Warning: You might need to brush your teeth after reading this. I was eating cookies and the sugar went out through my fingertips. Super sweet and fluffy.
Being dragged roughly by an injured arm to see your godfather/teacher/Head of House was not an experience Draco ever thought he was going to have. And he never wished to have it again; it was awful.
Draco didn't even know why he was describing the pain so much. It really wasn't too terrible. Well, I suppose the readers want to know all about it, he thought. After all, they don't know we are really alive back here, on the other side of the screen. (AN: ;P)
As he was dragged down to Professor Snape's office, Draco thought about how he could try to get out of this. After all, he really didn't want to do anything to the Golden Trio.
"Professor Snape." They had arrived.
"Professor Moody. Mr. Malfoy. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Your student here threw a curse at Potter's back after insulting him. I've brought him here for disciplinary action. McGonagall's orders." Once he said that, Moody left back the way he came, clunking every other step.
"Sit."
Draco plopped down in the seat before the desk, waiting for the words that were sure to be coming.
"What happened? He wasn't telling the full truth."
"I did throw that curse at Potter's back, but Moody -"
"Professor Moody, Little Dragon."
"- Right. Professor Moody transfigured me into a ferret and bounced me around until McGonagall told him to stop." He knew his face was burning, but he didn't care, because this was his Uncle Sev talking to him and not his Professor. Little Dragon was the clue there.
"Any injuries?"
"Yeah. Just my arm, I think." He lifted the arm that was injured, and Uncle Sev came around the desk and prodded it a little. After determining it was just a small fracture, he handed the boy a Bone Mending Drought, which the younger boy gratefully threw back, disgusting taste aside.
The relief was immediate. The bones began knitting back together and within the space of two minutes, his arm was whole again.
"Well, I cannot do anything to him, but you, Little Dragon, will need to do a detention, if only to keep up appearances. And twenty points from Slytherin, you shouldn't be caught doing anything. Not outside your house."
"Sorry. It won't happen again."
"It better not. I will have to tell Lucius about this - I know you won't want me to, but as your Head of House, I have to." Uncle Sev cut off the protests that were sure to happen before they did, knowing that Draco didn't want his father to know about the incident, for he was sure to punish him for it.
Perhaps this wasn't going to go the way Draco thought it would.
"What will my detention be?"
"Hm, well, I have a few potions for Madam Pomfrey that need brewing. A couple Pain Relievers, perhaps a Pepper - Up and a Dreamless Sleep as well. She did ask for them a couple of days ago."
Draco smiled. It wasn't much of a detention, in fact, it sounded really fun.
"Come back here at seven o'clock on Saturday for your detention, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco nodded and grabbed his bag, famished. Being bounced around was really tiring and worked up a bit of an appetite. Dinner sounded wonderful.
.
"Mya! Mya?" She wasn't in the RoR yet, apparently.
It was the end of the day, Thursday, and the two of them were going to work on homework, if you could call it that at a boarding school. They had a bit of Ancient Runes work, some for Transfiguration, and then they wanted to talk over the lesson by Moody. He wondered if her lesson was any different than his.
When she finally arrived, almost twenty minutes later, Draco looked up and then finished the set of runes he was on before setting down the quill and sitting back on the couch.
"So."
"So." She repeated with a giggle. "What do you think of a weekend in Hogsmeade sometime soon?"
"We have a visit coming up?" He was confused. As far as he knew, there was none set up yet.
"No, but I know where a secret passage is that we can slip into the village at. Remember George and Fred's map? They handed it off to Harry sometime last year and only now decided to tell me. And they haven't stolen his cloak since."
"Hm." Draco hummed as he fluidly stood up from the small couch. Hermione was still standing in the doorway, holding onto her book bag strap with it over her shoulder.
He walked over and slid it off, giving her a kiss. She smiled and kissed him back, and soon, they broke off gasping. Pressing their foreheads together, they breathed together, before Hermione backed away and picked her bag up off of the floor. Placing it on the couch, she took her wand out only to place it in the magic proof safe. Draco took his out of the holster that he had bought that summer, before remembering that he had also bought one for her. Walking over to his bag on the other side of the room, he grabbed the wrapped package and handed it to her, after unshrinking it.
