Nightmare (Harry Potter OC Fic)

11. First Task

It took nearly a month for the handcuffs to fall off. Throughout the entire month of November, neither Tiberius nor Vic spoke to Kei unless it was to yell at her for their problem. But it was a huge surprise when Kei was awoken by Shiloh with the news that Tiberius Moody was slumped outside of Hufflepuff in a dead sleep.

"Alone?" they asked, to which she nodded.

Kei quickly put on a robe over their nightgown and went through the common room to find a sleeping Tiberius. She took in his image and sighed; Tiberius looked tired, annoyed, but slightly peaceful. Probably not being attached to Vic, she reasoned. And that was another curiosity, they got the handcuffs off.

"Reese's," said Kei softly, nudging Tiberius.

"Tib, wake up."

Nothing.

"Tiberius!" she hissed. He slightly stirred.

Groaning, Kei took out her wand and sent a small stream of water to his face. Tiberius yelped and moved out of the way, wiping his face before looking up to see the Hufflepuff.

"Oh," he sighed. He didn't seem too happy to see them.

"What– How– Are you okay?" Kei finally asked.

"I'm great," Tiberius groaned, standing up as he rubbed his neck. "Been out here half the night. Didn't think it appropriate to go into your house."

"I don't think Professor Sprout would appreciate nightly visits like that," Kei mumbled awkwardly.

There was a thick tension between them, not knowing where either of them stood with one another. They hadn't spoken to each other since the incident in the gardens. Kei had to spend her dinners silent and her free time alone as she didn't want to intrude in Slytherin to hang out with Gina, who wasn't very fond of being alone in the Hufflepuff common room.

"You got out," she finally said.

"So it seems," Tiberius deadpanned.

"Are we—?"

"I just wanted you to know that Vic and I obviously made up and got out of the charm," he cut Kei off, "but I'm also still upset with you for it."

Kei nodded solemnly and rubbed her arm, "well, I'm glad my charm worked?"

"I suppose Silas' tutoring really paid off," he responded.

The pair stood in awkward silence when a Hufflepuff came out of the portrait hole. Kei gave them a small smile and looked back at Tiberius,

"Will you sit with me for the task today?"

"No," Tiberius responded quickly. Kei frowned. "I'm not sure I'll go to this task. I'll just spend it alone. I'd like to be alone after nearly a month with no peace and quiet."

Though it wasn't a jibe, it hurt Kei. She nodded and took a step away from her best friend, "that's fine. I'll just sit with Gina and Clem, I believe."

"Noted."

And that was the end of their conversation. Kei felt hollow, as though she had majorly messed up and couldn't fix it. There were no goodbyes as Kei quickly turned and ran into their common room before Tiberius could say anything else. She had left him standing in the corridor alone.

The task was set for mid-morning, leaving Kei enough time to get ready and meet her friends in the entrance hall for the boat rides to the makeshift arena. Though there was no indication of what the First Triwizard Task was, there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Despite their constant threats of points to the people who wore the horrible pins, many students sported them in support of Cedric Diggory. Kei had seen the Hufflepuff champion in the common room before the task and wished him luck, as she had promised the night before Halloween.