Till Death Do Us Part [RON WEASLEY]

Chapter 2: The First Task

The rest of the school day went by rather slowly. Madison was growing more and more worried for Harry as time went on. As the day slowly began to reach its end, the First task of the tri wizard tournament grew closer. The event was scheduled to take place after the lunch feast in the great hall. Even with the fact that Madison had missed breakfast that morning, she seemed to be losing her appetite at the thought of what was to come after the school ate.

Madison and Neville walked down the long corridor that leads to the great hall. Neville was talking cheerfully about some of the plants he'd read about in the book that Moody had given him. Madison couldn't help but be lifted out of her dark thoughts by the sound of him talking. He was so passionate when talking about the things he loved and it always made her smile. There was a pure innocent joy coming from him that seemed to radiate all around him. It was as if he was glowing.

As Neville's best friend, she took pride in being someone who could make him so happy. She always noticed when people would put him down for his interests or only pretend to listen when he was talking. It always bothered her that people could simply brush him off like that. Neville deserved to be heard after everything he had been through in his life, so Madison accepted the role of being the person who would Listen.

"And-And- there's this plant called Moly that is the main ingredient in most of the potions used to break enchantments. It has White flowers and Black stems which make it very recognizable!" He said, glancing over at her with an astonished expression.

"Wow, you've really learned a lot from that book, haven't you?"

"I can't seem to stop reading it. I'm very Thankful of Professor Moody for giving it to me, even if he does frighten me a bit"

Madison smiled softly at him as they continued walking. Neville resumed his banter as they turned the corner, Walking through the large oak entryway of the great hall. Her eyes scanned the room as she looked for a place to sit. To her dismay, Ron and Hermoine were still sitting separately from Harry. Madison had hoped that her talk with Ron would've persuaded him to make up with his best friend.

"Hi Harry," she said as she and Neville took a seat across from him at the table. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Scared out of my wits." He said, pushing a small piece of food around his plate with his fork. It was obvious that the nerves were messing with his appetite as well.

Madison forced herself to fill her plate with a scoop of vegetables, potatoes, and a biscuit. She picked at the plate now and then as she spoke, trying to at least eat enough to keep her going the rest of the day.

"I'm sure it will all be fine," she said, although not sounding very convincing. "Harry you're stronger than you think. The goblet picked your name for a reason you know. You've survived a lot worse than a school lead tournament"

"But Cedric, Fleur, and Krum are a lot older than I am. They chose to be in this tournament. They trained for it. I'm nervous that this time my luck will run out"

"I'm sure whatever the Task has in store for you will be nothing compared to fighting you-know-who. Twice might I add"

"Dragons"

Neville choked on the scoop of food he'd just shoveled into his mouth. "D-Dragons?" Neville asked suddenly, speaking up for the first time during the lunch period. Harry nodded causing worry to spread through Madison's Body. She wanted to speak up to offer some kind of words of encouragement, but she knew her voice would waver if she tried. Instead, she reached a hand forward and placed it atop his, offering him a sentimental smile.

Madison suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching her. She turned her head slightly, locking eyes with Ron who sat at the end of the table. He quickly turned away once he was caught, causing Madison to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. She decided to ignore it, turning back to her food and beginning to eat again.