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Chapter 21

Harry's legs were numb as he was entering the Lake, but cold had nothing to do with it. The Egg's song kept replaying in his mind, and it seemed to him as if someone slowed it down and sped it up at the same time, creating an infinite loop of torment. He didn't even register the sharp stinging in his feet as the thin layer of ice broke under his weight, and the freezing water reached his knees. From what Harry could see, although he had a hard time understanding what was happening around him, he deduced that the other Champions were also shocked by the Task's details; none of them were able to mask their anxiety.

Focus, Harry! He ordered in his mind, mentally slapping himself. It would be the worst timing possible if he lost control over his own body at that moment. The sign was given, the clock was ticking, and the hour was slowly, but steadily, evaporating. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back! The merpeople mocked him in his mind as his brain pictured Daphne waiting for him to reach her somewhere deep in the Lake.

With his body half submerged in the water, the sharp wind that was stronger the further away he was from shore reminded him about his body's natural desire to maintain warmth. With trembling hands, Harry raised his wand and cast the Warming Charm on himself. Relief could be felt instantly – the wind stopped bothering him, and the water became pleasant to the touch, like walking into a swimming pool on a particularly hot summer day.

The mud was threatening to keep him in place as his feet sunk into the Lake's shifty bottom. Each step was more difficult to make than the previous one and so, Harry leaped ahead, fully disappearing from the other peoples' view.

He swam blindly a few meters if only to get away from the sticky mud, before raising his wand and pointing it at his face. It didn't even cross his mind would the spell work if he cast it under water, unable to pronounce the incantation clearly.

Harry felt a strange sensation around his whole head. In a split second, he felt all the water surrounding his face disappearing – none of it was trying to enter his mouth, nose, or ears anymore. His lungs slowly began burning, and before he could stop himself, Harry drew in a small breath. He didn't feel the immediate desire to cough as he expected, so he risked opening his eyes.

The world around Harry was blurred, even though his glasses were still on his nose, but his eyes didn't sting from water as he expected. Until a few droplets that remained in his hair found their way past his eyelids, at least. Harry blinked a few times, stopping himself from wiping them away at the last second possible. A bubble that formed around his head could be extremely fragile, as he found out during many practices, and his hand could easily break it. He took in another breath, taking a few seconds to marvel at the result of his training.

He shook his head a few times. The clock was ticking, the hour was passing, and there would be time for celebration when the Second Task was over. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back, the merpeople sang in his head, once again bringing forth an image of Daphne, trapped somewhere in the Lake.

"Aquamenti," Harry said, pointing his wand behind him. One of the numerous benefits of his training was finding out that a properly cast 'Aquamenti' could channel enough force to move the caster in an environment that made their weight less significant. Like water, for example.

Carried by the jet of water from the tip of his wand, Harry rapidly moved his legs, attempting to increase the speed with which he was moving. Outside the bubble that protected his head, he could see the vibrant bottom of the Lake. More and more seaweed grew from the muddy bottom as Harry swam deeper and deeper, and other water plants he couldn't identify. Every now and then, small silver fish swam next to Harry, not sparing him a second glance.

"Point me," he murmured, holding his wand flatly in his hand. It rotated slightly – its tip directed to Harry's left, indicating that he was still swimming east, towards the Lake's center. Casting 'Aquamenti' again, Harry moved further into the dark depths.

Even with the Warming Charm still active, he started shivering slightly as he swam deeper and deeper. The seaweeds were much larger in that part of the Lake than previously; Harry was certain that if he stood on the Lake's bottom, they would be twice taller than he. He recast the Warming Charm on himself and started swimming through the plants, seeing no way around them that wouldn't waste the precious time he had left.

The seaweeds were soft and disgusting to the teach: slimy and oily, leaving an unpleasant sensation on his skin. Harry tried to ignore that, well aware that if he focused on it at that moment, he wouldn't reach Daphne in time.

The calmness of the Lake that accompanied him until that moment was disturbed by a sudden rustling sound, seemingly coming from everywhere around him. Harry's grip on his wand intensified as he forced his ears to listen to the possible dangers around him. For all he knew, the sound could be simply caused by water moving the seaweeds.

