Today is the day of the second task and I tremble to know what it is the champions have to do. Avoidance had been the name of the game since the Yule Ball and I'd spent my days on the far side of the lake, closest to the Forbidden Forest, when I wasn't in class or sleeping and even sleep had some avoiding skills as of late. My hair, which was usually up in a tight bun, hung loose around my shoulders, falling to the small of my back. And even though I was wearing the same uniform that I do everyday there was a blatant casualness to me today.
Again I sat closest to the judges box and stay almost glued to it. Vonn took the seat next to me.
"Will you cheer this time?" He asks, looking out at the misleadingly silken lake.
"No, but maybe I'll breath."
"Have you talked to-"
"No." He didn't need to finish his sentence because I hadn't talked to anyone.
"You should."
"I should what?" I finally look at him inquisitively.
"Talk to Viktor." He says as though that's what we'd been talking about the entire time. "He doesn't stop talking about you."
"And you're his confidant?" The wind blows my hair into my face and I shake it away.
"Something like that."
"Then keep it to yourself." I say pointedly and turn back to watch the sun flit across the water but never long enough to warm it.
"What's so wrong with him liking you?" Vonn finally asks exasperatedly.
"He doesn't like anyone. Girls are trophies. You've said as much."
"Not you. He just doesn't know how to work with that." Vonn smiles half-hearted and moves seats.
An electric current of sympathy puts my heart off rhythm. I hadn't been able to function properly with the knowledge that I couldn't explain how Viktor affected me. Maybe he could feel like I do but he could pinpoint what he thought was happening; I couldn't. That made us different enough to count the possibility out.
Someone else sits next to me and when I look over I'm more than shocked to see Sebastian.
"Sebastian?"
"So you haven't forgotten about us." He smirks.
"What are you doing here?"
"You've been writing less often and your mother's gotten worried. She took full advantage of my status and love and has sent me here to question you on the matter." I groan to his amusement. "I've decided against the questioning." Before I can think I've got both arms wrapped around Sebastian's neck, my head on his shoulder. But just as quickly I let go.
"Sorry." I have an idea though that I'll address later. "Thanks for coming."
"You're bothered by something. I can tell." Sebastian observes.
"Later." I say quickly as Dumbledore's booming voice sounds. The task frightens me even more than I had anticipated. Champions only had an hour to reclaim a treasure from the depths of the lake. To the ear that sounded fun - to reclaim a treasure - but to the mind it was shocking. I could only hope that as the gun sounded every one of the four competitors had a plan and were prepared to face what ever might lurk and live below the surface.
Just under half an hour passes and red sparks fly out of the water; to which three officials respond immediately by diving into the water and moments later dragging a sputtering Fleur back to the platform. The lesions on her arms and legs give me chills and I perch on the edge of my seat, the heel of my boot beginning a slow, nervous tap. I become increasingly worried when the clock chimes at their hour time limit but a minute later Diggory gasps for breath at the surface with Cho and begins his awkward one-sided swim back to the platform. I still can't breathe as I wait for both Viktor and Harry to make it out of the lake alive. Shortly after, Viktor surfaces with a waking Hermione and I've got an inexplicable pang of something like jealousy, but like everything having do to with Viktor I dismiss it. Viktor leaves the platform, jumping the stairs to stand in front of me, towel around his waist and another around his shoulders. I have nothing to say to him so I simply nod and offer him congratulations while trying to see around his mass to await Harry's reappearance. Viktor storms off back to the platform.
If I hadn't broken the habit long ago I'd have torn every nail to its bed by now as I watch the clock ticks farther beyond the hour with no sign of Harry. Cedric and Viktor both swear profusely that Harry had been at their destination working on "the knot" long before they had ever shown up. Viktor even admits that Harry had helped him out when he couldn't figure out how to undo his transformation to rescue Hermione. Fleur cries and begs that the officials ensure they get her little sister Gabrielle back safely. Ten minutes passed the one hour time limit and Ron claws at the new-found air with Gabrielle beside him coughing up lake water, wiping the hair from her face and clutching onto Ron. Moments later Harry flies from the water, landing on the platform and choking with the same lesions as Fleur.
The Merchieftaness converses with the judges on the goings on from below and even though I don't understand her I know what she's saying is putting the judges in a quandary. But after much discussion though an unanimous decision hadn't been reached, majority ruled and that meant Diggory and Harry tied for first place overall followed by Viktor and then Fleur. There were boos and cheers but I was at least thankful that all were safe.
