Work Text
Ciara Flint drew the heavy, red velvet curtains of her four-poster bed. She let her legs dangle off the side of her bed for a moment, sitting in silence to appreciate the peace of her surroundings. Early mornings in the Gryffindor dormitories radiated a sereneness that could not be replicated in any other part of the world.She closed her eyes as she inhaled the old wood smell that wafted around the room from the fire that was burning the night before. The room was warm, but the right side of her body that was facing the window was chilled by the frost that lurked outside.Ciara put on her slippers which were maroon and marked with a large capital ‘G.’ She looked around the room and saw that the curtains of the four other poster beds were still drawn shut. The bed to her left, which had at its foot a Hogwarts trunk with the initials ‘H.J.G’, had books stacked neatly on top of it, and Ciara had to admit that she missed the sight of Hermione’s possessions over the summer holidays.
She hadn’t started studying already, had she?
Ciara’s best subject was potions, and she had to admit that she did want to excel just to shove it in Snape’s face, but no amount of revision could match that of her best friend.Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were still asleep, too, by the looks of it.Ciara moved to the foot of her bed and popped open the locks of her Hogwarts trunk. Everything was strewn about inside, and the first thing that Ciara noticed was her limited amount of books. She glanced over at the neat stack of ten books piled on top of Hermione’s trunk. By comparison, Ciara had six, but these certainly weren’t the main attraction. She brushed her books to the side to get to the good stuff.There they were – the magazines of her favourite quidditch team, the Rouen Rhinos. Ciara swore that the Rhinos were the best team, and that her support wasn’t just flimsily based on the pretty French blonde girl who was the team captain.Ciara pulled out everything that was necessary for this morning. She’d decided last night that she was going to go for a broomstick ride on the quidditch rounds this morning, just to break in the new broomstick that was gifted to her by her father. She pulled out her flying goggles, leather gloves, knitted Gryffindor jumper and flying robes. The red and yellow of the Gryffindor house colours fit perfectly against Ciara’s long, wavy, dark-brown hair and brown eyes.She grabbed her Nimbus 2004 and crept silently out of the winding tower of the Gryffindor dormitories so that she didn’t wake the other girls. She gave her barn owl, Rex, a scratch as she left the room.The crisp air felt like an icy intrusion to the warmth of Ciara’s face as she left the castle. It was a bright Autumn morning, and an orange hue coloured the castle grounds. The trees’ leaves had begun to turn amber, and they squelched as Ciara’s boots trod on them.It was certainly a great feeling being back at Hogwarts. In Ciara’s mind, Hogwarts and school and friends were associated with the cold Winter months. When the students would all huddle together inside the Great Hall for Halloween or Christmas feasts, or when they ran all the way from potions to divination class through the rain. It was ironic that the colder months withheld an undeniable warmth and closeness.The sounds of birds tweeting accompanied Ciara as she walked down to the quidditch ground. She hadn’t had much time this summer to play quidditch. As the Minister of Magic, her father was busy all summer with preparations for a certain exciting event that would be taking place at Hogwarts. It took everything in Ciara not to tell Harry, Hermione, or Ron. But what made it even harder was that Ciara was helping her father to organise this event. She wondered what the look on Harry’s face would be once she told him about it. She already knew that Hermione would be most interested in the international, geographical element of the event. And Ron – well, Ron just likes a good time.As Ciara approached the quidditch field, the three golden hoops at either side of the pitch started to come into view. The massive Hogwarts flags that lined the audience stalls – they were usually either red, blue, yellow, or green, depending on which houses were playing – were flapping about in the wind.Ciara mounted her broomstick, and kicked off her feet. The feeling was euphoric as she zoomed up in the air, the wind rippling through her clothes and hair. Once she was level with the scoring hoops, Ciara took laps around the pitch, working on her momentum and dodging skills in particular. As Gryffindor’s chaser, she was responsible for scoring the quaffle in the hoops. So she performed zig-zag drills to replicate escaping from her opponent’s beaters. She practised diving, chasing, and scoring in the hoops.As she descended back onto the ground, her hair positively windswept. That was when she spotted a girl walking along the path by the pitch. It was Cho Chang, seeker of the Ravenclaw team.Ciara took off her goggles and pulled at the fingers of her gloves with her teeth. She ran a bare hand through her hair to tame it a little.Ciara often saw Cho down at the quidditch pitch, usually practising with Roger Davies, their team captain. Ciara was certain that there was something going on between the two of them.‘You all right, Cho?’ Ciara shouted from the pitch.‘Yeah, all right,’ Cho shouted back.Ciara smirked as the girl with raven hair walked away and towards the castle. Cho could never make eye contact with her, Ciara gathered. They’d sat next to each other on the Hogwarts Express once, but when Ciara had entered the compartment Cho stared at her blankly and tripped up on her words.Ciara couldn’t wait to see the look on Harry’s face once she told him who she’d just bumped into. She did say that Harry should come along to her early morning practice today. Once it got to around seven-thirty, Ciara headed back up to the Gryffindor common room. The castle had picked up quite a bit by then, because all of the students were beginning to head to breakfast.‘Caput Draconus,’ Ciara muttered to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and the door opened.It was a delight to see all of her fellow Gryffindors bustling around the common room. Bright light flooded in through the tall windows that reached the ceiling.‘Ki!’ Hermione exclaimed as she ran into Ciara’s arms.Ciara let her broomstick fall to the floor, and burying her face in Hermione’s hair (which was now a lot tamer than it had been the past three years) inhaled the smell of spearmint so typical of Hermione.‘I didn’t hear you come in last night,’ Ciara said.‘I missed the train because there was traffic on the way to King’s Cross. Muggle transportation can be a pain sometimes,’ Hermione complained.Ciara hadn’t seen Hermione in three months. Both Hermione’s parents were muggles, and this meant that Hermione didn’t frequent places in the wizarding world so much when she was with them. The only person she’d seen all summer was Ron, and that was because his family were always in Hogsmeade. Harry, too, during the summer was never to be seen. His aunt and uncle were muggles.But now that Ciara was looking at Hermione, she could’ve sworn that something about the girl had changed. She looked older – well obviously, Ciara supposed they all had to look older. Or was it prettier? It appeared as though Hermione had put a lot more effort into her appearance. Her usually bushy hair was tamed into a beachy wave, Ciara guessed by some kind of charm she’d perfected (Hermione was really good at charms.) But even her face was prettier. Ciara’s eyes lingered upon Hermione’s for a beat too long.‘I should probably get dressed for class,’ Ciara said as she gestured at her quidditch gear.‘Ciara!’ two voices sang in unison.Ciara didn’t need to guess whose voices they belonged to when she saw a flash of orange hair coming up behind Hermione.Ron charged into the group and brought them all into a big hug.‘I missed you guys this Summer!’ Ciara said excitedly. ‘What did you all get up to?’‘Mine was hell,’ Harry said. ‘Uncle Vernon had us all go on holiday to Cornwall. But the lot of them, the fat beasts they are, had to bring about six suitcases. So I was squashed in the boot of the car for eight hours.’The three of them laughed.‘As long as you didn’t blow them up into balloons like you did your Aunt last year,’ Ciara retorted.‘I haven’t had the best luck with magic outside of school,’ Harry said. ‘That’s why I should just stay here in Hogwarts forever.’‘My mum and dad were getting real angsty this summer,’ Ron chimed in. ‘Stuff going on at the Ministry. I’m sure you’ve heard?’Ciara knew all too well. The dark mark that had embossed the night sky at the World Quidditch Cup a few weeks ago. Her father, Joseph Flint, Minister of Magic, was being hounded for weeks on end.‘My father just says that we don’t need to panic,’ Ciara said calmly, though her insides were doing flips. ‘It doesn’t mean that – that you-know-who is back or anything. We still don’t even know if the people marching in hoods were really death eaters. Probably just idiots trying to draw attention to themselves, I expect.’‘Well, this is all very riveting stuff, but I’m starving,’ Hermione said, circling her arm into Ciara’s.‘Wait – I haven’t changed yet!’ Ciara said.‘It’s not a problem. I like when you look a bit dishevelled.’Ciara was at a loss for words as Hermione dragged her out of the portrait into the corridor. She glanced behind her to look at Harry, who shot the same confused expression back at her. Ciara mouthed ‘dishevelled?’.The four house tables in the Great Hall were scattered with students. This year, as well as the three years before, whenever their quartet would walk into any room – be it a class, or the Great Hall, heads would turn and eyes would be on them. Hermione and Ron would look down nervously at their feet, feeling like they were being inspected a bit too closely. Ciara and Harry, however, were used to the attention, and accustomed to eyes being on them at all times.Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and Ciara Flint, the Minister’s daughter. When it was discovered that the two of them were joining Hogwarts together, in the same year, Dumbledore knew it was going to stir up some media attention.Ciara was never one to shy away from the spotlight, but in this instance, as they walked down the aisle to join their fellow Gryffindors, Ciara sidled up to Hermione, nearly tripping her up.‘What are you doing?’ Hermione looked at Ciara.‘Er – nothing,’ Ciara said, ducking her head.Harry glanced to the left side of the hall, which was inevitably the current location of whoever it was Ciara was trying to hide from. His gaze landed upon Daphne Greengrass, a blonde girl in Slytherin who was watching Ciara intently. Harry chuckled to himself.Ciara continued to sidle up to Hermione up until the last second before they took their seats.‘Ron, can you just move a little to the left?’ Ciara said.The red-head’s mouth was already full of sausage and egg. ‘Sure.’Ciara was sitting facing in the direction of the Slytherin table, but she managed to assemble the right amount of heads in front of her so that Daphne’s view was blocked.‘Daphne, is it?’ Harry whispered so only Ciara could hear.‘Shut it,’ Ciara muttered under her breath.‘Avoiding Daphne Greengrass, are we?’ Hermione said.Harry and Ciara were taken aback.‘She won’t stop talking about you, you know,’ Hermione continued. ‘Everything you did this summer…’ Hermione trailed off, looking up at Ciara.‘Everything you did?’ Harry raised his eyebrows.‘I heard her in the girls’ bathroom last night,’ Hermione informed. ‘She was round yours a lot then, I expect?’‘It was just a fling,’ Ciara said.‘That’s not what it sounded like to me,’ Hermione forked her food.‘How did you get Daphne Greengrass to go out with you?’ Ron said through a mouth full of food. ‘She hates Gryffindors.’‘Not enough to stop her from going for Ciara, clearly,’ Hermione said.There was a cutting tone to Hermione's voice that Ciara couldn’t pin.‘It was just the last few weeks of Summer. After that thing happened at the World Cup the Ministry was thrown into chaos,’ Ciara said. ‘Her dad was around my dad a lot, so I saw Daphne a lot, too.’‘I know she’s the best looking girl in the year but i’n’t she proper foul? Pure bloods always are,’ Ron said.‘You're pure blood, Ron,’ Harry said.‘Ah,’ Ron reflected, ‘But I’m not bad.’‘That’s exactly why it was a fling,’ Ciara said. ‘It was a bit of fun for a few weeks. She’s not nice enough to be with.’‘At least looks aren’t all you care about, then,’ Hermione said.Now Ciara was really curious about her tone.‘What do you mean?’Hermione put down her newspaper. ‘I mean, I don’t know why you get yourself into situations with girls you don’t even like. Now we’ll all have to put up with her scowling in our direction all the time.’Harry and Ron glanced at each other, letting the heat between the girls play out.‘Maybe because unlike some people I actually like to have a bit of fun from time to time?’Harry’s eyebrows shot up.‘What?’ Hermione leaned into the table. ‘So your idea of fun is coddling up to Daphne Greengrass? I know messing around is your thing, but not with her of all people.’Hermione’s last comment gained the attention of some of the students around them.‘What is your problem?’ Ciara shot back. ‘I told you. It lasted a few weeks and now it’s over. I’m avoiding her right now, as we speak. So what’s the problem?’‘I just thought you would be a little more selective, is all,’ Hermione hushed after noticing the ears that were listening in on them now.Ciara stood up and swept up her quidditch gear from the table. ‘Well next time I’m interested in someone, I’ll make sure to swing it by you first.’ She stormed off.Silence fell upon the three that were left behind. When Hermione saw Ciara next it was in potions class after lunch. She dreaded thinking about where Ciara had gone off to at lunchtime if she wasn’t with them.The class took their assigned seats as per Professor Snape, and Hermione watched from the back table as Ciara took her place at the front. And just then, as if by some curse, Daphne Greengrass strutted into the room, a band of Slytherins following behind her.Great.‘Professor,’ Daphne nodded to Snape, and her annoying silver wavy hair bounced as she took her seat. At the table next to Ciara.Hermione shook her head in an attempt to focus on the lesson at hand. She couldn’t fall behind on the first day. She ignored Daphne’s perfect head that glanced over at Ciara at least thrice a minute and focused on Snape’s voice instead, which was droning on about the use of bezoars. But when Daphne went over to Ciara when they were all doing an experiment, Hermione’s focus was positively severed.Daphne put her pretty blonde head to Ciara’s cheek as she approached her from behind, evidently whispering something in her ear. Hermione's blood boiled just like the potion sitting in her cauldron.And then when Ciara laughed – that laugh that only Hermione should’ve been able to induce – and when Ciara’s smile beamed ever so brightly at that sly Slytherin girl, she knew she couldn’t take it anymore.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
‘Come to the bathroom with me,’ Daphne whispered in Ciara’s ear.‘What?’ Ciara chuckled.As much as she didn’t actually get on with Daphne all that well – the two didn’t really have anything in common – Ciara just loved the feeling of excitement that came with messing around.So she gave in. She turned her face so that her cheek was brushing Daphne’s. She performed all the same tricks that had gotten Daphne to mess around with her in the first place. She gazed into Daphne’s bright blue eyes and let her gaze flicker down to her perfect, pink lips. Her own lips parted as she imagined what it would be like to kiss them again.
She rubbed her nose into Daphne’s cheek and pulled away.‘OK,’ she whispered, a smirk playing on her lips.Daphne turned around and moved to the front of the classroom.‘Professor Snape,’ Daphne said, batting her long eyelashes. ‘Ciara and I wanted to test to see what happens when you combine lacewing flies and a bezoar into the same potion.’‘Very well,’ Snape muttered in his usual glum voice.And before Ciara knew it, she was up against the wall of the potions cupboard, her tie askew and the collar of her shirt pulled open. She steadied herself by gripping the wooden shelves either side of her as Daphne’s mouth did as they pleased with her neck.Then Daphne moved up and kissed her hard, and they fell into the familiar rhythm that they grew used to after having done it so many times over the summer. Ciara’s hands moved to the girl’s waist, and she let her hands roam under Daphne’s jumper and shirt until she touched bare skin.‘We don’t need to stop this,’ Daphne said, breathless against Ciara’s forehead.‘You said that we shouldn’t be seen together at school. Malfoy–’‘Forget about Malfoy,’ Daphne said. She moved back a little and encircled her arms around Ciara’s waist. ‘I don’t care that you’re not in Slytherin. This is too good to pass up.’
And then Ciara leaned forward and took her lips once more.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hermione arrived at the Great Hall that evening very hungry and very angry. Their potions class had finished over three hours ago now but Hermione's thoughts were fixed on nothing other than the image of Ciara and Daphne Greengrass returning to Snape's classroom twenty minutes after they claimed to just be grabbing a few ingredients. The scolding they received from greasy-haired Snape was limited, however, given that Daphne was a student from his House. But still, Hermione couldn't shake the picture that remained scorched in her mind. Ciara always wore her uniform in a less-than-perfect manner, but for Daphne there was no excuse. The silver-haired girl was always neat and proper - much like Hermione, but had returned to the classroom with her uniform looking as though it had been speedily put on. There was no doubt about it - it was the first day of school. The first day! And Ciara was already up to her tricks again. She loved her best friend but her priorities were in all the wrong places. And with a Slytherin of all people. Hermione had been able to put up with her recent engagements because she was pretty sure that Ciara had never actually liked any of them. But this thing with Daphne seemed different. She seemed like she actually fancied her. But whatever. Hermione was just looking out for her friend. Ciara could do what she wanted at the end of the day. Hermione would just have to turn a blind eye to her actions. 'What's got your wand in a knot?' Ron chortled as Hermione sat down next to him. Hermione had arrived later to the dinner feast than usual, and the Great Hall was already packed with students, but she noticed that Ciara wasn't there. Harry began, 'is this about Ciara and Da-' 'No it's not,' Hermione said. 'She's perfectly within her right to do what she wants. I'm her best friend and I just don't want her to get hurt. You know what Slytherins are like.' 'You heard Ciara,' Ron said. 'It's over between them.' And just then, as Hermione kept her eye on the entrance of the Great Hall, she watched as Ciara rounded the grand doors. 'She's there!' Ron exclaimed. 'Hold on a minute- is that a-?' Ron squinted. It was. Hermione withdrew her gaze from Ciara and looked to the front of the Hall where the Professors were sitting. Ciara Flint was wearing a Slytherin House robe. Harry's eyes flickered to Hermione and he could see that there was something she was hiding. 'Flitwick's class was crazy,' Ciara huffed as she sat down next to Hermione. The brunette did not motion to look at her. 'He had us practising charms that you only learn in sixth year.' 'Oh is that so?' Hermione finally turned to look at her. 'How can you be late from Flitwick's class, when Flitwick is already here?' The four of them collectively glanced over the top of the hundreds of heads in the Great Hall at Professor Flitwick, who was seated at the front, at the Professors' table. 'You're not still mad at me, are you?' Ciara sighed. 'Of course not,' Hermione said. Ciara looked at Harry and he shrugged. 'But erm -' Hermione said, 'I think you've also got the wrong table.' 'What-?' Ciara started, but the trio's eyes were glued to the crest on her robe. It was the Slytherin serpent. 'What were you really doing?' Ron teased. 'Daphne Greengrass, is what,' Harry said, laughing. The boys laughed but Ciara was not relieved from the death stare that Hermione was now directing at her. 'Oh God,' Ciara said, frantically removing the robe. 'Colourblind are you? Couldn't see that the hood was clearly green?' Hermione said. 'Or was she giving you that good of a time that you just didn't realise.' Ciara's cheeks went pink. Finally, Dumbledore stood up and demanded the attention of everyone in the room with a clink of his wineglass. Ciara exhaled, relieved, now that Hermione's interrogations had ceased. 'Settle down, everyone,' Dumbledore's smooth voice echoed around the Great Hall. The ceiling of the Hall had been bewitched tonight to look like the night sky. The lights of the floating candles flickered as Dumbledore spoke. 'Before we begin the feast, I have an important announcement to make.' Ciara sat up straight in her seat. She knew what was coming. Her father and the team at the Ministry had been working on it all summer. It had taken everything in Ciara not to tell anyone, Her friends especially. 'I am pleased to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the-' Dumbledore's voice was cut off by the sound of steps echoing from the entrance of the Hall. Hundreds of heads turned. 'You must be joking,' Hermione scoffed. Ciara dipped her head and faced the table when she saw Daphne walking down the aisle, a Gryffindor robe in hand. Ciara cringed when the footsteps stopped behind her. She looked up hesitantly. 'I think you have something of mine,' Daphne said, extending her arm which was holding her Gryffindor robe. 'Mm,' Ciara murmured. 'There.' She swiped the robe from Daphne's hand and replaced it with her Slytherin one. The Great Hall was dead silent apart from the exchange between the two fourth years. The silence was broken by the sniggering sounds coming from the people in Gryffindor House - Seamus and Dean in particular were enjoying the show. 'Sorry to interrupt, Professor,' Daphne said brightly with a beaming smile that Hermione wanted to destroy. 'As you were.' And in that moment, as Daphne went to rejoin Slytherin House, she flipped her silver hair in Hermione's face and smirked to herself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After Daphne's disruption, the heads in the Great Hall turned back to face Dumbledore at the front. 'As I was saying,' his voice boomed. 'I am very happy to announce that we will be hosting two European wizarding schools here at Hogwarts-' Murmurs scattered around the Hall and everybody exchanged confused glances with each other. Ron looked between Harry, Ciara, and Hermione with a particularly enthusiastic look on his face. Dumbledore continued, '-for the Triwizard Tournament.' Gasps echoed around the Hall. Hermione shot Ciara a confused look. 