That thought quickly disappeared from his mind, though, as Harry felt something cold gripping his ankle. He turned around immediately, noticing a Grindylow – a small horned water demon that wanted to drag him deeper into the seaweeds. Before he managed to lift his wand, another creature caught him, effectively holding him in place.

"Relashio!" he screamed, pointing his wand at the two Grindylows. Jets of boiling water raced at the two creatures, and their skin started turning from sickly green to red. With a corner of his eye, Harry noticed more and more Grindylows swimming in his direction, committed to aiding their brothers that screamed in agony.

"Aquamenti!" Harry yelled, wanting to escape the underwater forest and the beast that lurked within it. A muffled cry indicated that he hit one of the Grindylows with his spell, but he paid the creature no mind. The clock was ticking, the hour was passing.

However, even with magic, Harry was unable to move as swiftly in the water as the creatures born in it. The Grindylows were swimming towards him from every corner of the seaweed forest possible. Their screams followed him as fiercely as the beasts themselves as Harry attempted to navigate his way through the thickly-growing plants.

Another beast grabbed his leg - right beneath his knee. Harry turned around immediately, casting another 'Relashio' with the same result as previously.

"Depulso!" he screamed, pointing his wand at yet another Grindylow that was approaching him. The beast flew back to the shadows from which it came, but others quickly replaced it, reaching with their slimy hands toward Harry. "Glacius!" Harry screamed, attempting to separate himself from the underwater demons.

The Freezing Charm that Daphne seemed to be so fond of, worked differently than when he practiced it on his own. Of course, the water around him still froze, but the spell's outcome was much more serious than in the Chamber. Instead of affecting only a small area a few meters away from him, the large wall of ice steadily increased in size, spreading in every direction, trapping the seaweeds and some of the Grindylows. The jet of water that erupted from his wand also began freezing, threatening to capture Harry as well if he didn't move.

He waved his hands and legs with as much strength as he could muster, attempting to get away from the quickly growing wall of ice as swiftly as possible. With his connection to the spell broken, he cast 'Aquamenti' yet again, earning himself another few precious meters of space. He could already see the edge of the underwater forest.

The Grindylows, however, seemed reluctant to let go of their prey. Those that didn't end up trapped in the ice quickly resumed their pursuit, not wanting to allow the Gryffindor Champion to leave the seaweed trap. Their angry screams caused Harry to turn around once again.

"Incendio," he said, pointing his wand at the nearest Grindylow. As he expected, only a jet of water erupted from his wand, though the spell seemed to have its desired effect. The creature that became its poor victim howled in agony as its skin started turning red, and blisters covered a large area of its body where Harry's charm hit it. Acting as quickly as he could, Harry cast 'Depulso' and 'Incendio' a few more times at the nearest Grindylows, ready to freeze his pursuers once again if needed.

However, with their numbers dwindling, the Grindylows seemed to accept that further pursuit was not worth the price it might cost them. With Harry hovering at the edge of the seaweed forest, they only sent angry, and even hungry glares at him and shook their small fists at him in an empty threat that it wasn't over. With that, they turned around and returned to the abyss.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, thanking whoever was watching over him that his training paid off and that the Bubble-Head Charm was still active. With the adrenaline slowly evaporating from his body, Harry heard a faint voice reaching his ears. He swam further away from the forest to attempt to understand the sound.

An hour long you'll have to look,

And to recover what we took…

Harry's face paled, and he raised his hand, attempting to see how much time he had left. Unfortunately, the bubble around his head made it impossible for him to read the time clearly. He cast yet another 'Aquamenti' and hurried to where he hoped was the voice's source. If the merpeople stole Daphne, as the song indicated, it would only be logical that they were guarding her as well.

…your time's half gone, so tarry not

Lest what you seek stays here to rot…

The merpeoples' song was louder, indicating that Harry's assumption was correct and he was approaching them. His muscles were burning from the constant swimming, but the young boy tried to push the pain out of his mind. It wasn't the first time he was hurt, and he was sure that Madam Pomfrey would be waiting for him and other Champions with all the medications they could possibly need. His task was to make sure that Daphne would be there to receive them as well.

