The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

II.XIX

Something was definitely wrong.

"You're still doing it, you know."

Electra's gaze flicked back to earth. The storm she was expecting to see at any moment never showed. In fact, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. A cig to calm her shaking nerves sounded pretty nice right about now, but she'd run out of her last pack weeks ago. Instead she chewed her bottom lip raw, making it bleed more times that day than she could count.

The closer they marched towards the Quidditch Pitch, the taller the hedges seemed to grow. Adrian must have been thinking the same thing because he whistled and tilted his head back to peer up at the tops. "What do you reckon's in there?"

Electra gave a half-hearted shake of her head. "Nothing I'd ever fancy running into."

Adrian hummed. "Well, whatever's going to go on in there is going to be a hell of a lot more exciting than sitting and waiting in the stands."

That Electra couldn't argue with. "Do you have any other ideas?"

He laughed softly. "I was hoping you would."

She gave him a mild side-eye. "Not this time. I've got other things on my mind."

Adrian sighed in disappointment as they walked beneath the banners and into the stadium. Inside the four Champions waited in the middle of the pitch, either staring into the mouth of the maze or trying to do the very opposite.

Cedric was doing the latter. "Save me a seat," she murmured over her shoulder as she broke away from Adrian. She crossed her arms over her chest as she approached Cedric. "Quit pacing, it's agitating."

"Lexi," Cedric exhaled, stopping in his tracks. His shoulders relaxed considerably as his best friend neared. Electra pulled back against the tugging at the corners of her mouth. It shouldn't delight her so much to be able to calm him, even while nagging him.

Electra took him by the shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze. They merely stared at one another until Electra could hold his gaze no more. She breathed deeply, moving her hands to rub his upper arms in comfort. Still no words passed between them. What could she say, really? He'd've heard it all already —most of it from her earlier. And everything she came up with sounded foolish before it even left her lips.

Behind Cedric, Electra watched as the four professors —McGonagall, Flitwick, Moody and Hagrid— filed out of the stadium with large red glowing stars on their hats (Hagrid's on the back of his vest) to monitor. Their time was short now.

"Lexi—"

Her eyes fluttered back to his. Grey against grey; his the colour of bright silver while hers of dark storm clouds. So different, yet so alike, just as they themselves were.

She could read those silver eyes like a book. Electra flashed him a smile, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. She patted his arms before dropping her hands to her side. "I think," she began slowly, "that instead of asking you to be safe, or to watch your back, I'll tell you what you are to do in that maze," she stated forcefully. Cedric's brow rose, but he stayed silent, waiting for Electra's instructions. "You are going to walk into those hedges, fend off whatever beast that dares cross your path, you will break whatever spells must be broken, and outwit, run or do whatever other obstacles lie in wait. And you will win."

"Is that an order? Or a premonition?"

Electra gave him a tight lipped smile. "It's whatever you want it to be." He nodded, his jaw setting nervously. She sighed. "Remember, it's just a game. You've proven you're a brilliant wizard twice already. You can do this."