Hermione shivered as she made the familiar trek to Hagrid's hut with Ron and Harry by her side. The frozen earth beneath her feet was covered in a fresh layer of snow, and she could feel the cold wetness sliding into her boots with each step. Care of Magical Creatures was the first lesson to start the new year, leaving the fourth year Slytherin and Gryffindors dreading what was to come as the teens all anticipated a terrible time with the rate the Skrewts had been growing.
Looking over her shoulder, Hermione saw Malfoy walking a few paces behind with Crabbe and Goyle on both sides. He must have started speaking to them again over the holiday. Pansy and Daphne were also a few steps behind the boys.
"Now, don't go flying through the air again, Granger," came Theo's voice as he approached the trio.
"Speak for yourself, mate. If the witch wants to experience the life of an avian creature, that's her prerogative," chuckled Blaise, who had been walking beside Theo. "I'd gladly let you fall into my arms, Granger," he smirked.
"Bloody 'ell, Hermione. First, you start getting all chummy with Nott, and now Zabini is talking to you? You got a mouse in your pocket or something? Seems like the snakes are getting hungry and looking for something to eat," he huffed as Theo and Blaise walked ahead.
Hermione snorted a laugh. "I already told you, Ron – Theo and I were partnered for that arithmancy paper. We've been getting to know each other over the past few months. It's nothing to worry about. And Blaise – well – he's just Blaise," she laughed.
Ron shook his head in annoyance while Harry rolled his eyes at the ginger's pettiness. It had been tense between Hermione and Ron after he'd accused her of fraternising with the enemy. On Boxing Day, neither of the teens were speaking, and by the end of the holiday, they had only been interacting in a stiff yet cordial manner.
It wasn't until the day before lessons began that everything finally came to a head — right in the middle of the common room.
They'd been trying to decipher Harry's wailing egg when Hermione snapped at Ron after he commented that she was probably helping Krum with his own golden egg.
"I told you! Krum hasn't asked once for any help with the tournament! Why are you being such a git about this?" she questioned shrilly.
"Because, Hermione! You were so secretive about it!" Ron yelled back. "I mean – what was I supposed to think? Why else were you hiding that you were going to that stupid dance with him?"
Hermione went to speak, but Ron stood and began walking towards the boys' dorm.
There was no way she was going to simply let him leave.
"Maybe if you stopped acting like such a child for once in your life, I would have told you! But the way you're acting right now is the exact reason why I didn't want to tell you!" she shot back, causing the other students in the room to stare. Harry awkwardly shuffled the egg in his lap as he watched his two friends have yet another row.
Ron halted his steps and turned with a sad look on his face. Hermione was caught off guard, having expected him to be angry.
"I'm your friend, Hermione. You always accuse me of being childish and having poor manners and being lazy and –" he paused to take a breath. "For Merlin's sake, you even tell me I breathe too loud. BREATHE, Hermione. It's like I can't do anything right by you. And then you wouldn't even tell me who your date was — not that it was a big deal. It really wasn't, but –" He ran a hand over his face. "Maybe if you stopped treating me like a child and more like your actual friend, I wouldn't have pushed so hard…" he trailed off.
Hermione didn't know what to say as Ron returned to their corner and sat back down.
"Why didn't you think you could tell me?" he asked sadly.
The realisation that Hermione had hurt Ron's feelings by being secretive felt like being doused with a bucket of ice water. It hadn't occurred to Hermione that he'd taken the fact that she had refused to tell him who her date was, only furthered the narrative of thinking he was more of an annoying child rather than her friend.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I guess part of me was worried you'd be upset –" Ron scoffed, and she gave him a pointed look before sighing. "But I can see how keeping it from you only made it worse."
"Yeah, well — it did," he said coldly, but then his eyes quickly softened, seeming to realise Hermione was trying to make things right. "And I'm sorry for — yeah, being a git about it."
Hermione shook her head, acknowledging his apology, which was then followed by a few seconds of awkward silence.
Suddenly, Harry clapped his hands together.