'I thought the Triwizard Tournament was banned,' Hermione said. 'He'll get onto that,' Ciara nodded in Dumbledore's direction. 'The Ministry and I have worked very arduously this Summer to prepare for this spectacular event. Years ago, it was custom to hold the Tournament every five years. But after it was deemed too dangerous, and indeed, many participants faced mortal danger, the Tournament was banned indefinitely. But myself and the Ministry recognise the importance of international magical cooperation. We at Hogwarts have been graced with the honour of being able to resume this exciting event.' 'Is this why Malfoy was talking about Durmstrang on the train?' Harry said. 'Will we be receiving students from Durmstrang?' Hermione asked Ciara. Ciara shrugged her shoulders as if to say wait and see. 'I've heard the Durmstrang lot are proper scary,' Ron said. 'I heard they teach the dark arts, instead of defence against the dark arts.' 'Reckon I can still beat 'em,' George Weasley chimed with a grin on his face. Their attention turned back to Dumbledore. 'There will be three Triwizard Champions in total. Two from the respective schools we will be hosting, and one from Hogwarts,' the white-bearded man said. 'These tasks are not to be taken lightly. Champions will endure three pain-staking tasks. The magical skill required to complete these tasks, as well as the maturity needed to remain sane under such stress, requires that we set an age limit on those who can put their name forward.' This was met with backlash by the students in the hall. Ciara rolled her eyes, because what fourth year could pull off the stunts required for this competition? 'For this very reason we will not be allowing students under seventeen to put their name forward for the Tournament,' Dumbledore said. 'What?!' George Weasley protested. 'That's rubbish!' 'But we'll be seventeen in just a few months,' Fred Weasley shouted. 'There will be no exceptions,' Dumbledore's voice boomed and silenced the protests in the Hall. 'You realise why this Tournament was cancelled in the first place, don't you?' Ciara shot at the Weasley twins. 'Oh here she comes, Miss politics,' George said. 'People have died in this Tournament, you know,' Hermione said. 'There's magic that you still haven't learned,' Ciara asserted. 'The Champions from the other schools will be able to draw from a higher level of magical skill, which you won't have access to because you haven't learnt it yet. If you were able to put your name in now, you'd surely lose anyway.' Fred and George snarled. 'The prize for the Champion who wins the Tournament will be eternal glory and 1,000 galleons,' Dumbledore said. The energy in the Great Hall had become ecstatic. People were talking over Dumbledore, asking each other which schools they thought would be attending and who they thought the Hogwarts Champion will be. There was particular noise coming from the Hufflepuff table, whose students seemed to be egging on Cedric Diggory. Further along the Gryffindor table, Angelina Johnson was the centre of attention, with people encouraging her to put her name down. 'All students who wish to enlist in the Tournament will write their name and school on a piece of parchment and put it into the Goblet of Fire on the night of Hallowe'en. Now, I think it's time we meet our guests!' Albus Dumbledore clapped his hands and the Great Hall transformed completely. The house banners above each of the respective Hogwarts houses turned into banners representing the unifying 'H' of the Hogwarts school crest. The grand doors to the Hall burst open, and what came after felt like a dream sequence. It happened all at once, and before they knew it, a group of dancing girls, or women, as Ron realised as his eyes were glued to their more developed bodies, danced down the aisle of the Great Hall. Their clothes were particularly peculiar, as their baby blue robes were topped with a strange, almost fortune-cookie like, hat. The girl at the front commanded the eyes of every Hogwarts boy in the room. They appeared to be in a trance as they watched her twirl down the aisle, silver hair waving behind her. 'Look at Ron's face,' Ciara sniggered to Harry. Harry glanced at Ron whose face was undeniably flushed. But the girl who danced in shortly afterwards was somehow more attractive by tenfold. Her bright blue eyes were radiant and her nose was perfectly straight. Ciara was fixated. The pretty dancing girls were a pleasure to watch but what followed them was truly a sight to behold. A woman - not just any woman - but one who towered a staggering ten or so feet by Ciara's calculations - and who was wearing a high-neck black dress, stepped heavily into the Great Hall. 'Blimey, that's a big woman,' Seamus remarked. 'Where are they from?' Harry asked, eyes never leaving the giant woman. 'They're from Beauxbatons,' Ciara said. 'They were far easier to get involved in the tournament than the other school anyway.' 'How can the girls all be so pretty?' Ron was still gazing longingly as they danced towards the front of the hall. 'Professeur Dumbleydoor,' the giant woman said in quite a breathy accent, 'I 'sank you fuhr receiving us so naicely.' 'They're French,' Hermione turned to face the three of them. 'I love French girls,' Ciara said, before quickly realising she'd made a mistake. Hermione shot her a look. Then all of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. Where the Beauxbatons were pretty dancing girls, what followed them were tribal, drumming sounds. The loud drums echoed throughout the hall. Then, there were the sharp clacks of wooden sticks collectively banging against the floor. 'What on earth?' Ron said, positively awoken from his dream from pretty-girl land. 'They're sure dramatic about it,' Ciara said. 'The Bulgarians. I think they'll be most different of all.' A group of boys - though they looked like men, most of them were bearded - stormed into the Great Hall. They had on robes of a bright blood red colour and a sachet of fur over their shoulders. They were less graceful than the Beauxbatons' girls and were more fierce, and powerful by comparison. The footsteps of their heavy black books stomped heavily across the floor. As they reached the front, one member of the group stood out. Ron gasped so loudly that he looked like a little fangirl. 'It's Viktor Krum!' 'Is that the Headmaster next to him?' Hermione nudged Ciara. 'Igor Karkaroff,' Ciara said over her shoulder. 'Father had a real tough time trying to communicate with him. Karkaroff said that he was confused as to why Hogwarts didn't teach its students the dark arts.' Hermione murmured lowly, 'Their Champion will be one to look out for, then.' 'You bet,' Ciara said. The two guest schools took their place at the front of the Hall with Dumbledore. 'Let's all give our guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang a round of applause! That was quite the entrance,' Dumbledore said enthusiastically. The girls from Beauxbatons took their seats at the end of the Ravenclaw table while the Durmstrang boys took their seats with Slytherin House. He continued, 'As I was saying to the students here at Hogwarts, we are delighted to welcome you. And thus begins a year of international friendship and cooperation between our great wizarding schools. Let the feast begin!' And just like that, golden dishes packed with delicious food were magicked onto the tables. Ciara's favourites were among the dishes, but there were some that were unrecognisable to the Hogwarts students. 'What is that?' Ron widened his eyes. 'Boeuf Bourginon,' Ciara said plainly. 'What?' Ron repeated. 'Like a beef stew. It's delicious. Father had our house-elves prepare it for when Madame Maxime visited over the summer,' Ciara said. Everyone tucked in to the feast. The Great Hall buzzed with energy as the students inside anticipated what they knew was going to be the best, most eventful year at Hogwarts yet. Ciara laughed at Hermione as the girl's face soured. Ciara had encouraged her to try an obscure Bulgarian food item that looked appealing at first glance but tasted absolutely rancid once one actually bit into it. 'You knew it was awful and you still made me try it!' Hermione complained. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' Ciara grinned. She had indeed already tried that dish in the summer. Igor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime had been guests at the Flints' family manor. Along with Dumbledore, Ciara's father discussed with them all things related to the Triwizard Tournament. Karkaroff and Madame Maxime had brought with them traditional dishes from their respective countries as a symbol of the international element of the tournament. 'Ciara,' a delicate voice said from behind them. The delicately rolled pronunciation of the 'R' alerted Ciara to who it was almost immediately. 'Fleur!' Ciara said once her eyes landed on the figure behind them. She stood up and gave the girl a hug. Ron realised that it was the girl who had caught his attention upon the Beauxbatons' entry. His eyes widened as he looked at Harry. Ciara said, to everyone's surprise, 'c'était une sacrée entrée que tu as faite.' (That was quite the entrance you made) She elicited a pearly white smile from Fleur. Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked round at Harry and Ron. She realised in that moment that this wasn't just Ciara, her best friend, But Ciara Flint, the Minister of Magic's daughter and foreign languages connoisseur. Ciara had been in contact with Fleur since the start of the summer. Ever since her father told her which schools they were thinking of including in the Tournament, Ciara took it upon herself to liaise with some of the students of the schools themselves. And principally this included Fleur Delacour, Head prefect at Beauxbatons. 'Mon dieu,' Fleur said as she looked at the dishes on the Gryffindor table. 'I did not know zat zehr was Beouf Bourginon here.' 'Take as much as you like,' Ron said, his arms out straight and pushing the dish under Fleur's nose. 'I think you're going to make the boys here go crazy,' Ciara chuckled to her French friend. 'It is to be expected,' Fleur smirked. She took the plate from Ron, whose face was now red. Suddenly, another figure appeared beside Fleur. Another girl from Beauxbatons. 'I hear zat all ze French food is over here,' the girl sounded. And as Ciara's eyes fell upon her, she was positively silenced. How was it possible to be that beautiful? Even more so than Fleur, who was part Veela. This girl was the epitome of femininity and beauty. The baby blue of the Beauxbatons uniform matched perfectly with the baby blue of her eyes, and complemented the honey blonde hair that cascaded in waves down her back. Her skin glowed - it was ever so slightly tanned which made Ciara think she was from the South of France possibly. Her nose was quaint, and it sloped up into a delicate point. And just as the girl realised that Ciara was staring, a small smile played on her lips, revealing two shallow dimples on either cheek. 'Il y a même du confit de canard là-bas,' (they even have duck confit over there) Fleur said to her friend. But instead of looking at the duck confit signalled by Fleur, the girl's eyes lingered on Ciara for a beat longer, as if hesitant to draw her eyes away. Then she came back to reality and said to Fleur, 'ramenons-les à la table,' (let's bring these back to the table.)