Rocks were lying on the bottom of the Lake, covering the mud and making his surroundings darker. Harry cast 'Lumos,' but the water around him prevented the spell from illuminating more than a meter ahead. And so, he swam deeper into the darkness with the merpeoples' voice accompanying him.

After a few minutes of swimming, Harry noticed tall, dark shapes growing out of the muddy bottom. He approached it carefully, afraid of another ambush by the Grindylows, but those seemed to have disappeared for good. Instead, he realized that those shapes were stones – crude and uncut but placed to resemble provisionary housing. Upon a closer inspection, Harry noticed algae and primitive paintings that, undoubtedly, were supposed to represent the merpeople. He was getting closer.

Harry forced his legs and arms to move faster, afraid of casting a spell so close to the underwater creatures. The last thing he wanted was for them to interpret him as a threat and start attacking him.

The primitive buildings started appearing more and more frequently, forming what was undoubtedly an underwater village. Harry swam cautiously between the rough boulders, aware of countless pairs of sickly yellow eyes following his every move; he felt a small shiver running down his spine, and he doubted it had anything to do with the cold.

After another few minutes of swimming in silence, followed closely by the merpeoples' stares, Harry reached what he could only assume was a village square. Small lanterns were placed sporadically, shedding some light on the otherwise dark bottom of the Lake. In the center of the village square stood a giant statue of a merperson, roughly cut from a boulder. The stone figure held a trident in its stone hands, pointing it at some imaginary threat above him. To its tail, four people were bound tightly.

Harry swam towards the statue's tail as quickly as he could, instantly forgetting about the possible threat that the merpeople around him posed. As he approached the four hostages, their details were becoming more and more noticeable. Hermione's bushy hair swung wildly in the water, while Daphne's gently cascaded down her back, seemingly unphased by the conditions she found herself in.

Next to Daphne, a small, silver-haired girl waited, and then Hannah Abbott. Harry's heart skipped a beat when he saw who the fourth hostage was. Fleur's sister didn't look older than ten, yet she was still trapped at the bottom of the Lake just like the others. Harry seriously doubted if the girl even had any means of defense. Small bubbles of air were leaving every prisoner's mouth once every few seconds. They were alive.

Refocusing his attention on the person he came to rescue, Harry swam closer to Daphne. The Slytherin girl looked to be asleep; he chuckled humorlessly upon noticing that her trademark smirk was still in place. He touched her neck, hoping to find a pulse; her skin was cold, but that was to be expected after spending so much time at the bottom of the Lake. After a few seconds, filled with dread, he finally felt her heart beating.

Harry dived deeper, aiming for the rope that kept Daphne attached to the statue's tail; the merpeople were watching his every move with barely concealed amusement, though there was no hostility in their eyes.

Harry looked around, only then realizing that since all four prisoners were still there, none of his fellow Champions managed to reach them yet. The song he heard when he entered the village indicated that over half an hour had passed, possibly more, given how much time it took him to reach the statue. However, none of the other Champions were in sight.

"Relashio," he said, aiming his wand at Daphne's rope. The ties loosened up and fell away from her leg. Harry's actions caught the attention of the merpeople around him, but none of them attacked the boy for using magic in their presence. If anything, their amusement grew while the choir, which floated a dozen or so meters away from the statue, continued singing, constantly reminding the absent Champions about their task.

"You have what you came for," a deep voice spoke from behind Harry's back, causing him to turn around immediately; his wand was raised in front of him, ready to be used in self-defense. "Now leave."

"What will happen to the others?" he asked, though he wasn't sure if the merperson could understand him. It was one thing to say the incantation, and other to try to communicate with another living being through the bubble around his head.

"That is a concern for other Champions," the merperson replied. The grip on his trident tightened, silently indicating to Harry what would be the result if he didn't like the boy's next words. "You have your friend. Leave," he ordered.

"They're my friends too," Harry protested, looking frantically around. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted Cedric swimming towards them. The Hufflepuff Seeker didn't seem to mind about the other hostages. He simply cut the rope around Hannah's leg and started swimming upward.

"Follow his example," the merperson said, watching as Cedric left the village square. "Only one is yours to save. Leave!" he repeated, slowly pointing his trident at Harry.

