Hidden Feelings - A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter Thirty-One

"Harry? Have you seen Hermione?" I ask frantically, running down the steps of the castle toward him. He shakes his head, his eyes wide.

"No. Ron's gone, too," he mutters, glancing over at the champions' tent.

"What about Ginny?"

He shakes his head again. I notice the tangled knot of what looks like worms clutched in his hands, and frown.

"What's that?"

"Gillyweed. It's a long story," he sighs, staring down at it. I feel bad for not finding anything for him, but I'm glad he finally figured something out.

I'm a ball of nerves, just like before the first task, except this time instead of the comfort of familiarity I should feel, I tell myself that last time I was just extremely lucky. This challenge will be harder, obviously, and my past experiences with these situations make my confidence shrink as we make our way to the tent. How likely is it we'll get seriously hurt in this?

After Malfoy's advice in the library, I've wondered what it would be like to win. Until now, I've prepared for safety, not advantage; but in the long run, staying safe while getting through the challenges is a plus. It even gets extra points, in some cases.

Each time this crosses my mind, I think of how proud my dad said he felt. That alone is enough to make me work harder. It's his letter that made me certain I wouldn't back out of this challenge. There's nothing stopping us from abandoning this task, as long as we're okay leaving whatever has been taken behind.

As I think those words, I realize where our friends have gone.

"Harry," I whisper as Crouch approaches our seats. "Ron, Hermione, probably Ginny, too...they're down there."

His eyes flicker over to look at me right as Crouch starts speaking, but he says nothing.

I find myself shaky and disoriented once we leave the tent to take our places on the docks. The wetsuit is uncomfortable, smooth but rubbery, making the material pull on my skin. I shut out the sound of the crowd behind us, staring down at the water. Dumbledore's amplified voice bounces around in my head, my heart the loudest sound. I roll my wand around in my hand, the words for the bubble head charm replaying silently on my lips.

Can I do this?

I want so badly to ignore the fear of the charm failing me once I'm too deep to return safely. I imagine the dark water filling my lungs, and shiver, wrapping my arms around myself.

How many times can I do something like this before I panic and back out? Who's life am I risking if I don't make it to the bottom?

The countdown starts, and I murmur the charm. A bubble envelopes my head, and I take a shaky breath, comforted by the fact that the air seems no different. Another charm coats my wand to protect it from the water, and I stick it in my belt, hoping I won't need it for something other than releasing whoever is down there for me.

I hear Harry start to cough beside me, but I don't look as the start horn blows. I close my eyes and bend my knees, diving into the water.

The cold is the first shock. I nearly choke as I try to keep my mouth shut, already terrified that the charm didn't work. It's when I open my mouth and gasp for breath that I realize I'm okay, and slowly, I open my eyes.

The second shock is the beauty of the lake.

I start swimming down before I can float up to the top, hoping my limbs will warm up soon. My fingers are already numb, my muscles working hard to push against the heavy water. I don't know where to go but down, although I know I'm swimming at too shallow an angle to get anywhere very fast.