"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way — let's figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do with this damn egg," he said in a playful tone. Hermione could see him looking back and forth between her and Ron, both of which still looked a bit down. "Let's agree to not keep any more secrets from each other, yeah?" he asked.
"Yeah," agreed Ron.
"Oh, yes – of course," said Hermione. She winced internally, knowing she was still keeping an important secret from her best friends. A secret that came in the package of two lanky Slytherin boys and a mystery that still seemed to elude them.
And yet, even though she knew the longer she kept the secret to herself, the worse the fallout would most likely be, Hermione remained silent.
"Where's Hagrid?" questioned Harry as they approached the hut along with the rest of the class. Hagrid was usually already waiting for them, eager as ever to teach the children about his beloved creatures. Harry and Ron began whispering back and forth to each other, with Hermione stuck in the middle.
"What do you think happened to him?" asked Harry in concern.
"Dunno. Maybe a Skrewt got him," said Ron.
"Do you think this has to do with what we overheard him telling —" started Ron, but he was cut off when they heard the Slytherins snickering behind their backs.
The trio turned to see Crabbe holding a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Look here! I'm in the paper!" laughed the wizard.
Hermione caught a glimpse of the front page showing the familiar face of the bearded Game Keeper. Then, without thinking, she snatched the newspaper from Crabbe's hand, causing him to gasp.
"Oi! I was readin' that!" he yelled in confusion.
Hermione's eyes widened, realising what she'd done — in front of the rest of the other Slytherins, no less. Yet before the larger boy could retaliate, she watched as Malfoy calmly placed his hand on Crabbe's chest.
"I didn't know you could read," she heard Malfoy say amusedly, causing his friends nearby to chuckle. Hermione was grateful that the comment distracted Crabbe, allowing her to read the paper.
"This is awful," said Harry in shock as he looked over the front page.
The headline read in bold letters, "Dumbledore: His Giant Mistake?" The article was written by none other than Rita Skeeter, giving an exclusive rundown of Rubeus Hagrid's true parentage. His mother, Fridwulfa, was apparently a giantess who had fled after the Wizarding war, leaving Mr Hagrid, a wizard, to raise his half-giant son alone. Rita wrote about how the Game Keeper was a danger to the students. She questioned whether Dumbledore had made a mistake in giving a half-giant the position as a professor at Hogwarts and how he'd been known to incorporate dangerous creatures into his lessons.
"And to think I thought he'd simply drunk too many bottles of Skele-Gro as a child," laughed Malfoy. Hermione gave him a quick glare causing him to subtly stifle his laugh. Even though they were friends, she nearly forgot how much the boy hated Hagrid. It frustrated her that even though she was friends with Malfoy, it didn't mean he was suddenly going to welcome all her friends with open arms. But to be fair, she had no intentions of warming up to Pansy Parkinson anytime soon.
"How did Skeeter know about this?" asked Ron. Apparently, the boys had overheard Hagrid talking to Madame Maxime during the Yule Ball out in the courtyard. He'd asked the Beauxbaton headmistress if she was also half-giant, but she denied it, saying she was merely 'big boned.'
Hermione continued scanning the paper and stumbled upon a few quotes from Malfoy about how Hagrid had students face off against a Hippogryph and how he'd been injured back in third year. He also mentioned that Dumbledore was a daft old man for hiring the oaf, followed by a quote from Crabbe saying he'd recently been stung by a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
Before she could read any further, an older witch with greying hair approached the congregating teens and clapped her hands together.
"Gather 'round children! My name is Professor Grubbily-Plank. I do apologise for my tardiness. With your previous Care of Magical Creatures professor taking leave, I find myself newly bestowed with the position for the foreseeable future."
Professor Grubbily-Plank guided the students towards where the Beauxbatons had been keeping their palomino horses. The paddock had been enlarged to make space for the animals nearly the size of an erumpent. Hermione paused and let Harry and Ron walk ahead, giving herself a chance to talk to Malfoy. The boys had been in an intense discussion about Hagrid and didn't seem to notice her sudden absence. All the while, Malfoy remained a pace behind as she fell to the back of the group.
