"Would you sit down!"
"Would you shut up!"
I struggled to pull away as Draco dragged me into the Great Hall. It was breakfast but I didn't want to eat yet. The second task was to start soon and I wanted to talk to Vik before it began. But Draco insisted on me eating something first, so much so that he practically dragged me inside. Without seeming bothered by my flailing, Draco sat me down before taking the spot next to me. The others sat calmly around us, as if this was part of our daily routine.
"Eat" Draco gave me a look before taking a bite of his food. I returned it.
"What if I'm not hungry? Are you going to force food down my throat?"
"Come on, you're skinny enough as is" Blaise commented, taking a bite of his eggs. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were dirt poor."
"I want to talk with Vik" I frowned at Draco, ignoring Blaise's comment.
"And you can talk to him after you eat" he frowned back, pushing my plate closer to me. "There's still plenty of time before the task and if you don't eat now you won't until lunch. Krum is fine. You've helped him enough as is."
"If I help you convince him can I go with you?" Daphne intervened, with a smile to me. Theo rolled his eyes next to her.
"If she can't convince Malfoy to do something what makes you think you can?"
"He has a point" Blaise nodded at Theo.
"Fine. If I eat something may I please go talk to Vik?" I asked Draco as sarcastically as I could manage. He smiled at me and nodded, ignoring the tone. I rolled my eyes at him. "I wasn't lying, I'm really not hungry, so if I don't eat much don't whine about it."
"Just eat something so we can stop talking about you" Pansy grumbled taking a sip of her juice. I made a face at her but complied and took a bite of some toasts.
Even though I really wasn't hungry I ate as much of my breakfast as my stomach would allow. If I didn't there was no way Draco would have let me talk to Vik in peace. I imagined one of two things was likely to happen if that were the case. One being that Draco followed me to the grounds and carried me back inside; the older we got the more easily he seemed to be able to hold my weight. And two being that he would lecture me in front of Vik and, knowing how annoyingly sweet of a boy he is, Vik would agree with Draco and force me to go back and eat.
Aside from that the others didn't really have much to say. Although, Daphne did make sure to remind me that I said I would watch the second task with them. Not that she needed to, I had already decided on it. George hadn't been too happy with that decision when I told him but I had spent enough time with him recently. Now I wanted to have some time with my friends and needed to have a talk with Vik. So, as soon as I was done eating, I stood up. With a wave to the others I left the table and exited the hall before anyone decided to lecture me again.
To my surprise there were already a few people out on the grounds. Not many, mind you, but enough. The Triwizard Tournament was a big event, one I'm sure most students were excited to witness. But I doubted most of them bothered to think of how the champions felt. That was one of the reasons I was so insistent on talking to Vik; if I didn't comfort him, who would?
As I neared the lake, where task would take place this time, I found Vik already there, along with Professor Karkaroff and Diggory. The two champions weren't talking, instead both seemed focused on keeping away from each other. That was due to their competitive spirit I suppose. I moved towards Vik and his headmaster, walking past Diggory without really drawing his attention. The other two didn't seem to notice me either. Professor Karkaroff was leaning into Vik and speaking in a hushed voice; he was trying to give his version of a pep talk. Vik nodded as he spoke, not realizing I was near until I spoke.
"Mind if I have a moment with the champion?" I asked, getting both of their attention.
"Miss Volkov, of course" Professor Karkaroff nodded. He put a hand on Vik's shoulder and gave him a nod before walking away. I turned back to Vik and gave him a slightly surprised look.
"He knows of your help vith the puzzle" he answered my unspoken question. I smiled, understanding. Vik, however, frowned. "Professor Karkaroff thinks you can be of help, seeing as you are a Hogwarts student."
"See, he knows about tactics" I said jokingly. Vik gave me a small smile in return. "I'm not going to spy for him but for you I could. Not that you'll ask me to; unlike most people you have morals."
I shrugged at Vik and his smile grew a little larger. After a second he made a gesture to the side, asking me to follow him. I did. We stepped away from those around us. It was a little ways away from the lake, enough so that we wouldn't have to worry about being overheard. What he wanted to talk about had something to do with the task so it was only natural for him to want to keep it a surprise. That, or he didn't want me to get in trouble for helping a champion that wasn't from my own school. Most likely it was the latter of the two. When we stopped Vik let out a sigh.
"You're nervous" I stated, not needing to ask the question; it was written across his entire body. Vik didn't say anything but that was an answer in itself. "Do you know what you're going to do once in the water?"
"Transfiguration" he answered, subconsciously rubbing his wand as he did. "If I can successfully perform it, that may place me first in the task."
"And if you can't?" I asked. Vik didn't seem surprised by the question. Most likely he had been asking himself the same thing.
"If I can't... then I vill try for my best."
I smiled at him, knowing he'd be fine. A simpler option would have been the Bubble-Head Charm. It allowed him to breath under water but, if he did manage to successfully transfigurate, then he would have the advantage of easy mobility. I just hoped that it hadn't been Karkaroff's idea, to pressure him into trying. And, speaking of the headmaster, he stood little ways from us, watching as we spoke. I assumed that was due to the event starting soon. I could see more and more students exiting the castle and making their way to the lake. I frowned, knowing how crowded the stands could get, and decided it was time I go find my place. Turning back to Vik I saw him looking at Karkaroff, probably thinking something similar.
"Ready to go?"
"I vish I could say I vas" Viktor sighed and turned back to me. I patted his cheek and smiled.
"Eh. Worst case scenario, you finish last and have to try a little harder in the next task" I shrugged at him. But after a second I reconsidered. "Well, the actual worst case scenario would be that you are attacked or injured while underwater, causing irreparable damage to your body, completely ruining your Quidditch career and causing you to live out your life with the knowledge that you will never be able to do simple and mundane tasks as you once did."
"Your mind is frightening sometimes" Vik chuckled, shaking his head at me. I nodded my head.
"I get that a lot."
"Compared to that, losing doesn't sound so bad" he admitted. I let out a giggle and began to walk towards the stands.
"You'll be fine! Good luck" I called out before turning away and moving to find the others.
Hoping he'd do well I made my way to the stands. He was a smart boy, he would figure it out. But now what I needed to figure out was how I was going to find the others. I had said I would meet them at their seats, so long as they saved me one, but looking at the stands that seemed far easier said than done. Fortunately for me I spotted Draco leaning against the side of them, waiting for me by the foot of the stands. I smiled at him; he had just saved me the bother of having to look for all of them. Draco gave me a smile back and pushed himself off the wall.
"Have a good talk?" Draco asked once I reached him.
"I'd say so" I nodded. Draco's expression changed.
"You're worried" he stated rather than asked. It always made me happy to note how easily he could decipher my feelings, whether I bothered to show them or not. That was not something most people could do. I smiled at him again and began walking up the stairs to the stands, Draco followed.
"Of course I'm worried. Do you not remember Vik?" I asked letting out a small sigh.
