush on Pucey. He was going into his 6th year and like Adriana was a Chaser for the Slytherin team along with Graham Montague. Maybe it was his lean physique, blond hair, Scottish accent or general likability that made the girls swoon. Unfortunately, Adriana was not immune.

"Where did you hear this rubbish?"

"Excuse me?!" / "Avery" The affronted and amused replies belonged to Adriana and Blaise respectively.

"What do you mean rubbish?" Draco gulped at the tone Adriana used.

"I , well, I just mean Blaise is known for stirring drama for his own amusement" He looked at Blaise to see if he was offended but he only nodded his thoughtfully in agreement.

"So, you think the idea that someone might fancy me is so impossible that Blaise has to make it up?"

'That boy really DOES want to die' was the collective thought throughout the carriage.

"That's not what I said"

"But it's what you thought"

"No I, damn it, stop this. This isn't what I meant, and you know it"

"What did you mean than?" Draco opened his mouth to answer but no words came out. Everyone else was watching with rapid attention, wanting to see who would make the first move. Eventually it was Adriana. The look on her face almost made Draco apologise.

"I see" In what felt like a blink of an eye, she up and left, five pairs of eyes staring after her. As soon as the door closed four turned on Draco, who under the intensity of the stares pointed at him, shrunk into his seat.

"You think they know?" Pansy whispered to Daphne who let out a unladylike snort.

"After what just happened? Not a chance. Maybe Draco but I don't think he has put the two and two together yet"

"Perhaps Pucey is exactly who we need at this time" The girls smirked at each other, ready for whatever this year was going to bring.

The walk did everything but clear her head. In fact, it put more questions into her head. Why was Draco acting like this? Is the idea of someone fancying her really so surprising? It's not like she has never been on a date or kissed someone, so why the surprise now? If she turned Draco into a ferret again maybe he would be nicer? All these thoughts meant she didn't pay attention where she was walking until she smashed into a mass.

That mass turned out was her brother.

She hadn't seen Harry for a few weeks now. She couldn't deny that she missed him at the Durselys. There is only so much she can put up with Uncle Vernon for before she snaps. It always makes her sad how much they have grown apart in the last few years. They mostly saw each other over Christmas, and sometimes it even felt like things were as they used to be when both of them lived in that horrid cupboard. Hogwarts might be the best years for some but it made Adriana loose the last of family she had.

"Harry"

"Adriana"

The greeting was stiff and awkward. Harry tried as much as he could to look anywhere but at her.

"How are you? I heard about the World Cup"

"I'm fine"

"Right, and, umm, how is Padfoot?"

"He's fine too"

"Right yeah that's good. Well I'm just gonna…" She pointed behind him and started walking in that direction, not entirely sure where she was going just knowing she couldn't stand there anymore. That, on top of the earlier incident with Draco, made her eyes tear up. She immediately and aggressively wiped away any tears that dared to fall. Adriana usually doesn't allow herself to cry, perhaps because every time she did so at Dursley's she would not get food. But this time she couldn't help herself. The feeling that someone was going to go terribly wrong this year was suffocating Adriana, and she just knew that the train journey was only a taste of that.

Adriana wanted so badly to repair her relationship with her brother. It wasn't like she hated her Harry. If it came down to it, she would die for him. No, the issue was that he hated her.