tell me you love me (cedric and draco)

eighteen

a/n: sorry i didn't update sooner! to those who celebrate, happy christmas eve!

I love you, even now. Especially now.

THE DAY OF THE SECOND TASK

I sit eating breakfast with Ron and Hermione, wondering where Harry is. I already wrote in our journal, but with no reply. I just hope he shows up to the task on time.

The owls come flying into the room carrying their packages and letters, dropping them onto tables to their respective receivers. Secretly, I was hoping for a howler to make this morning's events more interesting.

Surprisingly, Ron, Hermione, and I all receive letters that none of us were expecting. We open them all at the same time, the letters being almost identical to one another.

Ms. Miller,

Please join myself as well as some others in my office immediately following breakfast served in the Great Hall to assist in the Second Task of the Tri-Wizarding Championship. Please do not wonder or worry, more information will be given to you once you arrive.

Professor McGonagall

"Assist?" Ron asks, looking up from his letter. "What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"I don't know," Hermione whispers, rereading the letter. "Could it have anything to do with the fact we're close to Harry? And he's competing?"

"Speaking of Harry, where is he?" I murmur. "Does he have the map with him?"

"I think. Even if he doesn't, I have no idea where it is in our dorm."

I groan and lean back from the table, closing my eyes. "What happens if he doesn't show?" I ask wearily, opening my eyes to look at Hermione. "If he just doesn't compete."

She bites her lip nervously. "I... I'm not exactly sure," she admits. "I suppose he'd be disqualified?"

"That could be a good thing though, right?" I ask, an idea coming to me.

Ron and Hermione stare at me. Ron opens his mouth to say,"I know you and Diggory are dating now, but sabotaging Harry? That's real low, Lauren-"

"That's not what I mean, Ron," I say, slightly offended that he would think that. "Harry believes that his name was put into the Goblet with the intent to kill him, so, technically if he was disqualified..."

"He could avoid this whole thing," Hermione finishes, looking back up at me. "Do you think he's purposely doing this?"

"I doubt it," I admit. "He wouldn't think of this. He wants to face the problem head on, he wants to fight You Know Who. He wouldn't find a way to side-step this."

"This is all hypothetical, of course," Ron interjects, eyebrows raised.

"Of course," I confirm, my stomach turning queasy.

Hermione looks at her watch and stands up abruptly, picking up the few things she has with her. "We need to go now, to make it to McGonagall's on time."

We pack up our things and make our way to the first floor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower to McGonagall's office. She isn't inside, so we wait, awkwardly standing there. Another girl joins us, a girl from Beauxbatons.

She stands apart from us, a letter also in her hand. "Only four people?" I murmur to Hermione.

"Unless someone else is late," she whispers back, worry in her eyes.

The door opens and McGonagall stands there, ready for our arrival. "Follow me, please," she says, turning back around and walking into the room. We all look at each other then slowly follow, Ron leading and the girl from Beauxbatons bringing up the end.

We finally see McGonagall's office, with no one else in there besides Madam Pomfrey. "Please, sit."

Chairs come from no where and appear opposite of a chair that McGonagall sits in. Hesitantly, we sit down, the girl from Beauxbatons clearly also unsure of what's happening. This reassured me a little.

"I'm sure you all have an idea of what this next task will be," she starts, sitting up in her chair and taking turns looking at each of us individually. "But I would like to tell you all of it, seeing as you will all have a part in it, if you are comfortable after I explain everything."

We all look at each other, all of us clearly confused.

"This task requires a loved one from each of the champions, which is you all. Ms. Miller for Mr. Diggory, Mr. Weasley for Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger for Mr. Krum, and Ms. Declacour for Ms. Delacour.

"This task will be taking place at the Black Lake. Each of you will be placed into the water where your champion will be there to save you. To do this, though, I will be placing you all in an enchanted sleep. This is completely safe, and you will be waking up above water, completely fine."

All of us, though somewhat skeptical, agree. We lean back in our chairs and close our eyes. "Don't be frightened," someone whispers. Slowly everything just becomes... black.

Air rushes into my lungs and I blink hard to get something out of my eyes. Water. We're in the lake?

"You can swim, yeah?" Cedric huffs in my ear. I break out of his arms so he can use them to swim and he grins at me. While still not in his arms, He places a hand on my lower back to gently guide me to a ladder so we can get out.

Once out of the water, he hugs me. He picks me up off my feet and spins me, kind of like what Harry did when we were on the train. Then unlike Harry, he kisses me. I push back from him, my cheeks crimson.

"In front of so many people?" I murmur, embarrassed. He pushes wet hair back from my face and hands me a towel instead.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," he says, smiling at me. I roll my eyes and he laughs, making me also laugh. "Also," he says, pulling me closer to him, "I think we won."

I look up at his face and excitedly pull him into another hug. "You should've led with that, Ced! That's amazing!"

I look around the deck and only see Fleur, who seems worried. "Is no one else back? And where's her sister?" I ask, gesturing to Fleur.

"She was attacked by Grindylows and her bubble head charm didn't work. No one else is back yet either," he tells me, looking out into the water.

A few minutes later, Krum comes out of the water with Hermione, his head going from a shark to normal. "Do you know what Harry used?" I ask Cedric while still watching Hermione.

"Not completely sure, but he ate something that made him sprout gills and webbing."

Hermione comes on the deck then, and I hand her a towel. She looks around. "No Harry?" she asks, concerned.

"It's fine," I assure her, "Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to any of his students, let alone Harry." But even as I say that, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach.

After a considerable amount of time goes by. The clock strikes and both Gabrielle and Ron break the surface of the water. Cheers erupt from everywhere, but Harry isn't with them.

I watch as the climb the latter to come onto the deck, and I rush over to Ron. "Ron? Where's Harry? Ron?"

He shakes his head, coughing. Then, a huge splash comes from the water. Harry shoots up in the air and hits the deck, coughing loudly. I run over to him and throw my arms around him. I then release him and smack his arm. "Are you serious, Harry Potter?"

He smiles and coughs again. "Worried about me?" he asks, smiling broadly. Dumbledore and Fleur come over then, praising him and thanking him.

I go back over to Cedric, who's face is stoney. "What's wrong?"

"You and Potter are really close, huh?"

I stand there for a second. "Well, yeah. We've been friends since our first days at Hogwarts."

He doesn't look at me. "Hey, don't be like that," I say, placing my arms around his neck. He shrugs off my hands. "I need to go change," he says abruptly, walking away.

"Trouble with you lover?"

Ah. Draco.