"I remember how he was, yes, but that's not necessarily who he is now" Draco started, quickening his pace enough to be walking just before me. He glanced at the students sitting in the stands before turning back to me. "He's an international Quidditch player, the Bulgarian Quidditch Team's Seeker, I think he can take care of himself just fine, Katerina."
"But you remember how he was" I repeated. Draco gave me a look before turning ahead again, leading the way.
"I already told you, yes, I remember. But he's a grown man now, he doesn't need you to baby him like before."
"What's wrong with babying him?" I asked with a pout. "It just means I care about him, right? Besides, I baby you all the time."
"That's different" he muttered but didn't deny the fact. I gave him a smirk.
"You just want to feel special, don't you" I teased, taking hold of his arm. Draco frowned at me but, again, he didn't deny it. "Don't worry, you're very special to me."
"I know that," he mumbled to the side. With a smile I learned in and poked his cheek. Draco pulled back and frowned at me. I pulled him back and poked his cheek again. He gave me an exasperated look and let out a sigh. "Stop that."
"You wanted to be babied, this is what people do with babies" I told him and poked his cheek again.
"Children must hate you" he stated, giving me a smirk. I stuck out my tongue in reply and he let out a chuckle.
Still walking a little ahead of me, Draco led the way through the stands. He walked a little slower than usual and I wasn't sure if that was because he was trying to remember where our place was or because he was being mindful of the fact that I was still holding his arm. After another second however Draco pulled his arm from my grasp and straightened out his robes. Just after that the others came into view. We stepped up to take our seats and were met with a slightly different form of greeting.
"How is Krum?" Blaise was the first to speak when we reached them.
"Don't answer that" Draco told me as he took his seat. He moved to the side a bit, closer to Pansy, so I could take the space next to him. She didn't seem to have any complaints.
"You're still making bets?" I guessed, turning back to look at Blaise.
"It keeps things interesting" he shrugged at me. I smiled back and shook my head.
"So," Draco began, sounding curious, "if you were to place a bet on this, who would you go for?"
"Don't answer that" Blaise intervened this time.
"I was just getting her opinion" Draco defended as Blaise frowned back.
"You can't just 'get the opinion' of someone who has direct access to one, if not two, of the Champions!"
"Is the second one Potter?" Theo asked curiously next to me. Blaise nodded.
"You were just asking her about Krum" Draco defended himself still. "How is my question any different than yours?"
"How is he anyway? Nervous?" Daphne asked, leaning in from next to Blaise. She, unlike the other two, sounded genuinely concerned for him, though that was probably also for selfish reasons.
"Don't answer that" Blaise and Draco both called before I even thought to answer her. I rolled my eyes at them and turned to look forward.
There was a sense of excitement among the students. It was almost half past nine; the beginning of the task kept getting closer and closer. The stands were being filled steadily, making me glad the others had saved Draco and I some seats. The stands that had been used for the last task were now set around the lake, surrounding its bank, allowing a clear view of it. The judges were seated as they had the last time, on a golden draped table. Each of the three headmasters sat patiently but, where Crouch would normally be, sat George's brother Percy for some reason. And, standing right beside them, were the champions, all prepared for the task at hand. Well, most of the champions. Harry was nowhere to be found.
"What time is it?" Pansy asked, sounding bored. I didn't understand how she could feel bored already but, then again, that girl was an enigma to me; a very annoying enigma.
"It's nearly half past nine" Draco answered, looking at his wrist. When he looked up I turned to give him a smirk. He was still wearing that watch I gifted him. Knowing what I was thinking he lowered his eyes at me. "Shut up."
Then, from the direction of the castle, Harry ran into view. He skidded to a halt in front of the judges, splattering Delacour's robes with mud. Harry began to rapidly mutter to the judges, between gasps of air. He looked exhausted making me wonder how far he had run. The judges all wore different expressions as they watched him. Percy was seemingly indifferent and just hoping for the task to begin, Dumbledore smiled down at his champion, the other two headmasters didn't look too happy to see Harry arrive, and Bagman, for some reason, looked relieved to see him.
Harry joined the other champions, after a few seconds of catching his breath. Bagman moved towards them, setting them up for the task. He placed Harry next to Vik, a few feet away from each other. Vik had a serious expression on his face, one of concentration. He was in his swimming trunks again, like he had worn during his practices. With a small sigh I wished him luck. Maybe Draco was right and I was overthinking everything, as I always did. Maybe Vik really could take care of himself just fine now. But... that didn't take from the fact that I worried for him.
"Well," Bagman began, his wand to his throat to amplify his voice so all could hear, "all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One… two… three!"
Bagman blew on his whistle and the stands let out a roaring cheer. Each champion had their own plan of action, all stepped forward at the sound. Vik dove quickly into the water, planning to do his transfiguration in the lake. Delacour and Diggory both seemed to have the same idea. Slowly entering the water they both chose the same spell, the Bubble-Head Charm. A bubble, as the name suggests, formed carefully around their face, covering their mouth and nose and providing a sufficient amount of oxygen. Once that was placed they dove into the water ready to retrieve their valuable item. But Harry... was something else.
Harry reached down, taking off his shoes and socks. Reaching into his pocket he pulled something out, but it was not his wand. The content in his hand was actually slimy green strands, something that looked like rat tails. Harry roughly shoved them into his mouth and chewed, taking a step deeper into the lake. He chewed until he was waist deep in the lake then, finally, he swallowed. And… nothing happened. Nothing except for causing the stands to erupt with laughter.
"What an idiot" Draco called out, laughing along with a number of other students in the stands. Nothing was happening. Harry was just standing there, waiting, and no one really saw a reason why. With a smile, I turned to Draco.
"You're going to feel stupid" I told him, causing him to raise an eyebrow at me.
"Bet you he won't" Blaise chuckle, inserting himself in the conversation before Draco could reply.
"What is it with you and money? If you need some you know you can just ask" I gave him a sweet smile. He gave me a sarcastic one in return.
"5 galleons says that idiot finishes last in the task, if that" Draco crossed his arms at me, issuing a challenge.
"Fine" I accepted.
"Fine" Blaise accepted as well.
"Fine" Theo said, leaning closer to us. All three of us turned to him a little surprised. I asked him a silent question and he shrugged. "I'm on your side, of course. This way the winnings can be split evenly."
"Deal" I smiled, making Draco roll his eyes.
"Fine, but any particular reason you chose the Gryffindor, Nott?" Blaise asked, but nodding his head towards me. I gave him a look but waited for Theo's answer.
"I have a feeling she's not willing to bet without reason" Theo shrugged again, but this time he held a smile. Around us other seemed just as happy. The number of students chuckling had affected others, causing a large amount of students to now make loud jeers and catcalls his way. Most of them seemed to be coming from Slytherins. "So what was that plant he gulped down?"
"Gillyweed from what I could tell" I answered plainly. Theo smirked at me. Blaise gave him a curious look.
"Changing your mind, Nott?"
Before Theo even moved to answer Blaise saw he wasn't. At the edge of the waters the gillyweed was starting to take effect. Harry shook vividly and violently. He lunged forward, gasping for air. There was no way for him to breath, not anymore. On the side of his neck slits appeared and expanded, forming gills. Quickly he touched his hand to his neck, revealing the fingers of his hand now to be webbed. After a second, after his mind adjusted to the sudden change I would assume, Harry dove into the lake.
