p class="p1"span class="s1"The task seemed to go by in a whirlwind for both Justin and Eden as they ran from champion to champion in the tent getting statements and conducting full interviews. Justin also walked the stands halfway through the task to get some action shots as well as pictures of the different schools cheering for their own champion. The feeling was electric and Eden and Justin let it fuel them. Four hours later, both journalists trudged back up to the castle as the tiredness began to settle into their limbs. They muttered a quick goodbye and continued separately back to their dorms after an overwhelmingly long day. After saying the password for the dungeon common room, Eden dragged herself to the soft couches surrounding the fireplace as she smiled a greeting at the other Slytherins spread throughout the room at tables and squashy armchairs. Laying out on the closest silver tufted couch, she pulled out her notebook and pen and began to write her journalistic piece over the dragon task and her interview with the youngest champion, at sixteen, Harry Potter. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" The words flowed easily out of her pen when writing about this particular champion and his courageous stand against the Hungarian Horntail. Eden could tell that Potter had some reservations about being interviewed by the American Slytherin girl he had seen hanging around Malfoy and his followers the week before, but when Eden walked towards him in the Champions Tent after he finished the task with a giant smile on her face and immediately started in on how impressed she was with him, Harry's face turned a bright shade of red under the praise, thanked her kindly, and any feeling of distrust between them faded away./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Throughout the whole interview, she intentionally steered clear from the fact that he was known throughout Great Britain as "The Boy Who Lived" and stuck to his new champion status as the topic of conversation. Harry was relieved by this, knowing that she wouldn't bring up his past in her articles for Ilvermorny and that for once he would be recognized for something he actually recalls doing rather than blind hero praise for being a toddler that survived a killing curse. By the end of the interview, they had regressed into just talking about their classes, friends, and Harry's survival guide to Hogwarts. She had a feeling his trick about counting a certain amount of steps on the stairs and jumping over the illusion one would definitely pay off in the long run. By the end of their long talk in the tent, they had made plans to study for Transfiguration together that coming Wednesday since Eden was convinced she was behind the other students and Harry was happy to enlist Hermione and himself in helping her catch up. Eden smiled at the memory because she felt like her one goal for this semester was being reached: have friends that you can talk to when Justin isn't around. So far her Slytherin housemates seemed to take to her and now a new friend in Gryffindor. She damn well felt like a female Justin./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "You really need to get with the culture here. Ballpoint pens? What do you think this is- the 20th century?" Theo grabbed the pen from her hand from behind the couch and as she sprang up to grab it, he kicked his legs over the couch and seated himself next to her. Putting his arm around her to hold her away from his free arm clutching her pen he steadied a gaze at her, "I didn't see you at the task today. Where were you?" Eden lowered her arms mid grab and rested back into the couch, once again noticing how close Theo had put himself to her; their thighs pressed against each other as the couch shifted them together./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Justin and I were allowed to be in the Champions Tent for our interviews, so we watched from there. Ground zero seating, it was pretty awesome." Eden beamed back at him. Her thoughts trailed to how jealous Gina would be after she told her all about this in her next letter home. "Ahh, I see. Well I'm rather jealous of both of you and all those champions."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Putting their lives at risk for the title of Triwizard Champion? No thank you, I will leave the stupidly brave actions to them. But I do love watching them put their lives at risk so I say, keep it up!" Eden laughed to herself as she tore her eyes away from Theo and started gathering up her papers and scooping them into her blue backpack. "Oh no, that isn't why I am jealous. I could live without the glory of stupidity also. I'm jealous because they got to spend time with you. Even Potter got an interview? I never thought I'd be jealous of Potter. This is a new low for me." Eden's breath caught in her throat at Theo's admission and her hands began to fumble with the papers she was trying to stuff into her backpack when Theo grabbed both of her hands and brought them to her lap to make him face her. "Interview me."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Alright, yeah. I need Hogwarts students' perspectives of all of these changes due to the tournament anyway. Why not you?" Theo let go of her hands and Eden shifted around on the couch looking for anything to allow herself to gain her composure back and calm the burn she felt in her cheeks. She avoided Theo's gaze until she heard, "Looking for this, grunge?" Looking up through her curtain of black long hair, she found Theo looking superior as he held her pen out to her. "Oh, ha. Yeah. Thanks." Grabbing the pen hastily from him in her current state of discomfort, their fingers skimmed against each other and it felt like a warm flame licked her hand at their touch. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Pulling out the Hogwarts student interview questions Justin had already drafted up, she began to shift around to face him. Her right leg pulled up onto the couch and the left still on the floor she was now fully facing Theo as he lounged against the sofa with a smug look on his face and his thigh firmly pressed against her shin. His knit sweater fit snuggly across his chest and was pulled up at the elbows. Eden couldn't help but stare momentarily before pulling herself out of the Theo trance that seemed to take over more and more as she spent time around him. Slowly closing his eyes and putting his left arm on the top of the couch close to Eden, he smiled, "Ready when you are." /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Okay, so what are your thoughts on all of the international students that are currently taking up space in your classes and in your dorm rooms?"/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Honestly? I didn't really mind until recently. