Chapter Two: Relationships
Author's Note: I wish to start by thanking everyone who's left a like, comment, and review.
I genuinely appreciate it.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this story.
Page breaks: (0v0)
Uzumaki Naruto's blue eyes blearily popped open at the sound of his buzzing wand on his nightstand. Groggily, the blond teen fumbled for his wand, his hand smacking the table and sending various knickknacks and tchotchkes falling to the ground. After a few more seconds of struggle, the blond finally grasped the handle of his wand, feeling its familiar warmth surge up his arm and into his magical core as if greeting him. "I'm up," Naruto groaned, casting a silent 'Tempus' spell with a lazy wand wave.
Soon, wisps of white smoke floated out of the end of the teen's wand and quickly formed into shapes that showed 5:48 a.m.
"We've got a meeting at seven; enough time for me to shower and eat breakfast," Naruto thought as he sat up, his sheets pooling around his waist and revealing his bare, toned chest. The blond smacked his cheeks to slap away the last vestiges of sleep before throwing off his sheets and getting out of bed. He then padded over to his ensuite bathroom, jabbing his wand over his shoulder to summon a fresh set of clothes with a silent 'Accio' just before the door closed.
Fifteen minutes later, Japan's star seeker exited his bathroom in a cloud of steam, wearing blue jeans, straw sandals, and an orange t-shirt bearing his clan's red whirlpool symbol on his chest. Naruto let out a pleasant sigh, feeling refreshed by his shower, as he pointed his wand at his bed and used a minor housekeeping spell to make it. The teen then frowned as he caught sight of the things he had knocked over in his attempts to silence his buzzing wand, particularly the picture frame he had batted away. Naruto summoned the frame, swiftly snatching the object out of the air with the precision of a striking snake, and looked at the picture, his frown curling into a soft smile.
It was a magical picture showing himself standing before a shrine with his family and girlfriends. Naruto's family, including himself, were dressed in formal kimonos. He and his father wore blue kimonos with crashing wave motifs, while his mother and sister wore red kimonos with cherry blossom motifs. Naruto's first girlfriend was wearing a black kimono with a red rose motif that clung to her curves and highlighted her snow-white skin and the crimson curtain of hair that fell down her legs in waves; she sported a light blush and a soft smile as she hooked her arm through Naruto's, a smile that made her blue-green eyes glitter from beneath her loose bangs. The blonde teen swore he could see his redheaded girlfriend's ahoge twitch in happiness. By contrast, Naruto's second girlfriend wore a shrine maiden's outfit that clung to her voluptuous frame as she clung to his opposite arm; her white top complimented her fair skin and contrasted wonderfully with her very long, glossy, black hair that was fashioned into a long ponytail that reached all the way down to her legs with two strands sticking out of the top of her head that sloped backward; the ponytail was tied by a silk orange ribbon that Naruto had gotten for her years ago. The teen would never forget how her striking violet eyes lit up with joy as he handed her the gift for her eleventh birthday. Nor would he ever forget what she said.
"Hmm, it's not a red string, but knowing you, Naru-kun, your string is probably orange anyway," the girl teased, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she ran the silk through her fingers before she decided to tie her hair up into a ponytail.
"Akeno-chan," a younger Naruto stuttered, his face redder than his mother's hair as he watched one of his best friends tie up her hair.
"How do I look?" Akeno asked, a shy smile on her face.
"Beautiful," a younger Naruto said, his heart pumping rapidly.
Akeno's blush deepened as she giggled, "My, Rias-chan is gonna be so jealous."
"And she was," Naruto thought, waving his wand and returning the other bits and bobbles strewn across his floor to their place on the nightstand before he walked over and returned the photo. "But I made it up to her by winning that duel against Riser-teme," the blond thought, tracing Akeno and Rias's faces with his fingers. The two girls in the magical portrait appeared to giggle as they clung to 'their' Naruto all the tighter while they blew the real Naruto kisses. The Uzumaki heir chuckled, removing his fingers and leaving his room as he slipped his wand into his disillusioned wrist holster.
