Ron, Hermione and I were walking back to our common room. Worried looks on our faces, well, except for Ron, he looked rather rigid and angry.
"What the hell was he thinking?" Ron said as rage fueled his words.
"What!? Do you really think that he put his name in there, Ronald?" Hermione snapped, clearly worried for her best friend. We stopped in our tracks, when Ron said, "Yeah, how did it come out then?"
"You are so stupid to think that he would do it" Hermione said as she pulled my arm and we went to the common room.
"You go, I'll talk to Harry" I said as I took a place on the couch. It was after curfew and Harry still hadn't returned, the common room was empty, only me reading and waiting for Harry to come back. I was so engrossed into reading that I didn't hear Harry come in as he slipped through the boys' dormitory.
"Do you ever stop reading?" he asked as his ankle rested on the knee of the other.
I snapped out of book, scared slightly. "Blimey Harry! I didn't see you come in. And when did you come in? You're not in your robes."
"Yeah, about 15 minutes ago" he said as he chuckled lightly.
"Harry..." I said and he cut me off, "No, I didn't put my name in, Liv!" he said harshly, raising his voice at me.
"Sorry" he said as soon as he realized he raised his voice at me. I nodded.
"Do you have any idea how it might've gone into the Goblet?" I asked scooting closer to him.
He shook his head. "Don't you think Dumbledore would get you out of it? I mean-" I asked placing a hand on his hand, hoping he would say yes.
"Tried it, already. Mr. Crouch said that it's a binding magical contract. I will have to do it" he said as he stared into the fireplace. Ron came down and sat beside me, mumbling something.
"What?" I asked looking at him.
"Did he tell you how he did it?" he replied back with a question.
"Did what, Ron?" Harry snapped back.
"Never mind, might've let your best friend know, though" he said rolling his eyes.
"Let you know what?" Harry asked as he sat properly on the couch, with his elbows on his knees.
"You know bloody well what" Ron said harshly. I was squeezed between the two boys.
"I didn't ask for this to happen, Ron. You're being stupid" Harry said standing up.
"Yeah, that's me. Harry Potter's stupid friend" Ron said, now standing up to Harry height.
"I didn't put my name in that damn cup" Harry yelled, I had never seen Harry yell at someone. I quickly put a muting spell around us. The boys were now neck to neck.
"Yeah, says the one who craves for eternal glory" Ron snapped back. Before Harry could say something, he would regret, I quickly came in between the two boys, facing at Harry.
"Harry, look at me, look" I said as he looked into my eyes. "Go to your dorm, I'll talk to him, just please leave, before this gets out of hand" I said placing a hand on his chest. He grabbed my hand roughly and shoved it down. He shot a look at Ron and left the common room. I knew he was angry, that he would never do that to me. He would never be harsh with me.
"Ronald, how could you be rude to your best friend like that? At times like these, he needs us" I said as I turned towards him.
"What? You really believe that he didn't put his name in? How gullible are you? Or are you so blinded by your affection for him? Or are you too busy snogging with Cedric? Or Rafael, so that you can't see through his act!" he said harshly looking down at me. I was furious, how could he talk to me like that? I was trying to help them and he was being an utter ass. My eyes quickly filled with tears, before Ron could say something, I ran out of the common room, to The Astronomy Tower, with the book in my hand.
I reached The Astronomy Tower and sat down near the railing with my feet dangling, out the balcony. I started reading, the only two things that calmed me down. Sky and Books. I was reading when I heard footsteps, it might've been another student or some prefect, at this point I didn't care. I kept reading, when the person came and sat beside me. It was Rafael.
"What're you doing here?" I asked as I closed my book and looked at him. He shrugged. "What are you doing here?" he asked and I waved my book in front of him and he chuckled lightly, making me smile a little.
"Your common room would be nice enough for you to read in there" he said as he looked at the stars.
"I just- I had to get out of there" I said as I stared at the sky too.
