Aurelia
"Harry Potter." Dumbledore called for the third time, angrier than he had been the last few times.
Finally Harry stood up and walked to stand with Viktor, Fleur and Cedric.
"Cheater ." Someone from the Slytherin table yelled.
"He's not even seventeen." A Ravenclaw boy shouted.
Without another word the three headmasters ushered the champions out of the room. Food appeared on the table, none of the other professors made a move to address what had just happened.
The hall erupted with chatter, everyone wanted to know how Harry entered in the tournament.
"That bloody pillock thinks he's all that. He can't let anyone else have the spot light for a single second." I heard Draco mutter to Crabbe, referring to Harry.
Draco and Theo sat on opposite sides of the table, still angry at each other. Draco tried to talk to me before the feast but I told him I couldn't. I knew my sister was going to be upset when she found out about Cedric, the charm I had cast on him convinced him it was his life's dream to be a Triwizard Champion.
I saw my sister slip out of the great hall, all the professors were too busy discussing among themselves to notice. Without a second thought I left to follow her. I caught Theo's eye on my way out, questioning in his eyes.
When he stood up to follow me I shook my head no but he wasn't taking it for an answer.
"I can't talk to you right now, Theo." I called behind me as I ran down the hall looking for my sister.
"Please Lia." He begged chasing after me.
"I need to find Auriah."
"Let me help you." He took out his wand. I stopped to see what he was going to do. "Appare Vestigium."
A trail of amber light flowed from the tip of his wand down the hallway to the right.
"Now we follow the path." He continued to move.
We followed the path to the Owlery where my sister was furiously writing a letter.
"What are you doing?" I snatched the letter from her hand.
"Writing to Yaxley. Give it back." She tried and failed to grab it back, her eyes were full of tears.
"You're begging him to leave Cedric alone?" I read the first line on the letter. "Ri, we don't beg. Yaxley will be more inclined to hurt him if you sent this."
"Please Lia, he's innocent I can't have him get hurt."
"Why do you care so much about him, don't you understand you need to focus on Harry."
"He's special. I understand what I need to do but I can't have him hurt because of me."
"This is what you need to do." I sighed and placed the letter back down in front of her. "Tell Yaxley that you promise to stay away from him and spend 100% of your time doing what Father wants."
My sister nodded and started to write, tears dripping on the page.
"You have to actually stay away from him. You never know if Yaxley's watching." It broke my heart to see my sister so heartbroken but we both knew that this was the only chance she had at keeping Cedric safe.
She finished writing the letter and gave it to our black-banded owl, Strix. We watched as he carried the letter out the window.
I turned to Theo, who I almost forgot was there. "I'm going to walk Riah back to her dorms. I'll meet you in the common room in a bit okay."
Theo nodded and left leaving me alone with my sobbing sister.
I put my arm around Auriah, her violent sobs shook our bodies. When she finally calmed down enough to walk we made our way to the Hufflepuff dorms. The halls were empty aside from a ghost or two.
Once Riah was safe in her dorm I headed over to mine. As soon as I walked in I spotted Draco sitting alone eating an apple. His tie was undone and his hair was messy from the day. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I watched him.
"Lia." Theo called from the other side of the room, he was sitting on a black leather couch with Blaise. Draco's eyes snapped up and made contact with mine.
"Lia?" Theo called again, looking between Draco and I.
"I'm coming." I went over to him, Blaise got up to give me his seat.
"So what's going on between you and Malfoy?" Theo asked.
"We aren't here to talk about that Theo."
"Well we kind of are Lia." Theo shut his eyes and placed his head in his hands. "I like you and I want to be with you but if you like Malfoy just tell me."
"I- I don't know." I glanced at Draco, his head was turned but I saw him watching from the corner of his eyes.
"Is this just a game to you?" Theo's eyes got hard, I could see anger starting to pool in them.
"No!" I insisted.
