…The Third Task…

I walk to Gryffindor Tower in a daze. "Are you ok?" Izzy asks looking up at me as I walk into the common room. I give her a half-hearted thumbs up and head up to the dorm. I sleep until the next morning. I make my way to breakfast the next morning. I missed dinner the previous night and am starving. I was enjoying some eclairs when Luna and Izzy sat in front of me. I put another éclair on my plate. "You should eat some real food, Char." Izzy pushes some hash browns and eggs towards me. I eat it and glance around. Blue flies over to me with a letter from mum and dad.

I gather my things. Blue hops onto my shoulder and I grab a piece of toast. I go out into the courtyard to read it. I give Blue pieces of toast as I read it. I scribble a response, and I give it to Blue. I watche in silence as she soars into the sky. I begin sketching the sight and taking in the scenery.

I finish the drawing and put the book back in my bag. I go for a walk and ran into the Beauxbatons boy I went to the Yule Ball with, Daxton. He waves excitedly and runs over. We chat about the third task. He was quite surprised when he found out that Aithley and Adrian Richards were my cousins. We chat about the end of term, and he promises to tell my cousins about how he met me when the Tournament ends. I thank him and we go our separate ways.

I was heading up the stairs when I'm stopped. "Talking to that boy again." Blaise calls angrily. "Oh, that's where you were. I thought I felt someone staring at me.", I starts as he falls into step with me, "You know Daxton is very nice. He was quite fun to talk to. You know, I was able to update my French while talking to him." He stops. "I was able to update my French with Daxton!" he squeals mockingly.

"Wonder if Daxton was trying to make a move on you." he mutters. "Daxton just thought it'd be nice to tell my cousins hi for me and tell them about all the ball and how we'd met." I explain in irritation. Blaise looks taken aback. "Sorry." he mumbles under my scathing gaze. He truly looked it to. My gaze softens. I tak a deep breath looking at the grounds outside.

He makes a move towards me then takes a step back. I shift my bag and gaze at him. He tugs me towards him giving me a warm hug. Just then Ava and Lucas come up the stairs whispering to each other. They stop when they see us. We separate and I turn to the twins. "How are you?" I make a serious attempt to sound normal.

Ava was grinning mischievously, and Lucas was looking at Blaise in curiosity. "Off to do some studying. Don't let us bother you. Come on Lucas!" she grabs Lucas' arm and they take off up the stairs. "Are they going to tell your parents?" Blaise whispers with a smirk. I shrug and he laughs. "You're going to get questioned as soon as you step off the train." he laughs. I pout thinking about some of the letters I'd received. "Well they already have some idea.", I say then continue with a smirk as I see his face grow serious, "My uncle Severus and Remus seem to have notified them about our interactions already."

His face looks temporarily scared before trying to regain composure. "Those teachers are your uncles? Merlin's beard. I felt like I was going to get in trouble every time they were near, but I never once thought." he mutters. My smirk falls. You're more so shocked about my uncles rather than what they could have told my parents? I scoff in my head. As if reading my mind, he smiles warmly. "I've seen you with your parents when you got off the train and I saw the way your mum hugged you.", he looks into my eyes, "I could tell just how much they loved you."

"You were watching me?" I ask. "I've noticed you since your very first day here. You seemed to have a bit of a wild side when Draco was being an ass. Then again when you draw or are working on something you become quieter, and beautiful." he rambles trying to suppress the urge to smile. He tugs me towards him once more. He hugs me then gave my forehead a quick kiss "Until the day you decide to be mine forever." He ruffles my hair and goes back down the stairs.

I forgot where I was going to go and go to the Gryffindor common room. Ava smirks at me and sent Tuvin out the window. "How's your friend?" she asks slyly. "He's not my friend, he's just a boy. An ass annoying boy." I state defiantly.

Lucas gives a snort of laughter. I smack him lightly upside the back of the head. "Get ready for the exams you two and stop gossiping." I go to the stairs. I look back and saw them studying. I head upstairs. That irritation was still on my mind.

I stay in my room for the rest of the day. My sketchbook was filled, and I flip through it looking through all the pictures I'd drawn. A picture of Blaise caught my eye. It was him the night at the ball. He did look slightly jealous and I giggle lightly. I put the book away and go to dinner.

"They were hugging on the staircase." Ava whispers excitedly to Ginny and Izzy. I sit down in front of them. I put some salad onto my plate. "What happened then?", Ginny asked reaching for a bowl of soup. "Here you go Ginny!" I say brightly handing her the bowl. They all finally look up. "And then he became shocked when he found out Severus and Remus are my uncles." I tell Ginny in mock excitement. They all go red. "This coming from the girl who has a picture of Blaise in her sketchbook." Ginny snaps playfully. I shrug "I have loads of students pictures in my sketchbooks. Oh, Daxton is going to say hi to Aithley and Adrian for us." Izzy nods in understanding. "Do you think he'd be willing to take some gifts to them from us?" Ava asks happily. "Why don't you go ask?" I reply. She stands and runs over to him.

The day of the third and final task dawned. The castle was buzzing with excitement. Exams were finally done. I was enjoying some waffles and fruit. I received two letters from mum and dad. I opened the first, it was a letter that was excited about the tournament. I wrote a quick response and sent it back with Sadie. The second looked a bit angrier by the splotches on it. I sent a sickly-sweet smile to Ava and Lucas who upon seeing it busied themselves with their food.

