A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter. A brief warning for Jeremiah content ahead – but I promise it's brief and pretty much the last we'll see of him in such an intimate capacity. I think you'll all be very proud of the decisions Winona ultimately makes by the end of this chapter. I know I am.

Enjoy!


By three AM that morning, Harry had seemed to have mastered the Summoning Charm. It wasn't as easy as it sounded, but he'd gotten there in the end. They'd gone to bed, and when Winona woke up she went from Transfiguration and then onto Herbology in a daze.

"Win," said Fred in her ear, snapping her from her stupor. She blinked up at him to see him staring pointedly at Professor Sprout, who in turn was staring at her.

"Sorry, Professor," Winona said awkwardly. "I didn't hear the question."

Sprout looked less than impressed. "I know we have mere hours until the First Task, but right now you're still in class. At least try to focus on extracting the Snargaluff pods without getting an eye gauged out," she said dryly, addressing the whole class while her eyes remained focused on Winona, who nodded obediently, although her mind had already yet again strayed.

"You know, worrying this much is only going to give you an ulcer," Fred murmured to her as they all filed out of the Herbology class some half hour later. George was on her other side, nodding his vehement agreement.

"You'd be just as much of a wreck if it were George," she told him simply, something he couldn't deny.

"Aren't you at least a little excited?" George asked, as though struggling to believe this was anything other than thrilling.

"No."

The Great Hall was full of an excited, hyper energy that immediately began to buzz under Winona's skin like a kind of electrical current. She abandoned Fred and George without a word, moving to Harry's side where he sat across from Hermione and Ginny.

She couldn't help but note the relief that crossed his face when he caught sight of her. "Hey," she greeted him quietly. He didn't even bother attempting a smile in return. "Has he eaten anything?" she asked the girls, knowing they were less likely to lie.

"No," said Ginny, her eyes stern as she watched Harry fret. "Not a thing."

Winona was already making him up a bowl of fruit salad, making sure to add extra banana for energy, sprinkling it with nuts for protein. "I'm not hungry, Winnie," he said dully, but she ignored him, pressing the bowl into his hands and beginning to make herself up one too.

"Remember your first Quidditch match, first year?" she asked instead. "You didn't want to eat then, but now you know that a good meal before something big always helps, right?"

"It's just more to throw up," he muttered, pushing the bowl away.

"You feel sick?" she asked, tempted to reach for his forehead. Maybe if he was sick he wouldn't have to compete. What a blessing that would be.

"Yeah, but it's only nerves," he replied, seeming to think the same.

"Please eat just a few spoonfuls?" she pleaded, leaning in and widening her eyes hopefully. "For me?"

"Winnie, I'm really not hungry––"

"Harry Potter, you do as you're told," said Ginny from opposite them, her voice stern and uncompromising. Harry blinked in surprise as she glared at him in warning. Reluctant and maybe just a tiny bit afraid, the Boy-Who-Lived reached for his bowl, beginning to eat the food within.

Thank you, Winona mouthed at Ginny, who smiled slightly in reply, although her eyes remained sad and concerned.

Winona seemed to only blink before McGonagall appeared before them, staring down at Harry apologetically. "Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now," she told him, dread lacing her tone. "You have to get ready for your first task."

Harry took a moment to chew his last piece of watermelon, slowly nodding his head. "Okay," he said, reluctantly pushing away his near-empty bowl and standing to his feet.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered from across the table. "You'll be fine!" she said, but it was a weak assurance at best.

"Yeah," replied Harry dully.

Winona stood to her feet after Harry, and before he could protest she brought him into an embrace, holding him to her tightly. He was the same height as her now, but still so young, she thought. She thought Harry might pull away in embarrassment – she was clutching him like a little kid in the middle of the Great Hall, after all – but instead he only gripped her tighter.

McGonagall seemed to realise they needed a moment, edging away to give them the illusion of privacy.

"Remember what I taught you about the charm," she whispered, hugging him tightly, trying to show him how much she loved him through the strength of her squeeze alone. "Take deep breaths. Ignore the crowd and focus on what you need to do."

"Battle a dragon," he muttered into her shoulder.

"Exactly," she whispered back. "You'll get through this, Boy Wonder," she added encouragingly.

"Thanks," he said quietly, pulling away and stepping back, dread glittering in his emerald green gaze.

"And Harry?" she said before he could leave. He turned back, waiting expectantly. "Love ya," she told him sincerely, hoping to convey the depth of her affection for him in a single glance. He was her family, and despite only knowing him under four years, he meant the whole world to her. He was as much a part of her as Fred, or George, or even Sirius.

Harry seemed to understand, cracking the tiniest, tiniest hint of a smile. "You too, Win," he told her genuinely before turning and reluctantly following after a glassy-eyed McGonagall.

Winona turned back to the Gryffindor table, seeing Ginny and Hermione looking up at her, their own concern for Harry shining in their eyes. But they weren't what she needed. They weren't who she needed.

"I'll be back," she told them, unsure whether or not it was true. They seemed to get it, turning back to their meals as Winona walked further up the table to where two tall, flaming heads of red hair stood out amongst the crowd.

Fred was already looking at her, having seen her farewell to Harry, and without saying a word he shuffled to the side to let Winona slip into place between he and George. She didn't care that Angelina was frowning like she smelt something bad, or that half the school were staring at her expectantly, or that a million unsaid things still hovered between she and Fred like curses waiting to be plucked from the air.

Fred lifted an arm, wrapping it around her shoulders and letting her burrow into his side. He ran hotter than she did, and she wrapped her own arms around his middle, pressing her palm to his chest. She could feel the heat of his skin even through his shirt, and it somehow warmed her from the inside out.

She drew comfort from him like one might draw heat from a fire, or peace from the sight of the stars. She didn't bother eating any more, just leaning against Fred in silence. It was like nothing had ever gone wrong between them, like that lingering tension had evaporated, leaving her feeling nothing but secure and loved.