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Once the night of Hallowe'en arrived nearly a few days after the arrival of the foreign guests, many excited Hogwarts students stood waiting outside the doors of the Great Hall for the lighting of the Goblet of Fire. Ciara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all made a little event of the evening. They had with them boxes of chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts' every flavour beans, and liquorice wands. They were ready for a spooky evening. In five minutes, the doors to the Great Hall would be opened, and all those aged seventeen and over would be putting their names in the Goblet of Fire. Many of the Hogwarts students decided they would sit inside the Hall and watch as those who were most daring submitted their pieces of parchment. 'I really hope Angelina is selected as Hogwarts Champion,' Ron said. 'Those Hufflepuffs and their obsession with Cedric is getting annoying already.' 'I second that,' Harry said. 'I don't want Diggory or the Hufflepuffs to have any more satisfaction. They're still in over their heads because they beat us in quidditch last year.' 'Um-' Ciara held her pointer finger up at Harry. 'May I correct that Gryffindor was actually winning in terms of points scored. Hufflepuff only won in the end because they caught the snitch.' Ciara always had to make this distinction because she worked her socks off in that match. Gryffindor was leading 300 to 150, and that was because she herself had scored most of the points. ''Yeah yeah,' Harry rolled his eyes. A loud creaking noise sounded from the golden doors and they opened to reveal the Goblet of Fire in the centre of the Great Hall. There was a blue hue in the room coming from the flames that resembled icicles. The Hogwarts students eagerly flooded into the room, sitting on the benches at the room's perimeter. Ciara opened a pack of her favourite sweets - liquorice wands - and offered one to Hermione. 'Do you think you would go for Hogwarts Champion?' Ciara asked Hermione, chewing on her liquorice wand. 'Do you think I seem like the type?' Hermione teased. 'Definitely not,' Ciara said, laughing. Hermione grinned. 'You're right. I think you'd have to be mental to put yourself through that kind of stress. It's bad enough having the O.W.L.S to think about.' Ciara laughed. 'Trust you to always make it about school.' 'What!' Hermione retorted. 'Who needs glory when you can have good grades?' 'I think you're the only person our age who actually cares about the O.W.L.S.' 'Someone has to,' Hermione said simply. The first potential-Champion entered the Hall. It was Angelina Johnson, and she had in her hand a torn piece of parchment. Everyone's eyes were on her. Ciara watched intently as she crossed the age line and dropped the parchment into the flames. There was a brief whooshing noise and Angelina's name disappeared. Most of the potential Champions were strutting into the Great Hall now, and it made for a good game of guessing who would and wouldn't do well if they were selected. 'She definitely wouldn't win,' Ciara said to Hermione as a Beauxbatons girl put her name in the goblet. 'Not athletic enough.' 'He would do well on tasks that required brute strength,' Hermione said as they watched a big, burly Bulgarian put his name in. 'Not sure how he'd do in tasks that required problem-solving.' And just then, Ron stood up and cheered for the next two people who came running in. It was his twin brothers, Fred and George, who'd come in holding two small vials of what looked to Hermione to be some kind of potion. 'Oh, you two really just don't know when to stop,' Hermione said loudly. 'What's that, Granger?' the boys said in unison. 'Didn't Dumbledore tell you about the age line?' she gestured to the white circle that surrounded the goblet. 'Well, this, you see, is an aging potion,' Fred said, shaking the vial in front of Hermione's face. 'You don't really think that your dim-witted potion is going to work on Dumbledore, do you?' Ciara said. 'Let's see for ourselves,' George said. The twins stood just outside of the age line and clinked their vials of liquid against each other. 'Bottoms up,' they said. And when they jumped inside the circle, everybody in the Great Hall cheered. Fred and George gave each other high fives. Then, they folded up their pieces of parchment and put them inside of the goblet. They were just about to high five again until a powerful invisible force spat them out of the age line. Hermione and Ciara laughed as the two Weasley boys, both sixteen years old, grew white beards akin to Dumbledore's. There was clapping and hooting as Fred and George rushed out of the hall, presumably to Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing. The light-hearted laughter of the students in the hall was quickly silenced, however, by the heavy footsteps of Viktor Krum. He had a surly look about him, such that one could never tell if he was angry or if that was his permanent disposition. As he put his name in the Goblet of Fire, Ciara thought she was imagining things when she saw Krum glance over at Hermione. She turned to face the girl next to her, and her head was downcast, as if to hide her reddening cheeks. Ciara focused back on the blue flames of the goblet. As far as Hogwarts champions went, Cedric Diggory, along with his band of Hufflepuffs, had just put his name in, as well as a few students from Ravenclaw. Then Fleur entered the Great Hall, and all the boys were thrown into a state of swooning. But Ciara was more preoccupied with the girl following closely behind her. It was the girl from the dinner feast a few nights ago. Ciara hadn't seen her since, despite the fact that she'd paid multiple visits to the Beauxbatons carriage under the pretence of going to see Fleur. She'd lost the hat tonight, and Ciara couldn't flatten the thought of what it would be like to run her hands in that sweet honey blonde hair. The flames of the Goblet of Fire swallowed Fleur's parchment, as well as that of the girl that attracted so much of Ciara's attention. 'Does anyone know her name?' Ciara said as she leaned forward to look down the row of Gryffindors that lined the bench. The Gryffindors shook their head in unison. Ciara decided that evening that she was going to make it her goal to find out. * Everyone at Hogwarts had been taking school a lot less seriously ever since the Triwizard Tournament was announced. Ciara wasn't sure whether it was the atmosphere, or the knowledge that such exciting events were coming up, but lessons and exams felt like they were less important. But if ever Ciara felt like she was slipping in performance in her lessons, she only needed Hermione there to tell her to pick up her act. They were partners in potions class that morning, and Ciara didn't know whether it was Hermione's genuine desire to help her, or more so to keep Daphne at bay, that was driving her actions. Ciara was in her Care for Magical Creatures lesson at the moment, listening to Hagrid drone on about these disgusting creatures called Skrewts. Hagrid always had an obsession with strange creatures over the more normal ones like unicorns. Anyhow, Ciara didn't care to hear about creatures she didn't even want to be within five feet of. It was especially hard to focus on what Hagrid was saying, as there was a certain blue and white carriage that Ciara could see in the distance. The Beauxbatons girls were residing in the carriage they arrived in. It was huge, just bigger than a house, and the horses that had drawn it here were now currently grazing the surrounding area. It was just a little way away from where her class was now, and she could even see some of the girls in blue uniforms walking to and fro the castle. Once Hagrid's lesson had finished, Ciara decided to take a de-tour to her flying lesson with Madam Hooch. She decided to pass by the forest grounds, where the Beauxbatons carriage was located. It seemed like the French students had already made their way to class, as the area around the carriage was completely clear of people. This image alerted Ciara that she was probably, definitely late to her flying class. But as she walked past the golden door that marked the entrance to the carriage, a blue-robed figure stepped out.
It was her.
'Oh!' She said, as she jolted on the white marble steps. 'I did not see you zere.' Ciara laughed nervously. 'Hah... yeah.' The girl came down the steps and stopped in front of Ciara. It occurred to her just how the pretty the girl was. She'd only ever seen her from afar, and in the evening, when her face was illuminated by dim candlelights. But now she could see her face as clear as day, and Ciara realised that she was even prettier up close. As much as she wanted to stare at her, she fended off the impulse and compensated by looking around at anything but her. 'You are Ciara?' the blonde said, and Ciara's stomach did flips at the way she pronounced her name.
But, wait. How did she know her name?