"Why would you talk to Rita Skeeter?" she asked in frustration out of the side of her mouth.
"I didn't!" she heard him hiss back.
Hermione rolled her eyes even though she knew the wizard couldn't see her face. "So, you didn't say that Dumbledore was daft for hiring that oaf and that Hagrid was being neglectful with the Hippogryph when you were viciously attacked?" she stated coldly. She could hear Malfoy curse softly behind her.
"I mean – I did say something similar," he sighed but quickly added. "But I never said anything to that bitch. I was only talking with Crabbe and Goyle about it over the holiday. She must have been hiding in a fucking bush or something. I never meant for the berk to get sacked."
"Right. Like you haven't had it out for him since —"
"Fuck, Hermione," he rasped. "Come on. Are you really going to do this right now? Why don't you believe me?" he added, sounding almost hurt at her accusation. "I'm not fucking Weasley who treats his friends like shite. We're friends now, Granger. I know you care about Hagrid — although I don't understand why –" he huffed. "But — I never said a word to Skeeter. I wouldn't do that to you."
Hermione clamped her mouth shut, feeling properly admonished. The mention of Ron only furthered her guilt about how he'd called her out on essentially chastising him for breathing. And if she was going to be Malfoy's friend, she had to not be so quick to assume the worst. Although, it would be a challenge, having been so accustomed to him being the worst.
Hermione took a calming breath as they approached the paddock with the rest of the class. Then, turning slightly, she saw Malfoy standing, looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets.
"You're right –" she began. Malfoy's brow rose, and a smirk graced his lips at her admission.
"Can you say that just one more time?" he taunted, causing Hermione to roll her eyes with a smile.
"How did Rita Skeeter know to quote you then?" she asked, purposely not repeating that the wizard was right. "Harry and Ron said they overheard Hagrid talking about his mother, but the horrid woman wasn't around then either."
"Maybe she –"
"They're so cute!" cut in the cry of Lavender.
The pair finally caught up with the rest of the students, and apparently, whatever Professor Grubbily–Plank was showing them caused all the girls to begin squealing with delight. Hermione couldn't see past the students in front of her and tried to stand on her tiptoes to get a glimpse of the creatures. She could hear Malfoy snickering behind her.
"Need a stool, shorty?" he whispered.
Hermione looked back and smirked before pushing her way to the front, leaving him behind.
To her pleasant surprise, there was a beautiful full-grown unicorn and two small foals. The mother was pure white with golden hooves, while her babies were completely golden. She could hear Professor Grubbily-Plank explaining how the younger unicorns would eventually turn silver and then completely white by the time they were seven.
"Come, come, girls!" said the older witch as she opened the paddock. The young witches immediately flocked near the foals while the mother went off to feed. Hermione noted that even Pansy was giggling at the sight of the adorable creatures. "Now, as you probably know, a mature unicorn prefers the company of females. Although, her babies also don't mind boys –" she added. At that, Neville immediately entered the paddock and began to pet one of the tiny unicorns. "– As long as you're still pure, of course," she added as an afterthought.
The implications of the boys having to be "pure" to pet the unicorns sent the rest of the students into a fit of laughter. Neville's face turned an adorable shade of pink, and Hermione felt bad seeing his embarrassment. She was about to say something but refrained when she heard Malfoy speak.
"Oh, like any of you've actually had a proper shag before," he called out in an unamused tone as he pushed through the group and entered the paddock. "We're fucking fourteen, for Salazar's sake," he then muttered before he began to pet the foal alongside Neville.
There was an awkward silence for a few beats, but the rest of the boys eventually began to shuffle into the paddock, taking turns with the baby unicorns. Ron and Harry even seemed to come out of their funk about Hagrid and smiled when the creatures began to neigh softly.
"Th–thank you," Hermione heard Neville say to Malfoy. She tilted her gaze so she could see the blond's face.
"I didn't do it for you, Longbottom. I just wanted to pet the damn unicorns. Had enough of Hagrid's terrible monsters," he said, but his tone was light as he glanced at Hermione with a slight smile.