As soon as Naruto exited, he was greeted by the smell of his mother's cooking. The blond's nose twitched in happiness as he walked down the hallway, his sandaled feet making nary a sound on the wooden floorboards as he passed by his sister's pink door and towards the door at the end of the hallway where the blond could see the light creeping in from under the door that separated their rooms from the living room. Naruto opened the door, entered the living room, and saw the back of his father's head as he sat on their couch. His father was reading a newspaper, a magical one, if the moving pictures were any indication.
"Morning, son," Minato said, looking over his shoulder at his eldest child and heir, "Sleep well?"
"Yup," Naruto responded, closing the hallway door as he walked over to the couch and peered over his father's shoulder at the paper, "And what's the news, Pops?"
"Other than your future nuptials to Rias, Akeno, Hinata, and Hanabi, nothing much," Minato teased, grinning at the son's flushing face.
"Shut up," Naruto stammered, looking away. "How was I supposed to know those two had crushes on me?"
"Because, my dense son, my future daughters-in-law blushed to the roots of their hair anytime you hugged them," Kushina announced as she exited the kitchen, wand in hand and a line of steaming dishes floating behind her.
"Guh," Naruto grunted, feeling a metaphorical signpost driven through his heart with the word 'Dense' on it.
"Don't worry," Kushina giggled, waving her wand and setting the dishes on their dining room table. "You get your denseness from your father. I had to march up to Minato and give him what the Brits call, 'a right ol' Snog,' to make him see what was right in front of him."
"Ah, I remember that," Minato said, rising from his seat with a fond smile, "If I recall, that was at the Uchiha Ball, wasn't it?" Minato then snorted, folding his paper and placing it on the coffee table, "Neither of our families got invited for a few years after that."
The Uzumaki-Namikaze matriarch rolled her eyes as she sat at the table. "The Uchihas have always been a bunch of fuddy-duddies; the only ones who don't have sticks up their asses are Mikoto-chan and her daughter, which, speaking of," Kushina paused, waggling her eyebrows at her son as he sat across from her, "Satsuki-chan has bloomed into a fine flower, sporting some large blossoms. Any plans to add her to your growing harem?"
"Kaa-chan," Naruto whined, his face steaming, "She's just a friend."
"And so were your other girlfriends," Kushina pointed out as Minato found his place at the head of the table. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it; I saw your face when she hugged you after the qualifier against Korea."
Naruto looked away, his face scarlet as he recalled Satsuki Uchiha engulfing him in a massive hug as soon as he landed on the pitch. The blond could still remember the feel of her slender arms wrapping around his torso, the smell of her jasmine shampoo tickling his nose from her long, raven hair as she squished her ample, soft curves against his chest.
"You're thinking about it right now," Kushina teased, breaking her son out of his thoughts.
"No, I wasn't," Naruto weakly denied.
"Yes, you were," Kushina crowed, pumping her fist. "You want to date Satsuki-chan. You want to-"
"-Dear, let's start your delicious meal before it gets cold, then you can continue to tease our son," Minato interjected, interrupting his wife as he picked up his chopsticks.
"Who's teasing?" Kushina grinned as she picked up her eating utensils. "If Naru-chan dates and marries Satsuki, then that'll make us in-laws with Mitoko alongside Venelana, Shuri, and Hitomi."
"Why do I feel like I'm being pimped out?" Naruto mumbled as he picked up his chopsticks. He wasn't quiet enough, for his mother heard him.
"Pimped, schimped," Kushina waved off her son's concerns as she started counting on her fingers, "They're all your friends; they're all wonderful people; they all love you; and they're all gorgeous; what exactly are you complaining about?"
Naruto's jaw dropped at his mother's systematic shutdown of any of his concerns through a simple, albeit flippant, listing of the facts: all of the girls in question were his friends, had been since they were children; they were all wonderful people, each with hearts of gold, and attractive personalities; they all loved him, though Naruto would deny that Satuski loved him in that way; finally, they were all gorgeous girls that any man would be fortunate enough to have a single one as his girlfriend, let alone all five. Unbidden images of him and the five girls in question flooded his mind—racy images of him and the five girls.
Seeing his son's plight, Minato decided to rescue him by announcing, "Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu," Kushina echoed, slightly pouting at having her fun and plans put on hold.
"Itadakimasu," Naruto mumbled, sending a thankful look toward his father.
The trio started their meal in silence, enjoying the home-cooked meal for a few minutes before Minato asked, "So, son, what are your plans for today?"
