After the champions had been chosen, everyone was dismissed to their respective common rooms.

Daphne started walking out, but turned around when she realized Malena wasn't following and was still sitting down, fiddling with her fingers.

"Lena? You coming?" She asked. Malena's eyes deviated from her fingers to Daphne and back to the champions' room's entrance.

"No, go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Daphne simply rolled her eyes and left.

When Malena heard voices coming from the entrance, she swiftly stood up, straightening any awkward folds her skirt had.

"Cheers, mates! I wish you all the best of luck!" A husky voice exclaimed. She turned around to see who the person was and saw a familiar head of dirty blond waves emerging from the tunnel, his back facing her as he walked backwards.

"Cedric," She exhaled, his name easily rolling down her tongue.

Cedric turned around and she swore she saw his smile drop for a moment, but he quickly grinned again. It seemed a bit forced, but Malena pushed any negative thoughts out of her head.

"Malena, hi." Cedric responded, striding towards her.

"Congratulations on getting chosen as our champion. Your father will be so proud once he finds out."

"Thank you," Cedric replied, his hand rubbed the nape of his neck nervously, "I can't wait to tell him."

Malena nodded, shifting her weight from side to side.

"Lena, I heard about your father. I'm terribly sorry," Cedric said faintly, his grey eyes focusing back on her own brown ones.

"It's," Malena bit her lips, "okay. I've been fine, don't worry." Malena didn't want to be pitied by anybody, much less by Cedric.

"Malena," Cedric whispered, his hand grasping her shoulder gently. "I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Quit being such a priss, she thought to herself. Malena cleared her throat and straightened her back, the edges of her mouth curving up in a small smile. "Cedric, I'm fine. Really. Be safe during the tournament."

"Cedric," Another feminine voice called from the room's exit, Cedric's hand promptly dropping from her shoulder.

"Cho!" Cedric exclaimed, reaching the small Ravenclaw's side within seconds.

Malena felt her cheeks blush when she saw the girl peck his cheek and engulf her arms around him before felicitating him. Even worse, she noticed how their fingers intertwined as they spoke between themselves.

"I'll try, Malena. See you around." He said over his shoulder, leaving her alone again.

As she sat back down, she heard footsteps approaching the tunnel again, only this time, it was Potter. Potter with his messy black hair and his pair of sapphire eyes and his hands in his pockets.

He looked up when realized he wasn't alone. "Mal-"

"I don't know how you did it, but-"

"I didn't! I swear I didn't! Malena, I didn't put my name in the goblet! I swear!" Harry abruptly refuted, briskly removing his hands from his pockets and letting them hang by his sides as he shrugged his shoulders.

She didn't know why she believed him, she just did. Whether it was the quickness in his response, or his taut demeanor, or how his blue orbs softened in anguish; she didn't know what pulled her to conclude he was telling the truth. Less than an hour earlier, she was so sure he had been a cheater when she saw him walk over when Dumbledore called him, but now…now she wasn't so sure anymore and it irked her. It peeved her that she had changed her mind so fast without even knowing why. Surely, it wasn't because she had feelings for Potter. Half of the sentences they had ever exchanged to each other were insults, so it wasn't possible for her to like Potter. That would be silly; it wouldn't make any sense at all.

Malena held his gaze, narrowing her eyes at him and folding her arms against her chest.

"Malena, please believe me. I wouldn't do this." His voice faltered and it all seemed like a plead.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Why do you care what I think about you anyways?"

"Because I want to know that at least one person believes me. One person from the thousands in this school who don't." He replied, "Including my own friends." He added softly, pulling both lips in mouth.

"Well," Malena said, releasing her folded arms. "I believe you," she announced reluctantly.

"Really?" His eyes seemed to flicker in what seemed like a mixture of shock and delight.

"Yes." She said, glancing at her shoes and then back at Harry. "The idea of submitting yourself in a life-threatening contest seems kind of absurd. Even more if you're underage, you have less of an advantage."

"I don't know if I find your words comforting anymore," Harry chuckled lowly.

"The truth hurts, Harry." She sat back down. She didn't feel like going out and risking the chance of running into Cedric or Cho or worse, Cedric and Cho.

Harry sat down next to Malena and they both just sat in silence. The atmosphere wasn't tense; the silence wasn't awkward. In fact, it may have been better moments, if not their best. They weren't talking, but at least they weren't spitting venomous words at each other.

"Why were you still here? When I came out, I mean." Harry interrupted the quiet, moving a bit to face her.

She hesitated for a while, but turned a bit on her spot to face him better too. "I was waiting for Cedric, but he already left with Cho."

"Oh," Harry responded, his hands snaking their way back to his pockets, remembering their small encounter in the train when he was buying sweets from the carriage and how they exchanged shy smiles. He had taken notice of Cho Chang since the day Gryffindor played against Ravenclaw during last year's season. Everyone was shaking hands like the protocol stated, but when Cho took Harry's hand, he only wondered how hands could be that soft and how a smile could make him so fidgety. "Good luck, Harry." It had only taken her three words to erupt fluttering in his stomach.

"Anyways, I better get going now." Malena sighed. "Good luck, Harry." She nodded at him before walking out.

Good luck, Harry.

And the fluttering erupted.

I'm spicing things up a bit now, but I assure you, I won't rush things either. Honestly, I only have like 10 chapters planned out, the rest I'll make up as I go, haha. Also, I'm looking for any betas for this story! If you're interested, just send me a message. :) So, Team Cedric/Team Harry? Team Cho/Team Malena? Anything you liked/disliked? Reviews are welcome! Thanks to all of those who have reviewed/favorited/put on alert/read, it means a lot!