Found AIAOY 4

Chapter 18

Rebecca struggled with the letter from Sirius days later, catching her finger on the end of the envelope and cutting herself.  "Bloody hell!"  She hissed, sucking on the end of her finger without pausing her now-one-handed attempts at getting to the contents therein.

"Would you like some help?"  Fred asked from beside her, watching her struggle with the smallest of smiles.

Rebecca held the letter out after considering his offer, a sinking feeling filling her middle.  Sirius had read everything now after she'd sent back what had happened with the unicorn in the forest.  He knew that she had-  "Just read it to me, Fred.  I can't."

"I don't know why you're letting yourself get so nervous, RJ."  Fred pulled his feet up onto the couch they were on so they were under him, moving closer to her with the letter opened at last and in his hands.  "It's Snuffles, he won't care."

Rebecca shook her head, unable to explain anything until she knew what Sirius had said.

Fred sighed.  "He says, 'so you are a zombie then.  We will talk about this on a later date.'"

"And?"  Rebecca inspected the cut on her finger before wiping it on her trousers and leaning towards where Fred flipped the letter over.

"And that's it."  Fred's amusement flashed across his face.  "Nothing to worry about, just like I told you so."

Rebecca scoffed and laid her head against his shoulder, sighing heavily.  "Just like I told you."  She mimicked before turning her head up to him.  "Stress leaves me in need."

"In need of?"

"A kiss."

Fred grinned and pecked her lips.  "Well, I would never wish for you to be stressed but..."

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Rebecca's breath fogged her glasses underneath the Invisibility Cloak as she followed Harry out of the castle the night of the twenty-fourth of March.  Harry was glad that she insisted on coming, he'd been ill with nerves in the hours leading up to the vague-summoning and he didn't think he could go alone.

But that was the end to which Harry would allow himself to rely on her.  Before he could even rest after the second trial, he had to have the bones of a plan laid out with their friends and the other champions.  If there was a feeling, even the slightest insinuation of another taking for the third and final task, all of the champions would bring their treasured people to the Room of Requirement where they would remain until the task was completed.

Cedric fell into step beside Harry as they exited the boundaries of the castle and made their way towards the Quidditch pitch.  Harry's heart skipped a beat as he feared Cedric would mention something of their back-up plan, since the older boy didn't know that she was behind them.  "Ready?"  Cedric asked, his exhaustion clear.

"Ready."  Harry answered and caught sight of Viktor and Fleur ahead, both already on the pitch where Ludo Bagman was in the center.

"Champions!"  Ludo called, waving them over.  "You, at this very minute, are currently standing on what will become the final task of the Triwizard Tournament."  Harry and Cedric looked around a moment, mourning what had once been their beautiful pitch, as Ludo continued.  "A maze is to be grown and filled with obstacles and creatures, things that you will have to evade, outsmart, or defeat in your trek to the centre.  Once you find yourself in there, the tournament will come to an end when the first champion lays his hand on the cup."

"Or hers."  Fleur corrected, rightly offended.

Ludo gave her a condescending smile.  "Of hers."

Rebecca scowled from under the cloak where she lingered near the edge of the pitch, adding yet another reason to hate Ludo Bagman to her list.  Ludo spoke a few minutes more before allowing the champions to disperse and ask questions individually if they had.