She knew Malfoy wouldn't be sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall anytime soon, but having Malfoy stick up for Neville Longbottom, of all people, was another unexpected and welcome change. Even as she stood in the biting cold, Hermione felt a pleasant warmth blooming in her chest.
...
Two weeks into the new term, Hermione found herself with Ron and Harry in the library, researching how to breathe underwater. Harry said he "accidentally" dropped the egg in the bath and discovered that opening it underwater changed the wailing into a beautiful song, giving him a clue about the second task. Hermione and Ron didn't question how he discovered it did such a thing and were simply happy to finally have some answers.
It had been a busy start to the new year between studying for school and the second task with Ron and Harry while secretly researching the Blood Tapestry with Theo and Malfoy — or should she call him Draco? She noted that the wizard had called her 'Hermione' a few times ever since he'd apologised. Although, it was usually when he didn't seem to be paying attention. Besides, she'd been calling Theo by his given name. So why not call him Draco?
"This is bollocks!" exclaimed Harry as he slammed a book shut titled, "Where There's a Wand, There's a Way." The trio had already spent hours scouring the stacks for any books that might give them the answers they sought to help Harry complete his next task.
Hermione sighed in exhaustion, feeling like her eyes were blurring as she tried to read through "Deciphering Difficult Dilemmas: A Wizard's Guidebook."
"Maybe you could just stick your head in the Black Lake and ask one of the Merpeople what was nicked, and they'll give it back to you before you even need to take a breath," suggested Ron in a muffled voice. He'd been resting his head on the table for the past thirty minutes, not even pretending to read anymore.
Seeing Harry's stress, Hermione decided they were all due for a break. Closing her book, Hermione placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let's go grab a drink. It's Hogsmeade weekend, and we deserve to enjoy ourselves a bit."
Ron's head shot up. "Thought you'd never ask!" he grinned.
"Fine," said Harry with a sigh, but she could see the corner of his mouth lift slightly. "I'll buy," he added, allowing his smile to take up his whole face.
...
Hermione took a sip of Butterbeer as she watched Fred and George poking fun at Ron. The twins joined their table as soon as the trio had sat down, causing the younger Weasley to groan. Of course, Ron loved his brothers, but they were always up to something, and unfortunately, he often took the brunt of their trial and error on the magical pranks they'd been working on.
They were all talking about how wonderful it was that Hagrid was given his job back. Dumbledore fought for his old friend to be able to return to the position of Care of Magical Creatures professor. Although, the students noticed that he stuck to teaching about unicorns where Grubbily-Plank had left off. Not only did Hagrid know all about dangerous creatures, but he was also very knowledgeable about the kind ones.
Once the twins left, the conversation turned to talk about the strange occurrence of Barty Crouch not showing up to the Yule Ball, having claimed to be sick for the past few weeks. Percy had been profusely defending the man for his odd behaviour, saying the older wizard had sent him owls regarding tasks he was to complete in his absence.
"Uh, oh–" blurted Ron. "Look who just walked in–" he groaned in frustration.
Harry and Hermione looked to the door to see none other than Rita Skeeter enter the pub wearing banana-yellow dress robes with her nails painted in an electric pink.
Did the woman even know the word subtle?
There was also a photographer with her, and the three teens watched as the pair ordered drinks at the bar. The woman was yammering on at lightning speed to her companion, and all Hermione could think to do was send her an intimidating glare.
"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" snapped Harry unexpectedly, causing the room to fall silent. Apparently, he was still furious towards the witch for causing Hagrid so much grief.
Rita adjusted her glasses and put on a saccharine smile while focusing on who was speaking.
"Oh, Harry, love!" she chimed. "How are we?" she added as she approached their table.
"Fine, now that Hagrid has his job back. Why would you do that? It's none of your business getting into someone's personal life," he said annoyedly.
The woman waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, pish posh. My readers have a right to the truth. I'm merely doing my –"
"Who cares if he's a half-giant!" Harry growled.
