𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓅𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓎 ~𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙿𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚔

"ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴀꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ ɪꜱ ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ." ― ᴅʀ. ꜱᴇᴜꜱꜱ

╰┈☆ (𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴) ☆┈╯

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

"I've waited so long for this moment." The heat of his breath burned against my skin, I wasn't able to fully turn my head back to look at the man straight on, his wand was being pushed unmovingly against my neck.

The distant sound of crickets and owls was nearly impossible to hear, my brain wouldn't let me focus on any distinct sense. It was like my mind was being mixed up in my skull, anytime I tried to put the piece together, it all just fell apart again.

"You look just like your mother," he spoke again, tugging so hard on my hair my head was angled up to the sky. " Spent all of those years searching, just for her death to take three seconds. I think I'll take my time with you."

"We need her alive," a voice hissed. It was a familiar voice, one I couldn't quite place but it made every inch of my body tense. "Do as you wish, but keep her alive."

The tight grip on my hair was released, leaving my scalp tender.

I tried to take in my surroundings, I tried to read the letters on the stone in front of me, and no matter how hard I tried I could not make out the face of the motionless body at my feet.

"Take care of the boy then. Finish this my lor-"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was suddenly gasping for air as I broke the surface of the water, there was an arm wrapped firm around my waist keeping me above the trashing water. My hair was sticking to my face, it was difficult to truly see anything but given the cheers and clapping I knew exactly where i was.

What the actual fuck.

"Cedric Diggory breaks through! He has safely retrieved Ara Hayes from the bottom of the mermaid infested water! Forty-seven point for Diggory!" The commentator bellowed, his voice amplified ten times to reach every part of the crowd.

I coughed and kicked my legs as we swam to shore, water had somehow gotten up my nose and in my throat. I wouldn't be surprised if I spit up seaweed for the next week.

"Are you alright?" Cedric panted from beside me, still keeping us both afloat.

I was never the greatest swimmer; I could paddle in water for a short period of time but waking up in the middle of a lake was not something I had necessarily prepared for.

"Ask me later," I croaked.

After exhausting every muscle in my body, we successfully made it to dry land. Two people immediately came rushing towards us, draping thick wool blankets across both of our backs. Despite this- I was still frigid and the wind only intensified that.

We sat in a trembling mess as everyone waited for the other champions to surface. We had been first. I was hoping this pushed Cedric somewhat ahead of Krum and Harry.

My teeth chatters and goosebumps erupted across my entire body, even with the blanket and Cedrics warmth, I was still freezing.

"I can't believe it was people," Cedric put forth, then he brought his hands up to his mouth: breathing hot air into his pale fingers.