"Depulso!" Harry yelled against his better judgment, aiming his wand at the merperson in front of him. As he expected, the creature flew backward a few meters, and the young boy turned around quickly, focusing his attention on the other hostages; their rescuers were still nowhere to be found.

Just as he was about to cut the rope holding Hermione, a dozen or so tridents were suddenly pointed at him, touching his neck, back, and torso. Furthermore, the giant statue turned towards him, pressing his stone weapon against his body as well. Harry gulped nervously, not risking making another reckless decision. A few of the tridents were dangerously close to the bubble around his head, threatening to pierce it at any moment.

"One last chance, boy," the same merperson from before spoke through gritted teeth. "You either leave with what you came for, or both of you stay here to rot. The clock is ticking," he reminded him.

The hour didn't pass yet, he reminded himself. If it did, the Second Task would already be over, and the hostages would be lost forever. Biting his tongue, Harry grabbed Daphne's arm and started swimming upward, dragging her behind him. After making sure that he was far enough, he cast 'Aquamenti' to increase the temp of their ascent. He didn't want to risk attacking the merpeople again.

Even with the water making it easier for him to ascend, swimming toward the Lake's surface proved to be more challenging than Harry anticipated. His muscles were burning, the oxygen provided by the bubble around his head wasn't enough to keep his lungs working, and Daphne was weighing him down. Still, he forced his tired legs and one arm to keep moving. Harry had no idea what would happen if the hour passed while he was in the Lake. He didn't want to think about that.

The bubble around his head burst as soon as he reached the Lake's surface. He coughed a few times, greedily gulping down fresh air. The cold and snow that started falling during the Task didn't bother him at all; he was just glad to be out of the water, at least partially.

Daphne started coughing as well. Whatever stasis spell held her seemed to evaporate as soon as her head was out of water. She tried to wipe her face, only to find herself unable to move her left arm. She blinked a few times, only then noticing Harry next to her.

"Potter?" she coughed water again. Her voice was raspy, but she seemed fine otherwise. Harry smiled sheepishly at her.

"Hi," he replied, sighing in relief. Daphne was safe. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly, wiping her face with her free hand. "I think so," she answered, coughing again.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said, dragging her with him as he started swimming to the shore.

They swam in silence. The only sound that accompanied them was that of splashing water and howling wind, tussling their hair. Daphne was still attached to Harry's arm, allowing him to drag her towards the audience; the water carried their cheers and occasional boos to the two students.

"Never thought I'd get to rescue a damsel in distress," Harry panted as the two laid down on the shore, exhausted and out of breath. Someone approached them immediately, offering them blankets and towels. Harry wiped his face absentmindedly, once again thanking silently for the invention of the Warming Charm. He cast it on himself and Daphne as he noticed her shivering slightly. She must have spent hours in the Lake.

"Remember when I cast the Freezing Charm at the floor beneath your feet?" Daphne asked, also panting heavily. She was lying motionlessly on the rocky beach, not finding the strength to wrap herself in a blanket. She turned her head to Harry, who only nodded in response. "Call me a damsel in distress again, and I'll push you back into the Lake and freeze its entire surface, and you'll either freeze or starve to death," she continued.

Harry couldn't prevent himself from snorting upon hearing her threat. While he knew that the witch next to him was capable of doing that, his heart beat slightly faster. Experiencing her sharp tongue again was something he thought was out of his reach already. He was glad to be proven wrong.

"And it flatters me to know that you would 'sorely miss' me," Daphne added after finally finding the strength to sit up and wrap herself in a blanket. She started rubbing her hair with a towel absentmindedly.

"I wouldn't," Harry countered, shaking his head. "I did miss you," he clarified, looking at the Slytherin girl.

"I was only gone for twelve hours or so," Daphne protested.

"One and a half month," Harry replied, squeezing her hand, which rested a few centimeters away from his.

"I'm… sorry," she muttered.

He noticed something strange crossing Daphne's face, but whatever it was disappeared quickly as Madam Pomfrey ran up to them, forcing the two students to drink a few Potions. By the sudden warmth spreading through his body, Harry deduced that one of them had to be a Pepperup Potion. He and Daphne shivered simultaneously at the pleasant experience.