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs are cordial to us and are able to discuss different strains of magic from each of their home countries, which I enjoy learning about. Rough with the language barrier, but I have learned some key phrases to help me get by. I think having them here offers a lot to the students of Hogwarts just based on the fact many students have never met witches and wizards from other countries. It is teaching us a lot about understanding and accepting others' perspectives."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "And what is the recent change that has caused a problem for you?" Eden scribbled quickly on her notebook in her lap waiting for Theo to continue, "Here is the upset. She isn't really a problem at all. But it is this American student from Ilvermorny that I can't seem to stop thinking about. In some of the classes I have with her, she sits next to me and I get distracted. Then it is even worse when we aren't in the same class because then I spend most of my time wondering what lucky git does get to sit next to her. It is really taking a toll on my marks." At this, Eden's pen stopped mid scribble and she looked up at him. Theo took his arm down from the back of the sofa and tilted her chin up at him as he leaned towards her. He stopped a breath away from her lips with a moment's hesitation for her to stop him from doing what he had been thinking about since he met her a week ago, when Eden moved forward and planted her lips on his. His lips were soft as she melted into him as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him and what felt too soon, for both of them, Theo pulled away. Looking into her eyes he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and trailed his finger down her jaw and kissed her again. "Want to meet here to walk down to breakfast together tomorrow?" Theo asked a dazed Eden as she stared back at him their noses almost touching. "Sure."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Good. Goodnight, beautiful." With that, Theo stood up and walked towards the hall for the boys dormitory rooms and Eden slid down the couch onto her back. Her body felt like jelly and she knew what she had to do so she got out a pen and the charmed paper that Gina gave her. She began to write:/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" emYooooooo Gina/em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"em Dude. I've got stuff. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"The paper then began to bleed out a new set of writing./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Dude. What is the stuff./strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"emOk. So this boy in my house just kissed me. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong WHAT?! /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Did you want this? /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Is he cute?/strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Oh god, I hope he was cute. /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"Eden began to giggle to herself because she could blatantly see in her mind what Gina was doing right now. Writing something then punching into the air to then remember another question that she would have to stop and write again. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"em Yes, he is very cute. And I've only been here for a little over a week, but I think I like him. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Well, tell me about him! You want me to be all the way across the world and just be patient about this?!/strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Don't make me come and break down those giant ass doors./strong/span/p
p class="p1" /p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Their conversation lasted an hour and Eden felt better with Gina in the know about a possible relationship with Theo. Gina's advice through the whole conversation was make out with him literally every moment of everyday. She got a little intense sometimes. Putting her paper back into her book bag and all of her extra folders and notebooks, Eden headed off to bed with a dreamy smile plastered to her face. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" The words flowed easily out of her pen when writing about this particular champion and his courageous stand against the Hungarian Horntail. Eden could tell that Potter had some reservations about being interviewed by the American Slytherin girl he had seen hanging around Malfoy and his followers the week before, but when Eden walked towards him in the Champions Tent after he finished the task with a giant smile on her face and immediately started in on how impressed she was with him, Harry's face turned a bright shade of red under the praise, thanked her kindly, and any feeling of distrust between them faded away./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Throughout the whole interview, she intentionally steered clear from the fact that he was known throughout Great Britain as "The Boy Who Lived" and stuck to his new champion status as the topic of conversation. Harry was relieved by this, knowing that she wouldn't bring up his past in her articles for Ilvermorny and that for once he would be recognized for something he actually recalls doing rather than blind hero praise for being a toddler that survived a killing curse. By the end of the interview, they had regressed into just talking about their classes, friends, and Harry's survival guide to Hogwarts. She had a feeling his trick about counting a certain amount of steps on the stairs and jumping over the illusion one would definitely pay off in the long run. By the end of their long talk in the tent, they had made plans to study for Transfiguration together that coming Wednesday since Eden was convinced she was behind the other students and Harry was happy to enlist Hermione and himself in helping her catch up. Eden smiled at the memory because she felt like her one goal for this semester was being reached: have friends that you can talk to when Justin isn't around. So far her Slytherin housemates seemed to take to her and now a new friend in Gryffindor. She damn well felt like a female Justin./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "You really need to get with the culture here. Ballpoint pens? What do you think this is- the 20th century?" Theo grabbed the pen from her hand from behind the couch and as she sprang up to grab it, he kicked his legs over the couch and seated himself next to her. Putting his arm around her to hold her away from his free arm clutching her pen he steadied a gaze at her, "I didn't see you at the task today. Where were you?" Eden lowered her arms mid grab and rested back into the couch, once again noticing how close Theo had put himself to her; their thighs pressed against each other as the couch shifted them together./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Justin and I were allowed to be in the Champions Tent for our interviews, so we watched from there. Ground zero seating, it was pretty awesome." Eden beamed back at him. Her thoughts trailed to how jealous Gina would be after she told her all about this in her next letter home. "Ahh, I see. Well I'm rather jealous of both of you and all those champions."