Fred continued talking animatedly with George, Lee and Alicia, using his free hand to gesture wildly, as though he didn't have a short blonde girl latched onto him like a koala bear latched onto a tree. Angelina said nothing, but Winona didn't care what she thought. She just needed Fred.

"Attention, if you please!" came Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice, amplified by a hundred with the use of his wand. The Hall instantly fell dead silent, everyone turning to look at where the Charms professor was stood on a chair up at the teacher's table. "If you'll all follow Professor Hagrid calmly down to the grounds, the first task is set to begin in thirty minutes!"

Hagrid was stood at the door leading to the entrance hall, and almost as one the student body lifted from their seats, abandoning their meals to flood in the giant man's direction.

"Ready, Win?" asked Fred, the arm that had remained locked around her shoulders tightening, his thumb brushing the flesh of her upper arm, an afterthought.

"As I'll ever be," she muttered, the words almost lost in the sea of chatter that had appeared around them. Fred stood to his feet, gently bringing Winona with him, and then they and the rest of their friends followed the flow of the crowd in the direction of the doors, which Hagrid had disappeared through.

The grounds were a little chilly, and she tugged at the sleeves of her jumper, wishing she'd thought to bring gloves. Her worry over Harry skyrocketed the closer they got to the tent. It was tall and white, and their group followed the flow of the crowd through the flaps, up into the stands.

The stands were arranged in an oval shape, much like the ones of the Quidditch Pitch, only on a slightly smaller scale. In the middle was a deep pit full of rocks and dirt, and Winona felt her chest tighten at the thought of Harry being down there, alone, with a dragon.

She and her friends settled against a railing somewhere in the middle of the stands, leaning over it and talking animatedly about the upcoming task.

But Winona didn't talk with them. Almost unthinking, her mind drifted away from the present. It was like an instinct to search for Harry's future, see if he'd survive the fight and pass the task.

She wondered if it was somehow considered cheating, but she also knew she didn't care.

The arena disappeared from her eyes, which clouded over as she frantically searched the aether for the possibilities that hung in the near future. She didn't have her herbal candles to help push her inner eye to see more, but she was desperate enough that she almost felt she didn't need them.

Although she couldn't see anything, she could still hear the hum of excited chatter happening around her, and still feel Fred's arm, which remained slung comfortingly over her shoulders. "Where've you gone?" came his voice in her ear.

"About an hour into the future," she replied, utterly honest, hands gripping the strap of her ever-present bag, ready to whip out her supplies at a moment's notice.

"What do you see?" he asked, still keeping his voice quiet, intimate. She found she liked it, but there was no time to ponder that.

"I don't know. I can't trigger a proper vision in this environment," she told him, frustrated.

"Too loud?"

"Among other things," she muttered.

She was in a haze, possibilities drifting just out of reach. She got too close to one, and could almost feel the heat of a dragon's breath against her skin. She flinched backwards, blinking back to reality, the arena reappearing before her once more.

"Anything?" Fred asked hopefully.

"Nothing," she sighed, reaching up to rub at the ache that had appeared over her eyes.

"He'll be okay, Win," he told her reassuringly.

"Yeah, he'll be fine," added George, seeming to materialise on her other side, although she was sure he'd been there this whole time and she'd just been too distracted to notice. "He's the Boy-Who-Lived, after all. Not the Boy-Who-Died."

Winona couldn't help but smile, rolling her eyes at the twins' humour just as Bagman's magically amplified voice echoed throughout the stands, welcoming them all and officially beginning the task.

The first dragon appeared, and the crowd gasped as one. "Dragons?!" shouted the twins over the roar of the spectators. "They're facing dragons?!"

"Now do you see the reason for my stress?" she asked wryly, eyes clouding over again even as Diggory stepped out into the arena to face his beast. Winona liked Cedric, he was kind and polite – so very Hufflepuff – but she was more concerned with Harry's future than she was with whatever was going to happen to him.

"You're really not going to watch?" asked Fred above the noise of the crowd.

"Forgive me for not finding this as thrilling as you are, but my cousin's life is on the line," she reminded him sharply.

"Harry's going to be fine, Winnie," said George, voice layered with exasperation. "Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"Besides, not like there's anything you can do to effect the outcome from up here," added Fred rationally. "Come on – these are dragons. Real dragons, right in front of us! Don't spend the whole show lost in the sea of time, or whatever it is you call it."

Winona sighed, pulling out of the murky haze of any potential futures and focusing back on the task just as Cedric began his first move against his dragon.

Diggory transfigured a boulder into a Labrador, and the dragon nearly went after it before it realised it was a ruse and dove for Diggory. He still managed to get his golden egg, and the crowd went wild, cheering thunderously, even go so far as to stomp their feet against the wooden stands in exultation.

Fleur Delacour had a very different method – she attempted to put the dragon into a sort of trance. It seemed to get very sleepy, head beginning to lull, but it all went wrong when it snored and set the girl's skirts on fire. She put the flames out with her wand and collected the egg.

Next was Krum, who hit his dragon square in the eye with a spell. It roared in pain, floundering around until it eventually stumbled over its own eggs – its real ones. Winona winced, feeling suddenly angry that it was in this situation at all. This whole tournament was stupid and not worth its trouble.

Finally it was Harry's turn, and she wasn't sure whether she was annoyed or relieved that he was to be last.

He stumbled out into the arena, blinking at the brightness of the daylight, then blinking again at the giant dragon that sat roosted on its nest before him. The golden egg sat glittering in the light, and Winona watched with bated breath as Harry lifted his wand into the air, pausing to gather his wits before shouting, "Accio Firebolt!"

Winona stared, reassuring herself over and over again that Harry was going to be fine, that it was going to work, that he was going to be okay … and finally the broom appeared and Harry leapt on it with a practised ease. Winona let out a loud cheer with the rest of the crowd, relief like a tonic in her veins. But he wasn't out of the woods yet.

