House Crossed Lovers; A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Fourth Year; Start of Term

Y/n's POV

The summer that arrived after third year had ended was odd. For one, my parents had been visiting the Malfoys a lot lately. Not that I was complaining. Getting to see Draco every once in a while was great. It was weird though, because my parents had never mentioned knowing them, besides my father, who was acquainted with Lucius through work.

6 days before Hogwarts started up again, my family and Oliver's attended the Quidditch World Cup together. It was here that I found out Oliver was going off to play Quidditch professionally for Puddlemere United, which happened to be my favorite team as well. So I was happy for him. He was getting to achieve his dream. I was a bit bummed that we couldn't camp out at the game like most families did though because our families all had super important jobs to get back to the next day. Ireland won, of course, like I knew they would. Overall, the game was amazing, but it wasn't till we got home that I heard about the Death Eater attack later that same night. Thankfully my family left when we did.

Now, it was finally time to head back to Hogwarts. I said goodbye to my parents, who, like always, needed to get to work, so I didn't want to keep them long. After leaving my luggage to be stored, I headed onto the Hogwarts Express to find my friends. As I was walking down the main aisle, I bumped into Draco, who had just exited his compartment.

"Sorry," I apologize and try to go around him, only for him to move the same way to get around me. For a few seconds, we tried to move past each other, but we kept going the same way, leaving for an awkward situation. Finally, the two of us tried to slide around each other, but we ended up with our backs against the hallway walls and our chests only a few inches apart due to the small space.

"Hey," Draco breathed out.

"Hey," I return and smile up at him. "I missed you at the World Cup. I thought I'd see you."

"My father and I were sitting up with the Minister for Magic," Draco disclosed. "And I would have gone looking for you but-"

"It's okay," I interrupt. "You see me enough as is during the school year."

"Y/n," Hermione called out from farther down the hallway where her, along with Ron and Harry had poked their heads out of the compartment door. "You coming?"

"I'll be right there," I shout back and turn to Draco. "I guess I'll see you at school then."

"Yeah. See you then," Draco spoke and finally moved past me. When I got into the compartment where Hermione, Harry, and Ron were sitting, I shut the door behind me and slid into the open seat.

"What'd Malfoy want?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," I lie. "I just bumped into him is all."

"You two looked pretty close there," Ron pointed out. "Almost a little too close."

"Oh my God. I am not dating Draco Malfoy," I claim.

"You said it, not me," Ron murmured and held his hands up in surrender.

"Your accusations are ridiculous. I would never date Draco," I defend.

"You called him Draco," Harry noted. "I've never once heard you call him by his first name."

"Well maybe if you all would stop hounding me, I'd feel a lot less stressed," I counter. "Can we just drop the issue, please?"

"Right. Sorry. We know you'd never do something that stupid. We were just messing with you," Ron said.

..................................................

"Welcome, students," Dumbledore greeted as he stood at his podium at the front of the Great Hall. "Now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard tournament. For those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school, a single contestant is selected to compete. Let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted. For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and their headmistress Madam Maxime."

That's when the doors to the Great Hall burst open, and girls wearing pretty silk blue dresses waltzed in. All of the boys were drawn to them almost immediately, and they gawked at them when they walked past. The group of them walked up to the front of the Great Hall, followed by a huge woman. And by huge, I mean she was the tallest person I had ever seen. I glanced over at Harry and Ron to see both of them staring intently at the witches, and when I made eye contact with Hermione, we both came to agree on a plan. On the count of three, Hermione slapped Ron in the back of the head at the same time I slapped Harry.

"Ow," Harry groaned and rubbed his head. "What was that for?"

"Oh you know what it was for," I retort.

"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their high master Igor Karkaroff," Dumbledore introduced. 

This time, entering the hall were boys, all waving staffs as they marched down the center of the Great Hall. Each one of them had a muscular build, and I recognized the boy at the end of the line almost immediately. His name was Viktor Krum, and he was a world famous Quidditch Player for Bulgaria. I had just seen him in the World Cup match a few days prior. I'll admit, the boys were hot, but I'd never go for any of them. They weren't my type. 

"I'm shocked the two of you aren't drooling over them," Ron told Hermione and I.

"Maybe because we're not animals," Hermione countered. "And we can control ourselves." Later that night, everyone was gathered in the Assembly Room for an announcement from Dumbledore. 

"Your attention please!" Dumbledore started. "I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the tri-wizard tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the Department of International Magic Cooperation, Mister Bartimus Crouch." 

"After much deliberation, the ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final," Crouch disclosed, causing boos and shouts to be thrown at him from the students. Dumbledore managed to quiet everyone down, and then he cast a spell over a box turning it into a goblet that had blue flames bursting from the top.

"This is the goblet of fire," Dumbledore announced. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament must merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it into the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the tri-wizard tournament has begun."