"When are you going to learn? I'm always right" I smiled at Draco next to me. He gave me a look but I could see a small smile hiding behind his stubbornness. Tapping my foot next to his I turned back to the lake.
We began to watch the water. But, after several minutes, most of the students seemed to reach a mutual understanding. What was the point of watching still water? There was no way to see what the champions were going through, I could only imagine what was down there waiting for them. Instead, excited chatter filled the stands. There was nothing to do but pass the time. Unfortunately some didn't see it as an opportunity but rather a burden. But we held out longer than I thought we would without complaining. It took roughly half an hour for everyone's groans and complaints to become clearly audible.
"What are the chances the giant squid will snatch them up?" Draco mumbled in a pondering tone. He leaned back, against the seat of the boys behind us. Blaise kicked him lightly on the back, wanting to make him move. Draco gave him a rather rude gesture, pushing his leg away to make more room for himself.
"It's not very likely. The merpeople have been living in the lake for almost as long as the giant squid has. They have likely established boundaries within that time, or some kind of agreement. That should prevent the squid from doing anything harmful to the champions. And don't do that" I added, swatting his arm. Draco rolled his eyes at me in return, knowing what I was referring to.
"Too bad" he let out a sigh but didn't move from where he was. Instead, he leaned his head back, making himself more comfortable.
More time passed and, again, nothing happened. The deadline was getting closer still but no champions had resurfaced yet. I did what I could to act as bored as the others, I didn't want to have Draco lecturing me again. If he knew how I really felt then that was what he would do. Thankfully he was still resting comfortably in the small space between Blaise and Daphne, but I didn't want to risk it. I knew I was worrying too much but I couldn't help it.
From what I remembered of Vik he was a sweet boy who would rather suffer in silence than cause anyone any problems. Even if he had changed, that didn't make him a different person. People never change, not entirely. They may stop doing certain things, or maybe express their feelings a different way, but inside there was something that just made a person unique. That something, whether good or bad, was always there, unchanging. Vik was still the same sweet boy I met all those years ago and, because of that very reason, I wanted him to be okay.
"I'm glad we're able to witness the tournament and all, but couldn't we get something worth witnessing" Blaise complained, sitting up on his seat. With a frown he kicked Draco's back again, this time visibly harder; he had begun to fall asleep. Draco sat up with a jerk and shot Blaise a dirty look before swatting roughly at his legs.
"We got dragons last time" Theo reminded him.
"That is true" I agreed. Blaise rolled his eyes at us.
"Dragons were good. This is alright I guess" Draco added in a groggy voice, stretching his back out. He rubbed it slightly where Blaise had kicked him. Next to him Pansy looked like she was more than willing to help him but Draco didn't notice. "What time is the task supposed to be over?"
"The champions had one hour, according to the song" I answered, quickly glancing at the lake to check once more that there was no change. Draco frowned slightly at me and turned to look at his watch again.
"It's past the time then" he frowned down at it, as if it were lying to him. I frowned too and leaned in to see. He was right. It was exactly the time of the deadline.
The judges were all watching the water but not once looked particularly concerned. All had the serious expression one often wore when in the middle of a competition but otherwise they were acting just fine. It was possible they had anticipated a lengthy return for this task. The dragons had been a challenge they had overcome but a physical challenge was far different than a psychological one. The murky waters of the lake could be having an effect on them, making them disoriented. And if that wasn't enough, there were plenty of creatures in the lake who would be more than happy to get in their way.
"Ah, our first of the champions has returned!" Bagman exclaimed excitedly. Quickly the entirety of the stands seemed to look his way.
Bagman continued to talk but I ignored him. The champion that showed was not at all the one I wanted to see. Diggory swam steadily to the lake's shore. The crowd cheered upon seeing him, some of us just clapped politely. He was past the hour limit but he was still the first of the champions to show themselves since they initially dove into the water. Then there was a moment where the sound of clapping trickled down before turning to stunned mumbles. What he was holding, that which he should have found most valuable, was making itself more visible. Except it wasn't exactly an "it"; she was more like it.
"Wait—they have to find people?" Pansy said loudly, as Diggory moved towards the Hogwarts nurse, Madam Pomfrey. She quickly wrapped him around a blanket and handed him a potion to drink.
"That doesn't seem right. It was… they needed to search for an item" I muttered, thinking of the song Vik had described. He had said it to me, word for word, and not once did it mention anyone besides the champions being involved. It seemed too risky to have actual people be part of the task. What if they were lost, but not found by their champion…
"Yeah, and why Cho Chang of all girls? She's not even really attractive" Blaise replied, completely missing my point. Or, considering it was him, he had probably chosen to ignore it.
"I don't know, I think she's pretty" Daphne said next to him, looking down at the two of them. Diggory was next to Cho now, both wrapped in blankets and looking quite dry. The potion Madam Pomfrey had given them must have done that. "I mean, she obviously doesn't look good right now, but she's usually not bad looking."
"Not much of a trophy, though, is she" Blaise shrugged at her. Daphne nodded in return.
"On that you're right."
"You two sound like judgmental old women" Theo said, shaking his head at the two. Blaise rolled his eyes but Daphne seemed to take personal offense to that.
"What? Old? What are you trying to say, Theodore?" she demanded, with a hand to her chest as if mending her wounded heart.
"I said sound, not look, Daphne" he told her with a look.
"But… if it's people…" I muttered, not bothering to pay attention to the others anymore.
This changed everything I had expected. I had never really paid attention to what his valuable would have been. If it were any old trinquet then it really wouldn't have mattered but now it was something else. Diggory had to save a person, and maybe the other champions would have to do the same. It wasn't a certainty, perhaps it was whatever was most valuable, in which case Diggory had chosen a person rather than a material thing. If it was that sort of thing then I was sure at least two of the other champions would do the same.
If that were to happen…
There was random chatter as we waited for the others to show themselves. Some time had past since Diggory had shown and still there was no sign of any others. But even so the judges remained calm. That was reassuring, at least. Knowing that Vik wasn't in immediate danger made me feel better. Still, where was he? And if his valuable was a person… who had he chosen?
Interrupting my thoughts something burst from the water. Delacour took in a gasp of air as her head floated just above the waterline. She made her way to the shore, but it was not by her own will. Something seemed to have pushed her there, bringing her just close enough to leave her safely on shore yet without showing its face. Must have been one of the merpeople, but that wasn't what concern many of the students. There was a number of gasps among the crowd. Clear on the champion's face, and along part of her body, there were deep gashes. No blood stains were visible on her robes but they looked shredded at parts. Obviously she had some issues while underwater.
"Miss Delacour is back but, unfortunately, without her mark" Bagman belted to the crowd, rather insensitively. "Put up a strong fight, but that's not always enough. Let's have a cheer for our champion as she makes her way to the lovely Madam Pomfrey."
