Begin Again (George Weasley/Draco Malfoy)

Twelve.

Harry hadn't figured out what the clue in the egg was. Cedric had told him to take a bath, bring the egg, and mull things over in the hot water, but Harry didn’t do that yet. He didn't want to do anything  Cedric told him to, because he wasn't still jealous that Cedric had gotten to Cho Chang before Harry did, but I told him he was being ridiculous.
   
Hagrid wasn't at his job when term resumed, and we had no idea why until we caught a copy of the Daily Prophet had an article written by Rita Skeeter about him being a half giant. Which had comments about how awful of a teacher he was from Slytherin students. It was all to get back at Harry for not speaking to her after the first article about him.
   
There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January, and Harry was hoping to see Hagrid and convince him to come back to work. We went to all of the usual hot spots before heading to the Three Broomsticks.
   
Ludo Bagman was here, and he took Harry aside and they talked for a moment before he let Harry return to us. Which kind of annoyed me because he had our drinks. Harry said he offered to help him with the Golden egg and Harry turned him down.
   
Then Rita Skeeter came in, and Harry just couldn't control his tongue around her. He asked her if she was going to ruin someone else's life. Harry got loud with her, and Hermione even spoke up, defending Harry and Hagrid, and then I said we should leave. And I took Harry's arm and took him out of the pub. Everyone followed us.
   
Hermione was livid, going on and on a mile a minute as we walked back to the castle. They went to Hagrid's hut to talk to him about coming back to work. I went to find my Hufflepuff friends instead. I liked Hagrid, but I wasn't as close with him as the others were.
   
On Valentine’s day, it was a hard one. Usually I hung out with Draco, even before we dated we would sit in the library together and do homework. It was nice. I hung out with my Hufflepuff friends trying not to think about Draco. It was hard not to, but I managed.
   
The Second Task was about two weeks later. We all stood around the Black Lake together in a big group. I stood with my Hufflepuff friends, keeping a close eye on the water. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. It was kind of concerning.
   
The Champions had one hour to retrieve something that had been stolen and put at the bottom of the lake. Fleur returned first without anything. Cedric returned next with Cho Chang on his arm. Us Hufflepuffs all cheered for him. That's when it hit me that the things at the bottom of the lake were people. That's where Ron and Hermione must be.
   
It was proven right when Viktor Krum returned next with Hermione. They were given towels and blankets and took to a tent like Cedric and Cho were. Harry returned with Ron and a little blonde girl last. The girl was Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle. She was very grateful to him for saving her sister.
   
The judges announced that even though Cedric got to the surface with Cho first, it was Harry that actually made it to everyone first but he refused to leave until he knew everyone that was taken was safe, which is why he saved Fleur's little sister and Ron.
   
For his moral fiber, Harry and Cedric both took first place. My friends and I jumped up and down in celebration. Then I ran over to Harry, and I hugged him too, telling him I was proud of him. Viktor was named the second place Champion and Fleur took last place.
   
Sirius had written to Harry, asking him when the next Hogsmeade weekend was, so Harry told him, and then he wrote back telling us to go to the stile at the end of town at 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and he asked to bring as much food as we could.
   
Before we did that though, we had classes to get through. There was another article in the Daily Prophet and this time it was about Hermione. She said Harry and Hermione were dating, but she left him for Viktor Krum, and she mentioned that Krum has asked her to visit him in the Summer Holidays and that he has never felt this way about any other girl before. In the article, Pansy Parkinson said Hermione was using a love potion because she was too ugly. Ron could only say I Told You So, because he did warn her not to anger Rita that day at the Three Broomsticks.
   
Hermione said that the only facts in this article was that Viktor did ask her to visit him over the summer, and that he did say that he had never felt the way he does for her about any other girl before. Hermione couldn't figure out how she knew that though since they were totally alone when it happened and Viktor hates Rita as much as Harry does so he wouldn't have talked to her. The article didn't bother Hermione though. At least it didn't at first. And then people started treating her like it was fact, when it wasn't.
   