"So, you've heard the clue," Harry said, unsure what else he could say. After a few weeks break, speaking to Daphne proved to be both easy and difficult.

She nodded her head. "Dumbledore revealed it to us yesterday when we were called to his office," she informed him. Harry didn't have to ask who she meant when she said 'we.' "Speaking of which, were you the last one?" Daphne asked, looking around. Only then did she notice the Ministry officials, Hogwarts staff, and the two other schools' Headmasters standing somewhat near them. Cedric was there as well, with Hannah next to him.

Harry shook his head. "We're still waiting for Fleur and Krum," he replied.

"But Fleur is standing over there," Daphne protested, pointing her hand in the direction where Madam Maxime was standing. Harry followed her hand with his eyes and indeed found Fleur standing next to her Headmistress, shivering even though she was wrapped in a blanket. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Her sister was down there when I arrived," he commented.

"Maybe she outran you?" Daphne suggested.

"Then where is her sister?" The Slytherin girl found herself unable to answer that. Just then, a loud cheering reached their ears. Both Harry and Daphne turned to the sound's source, noticing that the Bulgarians were responsible for the noise. Harry turned his head to look at the Lake, quickly spotting two small dots that could only be Krum and Hermione. He sighed in relief, glad that his Housemate was safe. But where is Fleur's sister?

"How did you figure out the clue?" Daphne asked, breaking the silence that fell between them.

"Remus wrote to me with a possible solution," Harry replied, making sure to keep his voice low. No one knew who could be listening.

"And how would our Professor know about it?" Daphne asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"I've shown it to him during Christmas."

"Daph!" a feminine voice interrupted them, causing the two teens to turn around. Three Slytherins were running towards them with a girl similar to Daphne in the lead. Harry watched as his friend stood up and welcomed the small projectile with open arms. "I was so worried! We've asked everyone, and no one has seen you since yesterday evening!"

"I'm okay," Daphne muttered, holding the smaller girl in her arms.

"Professor Snape could have at least informed us," Tracey complained, also hugging Daphne; Blaise remained a few steps away, though it was written all over his face that he too was worried about his Housemate.

"I'm okay," Daphne repeated, reluctantly freeing herself from the tight embrace. "Thanks to Potter," she added, gesturing at him. Harry waved awkwardly, not bothering himself to stand up.

"Thank you!" the small girl launched herself at him, trapping Harry in a hug similar to Hermione's.

"Potter, meet my sister Astoria," Daphne sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Fleur gave us quite a scare," Blaise spoke, hugging Daphne briefly. "She returned to the shore half an hour ago. The judges have told us that she's been 'forced to retreat,'" he said, making air quotations around the last two words. "When it's been announced that she hadn't rescued her sister, we were worried that you might be gone as well."

"Luckily, Potter didn't allow that to happen," Daphne replied.

It was then that Krum returned to the Second Task's starting point, allowing the judges to announce the results. Cedric secured himself the first spot since he was the first one to return; Harry was just a few points behind him. Viktor landed on the third spot, and Fleur was the last one since she didn't even reach her hostage. The French Champion, alongside her schoolmates, was talking animatedly with Dumbledore and the Ministry officials. Madam Maxime was standing there as well. Due to the distance, Harry couldn't understand what was going on, but he had no trouble noticing that the representation of Beauxbatons was furious. He still couldn't see anywhere the small girl he saw at the bottom of the Lake.

Harry's heart skipped a beat when their conversation became loud enough for others to hear it. Apparently, since no one came for the young girl, she was to remain at the bottom of the Lake for the rest of her life. At least, that's what the merpeople believed in, as a few of them arrived at the shore to speak with Dumbledore. Harry could clearly see that the Headmaster was furious, just as the French women, and argued with the merperson. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back, the song resonated in Harry's mind once again.

"I could have rescued her," he whispered, staring at the gathered people. "I wanted to," he clarified.

Daphne simply nodded her head, unsure what she could say in response. Truth be told, she was just glad to be safely back on the shore.