"Is someone in trouble?" Ginny giggles. I show her the splotchy letter and she falls out laughing. Luna and Izzy look at it too. They join Ginny in fits of laughter. "It's not funny!" I whine. They hadn't written much just the words: JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU GET OFF THAT TRAIN YOUNG MISSY! I fold the letter and go over to Ava and Lucas with a smile on my face. I lean over their shoulders and whisper sinisterly so only they could hear me "If I get into a lot of trouble, I'm going to question you two." They pale and I give them a warm smile.

I walk around the grounds with my friends. We ate lunch and went outside again. After dinner went down to the Quidditch stands. The final task begun as Harry and Cedric entered the maze. Krum followed and then so did Fleur. I hear shuffling behind me and turned. Mum and dad were right behind me and my friends who looked forward stifle their snickers. I catch Blaise's eye and found him to be chuckling too.

Mum places a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her. She was giving me a sickly-sweet smile, the same as the one I'd given Ava and Lucas this morning. I could feel dad gazing at me, but I faced forward on my best behavior. The girls were still slightly snickering. We watched the maze. Then we heard it, a girl's scream. Fleur had been disqualified for attacking another champion. After a while we heard another scream. We saw red sparks a few minutes later.

I leaned forward unknowingly. Luna pulled me back. After a long time, Harry and Cedric appeared again. A woman screamed. Cedric was dead. Professor Moody carted Harry away. The scene was immersed into tears. I sat there in shock. Ludo Bagman and Karkaroff fled after the tournament.

I heard mum whisper something to dad and he headed off with Dumbledore to the castle. I was still shaking. Luna had her arms around Ginny leading her to her mother and older brother. Izzy stood and hugged mum.

I stood and begun walking back to the school. I made it all the way into the school and was walking down an empty hall. I walked and walked. I heard footsteps behind me, but I kept walking. I feel someone hug me from behind. "Don't you dare try and lie to me and say you're ok." Blaise whispers in my ear. I feel the tears splashing onto my face.

I turn and bury my face into his chest as my body was racked with sobs. I'd started to collapse on the ground, and he held me all the way to the floor. He pets my hair trying to calm me. I wrap my arms around him like I think he might disappear.

"I don't like seeing you like this Charlotte. It pains me more than you'll ever know." he whispers. After 20 minutes, I finally stopped crying. "H-he s-seemed s-so nice. H-he didn't d-deserve to die." I stammer and shake uncontrollably. Blaise continues patting me gently.

I look up at him and see that his eyes were red. I wipe at the tears that had rolled down his face. "Are you ok?" I ask. He shakes his head "That's my question." I gaze up at him. "Are you slightly better now?" he asks. I nod as I wipe my tears away. He stares at me like he wanted to stay for a bit longer.

"Your mum's looking for you." he whispers as he rubs comforting circles on my back. I wanted to stay there for a bit longer, but I knew mum would be worried. We stand and I take a breath and he guides me to where my mum was.

She hugs me tightly. Blaise stands to the side watching me. "Are you ok? You disappeared after they returned. You scared me. Don't ever do that again!" she yells at me. She pulls me into a tighter hug. "Mum you'll suffocate her." Izzy mumbles from behind mum. She releases me and I step back.

"I take it your Blaise." she guesses giving Blaise a once over. Blaise jumps not realizing she was talking to him. He'd been watching me the entire time as if I were the only one there. "Yes, Mrs. Black. I'm a friend of Charlotte's." he holds out his hand. Mum grasps it and pulls him into a hug. "Thank you for finding her for me." she cries.

Dad emerges from a hall and joins us surveying the scene quizzically. He half-peels, half-convinces mum to let him go. Blaise takes multiple steps back in case she tries to hug him again. "Same eyes, not the same attitude." I hear him mumble.

Dad whispers something to mum. "Well I should be heading to my dorm. I'll leave you guys to it." Blaise says clapping his hands together. Dad was still looking around. Ava and Lucas were sitting in a corner still horror-struck. "See you later." Blaise tells me as he walks away.

"So, he's the boy your siblings have been so kind to tell us about." dad murmurs watching Blaise's retreating figure. Ava and Lucas come over and hug me. "Is everyone going to ignore my comment?" dad asks. "He's her 'friend' apparently." mum mutters in disbelief. "We're acquaintances." I state. Dad and mum give me a look that said they didn't believe it for a second.

"We're reforming the Order of the Phoenix. We'll be using Grimmauld Place for meetings." dad told mum. "Harry is to stay with us for a bit before we return him to the Dursley's." dad says with a sadness in his voice now. "Izzy take your siblings to the dorm." dad orders.

We turn to leave. Dad gives me one last look before guiding mum back the way he came. We head up to the dorm. "So, he's your acquaintance now?" Izzy tries to start a conversation. "Don't go there." Lucas sighs. "Yeah, you could see where Char had been crying on his shirt. Then he said they were friends, but I don't think friends act like that. Not only that, but he only watched Char." Ava shakes her head in disbelief. I keep walking and ignore them. I collapse onto my bed, falling into a fitful sleep.