Hello guys I come bearing a gift!
Here is the next chapter of Parlay,
And as always here is a link to my tumblr where you will find a post of gifs to go with this chapter
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Chapter 17: Stagnant
Today was a new day.
After much preparation and training, the day of the 2nd Task was upon them. Madame Maxime had run her through several excruciating days of training much to Fleur's displeasure as it had taken time that she could have spent with her beloved. Rather it seemed that since the Yule Ball they had had a hard time of it, trying to find time to sneak away and spend time with the other.
No matter after this Task was finished they'd have their much needed time to themselves.
So engrossed in her own thoughts was Fleur that she did not notice her two friends come up beside her.
"You ok there?" Claude asked as he saddled up next to the blonde.
"If you don't keep your head in the game Madame will have your head," Suzette intoned coming up to the other side.
"I know," Fleur murmured to the two as she looked out into the lake.
She was standing on the dock looking out over the massive lake that lay before her. The water was still but held hidden danger beneath if what she read was true. A wide variety of creatures lay beneath varying from; Grindylows, Merpeople and a Giant Squid.
She would have to do her best to avoid running into any of those.
"Have you seen Hermione?" she asks both her friends, they each give her slight shrugs in turn.
"Not yet," Cluade replies.
"But she can't be far behind," Suzette reasons.
The stands and dock were beginning to fill as the other three champions made their way onto the dock. Their respective Headmasters not too far behind.
"You've just got to focus on finishing this task," Claude tries to reassure beside her.
"Show them what Beauxbatons is made of," Suzette comforts beside her.
Looking out into the students trickling in, she sees the group of 4th-year Slytherins make their way in, Hermione not among their group.
"Let me ask them where you're betrothed has gone too," Claude offers, noticing the distress on his friend's features. Wouldn't do to have their champion anxious before the Task.
"Merci," Fleur replies in turn, Suzette beside her taking a hold of her hand to try to comfort the girl.
"She'll be along shortly," the brunet says beside the Champion. Fleur leaning into her friend's touch in an attempt to lessen her anxiety.
"Welcome to the 2nd Task!" the booming voice of the Hogwarts Headmaster startling both girls.
"Last night something was stolen from each of our champions!" the Headmaster went on.
"Where's Claude?" Fleur mutters beside the brunet, looking around for their friend.
"He'll be back soon don't worry," Suzette says rubbing her friend's arm in an attempt to ease her.
"A treasure of sorts! These 4 treasures one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the black lake," the Headmaster goes on.
A sinking feeling of dread seeping into the blonde haired champion.
"In order to win each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface," The Headmaster speaks aloud.
"Simple enough?" The Headmaster shouts once more.
"Except for this, they will have but one hour to do so and one hour only! After that they will be on their own, no magic will save them you may begin at the sound of the cannon," the Headmaster finishes.
Fleur takes this moment to quickly shed off her jacket and trousers, revealing a simple one piece silvery blue swimsuit, Suzette beside her taking her jacket and pants in hand.
She hoped for her friend's piece of mind that Hermione wasn't at the bottom of that lake.
A swish of the wand and a simple incantation later saw a bubble head charm appear on Fleur's face.
BOOM
The sudden sound of the cannon going off and the four champions were in the water.
- x -
Making his way through the throngs of students Claude could only sigh in frustration. It was times like these that he wished he was a quarter veela like his blonde friend. It would certainly help part the students as they filtered onto the dock/stands.
"Merde," Claude cursed to himself as he looked around, he had just seen the little slytherins, how could he have lost sight of them.
"Claude?" a familiar voice catches the young man's attention as he turns to look behind him.
"Mademoiselle Daphne," the young man says with a smile. 'Thankgoodness' he says to himself as the girl sheepishly smiles back to him in turn.
"Do not mean to be a bozzer but 'ave you seen Mademoiselle Lestrange" the young man asks.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing," the girl replies in turn.
"Zen we 'ave ze zame predicamente," Claude says with a sigh, the girl in turn gives him a nervous chuckle.
"Our head of house asked to see her in the Headmaster's office last night, we assumed she went to see Fleur afterwards," Daphne states taking the older boy aback.