"Other than my meeting at seven? Probably walk around the campgrounds for a bit, then take a nap before the match," Naruto said after swallowing a bite of rice. "What about you guys?"
"I'll be meeting with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio later in the afternoon for some drinks," Minato answered before raising his bowl of miso soup to his lips.
"And I'll be out walking the campgrounds with Shio-chan," Kushina said before adding, "Maybe we'll run into my future daughters-in-law while we're walking?"
"Sounds fun. I might meet up with you guys later," Naruto said, avoiding addressing his mother's comments and her violet eyes as he looked at everything else on the table except his parents.
"Kushina," Minato sighed, looking at his wife, "Could you stop teasing our boy?"
"I reiterate, 'Who's teasing?" Kushina answered with a bright grin, "I want all of those girls as my daughters-in-law, and from Naru-chan's scarlet face, I don't think he's opposed to it."
Naruto hid his face behind his bowl of rice.
"I rest my case," Kushina giggled as she plucked a piece of salmon with her chopsticks and raised it to her lips.
"I suppose I better contact the fathers of my future daughters-in-law to discuss dowries," Minato sighed, throwing a teasing grin at his son, who choked on a mouthful of rice and dropped his bowl.
Quick as lightning, Kushina's wand was in her hand, pointing at her son, a silent "Anapneo," leaving its tip and hitting his neck. The spell vanished the clumps of rice caught in Naruto's throat.
"Are you okay?" Kushina asked, her violet eyes shining with worry.
"I'm fine," Naruto croaked, rubbing his throat with one hand as he reached for his cup of tea with the other. The teen slowly sipped his green tea, letting the warm beverage soothe his throat. He sighed in relief as he lowered his cup. "I wasn't expecting Dad to join in just then, you know?"
"Sorry, son," Minato apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"It's alright," Naruto waved off the apology, "No harm, no foul."
"I'm sorry too," Kushian said, her lips curled down, and her shoulders slumped, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.
"It's alright, Kaa-chan," Naruto assured before scratching his whisker marks, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he mumbled, "I wouldn't mind marrying my girlfriends."
"And Satuski-chan?" Kushina asked, raising her delicate eyebrow as a slight grin grew on her face."
"No comment," Naruto said before bending down, picking up his rice bowl, and checking it for cracks or chips. Finding one on the lip, the teen took out his wand and used a silent 'Reparo' on the dish, fixing it, followed by a silent 'Evanesco' to vanish the fallen food on the floor. The Uzumaki heir then sat up and extended the bowl to his mother, "Could I get some more rice, please?"
"Sure," Kushina chirped, taking the bowl and scooping another serving of rice into Naruto's bowl. "Here you go."
"Thank you," Naruto said, taking the bowl and continuing his meal.
Deciding to move the conversation to a different topic, Kushina asked, "So, are you excited about the match? I hear Bulgaria's Seeker, Krum, is considered the best in the world. "
"Not for long," Naruto said after swallowing a mouthful of rice, a giant grin on his face. "I'm gonna show the world that I'm the best."
"That's my boy, you show them what the Uzumaki-Namikaze family is all about," Kushina cheered, pumping her fist.
"Speaking of showing the world," Minato interjected, checking his watch, "You'll want to show up to your meeting; it's in ten minutes."
"Really?" Naruto asked, looking towards his own watch, his blue eyes widening at what the clock face read. "It's that late?! Crap!"
"Time flies when you're having fun," Minato chuckled while Kushina giggled at her son's goggled expression.
"Need to run!" Naruto shouted as he shot up from his chair, raced around the table, and kissed his mother on the cheek, thanking her for breakfast before darting out of the tent, yelling over his shoulder, "See you later!"
Minato and Kushina watched their son disappear from the tent, proud smiles on their faces, before continuing their meal in comfortable silence for a while until Kushina asked, "Minato-koi, you said that your meeting was in the afternoon, right?"
"Yes, why?" Minato asked before finishing his last bite of salmon.
"Oh, I just remembered we were interrupted last night," Kushina stated, a salacious grin on her face as she rose from her seat, flicking her wand at her dishes and her son's dishes, sending them towards the kitchen to have them wash themselves. The redheaded matriarch then stalked around the table, passing behind her husband's chair and trailing her delicate fingers across his shoulders, relishing the feeling of Minato's firm muscles.
