Kill Me Sweet (Draco x Reader)

Chapter 41: The Third Task

– y/n's pov –

The mood in the castle on the day of the third task was excited and tense.

For the evening feast, there were more courses than usual, but I couldn't eat much. I was starting to feel really nervous. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in ten minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the Champion tent in the stadium now."

Then I saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table to join Cedric as he exited the Great Hall. Krum slouched off to join them shortly afterwards. Harry, on the other hand, stayed where he was.

He probably doesn't want to go into the Champion tent. He has no family who would turn up to see him risk his life, anyway, just like me... Then Harry's eyes met mine from across the Great Hall and we nodded to each other, feeling the mutual sadness. 

I got up. The Slytherins all along the table were applauding me; Amber, Shane, Kyle and Draco all wished me good luck, and I headed off out of the Great Hall.

When I entered the tent later, I saw Cedric and his parents first. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Then I saw a woman who looked exactly like Ron Weasley, hugging Harry. 

Harry has his supporters. I felt lonely. Then Krum's mum waved at me, grinning, who came running to me.

"You've grown into a beautiful young lady, Y/N..." She held my hands and stared at me, astonished.

"Mrs. Krum, it's a pleasure to meet you." I spoke politely.

"Oh, no need to be so polite, Y/N. You don't remember how close we were..." Her voice soon saddened. I awkwardly chuckled as I felt guilty for something that I had not done. Well, you obliviated me, ma'am.

"When Viktor told us that he saw you here at Hogwarts, we didn't believe him but... well, you will do great, darling. Good luck and please be careful." Mrs. Krum hugged me tightly and it was so comforting. She reminded me so much of my mother who raised me. She would freak out if she found out about all of this... I missed her.

"Y/N!" Then Draco called me from behind.

"Draco! Why did you come down?" As he approached, I flung my arms around him. It was so so so good to see him at that very moment.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Draco asked worriedly and I knew that what happened during the second task in the lake was still bothering him.

"Yes, Draco. I don't want to back down. I got this, okay?" I pulled myself away and smiled at him softly, touching my sapphire necklace that he gifted me as a Christmas present. But Draco knew the implication behind that action: he knew that it had become my habit to touch the necklace when I was nervous. He sighed and kissed me on my forehead.

"Good luck and please, please do not hurt yourself." Draco smiled and reluctantly dragged himself out of the tent, to the spectator stands. 

Soon after, the champions walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

I kept running over all the hexes and spells I had been practicing in my mind as I walked. Over the past few months, I practiced spells and curses at every available moment. I had mastered the Impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which would enable me to blast solid objects out of my way; and the Four-Point Spell, which would make my wand point due north, therefore enabling me to check whether I was going in the right direction within the maze.

"Y/N?" Then someone (very unexpected) tapped me on the shoulder as we were walking down the stone steps that led to the stadium.

"Kyle? What are you doing here?"

"Just- checking in. Feeling all right, Y/N? Confident?" asked Kyle.

"I'm okay." I faintly smiled at him, wondering what to say afterwards. Kyle then opened his mouth after a not-so-short awkward silence. I mean us two alone didn't talk for months now.

"...I just wanted to wish you good luck." Kyle awkwardly smiled and stopped me to give me a hug. That was very unexpected.

"Well, thank you." I pulled myself away after a while and he walked away to the stands. 

The stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. 

Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus" and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. 

I could easily spot Amber, Shane, Kyle, and Draco applauding politely, halfway up the stands. I waved up at them, and they waved back.

"On my whistle, champions!" shouted the Bagman. 

"Three, two, one —" He then gave a short blast on his whistle, and we hurried into the maze.

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment I entered the maze. I felt almost as though I were underwater again. 

I pulled out my wand and muttered "Lumos" and heard Cedric do the same just behind me. After about fifty yards, the two of us reached a fork. We looked at each other.

"Good luck." Cedric spoke, and he took the left one, while I took the right.

My chosen path seemed completely deserted. I hurried on, holding my wand high over my head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight. I reached a second fork. 

"Point Me." I whispered to my wand and the wand pointed towards my left this time. But the path ahead was empty too. Even when I reached a right turn and took it, I again found my way unblocked. I didn't know why, but the lack of obstacles was unnerving me. 

I should have met something by now? It felt as though the maze were luring me into a false sense of security.