Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 29 - Second Task

"Harry, you told me you thought about it weeks ago!" I shouted at Harry. He breathed out and looked at his hands.

The empty library was dark and, if it weren't for Albus' special permission, we wouldn't be here at all. It was way past our bedtime and I wished I had gotten some sleep last night but my usual nightmares were again standing between me and resting. Harry had a couple of months to figure out what the clue from the golden egg was. The Task was a day away from now and Harry had found out about the Second Task just yesterday.

Although things had been sore between us ever since the Yule Ball, he had still called me here, desperate for help.

"If you didn't know what it was, you should have asked for some help. From me or from Anne! You should have asked," Hermione seemed a bit frustrated herself.

"I know that, alright? But this won't help now. The Second Task will be in the Black Lake and I need something that will make me breathe underwater for an hour," he said. He looked anxious. And why would he not be. The Tournament was not only about winning. It was also about surviving.

"Well, I know something that might help... Three years ago Luna and I went to Greece for holidays to see the mermaids and we were using a Polyjuice Potion to turn into ones. It was strong and it could keep us underwater for about two hours." I said.

"But last time we needed a month to make some, and it didn't even last for half an hour. Is there something else?" asked Harry.

"I think so. Let me look it up for a moment..." I left them discussing in the dark library and I searched for a book on a nearby shelf. When I found what I was looking for, I walked back to them. "Here it is... I read about it last year when I was having a research about the aqua-beasts in Defense Against the Dark Arts project. It's a Black Tulip. You eat it and you can breathe underwater for hours."

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Hermione gasped amazed.

"But where could we find this?" asked Ron at once. He seemed to be in a foul mood again; he almost snapped.

"Professor Sprout could find us some," I headed back to the shelf to put the book back in its place. As I was walking back to the three of them, I heard Ron's district low voice and stopped. 

"-I can't understand why you let her hanging out with us, Harry-" I couldn't help overhearing at the other side of the enormous bookshelf.

"-Ron, she is our friend and she is helping us and she wants to help-" said Harry quickly.

"-but she is with Malfoy-" Ron protested.

"-so what! She's not like him, you should know that-" whispered Hermione but her casually loud voice travelled to my ears with ease.

"-Harry is right, Ron. What she does or doesn't do in her private life with Draco is not our matter at all. You've made a habit out of involving yourself in other people's business lately. And don't you dare say something in front of her-"

"-and now you started calling him Draco instead of Malfoy? And, Harry, keeping her around isn't going to help you get-" I had heard enough and honestly wouldn't let Ron finish his sentence. It is not true that Harry wanted to get together with me; Ron must have said that to win the argument or something... I told myself and dragged my feet to step forward. When they head my steps, their mutters stopped.

"What happened guys?"

"Nothing..." said Hermione nervously.

"I thought you were talking about Draco..."

"-no."

"-no" said Harry and Hermione at the same time but I gave them a suspicious look that made them blush by guilt.