"Welcome to the 2nd Task!" they both are startled at the sudden booming voice of the Hogwarts Headmaster.
"It looks like the Task is star-" Daphne begins to say.
"Claude!" the excited voice of Pansy exclaims as she comes up behind her.
"Mademoiselle Parkinson a pleazure," the young man says, giving the younger girl a smile.
"The pleasure is all mine," Pansy replies with a smile of her own. Daphne beside her rolls her eyes at her friend's antics.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Daphne asks, snapping the dark haired girl out of her flirty interaction with the french wizard.
Before the girl is able to answer they hear their Headmaster announce.
"Four Treasures one for each of our champions, now lie at the bottom of the black lake,"
A sinking feeling is felt by all three of them, as they look in the direction of the champions, all getting ready to dive off the dock.
"I need to 'ead back," Claude says, excusing himself from both of the Slytherin girls.
"We'll come with you," Daphne says, making to follow the french wizard, Pansy following right behind her.
"Of courze," Claude says allowing the younger girls to walk in front of him.
- x -
COLD. COLD. COLD is the first thing that Fleur thinks as she dives into the freezing lake.
'Why on earth did the challenge have to be in a freezing lake,' the french witch thinks to herself as she looks around.
She spends several minutes taking in her surroundings.
Murky water and alot of plant life. Great
A sudden movement catches her attention and she says a merperson swims off in the distance.
'An hour is all you'll have to look,' she remembers from the melody in the egg.
She doesn't stay ruminating for long and decides to follow the merfolk as fast as her legs will allow her.
'Please don't let it be Hermione,' she thinks to herself as she swims after the merperson.
The merfolk lead her to a clearing where some old long forgotten ruins are decaying.
"Hermione!" Fleur shouts only for it to come out like a gargle of sounds due to the water.
Beside the english witch are three other people. The red headed boy that she'd seen with the famous Harry Potter, a durmstrang boy that she'd seen following after the Bulgarian seeker, and Miss Chang whom she remembered on the arm of the Diggory boy at the ball.
Not wasting another moment she swims up to her betrothed, points her wand at the bottom of the chain holding the younger girl in place, and shouts "Bombarda!" that seems to do the trick as the chain combusts and the tether holding the girl breaks.
Grabbing the younger girl by the arm she starts swimming to the surface.
She only had an hour and she was sure that It'd been nearly an hour since the start of the Task.
As she nears the surface she takes a second to look behind her and sees the Diggory boy not far behind, his own treasure in hand.
With a newfound determination she increases the speed of her legs, willing herself to go faster.
A few moments later she is rewarded with the cool feel of fresh air as she and Hermione break the surface. The deafening sounds of jubilant shouts can be heard as the crowds shout out in glee. The loudest being the Bauxbaton students as they rejoice in their champion coming in first for the second time in a row. Their Headmistress looking on with a pleased smile at her champion's success.
Wanting to get Hermione out of the freezing water, Fleur takes hold of the girl and helps guide her to the dock full of Beauxbaton students waiting with towels on hand.
"Fleur you did Marvelleux," Suzette compliments, putting a towel around Hermione.
Claude coming up to Fleur's side, throws a towel across the blonde.
"You finished first," The boy says, pride in his voice for his friend.
Another round of jubilant shouts is heard as the Diggory boy and Miss Chang break the surface.
Followed by Viktor Krum and Harry Potter.
The champions take their time to gather themselves and make sure their respective treasures are warm enough after their ordeal.
"Are 'ou warm eenouf?" Fleur asks concern on her features. As she watches her betrothed shiver.
"I am," Hermione replies.
The older girl in turn takes off her towel and wraps it around the younger shivering girl. Having not been convinced at the girl's words.
The younger girl's friends coming up beside the young slytherin and putting an arm around the girl each in turn, an attempt to warm the girl up.
The older witch smiles in turn at the kind gesture before a robe is thrown on her by her Headmistress.
"It iz much to 'old 'ere," Madame Maxime states as the other Headmasters gather the other three champions close.
