Hey guys! Okay you are probably upset and furious with the overly large time in-between these two chapters, and all I can say is sorry. My mind has been elsewhere, and I didn't want to write when that was happening because I wanted to give you at least some decent work. Like I said before, I can't promise constant updates, but I will promise never to give up on this piece. So I hope you are still with me, I love reviews, they motivate me plenty. Now, I don't want to keep you waiting.

So without further ado, please

Enjoy ~ JoyfulTrouble

"Fleur! Shut if off now! Please!" Hermione scream, covering her ears in hopes that they might still be useable by the end of this. I quickly closes the egg, sighing in relief as the horrible screeching instantly stops, only leaving a ringing in both of our ears.

"'Ow am I supposed to figure out zis if I can't even understand it?" I asked annoyed, the question floating in the air between us. I tossing the golden monstrosity onto my bed, not wanting to deal with it after failing multiple times. The second task was coming closer and closer to the present, in three days to be exact, and I was constantly being nagged at to solve the egg puzzle. By a certain brunette who shall not be named.

Hermione looked just as annoyed as I was, maybe even more. She was sitting at my desk chair, leg bouncing up and down rapidly like a piston. She seemed to be getting more frustrated every time we failed to figure out the clue that the egg was supposed to have. Yes, I was in the same boat as her, but at least she was cute to watch, brows scrunched in thought and her eyes distant. It defiantly helped the situation a bit. "I have no clue. What I do know is soon that egg is going to be thrown as far as I can into the lake." I couldn't help but laugh lightly. "What's so funny?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"I was just wondering why you chose the lake as ze murder scene." I questioned, Hermione scoffed.

"It would barley be a murder scene, more like saving the village. And besides, at least the water would make it shut up."

"And if it didn't shut it up, you would want to cause pain to all the little fish in the sea?" I grin, as Hermione rolled her eyes at my attempts to make her smile.

"Those 'little fish'" She made quotations with her fingers, "might even like the sound it makes, who knows, it might not sound like deafening screams. And it is by no means a sea."

"You and your technicalities. Also, it wouldn't sound different underwater, it would probably just sound muffled." It was with that sentence that Hermione jumped from the chair, eye's wide and shining. Well that was a change in mood. "Did I say somezing?" I asked.

"What if it did?" She said, voice laced with hope. Her smile growing bigger by the second, expanding larger and larger, just ready to pop, and I was at a total loss at what was happening. What was happening?

"What?" was all I could manage to say.

"The egg, what if underwater it did sound different, like the density of the water or the decrease in oxygen reacts with the way it sounds? Creating a clue? Something actually understandable."

I stared at her in awe, though I shouldn't have been surprised. If anyone could figure out something, it was defiantly Hermione. The smile finally caught, and I couldn't help but beam at her.

I walked over to her in a few strides, pulled her in by the shoulders, and kissed her. Forcefully, strongly, filled with meaning, one that cleared my mind and made me see, made me feel. Hermione was the only person whom has ever made me feel this way. It's not like it was a different feeling, this sense of love and need for another. Though it's just so much stronger. Like I was watching these emotions from afar, only getting a taste, but with her, I get the whole damn platter. I get to see them up close, and these feelings just leave me breathless. I pulled away slowly, not wanting to pull away, but knew I would get to caught up in the moment if I didn't. We are both of us wrapped into each other, my hand now holding the back of her neck, the other tangled into her hair. Her fingers grasping the hem of my shirt tightly, as if she'd fall otherwise. We rested our foreheads together, basking in the moment, until our eyes started to flutter open.

"Wow," Hermione rasped, and I took slight pride in knowing I did that. "that… I mean, my idea might not even work." She said, mind still replaying the kiss.

"'Ermione, you are ze smartest person I know. You are most defiantly correct." I grin, licking my lips, still tasting Hermione's apple flavoured lips, also noticing how Hermione's attention goes straight to my own lips. "And besides, after we get ze clue, zere is more where zat came from."

I waited for what felt like ages for Fleur to come back from the Beauxbatons bathroom. Turns out their carriage also has everything Hogwarts dorms had, except even more. Apparently there is even have a small kitchen for anyone who missed a meal or was hunger and wanted a snack. The bathroom, from the glimpse I got of the inside, looked similar to the prefects bathroom. Again from the glimpse she had of that, it's a rough idea of it all. It was defiantly very large, very spacious and the only other word I can describe it with is, marble. Everything was marble and all others were their schools light blue.

