Stumbling through the portrait hole, two girls flopped onto the same couch as Scorpius and Albus, one of them leaning her head on Albus's shoulder while the other draped herself over the others, her head in Scorpius's lap while her feet rested on the arm of the couch beside Albus. Scorpius and Albus exchanged looks.

"What happened to you guys?" Scorpius asked and Rose groaned from his lap. Hadley just grunted.

"Stupid boys-"

"Think they're funny-"

"So tired-"

"Can't even talk properly-"

"And all because-"

"Bloody idiots, they are-"

Scorpius and Albus grinned at each other in amusement and waited till the girls stopped puffing and mumbling so that they could get the whole story.

"Okay, so you know that painting of Inez, that lady who tries to throw cats at you as you pass? Well we were walking past that, completely innocently-" Rose and Hadley exchanged sly glances and the two boys knew that they were hiding something. "-and then bang! Something hits us from behind. We turn around and there, right on top of us, was Lily and her friend . . . err, you know, the one that has the funny top lip?"

"Marisa." Rose provided. Hadley nodded.

"Anyways, they jumped on us, and they had these really evil smirks on their faces- which is really terrifying when Marisa does it, I mean, have you seen her lips?- and they started dragging us off, we were kicking and screaming the whole way but there must have been hidden muscles somewhere cause man they were strong and- wait, why are you all looking at me like that?"

Hadley's audience had been staring at her with half amused, half aspirates looks, just waiting for her to notice. Rose rolled her eyes delicately. Cute, Scorpius thought. Then he scowled at the wall until Rose started talking.

"Maybe I should tell them. We didn't scream or kick, we followed them 'cause we were curious as to what they were smirking about. They led us to a deserted corridor just a little away from Inez and suddenly two huge Slytherins's jumped out from a broom closet and they got these really dopey looks on their face. Turned out that uncle George had asked Lily to test out some of his new love potion.

"Anyway, Lily was still ticked off at me for saving those quaffles that she threw at me, so she thought that I would be a good candidate for her experiment. So now me and Hadley have to put up with a week of avoiding the two Slytherin love sick puppies!"

"We only just managed to get away from them now. We sprinted half way across the castle just to get rid of them," Hadley pouted.

Scorpius chanced a look down at the beautif- err, tired girl in his lap and smiled slightly as she pouted as well. Unfortunately for him, he found Rose's pout much more adorable than Hadley's. He scowled again. What was with him? Ever since he and Rose had become friends, Scorpius had been finding it harder and harder not to notice small and adorable things about her.

Like the way she licked her lips when she was thinking, or the way she battered her eyelashes when she was hiding something. The way she pulled at her hair when she was nervous, the way her eyes sparkled when she was excited, the way she wrung her hands when she was uncomfortable, the way she stood arrogantly when she was angry, and the way she bit her lip when she was flattered. He had noticed all these things and more, but he could not figure out what it meant.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream and the slamming of the portrait hole. Several people gasped as Penny Brown crashed through the portrait hole, knocking a first year down in the process.

"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled to the first year who was sprawled on the floor, before she stood up straight, her chin raised.

This was typical for Penny, for she honestly thought she was the most important and well liked girl in the school. The fact that she was one of this year's prefects only increased her self-pride.

"Gryffindor's, the Headmaster requests all the students down at the Great Hall in ten minutes, there is going to be an important announcement," she retold loudly, before strutting out of the common room, not noticing when everyone rolled their eyes at her behaviour.

"We had better go down now, that way we avoid the last minute rush and all," Rose said, and they all rose and exited the common room. Excited chatter filled the hallways on their way down to the Great Hall as students tried to guess why they were being summoned for dinner early.

"Maybe someone died!" one boy told his friend and then deflated noticeably when his friend shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, the atmosphere is not nearly morbid enough for that. I recon it will have something to do with housing Dragons in the dungeons for the rest of the year; that sounds so much more realistic!"

Scorpius turned to Albus, his eyes alight with excitement. "Wouldn't that be cool? If they really were housing Dragons in the dungeon?"

Albus nodded his head viciously, and the two girls beside them shook their heads, mumbling 'Boys," under their breath.

When the quartet eventually reached the Great Hall, they found it alive with the buzz of excitement as well. Rose frowned.

What could possibly be happening? It was an extremely rare occasion that they were called down to dinner early, and almost every time something exciting happened. Last time there was a foreign exchange project running from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic to Hogwarts. The time before that they had been told that a new subject had been added into the school's curriculum.

Rose, Scorpius, Hadley and Albus all took a seat and listened to the bazaar stories that were swirling around them. Rose felt Scorpius lean into her and looked up to find him closer than she had thought. A bright blush clouded her cheeks.

I never blush, she thought to herself, perplexed, just as Scorpius started talking to her. "So, what do you think might be happening?" he asked her softly.

Rose looked up at him. "I haven't the faintest idea," she told him, though it annoyed her to no end that she didn't. Scorpius smirked knowingly down at her and she rolled her eyes. "Just shut up Malfoy."

He laughed loudly just as the Headmaster asked for quiet.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy, that means you too," McGonagall told him sternly and Rose stifled giggles. Wait, I don't giggle either, she thought, slightly disgusted with herself.

