.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.

The dull pain of irregularity passed its way through Zinnia's chest on almost a daily schedule. Every word said and yelled seemed to be a blurry haze for her as the days went on and the tensions between her and Harry rose.

The silent nods in the hallways turned into complete ignorance and wandering eyes that refused to meet each other. Neither of them quite understand the pain of one another nor the ache of each other's absence.

Zinnia heard of Harry's struggles through Ron but found herself to be too stubborn to speak to him about it, she was of the belief that if he had not confided in her about it then it was not a topic of mind between the two. Silence passed between them like a fading melody, the two ever so desperate to cling onto the last hanging notes.

The desolate snowy landscape of the castle shifted to grey sludge beneath the chunky shoes Zinnia adorned her feet with. Although the winter snow brought her an unimaginable amount of glee, the quick consequence of the dull wet that followed the white storm was avidly hated by her.

She found herself lost in walks along the grounds to fill her mind with the foo fighters screaming in her ears and animated conversations with her siblings, finally deciding to confide her Harry problem with them.

"So your only logical solution was to run off?" the scathing Violet suggested from Zinnia's side as they walked the buzzing grounds of the school, February's grey sludge shifting beneath their feet.

"Seemed like the right decision at the time" Zinnia cringed, scolding herself and her blind rage for allowing such an unresolved argument to go on. Her mind recalled back to Harry and Ron's fight, finding a mirror image between the two. A tinge of sorrow passed her chest as she felt for the poor boy who seemed to be butting heads with almost everyone this year.

"Asking you out last minute was cruel considering all that had gone down, I will admit that, but have you ever thought that he meant no harm" Violet reasoned, scrunching her features in defence in case of an outburst from the livid girl next to her.

"How am I supposed to know whats going through that thick skull at the moment, I used to be able to read his mind no problem but now its like something is clouding my view" Zinnia ranted grievously, kicking rocks underneath her feet on the heavily walked path.

"I don't think he knows what he did wrong Z, he's just as stubborn as you sometimes" the wise sister sighed. Zinnia couldn't muster up anything but a humm in reply, unaware of her waving mind subconsciously longing for Harry.

Silence filled the air as the girl continued to walk, their footsteps turning from a crunching gravel to a echoed wood as they entered the bridge back to the castle. The girls continued forward until Zinia abruptly stopped in her path, spotting Harry and Hermione conversing on the edge of the bridge.

Harry's eyes turned to Zinnia's at Hermione's alarm when she saw her. The two looked for a moment, Zinnia's mouth opening and closing as if she were to say something but nothing but air followed.

"Talk to him" Violet whispered in her ear as she slightly pushed her sister forward, earning a distasteful grimace from her. Zinnia thought she had a momentary lapse in sanity as she prepared herself to approach Harry when out of the blue his name was shouted from behind her.

Cedric called over Harry in the midst of determination as he followed direction. Harry gave a mournful look to Zinia as they crossed paths at that moment. She watched him pass as she approached Hermione and farewelled her sister.

Zinnia joined a concerned Hermione on the widow of the bridge as they looked at the odd pair conversing secretly further along the bridge. Hermione turned to give Zinnia a scolding look as she collected her things.

"I know Hermione" Zinnia sighed as she turned to approach the castle, the frantic girl raced behind her to catch up with Zinnia's quick pace.

"Hes miserable you know" Hermione uttered

"I know"

"An it doesn't help that the second task is days away" she rambled on more

"I know"

"Not to mention that he hasn't even figured out the egg" Hermione stated, out of breath from pacing the floor of the castle at immense speed.

"I kn- what?" Zinnia interrupted herself, unaware of just how unprepared Harry was for his next task. "I thought you said he had"

"Unfortunately not" Hermione looked to the floor as the pace of the two slowed down.

"He's really in for it isn't he" Zinnia stopped in her tracks, realising just how much danger he was in now.

"I've tried to get him to talk to you" Hermione lifted her head in order to try and comfort her friend.

"Yeah, and I see that worked" Zinnia sarcastically remarked, pointing out the obvious tension between the two. Hermione sighed in disappointment at the girl's inability to take anything seriously.

"Fine. I'll talk to him. But no promises."

.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.

In the sprinkling of twilight, when the sky began to shed it's daylight blue for its nighttime grey, Zinnia yawned in the back of the library. Her eyes burned from trying to focus on her transfiguration essay and the words from her book began to turn blurry. It was only when she looked at her watch that she realised how long she had been in the library.

After her talk with Hermione, Zinnia admitted she would talk to Harry. However that did mean she resorted to hiding in the library for the rest of the day so she wouldn't run into him. It's not like she didn't want to talk to him. She just didn't know what to say.