I'm surprised they even leave the carriage considering everything they seem to have hidden in this port-a-potty. Also, they find most of us Hogwart's students beneath them. Well they don't all do, but the 'good' Beauxbatons are also picked on by the snobby ones. Though I shouldn't complain, considering one of the groups of supposedly high-and-mighty, la-de-da Beauxbatons got me to confess to Fleur that I liked her. In a less than ideal way- but I am getting off topic and where the bloody hell is Fleur?

"Well I am right 'ere, of course." Fleur's smooth voice comes from behind me. I spin around to find a Fleur changed into a green sweater with jeans. Her hair was still wet, and it dampened the spot it laid over her shoulder. In one of her hands she had the golden egg, the other held up a towel drying off a section of her hair.

I ignored the fact that I was supposedly talking to myself out loud, and instead got straight to the point, "So did it work, did it tell you about the second task?"

The small grin that Fleur was holding decapitated from her face, leaving a small frown in its wake. I instantly rushed over to her, both of my arms snaking around her waist as I looked up at her shining eyes.

"Fleur, what is it? What's wrong?"

Fleur took in a big breath before speaking. "Oui, it did work, and from what I understood of it, I do not like zis task one bit." Fleur looked from me to the egg, and when she knew I was waiting for her to continue, she sighed. "It said somzing about taking somzing, and only having an 'our to look. And when ze 'our is up, it will not come back." Fleur finished by walking away from my grasp and moving down the hall. I followed until we were back into her room, where she plopped down unto her bed, shoulders hunched over, staring at the egg.

I walk and sit beside her, resting a hand on er knee. I knew I couldn't really do much at the moment, but I hoped that my presence helped a bit.

"What will they steal, 'Ermione?" Fleur whispered, finally looking into my eyes, and I could see the uncertainty in them, and the unshed tears. "I do not know of any possession of mine zat is so valuable to me zat zey would take."

"Oh Fleur, everything will be fine. You are always so caring and protective. Whatever they steal, I am sure you will get it back, okay?."

"Promise?" And Fleur sounded so little then.

"I promise."

It's an hour before curfew, and Ron, Charlie and I decided to cram in last minute homework (well they did, I simply did next week's homework). We sat together at a table in the far off comer, them of course sitting side by side. They looked together at the same book, doing the same work for their one class together: Herbology.

Ever since the Yule Ball, those two have been inseparable. They seemed to be join at the hip, and no one seen one without the other unless different classes were involved. And that said a lot since with different houses came different rooms. They were in full blown couple mode.

"Hey guys, I'll be back, I'm going to try and find the book on advanced charms." I say as I get up from the table. I start walking towards the large expanse of books, looking at the aisle for the charms section. I didn't need the book necessarily, I already knew the criteria. I just simply wanted to get away from the couple for a bit. Yes, they were cute, but watching them kiss pretty much every time they wrote down a word was growing tiresome. I couldn't help but wonder if Fleur and I were ever like that.

"Hermione, you don't fool us. You probably have this library memorized by now, there is no trying." Ron explained, with a smirk on his face. I scoffed as I went to the right aisle without looking. He might be right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I slide my finger lightly over the books, watching the title pass by, but not finding the one I'm looking for. I am almost certain by now someone as misplaced it, knowing how common that cruel fate occurs. I sigh, head down, and I take a step in the direction of the table we were studying at when I hit a wall.

"Oww… Bloody hell…" I wince, rubbing my forehead lightly, what was a wall doing here?

"Quite a mouth you have, Ms. Granger." A stern voice speaks. Okay, so not a wall. I look up slowly, dreading the view of whom I ran into more and more, because either I hit my way too hard and got a concussion, or that is Ms. McGonagall.

"Ms. McGonagall!" I exclaim, my back shooting up into perfect posture, hands clasping together in front of me. "I am so sorry I ran into you."

"Oh, no need Hermione. I was actually looking for you." She said, giving one of her rare, small smiles. Though that just made the situation all the more confusing. The only reason Ms. McGonagall seeks out a student is if they're failing miserably in her class. I only knew that since Ron came barreling towards me one day begging me to help with his grades, saying that 'She was here!'. Personally, Ron could be quite the drama queen, though that was part of the fun.

"But Ms —"

"Hermione, you are not in trouble, if that is what you were going to ask." I slouch slightly in relief, not wanting to be in any sort of trouble with any teacher, especially Ms. McGonagall. "Now, you do remember that the second task is tomorrow, correct?" I nod my head. "Good, now if would be so kind as to follow me, we need you for that exact reason."