Okay, so this chapter moves along pretty quickly…and yeah…awkward. Anyways, hope you like it! As always, read and review! :D
6: Ohmygod.
After my last detention with Moody, the school year slipped into autumn without too much other drama. Well, of course besides the fact that Harry Potter was chosen as the fourth champion for the Triwizard Tournament. It annoyed me, I have to admit seeing as Harry was never one of my favorite people. I found the whole "the boy who lived" thing overrated; he got way too much attention for his own good.
Anyways, today had been the trip to Hogsmeade. It was actually quite chilly outside, with terrible winds, so I just decided to buy myself a butterbeer and sat down at an empty table in the Three Broomsticks Inn.
It wasn't long before Draco came and joined me, his own cup of butterbeer in his left hand and something that looked like a pin in the other, "I have something to show you."
"What is it?" I said, warily.
"A bunch of us made these the other night for the upcoming task in the tournament," Draco passed me the thing he had been holding in his right hand. I had been right in that it was a pin. In red luminous letters, it spelled out the words: SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY – THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION.
"Interesting…" I said, picking it up.
"Wait, that's not all it does," Draco reached for it again and pushed the surface of the pin until the message vanished to be replaced with a different one in green glowing letters: POTTER STINKS.
I laughed, "Well, they're impressive."
"Want one?" Draco offered it to me.
"I don't know…" I admitted.
"Why not?" He tempted, pushing the pin closer to me.
"I don't think Jos would let me," I confessed, forcing a light laugh.
Draco scowled, "Since when was this about Reinhardt?"
"She's just…"
"Yeah, I get it. She's your 'best friend.' But if you haven't noticed, she's just another pathetic Gryffindor and she's changing you!" Draco threw the pin down angrily on the table and stormed out. There was a silence as people stared but no one dared ask questions. Then, just as abruptly, all the chatter resumed. Draco and I had already been forgotten.
I bent down to pick up the POTTER STINKS badge that had clattered to the ground. I turned it over and over in my hands as Draco's words started to sink in, making me feel a little empty. Was he right? I mean, Jos really didn't approve of half the antics I pulled, even if it was as simple as wearing a POTTER STINKS badge. And she did hurt my reputation, especially with Draco.
"Why do you have one of those?" Came the sharp voice of Jos, as if on cue.
"Oh, hey there." I said softly, not even bothering to answer her question or look up.
"What's wrong?" She asked, momentarily forgetting about the pin.
"I-I don't know." I answered, meeting her gaze for the first time. Suddenly, it did feel wrong to talk to her. "I have to go."
"Wait, Rayna-" But I was already out the door. I didn't stop or slow down until I was back at Hogwarts, down in my own dorm. Taking the POTTER STINKS badge, I pinned it onto the curtain of my bed. Its green letters glowed particularly bright in the dimly lit room. I smiled half-heartedly before retreating up to the common room.
I had been avoiding Jos for a week now by the time November 24 came, where everybody gathered down in the fields where the Quidditch pitch usually was. You could feel the rising levels of excitement and anxiety for the first task to begin. There was talk everywhere about what the champions would have to do. Finally, it was confirmed that the task would be dragons; to get past the dragons and grab the golden egg. Of course, these dragons would be ferocious since they're nesting mothers, ever so protective of their real eggs.
As soon as Cedric stepped out into the field with a Swedish Short-Snout, cheering erupted from the crowd. The first thing he did was transfigure a rock into a dog. The dragon was distracted briefly. But eventually, it made up its mind that Cedric was the bigger threat, him having inched too close towards the eggs. The dragon breathed out fire at him. A collective gasp gathered from the crowd as Cedric leapt sideways. Once the dragon calmed down again and the flames evaporated, Cedric emerged from the nest with the golden egg in his hand. Immediately, the dragon was restrained and in that same moment, everyone cheered. Especially the Hufflepuffs. What spirit.
The Beauxbatons girl went next. I didn't know what charm she was using but it seemed to lull her dragon into drowsiness. It did fall asleep but then it started snoring. Every time it breathed out, fire shot out of its nostrils and ended up setting Fleur's skirts on fire. She was able to put it out with a little water and grabbed the egg right before the dragon woke up.
Krum went after. He shot a hex and it hit the dragon straight in the eye. It went mad, breathing out snorts of fire, and stomping around. I figured sooner or later it was going to crush Krum but instead, it crushed its eggs. I mean the real ones. The golden egg was still standing and Krum took the chance to grab it.
And at last, it was Harry's turn. I watched him raise his wand and mutter an incantation but of course, I wasn't close enough to hear what it was. Either way, nothing seemed to be happening. I smirked, another spell failed by Potter. But then I heard the whistle in the breeze. I looked up to see a broomstick flying through the sky into Harry's hand. He flew circles around the dragon, did crazy dives and feints, until he was just able to grab the golden egg with his outstretched hand. Cheering erupted from the stands, cheering that was louder even after Cedric succeeded.
