I watched as the late afternoon clouds began to roll over the forest green hills surrounding the Black Lake, enveloping more and more of the landscape until the very skyline seemed to have shrunk and hunched down - held hostage by the oppressive fog.

I'd managed to squirm away from my friends after the memorial service, telling them I'd join them again for dinner later in the day. I'd been compelled to stroll towards the Black Lake, sitting on its edge and hugging my knees to my chest. The slightly damp grass seemed to soak through my dark wool skirt almost as soon as I'd sat down, and with the breeze picking up I knew I'd have to return inside soon.

I worried my lip with my teeth as I gazed across the mirror-like surface of the water, raising an arm to fiddle with my new bangs. I wondered why I hadn't cut them sooner to shield the ugly red lightning bolt slashed across my forehead. Not that it mattered much at school, everyone here already knew me and my distinctive red hair was usually a dead give away. But it would be helpful in obscuring my identity while out in public, or at least I hoped that would be the case. The real test would be this summer, when I returned to Diagon Alley to buy supplies for the new school year. I hoped against hope that Sirius and Tonks would be well enough by then for me to depart for that annual trip from Grimmauld Place. Surely they will be, I thought to myself.

My mind flitted from one thought to the next this way as it had been since Cedric's memorial, unable or unwilling to concentrate on one thing for too long. Thinking about all of the sniffling and whimpers I'd heard coming from the Hufflepuffs during the memorial, wondering if I should steal food from the kitchens to stock up before inevitably heading to the Dursley's for the summer, seeing Pettigrew's hand fall away from the fleshy stump of his arm as he cut it off, feeling a celestial warmth from the figures that had come out of Voldemort's wand after it had connected to mine in the graveyard. Round and round and round my manic mind went, too full of thoughts and memories. I wondered if Dumbledore would let me empty some of the particularly nasty ones into his Pensieve as I'd seen him do earlier in the year?

I'd unconsciously begun to worry the wound that Pettigrew had inflicted on my forearm as I sat near the lakeside, knowing I should stop irritating it but unable to keep my flighty hands from finding some task, any task, that might keep them busy.

I remembered a time earlier in the year when I'd sat on the Lake's edge as I was now, although unlike now my thoughts had been centered on one thing: Ron. I'd just been on a run with Fred and George as a part of their training program to prepare me for the first task. I'd practically been running in circles around them, accustomed as I was to running when I needed to make a speedy escape from Dudley and his friends. I'd of course teasingly pointed this out to them, resulting in a full on sprint to the finish line to see who was the fastest "when it actually mattered for the win," according to what Fred had said in an attempt to defend his pride. By the end we'd all lain in heaving heaps, trying to slow our breathing, laughing and joking with one another until the boys decided they would swoon if they didn't eat something soon. I'd stayed behind, plopping down on the grass and pulling my trainers and socks off to let my sore feet feel the soft, cool grass beneath them.

Inevitably, my thoughts had wandered to Ron, who like most of the school had decided I'd made a grab at even more attention by bewitching my name to spout out of the Triwizard Cup. I'd never felt so isolated at Hogwarts, and while I still had Hermione, Fred and George to support me, the unrelenting teasing and gossiping behind my back made me want to fly away from Hogwarts on my broom and never return. I had thought after a few days it would die down, but things only seemed to intensify with each passing day.

Cedric's supporters had recently crafted badges that would spell out "Potter Stinks" if I went anywhere near them, and they were even accompanied by the sound of a flushing toilet. Even Ron had begun to wear one of the badges the day before, which hurt the most of everything he'd done or said so far. Hermione had outwardly tolerated Ron's "tantrum" as she dubbed his current attitude towards me, but she had finally lost her diplomatic attitude when she'd spotted him wearing the badge outside the Potions classroom before lessons yesterday.

Just as she was in the middle of ranting at Ron, who'd gone bright red in embarrassment per usual, Snape had opened the doors to the dungeons and we began to shuffle through. Snape initially made no comment about the badges, but once we were all seated and they continued to make the flushing noise again and again in response to my close proximity, he'd quickly lost his patience and accio'd all the badges to himself before unceremoniously tossing them into the massive fireplace behind his desk and beginning the lesson. He'd done it so fast that no one had time to voice their displeasure without also interrupting Snape, who'd already started lecturing us on the most common ingredients found in sleeping draughts.

I'd flushed with mirth silently and masked a giggle by clearing my throat as the badges continued to burn in the fireplace. Serves them right, I'd thought. I chanced a glance at Ron who looked especially angry at his badge being swiped, his knuckles clenched and nostrils flared.

