She hadn't wanted to watch him face dragons, but she couldn't look away. She'd been horrified that the officials would dare use dragons in a competition. Didn't anyone have an ounce of logic? Nesting mothers were particularly vicious, and they were enraging them for fun and games. Any one of the champions could have been killed. As it was, both Cedric and Harry sustained injuries.
She darted into the makeshift hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey would surely kick her out if she were discovered. Harry had been healed instantly, but Cedric sat hidden behind a screen. She hurried over to where Cedric was hidden.
"Cedric!" she hissed, attempting to avoid detection. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Hermione! Breaking rules to see me?" he grinned. His face was a mess. A good portion was hidden behind a burn plaster, making him look almost sinister. He'd tried to raise his eyebrows comically, but the effect was lost with one burnt off.
"You scared me!"
He looked pitiful.
"I can't believe you were hurt," she murmured, throwing her arms around him. "I really thought your transfiguration was working too!"
"It was a catastrophic conundrum. You liked it?"
"Of course! It was a great piece of spell work."
"Was it as good as those birds?" he asked teasingly.
"Not quite," she answered contrarily.
"Oh well. As long as you liked it," he said, pulling her up to sit beside him. They stayed there holding each other until long after they were discovered.