Putting his wand to his throat, the Hogwarts Headmaster shouts "Attention!" this getting the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
"The winner is, Miss Delacour!" This results in an excited round of shouts from the Beauxbaton students and some Hogwarts students alike.
Several flashes go off, reporters from the prophet taking pictures of the French witch, a huge smile on her face at having won the 2nd Task.
What started off as an anxious day filled with dread at not knowing where her beloved was, had ended in a win and a huge smile on her face as she takes her betrothed's hand in hers and places a simple kiss on it.
The flashes go off once more.
- x -
"Not everyday we see a fancy bloke like yourself working a perimeter check job for a ministry event," a shabby looking wizard states looking at well dressed wizard in elf-tailored robes.
"You should really learn to mind your own business," Wetheral McNair retorts. Nose up in the air, his father had tasked him with getting in between the french tart that called herself a witch and the Lestrange girl, 'The girl that should have been mine,' the crooked nosed wizard thinks to himself as he grinds his teeth at the thought.
A simple enough task, as he was sure he'd be able to charm the younger girl with no trouble at all. The task in it of itself however, had proved to be more difficult than he'd originally thought.
When he's arrived on the Hogwarts grounds, ministry badge in place, he'd been told to meet near the quidditch pitch for further instructions.
It was there that Mr. Crouch had ordered him to stand watch near the game keeper's hut.
"The game keeper's hut!? Are you mad man?" Wetheral could remember himself shout at the older wizard, the wizard in turn had only looked at him with mild disdain.
"What part confuses you Mr. McNair," Crouch had asked.
"How in bloody hell do you expect me to ensure the safety of the students if I'm near the bloody game keeper's hut!?" he had shouted at Crouch, much to the older wizard's chagrin.
"The job was to keep a perimeter check, near the Forbidden Forest is a more than suitable point of entrance for any person seeking to make a mockery of this Prized Tournament," the older wizard had replied as he turned his back to him and went about assigning the rest of the perimeter watches.
'How in the bloody hell am I supposed to break up those two tarts, if I'm in the farthest bloody checkpoint in this bloody school,' Wetheral thinks to himself as he looks in the direction of the Great Lake.
The distant sound of shouts of joy catch his attention and the ragged looking wizard's as well.
"Looks like the Task has a winner," the wizard across from him states.
Wetheral groans in frustration and stomps in the direction of the lake.
"Where are ya going!" the ragged looking wizard yells after him.
- x -
"Are sure 'ou are well?" Fleur asks for the 3rd time after the completion of the 2nd task.
Their friends walk ahead of them as they walk away from the lake. Giving the two girls space to talk after the ordeal they'd just been through. Draco ever so often looked back at them to make sure nothing untoward was happening.
"Yes Fleur," Hermione reassures. After the rest of the standings for the champions was announced: Cedric Diggory had come in second, followed by Harry Potter due to helping assist Viktor Krum in rescuing his treasure, an issue with some grindylows if she remembered correctly. And finally Viktor Krum trailing in 4th.
They had started to make their way back to the castle. Fleur wanted to escort her back to the castle and her two friends had followed along. Much to the delight of Pansy, the girl had been hanging all over Claude since the Yule Ball. Much to Draco's annoyance.
"If you have some time later this evening I'd like to take a stroll around the grounds with you," Fleur asked.
Before the younger witch is able to answer however a tall sandy blonde haired young man with a crooked nose approaches them. Hermione immediately recognizes the man and stiffens beside the french witch.
"Miss Lestrange! What a delight to see you in this joyous time!" the young man exclaims walking up to the pair.
Fleur beside her notices her stiffen and looks the young man head on.
"Mr. McNair what a surprise to see you here," Hermione replies. A look of mild annoyance flashes across the young man's face for a brief moment before being replaced with a overly sweet smile.
"Mr. McNair is my father Hermione and I'd like to think we know each other better than that," the man says, ignoring the french witch beside Hermione.
Not liking the over familiarity of the young man and her beloved's increasing stiffness at his presence, Fleur decides to intercede.
"I do not believe we 'ave 'ad the pleazzure of being introducezed, I am Fleur Delacour 'Ermione's betrothed," Fleur introduces herself watching as the wizard before her grits his teeth and flashes her a strained smile.