"What's this?"
"Just open it."
"Okay…" She apprehensively ripped open the paper to see a box. Rolling her eyes, she opened the box to see another wrapped package.
Never let it be said that he didn't have a sense of humor. He knew what he was doing sometimes. After another four boxes, Hermione finally found the final one, and opened it to see a beautiful holster made out of Ukrainian Ironbelly dragonhide. It was a pale silver, shimmering in the light. It was impervious to magic, being dragonhide, and would keep her wand safe while on her. It was placed on the arm, and released with a flick of the wrist.
Telling her all of this, he then helped her put it on. It was a difficult place to get to, he needed his mother's help to do it himself. He would never ask his father for help with something like that. His holster was made with Welsh Green dragonhide. He would have gotten Chinese Fireball, but red was seen as a Gryffindor color, and he couldn't have that, now, could he?
"Thank you, Drake," she said from where she was wrapped around his neck. He had stumbled at first, but quickly sank down on the couch and hugged her back. She drew her head back and looked at him before kissing him tenderly. It was a while before they regained their senses.
"You're welcome, Mya. Also, Drake?"
She shrugged. "Another nickname. You have 'Mione and Mya, I have Dray and Drake."
Draco just shook his head and stood up. "Well, should we work on our wandless magic?"
"Well…"
"What is it?"
"Harry and Ron think I'm in the library, and I think I have to have something to show for it today. I think I know what I want to do, and I really know it's not the best for the elves, but I need to start something to show for it. I was thinking SPEW, Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. You want to help me make a couple of badges?"
"Sure. I can't sign up though, you know that?"
"Well, duh. We are bitter enemies, after all." They both laughed and kissed - to show their hatred of each other, of course. "Love you Drake."
"Love you too Mya."
Okay, maybe not their hatred. Perhaps their love.
For the rest of the evening and for a while into the night, the pair of them worked on the badges and the aims for the group, which Mya was going to forcefully ask Harry and Ron to join.
After finishing the badges, Draco sat up and yawned, looking at the clock that was on the wall. "Mya," he caught her attention. "If we don't leave now, we won't get back to our common rooms in time for curfew."
She looked at the clock herself and started at the time. They quickly cleaned up all the materials and [put the badges in a box she conjured up. With a quick kiss goodbye, she whisked out of the room. Waiting a few minutes, Draco slid out and strolled to the Slytherin common room confidently. Only then did he remember the idea of a Hogsmeade weekend that Hermione had proposed. Perhaps he would send her a letter saying he would like to go with her.
.
It was a couple of weeks later, when he realized the delegations from the other school would be arriving on the thirtieth of October, that he started to worry for his girlfriend's friends. Things always happened on the thirty first. Always.
Although, it wasn't helpful that Hagrid had reminded the entire fourth year about his few minutes as a ferret. It was still a painful memory. Hopefully, in future years, he would look back on it with humor, but not for a while yet, he suspected.
Classes on that day were really boring and seemed to stretch on forever. Draco just wondered what kind of displays the other schools were going to put on with their arrival, for surely they wanted to show off. After all, it's what Draco would do.
The Beauxbaton delegation came crashing down to the ground in a huge carriage, must have been as large as Hermione's house, pulled by twelve Abraxans. The massive horses were a different sight, and Draco couldn't help but be awed by them. He did keep his decorum, though. It would be bad if he forgot to do so, would sully the reputation of the Slytherins.
The massive woman that stepped out of the carriage first was definitely something few expected. She had to have been the size of Hagrid, perhaps even a few centimeters taller.
Edging closer in the direction of the lake, Draco was a couple of meters away from the rest of the school but still obviously a part of it.
A few minutes passed, and Draco nearly jumped with the suddenness of Jordan's voice. "Look at the lake!" Draco calmly turned in that direction, and watched as a massive ship rose out of the depths. There were a multitude of boys scrambling about, pulling ropes and such. It was awe inspiring, and Draco almost let his jaw drop. When the students disembarked from the giant ship, Draco noticed they were dressed in heavy furs and cloaks. He knew where the school was, having been almost sent there, and agreed with the thick clothes.
