Everlasting (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

Second Task

Still gagging from the Gillyweed, you had no time to process that the task had started, as Mad-Eyed Moody had taken it upon himself to push you, throwing you into the water. The entire world almost went into slow motion as you watched yourself fall, merely seeing the mountains in the background before your hearing was blurred by the water, and your vision gone from the force. Instantly, you lost your ability to breathe. It all happened so quickly - you had no time to process what had just happened, but the second you realised that you were underwater, you panicked and began kicking your legs, attempting to swim up, but being dragged down by the force of the water. Begging for oxygen, you tried harder and harder, until you finally opened your mouth and, somehow, began to breathe with ease. Taking a look down at your hands, and your feet, and your body - you were ... half fish?

Indeed! And one with the ability to breathe underwater now, perfectly!

Meanwhile, Draco felt his soul leave his body when he saw the manner in which you'd been pushed.

"Are you insane!?" He yelled at Mad-Eyed Moody.

"Oh, shut it, boy!" Mad-Eyed Moody yelled back.

"She wasn't ready!"

"She didn't have a choice."

"She's not ready!"

But, with this, you managed to inform everyone of your safety by leaping into the air, performing an elegant back flip as the half-fish you were, and then falling back into the water. Draco's attention fell on you, and he sighed of relief, seeing that the Gillyweed had, after all, worked. And so, he stepped back and took a seat, with his Slytherin scarf on tightly around his neck, gently shivering from the winter cold.

"Who're you hoping wins?" Blaise asked, sitting beside Draco.

"Don't know, don't care."

"You've been cheering for Potter so far, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well, she's the best shot. She's representing us."

"Pansy said you helped the other day with 'tournament stuff' apparently?"

"Oh," Draco cleared his throat, "we were trying to figure out what to do with the egg."

"You're desperate for her to win, huh?"

"Not desperate." Draco protested. "She just asked me for help, that's all."

"She asked you for help?" Blaise raised an eyebrow with a sneer of disbelief. "You're chatting pure bull, my man."

"Not," Draco shook his head. "She really did."

"Why would she, of all people, ask you?"

"Who knows. Probably has a crush on me, or something." Draco said, avoiding Blaise's gaze at all costs.

"Pansy was so mad after you left with her."

"Yeah, I know. After I got back, she yelled at me and said I'm being toxic."

"Toxic?" Blaise laughed as a typical teenage boy would in a conversation of girlfriends. "Jeez, she sometimes doesn't know when to drop it."

"Yeah, well," Draco raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"You don't seem too happy with her, can't lie."

"It's not that I'm unhappy."

"But you're not happy either? Smash and dash, my man."

Draco shook his head with a sneer.

"Have you?" Blaise asked in a more intrigued tone. Draco turned to him with a blank but somewhat suggestive look, and slightly raised eyebrows. "No way!"

"Well, we haven't actually yet."

"Yet? Then what's that look for?"

"Well," Draco shook his head, "don't make me say it."

"We talking - before stuff?"

"Took your time."

"Go on!" Blaise grinned, patting Draco on the back. "She to you or you to her?"

"Both."

And meanwhile these two were having a lovely talk of Draco's successful sex life, you proceeded to risk your life underwater! Indeed - to shift the scene - you proceeded to swim through, listening faintly for the melody of the song, and striving for it. So far, there were not many threats, which was a very positive thing. You had not yet spotted anyone of the other contestants. Truthfully, you were somewhat bitter at Cedric for leaving you so in the dark in terms of this task; to him, studying with Cho was apparently more important. Of course, that's not to say you were jealous of Cho: it was rather his disregard of you in such important matters as this. And the more striking part was that, when you attempted to speak to him on this very morning, he had only exchanged briefly five words with you - "Yeah, of course, good luck" - before heading off with his friends. Perhaps he'd been avoiding you, and if that were the case, you'd preferred for him to have informed you of his reasoning rather than being childish about it. Or, perhaps, victory was vastly important to him, and he wished not to tell you the ingredients for this task. Or, perhaps, you were merely overthinking it, and he simply didn't think you required help, and, if you'd asked for it, he would've helped. Perhaps, or perhaps not. Well, there was no telling now. Either way, it did not matter much, as you'd found the place: the place, guarded by mermaids, in which four bodies were tied down, floating through the water unconsciously. You were to rescue your person - and there you saw it! That very well explained why Harry and Hermione had been missing all morning! Of course, you assumed Hermione's presence was for Krum's victory. Well, it's not like it was going to be Harry. You looked at the two other people: a French girl, rather young - definitely Fleur's. And then Cedric's important person. Interesting, indeed!

"Cho?" You raised your eyebrow in disbelief. You had not realised their closeness; or perhaps no one had.

It's not like Draco was your person now.