"No I believe we have not had the pleasure of meeting," Wetheral says through clenched teeth.
Having noticed the two girls no longer behind them Draco and co had ambled back over to the two girls. Draco especially making haste at seeing the elder wizard with them. He did not like Wetheral McNai. Especially around his cousin.
"Fancy seeing you here McNair!" Draco shouts as he stands before the wizard. His friends and the two french students beside him.
"Draco Malfoy, what a pleasure," Wetheral greets. He hated the younger Malfoy, always a hindrance whenever he had attempted to woo the Lestrange heiress.
"I wish I could say the same," Draco replies with a grimace.
The elder wizard before him drops his mask of fake nicety for a few seconds to glare at the younger wizard.
"I was just telling your sweet cousin what a delight it was to see her on these grounds," Wetheral recovers giving Draco a fake smile once more.
"Seems they'll let just anyone on these grounds," Draco bites back.
"Clearly," Pansy bristles beside the blonde haired boy, startling them all as the dark haired girl usually kept quiet during altercations with the McNair boy.
"Allow me to treat you all to a round of drinks, now that the Task is complete," Wetheral ignores the insult from the Parkinson girl, trying to salvage the situation. It would seem luck was not on his side today much to his annoyance. He just needed a moment or two with Hermione Lestrange and she would be his.
"We are not of age and would hate to soil the integrity of Slytherin House," Hermione replies back. Fleur beside loops a hand around the younger girl's shoulders eyes never leaving the young McNair.
"Surely some rules were meant to be broken," Wetheral tries to reason, 'foolish girl' how dare she reject his invitation, didn't she see that he was trying to save her from these french barbarians. When she was his wife he'd teach her her place.
"Non ai believe zis conversation iz over, 'as "Ermione said zey are underage and would 'ate to soil ze integrity of zeir 'ouse," Fleur says ending the conversation with the crocked nosed wizard who had not stopped raking his eyes over her beloved. Much to her annoyance.
Pulling Hermione closer to her the french witch breezes past the McNair heir, their friends close behind.
Draco shoots Wetheral a smirk before turning.
"Perhaps next time then," Wetheral tries to save face, teeth gritted.
"Per'aps," Fleur says without turning around, arm holding Hermione close as they continue to make their way towards the castle. She'd have to figure out what set the younger students off, they had all seemed to tense at the older wizard's presence. Hermione especially and she did not like that one bit.
- x -
"That conniving rat," Draco spits out once they're in the safety of their common room. After they'd left their altercation with the McNair heir they'd made quick haste to get back to the castle. Fleur had bid Hermione a respectful farewell with a kiss on each cheek, which Draco had been a bit alarmed to at first however remembering that Fleur was french excused it as an acceptable custom.
The three french students had politely excused themselves with a promise to see them at dinner.
"I'd wager his father helped him onto the grounds," Blaise reasons arms crossed.
"I'll have to let my father know of this," Draco responds, Wetheral McNair was a filthy sleazy man with no morals. Draco did not like him one bit.
Hermione from her seated position on the Slytherin couch sat surrounded by Daphne and Pansy on either side. Both girls were aware of the situation with Wetheral McNair. The entirety of English Pureblood Society knew about Wetheral McNair's actions, they knew what the man was capable of. No sensible family wanted to marry their daughter's to the man. His father, more than most people, were aware of that.
That hadn't deterred him in all these years however, from trying to pawn his son off onto his Uncle Rodolphus and Aunt Bellatrix.
"You don't think he'll be about the grounds now that the tournament is in full swing?" Daphne asks. Hermione beside her had not said much after departing from the French witch, and Daphne couldn't blame her. Not after the altercation with Wetheral three years past.
"We'll have to make sure Hermione isn't unescorted," Theo comments standing beside Draco. Crabbe and Goyle nod in turn agreeing with the brunette haired young man.
"That won't be necessary," Hermione speaks up, she was surprised to have seen Wetheral McNair on the grounds, he was after all a man not to be crossed. And he was capable of honorless actions to get what he wanted. But she didn't want to trouble her friends over her own issues with the older wizard.