Minato felt his heartbeat skyrocket at his wife's touch as he watched her slink towards the hallway door, her hips tantalizingly swaying. The blond clan head watched his wife throw a smoldering look over her shoulder before she opened the door and disappeared.
Minato's wand appeared in his hand in a flash as he quickly vanished what remained of his meal and sent the dishes to the kitchen before he bolted from his chair and after his wife.
When he arrived at his meeting later in the day, Minato had a bright grin plastered to his face.
(0v0)
Elsewhere, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were weaving through the city of tents, carrying a kettle and saucepans to fill with water.
"I still don't see why we can't use magic for the fire," Ron grumbled, resting his saucepan on his shoulder like a beater's bat as he gestured around himself, "Everyone else's doing it."
Indeed, as the trio traveled towards the tap, they passed by countless wizards and witches performing bits of magic, such as wringing out laundry, chopping wood, and even starting fires.
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, the tea kettle dangling between her fingers from its wire handle, "Just because others are breaking the rules doesn't give us an excuse to. Besides–" Hermione paused as two little girls riding toy brooms zoomed past them with a Ministry Wizard not far behind, "-the Ministry's here. So, do you really want to risk getting caught and getting a fine just to start a fire faster?"
"That's assuming we get caught," Ron said, grinning.
Hermione's eyebrow rose, "And who is this 'we' you're referring to?"
"You, me, and Harry, of course," Ron said, gesturing to each in turn.
"Sorry, mate," Harry said with a smile, "I've already got one mark on my record, and I don't fancy another one."
"What?" Hermione gasped, her eyes goggling as she stopped in her tracks. Quickly turning, Hermione stepped into Harry's chest, demanding, "You've got a mark? When? How? What?"
"Whoa! Calm down, Hermione," Harry said, holding up his skillet as a makeshift shield between him and the brainy brunette as he edged backward. "I got it–well, Dobby got it–around two years ago when he was trying to keep me from going to Hogwarts. It's nothing serious," Harry lamely finished, giving the girl a shaky grin, already regretting his last sentence.
"Nothing serious?! Harry, two marks on your record result in an automatic hearing that could see your wand snapped!" Hermione hissed, stalking the boy down until his back hit a tree. "Do you know what that means? It means no more magic! Ever!"
"Ever?" Harry gulped, his skin rapidly paling and his green eyes turning wider than saucers as he registered what that meant; no more magic meant no more Hogwarts, meaning all of his friends and loved ones would be a world away as he was forced to live with the Dursley's year-round again and attend Muggle school.
"Yes, ever!" Hermione said as she leaned into Harry and raised her hand. She was so close that Harry could feel her minty breath on his face. "That's why, as soon as we're back at the Burrow, you will be writing a letter to the DMLE and asking for that mark on your record to be expunged. Do. You. Understand?" Hermione stated, punctuating her closing remarks with three pokes to his skillet shield, producing a tiny 'plink' each time her nail struck the cast iron.
"I understand," Harry nodded, looking deep into Hermione's eyes and expressing his sincerity with his own.
"Good," Hermione smiled, pulling back and quickly muttering, "Because I can't lose you."
Harry's eyes widened, and his pulse quickened at Hermione's words, "What did you say?"
"What?" Hermione asked, tilting her head as she replayed their previous conversation until she realized Harry heard her.
"Err, nothing. I said nothing," Hermione rapidly said, her face flushing as she turned on her heel and began speed walking away, yelling over her shoulder, "Come on, the water's not gonna get itself!"
Harry stood there for a second, stunned stupid, before he remembered himself and jogged after Hermione, not noticing Ron glaring at his back.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione continued their task, seeing a few of their classmates, or former classmates in the case of Oliver Wood, spending some time chatting with them before leaving for the water tap and waiting in line. All the while, there was an unseen tension between Harry and Hermione, one that the former wanted to address and the latter desperately wanted to dodge, which Hermione did so effectively by starting a conversation with Ron anytime Harry tried to speak with her. Something that made the redhead preen.
