Before You Change (Harry Potter x Twilight)

9 - Eternal Glory & Stuff

"I think you two are very cute together," Heather offers to break the awkward silence. Poppy, Heather, Cedric, and I were sitting in a cabin together. "Thanks," I say to Heather. "How'd you two like the Quidditch World Cup?" Heather asks. "It was nice," I say. "She got stuck outside without-" Cedric starts to say. "Shut up," I say, growing embarrassed. Cedric chuckles. "I read on the Daily Prophet that the Dark Mark was seen that night," Poppy adds. "Oh. Yeah. That," Cedric says.

When we arrive at Hogwarts, Cedric sits next to me in the Great Hall. Dumbledore makes his usual announcements. Except for this time, he says something about a Triwizard Tournament. Besides me, Cedric tenses. I glance at him and he's hanging onto every single word Dumbledore says.

"I want to join the tournament," Cedric tells me that night. "Are you asking for my permission? Because you're free to join. I'm not stopping you," I say. He smiles. "Where did I find such a supportive girlfriend?" he says, giving me a hug. "What makes you think I wouldn't let you enter?" I ask, curious. "No reason. Just wanted to let you know," he says.

The next week, students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived. Many students placed their names in the Goblet of Fire. Eventually, the final contestants were Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, and Cedric. Oh and that Potter kid. No one knows how he got in.

When the first task arrived, I was in the stands with Poppy and Heather. "What's the big deal about this tournament again?" I ask. Poppy rolls her eyes. "Did you not listen to Dumbledore's speech?" she asks. "No. I zoned out," I admit. "Eternal glory and stuff," Poppy says. "Oh. OH! WHAT THE HELL!" I start to shout when I see a dragon being brought into the field.

The first one to enter the field is Cedric. I watch nervously as Cedric transforms a rock into a dog to distract the dragon. I flinch as the dragon lets out a breath of fire and it hits Cedric. "I hope he's okay," Heather says with concern.

After that task, I rush to find him. "Hey, babe," he says with a grin. "You didn't tell me you could've burnt your face off in this tournament!" I scold. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Did you hear there's going to be a ball this year?" he asks. I give him a look of confusion. "Yeah. The Yule Ball is going to take place on Christmas. Will you go with me?" he asks. "Of course! Who else would you go with?" I ask teasingly. "Cho tried asking me," he mumbles. "What?" I ask in disbelief. "Don't worry. I turned her down already," he says, giving me a kiss.

The night of the Yule Ball, I put on a pastel yellow strapless dress with white flowers scattered around the waistline. I slip on a pair of white heels and I wear a pearl necklace. Heather does my hair. "You look beautiful!" Poppy gushes.

I walk into the common room and Cedric is waiting by the door. "You look beautiful," he says. "Funny. Poppy said that a minute ago," I say. We walk together into the ballroom and heads turn. Everyone was staring at us. "Are you embarrassed?" Cedric asks in a low voice. "I told you, I don't like attention," I whisper back. "You look stunning tonight. You deserve the attention," Cedric says.

Later that night, I find myself by the drinks table. "Hm. Nice dress," someone says. I look up and I see Cho Chang in a silver dress. "Thanks. Your dress looks... unique," I offer. It actually looks hideous. She places a cup of red punch down. Heather quickly joins us. "That drink is terribly close to the edge of the table. You don't want it spilling on Brooke," Heather says quickly. She moves the cup towards the center of the table and gives Cho a fake sweet smile. Cho returns it with a glare.

"Close one, huh?" Heather asks after we leave Cho. "Thanks. You're like my guardian angel," I say. "That's my job," Heather jokes.

The next week, Professor McGonagall calls me to her office. I walk down to her office. She was waiting there with Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and a girl I've never met before. "Now the four of you have very important jobs in the next task," Professor McGonagall says. What? I'm going to be part of the next task? What if I don't want to? Before I could protest, Professor McGonagall waves her wand and my vision starts blurring.

When my eyes opened again, I was surrounded by water and there were cheers everywhere. A pair of very strong arms grab my waist. I look to see Cedric, helping me back to the shore. "I can swim," I mutter. "Nonsense," he says and continues to pull me.

When we finally reached shore, Madam Pomfrey hands me a fluffy warm towel. I dry my light brown hair and Cedric wraps me with his towel. "Babe, you need a towel too," I say. "You need it more. Who knows how long you've been down there," he says. "Thanks for saving me," I say. "No porblem," he says with a grin.

A few weeks later, it was Valentine's Day. Cedric brings me to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. "Isn't this place cute?" Cedric asks. I look up at the pink confetti that was landing on my hair. "It's very cute," I say. "I got you a gift," he says with a smile. He hands me a present. I open it. "Ced, this is adorable!" I gush, pulling out a stuffed badger holding a plush heart. "I love you," he says, giving me a kiss. "I love you too," I say.