"Now, I am sure that you are all wondering why you have been called to dinner early. This is because the Ministry and I have decided that, since the Dark Lord is long gone and therefore cannot sabotage the games, we will once again be holding the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts." Loud whisper swept over the four house tables, and it took a few minutes for McGonagall shush them again. "As most of you will know, the Triwizard Tournament is a friendly competition between the three largest European Wizarding schools- Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang- and was established seven hundred years ago. A student is selected to represent their school in three magical tasks, though the age limit for this is over fifteen. There will be four judges during these tasks, and I will introduce them shortly. But first, we must quickly welcome the other schools, who will be arriving now."

Loud chatter filled the Hall, as everyone took in the surprising news.

"Wow. This is going to be great! I mean, you've heard what the tasks were like from Dad, right Rose? They were amazing! Battling with Dragons, Swimming under water for an hour and working his way through a maze; imagine what they will set up for this year!" Albus was beside himself with excitement and was still blundering away when the doors to the Great Hall opened with a slam.

McGonagall stood up. "I will now presenting the Beauxbatons students, and their headmaster Anastasia Hagrid." Rose and Albus grinned at each other.

Anastasia was both of their father's friend's daughter, and was only just twenty years of age. Her mother, Olympe Hagrid, had run the school before she had fallen in love with Hagrid and had eventually handed the position over to Anastasia.

Most of the Hogwarts students gaped at her, and it was really no surprise. Anastasia Hagrid looked just like her parents in every way. She had an olive complexion and had huge black eyes, which she had adopted from her mother. Her hair was a muddy brown and hung in unmanageable tangles, which were from her father. She was also twice as tall as any man could possibly hope to be, and she abused this fact by wearing long Maxi dresses that emphasized her height.

Beside the giant woman walked ten selected students, all of whom were wearing sky-blue robes that supported the Beauxbatons sign; two golden wands crossed over.

When she spotted them, Anastasia rushed over to Rose and Albus, pausing to give them a swift kiss on the cheek.

"Rose, Albus, how wonderful to see you both! I do 'ope 'arry, Ron and 'ermione are well?" she exclaimed, her voice heavy with her accent. Rose nodded.

"Well then, I best be off. I think your 'eadmaster is becoming annoyed at me talking. I will see you around," and with that Anastasia flounced off towards the teachers table.

Scorpius turned to his friends. "Why is she so . . . tall?" Rose was about to scold him on his abruptness, but was interrupted by a Beauxbatons girl, who turned to Scorpius with a flirty smile. She was dressed in the light blue uniform that represented Beauxbatons and had long brown hair that curled down to her waist.

"Iz it alright if I sit here?" she motioned to the seat beside Scorpius and Albus both boys replied with dazed looks.

"Sure, of course."

Rose scowled. The girl hadn't even talked to her and she already disliked her. That's petty, Rose, she told herself strictly.

Scorpius turned back to her. "Erm, what were we talking about?" Rose smirked at the confused look on his face because she knew that he hated being confused as much as she did.

"Wasn't important," she informed him with a small smile. He smiled back. God, he's smiles gorgeous! Rose's face twisted into a scowl. This was not the first time that she had been thinking totally unreasonable thoughts about her newly found friend, and she hated to admit that she might like him more that a friend. No, he's just a friend, she assured herself before she realized that Scorpius had been watching her changing facial expressions with amusement.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, leaning closer to her. Rose breathed in quickly and was hit by the wonderful smell of the boy in front of her. His scent was a mixture of fresh rain and wet grass.

"You smell really good," she breathed, unable to control her mouth.

"So do you," Scorpius mumbled back, leaning closer so that their lips almost touched. Desperate for this to continue, Rose leant up closer, and was almost there when-

"And now, presenting the Durmstrang students, and their Headmaster Burritt Maletzka."

Rose and Scorpius jolted their heads back as they realized what they had nearly done. Turning slowly, Rose moved to distract herself from the awkward situation she had put herself in by watching the Durmstrang students strut in.

Their robes where a contrasting red next to the black-robed students of Hogwarts, and they all wore fur coats around their shoulders. Maletzka shook hands with McGonagall before taking a seat at the teachers table, while his students filled in the empty seats at the four house tables.

"And now, students, our judges!" McGonagall announced and Rose looked up to see the Headmaster gesturing to a door that was slightly to the side of the teachers' table. "First judge will be the famous Harry Potter!"

Loud noise filled the hall as all the three schools clapped hysterically for the hero. Harry just smiled and waved to them lazily. Albus, upon spotting his dad, deflated slightly. Rose felt sorry for him, until she noticed someone else walk through the door. Then she felt sorry for herself.

"Our next judge is Ronald Weasley!" More excited clapping filled the air, and Rose looked on with horror. A whole year with her father close by. This couldn't possibly get any worst, she thought bitterly. She thought to soon.

"Judge number three will be Hermione Weasley!"

Rose groaned and slumped against Scorpius, borrowing her face into his chest. Laughing lightly at her reaction, Scorpius looked back up at the front of the hall as the last judge was called.

"Oh, Shit," he choked out, arousing Rose from her misery enough that she looked up at the panic on his face. Confused, she turned her head to the front and gasped along with the school as the last judge strutted out beside the others.

"And our final judge will be Draco Malfoy!"