Eventually, the trio completed their task, returning to their tent with the water for their breakfast. Harry spent the next few hours trying to get a moment alone with Hermione, but the brunette was proving frustratingly elusive with how she'd start up conversations with Ron, Ginny, and Mr. Wesaley—hell, she even started a conversation with Percy about cauldron bottoms when he and the elder Weasley children arrived.
Frustrated with her evading him like a particularly persnickety snitch, Harry announced he would explore the campgrounds before marching out of the tent. Harry didn't know where he was going, letting his feet carry him as he weaved through the hundreds of tents and stewed in his feelings.
"Why doesn't she want to talk to me?" Harry wondered as he passed by a vendor selling Japanese National Team-themed merchandise. "I mean, what she said wasn't bad; I feel the same way! I can't lose her either! I love-" Harry jerked to a stop, pausing in a gap between two tents as he caught up to his thoughts.
"-I love Hermione?" Harry whispered the words, feeling his heart start to race and his face flush as he pictured Hermione Granger, seeing her grow in his mind's eye from the precocious, bushy-haired brunette that had burst into his compartment onto the Hogwarts Express to the beautiful girl with that had clung to his back as they rode Buckbeak. Harry could still remember the feeling of her soft cur–
"-No!" Harry furiously thought, shaking his head so fast that he was at risk of sending his glasses flying. "I love Hermione as a friend! That's it!" Harry thought, feeling a twinge in his heart as soon as he thought it, his body recognizing the thought for what it was: a lie.
Harry was broken out of his thoughts by a woman yelling, "Shio-chan! Slow down!"
"What?" Harry uttered, looking up and seeing a flash of red and white before he felt something hard collide with his stomach.
"Oof," Harry grunted, feeling like he had taken a bludger to the stomach as he was knocked flat on his back, the force of the collision sending his glasses flying and temporarily robbing him of breath.
For a moment, Harry panicked, his green eyes wide and staring helplessly up at the clear blue sky as his lungs screamed for air until his brain finally registered his dire straits and sent an electrical impulse to his lungs to breathe, which they did pretty quickly and forcefully as the teen shot up and took a deep, shuddering, breath. His actions dislodged whatever had run into him.
"Itai," Harry heard a soft voice hiss as he rediscovered the ability to breathe.
Harry looked down and saw a young girl with red hair tied in pigtails, rubbing her head with tears stinging the corners of her violet eyes. The girl wore what Harry assumed was a Japanese Quidditch robe, though it was hard to tell given how blurry his vision was.
"Are you alright?" Harry wheezed, rubbing his sore stomach.
The girl nodded before her eyes widened, and she began madly bowing to the boy and blabbering something in what Harry thought might be Japanese and assumed was an apology.
"Hey, it's alright," Harry assured, getting up and offering a hand to the girl. "Accidents-"
"-Shio-chan!" A woman shouted, turning the corner with an annoyed expression before she suddenly halted and softly gasped, "Harry?"
"Yes?" Harry asked, squinting at the red-haired woman, assuming she was the mother of the little girl who had run into him.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" the mother asked, her voice trembling as she took a tentative step forward with tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"Yes?" Harry repeated, extending the 's' and sounding like a leaky tire as he stepped back from the unknown woman.
"Harry-chan!" the woman shouted, launching herself forward and glomping the teen, dragging his face into her bosom.
"Bloody hell!" Harry thought, his face turning redder than the Hogwarts Express as his breath got robbed by another unknown redhead for the second time in less than a minute. The teen could barely make out every third word motoring out of the mother's mouth, muffled as they were by her breasts. But the boy did manage to snatch the words, 'Happy—sorry—bastard—sorry—Lily.'
"Huh?" Harry grunted, his eyes widening as he struggled to pull back. "Lily?! My mother? You knew my mother?"
"Of course, I knew your mother, dattebane!" the woman said as she slightly loosened her grip to look into Harry's eyes. "Haven't you been listening to me?!"
"Kaa-chan! He probably couldn't hear you because of your chest," Shio pointed out as she gestured toward her mother's chest.
"Eh?" the mother looked down and saw that she had been smothering the boy. "Eep!" she squeaked, blushing as she released the boy and began to rapidly bow and apologize.
"It's…alright," Harry got out between breaths, stepping backward, not caring about his near death because he had more important things to worry about; "You knew my mother?"
