My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Eleven: Dragons

November 1994 - Hogwarts

As I expected, I was exceeding wonderfully in school. But it definitely took everybody else by surprise. Especially Hermione Granger. Potions was an especially easy class for me. But I was trying to be smart without being annoying like Granger.

"Who can tell me how long it takes to brew Felix Felicis?" my dad asked. Granger's hand shot straight up. My dad rolled his eyes. "Miss Granger?" he said.

"Four months," she said confidently.

"Incorrect," Dad said. All eyes drew to her. Had she ever been wrong before? Her face was red. "Well, this is a first."

I scoffed as I copied the notes on the board.

"Is there something you want to share with the class, Grace?" my dad asked. Most students would be so scared of my dad if he had said that to him. But I wasn't intimidated by him in the slightest. Everyone looked at me like I was about to seal my fate. I looked up from my parchment.

"Six months," I said. Then I immediately went back to my parchment.

"Correct." Granger looked offended. Ron and Harry looked bewildered. All three of them stared at me. I looked up, winked at them, and went back to my notes.

*

"Dragons?" I asked. "Are you serious?"

"I'm so serious," Cedric said. He was laying on my bed while I leaned against my wall. I had given him access to my door. I hadn't run to Draco in a month, and we were doing much better.

"Ok tell me exactly what happened," I said. Cedric sighed and retold the story.

"I was with my friends in the courtyard. Everyone was laughing about those Potter pins. Then he came up to me and pulled me aside. Then he told me the first task was dragons."

"That's it?"

"That's all that happened." I sighed out of frustration.

"Are you worried?"

"I was at first," he explained, getting out of bed. "I'm just glad it wasn't a surprise. I'm feeling ok about it now."

"You're feeling ok about fighting a dragon?"

"Yeah," he said. "Don't worry about me." He held my face and kissed me. I looked up at him.

"You know what," I said. "Pretty soon we can change your password to Tri-Wizard Champion." He laughed.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said. He grabbed the handle of my door. "Courtyard." He opened the door, and before he could step out, I grabbed his hand.

"Good luck," I said. With that, he was gone. Off to literally fight a dragon.

*

As we made our way to the first challenge, I was overwhelmed with fear.

My boyfriend was about to fight a dragon.

Jane noticed I was stiff.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Cedric giving you trouble again?" Draco asked, smiling smugly. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you wish," I said.

"What?" Jane asked. Draco and I looked at each other.

"Nothing," Draco said. "If he is, he won't be for much longer."

"Draco, shut up," Jane said. "She's obviously nervous for him. Her boyfriend's about to fight a dragon."

"Oh, you told her, too?" Draco said. "Geez, Grace. Way to take the surprise away."

"Draco, shut up," Jane said. Draco scoffed. "Do you wanna go find him, Grace?" I nodded eagerly. "Draco, Blaise, save our seats."

Jane and I walked to the tent where all the champions were waiting. I didn't care if I wasn't allowed in. I walked right through the front while Jane waited outside. Cedric saw me and immediately ran over to me, picked me up, and kissed me. Then we just held each other and breathed heavily. Suddenly I felt a bright camera flash. We looked up to see a woman with curly blonde hair, a notepad, and a man with a camera.

"Oh my!" she said. "Isn't this wonderful!" Cedric rolled his eyes.

"Oh great," he muttered. She took a step towards us.

"Would you mind answering some questions for me darling?" she asked me.

"Who is that?" I asked Cedric under my breath.

"You don't want to know," Cedric said. Then he turned to her. "She's not answering any of your questions." Then he turned back to me. "You should probably go. I don't want you to get sucked into this."

"But-"

"I'll be fine," he assured me. Then he kissed me again. And then suddenly Granger burst through the back of the tent and hugged Harry. And the camera flashed again.

"Young love!" the woman said. "Oh, it's everywhere." Cedric took the opportunity to get me out of there. He pushed me out of the tent.

"Go," he said gently.

"But-"

"It'll be alright."

Jane put her arm around me as a single tear fell down my face. We walked to our seats. When we sat next to Draco and Blaise, they handed us yellow pins.

"Here," Draco said. They said "Support Cedric Diggory: The Real Hogwarts Champion. I thought it was odd that Draco would do that until the pin changed to say "Potter Stinks." I rolled my eyes, then held my breath, anticipating the sound of a cannon.