KILLING CURSE! . . . fleur delacour

ii. The Tri-Witch Tournament

    'Aww, ickle Lennie's got a crushy-wushy,' PJ cackles wickedly, pinching Lena's cheek. 'I think I Saw her getting into the carriage in front of us, actually...'

    'No, don't you dare!' Lena hisses, giving PJ's sleeve a frantic tug, but it's too late: Leo watches in secondhand embarrassment and horror as PJ rises in her seat, sticks her head out of the window and bellows to the carriage in front, 'OI, ALDER!'

    And a head pokes around the window, a face adorned with a blush and an unsure smile, two long caramel-brown braids topped with a baby-blue bandana. Exactly Lena's type - although, that isn't helpful, really, because Lena is so full of love she'll fall for everyone and anyone. Which sickens Leo.

    She just does not understand love at all.

    Lena's buried her face fully in her hands, blush igniting her sooty freckles. Leo uses her famous brainpower to put two and two together and thinks, Ahh. That's Ophelia Alder.

    'I don't blame you, Lena babes,' PJ says, collapsing back onto the seat. Her Gryffindor tie hangs untied around a bare neck, shirt collar unbuttoned to reveal an amethyst charm bouncing against her collarbone. As she lazily chews Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, bubblegum balloons flower from her chipped pearly teeth.

    'She's beautiful,' Lena sighs dreamily, twirling a strand of her dark hair, 'but she'd never even look at me, I know it.'

     'I'd shag her.' Leo's eyes bulge at her with disgust and PJ just shrugs. 'What? It's true!'

    'Some of us just don't have your confidence, PJ,' Lena says mournfully, eyes trained on her very impractical - but pretty! - sandals. She's had to replace her floaty sweetpea skirts with Hufflepuff robes, yet she still looks angelic, her delicate silver glasses glinting molten whenever the carriage catches starlight.

    'Be grateful you don't have PJ's confidence, Lena,' Leo retorts drily, ignoring the Gryffindor flipping her middle finger in protest and, instead, turning to watch Hogwarts rise from its deadly shadows.

    A thousand windows shimmer like hazy constellations through the thick suffocating rain. Leo groans, hating how much it's going to ruin her perfect hair, as a ribbon of lightning curls behind the turret of Ravenclaw Tower.

    'Oh, it's so wonderful!' Lena whispers, voice hushed with childlike awe.

    Leo gives a half-arsed shrug. 'It's alright.'

    PJ jumps off the carriage as they reach the foot of the castle, dragging a reluctant Leo and an eager Lena down with her. Rainwater cascades down their cheeks like tears, both Leo and PJ cursing the air around them blue, whilst Lena giggles, stretching out her fingers to revel in the rain.

    Inside the Entrance Hall, it's like a fucking sea, which Leo can't understand for the life of her; surely someone can cast a waterproof spell? They're all magic, for fuck's sake! Impervius springs to mind, and Leo's fingers twitch around her wand - that is, until she realises that it's kind of funny, watching all these stupid kids slip and slide across the rain-stained marble. She is absolutely adamant she isn't a horrible person, sure, but with that being said... fine, she does take a morbid satisfaction from watching the prepubescent plebs of Hogwarts suffer.

    Suddenly, Lena lets out a startled yelp as a large balloon of water explodes against the frills of her pale pink socks. Another balloon hits one of the Weasleys square in the face, soaking him to the skin, and Leo cackles, glancing upwards to see Peeves the Poltergeist - hovering dangerously close to her face.