"You just like toying with people's feelings." He accused. "You know what I don't care, you can go around and slut it up but don't expect me to wait around for you."
His anger took me by surprise, I was the one who had been cheated on.
All of a sudden Draco was up in Theo's face with his wand at Theo's throat.
"Don't fucking talk to her like that." Draco was livid.
"Get away from me Malfoy." Theo punched Draco in the face and pulled out his own wand.
"Stop it!" I stood in between them with my wand out.
"Whatever." Theo glared. "I'm done here. Fuck you Malfoy, have the fucking slag for all I care."
Theo walked into the dorms leaving me with Draco and several pairs of watching eyes.
"Draco are you okay." I rushed over to him. He had taken a seat on the couch.
"Yeah I'm fine." Draco's nose dripped with blood and landed on the ground. "Shit."
"No you're not. We're going to see Madam Pomfrey." I dragged him out of the common room to the hospital wing.
Once Madam Pomfrey gave him a healing potion and let him go with a warning about fighting, we walked through the halls back to the common room. Awkwardness filled the air once again.
"I'm so sorry Draco."
"It's not your fault Theo's a fucking prat."
I wanted to tell him that I had feelings for him but part of me was terrified he didn't feel the same way. Sure, we almost kissed that morning but he had snogged Pansy loads of times and claimed he didn't have any feelings for her.
On our way back to the dorms we came across Hermione and Ron waiting outside Dumbledore's office.
"I bet Potter's getting expelled." Draco said to me loud enough for Harry's minions to hear.
"But Draco without Harry, the mudbloods won't have a leader, they'll go rapid." I feigned worry. Draco and I laughed, the blood traitor and mudblood scowled at us.
That seemed to bring our relationship back to normal, no trace of awkwardness was left. We continued to joke all the way back to the common room which was now empty. Draco gave me a friendly hug goodbye but I felt myself wanting more.
Auriah
The next day the whole school was still buzzing about Harry's entry into the goblet of fire. Some Ravenclaw had said that according to the tournament rules once the cup selected the champions they all had to participate. It didn't matter that Harry was underage, he had to do it now.
I noticed Ron was upset with Harry when I sat down to sit with him and Hermione during our study period. We were sitting outside in the crisp November air.
"Where's Harry?" I asked.
"Probably doing something else selfish behind my back." Ron muttered.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He is doing an interview with Rita Skeeter." She told me.
"I can't believe he found a way to enter the contest and didn't tell me." Ron started to rant. Hermione and I exchanged a look. "Dumbledore probably helped him. Everyone knows Harry is his favorite. As if Harry needs to be more famous than he already is."
"Come on, Ron." Hermione sighed with exasperation. "Do you really think this is something he would do."
"He's coming over." I spotted his black mop of hair making its way over.
"Why so tense Potter?" a sneering voice called out. I saw Draco sitting in a tree smirking down at Harry. His mindless goons were standing below him, worshipping at his feet as they always did.
I was surprised my sister wasn't around him like usual. I didn't even know why she was friends with someone as rude and ignorant as him.
Harry kept walking in an attempt to ignore Draco.
"My father and I have a bet you see, I don't think you'll last ten minutes in the tournament." With cat -like grace he jumped down from the tree onto his feet and walked towards Harry. "He disagrees, he thinks you won't last five." The group of obnoxious boys snickered.
"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy." Harry shoved him. Draco's nonchalant grin evaporated and his face filled with rage. Crabbe stepped forward to protect his precious leader but Draco pushed him to the side. Hermione and I exchanged concerned glances, Ron stared down at this school book intently.
"He's vile and cruel." Harry continued. "And you're pathetic." He turned around and started to walk back inside.
"Pathetic?" Draco fumed. He took out his wand.
"Oh no you don't sonny." Professor Moody appeared and hit Draco with a spell before he could get another word out. In Draco's place there was now a little white ferret. "That'll teach you to curse someone while their back is turned."
