Ella Potter (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 23

"Sorry" Ella smiled

After class Harry pulled Ella away from Draco and up the hill more to create some distance for them to talk.

"What was that?" Harry questioned angrily "Why were you defending Draco?"

"Because he's my friend" Ella said pulling her arm away from him "Whether you like it or not"

Ella quickly ran back to Draco, Harry glared at him and Draco glared back. When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. They read the flier that was up.

TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY, STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORETHE WELCOMING FEAST.

"I'll do anything to skip class" Ella said

The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation: the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.

The castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking.

Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics. Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too. 

When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffiindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

Draco and Ella sat at their table, Draco looked across to the Gryffindor table then turned to Ella "What's up with your brother lately?"

"He just doesn't like you" Ella shrugged

"Well I don't like him either" Draco said

Ella started eating her breakfast. Draco saw out of the corner of his eye that Harry was watching them. Draco smirked, he looked at Ella who had a little piece of toast in her mouth. Draco leaned over and took a bite of it, his lips brushing hers.

Draco sat back normally "Good toast"

Poor Ella was blushing a deep shade of red. Draco glanced at Harry to see him looking pissed. Draco smirked in amusment and looked at Ella.

"Is something wrong love" Draco asked smugly

Ella stared at him "you- you-"

"What?" Draco asked holding back a laugh

"You pervert!" Ella shouted hitting him over and over

Draco laughed "sorry sorry, let's get to class"

Draco picked up both their bags and started leaving the great hall with Ella following after him. They heard running after them, they turned around to see Ron and Herminone grab Harry before he punched Draco.