The dragon spat fire in her cousin's direction, fire that he only just barely dodged. Winona gasped loudly, and there was no hesitation in the hand that gripped hers. Glancing over, she found Fred staring into the arena with wide, excited eyes, but his hand held hers tightly, fingers slipping through hers in a way that, again, felt intimate.

It was a comfort she hadn't known she'd needed, but now that she had it she relied on it heavily, gripping him back with all her strength. He didn't complain, even though she was probably cutting off his circulation with how tightly she squeezed him.

Returning her gaze to Harry, Winona watched as he got into his groove, finding a rhythm that would take him through the extremely dangerous, deadly task.

It was all over relatively quickly, and Winona was glad. He flew as he always did – like it came as naturally as breathing. He flew circles around his dragon, and by the time he'd gotten his egg, Winona's heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and her throat ached from her own loud cheers.

"He did it!" she screamed, bouncing on her toes in glee. She'd had every faith in Harry – she always had – but she was still beyond stunned that he'd gotten through this with nothing but a scratch on his shoulder for his efforts. "He's okay!"

"Yes!" Fred whooped loudly, finally letting go of Winona's hand to cup his own around his mouth to amplify his voice as he cried out, "Go Harry! Whoo!"

"Go Harry!" Winona echoed, voice shrill and laced with a hint of hysteria.

"Miss Andrews?" came a voice from behind her, raised to be heard over the roar of the crowd. Winona spun around to see Professor McGonagall behind her, Ron and Hermione close on her heels. "Shall I take you down to see Mr Potter?" her teacher asked, a hint of a pleased smile on her crinkled lips.

"Yes!" she cried, quickly spinning around to catch both George and Fred in a tight hug, one arm thrown around each of them, yanking them against her firmly. "He did it!" she cried again, and the twins laughed on either side of her head.

She pulled away with a bright, shining grin, turning towards McGonagall and letting the stern old professor lead she and Harry's friends down through the stands towards the medical tent.

"Did you see him?" Hermione asked Winona excitedly. "Oh, wasn't he amazing?!"

"Are you kidding? That was so cool!" Hermione's glee was contagious. Ron looked eager, but at the same time kind of pale and a little weak from shock.

McGonagall came to a stop in front of the mouth of the large, white tent. "Go on through, you three," she told them, waving them onwards. They didn't hesitate to dive through, Winona at the head. She tripped inside, doing a full 360º to locate her cousin. When she found him it was to see him looking far brighter than he had going into the task.

"Look at you, Boy Wonder," she cheered, rushing forwards to scoop him up in her biggest hug yet. "That was, without a doubt, the coolest thing you've ever done – and remember, you once killed a Basilisk," Winona told him over the cheers they could still hear from outside, the crowd yet to completely quiet.

Harry laughed into her shoulder, and she rocked them side to side for a long moment, basking in her relief before pulling back and reaching up to ruffle his fluffy black hair. Then she stepped back to allow Hermione and Ron a look in.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione told him in a high, squeaky voice. "You were amazing! You really were!"

But Harry barely even noticed the girl, his eyes focused on a pale Ron, confusion and caution in his gaze. "Harry," said the ginger-haired boy seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet – I – I reckon they're trying to do you in!" he said, pitchy and panicked.

Winona glanced to Harry to see how he'd take it. "Caught on, have you?" her cousin asked coldly. "Took you long enough."

Ron winced, and Winona watched the cogs turn in his brain as he geared up for what had better – as far as she was concerned – be the best apology in the history of wizard kind. But Harry surprised her by speaking up before Ron could get the words out.

"It's okay," he said suddenly, and they all blinked in surprise. "Forget it."

"No," said Ron uncertainly, "I shouldn't've —"

"Forget it," he said again, and when Ron grinned nervously at him, Harry grinned back.

From between them, Hermione burst into tears. The boys turned to look at her, stunned and more than a little bit wary.

"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry insisted, bewildered.

"You two are so stupid!" she shouted. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, struggling to keep her cries quiet. Winona watched her go, just as perplexed as the boys.

"Barking mad," said Ron, but there was the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. He turned to say something to Harry, only to find Winona there, staring him down like a guard-dog might an intruder. "Uh…" he muttered unintelligently, not seeming to know what to say.

"Done being a dick?" she asked, head tilting as she spoke.

"I'd say so, yeah," he said.

"All right," she nodded acceptingly, although her scowl remained. "But remember that I'm watching you, you little redheaded twit." Ron looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or scream at the enigmatic threat.

"Winnie," said Harry from behind her, exasperated.

She couldn't help but smile, her hard exterior cracking like an egg. "Go get your scores, Boy Wonder," she told him, waving him happily off. He grinned, collecting his Firebolt and new, sparkling golden egg, turning and striding happily from the tent with Ron by his side – exactly where he belonged.

Winona was just about to leave, go find her friends to head back up to the castle, when a familiar face appeared in the doorway. "Little Winnie!" cheered Charlie at the sight of her.

"Charlie!" she exclaimed, taking three large steps forwards, and this time it was her who was swept up in a large, warm embrace. Charlie spun her in a playful circle. "I didn't know you'd be here!" she said as he put her back on her feet, grinning up at him brightly. "But I probably should have known, given – y'know – the dragons."

"I would have thought you would've known because of, y'know, a vision?" he countered. Winona went stock still, and when Charlie laughed, it wasn't unkindly. "Relax, Winnie," he said easily. "I just read the article. That Skeeter woman should really be leashed by now. Sorry it had to come out that way."

Winona swallowed. "It hadn't really occurred to me that people outside of Hogwarts would have seen it," she admitted quietly.

"Well, in any case, I think it's beyond cool," he told her kindly. "Explains quite a bit, actually. You always were a bit of an oddball."

Winona rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she said, sarcastic even around her large, happy grin. "Seen the twins yet?"

"Nah, haven't had a chance. I'll find them soon, but we've gotta go now if we wanna see Harry's scores!" he told her, reaching out to throw an arm around her neck, tugging her playfully from the tent.

