Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except Chloe and anything else you don't recognize.
Alrighty, here's chapter 17! Enjoy!
Chapter 17:
An Account of Sleeping Angels and Singing Golden Eggs
I ran down the halls to the Hufflepuff common room. Cedric and I were meeting up there to figure this egg out. Poor Cedric was so stressed because the second task was approaching fast and he still didn't have this egg figured out. I came to the portrait hole and muttered the password. It swung open and I stepped in. Cedric wasn't there yet so I took a seat on the sofa and waited for him. Emma walked into the common room. Me and Emma had actually become pretty close since Christmas, but not nearly as close as Cedric and I were.
"Hey, Chloe," she greeted as she walked behind the couch. I looked up at her
"Hey Emma," I replied.
"What's up?"
"Just waiting for Cedric," I said. Emma giggled.
"Going to figure out that clue, are you?"
"Yeah, we'll try," Emma giggled some more. "Why are you giggling so much?" I asked.
"Oh no reason," I raised my eyebrows at her and was about to interrogate some more when the portrait hole swung open and Cedric rushed in. He looked like he just ran a marathon.
"Cedric, it's about time,"
"Under water," …what? Emma and I shared a confused look
"Huh?" Cedric caught his breath before continuing.
"Professor Moody"-I grimaced at that name-"told me to put the egg under water." I thought about that for a moment. Moody could just be playing a trick on him, I mean, it's quite obvious that he favors Harry and that he doesn't like me or Cedric.
"Are you sure he wasn't just trying to throw you off? I mean, he doesn't like us and he really likes Harry,"
"Actually, he just doesn't like you." I glared at him as Emma laughed.
"Y'know, Chloe, he's right. Your not Moody's favorite person." Why was everyone against me?
"Shut up, Emma."
"How about we just give it a try," Cedric said.
"Fine," I said. "Later tonight, you go to the prefects' bathroom and try to riddle it out. I'll stay here and wait for you."
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" There was that cocky grin I hadn't seen in ages. And the thought of him, in a tub it almost made me want to say yes, almost.
"No!" I exclaimed. "Gross," Cedric and Emma laughed. I rolled my eyes at them. "Later tonight, Ced, when everyone's gone to bed, kay?"
"Okay," he was still laughing. Geez, everyone loved to laugh at me didn't they? Gosh, it's annoying.
Later that Night:
I sat on the couch in the common room. Cedric had gone to the perfects' bathroom a while ago. I wondered what was taking him so long. I was starting to get very, very tired. Emma stayed up with me as long as she could but she eventually went to bed. I lay down on the couch and was soon engulfed in darkness. Bring on the dreams.
Cedric POV:
Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, an hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took. That voice kept repeating itself in my head as I headed back to the Hufflepuff common room while trying not to get caught. It took me forever to try and figure it out but I finally realized what it was. Merpeople in the black lake! Duh! I can't believe it took me so long to figure out something so obvious! I came to the portrait hole and muttered the password. It swung open and I stepped in. The common room was completely empty except for one person, sound asleep on the couch. She looked so beautiful when she slept. Her breathing was soft and even. She looked so peaceful. She looked like an angel, a beautiful sleeping angel. I didn't want to wake her but knowing Chloe she'd probably get pretty angry with me for not waking her. I knelt by her side and shook her.
"Chloe," she groaned but did not wake. "Chloe," her eyes flew open, her beautiful emerald green eyes that were all too easy to get lost in.
"Cedric, what took you so long?" She asked, tiredly rubbing her eyes and sitting up.
"This clue," I answered, sitting beside her. "The egg sang when I put it under the water," she sat there, probably piecing it all together and then realization dawned on her face.
"Merpeople," she looked up at me. Her expression said it all. "There in the lake," that was fast. I should've just come here instead of sitting there for an hour or so trying to riddle it out.
"Yes,"
"What was the clue?"
"Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, an hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took."
"How do you breathe under water for an hour?"
"I have no idea,"
"Well, I guess we have to figure that out next," she sighed, getting up to get some books mostly likely. A few minutes later, we were surrounded by books trying to find some way to breathe under water for a whole hour, maybe even more. Chloe looked ready to go at any second. She almost fell asleep a few times but stopped herself. I knew she'd end up going to sleep at any second. She wouldn't be able to last with how tired she was. And I was right. She ended up falling asleep over the arm of the couch, which couldn't be comfortable by any means. I closed the book I was perusing and threw it aside. I got up and walked over to her, picking her up in my arms and propping her head up my chest. She stirred but stayed in her peaceful slumber. I reached the girls' dorm and laid her down on her bed, pulling the covers over her. I watched her shift into a more comfortable position in her sleep, before brushing some hair out of her face. In case I haven't mentioned this before, she's beautiful, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Wavy, light brown hair, emerald green eyes that always had a twinkle in them, a pale complexion, the list goes on. I don't know why I don't just tell her? It's driving me nuts! I really don't want to ruin this friendship that we've built up in this short time but I really want her to know about my feelings. I don't even know if her feelings are mutual. Urgh! This is frustrating.
I slowly leaned down and planted a light kiss on her forehead.
"I love you," I whispered before heading down to clean up the books we were using.
Alright, I might rewrite this once because it's short and I think it could be better. And there's a poll on my page, just cause I was curious to see whose death people cried more at, Cedric's or Sirius's. So go take a look at that and vote and R&R!