After the second task was finally over and done with, no one felt like doing anything except flopping on the sofa and lazing around for the rest of the day. The champions had been informed of the final task, which was a magical maze, but that was all the way over in June. Besides, Harry had done things like this, such as the hunt for the philosopher's stone back in first year. I wasn't too worried.
But what I was worried about was that the end of year exams were drawing closer, and the teachers were being much stricter on us seing as we were taking our OWLs the next year. Hogwarts exams definitely were frightful.
"You're so lucky you're missing the exams, Harry," grumbled Ron.
"You don't seem to be doing much revising! These are really important tests!" Hermione lectured Ron.
"I know... they're going to be horrible," I moaned, burrying my head in a cushion.
"Hey, at least you're not getting killed three times over," Harry patted my back sympathetically.
"Fair point," I lifted my head up, then turned it to the side so I was in a sleeping position. I had no sleep the previous night, and the warmth of the Common Room got to me as me eyes slowly closed...
A vision of Harry passed before my eyes. He was lying on the floor of a maze, the vines sucking him in as blood seeped from his open wounds. I screamed his name and tried to rush over to him, but my legs seemed to be glued to the ground. Slowly he was absorbed by the maze, lost forever...
"Adds, wake up!" I was shaken awake by Scarhead himself. I found myself perched on the edge of the sofa in the empty Gryffindor Common Room.
"H-harry-" I stuttered.
"What's wrong? You had a bad dream," Harry stated as he helped me sit up.
"Oh, nothing," I lied.
"You were shouting my name," Harry raised his eyebrows at me as I blushed.
"Was I? I was dreaming about the exams," I said innocently as Harry shook his head.
"You're as bad of a liar as I am,"
"I'll take that as a compliment," I muttered as Harry shuffled closer.
"It's about the third task, isn't it?" He whispered. I nodded grimly.
"I keep thinking your going to die. I know you won't, but-"
"When I thought I was going to die, you gave me confidence, Adds. I know it know. This will all be over soon," he put his arm around my shoulder as I smiled.
Suddenly, as I stared into the fireplace, something pushed and coughed from beneath the coal, and there was the face of Sirius.
"Paddy!" I crouched in front of the fireplace, as did Harry.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"I haven't got time to explain. Harry, have you been keeping an eye on Karkaroff?" Sirius asked.
"Wha- why?" Harry spluttered.
"Harry, Adds, the death eaters are inside the walls. Hogwarts is dangerous,"
"That's exactly what Rhydian said," I sighed.
"Well you listen to your brother, then. Barty Crouch- heart of stone. Sent his own son to Azkaban. As for Karkaroff, he used to be a death eater. And no one stops being a death eater."
"You think it was Karkaroff that put my name in the Goblet of Fire?" Harry asked, shocked.
"It very well could have been. What I'm trying to say is, keep your friend's close Harry, you never know who you can trust anymore."
I glanced over at Harry, who looked terrified.
"Adds, there's something I've been meaning to tell you since I first saw you," Sirius said gravely to me. I leaned towards the fire intently.
"I'm- Oh, gotta go!" Sirius disappeared from the fire.
"Wonder what he needed to tell me," I stood up.
"Yeah, it sounded serious," Harry said, leaning back into the couch.
"Hey, Harry?" I said suddenly.
"Yeah?" He turned to look at me.
"Well, my brother bought a new appartment in London, not too far from your house," I started.
"Oh, cool!"
"Yeah, well, I'll be moving in this summer... and I've never been able to invite you around before, but now I can. So I was wondering if you wanted to come? We could really use a hand decorating and all that, and it would be really fun to spend the summer with you... I understand if you can't or you want to see your aunt and uncle-"
"-Adds, stop rambling. I'd love to come over. It'd be a great escape from Dudley! Dumbledore says I've got to go to the Dursley's for at least the first week, but I'll be at your's for the other five- if I'm alive," Harry smiled.
"That's great! I did invite Ron and Hermione as well but Hermione is going on holiday to Lake District or something and Ron's having family time at the Burrow."
"Family time?" Harry mocked. "Since when?"
"I don't know, it's Mrs Weasley's new name for the holidays," I laughed.
"Typical," Harry rolled his eyes playfully.
"I'm just glad your coming," I said as a smirk tugged on my lips.
"Hey, it's a chance to finally prove I'm better than your brother at Quidditch... Rhyds is going down," Harry dreamed as I snorted.
"As if," I said as Harry chuckled.
"Wanna bet?" He challenged.
"I would, but I don't want to make you bankrupt," I raised my eyebrows, holding back laughter.
"Oh you don't have to worry about m- oh, hey Ron," Harry's attention diverted to the youngest Weasley boy descending the stairs in too-small maroon PJs.
"What are you two flirting about?" Ron smirked, sitting between us as I smacked him with a pillow.
"What, like you've been doing with Hermione? I wouldn't know," Harry teased back, I high-fived him from behind Ron.
Ron turned about as maroon as his fraying Weasley jumper. "Shut up..."
Harry, Ron and I burst out laughing.
"Some people are trying to sleep, you know!" A shrill voice came from the stairs. "Oh, its you lot," Hermione stepped down the stairs and fell into the armchair next to Harry.