The judges scored Harry well – except for Karkaroff, but it wasn't really that unexpected; the bloke was already an overgrown goblin in Winona's opinion – and instead of finding the twins, she and Charlie stumbled upon Harry and Ron first.

"You're tied in first place, Harry! You and Krum!" said Charlie brightly, clapping Harry warmly on the shoulder in congratulations. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened — but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah — and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes. Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."

"Okay, thanks," said Harry cheerfully.

"Come on, you old mamma's boy," said Winona teasingly, tugging impatiently at the dragon tamer's arm. "You can write her later. Let's go find the twins!"

"All right, hold your dragons," snorted Charlie. "Again, great job, Harry!"

"Thanks, Charlie!"

And then with a quick ruffle of Ron's hair they parted ways, the two boys heading for the tent behind them while Winona and Charlie headed for the stands, where she was sure the twins would have waited for her.

She was right, and the twins were standing at the base of the stairs leading up into the stands. Lee and Angelina stood with them, the others probably having wandered back up towards the castle, out of the cold of the day.

"Look who I found!" Winona called in greeting. The twins spun around to see Charlie walking up beside her, and they let out cheers at the sight of their older brother.

The brothers reunited, and Winona wandered over to Angelina and Lee, grinning at them happily. She was still on something of a high from Harry's victory. Not only was he alive and well, he'd come in at a tie for first place. It was miraculous, really, and she felt a sense of pride she'd never felt before.

"Wasn't that amazing?!" Lee gushed, glancing over his shoulder at the now-empty arena, as though he might be able to see the whole thing again if he squinted hard enough. "Harry never ceases to surprise me."

"And his flying," agreed Angelina eagerly. "Merlin, it made me miss playing Quidditch."

"Made me miss watching Quidditch," Winona agreed, her fingers already itching with the need to go up to her dorm and draw. She wanted to capture everything from today – the scales of the dragon and the golden shine of the egg and the tumult of the crowd and the smile on Harry's face as he realised he'd survived – that he'd won.

"Is that Charlie?" asked Angelina a few moments later, watching curiously as the twins eagerly chatted with their older brother, Fred saying something that needed massive hand gestures to convey his point.

"You don't remember him?" Winona asked in surprise. Winona thought it would be impossible to forget someone as effortlessly cool as Charlie.

"Of course I remember him," said Angelina with just an edge of defensiveness. "It's just been a long time. He looks different. More … rough." Although the words themselves might have been said with an appreciative edge, Angelina instead made them sound disapproving.

Winona frowned. "Working with dragons will do that to you, I guess."

She had no idea what was going on with Angelina these days, but her friend was becoming more and more intolerable as the days went on. She was sure something had to be wrong to make her act this way, but she didn't know how to bring the subject up – at least, not without Angelina getting offended.

Angelina didn't seem to sense Winona's inner turmoil. "I should reintroduce myself," she said suddenly. Winona frowned in confusion, but her friend was moving before she could ask why.

Looking over at Lee, the two friends could do no more than follow.

"Charlie?" said Angelina loudly to catch the dragonologist's attention. The three redheads turned to look at her in surprise. "Hi, it's nice to see you again," she said, holding out a hand to shake.

Charlie looked bewildered by the approach, but politely shook her hand. "It's, uh, Angela – right?" he asked awkwardly.

"Angelina," she corrected him, still smiling, although Winona thought she saw it waver. "I just thought I'd reintroduce myself."

"Great," said Charlie courteously, but confusion swam in his eyes. "But why?"

Angelina's smile tightened to concrete. "Because I'm Fred's girlfriend," she informed him, and Charlie's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Oh," he said, glancing over at Fred and George unsurely, before his eyes flickered over to Winona, cogs turning in his head. Winona jerked her chin at Angelina, telling him to focus on her instead. "Uh, that's great," he said again.

But Angelina wasn't smiling. "He hasn't mentioned me?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes, of course he has," Charlie hurried to lie. Winona saw through it like glass, but Angelina seemed to buy it. "Angelina. That's right. Yes. Hello."

Winona rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation, and from beside her Lee choked back a laugh.

"Well, I really do need to get going," said Charlie quickly, turning back to his brothers with that same rugged smile. "Those dragons aren't going to subdue themselves," he joked, reaching out to do some kind of a quick but complicated handshake with each of the twins that made Winona grin. "I'll try and make it back up here next summer."

"You say that every year," George complained, but his tone was teasing.

"You know what they say," Charlie shrugged. "A dragon tamer's work is never done."

"Nobody says that and you know it," Winona jibed as she slid up beside them, pressing up on her toes to pull Charlie into a quick but warm hug. "And you know, a letter here or there wouldn't go totally astray," she added, pulling back and playfully tugging on the scruff collecting at his chin.

"Yeah, yeah. You got it, Win," he muttered, pushing her off and turning to bump fists with Lee. "See ya, mate."

"Later, Charles," Lee winked.

Charlie stepped away, turning finally to Angelina, a polite if not slightly removed smile on his face. "Nice to see you again, Angelina," he said, a little stiff and formal.

"You too," she replied, and with a final wink Charlie was gone, rushing off to his meet coworkers and get their beloved beasts ready to move back home to Romania.

"Okay, so, Fred and I are on food and drinks; Lee, you're on fireworks, the good ones, none of that two-sickle stuff; and Win, you're on decorations," George listed the moment his brother was gone, all five friends automatically turning to head back up to the castle.

"What's this for?" Angelina asked in confusion.

"Harry's party?" Fred's answer sounded like a question.

"Obviously, Ange, come on," piped Lee, and Angelina shot him a scolding look.

"If we're planning to do this by the time it gets dark, I'm gonna need help on the decoration front," Winona said before Angelina could begin to chew Lee out for his cheek. "I'm bringing in Dean, from Harry and Ron's year. He's the one who helped at our birthdays last year."