We met Sirius that weekend where he asked to meet us. He took us far enough from the village where he could speak to us in person and not get caught. Buckbeak was very happy to see us. Sirius's was still in the same robes he had on last time we saw him. We gave him the food we brought for him right away. He warned us that he was worried about Harry being in this Tournament. With Barty Crouch constantly ill and a Ministry witch still missing as well Sirius said something fishy is going on.
   
Sirius didn't like that Ludo Bagman kept offering to help Harry with the Tournament, but Harry assured him that he was just an odd guy who didn't care if he broke rules. Sirius told us about Barty Crouch's family. How his son, Barty Crouch Jr. was a Death Eater and was sent to Azkaban. How he never spoke to his son again after that. He told us that he was a ruthless man, and how he sent plenty of people to Azkaban without trial, Sirius was one of them.
   
We told him that Harry saw Mr. Crouch was on the map in Snape’s office, and then we asked what his opinion of Snape was. He said he wasn’t sure why Dumbledore had hired him when he found out he was our Professor. And Harry mentioned how Igor Karkaroff showed Snape something on his arm and Sirius said he didn't know what that meant. We were left with more questions than answers when we were finished with Sirius.
   
The Weasley twins were 17 on April 1st, and since then they have been pranking non stop. They got Draco a few times, which I knew was George's doing. But they only got him a few times, because they didn't want him to go to his father.
   
When Easter came I went home, and I found out my mum had invited my dad for Easter Dinner. It was nice to see both of them together like this. I knew they would probably never be together again, but it was a nice thought. But knowing my mum I knew it would never happen. Still, it was a nice thought.
   
After Easter, the Champions found out what the next Task would be. It's going to be a maze. They would have two hours to finish it. It would be exciting for this to come to an end. I couldn’t wait to see who was going to win the tournament.
   
Hermione was spending a lot of time in the library alone. She's been receiving threats since the article about the love triangle between her, Harry, and Viktor. I spent a lot of time with her, because I knew she was feeling kind of alone right now. She was trying not to be seen with Viktor, but she would still make time for him, because she still does like him.
   
In May, I was starting to prepare for the end of term exams. The Hufflepuff Common Room was noisy, I couldn't focus so I decided to go to the library to study. I needed a quiet space to study. I decided to head back by the restricted section, where Draco and I used to meet. It’s more quiet back there. I was hoping he didn't have this same idea, but I was wrong. There he was, sitting at the same table we used to share for so many years.
   
He didn't see me, he was too into his studying. I quickly snuck back to the main part of the library and I found a spot alone. After studying I went for a shower. It was nice and hot and it helped me relax after studying.
   
When I exited the bathroom, I saw Fred and George roaming the halls together, probably pulling another prank on a younger student. They stopped when they saw me. Fred didn't look good, like he was sick we had just finished saying hi to each other when Fred got sick on the floor. The contents of his dinner splattered on the ground near my feet. I stepped back from it.
   
"Are you okay, Fred?" I ask, concerned.
   
Fred didn't answer, he just started running towards the boys bathroom. I looked at George as he waved his wand and got rid of what his brother had done. "Sorry," he says, "He's the latest victim of the     Puking Pastilles. We're trying to perfect it."
   
"Will he be okay?"
   
"Yeah," George assures, "in about an hour or two. Hey, why haven't you pranked us back yet? We've been waiting for you to retaliate."
   
"You don't have to worry," I say, sheepishly, "I haven't been in a pranking mood these days."
   
"Everything okay?" He asks, looking concerned now, "Is it Draco? I'll tell him to leave you alone. Don't you worry about it."
   
"No," I assure him, "He has left me alone when I told him too. I just haven't felt like pranking is all. No other reason."
   
"Well, I hope you get back to it soon," he says, smiling a cute smile at me. "You're the only one who gave Fred and I an actual challenge."
   
I chuckle at that. "I will be one day. Right now I just want to pass my exams."

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Here's part 12!

I really like their friendship, it's cute.

Just goes to show how cute they'll be when they evolve.

-Emily Winchester.