The last few weeks have been hell.
To say the least.
Harry and Ron have been avoiding me, Ginny has been yelling at me any chance that she can get, Luna is the only person I can rely on and that is scary considering that its Luna 'Loony' Lovegood who has been considered crazy from day one.
The Daily Prophet articles are ten times worse now focusing on me and Abby.
"Forbidden Love within the Champions of Hogwarts?"
"Two girls in love-is it right or is it wrong?"
"Is it too distracting for the fifth champion to be courting the ex-lover of the Drumstrang Champion?"
It's getting quiet nerve racking, that Rita Skeeter really knows how to spin this out to something that it isn't-well it is but it isn't going the way that they are suggesting.
But, on the bright side Abby and I's relationship has become stronger then ever, she's been getting the same treatment as me yet somehow she doesn't seem as bothered by it as I am, regardless of what she says.
It's almost as if the negative attention likes to find her, haunt her and she has just become numb and desensitized by the ridiculous comments and pranks that we get by every house and school, the other schools, especially Beaubaxtons have increased their torments towards the both of us.
She walks me to each class ignoring the taunts that we receive in the halls, its almost as if she is protecting me from whatever Malfoy was trying to protect her from.
But we have each other so its fine, we will be fine.
Right?
I sit in the library, away from Abby or anyone, I needed a break from the absurdity of the situation and this was the only place that I could think of.
"Hermione?"
There goes my peace and quiet.
I slowly, annoyedly turn my form towards where the voice came from.
Harry and Ron stand there both of their hands in their pockets their face expressions identical; sheepish and ashamed.
"We want to talk to you," Harry says.
"Oh yeah? What to taunt me some more like everyone else? No thanks I've had my fair share today..."
"No...No we want to apologize to you for being such dimwits to your feelings," Ron struggles to get out, like his pride was holding him back."You...wanted to apologize? Whatever for? I mean I was the one who lied to you for months," I say astonished.
"And...we are willing to meet Abby and actually get to know her only if you are serious about this absurdity." Harry says sitting down beside me, his hand moving his glasses in place.
"Are you sure about that guys?" I ask them feeling worried.
"Yeah of course, we wouldn't be suggesting it if we weren't sure about that, we wouldn't have brought it up," Ron says rolling his eyes at me.
"Well thank you guys anyways...How are you coming along with your plan for the maze Harry?" I ask my green eyed friend.
He shrugs his face falling into a crestfallen expression.
"You remember the second task?" He asks changing the subject..
I nod.
"When I was under the lake, Abby was the one who found the rock to cut Ron and Madelines chain, she of course saved Malfoy first but then she saw me struggling and she tossed me the rock she used, not to mention that when she noticed that Fleur wasn't coming she was the one who went and helped me out with Madeline," Harry says. "She did good then...yet I was the one who took all of the credit regarding the last task and Madeline..."
"Harry...she never told me that," I murmur. "And she wouldn't have wanted the attention, she's going through a lot right now..."
"I know...and I just want to let you know that I am here to talk to if you ever need it," He smiles softly at me.
I nod gratefully, and envelope him in a hug, feeling extremely lucky that we had met our first year and became friends.
We break away from each other just as the announcements ring in our ears, telling us to make our way down to the castle grounds for the third and final task, oh yes, today was the last task, Abby would win surely but I would never say that to Harry.
Harry, Ron and I make our way out of the library and down the hall towards the towering hedges where the champions would be placed in to fight their way to the center only to find the goblet and leave the maze to arrive back here in front of the maze.
I take my place in the stands next to Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor house everyone already cheering for Harry, the Hufflepuff house cheering for Cedric, the Slytherin house cheering for Abby and the Ravenclaw house cheering for each of them a different opinion depending on the person.
I see Abby standing in the middle of the field before the maze, looking incredibly nervous.
Abby P.O.V
I'm wringing my hands with frustration, feeling extremely irritated at myself, I feel as if I didn't prepare enough for this last task, I have no idea what is going to be in there and yet I'm going inside of the maze with four others who look more then ready to step inside.