There were reassuring cheers from the crowd but I continued to look at Delacour. She had been attacked and brought back to shore for her own safety. The gashes didn't look big enough to cause permanent damage or even scarring but it did cause something; it caused fear. Instead of the silent boredom that had lingered over the stands there was now a sense of tension. She had been attacked. Something, whatever it was had, gotten to her and caused enough damage that she was brought back to shore. She was alone. Delacour didn't have anyone with her. Whoever she had been sent to save was still in the lake.
She had failed.
"Still worried?" Draco asked after a few more minutes of silence, leaning slightly into me. I gave him a small nod.
"A little" I admitted.
"He'll be fine" he reassured me quietly.
I leaned against him and let out a sigh. He was a sweet boy who always tried to make me feel better. And, more often than not, he succeeded. I smiled up at him and Draco smiled back. I was thankful to him for that. Draco opened his mouth to say something once more but, when he did, there was another voice that spoke.
"So, where is your boyfriend anyway?" Pansy asked, leaning in from the other side of Draco.
"Since when do you care?" I frowned at her. She knew very well mentioning George would upset Draco, yet she had done so anyway. His expression had already changed. Instead of the smile he had held moments ago his expression was now hard, having turned away from me.
"Trust me, I've always cared about you making the change to Gryffindor. And besides, I'm sure your boyfriend misses you" she sneered at me.
"Pansy" Daphne called warningly.
"Then again," Pansy continued, ignoring Daphne's tone, "I wouldn't want to spend time with that thing either. Why you ever thought it was a good idea to date him I'll never know. You might be finally coming to your senses—"
"It's not that I don't want to—" I began but immediately stopped myself. I shouldn't have said that; I knew what she was trying to do. But, too late, my words took effect.
"If you want to go with him then why don't you" Draco stated, leaning away from me and turning forward. He was still avoiding to look at me. I gave a sigh and looked at Pansy. She smiled at me in return.
"Please don't start" I told Draco, not wanting to have this conversation, and especially not here.
"Start what?" he turned to frown at me. "You obviously want to be with your boyfriend, so go. Why did you even come here? Why don't you go be with him instead?"
"Because maybe I like spending time with you, idiot" I snapped at him.
"Because we get along so well!" Draco said sarcastically at me.
"Not when you're acting like a damn prat!" I replied, my voice picking up.
"Watch your language!"
"Make me!"
"Ah, the sweet exchange of words between two lovebirds" Blaise called from behind us.
"Shut up, Blaise!" we both snapped at him. He raised his hand in a sarcastic form of surrender and made no attempt to hide his smirk.
"Drop it, alright?" I frowned at Draco.
"Why should I?" Draco replied defensively. "Why not talk about this now?"
"Ugh, you are so frustrating!" I let out an exasperated breath.
"If I am so frustrating then why are you still here?" he screamed back, leaning slightly forward to emphasize his point.
"I honestly don't know anymore! Why do I bother?"
"Well, why don't you just walk up and leave then?"
"Well, why don't you just—"
"Oh, hell no!" Daphne cried out suddenly, standing up.
We all looked at her, suddenly distracted from any conversation that might have otherwise taken place. For a moment I thought she was commenting on our argument. Then, hearing the roar from the stands and following her gaze, I saw what was bothering her so much. Vik was back. He had done an incomplete transfiguration, though still successful, which began to fade as soon as he exited the water. Definitely not the worst case scenario we had discussed. He had made his way to the bank now, met by Madam Pomfrey, being given the same treatment as Diggory and his captive had been.
All that, however, was not what had caused Daphne to stand up from her seat, it wasn't what was upsetting her. Next to him, his precious person was standing, huddled up in a blanket the nurse had given. Her hair was wet and flat, something it rarely was. Vik turned to give her a concerned look, most likely asking if she was okay. Giving him a small smile Hermione stood next to him, shivering slightly from the cold lake water.
"Tell me that I'm seeing things" she called, looking down accusingly at Theo sitting near her.
"I don't know what to tell you, Daph" he replied trying to sound sympathetic, and trying to hide a smile. Not satisfied with that answer Daphne turned from him to look at me.
"Did you know about this?" she demanded.
"No" I answered, clapping politely and only shortly glancing at her before turning to the two in the lake. I knew Vik cared about Hermione, he had told me so himself, but they had only known each other a few months. This was supposed to be a task to rescue someone valuable to him. I could think of at least one person he could have been sent to rescue instead.
"So, we move from one lovers' quarrel to another—"
"Shut up, Blaise" all three of us interrupted. Blaise kept his smirk all the same.
"He can't seriously find her precious, can he?" Daphne asked no one in particular, refusing to accept what she was seeing. "No, it must be a mistake. There is no possible way this could have been planned."
"I don't know, Greengrass. They look pretty chummy to me" Blaise continued, watching as Vik spoke to Hermione. He was leaning into her, most likely trying to speak clearly over the roar of the stands. Still, to Daphne, this was unacceptable. She sent a deadly look to Blaise.
"You just want to piss everyone off today, don't you?" Theo said with a smirk. Blaise simply shrugged.
"It's more entertaining than watching still water" he pointed out.
"Fair point" Theo admitted with a nod. Daphne gave him a look and he shrugged at her. "It was."
After some time the stands calmed down again. Daphne still festered, glancing now and then at Vik and Hermione together, but otherwise said nothing. No direct points were announced once again but it could only be assumed Vik was in second place. Not a bad spot to be in, considering that his transfiguration attempt had not been the most successful. And, once again, the area noise was reduced to a low rumble of chattered, all clustered into a unified voice.
Roughly a half hour passed and still there was no sign of the fourth champion. Harry must be at least two hours in, already one too long. Then again, none of the other champions had been able to get back within the given timeline. Even Delacour, who had technically failed, had arrived second in time, roughly fifteen minutes after Diggory had. Now it was nearing half past eleven and there was a slight tension in the air. The judges kept occasionally glancing at each other, mumbling to each other, most likely deciding whether to call the even to a close. Even with the herb as an aid Harry didn't have time to waste with miscellaneous tasks; gillyweed didn't last forever.
"They've been gone some time" I mumbled looking at the still unmoving waters. The judges had begun to huddle amongst themselves. Without announcing anything, seeing as the last of the champions had yet to arrive, they looked to have already decided some things.
"Does that mean they're dead?" Millicent asked bluntly.
"I don't know" I said honestly.
Not a moment later did Harry's head break the lake's surface. As soon as he did Harry took down a gulp of air; the gillyweed's effects had worn off. His special someone whom he had helped escape the lake was Ron, no surprise there. With them, however, was a young girl though not much younger than us. From the grounds came a shriek as they got closer to the shore. The shriek had come from Delacour who was watching the young girl intently. She must have been her special someone. But, most surprising of all, a group of merpeople was swimming around them.
The student filled stands erupted with screams as they saw the bunch emerge from the water. It was a mixture of happiness and surprise; seeing them alive but also having seen merpeople and how ghastly they had looked upon arrival. Now the task was over, and no one had died. The three swam carefully to the lake bank. It took a moment but those on land finally started. Percy rushed to his Ron, looking pale, having been most likely worried about his brother's return. Fleur rushed too though she didn't move forward much before her headmistress restrained her. I had been right; it was the someone special to her. Judging by her actions it was someone particularly close.
