Chapter 8: Year Four Begins

Kassidy and her family had gone to New York City, and came back well-rested, Kassidy still not quite out of her bandages from last year's Quidditch Championship yet. They had bought tickets for the Quidditch World Cup in England this year, and they just so happened to be in the same box as Draco and his parents. Kassidy and Draco walked into the place, holding hands, as they saw the Weasleys in the box above them.

"Ah, Weasleys. We'll put it this way. If it rains, you'll be the first to know," Mr. Malfoy said.

"We got an invitation from Cornelius Fudge himself!" Draco said.

"Draco, no need to boast," Mr. Malfoy said.

"Let's go, Draco," Kassidy said. Ron Weasley saw the bandages Kassidy still had on.

"What, you're not still hurt from the Quidditch Championship at school, are you, Williams?" he said.

"Shut up, Weasley," Kassidy said, "or I'll punch you in the face right now," Kassidy said.

"I don't think you can spare the physical effort right now, you might pull something," Harry said.

"Shut up, Potter!"

"Kassie, it's not worth it right now, you might actually pull something," Draco said.

"Fine," she said, and let Draco lead her off to their seats.

Kassidy and Draco hadn't been rooting for anyone, but were watching and cheering whenever Bulgaria made a goal or successfully blocked. When Ireland won, they didn't rage or anything, just shrugged.

"This was fun," Draco said. "I enjoyed this, getting to spend time with you."

"You always spend time with me," Kassidy said.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it," Draco said, taking hold of her hand as you'd rarely see the pair not doing.

"I have a question. A serious one," Kassidy said.

"Ask away."

"What do you see in me? I'm not pretty, I'm not special," she said.

"Okay, when we get back, meet me behind the tree in your backyard," Draco said, "and I'll answer your question." He squeezed her hand a little and she pushed her hair out of her face.

The pair met behind the tree in Kassidy's backyard.

"I don't like being cutesy, but I'm going to answer your question. You're not pretty. You're beautiful. You're not special, you're unique. What I see in you is a great girl who likes to defend herself and the ones she loves. What I see in you is a girl who, despite not being able to do something, tries her hardest to do it anyway. I see a girl who isn't afraid of anything. I see a girl who is capable of being herself and nobody else," Draco said. "And that's all I'd ever want you to be. Yourself." Kassidy smiled, a tear coming to her eye, and kissed him.

"Today's our 1 year anniversary," Kassidy said.

"I know. You think I'd forget?" Draco said.

"I don't want anything, for the record."

"Well, that's too bad, because I got you something," Draco said, pulling a small wrapped box out of his shirt pocket and handing it to her. She looked to him and smiled before opening it to find a silver charm bracelet with the Slytherin crest charm, a snake charm, a broom and ball charm for Quidditch, a charm that had Beater written in cursive, a K charm for Kassidy, and a D charm for Draco.

"It's Muggle jewelry, but since you grew up with that type of stuff, I thought I'd get it. I made the Slytherin and Quidditch charms myself," Draco said, "because you wouldn't find that stuff in a Muggle shop."

"Wow, it's beautiful. Now I wish I had gotten you something."

"It's fine, totally fine."

"You sure?"

"It's fine. Really, don't worry about it."

It was finally time to go back to Hogwarts. They were in the main hall for the Start of Term feast.

"I have a few announcements to make. First years are informed and others reminded that the forest is forbidden to all students. We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Alastor Moody. This year, the House Quidditch Championship is cancelled. You will have Quidditch next year, I promise. The reasoning behind this is that our school has had a great honor bestowed upon us. We are hosting the Triwizard Tournament! The Triwizard Tournament is a competition between one champion from each of the wizarding schools. There will be three tasks, each more difficult than the last. It is now we welcome students from the other schools. From Beauxbatons Academy!" Dumbledore said, and several girls walked in wearing blue robes. They joined the Ravenclaw table.

"And from Durmstrang Institute!" In walked a bunch of guys wearing red robes, who joined the Slytherin table, but none near Kassidy and Draco.

"Now, for the rules. This is the Goblet of Fire. To enter to be chosen, simply write your name on a slip of parchment and throw it into the goblet of fire. But there is one catch. You must be seventeen to enter," Dumbledore said. "Do not try to fool this. It cannot be fooled."

"Oh my god, where did you get that?" Jillie asked.

"Draco gave it to me," Kassidy said, holding out her wrist to show off the bracelet. The other girls in the room flocked over to see it.

"Oh my god, it's even got the Slytherin crest!" Dora said.

"He made that himself, along with the Quidditch ones," Kassidy said.

"Knock knock," a voice said from the open door. Everyone turned to see who it was and it was Draco.

