Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 36

Today is the Champions Selection. The whole school is buzzing at the prospect of the three champions being chosen, exhilarated at the thought of the first task looming closer by the second. The twins are no longer covered in facial hair, but they are still rather disappointed that they were not able to enter. As we are dismissed from Potions, I follow Hermione from the classroom. I am not really talking to Harry after such accusations made against Draco, and am confounded by his behaviour. 'Are you still mad?' Hermione whispers.
'Of course I am. He was insulting, and then - in fact, I never told you this - proceeded to kiss me, that's why Draco punched him.'
'What?' Hermione gapes. I nod solemnly. 'I'm going to see them right now.' She leaves without another word.

No sooner has Hermione turned do I hear someone shouting, and I turn to see Draco moving swiftly closer to me. He currently looks awful, and has a still-black eye and several scars on his face. 'I thought I heard your appellation.' I laugh, and Draco proceeds to look beyond confused. 'Are you ready for the Champions Selection, then?' He asks me, grinning as we begin to egress from the dungeons and toward the Great Hall. 'Very. It's all anyone is speaking of now, I'm sure the selection will be most satisfying.'
'I hope it's someone from Slytherin.' Draco smirks, causing me to roll my eyes subtly as we step into the hall and make our way to (much to my distaste) the Slytherin table.

I pull a book out of my bag and open it at a page, extracting some parchment. 'What's this?' Draco asks, peering over my shoulder to see the Chemistry book which I am working from. 'My parents still want me educated in muggle subjects, remember?'
'What's 2Cu + O2 gives 2CuO supposed to mean?'
'It's chemistry equations, Draco. Chemical reactions.'
'Sounds boring.' He mutters, glaring at my book.
'Looks like some mudbloods just can't give up on the muggle world.' I hear Pansy mutter, which actually makes me laugh. Draco's fists clench and I have to grab his robe before he has a chance to get up. 'Don't, she's just looking for a reaction. Anyways, I need to write a letter to my mother, she's expecting to hear from me soon. Told me in her last letter that she had something important to tell me, and I'd like to find out what.'

-*-

By the time I've wrote my letter, and me and Draco have made our way up to the owlery, the wind blustery enough to knot my hair, and we've had a fight in the leaves out of pure childish ways, we are making our way back into the Great Hall for the Champions Selection. Draco kisses me in adieu before going to find Crabbe and Goyle within the crowds, and I Hermione. Once I find her, Dumbledore calls, 'Sit down, please.' Every person in the room makes his or herself comfortable on benches or places around the hall.

'Now, the moment you've all been waiting for . . . the Champions Selection!' Dumbledore speaks, standing in the middle of the room. Dumbledore dims the lights with his hand and we watch as the room becomes much darker, and he brings his hand towards the Goblet, placing both hands on the sides of the cup. The blue flame turns red in an instant, and the cup emits a loud grumble, which echoes all around the hall. The flame begins to turn blue whilst it is still red, so it looks purple, and spits the first piece of parchment from its depths.

'The Durmstrang champion is -' Dumbledore looks at the parchment, '- Viktor Krum.' Cheers go up around the room, and I clap along with everyone else. Once again, the flame goes red and ejects a piece of delicate, circular parchment. 'The champion for Beauxbatons, is Fleur Delacour.' More cheering and clapping as a blonde girl gets up from her table, grinning, and shakes Dumbledore's hand. Once again; red flame, parchment. 'The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory.' Notably, more cheering than ever goes up around the room as Cedric stands, and I, along with everyone else, whoop and holler. 'That's it!' Dumbledore opens his arms as he turns. 'We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history, only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory, the Triwizard Cup!' Dumbledore points at a masked something, and when the cloth is removed, reveals a silver cup with blue sections around its middle, and it seems to glow. The cheering around the hall is once again absolute.

But an odd noise behind me makes me look back. The Goblet, once again, is flaming blue flames, spitting them out over the hall, before turning red. Out comes another piece of parchment. Dumbledore takes the parchment and looks at it in disbelief. 'Harry Potter.' He mutters. My body goes rigid and I glance down at Harry, wide-eyed. I might be mad at him, but right now that is forgotten. 'Harry Potter?' Dumbledore calls. People are looking frantically around the hall. Harry, half standing, sits down once again. 'Harry Potter!' Dumbledore shouts, and I watch as Hermione leans forward. 'Go on, Harry. Harry, for goodness's sake.' Hermione pushes Harry out of his seat, and he begins to walk cautiously forward. Upon reaching the middle of the hall, Dumbledore hands Harry a slip of parchment, and Harry looks bewildered, frightened. Muttering goes up around the room. 'He's a cheat!' Someone shouts.
'He's not even seventeen yet!' Another shouts.

Once Harry has left the hall, and the teachers are rising and heading for the door toward the back of the hall, the lights come back up and people begin to rise. Ron looks extremely angry, and takes himself off up to the dormitories upon Dumbledore's departure from the room ambiguously. Me and Hermione are beyond terrified for Harry. 'What happened? Harry would never put his own name in the Goblet, he does not have a death wish.' I wail, looking to the back of the hall frantically. 'That didn't happen accidentally.' Hermione frowns, looking at the Goblet. 'That was supposed to happen, was good for someone.'
'I agree. Harry wouldn't have done anything to get into that tournament, he's not a nutter.'

I see Draco walking towards us across the hall, and he looks furious. 'Potter, again!' He spits, looking like he could murder someone. 'Famous Harry Potter, always gets all the glory, doesn't he?'
'Do you think Harry would actually sign up for this? He's not stupid, you know.'
'Come on, Alyssia. Of course he wants to be in the tournament!'
'I'm not so sure, Draco.' I observe the door carefully.
'You two haven't been speaking.' Draco grumbles. I turn to him and smirk, putting my arms around his neck and kissing him. 'Someone's jealous.'
'I'm not.' He guffaws, 'Besides, you're the one who kissed him.'
'I didn't kiss him, he kissed me.' I shrug cooly. Draco narrows his eyes at me, and I see Ingrid lurking behind him. 'Draco? We're going back to the common room now.'
'Okay, I'm coming.' He turns round and kisses me once again. 'See you later, smart-mouth.'
'Bon voyage, grumpy.' I chuckle.