"Why?" he asked looking at me now.
"Erm, Harry and Ron being dicks, just the usual" I said trying to sound casual but I couldn't hold my laughter in and I burst out laughing and so did he. We took a minute or two to catch our breathing, at this point we were sitting pretty close. He looked at my lips, lingered there for a moment, as I looked into his eyes.
"So, Middleton, any boyfriends?" he asked and I snapped out of my thoughts and realized to what he was referring to. Me and Dean.
I looked back at the sky, while he took the book from my hand. "No, just your good old single Olivia Middleton" I said as I sighed.
"So that day-"
"Was a way of the twins messing with you"
"Messed me up pretty good" he said and I turned to see him, reading the book.
"You can keep it, the book, I'm almost done reading" I said as he closed the book and stood up, offered me a hand to stand up.
"Thank you and please, The Ravenclaw Tower has the best view" he said as we walked out of the tower. He went to his common room and I headed towards mine.
I was about to walk the stairs when I heard another set of footsteps. A pair of cold hands were placed on my shoulder. Now, I was scared because it was late and I was out of bed, if it would be a teacher, then definitely I would be in detention or would cost a few more points to my house. I slowly turned around to see who it was.
"Ced, you scared me" I said with a relief.
"What are you doing at this hour of time?" he asked as he placed another hand on my shoulder.
"I was reading-"
"In the Astronomy Tower" he said completing me and I smiled.
Boy, does he know me well.
"If you were reading, then where's your book?" he asked searching for a book around me.
"Rafael was with me, he took it" I said as he raised his brow at my comment.
"No, nothing like that. I was alone and then he arrived, I was done reading, so I lent him the book" I said as he put his hands down to my waist.
"Yeah, yeah, right" he said mocking me. I rolled by eyes at him and said, "Now, I know you won't report my behavior. I am sleepy. Good night, Cedric" I said tiptoeing on my feet and kissed his cheek. I went up the stairs and into my common room.
The next day, I woke up late, which is totally not the case, I am always punctual and attentive in class. I quickly woke up, already missed breakfast and ran to the class. I was late to Potions! Damn my luck.
I opened the classroom door and all the eyes snapped at me. "Miss Middleton, how nice of you to finally join us. Quickly now, skip with the dramatic entrance and take a seat" Snape said in his monotonous voice. I was astonished to see he didn't cut points off of Gryffindor.
I sat beside Hermione and whispered to her, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I did, but you went back to bed" Hermione said whisper-yelling.
"Now, we're going to make 'Skele-Gro'. The information is in your book, page number 267. The partners will be as follows" Snape said as our names appeared on the black board.
Harry Potter and Vincent Crabbe
Hermione Granger and Gregory Goyle
Ronald Weasley and Pansy Parkinson
Olivia Middleton and Draco Malfoy
I looked at the names that mattered to me, then I rolled my eyes at the board and walked up to Draco's desk, who was smirking while I walked over to him.
"You know, it'll be polite if you had walked over to my desk, being a gentleman" I said as I placed my book on the desk and opened the page number.
"You know I don't do gentle" he said smirking at me and I rolled my eyes.
"There is shortage of Skele-Gro in the Hospital, for which Madam Pomfrey has asked me to brew and now I ask you. Let me remind you that she will not accept any sub-par potions. This doesn't mean that you don't have to write it as an assignment. You'll be graded as partners. Begin" he said as he sat down on a table to make more Skele-Gro and the students groaned.
"Alright, do you want to do the practical work or the theory?" I asked looking at him.
"Anything is fine darling, as long as it's with you" he said leaning in and placing a hand on my thigh. I quickly slapped his hand and he took it away.
"Fine, I'll bring the ingredients out and you start writing" I ordered, knowing well his eyes were gonna follow me, I did a little hip sway, to which I heard him chuckle.