Rita Skeeter raised her thin brow and summoned her Quick-Quotes Quill. "How 'bout giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know? With your parents no longer in the picture, would you say the wizard –er, giant, is like a fath –"
Hermione abruptly stood, unable to sit by and watch. "You wretched, woman!" she barked. "Anything for a story, yeah? Why don't you –"
"Sit down, little girl," snapped Rita, giving her a once-over. "Maybe you should mind your business and stick to reading about hair products. Sure could use it," she added with a cruel smirk.
"Come on, Ron – Harry, let's go," said Hermione, not wanting to be in the horrible woman's presence any longer. The boys quickly followed her out of the Three Broomsticks, all the while Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill was furiously scribbling down notes.
"She's going to come after you next, Hermione," warned Ron.
"Let her try – it's not like my parents read the Daily Prophet. And besides – I have nothing to hide," she said with a shrug. There was NO WAY the woman knew about TWAT — right?
...
"I wouldn't do that," taunted Malfoy.
Hermione lifted her head from the book her parents had gotten her for Christmas to see Theo furrowing his brow, trying to decide his next move. They were all sitting on the cold stone floor of the abandoned loo. Currently, the young wizards were in an intense game of Wizard's Chess. Even though their research had stalled a bit, the trio continued to meet for TWAT as terms stipulated a friendship amongst the members. And, of course, since they didn't interact outside of Myrtle's bathroom, they agreed to continue to meet regardless of whether they had any new information to share.
It had become apparent that there was only so much Swedish history they could look into before getting utterly off-track regarding Draco's family and what happened to him. Even so, Hermione continued to scan books for any type of lead or clue while researching for the second task. Yet, the reality was that they were going to have to eventually take their research outside of the Wizarding world to track down any useful information.
Malfoy had been resistant when she first suggested doing such a thing, and Hermione assumed it was because he wasn't comfortable with Muggles. But after thoughtful consideration, she realised he might be afraid of what he would find. He had only voiced the one time that he thought his parents were dead, but it was apparent the thought stuck with him, and he was trying to avoid confronting the possible reality.
"Fuck!" whinged Theo when Malfoy won another round. "Next time we're playing Exploding Snap," he sighed and turned to Hermione. "And you're going to play with us instead of reading," he teased.
Hermione chuckled as she closed her book and popped a chocolate into her mouth. Narcissa had sent Draco another package, and he brought the sweets to their meetings, claiming he didn't care for that much sugar. Although, given how much he consumed during their meetings, she doubted the truth in his statement.
"How are your lessons with Professor Snape going?" asked Hermione. Malfoy had mentioned the potions professor wanted to teach him Occlumency to help bring up his marks. She hadn't realised Malfoy had fallen so behind in his lessons but figured it made sense with everything he was dealing with. Yet whenever she asked about his time with his godfather, he was always vague and didn't seem to want to talk about it. He wouldn't even look her in the eye when she questioned him about his first lesson a few weeks prior.
"He's put a pause on the lessons at the mo. Apparently, someone has been stealing from his potions storage, and he is currently preoccupied with figuring out who the thief is."
"Really?" asked Theo. "What have they taken?"
Malfoy shrugged. "Dunno. I asked him, but he wouldn't tell me. Then, of course, he used Legilimency on me, so he knows I have nothing to do with it. But he's not one to divulge much information – if you haven't noticed," he huffed. "Same time next week?" he asked, changing the subject.
Theo and Hermione both agreed and with that, they separated, each counting down the days until their next meeting.
...
A Few Weeks Later
"Theo!" hissed Hermione, grateful she'd finally tracked the wizard down. It was close to curfew, but what she found couldn't wait.
"Fuck, Hermione!" gasped Theo as he turned around, clutching his chest. "You scared the shite out of me." He then chuckled. "Might I ask why you're skulking the dungeons at this hour?"
