𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 (OC x OC)

[004] Chapter 21 - rescue

"i will rescue you."

Makayla

I'm standing on the stage with Cedric, Fleur, Harry, and Victor, waiting for the second task to begin.

Harry and I find ourselves looking at the crowd. I notice Hermione and Ron aren't in the stands, which throws Harry off. Louis isn't in the stands, which confuses me. He must've skipped it because I pissed him off. Classic.

Moody leans close to Harry and I as the countdown starts, murmuring, "Put it in your mouth..."

I'm confused at first. What the hell is this psycho talking about? Then, Harry reveals Gillyweed in his hand and I'm more confused. Where the hell did he—

He puts it in his mouth. Now I understand. I do the same. It's the most disgusting tasting thing ever.

When the countdown reaches zero, Cedric, Fleur, and Victor jump into the water. Harry and I are standing there, disgusted. It takes Moody shoving us off the stage for us to finally join them in the Black Lake.

I'm struggling to move due to this random pain in my neck. When I feel my neck, there's gills.

Merlin, thanks, Dobby.

I swim off through a kelp forest. I see figures in the distance, so I quickly change directions.

I have no idea where I am. Harry quickly catches up with me, though, which makes me somewhat relieved.

When we reach the exit of the kelp forest, there they are. Attacked to the chains are six people, unconscious.

I spot Nora immediately and swim up to her. Those assholes. Harry tries to save Ron and Hermione, but one of the mermaids stops him.

We can only save one.

Victor arrives and saves Hermione. This makes sense because they went to the Ball together.

Then Cedric arrives, untying Cho. He points at his watch, reminding us both of the timer.

He swims up to the surface as I untie Nora, swimming to the top as well.

After a while, Ron and one of the other people held under the water, Fleur's sister, come to the surface. Then, Harry flies out of the water onto the stage. Fleur praises him while I stare at Ann, who is crying in Preston's arms.

I hear her say, "I saw them collect him with the others! I swear it!"

I look at Preston, who speaks to me in his mind. "Louis is missing."

I take a moment to process this before asking Nora, who's beside me, "Nora, was Louis with you guys before you blacked out?"

All she does is nod.

I look around as Dumbledore announces the points and placings.

One, two, three, four....

There's only five champions. Why were there six under—

Louis was one of the people tied underwater. My heart was beating so quickly that I hadn't noticed.

"Stay here," I whisper to Nora before diving back into the lake, causing a disruption in the crowd.

The Gillyweed has worn off by now, but I don't care. I swim down to Louis, looking at his face as I hold my breath to stay alive. It's him.

I untie him, despite the mermaids quickly approaching us. All I can focus on is him.

I may be mad at him, but not enough to let him die.

Just as I grab his arm and start swimming to the surface, a mermaid slashes my leg. I yelp in pain, my mouth filling with water, but don't stop swimming until mermaids are surrounding us, stabbing me in all kinds of places with their tridents. Without thinking, I grab my wand and let a spell echo in my brain.

The spell sends Louis flying to the surface, leaving me to be sinking to the bottom. Soon enough, everything soon turns blurry. I forget where I am and can't breathe.

I'm going to die.

Do I want things to turn out that way?

Before I get to decide my fate, it's sealed and everything goes black.

Louis

I'm getting dried off when Annie hugs me tightly, crying.

"What happened?" I ask as I hug back.

"Makayla just randomly realized you were down there and—"

"Wha—" I look around frantically. "Where is she?"

"She didn't come back up with you?" she asks, her voice skeptical.

I immediately turn to the lake. No sign of Makayla anywhere.

No, no, no, no...

I walk over to Fleur Delacour after I pull away from Annie's embrace. "Hey, Ms. Delacour?" I ask after escaping Annie's grasp. She gives me her attention, waiting for me to speak. I clear my throat and say, "Uh—what's that charm that you used to be able to breathe underwater?"

Fleur tells me about the Bubble Head Charm. I nod in thanks, walking to the edge of the stage, taking my shirt off, and murmuring the charm before diving into the lake.

I hear Annie shout my name before I am underwater, but I don't pay attention. Makayla, the girl I'm in love with, could be dying.

I swim deeper and deeper, looking for Makayla everywhere. I can't let her die because she saved me. I can't live without her. I can't let her go mad at me.

I see her.

She's slowly sinking to the floor of the lake. I don't let her get far.

I swim to her and scoop her up in my arms. She isn't breathing. She isn't even conscious.

I swim to the surface, keeping her in my arms the whole time. When we reach the surface, Harry and Mattheo help me by taking her out of my arms and setting her on the stage while I climb onto the stage.

Harry's voice is shaky when he looks at me, saying, "Louis, she isn't breathing..."

I run over immediately, getting on my knees next to her. He's right.

Everyone stands around like fucking idiots, not knowing what to do. I immediately put my hands on top of each other, interlinking my fingers, putting them on her chest and counting until I reach 30 compressions.

I take my hands off her chest, waiting to see if she's breathing. She isn't.

Okay, this'll be weird.

I lean down, gently pulling her chin down, which causes her mouth to open. I hesitantly cover her mouth with mine and exhale twice.

No breathing.

Back to compressions.

I get to seven compressions when she wakes up, coughing out water. I take my hands off her chest, breathing heavily. Now that she's alive, I realize just how fast my heart is beating.

I watch as Grayson runs over, pulling her into his arms. My gaze hardens.

I haven't fully lost her to him, yet. There's still a chance for my world to be put together again. As long as she's breathing, I will never fully lose her.

I thought that Jules would be able to make me forget about her, but today I almost lost her completely—because of me.