Skies bleak with grey clouds, wind shifting uncontrollably as students file out of the castle in beats of anticipation.

Everyone, from fourth years to adolescents, held their breath as they attempt to catch onto what in Merlin's name they're doing here. The Black Lake welcomed them with open, cross-bodied arms, smiling at the participants and the audience.

Scarfs of all four major colours blended together as swarms of students take their places in the freezing cold, the small tower being left with barely enough room for their ancestors to join them.

"Place your bets!"

"Every bet here!"

"Come on mates, step up, don't be shy!"

"Every bet here!"

"Will the four come up?"

"Don't be so mean.", a vexed Ginevra voiced, shoving past her twin brothers.

I come up next to her, linking our arms together, turning back to the boys, "She's right, you know."

As we turn to walk away, we hear the boys resuming their solicited speak. The both of us shake our heads, laughing at how poor Ginny has to deal with these two every day.

"I'm surprised you haven't hexed them, yet. I've heard about your killer Bat-Boogy from a few victims-  ah, students.", Heather commented, suppressing a chuckle.

The girl next to her scoffed, "I'm full of surprises."

The two laughed in synch once more, obtaining their seats in the front, wondering where their friends were.

"Welcome to the second challenge!"

"Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions; a treasure of sorts. These four treasures- one for each of our champions -now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake."

"What do you think was taken from them?", I inquired.

"No idea. Can't ask Hermione, either. She never went to bed last night."

"Yeah, you're right, that's weird, huh? She would know."

Ginny hummed in agreement.

"In order to win, these champion need only find their treasure, and return to the surface."

"Ginny, you don't think there's a catch, do you?"

She sighed and shook her head of disapproval. "You're talking about this school? Ha."

"Seems simple enough, except for this; the champions will have one hour to do so, and one hour only."

"Well then, you were right."

She giggles, "As usual. I mean, what else is new?"

"After that, they're on their own. No magic will save them. They may begin at the sound of the cannon."

Noticing how frightened Harry looks, there's no doubt in my head that he has no idea what to do.

Moody shoved him and the boy slapped his palm into his mouth, quickly swallowing something before a shot fired and the contenders swiftly jumped in. Harry, however, had to be pushed into the water, very carelessly.

"That was sloppy," , a roll of my eyes followed my words, "he could've been hurt that way."

The girl next to me sighed and nodded her head in agreement, "What if Harry wasn't able to breathe? What would they have done, then?"

"Most likely blame anyone other than themselves.", I voice, nonchalantly.

Ginny removes her palms from the rail in front of us, choosing to cross her arms defensively instead.

_______

"Krum came with Hermione, Cedric with Cho, and although Fluer is empty handed...there's a pattern here, right?"

Ginny hummed in agreement. "It's their Yule Ball dates the Champions must save."

Their Yule Ball dates.

Not thinking clearly, my head visualizes him.

Him,

In those dress robes, the white button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. How his hair was gelled, but there were still a few strands covering his forehead.

And in a moment, my eyes found him. Standing there with his two goons, dressed for the weather.

My eyes caught his, as he was already looking at me. Why? It's almost like he heard what Ginny just confirmed to me, and the dots connected at the same time.

There was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes, and I just couldn't look away until I figured out what he was plotting.

A sly smirk grew on his face, although this one made me want to feel it upon my own lips.

My face changed at the realization of what I was feeling, and his changed as mine became more serious. He looks...concerned, at the very most. Like something happened to me and he wanted to know what.

"You're not looking at Malfoy, are you?"

I meet Ginny's eyes as mine snap away from his. Caught dead in my tracks, can't lie my way out of this one.

"Maybe I am. After all, how can you not look at him when he's dressed so stupidly? I mean, just take a look at that hat."

The girls giggle, laughter falling out of their lips until Heather looks at the boy again. His concerned nature changed into something that seemed...hurt, instead.

The young girl's smile fades into nothing, her lips left open as if to tell him, "I didn't mean it."

The crowd around them started cheering, their ears ringing from the noise. Neither of them couldn't help but to look.

Two bodies, emerged from the waters. Red hair, and blonde.

Harry was the furthest thing from Heather's mind as she watched her blond-haired foe hit a young boy next to him on the head, sneered, and left, quickly.

A sodden look crossed her features until she realized who she was standing next to. The girl couldn't afford any more questions from her friends.

Not about him.

"Hold on. Where's Harry? Do you think he's alright down there?"

Heather switched her demeanor back to the one she placed in front of her classmates. She sighed, "Knowing his luck, he's probably in trouble, but should be out soon. He'll be okay."

Ginny placed her hands back onto the rails, tightening her fists around the pole. "I hope so."

Speaking of the boy, his body shot up from the dark lake, landing onto the platform everyone was standing on.

His body slightly injured, the boy became pale after being underwater for such a long time. Ginny and I observed Seamus wrapping him in a towel as we rushed to his aid.

"Harry! Are you alright? What took you so long, you had us worried sick!"