'That's right,' she said. 'But how do you know my name?' 'Fleur told me. I asked 'er to tell me.' Ciara didn't want to imagine things, but she could've sworn there was a hint of playfulness in this girl's eyes. Ciara bit. 'Why did you ask her?' 'If a girl is pretty I must know 'er name.' A slow, teasing smile appeared on her lips, revealing those dimples that were to die for. 'And what is your name?' Ciara asked. 'Aurora. Aurora Rosier,' she said. 'Aurora,' Ciara repeated. The blonde nodded, and brushed past Ciara's shoulder. 'You must get to your flying lesson,' Aurora said, walking backwards. Ciara raised her eyebrows. 'How did you know I have a flying lesson?' 'I asked fuhr your schedule, too,' she said loudly to make up for the space between them now. 'I also know zat flying is on ze other side of ze castle. You did not 'ave to take a de-tour just to see me.' Ciara laughed to herself as her insides did gymnastics. 'How did you know I came here to see you?' Ciara shouted after her. 'By ze way you looked at me when I opened ze dohr.'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ever since Hermione received her Hogwarts letter four years ago, she demanded that her parents take her to Diagon Alley immediately, so that she could start reading up on the wizarding world. Having been born to muggle parents, Hermione knew that she would be at a learning disadvantage compared to her peers. They would have grown up knowing the wizarding world and being exposed to magic. Meanwhile, Hermione was a muggle-born girl who had no clue this world even existed until that one morning in August when a curious letter stamped with an even curiouser red wax seal arrived at her doorstep. Hermione had always been the best - even in muggle school. Education was her calling, and from age ten she had said that she wanted to be Prime Minister one day. But when that letter arrived.. Everything changed. It would be a whole new kind of learning: no longer Maths and English, but charms, care for magical creatures, and potions. The first few days that she had received the letter she felt destabilised momentarily - unable to grasp her life which was being steered onto an entirely different course. But if she, a muggle-born, with absolutely no ties to the wizarding world whatsoever, received the letter then surely there was a reason for it. She must have deserved it. And now, she was walking through the very halls which she had ardently read about in books. Hogwarts in the evening was, well, to put it simply, magical. The dim yellowish hue which blanketed the castle in the evening, due to only being lit by candles. The hundreds of portraits on the walls which had lives of their own and thus always made the castle feel as though it never slept. This was an ancient institution she'd been invited to, and she intended to make the most of it. Hermione, Harry, and Ron, were on their way back to the Gryffindor common room. Hallowe'en night was exactly one week ago tonight, so the three Triwizard champions would be selected in less than an hour. Now everyone had definitely forgotten all about their lessons and their school work. Even Hermione had put off doing her homework tonight as she was excited to see who would be chosen. 'Was Angelina the only Gryffindor who put their name in?' Ron asked as they all walked side by side. 'I think so,' Hermione said. 'None of the quidditch team wanted to sign up,' Harry said. 'Said they didn't fancy dying.' 'Is the competition really that dangerous?' Ron said. 'However dangerous you think it is, double it. I hear hundreds of champions have died in the past,' Hermione said. 'You'd have to be either really brave or really stupid to put yourself forward.' 'And which is Diggory?' Harry laughed. 'Stupid.' Ron said plainly. They all laughed together. As they rounded the corridor to the entrance of Gryffindor's common room, they spotted a flash of baby blue. 'What's a Beauxbatons girl doing here?' Ron said. She was pacing outside the portrait of the Fat Lady. They approached her. 'Are you looking for something?' Hermione cautiously asked. All of the new students were either sixth or seventh year, so they were at least 3-4 years older. It intimidated Hermione a little. 'You are in Gryffindor house?' The French accent was thick. 'Y-yes,' Ron was able to spit out. Hermione questioned why he didn't just remain silent when faced with these girls rather than embarrassing himself. 'Ah you!' The girl flashed her bright blue eyes at Harry. She held her finger in front of her forehead and drew a lightning sign in the air. 'You are 'Erry Potter!' 'Erm, yes,' Harry said. He didn't realise his fame extended to France. 'You are friend of Ciara, yes?' 'Yes,' Harry said simply. 'Eurm, well- can you let 'ehr know I was here?' Hermione scoffed quietly enough so that only Ron and Harry could hear. 'Seriously. Another one? I'm going to kill her.' She stuck her tongue in her cheek. 'We'll tell- I mean-' Ron tripped all over his words, 'We'll let her know for you.' Then the blonde flashed a winning smile and danced away. The trio that was left behind remained fixed to the spot, staring blankly at one another. Harry and Ron could sense that Hermione was about to say something, so they didn't dare speak up first. She'd been exploding about all sorts when it came to Ciara lately, and Harry intended to find out why. 'First Daphne and now this?' Hermione's voice finally bellowed through the air. Her foot tapped the ground continuously and she folded her arms. She began pacing. 'They've only been here for what, one week? Maybe two?' She scoffed. Ron and Harry looked at each other. 'International co-operation.' She scoffed again. 'This is a lot more than co-operation if you ask me.' Once Harry had managed to put Hermione's monologuing to a stop, they entered the common room together. It was bustling inside, as all the students were getting ready to leave for the selection ceremony. By the time Ciara arrived at the common room, Hermione, Ron and Harry were dressed up and reading by the fire. 'You had a visitor,' Harry smirked as Ciara sat down on the floor next to him. 'Who?' 'Oh you know.' Hermione muttered. She did not glance up from her newspaper once. 'French,' she paused. 'Blonde.' 'Aurora was here?' 'Don't tell me you've tried it on with her already,' Harry said. 'I haven't,' Ciara said. Hermione glanced at her over the top of her newspaper. 'I spoke to her for the first time yesterday,' Ciara said to Harry. 'What does she want with you now, then?' Ron asked. 'I don't know. Probably just to ask me something about the tournament. She put her name in.' Hermione knew that although Ciara was trying to play it off now, a girl like that, a girl that pretty, wasn't merely an acquaintance. Ciara definitely liked her. And Hermione intended to get in the way before their acquaintance could turn into something more.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nothing could have prepared them for the news they were about to hear. The cheers in the great hall were still bouncing off the walls at the declaration of Cedric Diggory as Hogwarts' champion, when the goblet started to gurgle once more. The cheering died down as everybody turned to stare at it, and a fourth piece of parchment flew out of the flames. Dumbledore swiped it from the air. 'Harry Potter.' The hall was silent. Surely it had been a mistake. 'Harry Potter,' Dumbledore repeated, this time with impatience laced in his voice. The thousands of eyes in the great hall turned to look at Harry, who was still staring at the goblet, trying to process what was happening. Hermione was the one who brought him back to reality. 'Harry,' she tried to get his attention. She shook him by the shoulders, pushing him to his feet. 'Harry, for goodness' sake.' Ciara watched him as he walked slowly to the front and took his place next to the three other champions: Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, and Cedric Diggory. Ciara's first reaction was that this wouldn't be a problem. It was surely a silly prank, and because Harry was only fourteen, his name could be scratched out easily enough. Ciara was wrong. That night, after the ceremony, Harry was pulled aside by the professors, and even the Minister, Ciara's father, had arrived by flu powder. The deliberation lasted a mere five minutes as there was, in fact, nothing to deliberate. Ciara's father explained that the Goblet of Fire was a binding magical contract and that once a name was selected, nothing could be altered. Put simply, Harry was now Hogwarts' second champion. Hogwarts' students were outraged. The Beauxbatons students were outraged. Durmstrang students were outraged. Even the Gryffindors were outraged. The famous Harry Potter, they would say. Just can't get enough glory can he? The Boy who Lived, and now Hogwarts' second champion. Even Ron had gone the night resenting Harry. But Ciara and Hermione knew better than that. No student at the mere age of fourteen could bypass the power of the goblet. It was no prank on Harry's part. Someone else had put his name in. The following morning, Harry needed to get away from Hogwarts. He couldn't even eat breakfast in the great hall without people glaring at him. The Beauxbatons girls were especially vexed. Thus, the four of them found themselves in the Shrieking Shack, each with a butterbeer in hand. 'I'm dead,' Harry threw his head in his hands. 'And everyone hates me. I'm a hated dead man.' 'It'll be alright, mate,' Ron reassured. 'How will it be alright?' Harry said. 'I don't even know how to transfigure a rat into a cup.' 'If you can find out what the tasks are beforehand, you can at least prepare and be in a better position,' Hermione said. 'What could the first task be?' Harry asked Ciara. 'I have no clue,' Ciara said. 'Can you ask your dad?' Ron said. Ciara scoffed, 'I can't just ask my dad. It's already a conflict of interest me being friends with Harry.' 'And that's cheating,' Hermione added. 'Plus, the task is in a month's time anyways. You have ages to prepare.' 'Okay,' Harry's tone was scheming. 'When we're about the castle, just keep an eye out for anything that looks suspicious, or that looks like it could be a clue for the first task.' - A few weeks later, and precisely one week before the first task, it happened. Ciara stumbled across something of interest in the forbidden forest. By then, Harry and Ron were already fast asleep in the boys' dorm. So she raced up to the girls' dorm, where she found Hermione asleep at her desk, her nose in a potions textbook. She looked so peaceful that Ciara didn't want to wake her. The way her long eyelashes fluttered as she slept signalled to Ciara that she was dreaming. Ciara didn't know why, but she stood there for a moment, just taking in the sleeping girl's presence. A strand of hair obscured Hermione's face, so Ciara gently tucked it behind her ear. She caught herself thinking that Hermione's features were really quite beautiful. Her nose was small, and sloped to a delicate point. She forced her train of thought to a stop, and gently shook Hermione's shoulder. 'Hermione,' she whispered. 'Hm?' Hermione's eyes struggled open and she lifted her gaze lazily to look at Ciara. 'I found something.' And before they knew it, the bone-dry chill of the Forbidden Forest was cold against their skin. Hermione's cheeks, usually a pale white, began to flush due to the night's cold kiss. They pushed their way past the branches, and once Ciara thought they were close, they both stayed low while walking. An ear piercing screech reverberated through the trees, making Hermione jump. The fiery red light that slashed through the air confirmed all the more to Ciara that they had arrived at their destination. They crouched behind a nearby tree, and Hermione's eyes widened at what she saw. 'Dragons?' 'Shh!' Ciara silenced Hermione by covering her mouth with her hand. They were forced cheek to cheek by the narrow tree that shielded them. Hermione's eyes looked into Ciara's as she relaxed against Ciara's hand, coming to terms with the beasts she had just seen. Her slowed breathing signalled to Ciara that she could let go. 'Dragons are the first task?' Hermione whispered. 'I counted four,' Ciara said.' Hermione turned to look at her. 'One for each champion.' 'My guess is that each champion will have to kill their assigned dragon.' 'That's ridiculous,' Hermione said. 'Do you know how rare dragons are? I doubt it. It's more likely that the champions will have to get past the dragons somehow.' 'You think the dragons will be guarding something?' 