━━━farewell friend!

BIRDIE RUSHED DOWN to the stands to check up on Harry, he had taken a huge hit from the Dragon's tail, the spikes had dug into his shoulder from what Hope had told her, as mentioned before, Birdie simply did not have the courage to watch her brother get injured.

She got inside the Champions tent where a few of the students were around congratulating Harry, Cedric and others from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

"Hey, kid" Birdie said sighing in relief as she saw the injury on his arm wasn't as bad as she'd assume it would be, "You doing ok?"

"I'm feeling pretty alright for someone who fought a dragon?" Harry shrugged, "And Madam Pomfrey said the wound wouldn't take much time to heal, so yeah, I'd say I'm alright"

"That's great" Birdie smiled at him, "Maybe the dragon should've burnt your hair just a bit, make it stand down?" Birdie said jokingly.

"This hair can't be tamed" Harry said, "You're doing a pretty great job with yours though, what's your secret, sis?"

"Oh, you know how it is!" Birdie waved him off, "A magician never reveals her secrets"

Good thing you're not a magician then, you're a witch.

"There you are, Harry!" Hermione said as she rushed in with Ron and Regan behind her, "You were brilliant!"

"Hey, hey, champ!" Regan said as she high-fived her best friend, "You kicked that dragon's spikey arse pretty hard!"

"You can say that again" Birdie ruffled Harry's hair, "You kids have fun now, I've got Lorelei and Cedric to check up on"

"Bye!" Harry waved at her, and Birdie waved back as she made her way to the other side of the tent where Lorelei and Cedric were sat sipping on juice boxes together.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Birdie said rushing forward to hug both of her friends, "I got hung up somewhere, but goddamn girl how did you defeat a dragon in less than fifteen minutes?!"

"Please!" Lorelei scoffed, she flipped her hair back, "It was nothing, besides I walked out without a scratch, maybe I won't die basking in glory after all"

"Let's hope you don't die at all" Cedric chuckled, "Still, you were pretty amazing!"

"Wait how did you defeat it?" Birdie asked, "I wasn't there so you've got to explain it to me, word by word, the best you can, like imagine you're writing a book"

"Alright, alright!" Lorelei said, "So, basically, what happened was—"

Lorelei peeked through the tent curtains as she looked at Bonnie handling the dragon and setting it up in the middle of the field, she shook her hands anxiously, trying to get rid of all the nerves.

"Hey, champion" Cedric said as he came into view with a smile on his face, "You feeling worried?"

"Only a little, I mean we're going to fight a dragon" Lorelei said nervously, "Whatever, I'll be fine, you doing ok?"

"I'd say I'm doing eh" Cedric shrugged, "Guess what though?"

"What?"

"You're going to do amazing" Cedric said firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Deep breaths, ok? Do it with me, maybe it'll help me calm down too"

Cedric and Lorelei took in three deep breaths, and then Lorelei pulled apart, "I'm feeling a lot better now, thanks, Champion"

"My pleasure, champion" Cedric grinned, "Hey, I'm serious, though" his expression turned into more of a stern one, "Don't go doubting yourself, you're one of the strongest witches, a dragon has nothing against you"

"Thanks, Ric" Lorelei smiled, "The same goes for you, I know your dad has a lot of expectations but just know that no matter what happens we're all proud of you, now I've got a spikey dragon arse to kick"

"Kick it hard!" Cedric called out to the brunette who gave him a mock salute as she walked out of the tent.

Lorelei eyed the Ukrainian Ironbelly in front of her, how the hell was she going to get past this thing? The metallic green scales scare the shit out of Lorelei yet Bonnie was handling it like a champ, she pat it on the foot three times and then disappeared from the field.

Lorelei quickly thought of everything possible she could do while she got a few seconds to gather herself, and then it was almost as if a lightbulb lit up in her head — she knew what to do!

The whistle blew and Lorelei scanned the crowd for a second, Birdie wasn't there. She shook her head and then took careful and quiet steps towards the dragon, she hid herself behind a big rock and she could hear the booing of the crowd as she did so.

"Wingardium Leviosa" Lorelei whispered waving her wand and throwing one of the biggest rocks to the other side of the stadium, she then quickly transfigured the rock into an egg itself, she could hear the crowd and Ludo Bagman speaking but she couldn't bring herself to listen.

Now, Lorelei had read about Ukrainian Ironbelly and she knew that it's flames were literally deadly, she also knew that it was one of the biggest dragons ever, that means extra weight and with all that extra size it couldn't possibly be a fast flight speed dragon, she knew it was big risk to take but it was the only option she had.

"Incarcerous!" She exclaimed coming into view the dragon turned back to shoot a breath of flame but found that it now had thick ropes tied around its mouth, preventing it from opening it.

Lorelei used all the time she had because of the rock trick she used to send the dragon to the other side of the stadium to her advantage and just ran the hell out of the place just in time for the flame to miss her by a second.

"Wow" Birdie said with her eyes wide, "I mean, just wow"

"I don't even know how I did it" Lorelei tilted her head to the side, "But whatever at least I did it"

"How the hell did you get just one from Karkaroff, like it's your fucking High Master!" Birdie exclaimed, "Shouldn't be be handing off a ten to you?"

"I have a feeling he doesn't like you very much" Cedric said with a frown.

