The Era of Aria Snape

75

Chapter Seventy-Five

THE LARGE GOLDEN egg sat condescendingly at the foot of Aria's bed as if staring at her, daring her to open it again. The second task was mere days away and she had yet to decipher the clue.

After all, how could she? She didn't speak blood-curdling scream.

As tormenting as the egg was, it proved to be a very welcome distraction from everything else going on in Aria's life. She had hardly spoken to Draco since the Yule Ball, but how could she? She had nothing to say to him, especially after he said those three appalling words and she had responded with "thank you", there was nothing she could do to fix it. Aside from that, she had George-her kind of, kind of not boyfriend-to deal with. It was all so complicated with him.

"I left you in that exact position," Anna mumbled as she entered the dorm and eyed Aria, amused as the girl focused on the egg.

"I have to figure this damn thing out, Anna. I'm no closer than I was two hours ago when you vanished. Where did you go anyway?" She tore her eyes from the golden object and stared at her best friend-ruffled hair, crinkled shirt, and a loose tie. "Wouldn't have anything to do with that new boyfriend of yours, would it?"

Anna sighed dreamily and collapsed onto her bed, hugging a white pillow to her chest. "He's just so dreamy!"

Aria rolled her eyes.

"Being a prefect and all, he has his own room," she giggled, "And has the prefect bathroom all to himself. We were just there." Aria released a sigh that had Anna turning to glare at her. "You could use a bath," She stated blankly.

"How dare you?"

"Go to the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor and take that damn egg with you, you're stinking up the room."

"I do not smell."

"It's your attitude."

Aria grumbled and grabbed the egg, deciding to do exactly what Anna had suggested. Her best friend watched her in surprise as she stormed out of the room and towards the fifth floor, glaring at anyone who stood in her way.

Aria determined that a change of scenery may have a refreshing impact on her mind and help her figure out the clue, at least, she hoped so. She was running out of ideas and short of asking the other champions for help, Aria had tried everything.

As she reached the fifth floor, Cedric turned the corner and grinned. "Aria. Fancy seeing you up here."

"I'm here to have a bath," She grumbled and pushed past him.

"With your egg?"

She sighed, "I need to figure this clue out, Cedric."

"That's exactly what I was doing." Aria eyed the egg tucked beneath his arm. "Perhaps we could help each other." He gestured to the bathroom suggestively.

She rolled her eyes, but honestly, she could use the help. "I'm warning you, Diggory, try any funny business and you'll lose an eye."

Cedric laughed as she followed him into the bathroom, making sure nobody lurking around was watching them as she closed the door. When she turned, his creamy skin revealed itself as he peeled off his shirt. She had to close her mouth to stop from almost drooling and focused her attention elsewhere-on the vial that had just fallen from his pocket and begun rolling towards her. She picked it up, the pink liquid bubbling inside.

"What is this?" There was no label to indicate what it was, but it looked extremely toxic.

Cedric shrugged and stepped closer to her, she didn't move away as he came to stand directly in front of her. "Don't know. George dropped it earlier, I tried giving it back, but I lost him in the corridor." He took it from Aria's hand without warning and unscrewed the top, pink fumes wafting from it.

Aria wanted to snap at him for opening an unknown concoction, but his face began to distort and she soon realized that it was not him, but her eyesight that had become fuzzy. She reached for his muscled arm to steady herself and vaguely heard him ask if she was all right, but she couldn't answer, she could hardly take in a breath. Aria tried to focus on something, but the ground began to wobble beneath her feet. She gulped and looked up at Cedric's angelic face, all his features stunningly handsome, his lips radiating sensuality-Aria got the acute feeling that touching them would stop the dizziness she felt and so in an attempt to stop from throwing up she stood onto her tip-toes and placed her lips onto his.

She felt Cedric's shock when her lips met his and despite the desire with which she kissed him, he pulled away, "Aria?"

The dizzy feeling subsided when water enveloped her. Her egg floated past and Aria reached for it, the golden object opened at her touch and she nudged Cedric when a serenade of beautiful voices filled her ears instead of the usual screaming.

They came up for air a moment later. Aria splattered as she reached for the edge, "What the hell did that mean?" She recalled bits of the song.

Cedric ran his hand over his head, smoothing out his wet locks, staring at his egg in contemplation.

Aria thought about it as well. Come seek us where our voices sound. That would have been obvious if she knew where their voices were coming from. She felt a headache begin to form.

We can not sing above the ground.

She doubted it was a mole, which left the obvious-it was something underwater, which would explain why the egg had to be opened underwater!

"Cedric! It's something underwater."

"What?"

"They sang we can not sing above the ground, right? The voices came from a water source..."

"The Black Lake, of course. Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

Aria nodded, piecing it all together. "Right. It sounds like they have something of ours that we have an hour to retrieve and I don't know about you, but my lack of gills is proving to be a tremendous problem right now."

Cedric nodded wordlessly.

They sat in silence for another moment before Aria stood from the bath and made for the exit, her clothes dripping water onto the dry surfaces. "I'll let you know if I come up with anything." She called as she left.

Aria had two things she planned to do with the now-empty vial tucked safely in her pocket and the golden egg beneath her arm. First, she was going to confront George about that suspicious vial that contained a potion that almost made her puke, and secondly, she needed to find out how in Merlin's name she was supposed to survive for an hour in the Black Lake.

She had her work cut out for her if she wanted to complete both of her tasks in the next three days, but by Merlin she was going to do it.

Aria looked down at her sopping wet clothing but decided she had no time to change and ignored the cold robes she wore, beginning her journey to the library or to George-whichever came first.

She was determined to win.

a/n: couldn't stop picturing Cedric shirtless as Edward Cullen haha