The cold stares of the librarian Madam Pince told her it was time to wrap up. She carelessly shoved the loose parchment into her disorganised bag and headed out, noticing how she was the last one in the library. She muttered a dismal "sorry" to madam pince for keeping her in as she was shooed out of the room.

Zinnia was all too aware of the warmth of the library escaping her as the soft orange glow of the book filled hall turned to the blue light emitted from the night's moon. She let out a shaky sigh as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and headed to the common room. The soft sound of her shoes clicking on the stone paths echoed in her ears ominously down the dark and desolate halls.

In a hurry, trying to escape the cold and the looming darkness of the night, Zinia sped up her pace, the chilling wind running through her hair and the subtle ticking of her feet quickened. Immersed with the goal to get back to the warm common room, she didn't pay any mind to anything around her when she hastily turned the corner in the halls, clashing straight into a surprised Harry.

Her heart almost fell out of her body at that moment from the pure shock, further perpetuated by the convenient timing the universe bestowed. Of course it had to be Harry.

"Sorry Harry, I was a bit caught up" she humbly admitted whilst regaining herself. She thought it was about time to stop ignoring him fully and at least acknowledge his existence. He stood still for a moment with a suspicious expression, just as surprised as she was that she decided to talk to him again.

"No problem." he coldy stated, bashfully fixing the glasses on his nose. Zinnia smiled to the floor, knowing how much she loved it when he did that. They gave each other another empty glance, neither once knowing what to say.

'Why are you wet?" Zinnia acknowledged, desperate to fill the silence and quizzical about why he was damp.

"What?" the boy asked, shocked.

"Your hair is all wet, why are you wandering the halls like you've just taken a dip in the black lake?" Zinnia blurted out, unable to filter her innate sense of sarcasm.

"Oh. ummm. Long story actually." he stuttered, not too sure how to explain it to her, or if they were on good enough terms to talk.

"How about you tell me?" she spoke through the painful silence. Harry returned with a thin, genuine smile as they headed to the same direction together.

"Well, I hadn't really figured out my egg," he admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah Hermione told me" she interrupted, assuring him it was alright.

"But um. Cedric told me to take a bath with it. At first I thought it was strange but the egg gave me a message under the water." Harry rambled out in misconstrued sentences, distracted by the joy he felt at talking to Zinnia again.

The two talked all the way back to the common room, feeling the ease in their chest when they were together. It felt natural to the both of them. It felt like coming home.

.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.

The night before the task raced up on the group of friends blindly. They had spent the last few days they had left trying their hardest to solve that damned riddle. Hours were spent in the library and when they got the chance they were all reading books under the dinner table into the long hours of the night. Although nothing came through. It seemed that to get Harry to breathe underwater was merely impossible.

The panicked group gathered in the library well beyond frantic about the neering task. Zinnia had consulted everyone she thought would have the answer to the riddle but alas nothing came up and it was up to them to figure this out.

Zinnia walked back to the group with another bundle of books in her arms from all corners of the library, anything that could possibly be helpful for the task. She set the pile of heavy books down on the table with a horrendous thud that woke the dozing Ron, she clipped his ears with spare parchment for falling asleep at a time like this.

"Harry tell me again" the pacing Hermione asked, abundant with nerves for her frightened friend. Harry lifted his head slightly from the book that was seemingly no help and rested his chin on the useless pages.

"Come seek us where our voices sound" he dully repeated in exhaustion.

"The black lake, that's obvious" Hermione re-explained as she paced more, tossing the egg in her hands then passing it to the drifting Ron. Zinnia took the oversized book from the top of the pile and opened it, skimming the pages for any key words or illustrations that could help them. She rubbed her eyes as the words became melded together, trying her hardest for Harry.

"An hour long you'll have to look" Harry repeated in the same dismal tone, his head uplifting from the pages and his eyes drooping in loss of hope.

"Again obvious, although admittedly potentially problematic" Hermione resonated, searching any corner of her brain for spells that teachers had mentioned or anything that she had come upon in a book. Alas nothing. Harry gaped at her in annoyance, creasing his eyes at Hermione.

"Potentially problematic?! When was the last time you held your breath underwater for an hour, Hermione?" Harry rambled at the girl, tired of the endless efforts to solve the riddle and coming up with nothing.

"Look Harry, we can do this, the four of us can figure it out" Hermione comforted as she sat in a chair next to him.

"Harry was not going to stop until we get this" Zinnia assured, looking Harry in the eyes to confirm her loyalty to him but careful not to let him see how terrified she was. She wasn't quite sure how he would end up in that lake but she hoped to Merlin that he wouldn't drown.

