blurred lines [draco x reader]

12 ౨ৎ | task one

The field was already buzzing with excited students. Draco tightened his grip on your hand as he pulled you through the crowd, weaving through the sea of eager faces. He found a spot in the Slytherin section and gestured for you to sit first. Frantically, you glanced over at the Gryffindor section, praying the trio hadn't spotted you before you managed to take a seat. As he wrapped an arm around your waist pulling you closer , you couldn't help but notice the glares from the students around you. You quickly stuffed your red tie into your pocket trying to blend it, though it was hardly subtle. Draco caught this and let out a quiet laugh.

"Relax," he smirked.

"I just wasn't expecting this much attention," you muttered.

"Please. I, Draco Malfoy, am sitting next to you. Known not only for my looks but my reputation as well," he said, clearly enjoying himself.

"Quite modest, aren't we?" you replied dryly.

The crowd's roars began to falter as Dumbledore made his way to the center of the field. "I would like each of you to join me in giving a warm welcome to our esteemed guests from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons!"

Just then, the Durmstrang team entered from the left side of the field, walking with assurance and poise. On the right side, Madame Olympe Maxime made her entrance, followed by the girls dressed in their baby blue uniforms. You couldn't help but smile as you recognized several of the selected few.

Dulbledore continued, "Now, I can see that all of you are eager to uncover what awaits us. So, without further delay, I'm delighted to announce that our first event will be the Skyward Chase! Contestants will navigate through a series of floating rings high above the ground, earning points for both speed and precision while dodging various obstacles. Be prepared to encounter mischievous pixies, rogue bludgers, powerful wind gusts, and more!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as you quietly muttered, "Doesn't seem too bad."

Draco shot you a teasing glance. "Oh, he'll be fine—until he takes a nosedive, that is."

"He can handle it!" you shot back.

Cedric took position along with Luka Mirov, a sixth year from Durmstrang, and Lucille Fontaine from Beauxbatons. You and Lucille were a year apart, but you were quite fond of her. The two of you weren't close but Lucille was nevertheless always kind towards you. One by one, the students mounted their brooms, ready to await Dumbledore's instructions.

The clouds above the stands cast a thick cover over the course, obscuring the entire view. With a nod from Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall raised her wand, as the clouds drifted aside. Hoops of various sizes hovered in midair, each marked with a number. They shifted unpredictably, rising and falling, even drifting dangerously close to the stands. A total of fifteen hoops awaited the contestants, moving in dynamic patterns to challenge their skills.

McGonagall made her way towards the middle of the field and laid out three large boxes. At Dumbledore's signal, the three contestants moved to the starting hoop, where he wished them luck and sounded the horn. With precise timing, McGonagall unlocked the first box, releasing a swarm of mischievous pixies into the air.

Cedric shot off first, skillfully maneuvering to dodge the pixies. He glided effortlessly through the first two hoops and ascended to snag the third. Lucille and Luka followed closely behind, both choosing to use their wands to fend off the pesky instead.

With a signal from Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall opened the second box, freeing a plethora of bludgers into the sky. One bludger whizzed past Lucille, narrowly missing her as she reached the fifth ring. Luka, meanwhile, struggled to shake off a pesky pixie clinging stubbornly to his broom, throwing off his control. Cedric appeared to be gliding effortlessly through the air, extending his lead as he neared the eighth ring. The crowd became deafening.

Watching Cedric breeze through the task was admirable—you couldn't take your eyes off him. Hogwarts had clearly trained him well. Memories of your first attempts at broom riding together flooded back, warm and vivid. Caught up in your thoughts, you didn't notice Malfoy eyeing you. "He hasn't won yet, you know," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"He will soon" you shot back.

Below, you spotted Hagrid hurrying over to Dumbledore with a basket of eggs in hand. Draco snickered beside you. "What now? Is that oaf planning to pelt them with eggs?".

A wave of unease washed over you nonetheless.

"Excuse my tardiness headmaster but here they are... half a dozen Chinese Fireballs, right as rain and rarin' to go! Little fellows are feisty, too—just about ready to hatch! I know ye wanted 'em for the task, but... just make sure they don't come to any harm, alright?" Hagrid said while placing the basket down.

Within seconds, the newborn dragons hatched, unfurling their wings and soaring into the sky. For such young creatures, their fire-breathing skills were astonishing, quickly adding to the chaos of the event. Lucille managed to slip past Luka and was closing in on the eleventh ring. Her hoop held steady for a few seconds before suddenly dropping, sending her into a nosedive toward the stands. With quick reflexes, she dodged a bludger while casting Aguamenti to fend off an approaching dragon. Meanwhile, Luka looked like he had accepted defeat. The group of pixies had banded together and were now swarming the poor bloke.

Cedric was on to his last and final ring. It was circling the outer perimeter of the field, extremely close to the stands as it zipped by. He wasn't eager to pass through it just yet, seeing how far Lucille was behind. He casually flew over the stands, waving to all of the students while dodging every bludger or fireball that came his way. Cedric was nearing the Slytherin stand, a broad grin spread across his face. You knew this was what you wanted, for him to see you with Draco. Yet with each moment Cedric flew closer on his broom, the guilt started to seep in. Before you could duck, he caught your gaze. His smile vanished in an instant, replaced by an expression that could only be described as a mix of confusion, anger, and disappointment. His eyes darted back and forth between you and Malfoy's arm, which was still wrapped tightly around your waist. That brief three-second moment felt like an eternity. 

Suddenly, a bludger snuck up behind him, crashing into back, sending him tumbling down. The crowd gasped in shock. Lucille saw the incident unfold but persevered on to the final ring, completing the course successfully. Luka followed behind, still struggling with the pixies clinging to him. Yet, there was no applause. Every gaze was fixed on Cedric, who lay motionless on the ground below.

The next few moments were a haze. You only recalled fleeing down the stairs, desperately trying to reach Cedric before everything went black.