Madam Pomfrey moved quickly towards Harry. She pulled him away as she had with the other champions. Wrapping a blanket around his shoulders she took him from the water handing him a Pepperup potion. As they did this Dumbledore was bent down beside the lake, seemingly talking to one of the merpeople who had accompanied Harry and the others to the shore.
"A conference before we give the marks, I think" he called to the other judges as he turned up from his conversation with the mermaid.
They all moved towards each other as Madam Pomfrey made her way towards Ron now. Fleur rushed to meet Harry as the judges huddled in conference. She spoke with him for a moment, most likely about the girl he had brought back with him.
"What are they chattering about?" Blaise mumbled behind me. I turned to see him frowning slightly in their direction. "Didn't they already discuss the results?"
"Well Potter did just show up" Theo shrugged at him.
"You just don't want any chance of losing our bet" I muttered turning back to the judges. They had just straightened themselves out, having decided on whatever they had been discussing.
"Don't tell me what I want" Blaise told me. I turned back a moment to give him a smile before looking back. Bagman had begun to speak again.
"Ladies and gentleman and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Marcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…"
There was a sense of tension in the stands as the students awaited the results. Our boys didn't seem to have been the only ones making bets. Hogwarts, as great of a school as it was, didn't have much in the entertainment department. So it was no surprise that some might want to partake in such a thing. And, if one knew what they were doing, betting was actually a very easy way to make a quick galleon or two.
"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points" Bagman announced the first score. Applause came from the stands. Delacour looked to mutter something to herself and shook head. Obviously she didn't agree with their choice.
"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." As soon as the words his mouth an enormous cheer seemed to arise from every Hufflepuff in the stands. "We therefore award him forty-seven points."
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points" Bagman announced. Professor Karkaroff made an effort to clap vigorously, proud of his champion. It was really impressive for Vik to have transfigured himself, even if only partially. Still, he looked very superior, considering his champion was in second place.
"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own. Most of the judges," Bagman paused to give Karkaroff a nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However… Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."
For a second the crowd didn't react to this news. Then, suddenly, the crowd filled with a roar.
"'Moral fiber'?" Draco repeated with distaste. I shrugged at him and clapped lightly along with the cheering crowd.
"The third and final task," Bagman continued, "will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."
As soon as Bagman finished his announcement the nurse, Madam Pomfrey, moved to the champions and those they had rescued. Hurriedly she moved them towards the castle; she always seemed to worry more than she needed about her patients. Vik escaped from her sight and turned to were his headmaster was standing, waiting. I assumed Professor Karkaroff wanted to talk to Vik about his actions and what exactly had happened during the task. Well, he wasn't the only one.
Students began to disperse, though most seemed to be recounting the events of the task as they walked. It didn't really make sense why but who was I to monitor their conversations. I got up and walked forward without waiting to see if the others were behind me. Pushing but not shoving my way past the more leisurely walkers I exited the stands and headed for the two. I met Vik just as he was waving Hermione goodbye, his back to me. I crossed my arms as he stood in front of me. He turned back around and found me, earning me a surprised look which he kept, having noticed my posture.
"Katerina, vhat is the matter?"
"I don't know, you tell me" I gave him a look. Again Vik's expression did not change from confusion.
"Did I—"
"Why was Hermione the one taken?" I frowned at him. Viktor's eyes grew a little bigger.
"Vhat do you—"
"Am I not important enough for you?"
"Of course you are important—"
"The why am I dry?" I questioned, stomping my foot as I did.
Vik stood quiet for a moment. Not saying anything he looked down at me and my clearly not happy demeanor. After a moment he smiled, then smiled a little wider, and eventually he began to laugh. Gently Vik grabbed my entangled arms and moved me towards him. With that he gave me a hug.
"I'm serious" I frowned but let him hold me. Vik nodded, though in between fits of silent laughter.
"I know this" he nodded, pulling back to give me a smile. "But I did not think this vould be so important to you. I did not choose who vas taken. I did not know it vould even be a person. The egg did not say this."
"No, it didn't" I agreed. So he hadn't known either. He hadn't chosen who was special after all.
"But I am glad it vas not you" Vik said softly.
If it was not Vik who chose then it must have been the headmasters, or rather one in particular. My guess was Professor Karkaroff was the one to blame. If he had chosen who Vik would have to save then he would not have chosen me. And seeing as Hermione had gone with him to the Yule Ball she had been an excellent second option. He didn't care about her, certainly not enough to be concerned for what happens to her during the task.
"If it is of any consolation, you are no longer dry" Vik said with a smile.
I looked up and saw that some of the water from his still wet hair had moved to mine. The top of my head was damp. I rolled my eyes but smiled back at him. It was hard to stay angry with him considering what a sweet boy he was.
"I need to go now" Vik said looking over my head to something behind me. Then, it shifted slightly to something else before turning back to me. "Professor Karkaroff vould like to speak vith me. And also your boyfriend is vaiting for you."
Turning, I looked behind me but did not find George. Instead the other Slytherins were talking amongst themselves. Draco glanced over at us a moment before turning to give Theo a smirk to which Theo rolled his eyes. With a small frown I turned back to Vik.
"I don't see George."
"My mistake" Vik said with a smile. He looked over at them for a moment before looking down at me again. He patted my head lightly and ignored my glare. "Ve may talk later."
I waved goodbye to Vik as he turned to his headmaster. Professor Karkaroff extended his arm to his champion and took hold of his shoulder when they met. The headmaster turned to give me a nod before taking Vik and walking towards ship. I turned back to the others and made my way towards them.
"Just let it go" Theo groaned when I reached them. Daphne gave him a look.
"I will not let it go!" Daphne said shortly in reply. "How can I be okay that that Gryffindor mudblood would be special enough to be rescued by him!"
"Don't say 'that' twice like that" Theo said with a look to her.
"This is no time for an etiquette lecture" she stomped her foot at him impatiently.
"It would actually be a grammar lecture" I corrected. A couple of them gave me a curious look as if just realizing I was there. "An etiquette lecture would be—"
"Whatever" Daphne snapped. "And how did you not know about this?"
"Trust me, I was just as upset as you."
"I highly doubt that" Blaise interceded, with a look at Daphne's face. Rethinking it, I agreed with him.
"Vik said he didn't choose who was taken" I continue, looking at Daphne. "I'm guessing it was Professor Karkaroff who did. He probably didn't want to get me mixed into the task. He settled for Hermione, since Vik did take her to the Yule Ball—"
"Don't remind me!" Daphne protested loudly. I ignored the fact that she had interrupted me twice times now, considering she was upset.
"Alright!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing his head lightly as if trying to prevent a headache. "Enough already with your stupid unrequited love!"
"Oh, you're one to talk! You—"
"What have we said about not making things worse" Theo reminded Daphne before she could finish her sentence. She gave him a look but didn't reply.