"Sorry," she winced. "I needed to find you to tell you to tell Malfoy that we need to meet for TWAT tomorrow morning before the second task. I stumbled upon something in the library that might actually lead to something —" Both teens froze when they heard someone approaching. "I'll see you in the morning," she said quickly, giving Theo a hug. She'd been so excited about what she found that she couldn't help showing some affection.
"Ha– well – okay. Night, Hermione," Theo chuckled.
...
...
...
Draco woke to the sound of the other boys in the dorm shuffling around, readying for the day. He was oddly grateful to discover that he had a morning stiffy rather than having to covertly Scourgify his sheets yet again. Taking a cold shower had become part of his morning routine as he desperately tried to avoid having a wank, knowing he'd inevitably envision Hermione in that fucking red dress – or not in the dress.
It was already a struggle to look the witch in the eye with all the inappropriate and intrusive thoughts plaguing his fourteen-year-old brain.
Thankfully, Snape had paused their meetings to track down the potions klepto. Draco didn't think he could endure another lesson with his godfather witnessing his humiliation. And he could tell Snape was growing weary of discovering the copious amounts of sex dreams Draco had been having and instead resorted to assigning him more reading and a few papers to write on the subject of Occlumency. The older wizard said they would resume lessons after the second task, and until then, Draco needed to get himself 'under control', as Snape had put it.
As it was the morning of the second task and Draco was no closer to controlling his mess of feelings, he was dreading what was to come. The only silver lining was that being so distracted by his emotions, Snape had yet to even come close to discovering what Draco had been researching for the past few months.
With that, Draco ran a comb through his hair and quickly dressed in warm clothing. All lessons had been cancelled for the day to allow the students to make their way to the stands that had been moved to the Black Lake. He knew it would be freezing, given it was late February. Yet before he was to witness whatever was in store for the champions, Draco excitedly made his way to the abandoned toilets. Hermione had told Theo, who told Draco that she'd discovered something interesting and couldn't wait to share; thus, TWAT was to briefly meet early that morning.
...
Draco waited in the loo and watched as a dishevelled and obviously tired Theo entered, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"What you 'spose she's found?" the boy questioned with a yawn.
"Not sure – but knowing Hermione, it's probably something worthwhile," sighed Draco, still feeling quite tired himself. He could see Theo smirking at him for using her name. "Fuck you," he scoffed playfully.
Suddenly, Hermione burst into the bathroom, hair frizzing out every which way with a wild yet excited look in her eyes.
Before either of the boys could poke fun at her appearance, she pulled out what appeared to be an old newspaper from her bag and began to ramble on about something regarding Sweden and its wizarding school.
"Whoa, slow down –" laughed Theo. "My brain is still waking up. Can you say that again – only slower and less, er— shrill?" he added with a wince.
Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself. "I said that I found these old articles from the late seventies," she began, handing each boy the yellowed parchment. "According to this, Sweden was in talks of a law to reinstate a few select Vetenmagi or Mugglas, rather, back into teaching positions at their wizarding school. Apparently, it had been the common practice before the Statute of Secrecy for non-magical people to teach Muggle science to young witches and wizards."
Draco carefully looked over the article. "It's in Swedish," he said flatly.
"Use a translation spell, numpty," she said with a playful eye roll. She waved her wand and muttered a spell causing the words to transform into English. "Physics was the main subject they were pushing to bring back into the lesson plan," she added softly.
Draco felt his skin prickle at the mention of physics. It had become evident to the trio that the Muggle items he'd been receiving most likely belonged to his parents, and the fact that he'd acquired a brand new (at the time) Physics book made the gears begin to turn in his brain.
There had to be a connection.
"Do you know if the law passed?" he questioned softly.
Hermione gave a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, no –" she said with a pained look. "This was all during the Wizarding War, and because of everything going on with Voldemort, the law never passed." Hermione looked at the watch on her wrist. "Those are copies, so you can keep them. Sorry, but I've got to run to meet with Dumbledore."
"What for?" asked Theo.
"Not sure, but I'll see you both at the lake for the second task," she said before giving a wave and leaving.
...