Moody marched closer and used his wand to swing ferret Draco in every direction. Little Draco let out squeals of fear.
Professor McGonagall ran out from the school. "Professor Moody! What are you doing?"
"Teaching." He replied, unrelenting.
"Is- Is that a student?" She gasped.
"Technically it's a ferret." He moved Draco into Crabbe's pants. Crabbe shouted in fear. Other students were gathering to watch, I spotted Cedric among them. He locked eyes with me and we both laughed at the scene in front of us.
"Stand still, stand still." Goyle tried to retrieve his leader from Crabbe's pants but was rewarded with a bite from Draco.
Draco crawled out from Crabbe's pant leg and McGonagall swished her wand to bring him back. Draco reappeared as a boy, on the ground covered in dirt.
"My father will hear about this." He angrily threatened Moody.
This set Moody off again and he stormed towards Draco. "Is that a threat? Is that a threat?" He chanced Draco around the tree.
"Professor Moody!" McGonagall tried to stop him.
"I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy." Moody shouted, Draco and his crew sprinted inside the castle as fast as they could. All the observers were laughing, nearly in tears.
"Alastor." McGonagall said sternly. He stopped shouting " Alastor. We never use transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you that."
"He might have mentioned it." Moody was sheepish now.
"Then you will do well to remember it." She continued to scold. "Get back to your business everyone." She said to the spectators before leaving.
Moody made a face behind her back and motion to Harry for him to follow. He and Harry walked away together.
"Even Moody is giving Harry special treatment now." Ron scoffed.
Aurelia
"Lia, I need to talk to you." Theo walked up to where I was studying in our common room. I focused on my assignment and didn't acknowledge him.
"Lia, I'm so sorry." His voice was full of desperation. "I don't know what came over me. This year has just been such a mess and things with my father are just so bad."
I felt a twinge of sympathy when he mentioned his father. What Yaxley did to my sister and I was bad but what Theo's father did to him was much worse.
I remember at the age of 9 watching Theodore Sr. beat little Theo till he was unconscious, all over a spilled pumpkin juice. I suspected the return of my father was taking effect over Theodore Sr., and in turn taking effect on Theo.
"I promise I'll never treat you like that again. I just want my girlfriend back." Theo insisted.
"I don't know if I can still be your girlfriend but we can stay friends for now. I forgive you Theo but you have to apologize to Draco as well." I gave in, I didn't have energy to waste on hating one of my oldest friends, I still loved him. Theo nodded in agreement.
Theo leaned forward and gave me a deep kiss.
"Just think about it." He whispered.
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle stormed into the common room. Draco was fuming and covered in dirt, he saw me inches from Theo's face and glowered. Without a word he went to his dorm. Crabbe looked traumatized as he sat by the fireplace.
"Goyle." Theo summoned. "What happened to Malfoy."
Goyle sauntered over, his finger was bleeding. He told us about Draco's encounter with Potter and Moody. I was enraged, what kind of bloody school was this.
I stood up to go find Draco but Theo stopped me. "Let me go talk to him."
"Uh, are you sure now is a good time?"
"Trust me, this is perfect." Theo grinned devilishly.
While he was gone I helped Goyle heal his wound and gave Crabbe a few sweets to calm him. About fifteen minutes later Theo and Draco walked out laughing and smiling like little school boys.
"Who's ready to get some revenge." Theo smirked.
That night, under the cover of darkness ten Slytherins slipped out into the halls. Draco and Theo led us down the hallway. Daphne and I were linked arm in arm, skipping down the hall with excitement for what we were about to do. Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Tracey, and Pansy came along.
Earlier that day, after Theo told us the plan, Blaise had flirted with a second year Gryffindor and got her to tell him their passcode. The fat lady in the painting couldn't tell we were Slytherins with the dark hiding our faces, she let us in without trouble.
We managed to finish in only five minutes. I admired our work as we left the Gryffindor common room, only wishing that I could stay to see the Gryffindork's faces in the morning.