'My thoughts exactly.' - The following day, they relayed their newly learned information to Ron and Harry. 'How the bloody hell is he supposed to fight off a dragon?' was Ron's immediate reaction. Harry looked like he would pass out from dizziness. 'Who says you have to fight it?' Hermione prompted. The three others merely looked at her plainly. 'I can't just dance around the dragon, Hermione,' Harry said. Ciara stifled a laugh. 'Maybe your strategy can be to tire it out. Just run circles around it until it gives up and falls asleep,' Ciara joked. Ron gave her a high-five. 'What's the one thing you're good at?' Hermione asked Harry. He looked at her blankly. 'Harry, you can fly.'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was the day of the first task and all lessons had been cancelled. The students from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons were all led to the quidditch pitch, which had been dressed differently for the Tournament. Instead of an empty green space in the centre, the ground was scattered with boulders. Harry was in the Champions' tent located just beside the arena. He paced back and forth, trying desperately to swallow the build up of saliva in his mouth, but he was so nervous that he was all choked up. He recalled the names of the dragons that Ciara and Hermione had informed him about the week before. The Welsh Green, the Hungarian Horntail, the Chinese Fireball, and the Swedish Short-Snout. He prayed that he wouldn't be assigned the Fireball or the Horntail. They looked like textbook-type dragons that would burn you alive. Just as Harry went over his strategy again in his head, he felt a prod in his back. Someone had jabbed him through the sheets of the tent. Then after a speedy shuffle, he was engulfed in Hermione and Ciara's arms. They had come to surprise him. 'Good luck Harry,' the girls said, breathless. Ciara held her hands out to show Harry she was shaking. 'Any last pieces of advice?' Harry grimaced, trying not to look like he was going to wet himself. Ciara and Hermione exchanged a glance. 'Don't die,' Ciara grimaced back. Hermione gave him a tight smile. Then, a blinding flash interrupted them. A tall woman in bizarre clothing stood in front of them, a floating piece of parchment and quill beside her. She had taken a photo of them. Rita Skeeter. She was pushed out of the tent by Viktor Krum in short time, though. The girls gave Harry one last hug before exiting the tent. - Harry was doomed. He was up against the Hungarian Horntail. But when Hermione spotted Harry's Firebolt zooming towards the arena from a distance, she knew he might actually stand a chance. Harry was quick. He jumped onto his broomstick which zoomed past him mid-air. The crowd cheered for him - it seemed as though people no longer cared about him being a 'cheater'. In this moment, he was a fourteen year old, much younger than his opponents, who was sending an adult dragon into a state of dizziness. After fifteen minutes of tugging and shoving, and flying, and flame-breathing, Harry had done it. He'd beat past the dragon and swept up the golden egg into his arms. The Gryffindor common room that night was buzzing. Everything about Harry being a glory-chaser was a thing of the past, and everyone seemed to relish in their fellow Gryffindor's success. The golden egg was the clue for the next task. But when he opened it, nothing but a deafening screech could be heard. Well, he would just ask Ciara and Hermione to help him work it out anyway. - Due to his recent success in the first task, Harry could finally eat in the Great Hall in peace. Though, not entirely in peace. Everyone crowded round him, begging him to tell them the story of how he'd beaten the dragon again. 'Harry, look!' Ron exclaimed. 'You're on the front cover of the Daily Prophet!' The Gryffindors gathered round him at the table to see. It was the photo that Rita Skeeter had inappropriately shot of them inside the Champions' tent. 'Blimey, Harry,' Seamus said. 'You're even more famous now.' But Harry was more curious about the two girls either side of him in the photo. Rather than looking at Harry, they were instead looking at each other. 'Look at Hermione and Ciara,' Harry chuckled, pointing at their pixelated forms. Ciara leaned over to see. 'Hermione, why are you looking at me like that?' she chortled. 'What?' Hermione scrambled for a closer look. 'Why are you looking at me like that?' 'Harry looks like he's interrupting a date,' Dean laughed. 'Oh shut up, Thomas,' Harry said, and folded up the newspaper. But as the Gryffindors around him resumed their seats, it was clear that that Hermione and Ciara's cheeks had turned red. - In the afternoon, the fourth year Hogwarts students were called in by Professor McGonagall. They were ushered into a large hall which was flooded by light streaming in through the towering windows. Rows of seats were placed at either side of the room, leaving the centre empty except for a large gramophone. The boys took their seats on one side, and the girls on the other. McGonagall began, 'The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its creation. Run by the host school, it is a night to enjoy yourselves and to get to know our international friends.' 'Ciara's already been doing that, hasn't she?' Ron whispered to Harry. They laughed. 'But first and foremost,' McGonagall continued. 'The Yule Ball is a dance.' The boys looked round at each other hesitantly. The girls all perked up to hear more. 'So up on your feet!' McGonagall instructed. 'Grab a partner.' The girls sprang up from their seats while the boys slumped further into theirs. Then, Harry and Ron realised that if they didn't just grab Ciara and Hermione right now, they'd probably be left dancing with the last picks. And once Harry got up off his feet to find Ciara, all the other boys followed suit. Harry yanked on Ciara's arm and pulled her to the centre of the room. Ron and Hermione followed and stood next to them. Once everyone had formed pairs (Eloise Midgen and Neville were the last to be picked), and after McGonagall had hesitantly performed an example dance with caretaker Filch, it was then the students' turn to dance. The music carried through the air, and Ciara was astounded by the stiffness of all the boys present. It was ironic that men were supposed to lead the dance, yet it was the girls who were showing the boys where to place their feet. Harry wasn't so bad, if only it weren't for the constant grimace on his face that it made it look like he was constipated. Maybe he was just really trying to focus? They were doing better than Ron and Hermione, anyway. Ciara didn't even need to look at them to be able to tell that. Hermione's constant complaints about Ron's clumsiness rang louder than the music at times. But when Ciara eventually did glance over to see how they were doing, Ron's hands and feet, and his overall energy was just wrong. Ciara squeezed Harry's hand while they were dancing to gain his attention. She nodded towards the clumsy couple, and immediately the two of them burst out laughing. Hermione looked over, and even she couldn't stifle her laugh. She looked a bit exhausted, actually. 'Ron, your hand is too high up,' Harry laughed as he pointed. Ron and Hermione came to a stop. 'What do you mean?' Ron whined. 'Your hands are in all the wrong places,' Ciara laughed. 'What am I supposed to do then?' Ron complained. 'Your hand should be on her waist, not so high up that you look as if you're going to tickle her armpit,' Ciara said. Harry threw his head back with laughter. 'Like this?' Ron tried to follow the advice. 'N-no,' Ciara said. 'You still look awkward.' Ciara moved from her spot and took hold of Hermione's hand and waist. She placed her hand on the small of Hermione's back and pulled her closer. Hermione looked surprised, like she'd tensed up all of a sudden. This was all still purely instructive, Hermione told herself. 'You have to be delicate,' Ciara instructed. Her eyes bore into Hermione's, though she was talking to Ron. 'Your grip should be tender, not tight.' Hermione gulped. She didn't know quite where to look. If she looked straight ahead, she would be staring straight into Ciara's eyes and that would not end well. So she settled for casting her eyes downwards. But when Ciara pulled her closer by the waist, so that their bodies were pressed against each other, their faces were so close together that the skin of their cheeks were brushing. Hermione felt herself get hot, and she was the first to withdraw. She used the back of her hand to feel her face, which was burning up by the second. As for Ciara, she wasn't sure what it was about her best friend in that moment. Was it her rosey cheeks or the way her body felt in Ciara's arms that made Ciara imagine her in ways she'd never imagined her before? When Hermione stepped back, her face a little flushed, Ciara wanted desperately to touch her face for herself. Ciara cleared her throat. She looked at Ron. 'So- erm- that's what you're supposed to do.'
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hermione tossed and turned all night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the face of the raven-haired girl who was currently in the bed adjacent to her. The truth was that Hermione never allowed herself to think of Ciara so explicitly before. Her heart panged whenever she heard Ciara talk about other girls, but that had been the only time her feelings manifested physically. Now, there was a feeling in her stomach that she couldn't pin - a feeling she'd never felt before. This wasn't a feeling stirred from jealousy, but something rather apart. Her heart beat faster in her chest every time she imagined how close they'd been just hours before. The way that Ciara held her in her grasp. If Hermione really focused, she could even feel Ciara's fingertips brushing her hand. Their faces had never been so close before. Was it wrong of Hermione to imagine some alternate universe, where, had they been alone, she might've had the confidence to lean in just a bit closer-?Hermione tossed in bed once more. These thoughts and images would plague her mind. All she knew was that she longed for the opportunity to get that close again. -Had someone drawn the curtains of Ciara's four-poster bed, they would've discovered her laying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. Had that really happened between her and Hermione earlier? What possessed her to dance with her, to hold her like that, and worse - why did Ciara like it? This was her best friend of four years now, and never did Ciara think that she would be considering Hermione in this sort of context. It was strange, holding your best friend that way. And Ciara had had her fair share of experiences over the years, but none of them felt quite like this. Messing around with girls was always fun, but with Hermione, the excitement felt different, like the tension was increased by tenfold. Like waiting for a pin to drop, one anticipated who would be brave enough to make the first move - who would be bold enough to step over the boundary of friendship. Was this something that Ciara was willing to explore? Or was this a fluke, a passing moment of confusion between two friends who felt deeply for each other? Was it possible that she'd merely gotten these feelings confused? Ciara always had a soft spot for Hermione after all. The thing was, Ciara was the type of person to act. She hated overthinking, especially when it came to feelings. The longer you let feelings linger, the more opportunity there was to get hurt. In that moment, before Ciara's eyes fluttered shut, she decided that she would ask Hermione to be her date to the Yule Ball.-When Hermione awoke the following morning, her head instinctually turned to the right. The curtains of Ciara's four-poster had been drawn, with her uniform laid out on the bed. She'd gone to early morning quidditch practice. As she went over her schedule for the day in her head, counting in order: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Care for Magical Creatures and Charms, she realised that the earliest opportunity she would have to see Ciara was lunch time. In the meantime, she was now sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast with Ron, Harry, and the rest of the Gryffindors. The subject of discussion was the Yule Ball. 'I've never seen a giant dance before,' Ron said. 'I can't say I have either,' Dean replied. 'Madame Maxime will be the first.' 'Well whatever her dancing is like, Ron, it's sure to be better than yours,' Harry teased. 'You should have seen him with Hermione the other day.' 