"I was sure there was a charm my brother told me about, but the book seems to be missing" Zinnia mumbled as she flicked through the pages of the books she collected, desperate to find anything.

"Hate to break up the skull session" Moody ominously spoke from behind Zinnia who had sat on the bench, causing her to jump at the sudden noise behind her. "Professor Mcgonagall would like to see you in her office"

Harry went to stand up nervously, unsure if his legs could hold him at that moment.

"Not you Potter, just Granger and Beaumont" He uttered, his mechanical eye moving suspiciously from student to student.

"But, sir, the second task is only hours away and-" Hermione began to ramble

"Exactly. Presumably Potter is well prepared by now and could do with a good night's
Sleep." Moody interrupted, eying the group with intent.

"But surely we could just-" Zinnia started from beside the professor, closing the dusty book and moving off of the bench to plead.

"Go. Now!" Moody stared down the girl. Zinia felt a chill rush up her spine as she retreated into herself at the orders of the tall man. "You too Weasley. Bed."

Zinnia gave one last glance at Harry before following Hermione through the rows of books to the exit of the library. Hermione huffed as she looked back to the closing doors where Harry was now trapped by himself.

"The task is tomorrow! How on earth is he going to get out of this one" Hermione scoffed, eyebrows furrowed and quickly speeding towards McGonagall's office

"What on earth do they want us for?I haven't thrown a dung bomb at Filch since last week!" Zinnia spat to herself, utterly bemused on why the professor would want her at such a late hour. Hermione gave her a disapproving look as Zinnia shrugged.

The girls walked in silence for a bit more, Zinnia struggling to keep up with Hermione's quick and angered pace. The girls arrived at the doors of the professors office promptly and opened the door that was already, unusually, slightly agape. As they entered they spotted Cho Chang and a small french girl nervously rummaging around in a chair, Dumbeldore leering over the both of them.

"Ah, there you two are. Take a seat dears" Mcgonagall gestured towards the empty armchairs left in the room. Hermione and Zinnia looked at each other suspiciously and hesitantly moved into the chairs, sinking into the heavy cushion.

"Now I thought you girls would be wondering why I have summoned you."Dumbeldore spoke softly as he moved around to the desk to face the girls.

"If this is about the dung bombs, I swear it was Aster!" Zinnia quickly interrupted, earning an eye roll from McGonagall

"This has nothing to do with that Miss Beaumont, however now you bring it up we may need to have a conversation later" McGonagall spoke through her thick Scottish accent as Zinnia sank further into her chair, regretting she spoke at all.

"No this has to do with the second task, it just so happens that you are to be the things our champions value the most" Dumbeldore attempted to explain. The girls of the room exchanged curious glances at each other before returning to the professor to tell them more.

"You will be placed under a safe charm, and put in the black lake for our champions to retrieve" He delicately spoke.

"But sir, aren't there dangerous creatures in the lake?" Hermione politely suggested, gulping nervously.

"You will not be conscious during the time you are underwater, and will be under the protection of the mermaids that reside in the lake." Dumbledore assured. "Now, do you all agree to these terms?"

The girls looked around nervously to each other as they all nodded uneasily.

"Perfect" Dumbeldore grinned. Before she knew it, McGonagall was at Zinnia's feet and directing her wand at her delicately. Then it all went black.

.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.

The forgiving breath of oxygen filled her lungs as the burning of her body subsided. Coughing and sputtering was all she knew for the first few seconds she arose from the depths of the lake. She dared not to look down to the water beneath her at fear of seeing where it resides in the murky water. Next to her a small blonde figure of a girl coughing just the same as her. Zinnia was reminded of her sisters in a panic at that moment and raced to help her, the weak girl clinging to her shoulders as Zinnia made her way to what seemed to be a wooden stand in the middle of the water. 

The water cleared from her ears and the sounds of cheering and rampant chatter filled her senses, the subtle tones of her name being called out by voices unintelligible. The weight of the girl was taken from her from the hands that reached out from the deck and she herself was pulled by her sopping wet robes, the sound of someone speaking in french being the only thing she could comprehend.

Dazed and confused she looked around to realise what had happened, her memory of the night before flooding into her brain all at once. She sat dripping on the wooden deck as people placed warm towels on her and tried to catch her attention.

"Zinnia! Z!" the noise of Violet's voice rang in her ears and she looked up to see her siblings rushing towards her. Aster, Prim and Violet all carried towels and worried expressions seeing the state of her pale and dripping face.

"My God, Dumbeldore really let you do this?" Prim worried with an angry scoff as she placed a charmed towel around her sister, replacing the dripping cloak that weighed her down.

