Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 4- Ch. 71

"Well done, Cedric!" Cho Chang squealed, as she engulfed Cedric into a hug. Cedric looked surprised and quickly looked at Céline, who was looking at them hurt.

He then looked at her friends. If looks could kill he would at the bottom of the lake. He looked down to Céline again and her face was void of any kind of emotion.

He moved Cho away from him, her face reddened with embarrassment, but he still looked at Céline, helping her up from the ground.

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked, concern clear in his voice. Not only from being in the icy Black Lake, but from the what happened last night.

"I'm fine." She said flatly, still shaking from the cold, there was a tone in her voice that anyone around her could tell she was, in fact, not fine.

"We've been so worried about you." Daphne said, rubbing her arm vigorously, trying to bring warmth to her friend, "The three of us were looking everywhere for you all morning."

Céline gave them a half smile, "thank you, I appreciate you guys. I wish I could have given you a heads up, but I was also taken by surprise."

Just then, Krum splashed out of the water with Hermione in his arms. Everyone was surprised to see that Krum had badly transfigured his top half into a shark, as he shook himself, morphing back to a full human.

Madame Pomfrey was next to them immediately with the blankets and Pepperup potion. They gratefully took it.

They all stood there, Cedric's arm still around Céline's stiffened body, waiting for Harry to come out. Hermione and Krum came up to them, Hermione engulfing Céline into a hug.

"That was something wasn't it." Hermione gave Céline a meek laugh. Céline gave her a small smile and nodded.

After a couple of minutes, Harry emerged gasping for air, Ron and a little girl next to him. The little girl looked confused and frightened. The two boys helped her out of the water, where Fleur, embraced her in her arms, apologizing profusely saying she had been attacked by grindylows. And Percy who was splashing in the water towards Ron pulling him into a hug as well.

Harry was brought over to Céline and the others, also wrapped tightly in a blanket.

"Well done, Harry!" Hermione said, "you did it! You found out how all by yourself!"

"Yeah, er— thanks... it was awful seeing you three down there." Said Harry, shuddering from the cold, as he glanced at Céline.

"The important thing is we're all okay." Céline said softly. "Good job... all of you." She looked at Krum who was standing close to Hermione. He nodded.

Fleur came over and thanked Harry for saving her little sister and then kissed his cheeks, and then did the same to Ron, who appeared after Madame Pomfrey removed him from Percy's clutches. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Bagman's voice boomed out next to them, causing them all to jump. "We have reached a decision. Merchieftainess Murcus told us everything that happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks up to fifteen points for each champion as follows..."

Everyone waiting quietly for him to continue.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attack by the grindylows and failed to retrieve her hostage, we award her twenty-five points." He said.

"I deserve zero." She said, shaking her head.

"Cedric Diggory," Cedric held Céline a bit tighter, "used the Bubble-Head Charm and was first to retrieved his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." The Hufflepuffs in the crowd cheered loudly, "therefore we award him forty-seven points."