"Hea- Heath- Heather. Heather.", he stuttered. "I know you've been worried, but, please, one question at a time would be nice."

I hug him loosely, and let the ginger next to me take her turn talking to the cursed boy.

"Harry. Quite a stunt you pulled back there."

Harry's eyes looked as though he was unsure of something, like he was going to take a risk somehow.  "Well, I'm glad I did it while you were watching."

I back away, looking between the two in silence.

Smooth, Harry, smooth.

I trusted my instincts the moment I realized I was alone. I wanted to find Draco, for some damned reason unbeknownst to my conscious.

I began to remove myself from the high platform, hoping to catch him before he took himself back inside the castle. Too many people there.

Planting myself into the boat, I overheard the headmaster explaining to everyone that Harry has won second place due to his saving of two people. The furthest thing on my mind right now, if I'm being honest.

Although, I can't help but to feel more than regretful that way. Harry is my friend, one of my first, in fact. So why am I spending my time chasing after a boy I'd rather not speak to than congratulating him?

I've searched everywhere for him, but he's just- gone.

I've given up. If I really want to find him, which I don't, I'd be spending more time on my search, right? Which is exactly why I'm just going to head back into the castle.

I'd rather follow a shortcut I've visited a while ago instead of the main path, though. It seems I need time with myself to... think... about what I've been, well, thinking about.

The young witch spotted her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor speaking to the Minister of Magic. The overwhelming sense of questioning Moody on his actions against Harry earlier swirled throughout her mental, and she began her path on confronting the old man.

"Not trying to lure Potter into another one of the Ministry's summer internships, are we?"

What's going on?

"The last boy who went into the Department of Ministries never came out!"

A tongue swiped across his lower lip wildly, alarming the man the professor was speaking to.

The girl held back in her footsteps, not wanting to interrupt the tension.

The Minister took quick steps, close enough to see Moody's fake eye clearly, and swiftly walked away, a bewildered expression taking form on his facial features.

"And they say I'm mad!", the professor called out, once again taking a swig of the liquid in the container he keeps on his person.

"Potter,", he turns to face the boy, "you succeeded in this task, but your execution was sloppy."

Harry squints his sight at the old man, his nose moving rapidly, breathing air in and out quickly. "Professor, maybe my execution would have been fine if you hadn't pushed me over the water. No disrespect."

Moody narrows his eyes at the young man in front of him, his temper getting the better of him. "No disrespect? No disrespect? Do you think the Dark Lord would care if you offered no disrespect?"

Harry gulped, changing his sights to focus on the ground below them instead.

"That's how you get yourself killed, boy. Even if your poor execution wasn't your fault."

Harry began walking away, adjusting his towel as he took cautious, unbalanced footsteps towards the castle.

I've decided to do the same, obviously, I had no business here. No matter how angry I was at Moody, he seemed to be quite unapproachable at this moment.

"Well, well, qu'est-ce qui t'amène ici, princesse?" (What brings you here, princess?)

A finger gently placed on her lips as if she was in thought, "Are you following me, Malfoy?"

A lopsided grin shaped his face, his face slightly turned to the side. "Can't a young man have a nice walk through the forest? This seems like a rather personal attack."

Her eyes rolled at his response, a sigh escaping the young girls lips.

"If you're talking to me, then you must want something."

His tongue rolled on the insides of his cheek,

"So cut the bullshit and get on with it."

He bit his lower lip, "You're right."

"I want nothing, but you."

An exaggerated sigh escaped from her lips, her eyes darting around in astonishment. "We are not playing this game again, Malfoy."

His tongue rolled over his cheek once more, frustration backing up his action instead.

"Yeah?"

He raises his hands up in defeat.

"Fine. If you wish."

Anger rushing through his facade, his thoughts clouded by her.

She turned him down so quick. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. This was not what he had planned on.

He turned around so he wouldn't have to look at her anymore, and made his way back.

"No. Malfoy! Wait!"

She stayed frozen in her spot, where he had left her.

He kept walking towards the castle.

"For Merlin's sake, Malfoy, stop walking away from me!"

His eyes faced hers, a shock of overwhelming passing through their nerves.

"Stop walking away from you? And why exactly would I do such a thing?"

She gulped. An answer? She knew none.

"As you've already said, you don't want to play this so-called game."

"Because I already know how it ends."

He remained standing in front of her, not having any intention of going back at this moment.

"Somehow, on this green earth, I fall for you. And, at first, it's not serious to you, but then, you fall for me, too."

His eyes locked in hers, a sneer taking over his face at her words.

"And right as I feel there's this moment where we cannot be stopped, where what we have is greater than any good or evil out there, you leave me."

His eyes lost focus from hers and darted around the forest surrounded them, completely overpowered by guilt.

"You leave me, and it makes me feel. It makes me weak."

He bites his lower lip in nervousness.

"You wanna know something, Malfoy?"

His grey eyes refuse to look at hers. No matter how hard he tries to meet them, there's no strength in him to do so. He closes them, in the unknowing over what words are about to leave her delicate lips.

"I hate feeling weak."

____