"Z! We were worried about you" the jittery Aster cried as he engulfed his big sister in a giant hug, Zinnia returning with a teeth chattering smile.

"Tried to find you this morning, Harry was terrified" Ron spoke as he wrapped yet another towel around her and helped her to her feet.

"All sort of made sense once Cho popped up from the lake" Fay laughed as she wrung out the girl's hair and pushed it out of her face.

"Where- where is Harry?" Zinnia breathily let out through quivering lips.

"He's not back yet." Fay told her as she rubbed Zinnia's arm to warm her. Another cold rush went through Zinnia as she realised he was out of time. The clock had run out and the hour was up. It only just then hit her that she was his treasure, his most valuable thing. Her eyes welled up at the thought in joy and worry for the boy.

Suddenly a wave of clarity ht her and she thought the argument they had to be stupid, now olny wanting her best friend. Her treasure to return.

The crowd waited anxiously on the edge of the deck until the figure of Harry burst through the blanket of water. He rose from the depths of the lake straight up and harshly landed on the deck with a roaring cheer from the surrounding students.

Teachers rushed to him as he spat out the remainder of lake water that had been clogging his airways. Dumbeldore assured him he was alright as Seamus wrapped a towel around him. Zinnia gasped at the state of him and rushed over alongside Hermione and Ron. The french girls wrapped in blue towels crouched in from of Harry

"You saved her even though she was not yours to save. My little sister!" she thanked in a heavy french accent whilst kissing the sides of Harry's face. "And you! You helped" she turned towards Zinnia who looked behind her to check she was not talking to anyone else.

"Me?!" she asked confused with wide eyes

"Yes you!" The French girl pulled her in for a hug and kissed the side of her face, earning a jealous look from Ron as the girls turned away in a ramble of french.

"Harry! Are you alright, you must be freezing" Hermione rushed over to the boy, catching Zinnia's attention as she too crouched next to the boy

"Ouch Hermione" the fragile boy cawed, aware of the burning red marks from the Gillyweed.

"Personally I believe you behaved admirably" she assured the boy

"More than that I say, he always goes above and beyond. Just had to save the both of us" Zinnia joked as she engulfed the boy in a hug, this time not receiving any complaints as Harry didn't mind the ache as long as he had her in his arms. He laughed as he embraced her warmth.

"I came last guys" he looked towards the floor once Zinnia had let go

"Next to last, Fleaur never got past ze' Grindylows" Hermione mocked in a fake french accent with a beaming smile.

"I Don't blame her, those things are horrendous" Zinnia remarked as she helped Harry to his feet. Their eyes locked for a moment and they both smiled honestly

"Sorry" they both muttered at the same time. Then laughing at each other. Zinnia embraced Harry in another hug

"I don't want to fight with you anymore" she whispered in his ear, sending chills down his entire body

"Nor do I" he breathily laughed, warming Zinnia's cheeks. They both let go and smiled at one another

"God, I thought you were going to die!" Zinnia laughed as she hit his arm playfully. Harry laughed at her in response and scruffed the hair on her head.

"Attention!" Dumbeldore attempted to cry over all of the students chanting Krum's name.

"ATTENTION!" his voice bellowed once more from the wand held to his neck, all the students now with wishful eyes on him. "The winner is Mr. Diggory!"

The crowd burst into cheer as the hufflepuff boy basked in his moment. The camera shuttered in his direction as his friends cheered him on ecstatically.

"Who showed a unique command of the bubble head charm!" The headmaster explained, Zinnia scorned herself for not remembering that earlier from her summers at the beach when Basil wanted to explore the underwater rocks. "However seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Miss Beaumont, but the others as well, we have agreed to award him. Second place!"

Roar of disappointment fell over the Durmstrang students at the idea of krum losing his place, However Zinnia could not have been more excited in that moment

"Second place Hary!" Zinnia laughed as she wrapped her arms around his sides, he returned to her looking down with a beaming smile of pride.

"... for outstanding moral fiber!" Dumbeldore's voice echoed  over the lake. Zinnia grinned once more at him. In a moment of sheer adrenaline and joy she leant up and kissed Harry on the cheek. He returned with a look of shock as his cheeks filled with red, then smiled adoringly at her.

"Sorry for putting you in danger" he admitted humbly, always concerning others over himself. Zinnia let out an amused breath of disbelief.

"You better be, these were my only clean robes," she joked. It seemed in that moment that all things around them were silent and only those two existed in that world.

.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.✰.•.

(A.N- another really long one for today cause I really wanted to repair Harry and Zinnia's relationship in this one. also tysm for 500 reads ily🥰)