"We need to talk, Potter," she announced, wrapping herself more tightly with the blanket. Her hair was hidden by the towel. "Tonight. After dinner. Take your coat," Daphne added, ignoring Tori's and Tracey's quiet chuckles. Harry nodded his head, watching as the group of four Slytherins started walking back to the Castle.

Only during dinner did the students learn about Gabrielle Delacour's fate. Luckily, she wasn't left for dead at the bottom of the Lake as the song indicated. Professor Dumbledore only said that he was able to retrieve her from the merpeople, and she was resting under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey. That was all that was revealed to the public, but it was enough to ease Harry's nerves. Even though he remembered countless tridents pointed at him, he still kept arguing with himself that he could have and should have taken others with him as well.

Daphne was waiting for him at the entrance to the Great Hall when he finished eating dinner. He smiled sheepishly at her as he approached.

"Not the Chamber?" he asked. Daphne shook her head.

"I' m already tired of that place. I think I prefer someplace with fresh air," she replied, grabbing his arm before she started dragging him towards the exit of the Castle. A few students looked at them oddly, but no one said a word. "They've already seen us together at the Ball," Daphne added as if she was able to read Harry's mind.

The Gryffindor boy nodded his head, not resisting Daphne's pull. It wasn't long before the two reached the massive door and slipped outside; the snow was falling gently from the sky. Out of habit, Harry pulled out his wand and cast Warming Charm on Daphne and then on himself.

For a while, they walked in silence, simply enjoying each other's company; neither Harry nor Daphne seemed to be bothered by the fact that she was still gripping his hand even more tightly than when she dragged him out of the Castle. Soon enough, they found themselves back at the Lake.

"How did you breathe under water?" Daphne broke the silence that settled between them, tightening her grip around his arm, just as she did during their walk at the Ball.

"Cedric told me about the Bubble-Head Charm," Harry replied, dragging his feet through the thin layer of snow. "It took me some time, but I've managed to learn it. I'm just glad that Remus wrote to me over a month before the Task. I have no idea what I would have done without him."

"And how exactly did it happen that you've seen Professor Lupin during Christmas? From what you've told me, he and Black are in hiding."

"They've managed to hide… somewhere," Harry replied. "And I've spent Christmas with them… there."

"You lied to me," Daphne stated, though there was no trace of anger in her voice; she didn't comment on the boy's odd choice of words. Harry raised one of his eyebrows and looked at her, clearly puzzled. "About that friend you were supposed to visit over the break."

"What?"

"You've said that you would spend Christmas with a girl friend, not two fugitives," Daphne clarified. Harry chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I don't know, I…," he trailed off. "I thought it would be safer. You know, you've said it yourself, that they were fugitives, I… I didn't want to put them at risk."

"You don't trust me?"

"You pushed me away," Harry replied immediately, looking her in the eyes. Daphne lowered her gaze, for the first time in her life left speechless.

"I'm… I'm sorry," she muttered after a few seconds. "I just… never mind," she added, unable to find a way to put her thoughts into words. She didn't allow the word 'jealous' to even cross her mind.

"You just?" Harry tried to goad her to continue.

"It's stupid, really," Daphne replied, shaking her head. "And please, don't push it. You have no idea how rarely I apologize, and it's hard enough already. So just… drop it. Please?"

"And you're surprised I'm not telling you everything?" Harry replied with a humorless chuckle. Speaking to Daphne for the first time in over a month made him happier than he anticipated, but it was also somewhat painful that she didn't want to tell him what kept them apart. However, he also knew that they've known each other properly for only half a year. He had known Ron and Hermione for much longer, and he still haven't told them everything about himself. Not that he would now, given the circumstances.

"I'm not," Daphne sighed, shaking her head.

"You know, for a while, I thought it was your odd way of helping me with preparations before the Second Task," Harry added with another dry chuckle. "After you had said at the Ball that you're not going to do everything for me like Hermione used to." Daphne huffed gently at that, once again squeezing his arm more tightly. Harry chuckled again before sighing. "But umm… I guess I was wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Daphne repeated. She cleared her throat. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" she whispered. "At the shore," she clarified. "That you've… missed me."