With the students all heading back into the school, Draco heard whisperings that Victor Krum was in the school. The famous seeker who played in the Quidditch World Cup over the summer was still in school himself.
Making space at the tables for the Durmstrang students, Draco put on a smug face when Krum sat down next to him. Yes, he was a huge Quidditch fan, but he knew when the time was to fanboy, and now wasn't it. Leaning over to talk to Krum, he introduced himself, and shook his hand.
"My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"And I bet you already know who I am. It is a heavy weight that comes with fame, everyone knowing your name. But I am Viktor Krum," He said in a thick accent.
"We have our own celebrity here, though he is much of a disappointment. Harry Potter, if you must know." Okay, perhaps that was a bit rude, but he needed to affirm the fact that he hated the Golden Trio. In reality, he loved one of them and wished to be friends with the other three.
Krum just nodded and stood up to take off his coat, glancing up at the ceiling as he did so. The ceiling was a wonder, and sometimes Draco came down here after curfew to watch the sky. Not very often, other times he went to the Astronomy Tower. Usually, he only went stargazing once a month. Perhaps he would bring Hermione along the next time he decided to go.
The other Durmstrang students were also watching the sky and examining the cups and plates. It was something that was unique, Draco guessed.
The teachers from the other schools came into the hall then, and the Beauxbatons students leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed at them, but Draco understood it was a gesture of respect.
Dumbledore started a speech that Draco practically tuned out, not really caring for it. He was hungry, sue him. And good luck winning.
Once the meal was finished, Dumbledore started another speech, as always droning on. "Now that we have all eaten our fill, the TriWizard Tournament will begin once the explanations have been wrought and the casket brought in.
"Now, before I clarify the procedure we will be following this year, may I introduce Mr. Bartimius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
A smattering of applause followed the introductions, mostly by the teachers and a few Hufflepuffs (polite as they were).
"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch -" Draco tuned them back out, thinking on a couple of different plans he had for the year.
"- The casket then, if you please, Mr. Filch." The man in question brought out a massive wooden chest covered in different runes, few that Draco could identify, and jewels. Tapping the chest with their wands, the two headmasters and one headmistress of the different schools opened the chest.
"The instructions for the tasks the champions will be facing this year have already been reviewed by both Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch." Dumbledore continued as a big cup, almost a meter and a half tall, spiralled out of the chest in front of the teachers. "They have made the necessary arrangements for each of the three challenges. There will be three different tasks, spread out through the school year, and they will test the competitor's magical prowess, daring, powers of deduction, and of course, their ability to cope with danger."
There was a shifting in the crowd at his words. The silence stretched on for a minute or two as the cup reached the finality of its spin and stopped rising. It glittered in the light, the gems adorning the outer edge making it appear regal.
"As you all know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each school. They will be marked on how they perform the task and, at the end, the champion with the highest total will enter the final task with a head start.
"Now, you all might be wondering who will be choosing the champions. May I introduce to you the Goblet of Fire, our impartial judge for choosing the champions." Dumbledore gestured to the cup, and as he did so, a flash of blue flame leapt out of the brim and started steadily burning. "Now, anyone wishing to enter in the tournament must only write their name and school clearly on a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty four hours to place their names. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will make its decision and return three names, one from each school, to participate in the tournament. It will be placed in the hall, where it is freely accessible to any wishing to participate.
"Now, we, the heads of the schools, will be drawing up an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire in order to keep those of you under the age of seventeen from entering the tournament. Please understand that this is for your safety."
Groans were heard across the hall from most of the Hogwarts students. The delegations were made up of students over the age of seventeen, apparently, and Draco was unsurprised to hear nothing from them.
"Now, I bid you all a good night!" Finished Dumbledore. With that, the students screeched the benches back, making the most awful racket, and shuffled off to bed. Draco made sure to catch Mya's eye and signaled to her to meet him in the RoR twenty minutes after curfew.
It was going to be quite the year.