As the second trial came, only a few weeks after Yule. Things seemed to be in rough water for both Jackson's. In a metaphorical sense of the word.

Percy only slightly because Severus Snape seemed to be ignoring him-if not completely avoiding him and he had no idea why.

While Harry had to deal with the ever suddenly angry and annoyed Draco that kept snarking out words that barely bounced off Harry's skin about the twins.

Hermione and Daphne had tried to get at Draco but found him to be a prick most the time they tried.

So without further ado. Draco was left with Blaise and Theo, and Harry had the girls with a very confused Neville.

That day, it was a weekend, the air was chilly, but warming as spring would come soon after near February, but either way it was the beginning of January. The week of the second trial. And Harry was a right mess with having his best friend the way he was. Harry also had a hard time with it because not only did he like Draco, but he knew he liked him in that sense. As well as he liked the twins. So it made for a very confused Harry.

The twins had noticed the behavior recently and found themself watching Draco, ignoring how they felt a bit tingly as they did with Harry-they knew what it meant but for now their mission was to get the two young boys to talk to each other again. So a mission began.

Silently they stalked the young Malfoy, trying not to get caught, and considering they did pranks every other day-it wasn't that hard. Especially with the training they had gotten from Professor Percy.

When they found an opportunity, they dragged a scared Draco into an empty and unused classroom, a hand blocking his inevitable scream. He whipped around once he was in the room towards the doors where the twins stood smirking in a perfect mirror image of each other.

"So, Draco-" Fred started as they started to circle the boy who grew tense and watched them stotically.

"We heard you're giving little Harry trouble." George spoke, not minding they were in sync as they rounded.

Draco found it disturbing as his heart beat in his chest. "I am not." He gulped when they both raised a brow.

"Right, and Harry being bothered and talking to us about it-how you ignore or completely blander our names." Fred rolled his eyes as he stepped closer a smirk growing on his lips. "Which isn't very proper of you."

"Very improper Malfoy." George purred into the boys unsuspecting ear.

Draco blushed red as he held his ear and whipped around towards the twin behind him. Heating up when they chuckled. "What do you want?"

"To talk." They responded together as Fred came around to stand next to his brother who now sat on a dusty desk.

"About?" He spat out annoyed.

"Harry of course." They chided, clicking their tongues at his behavior.

George grinned as he leaned forward. "You don't want to get punished do you?"

His eyes widened as he looked between them, what did they mean by that? "No..."

Grinning with his brother, Fred felt that spark he felt when Harry grinned at them with a prank well set up. "Hm, so we like Harry, you like Harry....Harry likes all three of us. Wether you like that or not. So while he figures things out-on who to choose-stop being a prat and be his friend. Not his enemy."

Draco floundered like a fish at the revelation and before he could speak-the thought that they were right shot through his mind. So he closed his lips and frowned. He thought about his behavior and well, they were right. How could they not be?

Groaning he slapped a hand to his forehead at how it felt so stiff in the room even if the twins looked completely relaxed.

"I'll keep that in mind. Can I go to class now?" He spoke softly losing his venom quickly.

The twins look at each other then nodded. "We'll escort you then."

About to protest, the twins shushed him as they grabbed a arm each and were off to deliver him to his next class all the while singing a merry tune between them. Draco dreading the whole way to class.

______

"Has anyone seen Draco?" Blaise asked as he looked around the stands as everyone watched the shore where the four champions stood in nothing but their swimsuits in the cold air. They were bundled and still felt the cold nip their noses and ears.

"Haven't seen him since this morning." Daphne spoke with a frown creating a crease in her brows.

Hermione mirrored her expression patting Luna's hand as the girl had decided to sit with them. "That's strange. He and Harry have gotten along this week so he should be here."

Strange indeed.

Percy rubbed Harry's hands as he gave him a small pep talk-allowed only because he wasn't taking anyone's crap about being around his son, 3 years younger then the other champions and much less experienced. "You've got this. You're practically a fish in the water by now. And with mine and my dads blessing you should be fine. Just stay warm."

