The Quidditch pitch was unrecognizable, that was the first thought that came to Pansy's mind when she arrived. What used to be a flat field was now a massive wall of impending doom, or so it felt like it. There was a gap in one part of the tall hedge, revealing its dark and creepy depths. Thoughts of frightening creatures and mysterious beings lurking in dark corners engulfed her mind and it made her shudder.

The stands were still empty, save from a few people from the Ministry of Magic. She didn't gloss over their presence that much. She was, after all, just there for one person and one person alone.

Cedric Diggory.

She watched him enter with Ludo Bagman and the rest of the champions. He was on edge, obviously. All of them were. A smirk appeared on her lips as she watched him run his shaking hand on his brown hair.

She really didn't know how it happened either. Never in her wildest dreams did she thought of befriending a Hufflepuff. They were a bunch of dunderheads in her opinion, too soft and mellow to her liking.

Until the Hufflepuff prefect went out of his way to help her in an otherwise Herbology disaster. It was a year ago and she was alone in Greenhouse Three after being asked by Professor Sprout to stay after failing to de-fang the Vampiric vegetation. She was close to crying as she attempted it once more. The plant's teeth were sharp and it wouldn't budge, she reckon she would be staying there for the rest of the term.

"Everything okay in there?" a male voice asked from the entrance of the greenhouse. Looking up, she saw him approach her with a worried look on his face. She didn't need to ask who he was as he was incredibly popular.

"Do I Look like I'm okay?" she scoffed as she removed her dragon-hide gloves. "Why are you here? Leave. I don't want any witness when I set this place on fire."

The Hufflepuff chuckled good-naturedly as he hovered behind her. She scowled when she realized that her words didn't affect him at all. Most people usually leave her alone after a few choice words. Was she losing touch? "Vampiric vegetation, eh? Mind if I help?"

He didn't wait for her to reply as he slipped on his own gloves. "There's a trick," he said before reaching out to the cluster of plants in front of them.

It was the start of an unlikely friendship, something that Pansy wasn't that comfortable to show off publicly. She was after all Slytherin's ice queen and she wouldn't want to risk her rep for hanging out with a Hufflepuff. Still, she silently supported him - in every Quidditch match when he wasn't battling it out with Slytherins and now this, the Tri-wizard Tournament.

Somehow the third task made her anxious enough to skip dinner and wait in the quidditch pitch before the rest of the school arrived. She was fairly certain that Draco and the others have already noticed her absence, and for once, she didn't care.

"Diggory!" she called out as soon as she noticed that Ludo Bagman left the champions to talk to some Ministry employees.

Cedric turned around, smile almost immediate as soon as he saw her. The other champions looked at her, Delacour and Krum in confusion, and Scarhead with a hint of suspicion.

The Hufflepuff made his way towards her and she reached out to drag him to a private alcove away from the others. It was bad enough that the others have seen her, she wouldn't want them to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Pansy, what are you doing here?" Cedric asked, his brows knitted in confusion. He knew perfectly well that she wasn't one to seek him out.

"Wishing you good luck," she said with her head held high as if it was not that big of a deal. A hint of a smile was on her lips though when she heard him mention her first name. He always complained how she always called him Diggory instead of Cedric.

"A personal good luck message from the Pansy Parkinson," he said with a chuckle. "That's new. I'm pretty sure I would win the tournament now."

Nudging him in the ribs, Pansy found herself chuckling too. "Don't let it get to your head. Just... Be safe there, okay?" Her voice had that tinge of worry she rarely showed to anyone. It was new to her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just stay out of trouble while I'm inside."

Pansy rolled her eyes. He was teasing her as always. Sometimes it felt like she was talking to someone her age, not someone two years older. She clicked her tongue and said, "Stay out of trouble, really? What am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

Cedric shrugged. "What do you usually do when I'm gone?" he asked. She opened her mouth to answer but he continued as if he knew perfectly well what she was going to say. "Aside from making other people miserable."

The Slytherin girl tilted her head as she weighed her thoughts. In all seriousness, she proclaimed, "Wait for you to come back."

She could hear the rest of the school filling up the stands on top of them. She needed to go before Draco sends Crabbe and Goyle to hunt her down. "Good luck..." she said as she kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Cedric."

A huge smile erupted on his face as soon as he realized she had called him by his first name. Pansy retreated and he took it as a signal that it was time to go. "I'll see you later, Pansy."

The Slytherin girl jogged her way up the stands and settled herself next to Draco. "Where were you?" he asked suspiciously.

"The common room," she shrugged absentmindedly as the third task started. She could already imagine Cedric holding the cup in his hands with a huge smile on his handsome face.

As promised, she waited.

But he never returned.