"Like you ever had a chance anyway" Pansy finally raised her voice. My guess was Daphne had been complaining the whole way off the stands. She seemed bothered by something at least.
"You're not one to talk either!" Daphne screamed back.
"I'm hungry" I mumbled as the others all began raising their voices.
"Me too," Blaise said next to me, not including himself in the argument. "Want to go get something to eat and leave them to bicker?"
"As if it's my fault you'll never get his attention!" Pansy screamed in front of us, making Daphne give an overdramatic gasp in return.
"Sure" I shrugged at Blaise, ignoring them. It seemed like a better idea than just watching them complain. Theo looked to be managing them fine. "Theo can deal with them."
"It's moot to argue about this now" he tried, stepping between the two girls.
"Don't use words she can't understand, Nott" Draco sneered next to them.
"You shut your mouth!" Daphne snapped.
"That's what he gets for not being a bastard like us" Blaise chuckled and started walking. He turned back to smile at Theo. "That's his problem though."
"Still, he saves us the trouble of having to deal with them ourselves. Let's save him a cupcake" I suggested and followed after. Blaise laughed at my comment and nodded. We continued to the castle, hoping it was late enough to catch some early lunch.
Just before we reached the castle I paused, having seen something I did not expect. Blaise paused too, giving me a curious look, then turned to see what had caught my attention. Standing just before the castle's walls someone was watching us; that someone being my father. Blaise turned back to me and raised his eyebrows. Behind him my father stepped forward, towards where we were standing.
"I guess I'll be saving two cakes" he mumbled as my father reached us. I gave him a look before turning to my father.
"Hi, Papa" I greeted him with a smile. His expression, however, made it clear that he wasn't planning on returning it.
"Mr. Volkov, a pleasure," Blaise said in his most respect-filled voice. I doubted I had ever heard him use it while at Hogwarts.
"Mr. Zabini" my father responded with a nod before turning to be. "Would you excuse me and my daughter."
"Of course" he replied with a polite bow, not needing to wait for any more detail as I doubted my father would have given him any.
Without another word Blaise began to walk away. As he stepped past my father he did, however, make sure to turn back to give me a look before retreating. A look which I assumed to mean a sarcastic good luck with that. I let out a sigh and turned back to my father. I gestured to the side, feeling whatever he had to say was best kept between us. I moved to the side, away from any students who could possibly walk by us. My father followed. When I stopped I took a second to make a face and let out a sigh before our conversation could begin.
"You're upset."
"Am I? Should I have a reason to be?" he raised his eyebrow quizzically. I sighed again.
"Let's not play games" I told him with a small frown.
"Fine," he said with a similar expression to mine. "When we're you planning to tell me?"
"About what?"
"Didn't you say we shouldn't play games" he said seriously. "I heard about you and the Weasley child."
"From who?" my frowned deepened.
But it was not as though I needed to ask. There weren't many people at Hogwarts who would care enough to tell my father of our relationship. Nor was there someone else here who my father would care enough about to read their letters. On top of that, Draco had been acting differently lately, almost suspiciously so, and now I knew why.
"Doesn't matter" he replied shortly. "I want that relationship terminated."
His expression was serious, he meant it. I knew he wouldn't have been happy with my decision but I hadn't expected he would act this way. Although, I really should have seen this coming. But this was my decision, not his. I knew it wasn't the best way to go about it but, with a deep breath, I shook my head.
"No, Papa."
"What do you mean, 'no'?" my father frowned down at me. I frowned back. I had said it, now I wasn't going to take it back.
"I mean 'no'" I crossed my arms, defiantly. "I like him, Papa, so I won't end our relationship."
"He is not good enough for you" Papa stated, mirroring my posture.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked which did not help make things better.
"This is no time to be stubborn. Listen and do as you are told, Katerina" he lectured. We were very similar in the sense that we both expected to get our way; if I rushed things we would not find resolve in this argument. So, I took in a breath and let it out before speaking.
"Was it not you who told me not to let others stop me from doing what I wanted with my life."
"I think you know very well I did not include myself, your father, in that scenario" Papa replied and took in a breath as well, most likely thinking the same thing I had been.
"I should be able to make this decision myself, Papa" I insisted.
"Katerina..." Papa let out a groan, as if too frustrated to speak, keep even finish his sentence.
For a moment he didn't say anything. That silence worried me more than if he were to scream. It was a calculative silence, one that had earned my father fear and respect from others. But I waited silently, knowing that if I interrupted it the only thing that would cause is more frustration for my father. I watched him instead, trying to see if I could guess where his thoughts were leading him. And what I found, I had not expected.
In my father's eyes, I saw fear.
It took me a moment to realize where that fear was coming from; he was thinking of Nikolai. My father and mother had been very clear about what they thought of his relationship to the muggle. The argument they had... The way that conversation had ended, he was worried this would end a similar way. Though I knew I could use that fear, that slight hint of concern he had for the situation, I didn't. No good would come out of that, even if it did let me be with George. It wasn't worth it. Instead I continued to wait.
"He's not worth your time" he said finally, though not sounding like a demand.
"I think he is" I insisted once more. My father was about to argue when I interrupted. "Papa, you need to see this in a different way. If it works out between us then good for me; I will be happy and that should make you happy too. If it doesn't work out between us then good for you and you will be happy at the termination of our relationship. From where I'm standing it really looks like a win/win situation for you."
I half smiled up at my father. He looked down at me for a moment with frustration. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I felt it best not to search for it this time. If I knew what he thought I knew that, as I usually did, I would change my words to say what he wanted to hear rather than what I wanted to say. If I did that then, obviously, my determination thus far would have been meaningless. Instead I let out a sigh.
"Shouldn't you be happy? He is a pureblood."
"He is a blood-traitor" he hissed quietly, but not enough to keep me from hearing him. He was well aware I hated that word. Still, I knew how he felt and he knew how I felt. He was annoyed and lost for words, something he rarely was. I let a moment of silence pass before asking something I had been curious of since he had arrived.
"What do they think you're doing here anyway?"
"The Triwizard Tournament; it is more complicated than it appears" he mumbled though looking somewhat relieved at the change of subject. "Considering it involves two overseas schools there are delicate matters to attend to."
"And, of course, this requires intervention from the Ministry of Magic's Department of International Affairs" I stated, having guessed his department would be involved in the event one way or another. My father nodded in reply. "So, have you spoken to Professor Karkaroff yet?"
"Yes, Igor and I have spoken. He tells me you and his champion, Viktor Krum, have been speaking. Do you know him well?"
"Yes, I do."
"He is the Bulgarian's Seeker, isn't he?" he asked curiously. I gave him a small smile in return.
"He was the boy I would always talk to when I would visit Durmstrang; when Nikolai was in class" I said the last part softly. My father frowned then changed the subject.
"Igor tells me he is the pride of his school or some such. I must say I much prefer that company to some of the others you insist on keeping."
"I would rather not start on that again" I said with a sigh.
"Katerina—"
"I am not and will not change my mind, Papa" I interrupted before he could say anything. My father gave me a look.