"Come on, Winnie," Lee said teasingly, "everyone knows the decorations are the least important part."

Winona gave a dramatic gasp. "You take that back."

Lee cackled and began to sprint away before she could pull out her wand to hex him stupid. "Quick, my lady, he's getting away!" shouted George, bending over in front of her. "Hop on your most trusted steed."

Winona leapt onto George's back, wrapping her arms and legs around him and gripping tight as he began to chase as quickly as he could after a still-cackling Lee.

This left Angelina standing with Fred behind them in an awkward silence, but Winona didn't know that, so focused on their silly game that she didn't take the time to notice the hollow sadness in her friend's eyes.

The party was epic, even by their standards. Winona and Dean worked through dinner to get the banners looking perfect, and Fred and George stocked the common room with enough food to feed a small army. The air smelt of gunpowder from the fireworks Lee had procured, and Winona felt utterly content in amongst the mayhem of it all, laughing as Alicia tried catching chocolate buttons in her mouth with her eyes closed tight.

With the common room so full, she didn't even see Harry at all until halfway through the night, finding him sat enjoying second helpings on the couch, laughing with Ron and Hermione about something or other. It was amazing to see him smiling for once, and she beamed as she dropped onto the table in front of them, making them look up from their conversation.

"Enjoying your party?" she asked Harry, who nodded ardently. "Your mate Dean helped me with the banners," she said, nodding to the banners up ahead. "Setting Diggory's head on fire was his idea – personally I thought it was a little tasteless."

"It looks great, Winnie," Harry told her with a grin. "The twins really went all out on the food, didn't they?" he asked, holding up his plate of treacle tart and cheesecake.

Winona swallowed her mouthful of butterbeer, grinning at his words. "You say that as if they slaved over it themselves," she laughed. "Hey, I was wondering if you were planning on writing to Sirius about today?" she added, leaning forwards on the table so they could hear her lowered tone.

Harry winced apologetically. "I already wrote to him," he confessed. "Sent it off with Pigwidgeon before coming here. I was so wrapped up in everything, I didn't stop to think you might wanna write him too," he told her slowly. "Sorry, Win."

She was a little disappointed, but she understood that he was wrapped up in his victory. She couldn't fault him for that. "It's all good, Boy Wonder," she assured him. "I'll just write to him next time."

"Blimey, this is heavy," came Lee's voice all of a sudden. Winona startled, nearly dropping her bottle of butterbeer in surprise as he appeared at her side. He'd collected the large, glittering golden egg that sat on the table just to her right. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!" he said eagerly, and Winona rolled her eyes at his childlike excitement.

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said without so much as a beat of hesitation, like being a killjoy were wired into her DNA … Winona thought fondly and not at all with any malice. "It's in the tournament rules…"

"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry countered quietly, only Hermione, Ron and Winona hearing him, and the wild-haired girl had to admit defeat.

Lee began a lively chant of, "open it, open it, open it, open it…." that the entire common room was soon copying until it was loud as a drumbeat in the room, and Winona rolled her eyes.

Caving to the peer pressure, Harry took the egg off Lee and dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it, prising it open.

The most awful sound instantly filled the room; a screeching, wailing kind of a noise. Everyone flinched, especially those closest to it, and Winona slapped her hands over her ears, gritting her teeth as the noise sent a shiver down her spine.

"Shut it!" Fred bellowed from a few feet away. Harry obeyed, slamming it shut and making sure it stayed that way. Winona blinked down at in in shock, still feeling the ache in her ears.

"What was that?" demanded Seamus Finnigan, as though any of them had answers. "Sounded like a banshee … maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!" he suggested.

"It was someone being tortured!" cried Neville, who had turned bone white at the haunting noise. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," George rolled his eyes in exasperation. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing … maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."

Winona snorted a laugh, picking up a small sausage roll from an abandoned plate beside her and chucking it at him to get his attention. "I think he'd rather face the dragon again," she grinned.

"What I wanna know is why the Seer didn't see it," came Kyle Bishop's voice, a burly seventh year who thought even less of Divination than he did of women in general. Their small group turned to look at him, Winona already on the defensive. "Why didn't you see that happening, huh?"

"Piss off, Bishop," said George in a voice like ice.

"I didn't even get to the insult part, and you're already leaping to her defence," the seventh year laughed, the sound like a frog choking on a fly.

"Just ignore him, George," Winona told her best friend, before turning to Bishop with a snarl on her face. "Keep it up, Bishop, and you might just wake up one day with your dick hexed off," she warned him idly. "Trust me, I'd be doing women everywhere a favour."

"Winona!" Hermione gasped at the rather crass threat, cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment.

Bishop's eyes flashed, but he wandered off before she could put her threat into action, calling her rude names under his breath. Winona rolled her eyes in exasperation, turning back to her friends, spying Fred with a large plate of tarts in his hands.

"Ooh, those look nice," she said, reaching out to pick one off the pile. "Strawberry jam?"

"Raspberry," Fred told her, angling the plate towards Hermione. "Care for one, Hermione?" he asked politely. Hermione frowned down at the plate unsurely, and Fred grinned at her distrustful hesitation. "It's all right," he assured her. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch out for––"

A few seats away, Neville choked and spat out his mouthful of custard cream. The twins both laughed uproariously.

"Just my little joke, Neville…" Fred told him, but his eyes slid back to Winona and he gave a playful wink. She smothered a laugh, smirking as she bit into her jam tart.

"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" Hermione asked curiously as she held her own tart in a steady hand, apparently too scared to trust it and take a bite.

"Yep," said Fred with a nod. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf, grinning widely as he spoke. "Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all! … They're dead helpful, I don't doubt they'd get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."

George reappeared by their side, handing Winona and Fred a fresh bottle of butterbeer each. She took it with a grateful smile, clinking it against his before taking a deep sip.

"How do you get in there?" Hermione continued, her voice uncharacteristically casual, and Winona leant forwards, watching her carefully.