Draco and Theo made their way to the stands to watch the second task, and just as he predicted, the weather was frigid. Not only was it cold, a few days prior had been unseasonably warm, causing most of the snow to melt, leaving everyone trailing thick mud all the way out to the Black Lake.
The boys took their seats near the rest of the Slytherins, and Draco gave a friendly wave to Pansy, who was sitting next to Marline Bulstrode. She hadn't told him what was going on between the two witches, but the fact Pansy didn't seem to mind he'd been hanging out with Theo gave him a clue that whatever was going on was good.
Dumbledore addressed the crowd and explained that the Champions had one hour to complete their task. Apparently, something precious had been taken from each competitor and was currently at the bottom of the lake. Therefore, they each had to "simply" retrieve what was stolen and return it to the surface.
The four teens dove into the freezing water with a splash when the clock started, leaving the rest of the crowd staring at - nothing.
"So, they expect us to sit here for an hour?" questioned Theo.
"We could always leave," said Draco with a shrug.
"Eh," said Theo. "Might as well stick around and see what the fuck they're supposed to find." He leaned in to whisper - "You think they took Potter's hideous jumper?" he laughed.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes," he said sarcastically. "I'm sure each of the champions has an article of clothing soaking up the algae." He glanced around the stands to see if he could spot Hermione. With her wild hair, it was typically easy for him to pick her out among a crowd.
Suddenly, his attention was directed back towards the lake when Fleur emerged in a panic. They watched as Madam Pomfrey checked over the girl, saying the witch had been attacked by Grindylows. Fleur was crying and frantically speaking in French. Draco cupped his ear to hear her better.
"Ma sœur! Gabrielle! Ils ont ma soeur! Elle est toujours là-bas!"
'Her sister?' he thought. Draco felt his pulse speed up at the sudden realisation that Fleur's younger sister was at the bottom of the lake. Draco scanned the crowd again, noting that not only was Hermione missing, but Weasley was also nowhere to be found.
"She's down there," he said to Theo.
"What?"
"Hermione — she's –" He began to stand, but Theo pulled him down, seeming to understand what was going on.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," said Theo, trying to be reassuring.
"People have died in this stupid tournament before, Theo!" he spat. "I don't trust Potter to get the job done." But as soon as the words left his mouth, he came to another startling realisation. Hermione wasn't in the lake because of Potter – Potter was obviously going after the Weasel, which meant…
"Fucking, Krum," he grumbled. With that, Draco ignored Theo and quickly left his seat, wanting to get closer. Unfortunately, he could feel the other boy following him.
"Draco, wait!" rasped Theo, grabbing his shoulder. They made it to the side of the platform but still out of sight of prying eyes. "You can't go out there! It wouldn't make any sense. Think rationally," he hissed.
"I am thinking rationally!" he barked. "Dumbledore is a fucking idiot who couldn't care less if a student died. I don't care what people think. She's– she's my friend! I'm not going to let –"
"She's my friend, too!" yelled Theo causing Draco to still. "Draco, Hermione is my friend too. I know I don't fancy her, but I do care about her. If you interrupt the task, you'll expose your friendship-" he sighed. "I'm sure you and I could get off easy, but – you know how most of the other Slytherins treat her."
"But –"
"Look, let's give Krum a few more minutes and – and if he doesn't come out soon, then you can go and get yourself actually killed trying to play knight in shining armour."
Draco scrubbed a hand over his face and looked back towards the lake. "Fine," he grumbled.
The two wizards watched only for a few more moments when suddenly, Krum emerged from the lake looking rather alarming with his poor transfiguration spell. The transfiguration hadn't been complete, so only his head took on the fish-like characteristics. Regardless, the older boy had completed the task, and from what Draco could tell, Hermione seemed to be alright.
"See," said Theo, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Perfectly fine."
Madam Pomfrey was immediately at the witch's side, giving her a blanket and some type of potion. Draco was instantly relieved seeing Hermione really was okay but then felt an unexpected wave of jealousy when he saw Krum bring her into a hug and kiss the top of her head.
"Yeah," Draco sighed as he followed Theo back to their seats. "Perfectly, fine."