"Stubborn as always" he grumbled before giving me a resigned sigh. "Sometimes I wonder how I put up with you."
"Because you love me" I smiled up at him innocently. He shook his head and I could see him fighting a smile. Even if he didn't want to show me I could see it, hiding behind his frown.
"Just know, I disapprove."
"I think you've made that clear" I mumbled but he finally let out a smile. He gave me a kiss on my forehead and shook his head.
"You can do great things. Do not let someone like that keep you from greatness" he said patting my head lightly.
"Trust me, if anyone ever does, I will get rid of them myself" I said with a smirk. My father gave me a chuckle in response.
"So, while I'm here, how is your time at Hogwarts treating you?" Papa asked me. I smiled at him. He was making an effort not to end our visit on bad terms, I appreciated that.
"I enjoy it here" I said truthfully. "I actually am learning some new things and enjoy the company. Oh and thank you for sending me the herbs."
"If you were planning on killing anyone with them at least be more discreet than you were with that giant squid incident."
"Yes Papa" I let out a giggle at his lack of concern over the topic and gave him a nod. He smiled in return. The few moments that we spoke always reminded me how much we had in common. I paused for a moment then, remembering something. "There is someone else I wanted to speak to you of."
"Alastor Moody" he replied with a nod, knowing who I meant. "What issue do you have with him?"
"Not one big enough to require your help" I reassured him with a wave of my hand. "Still, I would like to have some information about him."
"Like I said in the letter I sent, there is no reason to concern yourself with him. He attended Hogwarts himself in his youth. His overly suspicious nature caused him to use that eye of his which lets him see through many objects at 360 degrees" Papa restated his letter.
Then, for a moment, my father was quiet.
"Moody is an Auror" he began with a far more serious tone. "He murdered numerous Death Eaters and is regarded as a sort of hero because of it. My guess is, that is the reason why he was hired to take the position as your professor."
"I understand. Thank you, Papa." I nodded more seriously. My father looked down at me, putting a hand on my head. He gave me a small smile then sighed.
"You are an infuriating child sometimes."
"I could see that" I admitted.
"Still," he continued, but not before letting out a small smile. "I know you're meant for more. Do not let anyone get in the way."
"I won't" I reassured him. We smiled at each other one more time before going our separate ways.
As my father moved to a different section of the grounds I made my way towards the castle. That cake Blaise promised me was starting to seem very appetizing. Moving closer to the castle I noticed a group of students was standing not too far away from me. It was my groups to be exact, and they were waiting.
"Was that your father?" Daphne asked as I came closer, though she knew very well it had been. She knew him and my father was a hard man to mistaken.
"Yes" I answered and continued walking. I moved past her and towards Draco, who was laughing about something with Crabbe, Goyle, Theo, and Pansy.
"So what if he—"
Before Draco could finish, what I assumed to be one of his jokes, I met him, taking my hand and grabbing a fistful of his robes. The others paused for a moment, my actions taking them by surprise. Draco looked down at me but didn't say anything. The look he was giving me was far less surprised than it should have been. I smiled at him in return.
"Do you have a moment to talk?" I asked him pleasantly.
"Sure" Draco replied simply, though sounding cautious about it.
"Why don't you all go inside and find Blaise" I turned to smile at the rest of them before pulling Draco forward with me. "He should be in the Great Hall. Tell him I want my cake chocolate, will you?"
I let go of Draco's robes and walked forward. Obediently, and without saying a word, Draco followed after. The others stayed where they were, although I had a good feeling Pansy was itching to follow us out. I walked a good ways into the grounds, away from where any other students may be wandering about. Once having found what I believed to be an appropriate place to have a little talk I stopped and turned to Draco. He stuttered in his steps a second before stopping just beside me. Silently, he waited until I spoke.
"You told him" I said finally. Draco took in a breath and let it out slowly before answering me.
"I don't—"
"Do not lie to me. I am not in the mood to be lied to" I said roughly, cutting his false statement short. Draco looked down and gave a small frown to the floor. "You were the one who told him, weren't you. You sent him a letter and told him I am dating George."
"If you feel the need to keep your relationship a secret then maybe it's not worth keeping it at all" Draco said harshly to the ground, confirming my suspicions. I let out a frustrated breath.
"Draco, you had no right to tell my father—"
"That you are screwing up your life? Yes, I did" he snapped at me, looking up from the spot he had been staring at between his feet. "You weren't going to tell him, what choice did I have?"
"I would have eventually!" I defended.
"Eventually!" he repeated, throwing up his hands in a sarcastic manner. "It's been months since you started dating that prick!"
"Only two" I defended again, crossing my arms. Draco rolled his eyes at me.
"Why can't you see how needlessly aggravating this all is, for everyone. Your father even came to Hogwarts to talk you out of it! Why can't you just end things?"
"Because it's my life!" I screamed at him, throwing up my hands in an unsarcastic manner. I let out a groan and shook my head at him. "You're not exactly an impartial party, are you. Why do you keep insisting?"
"Because maybe one of these days you'll listen to me" Draco replied with a low growl. I turned away from him, running my hands through my hair. Over and over again, we seemed to have the same argument; it was an endless cycle. Draco was frustrating me beyond belief.
"It is one thing to fight with me on a subject that is really none of his business but it was another point entirely to bring my father into this" I snapped, giving him a look. "You know very well what he's capable of. Do you have any idea what he could have done if he hadn't decided to talk to me about it first? Maybe it wasn't even his plan and I just happened to catch him before he could act!"
"What other choice did I have but to tell him! You have been acting stupider than usual lately! Dating a Gryffindor, much less a Weasley! He is so beneath you he's not even worth the dirt on your shoes! They're probably worth more than his entire house, that filthy hobble. I had to tell your father, had to somehow make you realize what an idiot you've been! If you won't listen to me and end this stupidity then maybe you'll listen to—"
I cut his sentence short with a slap.
"You do not bring my father into this" I hissed at him. Draco looked quietly down at me, his hand now on his cheek. "I don't care why you did it; if it was for me or somehow for yourself I could really not care less. What I do care about is that you went behind my back. You lied to me and kept this from me so that I would do what you wanted me to do. I don't ever want to see or hear of you doing that kind of thing again. Do you understand me?"
"It's not like you don't—"
"I don't lie to you about what I'm doing" I interrupted, getting closer to his face. "And I, unlike you, would never go behind your back to your mother and tell her what you've been doing. How you sneak out of the dungeon at night, how you've tried to intercept some of the owls sent home several times for when you've gotten detention, how instead of doing your homework you go around doing things we both know she would disapprove of only to come back to the dungeon to beg me to let you copy off my parchment. Now, as I said, I don't ever want to hear you did something like that again. Do you understand?"
"Yes" he replied airily.
"Good" I replied with a look.
"You know," Draco muttered, rubbing his jaw gently, "you're a lot stronger than you look."
"I know. But, admit it, you deserved it" I said, moving to place a hand on his cheek. Draco gave me a small smile.
"Scolding me like this," he muttered before shaking his head. "Honestly, sometimes I feel like your pet."
