Defend

Chapter Nine I Will Slam the Door On Your Dead Body

 "Hurry up!" Ginny yells.

 "I'm coming!" I kiss my parents goodbye, as they came to drop Cedric off and see me off.

 I jump on the train and wave to my parents and the Weasley's as the train pulls away.

 I punch my brother in the arm. "You ready for your final year at Hogwarts?"

 "Not really, no."

 "Aww, are you going to miss me?" I say in a fake sappy voice. It's hard to believe I'm in the year he was when I started going to Hogwarts.

 "Honestly, yeah, as much as I imply I hate you, I really do love you. You might be an annoying little sister, but you're MY annoying little sister." He hugs me, which is always funny because he's like two feet taller than me.

 I finally pull away. "Ginny and I are going to run away now."

 He laughs at me. "Okay."

 Cedric hugs me one last time and I leave the train compartment of Hufflepuffs. 

 I pass by Draco and he... smiles at me? "Hey."

 "Hi Draco."

 "Would you like to sit with me?"

 My heart tears in two.

 Stay loyal to your friends. That's the Hufflepuff way, and you may not be Hufflepuff, but your brother is. Something runs in the family.

 "Thanks Draco, I would love to, but I'm going to sit with Ginny."

 I can't decide if he's hurt or annoyed.

 "Oh, alright. See you at the feast."

 "See you later."

 I crawl into Ginny and I's compartment.

 I open my mouth to tell her what happened but she beats me to the punch.

 "I saw the whole thing. You are the best friend ever."

 I smile. "Of course. I'd rather spend my time with friends than iffy blond boys." Ginny and I stare at each other before we burst out laughing.

~~~~

Dumbledore stands up.

 "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. This year will be a little bit different. To start things off, there will be no Quidditch this year."

 "No!" Draco and I say in unison.

 Dumbledore lifts his hand and the grumbling stops. "This year Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament."

 The Great Hall buzzes.

 Dumbledore goes to explain what the tournament is, how two other schools will be joining us, and the prize money.

 And the deal breaker.

 "You must be of age to enter. Seventeen."

 The hall grumbles. I hear the twins from across the hall: "That's rubbish!"

 All of a sudden a magnificent periwinkle coloured carriage comes flying down. A line of students wearing matching shades of periwinkle uniforms exit.

 Then a line of students in grey uniforms enter.

 "Welcome, our students from Beauxbatons." the periwinkle students stand up.

 "And our students from Durmstrang." the grey students stand up.

 After a lot of rambling, which I put my head down on the table for, because I'm starving, Dumbledore finally announces: "You may feast!"

 I start shovelling food in my mouth like I'm competing with Ron.

 "Hungry much, Eliza?" Draco laughs.

 I nod as I drain down the food with pumpkin juice and I'm too full to even realise he called me by my first name.

 When we get to the Slytherin common room, I can't even get up to the dorms. I just lay on the couch.

 "Are you going to go up to the dorms?" Draco pesters.

 "I will, I'm just full and exhausted."

 "I can help you." Draco smirks.

 "No, no, really I'm fine."

 "I insist." He grabs my wrists and starts dragging me up to the dorms.

 "Ow!" I laugh as I bump over the stairs. "Stop!" I laugh as he continues dragging me.

 "Alright," he says and starts dragging me upside down by the ankles.

 "I guess I'm going to die one way or the other." I laugh, slightly terrified I'll throw up.

 When we get to my dorm he picks me up and throws me on my bed. Laughing, I shove him out of the door, and slam it shut behind him.

 "Sucker!" I laugh at him through the door.

 "Loser!" he says to me.

 I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts. "Ghastly-faced cockroach!"

 "Daft-big-headed-blob!"

 I open the door and stare at him. "I don't like your hair."

 He clutches his heart and falls to the floor.

 "I think I've died," he says dramatically.

 "Good." I slam the door on his 'dead' body, still giggling.

 Daphne is staring at me like I'm a three headed dog.