"Of course I knew Lily! She named me your godmother after all!" the redheaded woman claimed, stopping her bowing and frowning, "Do you not know who I am?"
Harry shook his head. "No, I never knew that I had a godmother. Heck, I didn't even know I had a godfather until last year."
The redheaded mother's frown deepened, "Well, I can see why people would keep knowledge about Sirius from you—even if I think the mangy mutt would never betray your parents—but why would they not tell you about me?! I swear, if that no good, goat-humping, sherbert-sucking, senile geriatric didn't mention me to you, I will strangle him with his beard!"
"And who are you, anyway?" Harry prompted, wondering if he should run away and find the nearest Ministry official for help, even if the teen thought their boss was a fop.
The redheaded woman huffed, placing her fists on her hips, "I just told you, I'm your-"
"-Kaa-chan! He means your name," Shio interjected, cutting off her motormouthed mother before she could get going on another rant.
"Oh, I guess I haven't shared that yet," the mother chuckled, rubbing the back of her head before turning towards Harry and flashing the boy a warm smile, "My name is Kushina Uzumaki, and it's nice to finally meet you, Harry-chan."
(0v0)
Elsewhere, an elderly gentleman wearing an audacious, eye-watering set of purple robes with twinkling silver stars shivered suddenly in his seat. He looked out of his office window; it was a beautiful summer day with the sun shining high with no clouds in the sky. Nothing that would forebode ill, but for some reason, the old man felt like he was in for a world of hurt soon.
"Are you alright, Albus?" asked an elderly woman wearing a green robe and a matching witch's hat covering her black hair.
"Just a sudden chill, Minerva," Albus assured, waving away his deputy's concern as he looked away from the window, placing the feeling in the back of his mind. "Now, returning to the topic, have we finished setting up a clearing for the dragons?"
"Yes, though I must again question why we are resurrecting this infernal tournament; you do remember what happened the last time, don't you? All of the competitors–students–died," Minerva stated, narrowing her eyes at the aged man.
"Yes, because you are wont to remind me," Albus remarked, the skin around his eyes tightening as he peered over his silver spectacles, "And as I have often reminded you, there's little I can do. The Minister, 'in all of his wisdom, and in the spirit of international cooperation, has deemed it fit to resurrect the hallowed Tri-Wizard Tournament to reinvigorate the ties between Magical Britain's friends and neighbors."
"My, you've done a wondrous job of memorizing the party line," Minerva pointed out, scowling as she turned and walked over to the window, glaring outside at a lake. Her green eyes caught sight of a giant tentacle gently breaching the surface before returning to its dark depths.
Albus closed his blue eyes and pinched the bridge of his crooked nose, inhaling deeply through his whiskered nostrils before slowly exhaling, feeling the air tickle the hairs of his long, silvery beard as he collected himself. Feeling calmer, he opened his eyes and fought the scowl that threatened to break out on his features as they landed on the latest Ministry missive that featured the words he had quoted:
Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,
In all of his wisdom and in the spirit of international cooperation, the Minister has deemed it fit to resurrect the hallowed Tri-Wizard Tournament to reinvigorate the ties between Magical Britain's friends and neighbors. To ensure the most excitement, the Minister has decided to feature dragons in the First Task, a historic and unprecedented move that will surely be memorable.
Please be advised that Hogwarts must house three dragons on its grounds. The dragons shall arrive one fortnight before the scheduled date of November 24th alongside their handlers.
Have all the preparations done before then to avoid any potential embarrassment to the Ministry and your venerable institution.
Warm regards,
Dolores Jane Umbridge
Senior Undersecretary for the Minister
With a flick of his knobbly wand, Albus vanished the letter with a silent 'Evanesco,' wishing he could do the letter's sender. Yet, sadly, not every problem could be solved by a simple wave of the wand, as Albus had learned many times over his long life, such as dealing with his ornery deputy headmistress.
"Needs must," the headmaster thought as he stood up from his chair, feeling his years weigh down on him with every step as he approached his deputy and one of his eldest friends.
Albus rested a hand on her shoulder, "As I've told you before, our hands are tied. We can't forgo being in the tournament because Minister Fudge has already released the snitch by contacting his counterparts in France and Bulgaria."