"Easy," said Fred, utterly oblivious – probably from the butterbeers he'd been downing all night like they were pumpkin juice. "You go through a concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and-" he stopped abruptly, squinting at her in suspicion. "Why?"

"Nothing," said Hermione quickly, completely unconvincing.

"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" asked George around an amused grin. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"

The rest of them all snickered, but Hermione just looked away, saying nothing. Winona knew she was cooking something up in that crafty brain of hers, but she just rolled her eyes, leaning back against the couch and taking a deep sip of her drink.

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" Fred warned her, flapping a finger in her face. "You'll put them off their cooking!"

Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by bursting into a giant canary. The room exploded into laughter, and Winona giggled along with them, finding the stunned, frightened look on Neville's face to be downright hilarious.

"Oh — sorry, Neville!" Fred shouted over all the room's loud, amused laughter. "I forgot — it was the custard creams we hexed!"

The bright yellow feathers quickly began to fall off as Neville moulted like a real canary. By the time he looked human again, even Neville was laughing.

"Canary Creams!" Fred shouted to the crowd of rowdy, impressed Gryffindors. "George and I invented them — seven Sickles each, a bargain!"

A small group of third years scurried over, already eager to buy some, and Winona grinned at Fred and George proudly. She left Harry and his friends after awhile, once they'd gotten caught up in some story Seamus was telling to their group that had them all in stitches.

She found Katie up the back with some of her other friends from fifth year, and settled into place beside them. They were talking animatedly about the task they'd just seen, and she got caught up in it, laughing with Katie as her friend Joshua re-enacted the way Diggory had run in circles after being set on fire.

The butterbeer was beginning to get to her, and she sank into her seat, playing with Katie's hair where she was sat below her on the floor, sloppily braiding it over and over again. She felt light and happy, affected by the alcohol. It wasn't a lot, and she wasn't drunk by any stretch of the definition, but she was maybe just a little bit tipsy.

She wasn't expecting someone to sink down into the couch beside her and glanced over in surprise to find Fred grinning at her brilliantly. "Hey you," she greeted him fondly, letting go of Katie's lovely hair to turn to face him, a smile on her face as she caught sight of his flushed cheeks and glassy eyes. He'd clearly had more than her – and judging by the slight scent she caught on his breath, it was more than just the mild butterbeer he'd been indulging in. "Drinking up a storm, I see," she said, smirking in amusement.

"I like firewhisky," he said factually. She was glad to find there was no slur to his words, meaning he wasn't completely sloshed. "Firewhisky is good."

"You're not wrong," she agreed with yet another generous sip of her butterbeer. "How many of those custard creams did you sell?" she asked curiously.

"Eight so far," he replied happily. "We're going to need a bigger stock to keep up with demand."

"If there's anything you need…" she trailed off meaningfully, and he nodded his head, the smile on his face wide and bright.

A throat cleared to her right, and Winona looked away from Fred to see a second year standing before them, an awkward look on his face. "Winona?" he asked, and she nodded her head, taking the small note he held out to her. "Some guy out in the hallway wanted me to give this to you," he said quickly. With her heart speeding up in her chest, Winona thanked him softly. With a nod he wandered off, heading for the table still overflowing with food in the corner.

Winona quickly opened the parchment she'd been given, swiftly reading the words on the page.

Lion,

Feeling up for a late night stroll?

~Snake.

Winona felt her breath leave her in a small, shocked exhale, but before she could even begin to react, Fred was suddenly leaning over her, reading the note in her hands. Panicking, she folded it hastily and stuffed it into her pocket. But the damage was done, and she knew he'd seen it.

Fred looked up at her, an edge of steel to his eyes, and suddenly Winona was glad Katie and her other friends had moved on, all of them clamouring up to get some more food from the table in the corner, leaving the two of them alone on the couch.

They said nothing for a few moments, each stewing in their own swirl of thoughts.

"Tell me you're not actually thinking of going," Fred finally said, voice like ice.

"I mean…" Winona hesitated, not knowing what to say. "Maybe just to see what he wants," she finally murmured, pulse racing in her ears.

"You can't be serious," Fred spat, shifting away from her in something like disgust, and she turned to stare at him with a frown. "I hate Jeremiah Nott, Winona. And you should too. How can you not see that?" he asked plainly, fury vibrating in his voice.

Winona swallowed, suddenly finding her mouth to be too dry. "Why?" she asked, thinking to add 'besides the obvious' – but then again, what was the obvious? As of right now, she was clueless.

Yes, Jeremiah was a Slytherin, but that wasn't enough in itself to create the kind of seething ire she saw in her friend's eyes now. He'd never done anything to them personally, or even anyone else throughout the castle. He was a rather quiet student. He wasn't known for his bullying, as most Slytherins were. He wasn't known for being cruel or rude. He was just another student – at least, to everyone who wasn't Winona.

Despite Fred's intoxication, he still seemed to take a few moments to ponder his answer, as though it wasn't something he'd really given much thought to before now. "Because he has you," he finally said, the look in his eyes frustrated.

Winona's heartbeat faltered. "He has me?" she echoed in surprise. "What's that s'pose to mean?"

Fred's lip curled. He didn't seem to know what to say. Winona stared back without wavering. "He was just caught snogging some other girl down in Hogsmeade, and now you're running back to him like some kind of…" he trailed off, not seeming to know what to say, the look in his eyes dark.

"Like some kind of what?" she pressed, feeling a bubbling fury of her own. Fred's expression twitched, but she stubbornly pressed harder. "Like some kind of what, Fred?" she hissed. "Go on, say it."

But Fred never finished the thought. "He's using you," he said, voice laced with venom, like his hatred for the Slytherin transcended the English language. "How can you not see that? You're better than this."

Winona stared for a moment, trying to make sense of this bewildering conversation. "It's not really your place to judge, actually, Fred," she said, prim and hard. "I can shag who I like."

Fred winced like her words hurt him, and he grit his teeth like he was holding something back.