'My feet are still sore from being stepped on,' Hermione groaned as she sat down. 'Just hope that Ron doesn't ask you to go with him to the ball,' Harry replied. Ron hit Harry on the arm. 'And who's the girl lucky enough to be going with Harry Potter?' Ron mocked. Harry's cockiness subsided in an instant. 'I have someone in mind,' Harry said, and Hermione and Ron raised teasing eyebrows at each other. 'I just don't know how you're supposed to get them on their own to ask them. Girls always move around in packs.' Then George Weasley, having overheard their conversation, chimed in. 'You just have to do it. And move fast, or someone else will have asked her.' Harry sighed. Then, he perked up slightly. 'Erm, Hermione-' he began. 'No, I won't go with you,' she said nonchalantly, shaking her head as she chewed her scrambled egg. 'Ouch,' Ron laughed. 'I'll pretend to act like that didn't bother me,' Harry breezed over her comment. 'Is there anyone you want to go with?' He took up a much more pointed tone now, and just hoped that Hermione knew what he was talking about. Hermione knew. She looked up at him slowly, and her eyes did all the talking. 'Why do you ask?' 'I just thought there might be someone you had in mind,' Harry encouraged. Hermione didn't reply, and only looked down at the table. She stewed on his suggestion until the plates were magicked away after breakfast. Maybe this was the intervention Hermione was looking for. There was a call for it - an event, and a ball of all things - she could perhaps infer to Ciara that she had feelings for her by asking her to the ball. The timing seemed perfect. All of a sudden, a wave of confidence washed over Hermione and she decided that she would reveal her feelings to Ciara. -Second and third period passed by excruciatingly slowly. Ciara had been up since six a.m., practicing her chaser drills in time for Gryffindor's match against Ravenclaw next week. The days were chilly, and the early mornings even chillier, so there was nothing she wanted to do more than to fall asleep inside a quilted blanket. But there was still one other priority standing - asking Hermione to the Yule Ball. She'd decided to do it at the start of lunchtime. Hermione would be coming from charms, which was in the same building as Ciara was in now. On the way to the Great Hall, Hermione would swing by Ciara's transfiguration class and they would walk together. The minutes passed by like hours, but eventually the clocktower rang twelve. Ciara swept her belongings from the desk and stuffed them into her bag. She followed the other students out of the classroom, and stood waiting for Hermione by her usual pillar. Ten minutes passed, and Ciara started to wonder where Hermione had gone. The halls were empty by now as everyone had made their way to the Great Hall. Then Ciara remembered that Hermione would be coming from charms class with Flitwick. And the goblin had a habit of keeping his students in late. The layout of the building required Hermione to pass by Transfiguration anyway, so there was no chance of missing her. So, Ciara waited a little longer. After a minute or two, Ciara heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. However, when she turned around, she was faced not with Hermione, but with Aurora Rosier. 'Hello,' Aurora said with a bright smile. 'Aurora, hi,' Ciara said. 'I haven't seen you around in a while. I didn't realise you took charms?' 'Oh, no,' Aurora shuffled on her feet. 'I have no classes in zis building.' 'Oh. Then, why...' Ciara trailed. 'I wanted to speak with you,' she said. 'Sure. My friends told me that you stopped by the Gryffindor common room the other night. I'm sorry I didn't come and find you.' 'Ah! No, it's fine,' she said cheerfully. But then she glanced to the ground as if to gain the courage for what she was about to say next. 'I wanted to know if you would go to ze ball wiz me.' Ciara stared at her blankly. She processed the words that came out of Aurora's mouth. 'The Yule Ball...' 'Ze truth is,' Aurora interrupted. 'I hev liked you since I met you, Ciara.' Aurora took a step towards her. There were mere inches between them now. Ciara was speechless in the moment. She tried to string together a sentence of rejection, but they sounded too harsh in her head. And by the time Aurora leaned forward and connected their lips, it was too late. Ciara let their lips linger for a heartbeat, then she was the first to pull away. Aurora's eyelashes fluttered open, revealing her pale blue eyes. 'Um,' Ciara paused. 'I just need a moment.' -Ciara raced to the Great Hall. Somehow, as if in a dream, Hermione was already sitting there, eating lunch, with Harry and Ron. Ciara groaned at the sight. She'd missed her somehow. And now, it was too late. She couldn't ask Hermione out in front of the whole of Gryffindor house. But as she sat down, Hermione did not spare her one glance. It was strange how the last memory she had of the girl was of the warmth and the tension they'd shared just the day before. But now Hermione was like ice, and Ciara was quite certain she was actually ignoring her. And that coldness lasted the whole of lunchtime. Up until the food had been cleared from the tables and the four of them had moved to their assigned seats for study period. Forty minutes of study passed in silence. No one dared to speak when Snape was the teacher of the hour. His beady eyes were glued to the students in the Hall like a hawk. Hermione was studious; everyone knew that. But Hermione's level of focus at the moment bordered on spite. She reacted neither to Harry nor Ron's whispered jokes, and even when Ron pulled a face at her to get her to laugh, she dismissed him with a stern look and went back to studying. Forty-five minutes in, a conversation finally sparked. 'You've not asked anyone to the ball yet, right?' Ron whispered to Harry. 'I'm working on it. Planning to do it by tomorrow.' 'Oi, Hermione,' Ron nudged Hermione with his elbow. It earned him a sharp, annoyed look. 'You're a girl.' Harry choked on his laugh. 'Very well spotted,' Hermione shot at him. 'Want to come to the ball with me?' Ron teased, holding his hands in the air and pretending to waltz. But Hermione had no patience for jokes. She swiped her book and quill from the table as she said, 'You might be interested to know that someone's already asked me.' And she stormed off to the front of the Hall, handing her completed study notes to Professor Snape who swiped it from her hands. As she stormed back past them, heading towards the exit, she whisper-shouted, 'And I said yes!' Ciara was bewildered. Hermione already had a date? How? When did that happen? And why didn't Hermione tell her about it? They were best friends who shared everything. And then it suddenly occurred to Ciara that maybe that moment between them yesterday was exactly what she'd expected it to be: a fluke. Clearly it hadn't been on Hermione's mind the way it had been on hers. All Ciara knew was that, now, she would be going to the ball with Aurora Rosier from Beauxbatons. And she needed to find a dress for the ball.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was six o'clock on Friday evening, and the Yule Ball would commence in exactly one hour. Hermione stared herself down in the mirror, only the orange glow of the Gryffindor common room fireplace illuminating her face. Her eyes were affixed to the frizzy strands of hair that refused to co-operate with the charm she'd used to put her hair into an up-do. She recited the charm three times more, but her attempts were met with failure. She huffed. She would have to use a stronger spell. She mulled over the hundreds of spells in her mind until a transfiguration spell came to the fore. 'Crinus muto,' Hermione spoke with just one wave of her wand. A puff of smoke engulfed Hermione's head, and once it cleared, she saw that the stubborn strands of hair had smoothed down. The spell had changed the texture of her hair completely - the frizziness had subsided which allowed her light brown waves to bounce and reflect light. And when Hermione took a step back to take herself in, and she saw her flowing perwinkle dress that cascaded in delicate folds to the floor, the light makeup that accentuated all her best features, and finally her hair which was tidy and elegant, Hermione felt beautiful for the first time in her life. She made her way down from the Gryffindor common room until she reached the staircase that led to the grand entrance of the Great Hall. The castle was lively tonight and there wasn't a corner of the castle where one could not hear the chattering of students and guests. Hermione knew that she looked good, and yet perhaps this was the same reason for her feelings of shyness at the present moment. She'd never dressed up for anything. She didn't want to seem too over the top - like she'd put too much effort in. Ron would surely laugh at her. For a split second she caught herself thinking about what Ciara might think of her tonight. Would Ciara think that she was trying too hard? She shook the thoughts away immediately. This was her night. She poked her head round the corner of the staircase. She surveyed the people who were standing and chatting outside the entrance of the Great Hall. There was Cedric with Cho (she immediately felt bad for Harry), Fleur Delacour with a Hogwarts boy in Ravenclaw, and-- There was Harry! With Parvati Patil. Hermione edged around the corner ever so slightly, and just as she was about to call Harry's name, she saw Ciara emerge from behind him, with Aurora Rosier on her arm. She retreated to her hiding spot instantly. The sight of the blonde made Hermione scowl, but her eyes softened once they rested on Ciara. She was wearing a black cocktail dress; it was not flowy like Hermione's, but fitted in a way that accentuated her waist and hips. Aurora was wearing a similar style but in a teal colour which shimmered when light bounced off it. Why were Beauxbatons' girls so obsessed with the colour blue? Then, her attention was diverted when a group of boys in red came through the front door. Their outfits were military-like, with a bright red suit and an animal fur sachet crossed around their bodies. And with that signal, Hermione knew it was time to meet her date. She took a deep breath and hesitantly shuffled to the centre of the staircase landing. - The castle was all lit up tonight with decorations hanging on every wall. The front courtyard was bustling with students, those from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang alike, all stepping out of their carriages with their dates on their arms. Ciara and Aurora followed Harry and Parvati in through the front doors, where they were greeted with Ron and Parvati's twin, Padma. They came to a slow in front of the pair and Ciara had to stifle a laugh. 'Don't say a single word,' Ron said through gritted teeth. Ron's dress robes were long, brown and velvet, with the kind of patterning you'd find as your grandma's wallpaper in the 1920s. The trim was cut with pink lace which gave the robe an oddly feminine feel. And the bonnet - Merlin's beard, Ciara thought she would die if she stared at it for too long - it was white and frilly, the kind you might see on a newborn baby's head. 'I expect yours are more traditional,' Harry reassured him. But who was he to speak when he was standing there in his sleek, black robes? 'Traditional?' Ron retorted. 'They're ancient!' But as they all stood there laughing at Ron and his five hundred year old dress robes, Ciara looked around at their circle and was reminded that they were incomplete without Hermione. They hadn't spoken in one whole week. Even when they sat together at lunch, Hermione murmured nothing more to Ciara other than a dismissive 'I'm fine' or 'see you in class.' In truth, Ciara wasn't much excited for tonight. A pretty girl stood clasping her hand, but it didn't matter. She wasn't Hermione. And now, Ciara felt Aurora's hand creeping around her waist and picking at her dress. She felt Aurora's mouth at her ear. 'I am so happy to be here wiz you.' 'Me too,' Ciara smiled. Then, Aurora took Ciara's chin in her hand and turned her face so that their lips connected. Suddenly, a gasp from Parvati Patil gained their attention. 