2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝓉𝓌ℯ𝓃𝓉𝓎-ℴ𝓃ℯ\

"It doesn't hurt too bad, El. Really, I'm alright." Cedric wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, then stuck a hand out to Charlie. "Good to see you," he said.

"You too," said Charlie, shaking Cedric's hand. "That was some really good transfiguration," he added.

"Thanks. Wish it had worked for longer." Cedric grinned ruefully.

"You did fine. Fighting a Swedish Short-Snout isn't an easy first task." Cedric nodded his head and looked back down at Eleanora.

"How're things at home?" she asked Charlie. "Is Bill alright?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" Charlie said, and then his face broke into a smile. "Well, Mum and I did set him up on a date with this girl who.... wasn't exactly interested."

"What d'you mean?" Eleanora knitted her eyebrows together.

"Well, you know that girl at the market in town?" Eleanora nodded. "She's obsessed with me- has been for awhile. And you know how I am, I wasn't about to take her out-"

"-So you set her up with Bill." Eleanora laughed, but it sounded too fake. "You're so mean, Charlie."

"I'm surprised he didn't tell you about it. You're usually the first person he writes when he's upset about something."

Eleanora's forced smile faded. She'd detached herself from Cedric, and was wringing her hands distractedly. "He hasn't written to me in awhile." She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Has he been busy?"

Charlie looked confused. "No, he hasn't been doing much. I assumed you two were writing..." he trailed off.

"Not for a month or two now. He stopped writing me back, so... I stopped too."

Charlie frowned. "That's strange... I'll tell him to get on it."

"Thanks." Eleanora took a step closer to Cedric, who was looking at her with quizzical eyes. She wrapped an arm around his middle and leaned into him, ignoring his expression.

~

The air in the Gryffindor common room was thick with stars and sparks from the Filibuster Fireworks Lee had set off at the beginning of the party. Fred, George, and Eleanora had gone all out with food stolen from the kitchens,  and there were two whole tables heaped with cakes, pumpkin juice, and butterbeer. On the way to the kitchens, Fred and George had recounted Harry's battle with the dragon as dramatically as possible. Eleanora was impressed that a fourteen year old kid could do that, and she told him that when she got back to the common room.

Even though this was the second house party in two days, it raged on just as strongly as the first. Gryffindors were nothing if not great partiers. Eleanora danced through the crowd to join Fred in the middle. He was watching Lee, who had picked up the golden egg Harry had retrieved from under the dragon.

"Blimey, this is heavy," he said, weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's see what's inside it!"

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules..."

"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Fred said with a charming grin. "Have some fun!" Hermione shot him an unimpressed look, but didn't protest anymore.

Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it an prised it open. The moment it opened, the most horrible noise Eleanora had ever heard filled the room. It was a loud and screechy wailing that made everyone flinch and cover their ears.

"Shut it!" Fred bellowed over the noise. Harry slammed it shut and the noise ended.

"What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee. . . . Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"