"Wow, I don't believe it. Potter's actually done it." I murmured to myself.
"Who would've known?" Nott said from next to me.
Soon, excitement for the first task turned into excitement for the Yule Ball. I happened to be in Charms with Professor Flitwick when it was first announced.
"Class, class, pipe down! You have not been dismissed yet! I have wonderful news for all of you!"
Some of us groaned, wanting nothing more than to go to lunch. I, myself, was pretty hungry too.
"Now, with the Triwizard Tournament comes another thrilling event: the Yule Ball!" Conversation immediately overshadowed Professor Flitwick's tiny voice. "Wait, wait! Stop talking! I'm not finished!" He squeaked, "It will take place on Christmas Day and starts promptly at 8 PM. So…er, learn to dance, find your partners, and I hope you have a wonderful time! Class dismissed!"
"I think Flitwick's just upset because he'll never find somebody as small as he is," I whispered to Adelia, who was sitting next to me.
"Who knows? Love has ways." She replied, with a dreamy look in her eyes that told me she was probably thinking of that guy she wanted to go with. "And I bet you want to go with Malfoy."
I scoffed, "Isn't it obvious?"
A week later, and no one's asked me but Crabbe. And I didn't want to go with him. After finishing my breakfast that day, I started heading to the library because I had a massive essay to write for History of Magic and I wanted to check out a book before going to class.
"Are you saying someone asked the Mudblood to the ball? You've got to be kidding me!" I stopped right outside the library, my hand on the door about to push it open, only paused by Draco's voice.
"Like you've actually got someone to go with, Malfoy." I heard Hermione retort. "You're just a twitchy, jealous ferret."
"Psh, like it matters. I can get a date anytime I want." I could see his smug face in my mind.
"Oh yeah, let's see you try!" Ron demanded.
Abruptly, after hearing that, I pushed the door to the library open, not wanting to stick around and watch Malfoy ask some random girl to the Yule Ball. I knew he wouldn't be asking me since we hadn't talked as much as we usually do in this week, ever since our little row in The Three Broomsticks. I had one foot in the library, the other in midair, so close to getting away but then I heard the words, "Hey Rayna!"
I whirled around and Draco was standing right in front of me, much closer than I had expected. My breath caught in my throat and I stumbled backwards a little, "Huh? What, me?"
"Are you not Rayna?" He remarked.
"Oh yeah, uhm…sorry. I'm just really…tired."
"Anyways, you're going to the Yule Ball with me. So see you at 8?"
The level of happiness in my heart just magically escalated so high until it broke the meter. However, on the outside, I chose to remain calm. I smirked, "Sure, Draco." Then I disappeared into the library, shut the door, and sank into a sitting position against it with the most idiotic smile on my face.
From inside the library, I heard the muffled taunt of Draco, "Told you it was easy. Well, for me. Potter and Weasel-be need a lot of work." He mocked, before I heard him sauntering off with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Miss Alma, are you…okay?" Madam Pince loomed over me, looking concerned.
"Oh, I'm fine." I muttered, feeling my cheeks heat up a little. I picked myself up and started my search for a book before I ended up late for class. I was scanning the shelves when I saw the book Goblin Rebellions: 1600-1701. As I pulled it out the shelf, I felt someone grab my elbow. "What the-" I started only to be cut off.
"Have you been avoiding me?" Jos claimed.
I pulled my elbow back, "No, I haven't." I lied.
"Don't lie; I'm your best friend, I can always tell when you lie."
"Okay, fine. I've been avoiding you, happy?"
"Absolutely not. Why are you avoiding me?"
"I don't know. They say Slytherin has a bad reputation for being mean sometimes." I shrugged.
"No, they don't. I mean, they do but that's not the real reason."
"Look, forget it, okay? I'm talking to you now, aren't I? I have to go, before I'm late to class."
"You won't be." Jos pressed on, "Tell me what's going on."
I gave in, sighed, and told her about that trip to Hogsmeade.
"How could you ever think being friends with me was wrong?" She said, disbelief in her eyes.
"Well, Draco was-"
"You know, lately, all you've ever talked about or brought up was Malfoy. You're so obsessive about him; it's like you don't have time for anyone else. You even let him convince you that we shouldn't be friends. You know we've been best friends since your first year and because of Malfoy, you're just going to throw it all away? I can't believe you! I know you're mean by nature; I just never thought you'd ever stoop that low. Guess I was wrong and I guess this day was always coming; I was just too stupid to see it."
As Jos marched off, I felt unbelievably cold and that empty feeling in my heart from back in the Three Broomsticks reopened and filled my mind. Suddenly, nothing, not even going to the Yule Ball with Draco mattered. I had just lost Jos, the first person to ever understand and "get" me.