'She looks beautiful,' Parvati said in awe. The group turned to see who she was talking about. And to their surprise, it was Hermione. Ciara's mouth opened slightly and she took a step forward in disbelief. Was that really Hermione? The girl who usually went unnoticed if not for her sheer intelligence, the girl who always had her nose in a book, the girl who never cared about appearances, or what clothes she was wearing... could this really be her - the girl who was showing up absolutely everyone else in the room? She looked radiant, as though she were absorbing all the light and energy from the castle. But who had she come with? And for whom had she dressed up so nicely for? Ciara was certain that any possible answer would boil her blood. Hermione made her way down the staircase in what seemed like slow motion, and Ciara's gaze was fixed on her the whole time. A shy smile appeared on Hermione's lips which Ciara desperately wanted to wipe away with her own. But what she saw moments later silenced her. When Hermione reached the landing, Viktor Krum was the one to receive her. He took Hermione's hand in his and brought it to his mouth, upon which he placed a kiss. 'Krum? Krum was the one who asked her to the ball?' Ciara spat. 'No way,' Ron groaned with his mouth hanging open. One might have thought that Ron wished to replace Hermione as Krum's date instead. 'Do you think I can finally get his autograph now?' 'Did either of you know about this?' Ciara shot at Harry and Ron. 'Don't look at me,' Harry said. 'Looks like she's better at keeping secrets than we all thought.' Ciara scoffed. 'Or she has this whole other double life in which we're not her friends.' Just then, the doors to the Great Hall were flung open, and everyone except the Champions were ushered inside. - The guests all gathered inside the decorated Great Hall and awaited the entrance of the Champions. The Great Hall looked marvellous - it was a kingdom of ice with a sparkling chandelier hanging in the centre. The walls had an icy sheen to them and the ceiling was magicked to look as though giant icicles were hanging from it. The Hall was split into three sections. the back portion was made up of circular tables, the middle was clear for the dance floor, and the front was lined by a long stage from which the live bands would play into the night. It was custom for the Champions to make a grand entrance, and they would also be the first ones to dance. The doors opened, and Fleur Delacour and her Ravenclaw date were the first to walk down the aisle. They were followed by Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory who earned the most cheers. Ciara had to admit that they really did look very good together. Then, Ciara felt Ron elbow her side. Harry and Parvati were up next, and Ron and Ciara smirked at each other when they saw the expression on Harry's face. He looked half constipated and half scared out of his mind. Then what followed next caused Ciara to force her gaze downward. Krum waltzed in with Hermione beaming on his arm. The way that Hermione clung to his arm with both hands sent chills down Ciara's spine. The Champions and their dates assumed their positions on the dance floor, and suddenly the Great Hall was filled with music. Ciara laughed as Harry stumbled on his initial steps, but felt immensely proud once he'd fallen into rhythm with Parvati. Though, he wasn't making it very subtle that he was mouthing the counting of his steps. But there was an annoying itch that just wouldn't go away. No matter how hard Ciara tried to focus on Harry and Parvati, her line of sight always naturally seemed to go back to Hermione and Krum. She was smiling. As in, seriously smiling. Could he really be giving her that great a time? A brute as big as Krum, you'd have thought he'd be stepping all over her feet. And was Hermione really that into him? She and Ciara had been friends for four years but not once did Hermione ever mention what her type was. So could it really be big, brawly, Bulgarian guys? They didn't seem to match at all. The more Ciara stared at them, the more confused she became. She'd never even seen them interact before. All she knew was that Hermione looked genuinely happy. - Ciara and Aurora were starving, so they made their way over to the table where Ron and Padma were currently sitting. Padma glared at Ron as he chewed on a chicken drumstick. 'Oh...' Aurora trailed as she grimaced at Ron. 'A charmer you hev zere.' Padma raised her eyebrows in response. 'Did you guys not dance?' Ciara asked the pair as she and Aurora sat down. 'No.' Padma said pointedly. 'I've not been asked.' 'I told you,' Ron said with his mouthful. 'You'll have wished I never asked you.' 'What's the point of me being here, then? Why even ask me to be your date if you won't ask me to dance?' 'Go dance with her, Ronald,' Ciara sighed. She'd had enough disappointment for one night. She didn't need to feel it vicariously through Padma, too. 'Later,' Ron muttered. 'I'm never dancing again,' Harry huffed as he slumped into a chair beside Ron. Parvati took a seat next to her sister. They both rolled their eyes at each other. This was the losers' table. The table you went to to mope around. The night had barely begun but everyone sitting here already felt deflated. And as if to make matters worse, Krum and Hermione appeared along the aisle beside their table. Ciara scoffed as she watched Krum kiss Hermione's hand, yet again, before continuing down the aisle alone. She didn't know what annoyed her more - the kiss on the hand, or the twirl of excitement Hermione did afterwards. The table was silent as Hermione approached the table and sat down. 'Hot isn't it?' Hermione said, out of breath, and a little too enthusiastically. For someone who was so intelligent, she was failing to read the room right now. Nobody responded. 'Viktor's gone to get us drinks, would you care to join us?' Hermione continued. 'You haven't said a word to us all night,' Ciara scoffed. 'You're clearly enjoying you're alone time with Viktor,' she ended mockingly. Apparently they'd become so comfortable with each other that they were now on a first name basis. Uneasy looks were shared around the table. Harry looked at Ron, Padma looked at Parvati, and Parvati looked at Aurora. Then, the almighty Viktor appeared. He handed a drink to Hermione, and, failing to read Hermione's eyes which signalled that they should leave the table, Viktor proceeded to sit down next to Harry. Ciara tensed up and pressed her lips into a line. 'Vell done on ze first task, Harry,' Krum said. 'Thank you,' Harry responded. 'Zat was ingenious use of your broomstick.' 'Oh, really?' Ciara interrupted. Everyone at the table tensed up. 'I'm confused,' Ciara mocked. 'It's just, well, you're Karkaroff's champion, are you not? You're aware of the rumours that your headmaster was the one who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire? I would've thought you'd like to see him lose.' 'Ze rumours are false,' Krum said calmly. 'Anyvay, I vas most impressed wiz Harry's performance.' 'Drinks anyone?' Hermione jumped in quickly. 'I'm fine,' Ciara said firmly. 'So, tell me again, when did you two meet?' She looked pointedly at Hermione, her gaze accusatory. Her eyes said everything: why didn't you tell me about this? 'I noticed Hermy-own-ninny ze first time I saw her,' Krum said. 'Hermione,' Ciara corrected under her breath. 'I vas seeing her a lot at ze library,' Krum continued. 'What purpose would you have in the library?' Ciara mocked. 'I like to read,' he lied. He shook his head. 'Actually, no. In truth, I vent because I know your friend likes to read a lot.' 'And what do your friends at Durmstrang have to say about you dating someone three years younger than you?' 'Ciara.' Hermione shot. That was it, she'd gone too far. 'That's rich, coming from you,' Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. 'Who is it with a Beauxbatons girlfriend in seventh year?' 'It's not the same and you know it,' Ciara shot back. 'How is it not the same? Is she not also seventeen, just like Viktor?' 'At least Aurora actually looks seventeen, not twenty years older than she actually is.' Everyone at the table gasped and drew short breaths unanimously. 'Ciara, let's go,' Aurora stood up from her seat and tugged on Ciara's arm. Ciara shook her off. 'What?' Hermione said breathlessly. 'You heard me. Anyway, is it not obvious he's just using you to get close to Harry? So that he can report Harry's strategy back to Karkaroff-' 'Ciara, stop it,' Hermione said firmly, but her lips quivered. She looked like she was going to cry. The people at the table didn't know whether it was best to remain sitting or to leave. They just knew that this sparring battle between Ciara and Hermione had nothing to do with the rest of them. 'I'm leaving,' Ciara stood up and threw her napkin on the table. She left the rest of them, including Aurora, at the table. Everyone's faces were downcast. Only the sniffles coming from Hermione could be heard. Then all of a sudden, she got up, too, and stormed after Ciara. - 'Ciara, you spoiled everything!' Hermione shouted after her, her voice trembling from her tears. Ciara did not turn back and just kept walking towards the exit. She needed to be alone. She'd been stewing on her anger all night. 'You spoiled it just fine on your own, turning up with a Durmstrang,' Ciara spat. 'You're fraternising with the enemy.' 'What?' Hermione was outraged. 'What? The Beauxbatons are our enemies too, yet it's okay for you to show up with one?' 'He's too old for you,' Ciara kept storming ahead. Hermione was jogging to keep up with her. 'What?' Her tears were frantic now as she repeated, 'What? That's what you think?' And when Hermione finally came to a stop outside in the courtyard because she could no longer keep up with Ciara and because her breath was heaving too much, Ciara finally stopped. She turned around to face Hermione, but kept the distance between them. 'You're cruel,' she heard Hermione say, though it was barely audible. The glow from the castle shone down on the courtyard. It was cold outside. But Ciara hadn't realised just how cold it was because she'd been so angry this whole time. She took a deep breath. 'Why didn't you tell me?' Ciara said quietly as she walked towards Hermione. 'Tell you what?' Hermione sighed defeatedly. 'About you and Krum,' Ciara said. 'There is no me and Krum,' Hermione whined. 'Oh really,' Ciara replied. 'What was all that I saw back at the Ball, then?' 'I-' Hermione shook her head. She thought twice about what she was going to say. She sighed in defeat. 'That was nothing. For God's sake, Ciara, I wanted to come with you.' 'What?' Ciara repeated. 'You heard me,' Hermione stared at her. 'I was going to ask you. Last week. After I had charms.' 'Why didn't you?' Hermione shook her head. 'You know why,' she paused. 'I saw you and Aurora.' Ciara's heart sank in her chest. 'Hermione that- that was nothing.' 'What was I supposed to think, Ciara? There's always something with you. One month it's Daphne Greengrass, the next month it's Aurora - how am I supposed to know when it's just nothing?' 'Had you stayed a second longer you would've seen that I pushed her away.' 'Maybe, but, you're still here with her now, anyway, aren't you?' Hermione said dejectedly. 'You've been inseparable the whole week.' 'Because you were avoiding me! Do you seriously think I would choose her over my best friend?' Hermione seemed to shrink at that, and Ciara realised this. She stepped forward and took Hermione's hands in her own. 'I would never choose someone else over you,' Ciara said. 'Because I'm your best friend,' Hermione scoffed and shook her head. 'No,' Ciara said. 'Not because you're my best friend.' She lifted Hermione's chin with her hand so that she would look at her. Ciara's voice was low. 'Do you know how hard it was for me, seeing you with Krum tonight?' Hermione's eyebrows wavered. Ciara lifted her hand and gently brushed a strand of hair from Hermione's face. The girl's eyes glistened up at her. 'You're so beautiful,' Ciara said softly. She noticed Hermione's gaze flicker down to her lips and then back up to her eyes. Hermione took a step forward, and as she did so, she reached out her hands to cup Ciara's face. 'You ruined my night, Ciara Flint,' she whispered in the dead of the night. But something in her voice dared Ciara to make a move. 'So come here, then,' Ciara said and she pulled Hermione into her and pressed their lips together. She held Hermione tightly by the waist while Hermione encircled her arms around Ciara's neck. Ciara kissed her fervently and hard, wishing to inhale every part of her. Hermione's lips were soft and wet against hers, and when Ciara gripped Hermione's jaw to deepen the kiss, Hermione moaned quietly into Ciara's mouth. They smiled and began placing delicate pecks on each other's lips. 'Where did you learn to kiss like that, Granger?' And they laughed with their foreheads pressed against each other.