"You ladies mind if I borrow Kassidy for a few minutes?" Draco asked.

"No, not at all," Jillie said, and Kassidy left with Draco.

"Showing off the bracelet I see," Draco said.

"Of course."

"Come with me, we're going to the Astronomy tower," Draco said, taking her hand and leading her there He actually pulls her so she's going too fast, as she's still got mild torso injuries from last spring, so Kassidy pulls back to slow him down.

"Right, you're still hurt. I'll slow down," he said, still pulling, more gently, towards the tower. He got up to the top and Kassidy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Why are we here?"

"It's a great view, as I'm sure you know," Draco said as Kassidy began looking at the stars. She became consumed with looking at the different things up there, and Draco just looked between her look of amazement and the sky.

"So, Draco, why'd you bring me up here?"

"Because you're pretty when you're interested in something."

"Thanks," Kassidy said, a light blush showing on her face.

"Want to go back? I'm sure your roommates are wondering where you went," Draco said.

"If you want to walk with me there," Kassidy said, holding her hand out.

"Sure. It's easy to get lost by yourself here," Draco said, taking her hand in his and walking with her back to the Slytherin Dungeons.

"It is time for the selection of the champions for the Triwizard Tournament!" Dumbledore said before dimming the lights. The flames in the goblet turned red and shot out a piece of paper, which Dumbledore caught. "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!" The Beauxbatons girls cheered.

Another slip shot out of the goblet and Dumbledore caught it.

"The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore said before the Durmstrang students cheered.

One more slip shot out of the goblet.

"And the Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuffs cheered, the Gryffindors clapped, the Ravenclaws clapped enthusiastically, and the Slytherins sat there.

"We have our three champions!" Dumbledore said before the flames turned red and shot another slip out.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore read. "Harry Potter!"

"Scared, Potter?" Kassidy asked when she saw Harry was hiding from sight. Draco got up and pushed Harry towards the front. The champions went into a separate room and the students filed out to their houses.

"It's Potter again! Why does everything interesting happen to him?" one Gryffindor was complaining.

"He's famous. Only explanation," Kassidy said.

"Crabbe, Goyle, go pass these out to the Hufflepuffs. Kassidy and I will get the Slytherins, and Jillie and Dora, you will ask the Ravenclaws if they want them, pass them out to them if they do. We know the Gryffindors won't want them, so don't ask them," Draco said, handing a box of badges to Crabbe and Goyle as Kassidy handed a box to Jillie and Dora.

"I like the badges. They're perfect," Jeannie said, looking at one of the badges. The badges said "Support Cedric Diggory," then switched to "Potter Stinks."

"That reminds me, we may need to make more. There are a lot of kids at this school," Kassidy said.

"If we need to, we'll make more, but until then, we're not gonna worry about it. Let's go hand these out to the Slytherins," Draco said, picking up a box and heading to the common room. The pair asked around the room, and nearly everyone asked for one, each immediately pinning them to their robes. They went down to the main hall to the Slytherin table and passed them out there, too. They saw Ron Weasley and threw him one as a joke, who pinned it to his robes.

"Did you even look at it?" Kassidy asked.

"Yeah, I did," Ron said.

"I thought he'd toss it," Draco said once they walked away from him.

"Must be fighting with Potter. Not complaining," Kassidy said.

"Anyways, let's get these things passed out," Draco said. Once they finished passing the badges out, they sat in a tree, simply talking, until Harry Potter himself came by.

"Hey, Potter! Kassie and I have a bet you see. I bet her that you won't last ten minutes in this tournament," Draco said, jumping down from the tree. "She disagrees. She thinks you won't last five!"

"I don't give a damn what your girlfriend thinks, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.

"Ooh, someone's got a bite today," Kassidy said.

"You're vile and cruel," Harry said to Kassidy, before turning to Draco, "and you're pathetic."

"Pathetic," Draco said as the pair both pulled out their wands.

"I don't think so, Sonny!" Professor Moody said before turning Draco into a white ferret and Kassidy into a ginger lemur and practically bouncing them in the air. Professor McGonagall walked up.

"Professor Moody, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Teaching."

"Are those students?"

"Well, technically, they're a ferret and a lemur," Moody said before putting Draco down. Professor McGonagall changed them back to normal, Kassidy's hair down as her hair tie had broken, and Draco's hair messed up. Draco took Kassidy's hand and they both backed behind the tree.

"My father will hear about this!" Draco said before the two began to run off.

"I can tell you stories about your father that'd curl even your greasy hair, boy!" Moody shouted as the two ran.

"Remind me never to cross paths with him again?" Draco said.

"Only if you do the same for me," Kassidy said as they stopped and caught their breath by a wall.