Not to mention I'm the one who is going first, for some reason the first task stuck with me and now I'm the one who is leading the champions into the maze, after me is Cedric and Harry, then Krum and finally Fleur.
I tune out Ludo Bagman until I hear the cannon fire signaling me to go inside of the maze first.
Snapping out of my trance I race into the maze, the hedges towering over me with a certain terror that I haven't felt since I was nine years old.
The inside of the maze was a dozen times darker then the outside where I had just been.
"Lumos," I whisper, the tip of my wand lights up and shows me where I am.
I take a right jogging along the bushes towards where I chose to go.
"Find me," I murmur to my wand as I lay it flat on my hand, the wand spins around and points to the right of me where North laid.
Snatching my wand up again I race towards the nearest right and take it.
I'm doing good so far until I hear the second cannon announcing that Cedric and Harry would be entering inside of the maze.
I make a left and continue my journey to the center of the maze.
About a few minutes later I hear the third cannon; Krum is now in the race.
I speed up my pace as he is the one who I'm the most scared of.
I hear a rustling sound in the hedges beside me, I turn around sharply to see nothing, nothing at all.
But, when I turn around I see the Blasted ended skrewts that we had been working on in Care for Magical creatures, now to their full size their teeth grinding as they look for something to eat.
I point my wand at the horrible things and yell; "Stupefy!"
Immediately the Skrewt goes rigid and falls onto its back, carefully and cautiously I make my way around the skrewt and run down the way it came hoping that there weren't anymore of the skrewts to find me.
I come into a path, a golden mist hung low in the air and it seemed like it was creeping towards me, in the wizarding world golden mist that hung in the air was rarely a good thing, I turn away from the enchanted mist and make the closest left to me.
In the distance I see Fleur run away from something; funny I hadn't heard the last cannon go off.
I hear a scream sound and automatically I knew that was Fleur, without a second thought I change my course of direction and run towards her voice.
I notice that Harry and Cedric had the same idea and had beat me there, Krum laid on the ground and Fleur was beside him breathing heavily.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Krum had Fleur under the cruciatus curse," Harry says sweat dripping off of his forehead.
"Ill send up the sparks," I say pointing my wand to the sky releasing red sparks into the night.
I nod to them and continue on the way I was previously going using the 'find me' charm to point the way north.
After a few wrong turns and about a dozen obstacles I see the clearing to the center of the maze.
I run as fast as I can just wanting to leave this wretched place and get it over with, only to see Harry and Cedric coming inside of the clearing at the same time that I was, of course just another obstacle to get out of this stupid place.
Cedric and Harry glare at each other before seeing me their faces softening for whatever reason.
Suddenly I have a marvelous idea and walk to them and not towards the cup.
"What are you doing Abby?" Harry asks.
"Yeah? You were here first so why don't you take the cup?" Cedric asks me with a confused expression on his face.
"Because...I was thinking perhaps we could all take it," I say shrugging my shoulders feeling incredibly sore.
"What?"
"Like a Hogwarts victory?" Cedric says. "But then who would get the money?"
"You guys can split it between you two, I just want this bullshit to be done and over with, I am so sick of hedges," I say.
"Are you sure...?" Harry asks looking skeptical.
"Look Harry Potter-I am as sure as I am with Hermione, I really don't care about this ridiculous Triwizard Tournament so why don't we stop standing around and take the damn cup so that we can get out of this maze," I growl.
He glances to the cup and then back to Cedric and I.
"Alright, together-on three," He says walking to the outside of the cup, Cedric standing on the other side of him and me on the front side facing the blue goblet.
"One..." Cedric says.
"Two..." Harry says readying his hand.
"Three!" I shout and we all move in synch reaching to the cup that would crown us the victors of the Triwizard Tournament.
As soon as our fingertips gripped the cup our bodies twisted and contorted through what felt like a tight black nothingness that drew us up and away from the center of the maze.
My vision is clouded by the darkness, a sudden cold hitting me like a bus, when my vision clears; I don't know where we are.
All I know is we weren't at Hogwarts anymore.