I reached for the ingredients and so did Dean. Upon seeing Dean coming, Draco quickly ran up to me and said, "Changed my mind, I'll do the practical work"
I came back to the desk and started with the assignment. We soon finished up the assignment and the potion, before anyone else's and handed it to Snape. He looked at the both of us, checked the potion and nodded and we went back to our seats. I sat in silence, while Draco continued to snicker and pass comments on how Harry will do in the tournament. I was angry, but both of the boys hadn't apologized for their behavior towards me, so I didn't open my mouth.
"Dismissed" Snape yelled and I gathered my books and was about to leave, when Snape said, "Mr. Malfoy and Miss Middleton, stay back" I sighed putting my books down and gave a single nod to Hermione. The class cleared out soon.
"Yes, Professor?" I asked as Draco was still in his seat, with his legs up the table and his hands behind his head, holding his weight down, while he whistled.
"From everyone's potion today, yours was perfect. So, I would like that the both of you brew this in more quantity and give it to Madam Pomfrey, but do run it by me first. I know that, Mr. Malfoy here, didn't do anything, so as a punishment he will be helping you" Snape said.
Before I could say to him that Draco was the one who brewed it, he cut me off and said, "Yes, Professor. Will do" and Snape nodded and we left the class room. What? I don't want to spend more time with him.
"Why did you do that?" I asked him as we were heading to our next class.
"What? I didn't do anything; didn't you hear Snape? You brewed it. Now, I will tell you when we'll brew the potion" he said as he went to Herbology and I went to Charms.
I couldn't sleep that night so I came to the common room with a new book in my hand. I was sleeping on the couch with my book in my hands, when I heard Harry come in. I didn't move from my place, which made him sit on an arm chair.
"What are you doing up?" he asked and I looked at him.
"Reading" I said in a duh-tone.
"Alright, Sirius is coming here to talk to me" he said as he looked at The Daily Prophet.
"Here? Isn't it too risky?" I asked as I put the book down on my stomach. He nodded.
"Great interview" I said mocking him.
"Yeah, frigging great" he said as he crumbled the paper and threw it into the fire. We laughed until the fire coughed and we looked to find out Sirius' face in the fire. I turned on my stomach, still sleeping on the couch.
"Sirius? How..." Harry said but Sirius cut him off and said, "I don't have much time, so let me ask this to you straight. Harry, did you or did you not put you're your name in the Goblet?" he said
"Not!" Harry yelled, but Sirius shushed him.
"Now, about the dream, you saw Wormtail, Voldemort, Olivia, the snake and you mentioned one other person. Who was it?" he asked and Harry kneeled in front of the fire, I looked at him as he answered.
"I don't know" Harry said almost whispering.
"You didn't hear a name?"
"No, Voldemort is giving him some sort of job to do, important one. He wanted me" Harry gulped. "But, it's only a dream, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes, it's just a dream" Sirius said gulping.
We heard footsteps approach, no one could know about Sirius.
"Look Harry, The Death Eaters, your name rising from the goblet, that's no coincidence. Hogwarts isn't safe anymore. The devils are inside the walls. Igor Karkaroff? He was a Death Eater. And no one, no one, stops being a Death Eater. People die in this tournament" Sirius said quickly.
"I'm not ready for this, Sirius" Harry said shaking his head.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice now" he said.
"Someone's coming" Harry said standing up.
"Keep your friends close, Harry. Oh, and Olivia, please keep an eye on him, for me, will you sweetheart?" Sirius said and I replied, "Will do, Mr. Black"
Ron came through the stairs and asked Harry, "Who were you talking to?"
"Who says I was talking to anyone?" Harry questioned back.
"I heard voices" Ron said and I stood up from the couch.
"Our voices?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Now, I am leaving, because last time I was in between you guys, you both were impossible. Goodbye" I said and went up the stairs, ignoring their calls for me, probably to say that they were sorry. I couldn't sleep the whole night, Sirius' words kept ringing in my head. People die in this tournament.