"Let's walk." Sebastian pulls me aside and we walk a good distance down the shore of the lake before he finally talks.
"What are you thinking?" He asks. I shrug. "I know better." He smirks.
"Sebastian, how did you know you liked my mom?" He chuckles slightly.
"At first I didn't. I couldn't stand her." He chuckles again. "She talks a lot and she has to be right. It's difficult to get her calmed down." I raise my eyebrow at him. "Natalia, is everything I never wanted in my life but her opinions captivated me in a way no woman had ever been able to do."
"So, you got used to her?"
"I learned to love all the wonderful things about her." He corrects. "Why are you asking?"
"I tell you in complete confidence, that means not a words to anyone especially mom." I warn. He nods with a hand over his heart. "It's Viktor." His name burns the back of my throat. "Ever since I arrived at Durmstrang he's been possessive of me but at the same time antagonises me with all the things I hate in a person; arrogant, self-righteous, expectant. He says sorry and then insults me with bribery. I can see little bits of vulnerability and then it's washed away by his ego. I can't understand it but he makes me feel things and I don't know if they're good or bad, they're just different. He's in my thoughts all the time." I look up at Sebastian in exasperation. "This isn't me. If this is some twisted form of amorous behaviour I don't know what to do with it. I don't want to know them." I break down in Sebastian's kind gaze. "I don't want to be like my mom. I don't want to hurt anymore because of someone else." Sebastian wraps me in his arms and for a long moment he just holds me and I cry into his chest.
When he pulls me away I sniff and he wipes my tears away.
"You are nothing like your mother. Your soul is older and you've gone so long learning from her mistakes and that is somewhat to a fault but you are a beautiful young woman. Milena, trust me when I say you are the embodiment of wonderful things that come from odd and broken circumstances." Sebastian sighs and places a kiss on my forehead. "I guarantee you're going to have to hurt a little bit more. Pain never stops trying to find places to get in but if you allow yourself to feel it you can prevent the next invasion." He gives a small laugh. "And about Viktor. Try to see that it's not easy for him to feel like this either. Imagine having plenty of girls throwing themselves at you and always thinking that they only have one motive. Can you fathom the amount of expectation he has on his shoulders to always be a certain way because of his position? He needs your care and patience. That's something you've had more practice in than anyone. And just like your mother, it's okay to be mad at him but forgive him for his faults and teach him differently."
"How do you know so much about him?"
"I once was a young boy with great expectations thrust upon him with no one to truly trust." I give him a quizzical look. "My father was the Swedish Minister of Magic in his life." I was struck with understanding.
"So what do I do then?"
"Go and be honest with him." Sebastian looks down at his watch. "Should be getting back before your mother tries to get herself here anyway."
I fling my arms around Sebastian's neck and squeeze him.
"Thank you." I kiss him on the cheek. "I lo-" I sigh heavily not being able to bring myself to say the words. "Bye Sebastian."
"Goodbye, Milena." He smiles as if I've given him the greatest gift there could ever be.
I run back to the stands by the lake to look for Viktor.
"Vonn have you seen him?" I ask when I can't find him.
"Infirmary." He says simply.
"He wasn't hurt." I say in confusion.
"Not during the task but he ran off earlier and came back with bloodied hands. Karkaroff told him to wait in the infirmary until he found you."
"Thanks." I jog to the ship, side-stepping the occasional Durmstrang. "Viktor." I burst into the infirmary to see Viktor hunched over and sniffling. "Viktor?" I kneel in front of him.
"I don't know vaht to do." He looks in my eyes. "Tell me what to do."
"I can't." I shake my head. A small growl rumbles in his throat and he grips the sheets of the cot. "I can't because I don't know. I hate you so much but sometimes I think maybe not. You do things to how I think and you can't imagine how incredibly irritating that is when I've perfected and known it for so long." I sit on my heels and examine the lines of my hands. "I don't know about the type of things you make me feel." Viktor almost melts to his knees where he places his forehead to mine and holds my head gently between his hands.
"Vie ste naĭ- krasivi mechti, koito nikoga ne iskam da se sŭbudya ot." The words from Viktor's mouth are alien to my ears but soft and sweet in a way hadn't known any language to be. "You are the most beautiful dreams, vich I never vahnt to vake up from."
I feel bad that I'm not crying with Viktor but I'd figured a little bit of the mystery out.
"I like this Viktor." I tug at the neckline of his tanktop. "The real one." I take his hands from my face and see that they truly are bruised and bloodied. "Let's take care of these."