"No," Draco's simple response, arms crossed.
"No?" Hermione responds back. Looking up at her cousin with an incredulous look on her face.
"No, not after what happened last time, we are all aware of what Wetheral is capable off and I refuse to see you compromised in any way," Draco replies, shoulders squared. He would not budge on this.
Seeing the look that Draco was giving her and the looks of solidarity the boys were giving her in response to Draco's statement Hermione sighed.
"Very well," the girl acquisized.
- x -
"How could you fail!" Walden McNair all but screamed at his son as he smacked him across the face.
"It was not my fault father," Wetheral seethes as his father smacks him again across his other cheek.
"How could you bungle up a simple task!? Or is a half-creature smarter than you? You! A pureblood!" Walden shouts at his son.
"If it wasn't for her bloody cousin I'd have been able to convince the girl to go for a drink with me," Wetheral tries to defend. His father growing more irate by the second.
"Draco Malfoy was there?" Walden asks, he could not understand how his son could have failed a simple task.
"Him, the elder Greengrass girl, the Parkinson's insipid girl, Zabini's bastard son, the Nott boy, the Crabbe and Goyle's boys, and two of the Beauxbaton students," Wetheral reports as he watches his father begin to pace around his office, hands clasped behind his back.
"So they were all there," Walden mutters to himself as his son looks on at him.
There was not a day that went by where he regretted having his son too early. If his son had been born in the same year as the Malfoy brat, then I'd be him leading that group of pureblooded children. Each an heir for their respective lines. And he most definitely would have been able to secure a betrothal between his son and Hermione Lestrange.
"We will have to think of another way to integrate you into that school," Walden informs his son as they each take a seat and scheme.
- x -
"That boy was a right ponce," Suzette comments taking a seat on Fleur's bed as Claude stands, watching Fleur pace about her room.
"There was something there," Fleur mumbles aloud.
"You don't think he's ever," Claude muses aloud
Fleur whirls on him in a second, "Don't you dare," she retorts.
Both of her friends look at her in surprise.
"I don't even want to imagine it," Fleur says, taking a step back to collect herself.
"If you'd like I can owl my cousin back home and see what she can find," Suzette offers. She had never seen her friend so contrite. Least of all with either of them. She supposed it had to be her veela blood, Hermione was her mate and she had to protect her she supposed. Very well they'd do their part to help.
"Please do," Fleur replies with a grateful smile.
"Very well," Suzette says getting up and walking out of her room to fetch her paper and quill.
"I'll keep an eye out for the man, he won't go near her if you will it," Claude offers as well, patting his friend on the shoulder and walking out of the room.
'No. He certainly will not!' Fleur thinks to herself as she takes a seat on her bed.
- x -
"There's been a man found dead in the Forbidden Forest!"
The gossip mill was in full swing. Or rather alarm.
A body had been found dead in the Forbidden Forest, the body of Mr. Crouch.
To say the student population was on edge was an understatement.
Found by the gamekeeper Rubius Hagrid, Harry Potter and his friends.
Parent's were threatening to pull their children from the school at the heightened danger.
Causing both confusion and alarm throughout all three of the schools on the grounds.
"Are you're parentz going to pull 'ou from ze school?" Fleur asks, pulling away from the english witch.
It'd been a day after the Task and Hermione had seeked her out immediately after classes had ended for the day.
Had all but shoved her in a broom closet as they'd made haste in embracing each other and kissing each other senseless.
"No," Hermione replies before pulling the older girl to her once more.
She wanted to forget about the run in with Wetheral, he was an overreaching pig that didn't know when to leave well enough alone.
Three years past at a ball that her Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa had hosted at their manor; he had tried to corner her in the gardens and make advances on her. She had been 11 at the time and if Draco hadn't come looking for her she didn't know what the older wizard would have done.
She had escaped without a hair out of place, but she would never forget the grip the McNair heir had had on her wrist as she had refused him a kiss.
She was sure he would break it when Draco had chanced upon them.
Immediately noticing the situation and bodily putting himself between the two. Releasing Wetheral's hold on her wrist.