"Ya think?" Birdie and Lorelei said together.

✿

"I HATE THAT you have to go" Birdie sighed as she took a sip of her third butterbeer, "I'm gonna miss you so much"

"We're going to meet again, Birdie" Bonnie said reassuringly, "Don't get so sad"

"And drunk" Lorelei added, "If I have to carry your drunk arse back to the castle while trying to stay hidden, you're getting dropped more times than usual"

"Is that the reason I had a huge ache in my head last time I got drunk with you?" Birdie asked, "That shit hurts, El!"

"Well, then don't get so drunk with me!" exclaimed El, "And that's your fourth drink put it down!"

"No" whined Birdie, a pout much like her father's made it's way on her face, "Let me just have this day, ok? Bonnie's leaving us for huge scaly lizards with wings"

"For the last time!" Bonnie raised both of her hands in mock surrender, "They are not lizards, they're reptiles — it's different!"

"Lizards are reptiles!" Birdie exploded, "Bite me, McKinnon!"

"Put the damn glass down before I smash it!" Lorelei said, "Birdie—"

Birdie waved the glass in front of her best friend mockingly, and then finished it all in one gulp, she slammed the glass on the table after doing so, "There, I put the glass down"

"And that's my cue to leave" Bonnie said getting up and gathering her things, "I have to meet up with Claudia and Si before I go back to Romania"

"Tell Claud we said hi" Birdie and Lorelei chorused together.

"Will do!" Bonnie waved at them as she walked out of the door.

"Birdie" Lorelei said as Birdie got herself another butterbeer, "Do you think your life would be better if you could live a normal life with your parents?"

Birdie paused, a foam mustache formed over her lips that she licked off, "I mean, I guess, Harry would be with us and we would be living in the Potter Manor, but obviously things didn't end up that way"

"Do you think maybe someday when this is all over, you would all live together?" questioned Lorelei, "To make up for all the lost years?"

"I would love to" smiled Birdie, "I could imagine us doing that, you know, M being completely annoyed with D and I, Harry just trying to get on with his day without getting pranked every three seconds...Christmas dinners, Halloween...birthdays..."

Lorelei played with the straw in pumpkin juice, stirring it around a bit, Birdie noticed her mood and put the butterbeer down.

"What's up?" asked Birdie and Lorelei immediately plastered a smile on her face.

"Nothing, I'm just tired" Lorelei chuckled, "I have to get going now — come on, let's get you back to Hogwarts"

"You go" Birdie nudged her, "I need something from Zonko's"

"I'm not letting you walk out alone, Birdie" Lorelei held out her hand, "Come on, let's get going"

"It's for something special Lorelei" Birdie whined, "You go on, besides I think someone out there needs to talk to you" Birdie nodded her head to Krum who was waiting for Lorelei at the doorway.

Lorelei frowned, looking at Birdie and then looking at Krum, "Alright fine, but a second after seven and I'm grounding you"

"Ok, mum, now go" Birdie pushed Lorelei lightly.

Lorelei rolled her eyes but then walked out with Krum who had a slight smile on his face, highly unusual for any Durmstrang student if you ask Birdie, it wasn't because of them though, it was because of their bitchy High Master.

"All alone in The Three Broomsticks, Ms Potter?" A certain redhead popped up behind her, pulling up a chair, "Whatever are you doing without your other half?"

"Well, if you must know, Mr Weasley" Birdie said putting on a posh accent, "I was just about to make my way over to Zonko's joke shop"

"Zonko's?" Fred released a mock gasp, "Are my products simply not good enough for you?"

"Yes, did I not make it obvious?" Birdie joked and Fred's face fell, "Oh my god, Fred— I was joking, your products are amazing! Truly phenomenal—"

"Gotcha" Fred grinned.

"Bitch" Birdie frowned, "I actually felt bad for a second"

"I think you deserve that, actually" Fred shrugged, "Karma, if you will"

"Karma for what exactly?" Birdie raised her eyebrows.

"For keeping this hot piece of arse waiting so long, of course" Fred motioned to himself, "I must admit the anticipation is killing me"

"Fred, I'm so sorry, I've just had a lot going on this week and I know it's not an excuse but the big gesture is coming and it's going to be—"

"Robin, I actually wanted to talk to you about that" Fred said, his expression turning a bit serious.

"Oh, Helga" Birdie frowned, "I scared you off, didn't I? It's ok, I get it if you don't want to—"

"No, no, no" Fred said hurriedly, he placed his hands over Birdie's giving them a squeeze, "I don't think you're ready for it"

"What?" Birdie asked confused.

"Robin, I like you, a lot" Fred confessed, "look, I'm not saying you're moving too fast, but I think after your last break up you might need some time..."

"I don't get it" Birdie frowned, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Robin" Fred shook his head, "You're doing everything right, I just don't want you to feel like you have to hurry into things, a lot has been going on in your life, let's just take it slow, alright?"

"Alright" Birdie nodded, passing him a small smile, "Well, if were thinking of taking it slow — how would you like to accompany me to a slow walk to The Zonko's joke shop?"

"I would love that" Fred smiled back at her, he laced his fingers with her and then hoisted her up to her feet, "Let's get going then, it's a great time to scope out the competition, wouldn't you agree, Ms Potter?"

i did what had to be done