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Putting their lives at risk for the title of Triwizard Champion? No thank you, I will leave the stupidly brave actions to them. But I do love watching them put their lives at risk so I say, keep it up!" Eden laughed to herself as she tore her eyes away from Theo and started gathering up her papers and scooping them into her blue backpack. "Oh no, that isn't why I am jealous. I could live without the glory of stupidity also. I'm jealous because they got to spend time with you. Even Potter got an interview? I never thought I'd be jealous of Potter. This is a new low for me." Eden's breath caught in her throat at Theo's admission and her hands began to fumble with the papers she was trying to stuff into her backpack when Theo grabbed both of her hands and brought them to her lap to make him face her. "Interview me."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Alright, yeah. I need Hogwarts students' perspectives of all of these changes due to the tournament anyway. Why not you?" Theo let go of her hands and Eden shifted around on the couch looking for anything to allow herself to gain her composure back and calm the burn she felt in her cheeks. She avoided Theo's gaze until she heard, "Looking for this, grunge?" Looking up through her curtain of black long hair, she found Theo looking superior as he held her pen out to her. "Oh, ha. Yeah. Thanks." Grabbing the pen hastily from him in her current state of discomfort, their fingers skimmed against each other and it felt like a warm flame licked her hand at their touch. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Pulling out the Hogwarts student interview questions Justin had already drafted up, she began to shift around to face him. Her right leg pulled up onto the couch and the left still on the floor she was now fully facing Theo as he lounged against the sofa with a smug look on his face and his thigh firmly pressed against her shin. His knit sweater fit snuggly across his chest and was pulled up at the elbows. Eden couldn't help but stare momentarily before pulling herself out of the Theo trance that seemed to take over more and more as she spent time around him. Slowly closing his eyes and putting his left arm on the top of the couch close to Eden, he smiled, "Ready when you are." /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Okay, so what are your thoughts on all of the international students that are currently taking up space in your classes and in your dorm rooms?"/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Honestly? I didn't really mind until recently. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs are cordial to us and are able to discuss different strains of magic from each of their home countries, which I enjoy learning about. Rough with the language barrier, but I have learned some key phrases to help me get by. I think having them here offers a lot to the students of Hogwarts just based on the fact many students have never met witches and wizards from other countries. It is teaching us a lot about understanding and accepting others' perspectives."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "And what is the recent change that has caused a problem for you?" Eden scribbled quickly on her notebook in her lap waiting for Theo to continue, "Here is the upset. She isn't really a problem at all. But it is this American student from Ilvermorny that I can't seem to stop thinking about. In some of the classes I have with her, she sits next to me and I get distracted. Then it is even worse when we aren't in the same class because then I spend most of my time wondering what lucky git does get to sit next to her. It is really taking a toll on my marks." At this, Eden's pen stopped mid scribble and she looked up at him. Theo took his arm down from the back of the sofa and tilted her chin up at him as he leaned towards her. He stopped a breath away from her lips with a moment's hesitation for her to stop him from doing what he had been thinking about since he met her a week ago, when Eden moved forward and planted her lips on his. His lips were soft as she melted into him as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him and what felt too soon, for both of them, Theo pulled away. Looking into her eyes he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and trailed his finger down her jaw and kissed her again. "Want to meet here to walk down to breakfast together tomorrow?" Theo asked a dazed Eden as she stared back at him their noses almost touching. "Sure."/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" "Good. Goodnight, beautiful." With that, Theo stood up and walked towards the hall for the boys dormitory rooms and Eden slid down the couch onto her back. Her body felt like jelly and she knew what she had to do so she got out a pen and the charmed paper that Gina gave her. She began to write:/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1" emYooooooo Gina/em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"em Dude. I've got stuff. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"The paper then began to bleed out a new set of writing./span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Dude. What is the stuff./strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"emOk. So this boy in my house just kissed me. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong WHAT?! /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Did you want this? /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Is he cute?/strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Oh god, I hope he was cute. /strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"Eden began to giggle to herself because she could blatantly see in her mind what Gina was doing right now. Writing something then punching into the air to then remember another question that she would have to stop and write again. /span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"em Yes, he is very cute. And I've only been here for a little over a week, but I think I like him. /em/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Well, tell me about him! You want me to be all the way across the world and just be patient about this?!/strong/span/p
p class="p1"span class="s1"strong Don't make me come and break down those giant ass doors./strong/span/p
p class="p1" /p
p class="p1"span class="s1" Their conversation lasted an hour and Eden felt better with Gina in the know about a possible relationship with Theo. Gina's advice through the whole conversation was make out with him literally every moment of everyday. She got a little intense sometimes. Putting her paper back into her book bag and all of her extra folders and notebooks, Eden headed off to bed with a dreamy smile plastered to her face. /span/p