Sunshine & Shadows (D. Malfoy) ON HOLD

7 - The Goblet of Fire

The weeks flew by. While Pippa found Malfoy a completely disagreeable partner, they still achieved high marks on all of their assignments. No one else in the class could fathom how this happened.

Once a week, the odd pairing met at the library. Pippa showed up ten minutes early and Malfoy showed up twenty minutes late. They read and took notes in absolute silence. A few words were exchanged when necessary, but they largely left each other alone, a mutual agreement.

Pippa refused to let Draco Malfoy's cold demeanor get to her. Even though all of her friends did, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She didn't hate anyone, not really. What she saw was a single page of a detailed book. He just wouldn't let her read it.

On Halloween night, all of the students from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang gathered in the Great Hall for the moment they had all been waiting for. Pippa sat down and the Hufflepuff table in between Dove, who was busy scribbling in a notebook as usual, and Cedric, who couldn't seem to stop tightening and loosening his tie. People wished him well as they passed, but he only nodded numbly. She nudged him.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "I know the chances are really slim - they'll probably pick a Gryffindor champion - but I really want this."

"Me too," she replied, giving him a warm, reassuring smile. "You've got this, Ced."

He smiled back.

"Sit down, please!" Dumbledore called as he moved through the crowd of students to take him place up front. Everyone immediately listened and stopped talking. A small smile twitched on the old man's bearded face. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for: The champion selection!"

He dimmed all of the lights in the Great Hall with a simple wave of his hand before walking toward the Goblet of Fire. Pippa rested her elbows on the wooden table and propped her chin up with her hands, interested.

The Goblet of Fire's blue flames turned red and spit out a single scrap of parchment. While it was still smoldering, the Headmaster snatched it out of the air. "The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!"

"HOLY MERLIN, YES!" Amy screamed so loudly that Pippa had to cover her ears, but her outburst was drowned out by the cheering of the Durmstrang students. Several other Hogwarts students had reacted similarly.

Viktor Krum stood and punched his fist in the air for his school, causing them all to cheer more. Dumbledore gestured for him to leave the hall thorough the door behind the staff table, and slowly, everyone calmed down again as the Goblet gave another name.

"The champion for Beauxbatons... is Fleur Delacour!"

A pretty girl with long silvery hair and and a soft smile emerged from the army of powder blue-clad girls as everyone clapped. Pippa had an odd feeling about this girl. As she walked, nearly every boy's head turned. Yes, she acknowledged that Fleur Delacour was pretty, but so were other girls at Hogwarts, and no one drooled when they walked by.

When Fleur left the Great Hall, the Hogwarts students began to shush each other, eager to hear the name of their own champion. Pippa leaned forward and held her breath.

"The Hogwarts champion... Cedric Diggory!"

"YES!" Pippa shrieked excitedly, jumping up to engulf her cousin in a tight hug. He grinned and hugged her back.

The entirety of the table exploded. Everyone was cheering and hugging and laughing. They rarely received glory of any kind, mainly because they never went looking for it, but the recognition felt good. Maybe Cedric Diggory could finally prove to the world that Hufflepuff wasn't just the house of leftovers.