Through the Dark (Draco Malfoy x OC)

Chapter Eight

The blue flame that rose from the Goblet of Fire enveloped the room in a glimmering, bright sapphire. The walls felt colder and the corners darker. The Goblet stood grand in the center with a magical white ring circling it and shining bright among its lightless surroundings. Shades of royal cerulean glazed over everyone's eyes as they admired it. The hairs on my neck stood straight as we walked closer in it's presence.

A group of students were gathered closely around the fire. From body to body, they were so tight, it was almost impossible to see past as Daphne and I approached. Her head of blonde snapped back at me to assure herself I was still following. After a good few minutes of me trying to avoid leaving our bedroom, she had managed to drag me along to watch people entering. Many friends supported the brave contenders to cross the magical age-line and drop their name into the cup.

Shoulder to shoulder the students sat, filling every crevice of the benches. We managed to squeeze our slim figures into a space by the front, knees knocking and arms rubbing. I shot a smile at Hermione who was seated behind us, a book opened on her lap.

"Come on, Cedric. Put it in!" A male voice jeered. I tried to force down the large grin spreading onto my face as a bunch of his seventh year friends rough housed him towards the Goblet. His legs carried him tentatively towards it, his grey orbs settled on the incantated inferno. He threw in a folded piece of parchment and the students watching applauded respectfully. I clapped along while my heart fluttered at the exultant smile gracing his face.

The fluttering evolved into fully-fledged butterflies flapping their wings as he noticed me and directed a bigger smile at me. He dipped his head into a nod and then turned to jump onto his mates. I sucked in my cheek to suppress my smile and absent mindedly started to fiddle with the hem of my skirt.

"What is that?" Daphne asked.

"What is what?" I snatched my attention away from the gorgeous Hufflepuff exiting the room.

"That look he just gave you?" Daphne said looking from the door to me, back to the door, then me again.

"He gave me a look?" I asked dumbly.

"Please Mel," her deep sienna marbles rolled. "You don't wear blush and your cheeks are rosey. Fess up."

I shrugged lightly, "he helped me study for history the other night." My voice was quieter, shying away from anyone listening in. "I guess we're friends now. No biggie."

"Right," she sounded unconvinced. "He just elected to tutor you for no reason."

"Almost," I replied. "We met in the library and just started speaking, he likes history and was willing to help."

Her bow lips stretched into a smirk, "so he fancies you."

"He's a Hufflepuff, it's in their nature to help unconditionally." I justified, even though I would have loved nothing more than him to walk over and sweep me off my feet.

"He is also a male, it is in their nature to be attracted to a pretty girl," Hermione said behind me. Maybe I wasn't talking as quietly as I thought. I looked back at her, if my cheeks were rosey before, now they were a solid crimson. Her head was still down, nose in her book as she continued. "Besides, if he likes history, why don't you ask him to tutor you regularly?"

"It would be a good way for him to get to know you," Daphne sang.

"I would be too distracted looking at that face all day," I sighed dreamily as my gaze fell back on the Goblet.

Cries of delight bounced off the walls as the Weasley twins ran into the room. Fists pumping in the air and their feet skipping energetically. Half the room started cheering as well and as if they were Moses, the crowd parted to make way. They skipped past the and hi fived some younger students.

"Well lads, we've done it."

"Cooked it up just this morning!"

"It's not going to work," Hermione sang behind me and they squeezed in beside her.

"Oh yeah?"

"And why is that, Granger?"

"You see this?" She pointed at the white magical line gleaming around the Goblet. "This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?"

She scoffed and shut her book in irritation. "So a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"But that's why it's so brilliant."

"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted."

They both walked over to the line.

"Ready Fred?"

"Ready George."

"Bottoms up," they said in unison before downing the vials. They jumped into the circle successfully and hi fived before dancing around happily. An applause broke out and I found myself nodding, wondering if it really was that simple. They popped their pieces of parchment into the flames and then gladly cheered again.

"Huh," Daphne sounded in surprise. "It worked."

"No," Hermione stated, "it didn't."

As if on cue, the flames burst into streams of fire and a magical burst of energy pushed the twins out of the circle. They were knocked to the ground, white beards quickly growing on their faces. They sat up looking startled before jumping on each other angrily. The crowd shifted over to watch the fight and laughed at the twins stupidity.

"You want a piece of me?" I heard one say behind the gathering of students chanting for them to fight.

I laughed as I pushed myself off the bench, tapping Daphne on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

Victor Krum was walking towards us to enter the Goblet room as we were leaving. His headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, followed closely behind with a steely look. Daphne did a small squeak in surprise as she lovingly ogled at Krum and pinched me in the moment she lost herself. I cradled my arm in pain and shot her a dark look. Karkaroff's hard stare landed on me and we locked eyes for a second. The hall fell still as we past each other.

"He was a Death Eater," I whispered to Daphne once we were well and truly out of ear shot.

"Krum?!" She harshly whispered back.

"No!" I hissed, "Karkaroff. During the war. Years back. He was a Death Eater."

"How is he Durmstrang's headmaster then?" Daphne questioned. We could stop whispering now that we were walking through a lively hall. There were students bustling everywhere and two fifth years involved in a scuffle in the corner.

"Ezra told me he served time in Azkaban, but was pardoned when he turned over other Death Eaters."

"Intense."

I hummed in agreement. "And here's the juicy part - Moody was the one to chuck him in Azkaban."

Daphne's eyebrows lifted as she looked at me in shock. "Why aren't they at eachother's throats then?"

"I don't know," I said slowly, furrowing my eyebrows in thought. "But Mad Eye is..." I glanced around me before continuing, "I feel like he is watching me. I've seen him Daph, standing in the distance with his weird moving eye thing looking at me. It's always looking at me in class and at dinner."

"You are paranoid." She said as we entered the Great Hall and found a seat. "He was probably just supervising like any other professor."

"No this was weird," I anxiously retorted. "He was trying not to be seen. I could tell."

"Well we already established he probably is interested in you because of... You know." She reached for a silver platter, plucking an apple and crunching into it. "Potter too." She added as she chewed.

I sighed and leant on the table. The Great Hall was quieter than usual, lunch wasn't for another half hour, but we had a free period. I stared at the spot on Gryffindor table that Harry usually resided in. I had an urge to talk to him about this, I always confided my You-Know-Who issues in him. He often understood or had been feeling the same way. Often the time my information or feelings fueled his suspicions, much to Hermione and Ron's regret. Half the trouble they got in was probably provoked by something I said.