First off I would like to give my fullest apologies for the late update! Aren't holidays supposed to be un-stressful? Anyway, I promise I won't take as long in future. :P Hope you like the chapter (though I'm afraid it's a tad short...)& thank you SO much for the reviews! I really loved hearing from you. Enjoy!
Nobody mentioned the mysterious boy or the dance or O'Children that night. Admittedly, nobody really had the energy to do anything but fall in a heap, fully-dressed and fall asleep. Lavender and Parvati were snoring fitfully, but Hermione couldn't sleep. She lay awake in bed, staring blankly at the pastel ceiling, mulling the night's events over in her head, trying to make sense of it all. It all seemed so strange. She wondered, now, if he had had too much to drink and therefore had decided to dance with her in the magical silver spotlight. But then again, it had felt right, she had done it all of instinct ...
Who was he?
Hermione must have eventually dropped off, because she woke next morning to sultry sunshine filling up the dormitory. Parvati had clearly just had a shower, because she was just entering the room, wrapped firmly in a towel and looking bedraggled.
'I am absolutely exhausted,' she said hollowly, pulling her sopping black hair over her shoulder.
'You're not the only one,' Hermione said, smiling weakly.
There was a groan from the corner; Lavender was stirring. She sat up and swept her tousled hair back, revealing dark shadows underneath her eyes.
'S'time already?' she muttered groggily.
In time, everyone woke up enough to get dressed and go down for a late breakfast. The Hogwarts and Durmstrang students were already assembled. Hermione scanned the room carefully for the bespectacled boy and spotted him on a distant table. He was sitting with the red-haired girl who had given Hermione that knowing little smile last night. It caused Hermione an odd pang to see them talking earnestly, heads close together. Was it jealousy?
She, Parvati and Lavender found a table at the other side of the room. Stirring her porridge vaguely Hermione looked back over to the other side of the room. The red-head was now laughing, while the boy grinned appreciatively. Hermione felt another fierce pang.
Pull yourself together, Granger, she told herself firmly, you've only known him a day – not that, even. You don't even know his name.
'What'cha gawking at?' Lavender enquired over the stack of toast she had just buttered.
Hermione blinked and shook herself mentally. 'Nothing.'
Parvati raised an eyebrow. 'It's that boy you had a thing with at the ball, isn't it?' she said, a knowing smile on her face.
'We didn't have a thing!' said Hermione indignantly, before hastily saying 'but no, it's not him!'
She had given herself away, however. She quickly began ladling more porridge into her untouched bowl in a vague attempt to cover her embarrassment.
Lavender was soon joined by the Durmstrang boy she had "pulled up" last night, and once they had demolished the toast they set off together to the dormitory. Parvati, who had been less successful on the boy front, finished her cereal and left too, leaving Hermione alone at the small circular table.
As she was scraping her bowl, a girl in tight-fitting jeans and a pink jacket, with lots of glossy black hair and large dark eyes approached her.
'Are you Hermione?' she interrogated, looking her up and down disparagingly.
'Yes...' said Hermione slowly, putting down her spoon.
'Right,' she said. She appeared a little younger than Hermione, but nevertheless bold.
'Why do you ask?' Hermione said.
For a moment the girl stared. Then she said, shaking back her black hair, 'no particular reason.'
Oh-Kay. Hermione felt a blush rising again and applied herself to her porridge once more. After a while, she sensed the girl had gone. Sure enough, as she looked up, she saw her sitting at a nearby table and lean in to talk to a group of friends. What had that been about?
The Goblet of Fire had been set up in the heart of the Entrance Hall, upon the white tiles, in amongst pillars.
A group of Beauxbatons students ,who were in the year below, but were clearly seventeen, were dropping their names into the dancing blue flames. The Goblet turned briefly red after each slip of parchment, and once all were safely swallowed, the group made their way to breakfast, chatting lightly.
Hermione had considered entering the Tournament. She was of age, and she was confident she knew enough. But something held her back, despite the fact that Lavender and Parvati had put their names into the Goblet at the end of the ball.
The Goblet flared red again; a Durmstrang boy had just put forward his name. He gave Hermione an odd smile as he departed.
Hermione sighed and began to make her way to the dormitory. She had a feeling that Parvati and Lavender would be talking non-stop about what the tasks would be, but at least she had a Charms essay to distract her.
That evening, everyone went down to down earlier for dinner, in anticipation of the three champions being selected.
Lavender, Parvati and Hermione ate feverishly fast. Once they had shovelled down liberal helpings of casserole, they pushed their plates away and turned to face the front. They had chosen their table well; they had a perfect view of the Goblet and the staff table.
It was with an air of excitement that everyone assembled, bolted down food and then turned their fullest attention to the front. Lavender's Durmstrang boyfriend, Kalven Kostoff, joined them at their table. He, too, had put forward his name for the Tournament.
Soon, everyone was fed and seated, and Madame Maxime rose to her fullest and rather magnificent height. Silence fell immediately. If excitement had a sound, it would be exploding all around the Hall like fireworks.
'My vairy best of evenings to you all,' Madame Maxime began, smiling around at all the assembled students, 'I am sure you are all waiting for ze champion selection ...' She raised a black-jewelled hand, and the oil lamps at the walls flickered and dimmed. A collective gasp rippled around the students.
Madame Maxime gave a charming smile and turned to face the Goblet. Everyone followed her gaze ... and waited.
After several anticipating minutes, the flames glowed red and a slip of singed parchment was spat out of the cup's depths. Madame Maxime caught it, unfolded it deftly and read out: 'Ze champion for Beauxbatons will be ... Laticia Birke!'
A few groans went around the hall. Lavender and Parvati exchanged heavily disappointed looks. Laticia, a willowy girl with lots of sleek blonde hair, got to her feet and swept to the front. Madame Maxime wrung her hand and directed her to a door off the Hall, which Laticia vanished through. Silence fell once more. Then –
'Ze champion for Durmstrang will be ... Kalven Kostoff!'
All applause was drowned out by an almighty, high-pitched cheer from Lavender as she flung her arms around her boyfriend. A couple of people laughed. Kalven disentangled himself from Lavender and headed to the front, grinning widely. He shook Madame Maxime's hand before following in Laticia's wake.
The hubbub died, the Hogwarts students seemingly more silent as they waited for the selection of their champion. Hermione stared hard at the Goblet along with everyone else, waiting ...
The flames inside it burned scarlet once more, and the final piece of parchment shot out and floated into Madame Maxime's hand. She seemed to take eternity to uncrumple it and read it out. Turning it over in her hands, she looked up at the awaiting students.
'Ze champion for 'Ogwarts is ... Harry Potter!'