The New Marauders

The Sort of Date At The First Task

Edward sat in the Gryffindor common room, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the Marauder’s Map spread out before him. The chatter of his fellow Gryffindors faded into the background as he focused on the tiny ink footsteps moving across the parchment. His eyes narrowed as he located Ethan Brookes, the Slytherin troublemaker who had made James's life difficult earlier that term. Brookes was hanging around near the dungeons, but Edward had no interest in following him tonight.

Tonight, his focus was on someone else entirely—Sophie Ellis.

He scanned the map until he found her name, walking near the library. His heart raced a little, and he grinned to himself. Sophie and Mia had been occupying his thoughts more and more lately, especially Sophie, with her easy laugh and the way her eyes lit up during Quidditch matches. He quickly folded the map, stuffed it into his pocket, and stood up.

James, Nate, and Sam were huddled near the fireplace, chatting excitedly about the upcoming first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Luke, meanwhile, was off somewhere preparing to be the commentator for the event, something he was practically born for given his father’s history.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Edward called to them, his tone casual.

James raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask, just gave him a knowing smirk. “Good luck,” he muttered under his breath, making Nate snicker.

Edward rolled his eyes but hurried out of the common room, making his way toward Sophie’s location. He kept his pace quick, weaving through students in the halls and down the stairs until he found her near the library. She was walking with Mia, chatting animatedly, her Gryffindor scarf wrapped snugly around her neck against the evening chill.

He hesitated for a moment, gathering his nerve, then stepped forward with a grin. “Hey, Sophie. Mia.”

Sophie looked up, surprised but pleased to see him. “Edward! What’s up?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you’d want to join us to watch the first task tomorrow.” He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a bit awkward under her gaze. “James, Nate, Sam, and I are going, but Luke’s decided to be the commentator for the tournament, so we’ve got an open spot.”

Mia nudged Sophie with a playful smile. “Looks like you’ve got plans for the task, Sophie.”

Sophie laughed softly and gave Edward a teasing smile. “Sounds like fun. I’d love to. Who’s in the lead for bets on who’ll win the first task?”

Edward chuckled, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. “No idea. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

Sophie turned to Mia. “You in?”

Mia shook her head. “I’m going with some of the other Gryffindors, but I’ll catch up with you afterward.”

Sophie looked back at Edward and gave him a smile that made his heart race again. “Alright, I’m in. I’ll meet you guys tomorrow morning.”

“Great,” Edward replied, trying to keep his excitement contained. “See you then.”

As he turned to leave, he felt a surge of satisfaction. He’d done it—asked Sophie to join them for the task, and she’d said yes. He made his way back to the common room, trying to keep the grin off his face, but by the time he walked through the portrait hole, he couldn’t help it.

James looked up from his conversation with Nate and smirked. “So, how’d it go?”

“She said yes,” Edward replied, flopping down onto the couch.

Sam gave him a thumbs-up. “Nice work, mate.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Edward muttered, though the smile on his face said it all.