He had escorted her away from the older wizard in haste and they had notified their parents about the incident. Much to the anger of her mother as she had all but hexed the young man out of Malfoy manor at the young man's affront.
Vowing that there would never be a union between a Lestrange daughter and a McNair son, not in this lifetime or the next.
Wrapping her arms around the older witch, Hermione pulls her in ever closer. Much to the older girl's delight and her own need to immerse herself in passion. She needed to forget the bad memories and she needed more of Fleur.
Feeling the older girl securely place her hands on her hips to pull her close, Hermione decides to be a bit bolder and grazes her tongue along the older girl's lower lip.
This elicits a soft moan from the older girl and she deepens the kiss.
Tongues battling for dominance. Both breaking for a few moments at a time to get in a few bits of air here and there.
- x -
She didn't know how long they'd been snogging, when the sudden sound of footsteps a distance away caught her attention.
'It must be dinner time,' Fleur surmised as she pulled back from Hermione to try to suggest they head to the Great Hall for dinner, when the younger witch surprised her by kissing her neck.
She had to fight back the huge urge to moan at the wonderful feeling of pleasure she got from the younger girl's ministrations.
"Ermione, we must be 'eading down to dinner," Fleur tries to reason as the younger girl continues her assault.
"Just a few more minutes," Hermione mumbles into her neck as her hands find their way to the older girl's bottom. Giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Very well," Fleur replies in turn taking hold of the situation and pulling back from the younger girl, only to begin her own assault on the younger witch's neck.
They would definitely have to use some concealment charms after this.
- x -
Dinner had just finished and after much ribbing from Pansy and eye rolls from Daphne at their friends antics. Hermione had been able to excuse herself for a few minutes to grab a book from the library before curfew.
Her shared time with Fleur was fresh on her mind. She had thoroughly enjoyed the time with the older girl, wishing to have been able to go further. But the older girl was adamant they waited till she was older.
Giving her a longing kiss as they excited the broom closet, the two had made their way to the Great Hall, but not before Fleur had cast a concealment charm on the hickies that they each sported after their snogging session.
So lost in her thoughts was she that she did not see Harry when he approached her.
The library was devoid of any other student and Hermione had hoped to be left alone to think of her time with Fleur while she checked out a much needed book on the properties of dragon fire.
"Do you know who Barty Crouch is?" the gryffindor asked. The boy who lived looked disheveled and like he hadn't slept.
"The ministry official who was found dead on the grounds?" Hermione asked looking at the boy.
"No not him, his son, he had a son... do you know him?" Harry asked desperately.
"Barty Crouch Jr," Hermione pondered aloud. She had known about the man that Harry Potter was inquiring about.
He had been a frequent visitor to their manor when she was very young. If family pictures were to be believed. He had played with her when she was but an infant. He looked like a happy enough man. She had no reason to think otherwise of him.
Her parents themselves had had nothing but praise for the man.
"Yes! Do you know him?" Harry asked again.
"He passed away in Azkaban years ago," Hermione replied, her parents had been sad to hear the news and had told her that she should join them in their mourning, for the man had been a hero.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked again, a tad frantic this time.
"Positive," Hermione replied.
Harry in turn takes a step back and mutters a "thanks" before walking away.
'Strange' Hermione thinks to herself as she gathers the book
- x -
"The time is close!" Bellatrix exclaims clutching the front of her husband's robes.
They had just heard back from Barty Crouch Jr.
The DARK LORD'S RETURN IS NIGH
The hurriedly scribbled note had stated.
The time for the Dark Lord to return and take his rightful place amongst the wizarding world was close.
Soon all of the unbelievers and the retched of the world would be put in their place.
And purebloods would once more be in their rightful place.
As the betters of society.
As it was meant to be.
As it should be.
A world safe for pureblooded children.
For their children.
- x -
Hello ladies and gentlemen!
I hope you are all having a safe time indoors.
While in doors I have found myself with time to write so I bring you the next chapter of Parlay!
I'll be starting chapter 18 today so fingers crossed I can get it out within the week.
As always thank you kindly for keeping with this little story of mine.
And as always please feel free to let me know what you think by leaving a review :)
Till next time!
-CatSnidget009