***
Over the next few nights, my mind kept unconsciously wandering over to the Yule Ball and the kiss with Harry. As hard as I tried to forget it... well that was enough to make me remember it, you know what I mean? I just don't get why... spur of the moment? But the weird thing was I wanted it as much as he did. No... I couldn't. How can you possibly... come on Addy, say it.... l-like your best friend? No, even testing out those words sounded wrong. I couldn't fancy Harry... that's like suddenly saying I fancy Rhydian... OK maybe not exactly but still. Stop thinking about it, Addy, I told myself, forcing myself to think about the Charms lesson I was in.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you perform the banishing charm," squeaked professor Flitwick as I snapped my head off the table.
"What are we doing?" I whispered to Hermione and Harry as Flitwick suddenly advanced towards me.
"Miss Waters, could you summarise that for me?"
Harry nudged his notes towards me, wearing an award winning poker-face.
"Um, er... you have to concentrate on your pillow and think about banishing it into the box," I glanced over, trying to decipher Harry's messy scrawl. "And you should have it..." I finished awkwardly as Professor Flitwick nodded approvingly. I got the strangest suspicion he saw me copying Harry, but oh well.
"Perfect, Ariadne. The key is concentration. If you managed the summoning charm you should manage this one," He said, and with that we got started. I concentrated with all my mind on the golden box we were supposed to be banishing the pillows to, and directed my wand at my purple plush cushion. It put up a bit of a fight, which was strange to watch as it shook from side to side on the table, but eventually it zoomed across the room and landed neatly in the box. I smirked and glanced over at Harry, who looked serious.
"It was Karkaroff who put my name in the Goblet of Fire," he said gravely.
"Wait, what? What did I miss?" I. asked, shocked.
"I caught him and Snape exchanging dark marks the other day. Who else could it be?" Harry said, his eyes diverting to Professor Flitwick as he was 'banished' across the room and launched into a bookshelf.
"But Harry... have you ever considered that Snape was just acting to try and get Karkaroff to spill the beans?" I whispered as Harry rolled his eyes.
"This still proves Karkaroff is up to something, though," Harry pointed. We nodded in agreement.
"Be careful Harry, we're not done with this tournament," Hermione warned.
***
As I ran back into school because of an unexpected rain storm, pulling my cloak over my head and slipping on my muddy wet shoes, my ears caught the sounds of a high pitched girl's voice. I knew knew that tone anywhere- a gossip. Listening in to the girls conversation as I hid behind I pillar, I saw she was talking to a friend. The girl hair long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail and lips naturally pouting. Why are all mean girls so stereotypical?
Forgetting on they're looks, I focused.
"I bet the Potter boy got the gillyweed off Cedric," the girl said to her brunette friend, emphasising Cedric's name in a dreamy way. Trying not to gag I listened on.
"Yeah. Moral fibre, as if," the brunette scoffed.
"Don't worry, he'll be killed any time soon by the rate he's going," the blonde smirked. Something inside me snapped. Pulling my wand out I decided on what spell to use, storming in front of them.
"What did you just say?" I whisper shouted, struggling to keep my temper in check.
"Why, do you need hearing aids, Miss oh-let-me-just-eavesdrop-on-people's-conversations?" The blonde mocked as my grip tightened on my wand.
"Oh what are you going to do, girl? Kill us for talking? Oh go on then," the brunette laughed, eyeing my wand.
"Ugh, girls like you think you're so original. Well get this, make-up doll, you have no right to talk about other people behind they're backs," I said angrily.
"And you have no right to talk to me," she retorted as I snorted (Yep, I just rhymed).
"Have you people got nothing better to be doing than idly gossiping about the possibilities of a fourteen year old boy getting severely injured, or worse- killed?" I whispered the end as they were silent for a second.
"Why do you care so much. Is he your boyfriend or something?" And they're back.
"Oh, you really must be brain dead," I rolled my eyes.
"Ok, listen up, the Boy Who Lived fangirl. Your idol is gonna die, so go grieve somewhere else, you're mucking up the beautiful silence."
"You handled that part just fine," I scoffed as she stepped closer to me.
"Did you not hear what I said?" She whispered.
"I've dealt with loads of people like you. You're all the same," I sighed.
"And what makes you think you're any different, sweetie?" The brunette questioned. "Aren't we 'talking behind someone's back' right now?"
"The difference between you lot an Addy? Addy's a girl. You two are just lame excuses for ones," another voice came. I turned to see Harry Potter facing me, holding his divination equipment to his stomach and glaring coldly at the two gossips.
"Oh look, her boyfriend's here," the blonde sniggered to the brunette.
I pulled out my wand and directed at they're necks.
"Oh no... I'm terrified..." the blonde mocked as the brunette sniggered.
"You should be," Harry laughed, pulling me away. "The only reason Adds hasn't killed you yet is because you're not worth her effort."
I smiled lightly at my raven-haired friend, adjusting my bag on my shoulders and leaving, but not without giving the two a good hard kick in the shins.
"Animal!" The brunette yelled.
"She belongs in the zoo!" The blonde screached as Harry followed after me.
"Oh well done, so you know where animals belong," I smirked, turning back, then swivelling on my heels and walking off, ignoring their incoherent cursing coming from behind me.