Harry blushed heavily, only then realizing the hidden meaning of his words. He cleared his throat a few times, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I did," he whispered, risking a glance at the girl on his arm. The moon above them illuminated Daphne's face enough for Harry to see her cheeks turning slightly pink as well.

"I… I missed you too, Potter," she replied, clearing her throat once again. "I actually enjoyed tutoring you. Guess I'm just good with bossing others around."

Harry was unable to stop himself from laughing upon hearing Daphne's statement. The previous few minutes were the first time he witnessed a different side of the Slytherin beauty – a softer, more fragile one. Seeing her returning to her old, haughty ways was refreshing. Even if it was supposed to be nothing more than a mask, it was good to see that she hadn't changed over the course of the past few weeks.

"Yeah, I enjoyed tutoring you as well," Harry replied in a similar manner, chuckling as well. "Speaking of which, how is your Patronus going? You haven't really answered me last time I asked, and, knowing you, I doubt you just dropped it."

"It's… going forward," she replied, though she again didn't find the strength to tell him the truth. "I think I'll get there in some time."

"Still keeping secrets?"

"Of course!" she replied with rightful indignation. "What's the point of telling someone everything about yourself? It's more interesting to see you struggling for answers."

"You're impossible. You know that?"

"Yeah, I've heard it from Tracey more often than not," Daphne replied, actually forcing herself to keep her smirk from widening. "You know, I must admit I was surprised yesterday. When the Headmaster told us why we've been summoned, I mean. I wasn't aware you valued me so much," she added, raising her eyebrow at him.

"I think I wasn't aware of that as well," Harry replied, once again feeling the blush spreading across his cheeks. "How did it go, by the way?"

"Well, at first I thought that Granger told Dumbledore something about me. I mean, when I arrived, only she was there," Daphne clarified, shrugging her shoulders. "Who knows, maybe she wanted to blame me for 'corrupting' you."

"She's not like that," Harry countered immediately.

"Maybe, I don't really care. We waited in silence for a while before Abbott and Delacour arrived. Then, Bagman told us about the Second Task and our supposed part in it. Dumbledore and the other Headmasters assured us that we would be safe, no matter the outcome of the Task," Daphne said, shivering slightly. "I'm glad I wasn't forced to find out the hard way what would happen to me had you failed."

"They forced you to participate?"

"Yes," Daphne nodded her head. "They explained the Task's details, ensured us that nothing would happen to us, and the next thing I saw was the Lake's water around me. Tori was furious, I can tell you already. She informed me that she had already written to my parents about today's events, and I'm quite sure that my father is going to have a few words with our dear Headmaster," she said with a humorless chuckle. "Part of me wishes to see Dumbledore facing my father should you fail. I doubt he would enjoy it."

"I was worried about you," Harry whispered, once again reliving what happened earlier that day. "I tried finding you as fast as I could, I… I was afraid of what would happen if an hour passed before I reached you."

"I'm glad we didn't have to find out, Potter," Daphne replied. Before either of them could realize what was happening, the Slytherin girl wrapped her arms around Harry, trapping him in a hug similar to the one Astoria gave him earlier, though not nearly as strong. He blushed again, hesitantly closing his arms around Daphne's small form. "Thank you," she whispered; her voice was muffled by Harry's coat. "And I'm sorry. I… I guess I should have helped you."

"You did," Harry chuckled nervously. "As I've said, your words pushed me to train before the Second Task. I think that if you didn't say that, I would have slacked off until the last day possible," he added with another chuckle.

"Potter?" Daphne murmured against his chest.

"Hmmm?"

"Shut up and just hold me."

I hope you enjoyed it. As I've said previously many times, I want their relationship to develop sloooowlyyyy. Even if it's frustrating to you and me XD. As always, leave a review, and let me know what you thought about this chapter, and the story as a whole. Also, regarding a few accusations why I've had this 'drama': it's because I wanted to show that Daphne isn't nearly as mature and infallible as she likes to believe. And I also wanted to give Harry a reason to start doing something on his own and see a reason why he should be doing it. I hope you'll be satisfied with my development. And don't worry, I already have the entire chapter of their first kiss planned out, and I just can't wait to finally write it down.