"Say it," she pressed again, fiery look in her granite eyes just daring him to say the words. "You think I'm being a slag."

But Fred didn't bite. "He doesn't care about you, Winona. He only wants you for your body."

"And how do you know that?" she hissed combatively. "You don't know the first thing about what's happening between Jeremiah and I."

"I know he doesn't deserve you."

"Then who does, Fred?" she bit back. "Who actually meets your impossible standards?" Fred said nothing, glaring back at her furiously. "I know what I'm getting myself into, okay?" she said firmly, clamouring to her feet.

Fred's hand snapped out, fingers curling around her arm, pulling her back down onto the cushions of the couch. Winona blinked at him in surprise. "I know what guys like him are after, Winona," he insisted. "I know what he wants."

"And yet you have no idea what I want," she snapped in stubborn reply, jerking her arm out of his hold.

"This relationship, if it can even be called a relationship, is toxic," he spat. "How can you not see that?"

"I don't think you're in any position to be giving out relationship advice, Fred," she hissed. "You and Angelina? It's a joke."

Fred's eyes hardened impossibly more. "At least she actually gives a damn about me," he snarled, "and she's not just using me for sex."

"For that to happen, you'd actually have to have had sex with her, Fred," she sneered back, utterly condescending.

Fred's eyes seemed to glow with flames of anger, and he glared at her with a ferocity that set her blood alight. "You don't know shit, Winnie," he said, cold and unfeeling.

"Whatever," she replied, standing to her feet again. Fred stumbled up after her, a frown pulling at his ginger brow.

He opened his mouth to say something, and Winona's heart was in her throat waiting hear what it would be, only for someone to call his name, snapping them both from their stupor. They turned to see Angelina stood above them, her eyes just as glassy as Fred's were from the alcohol.

Fred cast a look to Winona, his eyes hard, and she got the weirdest sense that he felt betrayed; but why? What could she possibly have done to make him feel that? So what if she wanted to go shag someone else? He'd never said before now that he had a problem with it. And why did he care at all what she did in her free time? It was none of his fucking business.

"Everything all right, Fred?" Angelina asked carefully, her pretty eyes flickering between the pair of them hesitantly.

Fred hesitated only a fraction of a second before sneering at Winona and shifting so he was standing closer to his girlfriend's side. "Yeah," he said shortly. "Winona and I are done here."

Feeling the words like a physical blow, Winona looked away, humiliated by the sting in her eyes. He didn't look her way again as he led him away, but Winona watched as Fred tugged Angelina up the stairs in the direction of the boys' dorms, and she felt a sickened swooping in her gut that only made her eyes sting more.

Winona glanced towards the portrait hole, where Jeremiah was probably still waiting, indecision warring up a storm in her gut.

She missed that electric feeling she'd get when she and Jeremiah touched. She missed biting into the flesh of his lip and the way he'd groan, making her forget all about the pain and loneliness that raged inside of her like a howling storm in the night.

And that was just it, wasn't it? He made her forget.

Putting aside her butterbeer, Winona marched directly over to the portrait hole, saying goodbye to no one as she climbed through it. She felt awash with relief at the sight of the Slytherin standing by the bannister, a scowl on his handsome face that melted into a smirk when he saw it was her.

"I almost thought you weren't going to come," he said, voice rich and silky smooth, and Winona felt a familiar, simmering heat low in her gut.

"Don't talk," she ordered him, gripping his hand and dragging him forcefully down the hall.

"I like where this is going," he told her smugly, but she ignored him, tugging him along the dark corridor and down two flights of stairs before they reached an empty classroom that she knew hadn't been occupied in years.

It smelt like dust and mothballs, but she didn't care, shutting the door and pulling out her wand to lock it before placing it on the unused desk and turning to Jeremiah with fire in her eyes.

"Take off your shirt," she barked at him, feeling the strangest urge to hit something. But since that wouldn't end well, she decided to settle for shagging him instead.

"You're forceful tonight," he purred. Overcome by a wave of frustration, Winona stepped forwards, shoving him none too gently against the wall and violently yanking his shirt up and over his head.

"Don't ruin this by opening your mouth," she bit out, tossing the shirt onto the floor and raking her fingernails down his chest, making him smirk.

"But you love what I can do with my mouth," he told her smugly, and with a growl of frustration, Winona silenced him with a kiss that was all teeth and tongue, already moving for his belt.

He began to understand the sense of urgency she held, and eagerly tore at her clothes with the same determination. She heard the sound of one of her buttons popping off as he yanked at her sweater a little too forcefully, but she just continued to kiss him, slanting their mouths together, hot and wet but just not quite hitting the spot.

Growling again, Winona kicked off her jeans and shoved him down. She wasn't in the mood for foreplay, something he seemed to sense as he flipped them around, throwing her against the wall. The rough surface of the stone scraped against her back, but she ignored it in favour of gripping Jeremiah's inky hair and holding his head to her neck while he sucked on her pulse point.

Unbidden, thoughts of Fred began to float through her head.

Was this what he was doing with Angelina now? Was he hovering between her legs, the pair of them pressed intimately up against one another while he left hot, possessive marks on the sensitive skin of her throat? Was he making her moan with the drag of his teeth against her skin?

The unwelcome wonderings just about drove her insane, and with a grunt of frustration she yanked Jeremiah's mouth back to hers, trying with all her might to snog the thoughts away.

But even as she kissed Jeremiah, more unbidden thoughts hit her.

Was this what it would be like to kiss Fred? All heat and desperation and need? Or would it be softer? Would it make her heart race, instead of just burn? Would he slide his long fingers into her hair and tilt up her head the way she liked? What would he taste like? Earthy, like his scent? Or sweet, like all his favourite foods?

She opened her eyes and saw a flash of red hair, but she blinked and it was gone, replaced by Jeremiah's inky locks. That was the final straw.