How could he be so cruel to me? I'd pondered as I sat by the Lake. Ron of all people, who I'd considered my best friend since I started at Hogwarts. Come to think of it, the first friend I'd ever made and kept, who hadn't been scared off by the Dursley's lies about my bad behavior. Even when Fred and George had tried to talk sense into him, and then threatened him when that failed to work, he refused to budge and come to see the truth of the situation. I'd hung my head in my hands then, wanting to scream in exasperation and frustration at his behavior, wondering what I had to do to convince everyone that this tournament was the last thing I wanted. Could I just not compete? Refuse to enter the tournament arena and wipe my hands clean of the whole bloody thing?

No, I knew. I wasn't that noble, and I was prideful enough to worry what others would think if I refused to compete, especially after all the teasing. People would say I was incompetent and too scared, not good enough of a witch to play with the big boys. Jutting myself into the spotlight but not having the balls to follow through. Imagining the smug look on Malfoy's face if I did refuse to compete soon sealed the lid on that choice for me.

Someone had cleared their throat behind me then, and I turned to find Cedric shuffling his feet and looking at me.

"Look," he'd started, clearing his throat once again before continuing. "About the badges, I've asked everyone not to wear them."

"Don't worry about it," I'd muttered, rising from my seated position and turning to head back inside the castle. I had enough on my plate as it was, I didn't have time for some false, guilty apology from Diggory. Or worse, more teasing about how dreadfully I would perform in the first task, especially not from Hogwart's golden Head Boy.

"Potter, I believe you. I don't think you put your name in the cup."

I turned around to face him then, sweat from the run still dripping off of my face.

"You do?" I'd questioned warily, unsure where this conversation was leading.

"Yes, of course I believe you. If the whole school had seen the look on your face when Dumbledore and Crouch and everyone had confronted you in the trophy room after our names were drawn, well no-one would doubt you hadn't a clue what had happened to get you there."

"Well, uhh…thanks, I guess" I'd replied.

When he didn't say anything in reply and just continued to stare at me, I'd said goodbye and made to walk back to the castle. It was a few moments after that Cedric shouted for me to wait and caught up, asking if he could walk back with me.

"I suppose…"

"Look, I'm sorry. I know we've never really even spoken before outside of Quidditch. Even at the World Cup I have to admit I was a bit too…distracted to chat properly with you. Anyway, I just don't want you to think that I made those badges. I've been trying to figure out who did, but no-one will fess up."

I'd wondered what exactly he meant when he said he was too distracted, figuring he was just too enthralled with the match itself to bother socializing much with me. He'd admitted soon after that, in fact, for some absurd reason, he was too intimidated by me to strike up a conversation. He'd blushed and had his eyes downcast throughout that admission, which endeared him to me even more. His embarrassment had disappeared as soon as I, in turn, admitted that Hermione, Ginny and I had ogled him when he and his father first joined us for the cup, giggling into our hands when he wasn't looking and we could admire him from afar.

I'd cleared my throat before snappily replying "It really doesn't matter. Besides, we both should be concentrating on training, or at least I definitely should be, if I want to make it through this. I'm sure you're well prepared"

"Well yes, but I'm sure it's difficult enough for you to focus on training as it is without the bloody badges around too. If I'm going to beat the famous Rose Potter, then I want it to be fair and square." He'd teased me, and I was about to chid him for it when I realized how light-hearted his expression was, a dimple appearing in his chin as he smirked down at me. His tone reminded me of how Fred and George would joke and play around, and I quickly realized I couldn't take what he was saying too seriously.

We'd chatted amiably then until we reached the entrance hall, where Cedric asked if I wanted to join him for breakfast.

"I would, but I should really shower first if I don't want to live up to the badges reputation" I joked, still sweaty from the run with my hair clinging to my forehead and against the back of my neck. I was stinky, as the badges always wanted to remind me.

He'd laughed then, shaking his head down at the ground in amusement before raising his gaze and nodding in my direction.

"Right then, see you soon Rose."

"Yeah sure, see you around" I'd replied before heading back to my dormitory and quickly jumping into a warm shower, reflecting on the rapid uplifting of my mood and pondering mine and Cedric's conversation as we'd walked back to the castle.

I was pulled away from my patched memories as the rain started to come down in a slow drizzle. I turned and headed back inside, knowing I would need to make an appearance at dinner eventually as I'd promised or my friends would start to worry. I would need to finish packing tonight too, a task that I always dreaded at the end of the year. This time felt different though, I was almost looking forward to getting away from Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. A summer full of mindless cleaning tasks set by Aunt Petunia and endless boredom with nothing else to do might just give me the time alone that I so craved, with no-one commanding me to eat or rest or to interrupt my thoughts. Solitude and loneliness was something I was extremely accustomed to at this point, and the further I could get from Hogwart's the better.