"...Is it so much to ask for a normal year, Albus?" Minerva asked after a moment, her eyes flicking to Albus' own in the reflection. "Our students have been through so much the past three years: the Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, and Sirius Black. So many dangers, with a few of them suffering injuries already–and now this bloody tournament–I just-" Minerva paused, her eyes flicking again to the murky lake, "-I fear that we are courting Death, Albus, and I don't want to bury one of our children, not again."
Albus gave Minerva's shoulder a gentle squeeze, saying nothing as he knew that the future was dark and full of peril so long as a particular ex-student of his clung to life.
(0v0)
"Wormtail!" a high-pitched voice rasped, breaking the silence of the dilapidated room. "Feed me!"
"Ye-yes, Milord," Wormtail stammered, shuffling on creaky floorboards towards a giant snake coiled in a dusty corner. The small man noticed with his watery black eyes that the snake's stomach was bulging, looking like it had swallowed a truck tire, but Wormtail knew that wasn't the case as his eyes flicked toward a cap that lay near the snake's mouth.
Womrtail gulped as he toed closer to the reptile. "Nice snake," Wormtail soothed, feeling sweat run down his pointed nose as he saw the snake focus on him, its slitted eyes tracking his movements as it licked the air with its black, forked tongue.
"Good snake," Wormtail murmured, inching ever closer as he reached into his threadbare robes and pulled out a large, glass milk bottle stoppered by a cork. The cork had numerous holes on its top. Wormtail held the bottle out toward the snake, "If you could-"
The snake reared back its head, hissing as it opened its massive maw and flashed its large, dripping fangs.
"Eek!" Wormtail shrieked, dropping the bottle as he stumbled backward and fell on his ass. The bottle clunked as it hit the floor and rolled underneath a high-back chair facing a lit fireplace.
"Nagini! Stop playing with Wormtail!" the raspy voice commanded from the chair.
At the voice's command, Nagini relaxed, holding open her jaws and presenting her fangs to Wormtail.
Wormtail paused, stunned at what to do, when the voice shouted, "Now! Wormtail!"
Spurred into motion, the small man scrambled across the floor, reaching underneath the chair, and quickly retrieved the bottle. He then, just as quickly, returned to Nagini and held out the bottle, squirming as the snake extended forward and bit into the cork stopper, knowing that one wrong move and he could become the giant snake's next meal.
A few minutes later, the bottle was full of a sickly green-colored liquid that bubbled and hissed. Carefully, Wormtail reached into his robes, pulled out a stubby brown wand, and pointed it at the stopper; a bolt of white light flew out of the wand, striking the cork and transfiguring it into a rubber nipple.
Wormtail felt his shoulders slump in relief at getting the spell correct, though he didn't revel in his success long for the raspy voice whispered, "Wormtail?"
"Ye-yes, Milord, I've got your sustenance," Wormtail said, striding in front of the chair and restraining a wince at the creature swaddled in black robes that sat in the chair. The creature was emaciated, with skin paler than the moon drawn taught over its frame, showing all of its bones, though what truly disturbed Wormtail was the snake-like face with two slits for nostrils and burning red eyes that were coldly glaring at him.
"Bottle," the creature ordered.
"Yes, Milord," Wormtail said, placing the bottle on a nearby end table and picking up the creature, shivering as his hands touched the cold, pale skin that felt scaly. Wormtail then sat down, cradling the creature in his arms as he grabbed the bottle and began to nurse the thing.
After a few tense minutes, in which the creature balefully glared at Wormtail over the end of its bottle, the creature was done feeding, having drained the bottle dry.
"What news from Barty?" the creature asked as Wormtail pulled the bottle away.
"He says that he's scouted out Mad-Eye's house and is currently making a hole in his wards; he told me to thank Milord for the brilliant runes that hide him from Moody's magical eye," Wormtail relayed.
"A small feat for one such as I," the creature waved off the praise before narrowing his eyes, "Now, have you acquired the ingredients?"
Wormtail hesitated before admitting, "Some of them, Milord, the rarer ingredients have eluded my grasp–but rest assured, I will acquire them before the night of the Third Task."
"You better," the creature hissed, his voice colder than an arctic wind, "For if you don't, you will experience the full fury of Lord Voldemort!"