Winona shoved Jeremiah off of her, and he was so startled by that action that he stumbled back and tripped onto the floor. Laid sprawled on the stone floor of the classroom, only half decent, Jeremiah blinked up at her, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"What?" he finally asked, the fog of lust in his eyes fading away, replaced by irritation and confusion.

Heart slamming without mercy against her sternum, Winona ducked down to swipe up her jumper, tugging it on over her bra, wincing as the fabric brushed the new scrapes on her back. She pulled her trousers back up and loudly did the zipper up. "This isn't a good idea," she said, sounding breathless, but not in a good way.

"What the fuck, Andrews?" Jeremiah snapped, pushing himself to his feet and clumsily pulling his pants back up. He so lacked dignity in that moment, she almost laughed. But she managed to smother the sound.

"We can't keep doing this," she told him, horrified by the way her voice began to shake.

Now he was staring at her like she'd gone utterly insane, and she hated how stupid it made her feel, like she really was crazy. "So what, mid-shag, you just decide it's over?" he demanded hotly.

She shut her eyes a moment, thinking about how she'd looked at him and seen Fred, and just how fucked up that was. It wasn't fair to anyone – not to her, not to Fred, and she supposed not even to Jeremiah – not that that last bit really mattered to her.

"You don't care about me, Jeremiah," she said, forcing the words out around her growing humiliation.

"I've never cared about you," he replied flatly, staring at her like that had been a given. Like it were a simple fact of life. "That was always a given. Why should does make a difference now?" Winona's eyes burned with tears, and Jeremiah ran a hand through his hair, looking exasperated. "We were just shagging, Andrews. That's all this ever was. But if you want it to be over, then it's over."

He said it with such ease, like it didn't hurt him to break it off. But it did hurt her, because he was her first, and she'd been vulnerable with him in a way she never had before, and it stung to know she was always just a shag. Fred was right; he only wanted her for her body.

When he'd first said it, she'd thought that was all she wanted Jeremiah for, anyway. But she wasn't built like that. What she'd told Fred in the week prior was true, she didn't know what it meant to really, properly love someone. But she knew now that she wanted to find out.

"I can't do it anymore," she said, gaining strength in her conviction. "We're done."

Jeremiah scoffed, like she were overreacting. Like she were a child stamping her foot against the floor, throwing an inconvenient tantrum. Looking at him now, sneering at her with disdain, she wondered how she'd ever thought he was attractive. Suddenly, she'd never seen anyone more ugly.

"You're so pathetic," he muttered, but somehow it didn't hurt like it had when Fred had said it. Now it just felt petty.

"Maybe," she agreed in a sharp voice. "But at least I don't shag anything with a pulse."

Jeremiah smirked. "No," he drawled smugly. "Only me."

Winona shook her head. Whatever this had been, it was over now. She was done. "Goodbye, Jeremiah," she said, cool and detached, picking up her wand and unlocking the door with a flick of her wrist, before holding it tight in her hand, the warm wood comforting against her skin.

Jeremiah headed for the door, only to pause at the threshold, looking back at her knowingly. "You'll come back, you know?" he said confidently.

"I'd rather stick pins in my eyes," she snapped back.

He shrugged and smirked, like he knew something she didn't. "If you say so," he drawled, and with that he was gone, strolling from the room like he owned the place. Like somehow, even though she'd broken things off with him, he'd gotten exactly what he wanted.

The walk back to the common room was lonely and cold. She struggled to get her appearance under control, striving to fix her hair and adjust her collar so no one would see the few marks Jeremiah had left before she'd put a stop to their tryst.

Her eyes still stung, and she realised that they'd never really stopped. She paused at the Fat Lady's portrait, taking a few extra moments to compose herself before muttering the password and climbing through.

The party was still going, if only at half the momentum it had been when she'd left. A glance at the clock told her it was approaching midnight, and Winona ducked her head and made for the dorms, relieved when nobody seemed to notice her passing.

She stepped into her room, hoping beyond hope that it would be empty, only to be frightfully disappointed.

Alicia and Katie were both sitting on Angelina's bed, the three of them discussing something in low tones. "Winona," called Alicia when she noticed her enter. She tried to make a beeline for the bathroom, but Alicia and Katie enthusiastically waved her over, and she knew there was no escape.

"What's going on?" Winona asked them reluctantly, feeling her skin begin to itch. She desperately needed a shower; she needed to wash away any trace that Jeremiah had ever even touched her. She wanted to be free of him, once and for all.

Katie giggled and Alicia was smirking, while Angelina had her head ducked shyly.

"What?" she pressed, looking between them all warily.

"Angelina and Fred just shagged!" exclaimed Katie like she couldn't possibly hold it back any longer.

Winona had absolutely no idea what to say. All she knew was that the news made a wave of bile travel the length her throat, burning the whole way up. She swallowed it back, giving the best imitation of a smile she could possibly muster.

"Wow," she said, glad her voice sounded unaffected despite the swirl of discontent in her stomach. "Big step."

Angelina's dark skin was flushed even darker in embarrassment. "I was wondering what was taking him so long," she confessed with a giggle. "It wasn't quite what I envisioned, but … it was still nice," she said with another stupid giggle, the sound making Winona want to hit something again. "Quite nice, actually."

Katie and Alicia both tittered with amusement, but Winona just felt like she was going to pass out.

"That's great, Ange," she forced herself to say, the words tasting like ash on her tongue. "I'm happy for you." Lie. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she said before anyone could try and tell her any details. That was the last thing she needed. She escaped into the shower, and once she was under the spray, she finally let the tears come.


A/N: Hope you enjoyed this one. Coming up next is the Yule Ball chapter, which I know you're all very excited about. I'll see you then!

EDIT: I forgot to post a review highlight when I first uploaded, so here it is: I wanna thank CalliL13 - the fact that you got so immersed in my story that you forgot Winnie wasn't canon is so funny to me. It's always the goal, in OC fiction, for that to happen, so I'm really glad you were able to enjoy it enough that, for a moment, Winona was real. You're the best, and I hope you enjoyed!