"Since when did you start calling Grandpa Dad?" Harry smirked as his dad rolled his eyes fondly.

"I'll tell you another time. Now get ready to swim. We'll be watching. Okay?" He messed with Harry's roughed up hair from the chilling wind.

Harry nodded, his eyes catching notice of the Moody watching them with his ever present frown before giving Harry a nod. Nodding back he turned to the water with his dad beside him, and he was definitely way more excited about this task then the rest. He was swimming, and like his dad said, he was blessed so, swimming came easy. Easier as in he could breath the water most normally couldn't.

Once the firing shot to tell them to start happened they were off into the water and racing against time to find what they had lost.

Harry saw Victor turn into half a shark, enough so that he could breath and with how strong he already was, was swimming off as fast as possible. Fleur put a bubble head charm as well as Cedric.

Harry didn't stay to watch instead he did a few warming spells on himself and started forward leisurely. The water calming to him. His father having taught him that the water was his friend. A very bipolar one at times-especially the ocean.

He found himself in a bed of some tall kelp, and when he heard swishing he turned quickly to find himself staring into the large eyes of a grindylow. It chirped at him curiously. Sadly Harry didn't get the ability to talk to any water creature or horse, but he was able to swim, breath under water and control water but not like his dad could. It chirped again before it came forward, grabbed at his finger and started pulling him off in a direction.

As they came out of the kelp bed, Harry saw underwater buildings of some kind. Some ruined but still liveable for mer people. He watched as they stared as the little grindylow took him to where 4 bodies floated eerily in the water above a gate of stone and a throne. He recognized Cho chang, but didn't recognize the boy or the blond haired girl. What made his heart beat faster in fear though was Draco. Floating and definitely not breathing.

Before he could go and grab him, as it was obvious that this was what they needed to retrieve-a precious friend or family member. Draco was definitely precious to Harry. Something rushed past him as he left the grindylow who quickly took off back to the kelp bed. He watched as the shark head of Victor Krum quickly chomped down on the metal chain and took the boy he hadn't seen before back up to the surface.

He then saw Cedric who gave him a nod, then took Cho and left to the surface. Harry having decided to wait as he cast a tempura to find time had flew while he had watched the scenery.

When it came to 5 minutes left till and hour is when he realized Fleur may not be coming.

He looked to the merperson with a large shell like spear and pointed at both of the two left. It shook its head and looked away. Harry really didn't want to leave the young girl here, it was dangerous and he wasn't sure if the riddle was entirely correct when it said it wouldn't give it back after the hour. Meaning she could be left here. He then got an idea and motioned for the mer again, it looked at him with what he supposed was a raised brow, before using his wand to show a trident. It's eyes widened before squinting at him.

Gulping, he then wrote out that he could get his father, Percy to come visit if he could take both.

It debated with itself and others, before it nodded.

Harry grinned, and thanked them with a bow before swimming up and grabbing both Draco and the young girl. She was most likely a couple years younger then him. When he broke the surface the crowd rejoiced and gasping breaths came from both his rescues.

"The bloody hell happened to me?!" Draco asked, screeching more like as he coughed up water as he swam them over to the large dock that had loads of people and floors.

"You were what was taken as my precious thing." Harry explained as if it was obvious.

The girl blinked confusedly beside them. As soon as they reached the docks, the girls name was being called by a miserable looking Fleur as she helped-Harry found out with surprise-her baby sister out of the water. Thanking Harry and kissing his cheeks while speaking French once he and Draco were out of the water. He blushed and Draco glowered.

Percy came over and hugged his son as well. Kissing his sons face as he laughed. He was happy for his son, what father wouldn't be?

"Dad, I have to tell you something." Harry spoke as a towel was placed over him, even though his father could dry him instantly, the warmth made him not ask at the moment, beside other factors.

"Yeah?" Percy asks rubbing his shoulders to give him some more heat.

"You have to visit the mer people at some point. I promised them." He grinned when his father sighed.

"Right, of course you'd loan your dad out to Mer-People." He rolled his eyes but smiled fondly as he lead his son away from the edge and inwards. Neither caring for the results.

_