"Well you're a very disobedient one, aren't you" I retorted, patting his cheek before stepping back. Draco continued to smile at me, but his expression changed somehow.
"Why won't you just let me go then?"
"You're free to go whenever you like" I replied, matching his look. Draco looked down for a moment.
"Trust me when I say I'm not" he sighed. For a second I searched his expression to see if there was anger behind his words but that is not what I found. There was more of a sadness to it, something he couldn't help. I frowned at it as he let out another small sigh. "But I have grown accustomed to this life. I'm not really sure what I would do if I left it."
"Draco, I need you to talk to me" I groaned, taking a hold of his hands. Draco looked up at me but didn't say anything. "Tell me why this is such a problem for you. Unless I understand, we are never going to stop this incessant fighting."
"It's not that simple" he said simply. I frowned in reply. "It just isn't, Kitty."
"Theo told me you had a good reason for acting like this" I mumbled. Draco pulled his hands from mine at my words. His eyes grew darker and darted to where the group had been before walking off to the castle. I placed my hands on either side of his face and turned it back to face me. "He didn't tell me what the reason was but he said you had one. I believe him, but I want to know what that reason is. What on earth is making you be this way?"
"You're better off without him" Draco repeated, not answering my question.
With a sigh I pulled Draco towards me. Wrapping my arms around his neck I pulled him into a hug. It was harder than it was before, considering only a couple of years back we were the same size, but I managed. Draco paused for a few seconds then did as I had. He walked slowly forward to close the small gap that was between us, placing his face against my shoulder as he did. And, with a sigh, Draco hugged me back.
"We need to find a way to make this work" I continued, though feeling much better about the argument now that I had him in my arms. "I can't keep having the same argument with you over and over again. There has to be some solution to this."
"Break up with him" Draco muttered against my cloak. I reached over and pulled his hair lightly. "Ow!"
"You're not helping" I retorted, pulling away from him. I frowned and Draco sighed. "I'm being serious here. There must be some compromise at least."
"A compromise" he repeated softly, looking down at me.
"Yes, a compromise. I don't want to keep doing this. You are my best friend, Draco. I don't want to lose you."
"If I'm so important to you then why—"
"Because that is not your decision" I interrupted with a glare, knowing exactly what he was going to say. "It is not anyone's decision but my own who I chose to date. I like George and I enjoy his company. Why should I stop spending time with him just because everyone around me is insufferably dense?"
"We're dense?" Draco repeated with a half-smile. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him; he was not helping. But Draco reached out and grabbed my hand, getting my attention and making me turn back. When I did he was looking at the ground again. "Fine. A compromise it is. I will stop bringing this up but you have to do something too."
"What is it?" I asked, intrigued by the fact he was taking this seriously.
"You need to stop spending every waking moment with him" he stated. I began to reply but Draco pulled at my hand, stopping me. "Don't be stupid, I'm not being literal. I know you don't actually spend every waking moment with him, but it sure feels like it. Every day after lunch. Every weekend, as if on the dot. Sometimes you just wander off and I can only assume where you've gone. If you want me to stop then you have to stop."
"Alright, I'll stop" I said and he finally looked at me again. "Not completely, of course. I will still date George seeing that it is my decision. But, I promise you, it won't be as much if you think it will help us."
Draco looked at me with a surprised expression for a moment, not seeming to believe what I had just said. Then, for a second, he frowned. Either from confusion or because he thought I was lying, I wasn't sure. And, after a moment of silence, Draco let go of my hand and let out a laugh. This time I was the one taken by surprise. He put his hand to his stomach, still laughing, until I gave him a look.
"Now what?" I frowned slightly at him, not understanding his behavior.
"I think—" he said airily before pausing. Taking in a breath Draco tried again. "I think this is the first time you have ever actually listened to me."
"You know that's not true" I said with a look. Draco gave me a smirk. For a second he held that expression, then his smile changed. It became smaller yet a little sweeter.
"I love you" Draco said softly, leaning in to kiss my forehead.
"I love you too" I said a little slowly. It caught me by surprise, though it really shouldn't have. We said 'I love you' all the time, just that normally I said it first.
It seemed as though something was changing with Draco. I didn't like it. Ever since I had started dating George he had been acting much more differently than before. It wasn't just the arguing, his personality seemed to be changing as well. I really didn't like that. As much as I cared about George… maybe this price wasn't worth paying to keep our relationship. Judgmental looks and gossip I could handle, but having my relationship with Draco altered… I had never thought of that being a possibility.
"Now," Draco began, interrupting my thoughts, "did you tell Blaise to save me a cake too?"
"No, just Theo. You know, for babysitting all of you while we went away" I smiled at him, putting the other thoughts away for another day.
"So much for loving me" he rolled his eyes and turned towards the castle. I let out a giggle.
"Don't worry, if they run out you can share some of mine" I offered.
"Oh, goody" Draco clapped his hands sarcastically. I swatted at his shoulder in response. He gave me a smirk. "What? It's great, really. I'll get your scraps just like a real pet would."
"That's the spirit" I smiled, reaching up to pat his head. Draco pulled back from my grasp and made a face. "Don't make that face or it will get stuck that way. Also, you owe me five galleon."
"So you not only want me to be your pet but now I also have to pay you?" he said with a look.
"Come on," I rolled my eyes at him, taking hold of his hand. Draco gave me another smile and followed obediently after.
.
Hello, mine turtles (^-^)/
Just a few things I wanted to say at this last bit, so please bear with me.
So the chapter is finally done. It would've been out sooner but I got distracted by E3 and all the conferences. What with Bethesda doing their first ever conference, Microsoft announcing backwards compatibility, a Kingdom Hearts trailer finally being released, and the remake of Final Fantasy VII… all in the span of three days… My little gamer heart needed a break.
But now with summer here I'm going to have some more time and, hopefully, I will be able to post these things much faster. I don't have a set timeline though, since I think you all know by now how much I suck at planning, but I do have more free time with school out of the way so there's that :)
Now that I am going to have more time I do want to make the story a little better if possible. While the plot itself I have already (mostly) planned out I did want to hear your feedback on it so far as well as some other things. If you don't normally comment please do so and tell me if there's anything, good or bad, that stands out to you while reading this. Or if there's something you wish stood out, that too. Even if it's something small I'd be grateful to know. It's thanks to all of you wonderful little readers that I have gotten this story so far and hopefully it will go further.
Also, please, if you have an account with FFN don't post anonymous comments. It makes it so that I can't reply to you directly, which is unfortunate if you're asking a question. If you don't have one you can always make one, all you need is an email. Or if you don't want one, which doesn't really make sense seeing as you would have to have some fanfiction dedication to get to chapter 107 of this story but alright, then that's your choice. Although if a number of you have the same question then I'll most likely answer it in a chapter instead of to everyone individually.
Other than that I hope you have a wonderful summer. If you enjoy the sun then soak it all up while you still can. Or if you're like me, and your friends legitimately think you're a vampire because the very sight of that stupid fiery star makes you cringe back and hiss, then find a nice hidey hole with a giant fan and we can hope for this atrocious weather to end together ^-^