Chapter 34:

Drowning in Needless Worries

Upon return from the holidays, Jessa's focus remained split between her studies and the upcoming second task. She knew her brother's luck, she knew he'd be fine, but she couldn't help it – it was as if each task, each trial, could be the one he didn't come back from. And that terrified her.

"Jessa? Jessa? Jessa!" Draco said, calling her three times before she jumped, startled, looking up at him with a dazed look.

"Oh, hello Draco," she said simply, and he could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"You need to sleep," he told her, sliding into an empty seat.

"I – I can't. I have this essay to finish, not to mention I – I – " however, a yawn interrupted her, and she blushed, covering her mouth.

"Jessa, you've been working far too hard. Please talk to me, I know something's wrong," he said quietly.

"I – I'm scared for the Second Task," she admitted.

"Jessa Potter, look at me," he ordered, putting two fingers under her chin, tilting it upward.

"Your brother will be fine. I promise."

Hazily, she nodded, giving him a slight smile, but it wasn't enough to reassure him.

"You need to get some sleep," he repeated.

"I – I'm fine, just – "

" – exhausted. I'll carry you there myself if I have to. Now go," ordered her boyfriend.

Wearily, she nodded, rising to her feet, stumbling slightly. Immediately, Malfoy's hands were there, on the sides of her upper arms as he stood, firmly keeping her from falling.

"I'll take your books and bring them to you tomorrow. Let's go," he said, placing her books on the table, and wrapping an arm around her, letting his girlfriend lean into him as they headed for the downward spiral staircase.

As they reached the last step, he spoke again.

"I'm not allowed any farther. Will you be all right to make it to your room alone, or do you – do you want to sleep in my room again?" he asked, stuttering slightly, a light tinge of pink coming to his cheeks.

"I – I'll try my room, but – but thank you," she replied, her voice scarcely audible in her exhaustion as she leaned more heavily on him, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Never mind, you can barely stand up straight. You'll be better in my room. I don't think the others will mind," he decided quickly, turning her towards the boys' corridor, ready for another flight of stairs.

Finally, the couple made it to the fourth year boys' dormitory. As Draco went to push the door in, it swung open of its own accord, and Blaise had to stop short, his dark eyes widening.

"Draco, what…?"

"She's exhausted. Can you pull back the curtains by my bed?" Malfoy explained quickly. The dark-skinned boy nodded, complying immediately as his roommate helped his friend to the bed.

Thank Merlin for magic! he thought as he summoned her night clothes, closing the curtain around his bed to give her privacy to change.

He went over to where his friend stood, arms loosely crossed, and lowered his voice as he spoke. "She's worried about the second task."

"So she's pushing herself into her schoolwork to keep her mind off of it."

"Precisely."

"Well, luckily, it's in four days, and then hopefully she'll be okay." Blaise said, leaning against the table.

"I hope so," Draco muttered.

"She'll be fine," Blaise said, laying a hand briefly on his friend's shoulder. Draco gave him an appreciative nod.

"Draco?"

Both boys looked towards the voice as the bed curtains parted. "I'm still here."

"Are you sure? I don't want to – "

" – yes, I'm sure. The others won't say anything. They wouldn't dare," he replied firmly.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a brief kiss before placing her glasses on his dresser and curling up on the left side of the bed.


The day of the second task couldn't come quickly enough in Draco Malfoy's opinion. But finally, it did. The couple walked down to the lake, Malfoy's arm wrapped tightly around his girlfriend, rubbing circles against her arm. They weren't alone, so he had to act the part of his father's son, but that didn't mean he couldn't be there for her all the same. Blaise joined them as they took their spots on the stands in the lake.

Suddenly, a ministry official's voice rang out, courtesy, of course, of a magically magnified voice, welcoming them to the second task.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One… two… three!"

"What's he doing?" she muttered, clearly worried for him as she watched her brother wade out into the water, then suddenly, throw himself into it and not resurface again.

"Jessa, please calm down. He'll be fine, just like he always is," Draco muttered, beginning to become annoyed, causing Blaise to send him a sharp look. He clenched his jaw, but said nothing further.

"Well, this is exciting," Zabini deadpanned fifteen minutes later, just as Fleur made an appearance. She was shaking as she was pulled ashore, and it didn't appear to be just from the cold.

As time dredged on, Jessa couldn't help but look at the clock. Right after the count-down hit the hour mark, the water rippled and Cedric made an appearance helping a girl she vaguely recognized ashore.

As they were helped onto the platform, the water's surface broke again revealing Viktor and Hermione. Time continued to tick by and still there was no sign of Harry. Draco took her hand, squeezing it, and she flashed him a grateful look in return.

Suddenly, the surface rippled again, and both Ron and a young girl she didn't know appeared, swimming for the platform. After a long minute, Harry's head broke the surface, and Jessa sighed in relief. She immediately stood, starting to make her way to her brother.

However, as the situation settle in, as her worry faded, jealously and hurt took over. Draco caught up with her and knew something was wrong with just one look at her expression.

"Jessa…?" he prompted warily.

"Why wasn't it me? All the champions had to rescue someone who meant a lot to them. Why wasn't it me?"

"I – I don't know. Perhaps he didn't know and didn't have a choice in whom he rescued?" he mused, trying desperately to say the right thing, to find the answer himself. How dare he make her feel this way again.

Harry blinked water away from his glasses, confused to find her walking away from the platforms without checking in on him first.

"She wasn't chosen as your rescue. How do you think that makes her feel?" Hermione pointed out as she followed his gaze.

"I had no say in this though!"

"And if you did? Who would you have chosen?" Hermione retorted, and nodded once as Harry fumbled for words, quite obviously torn between his blood-sister and the boy he considered his brother.