Triwizard championship twist

chapter twelve

I sit under the cool shade of my favorate tree right next to the lake, i hold the egg in my lap and every minute that goes by i find it more irresistable, i want to know what's in it, so i open the latch and the egg opens releasing the most horrid noise i've ever heard, on reflex i push it away from me and it rolls until it falls into the lake, i groan, put a spell on me to repel water and dive after the egg; i've been in the black lake many times before so i'm used to the cold currents and the slimy seaweed, i search for the egg through a hazy gloom and find a flash of gold, i swim towards it and as i get closer i hear music, i find the egg as the music ends my brows furrow in concentration. I lock the egg and open it once more, this time music comes out not those horrible screetches from before i recognize the mermaids voice inmediatly

-come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, an hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took- after that the eggs goes quiet, i close it again and swim to the surface. I gasp for air and swim to shore i put the egg in my container with a little trouble but i manage it and i sit under the sun for a while. I sort of fall asleep under the warm sunrays and wake when i hear footsteps aproaching i get up grogy and find someone before me.

"Neville?" i ask when i recognize him in the fading sun

"hey" he sits down beside me

"what's wrong?" i ask sitting up straight

"nothing i just noticed you weren't at dinner i worried" he says all of this looking down at his feet

"that's sweet of you Neville, thank you" i smile and he blushes

"there's going to be a special announcement tomorrow" he says "Dumbledore said it during dinner"

"he didn't say what?" i ask and he shakes his head "well let's go back to the castle, it's going to get cold soon" i wrap my arms around myself and feel a jacket drap over my shoulders i turn and see Neville smiling at me, i grab the jacket and put it on

"thank you" he smiles brightly and my breath catches a little.

He walks me to the Ravenclaw common room and i give him back his jacket. Once inside i head upstairs and fall asleep instantly then i regret it, in my dream my father sits on his chair with Wormtail beside him he seems to be ordering something and then Sebastians unconcious boy floats up the stairs of the house they're in and stops in front of my father.

"who ordered you to do such a stupid thing?" he asks in a sick and raspy old voice Sebastian mutters something i can't decipher but my father does "do it Wormtail" Voldemort orders and there's a sudden flash of green light, when it dies down Sebastians body lies at their feet.

The next day at breakfast Dumbledore anounces that in three days time the Yule ball will be held, i eat as the others start to murmur around me getting all excited and planning what they're going to wear and who they're going to ask. I give it no thought i don't really plan on going. When breakfast ends fifth years gather in rooms together along with our heads of house

"now you will be learning how to dance for the Yule ball, don't be shy everybody grab a partner and we will begin" Flitwick says i grab Lunas hand but Professor Flitwick says it must be boy-girl, so i end up paired with Daniel a nice tall guy who, thankfully, knows how to dance.

We spend almost two hours dancing with the same partner and i get to know Daniel a bit better, he lives with his mom after his fathers death they moved to London and he wants to be an Auror like his dad, he has two sisters and a brother. He's the third child. Then he asks about me and i tense a little

"not much too tell" i say "i was born in Azakaban, my moms Bellatrix Lestrange and my fathers Voldemort, lets see what else.." i pretend to think of other things "oh i am an only child, Malfoys my cousin and I'm always armed to the teeth" i wait for his reaction and when it comes it takes me completly by surprise he laughs out loud, so loud everyone turns to stare at us

"whats so funny?" i demand and he just keeps laughing, he manages to keep on dancing and he chuckles "what?" i sneer at him

"you" he says catching his breath spinning me away from him and catching me as i return

"me? What about me?" i sneer

"you're funny" he says and his blue eyes dig into mine

"alright show's over what do you want?" i ask putting and extra layer of sand on my hands

"nothing" he says serious

"why don't i believe you?" its a rethorical question but he answers anyway

"because all your life you've had to exchange one thing for another, you've learned that nothing comes without a cost" he cocks his head to the side "am i right?" he smiles i groan and let go of him just as the bell rings and we're free to go, i grab my bag and push people out of my way

"wait Alice!" Daniel calls after me, i hear him grunt as he pushes against a mob of students "wait!" he calls again i take a deep breath and wait for him atound the corner, when he stumbles into the hallway he turns looking for me

"what?" i ask and he spins around to face me

"i didn't mean to offend you" he says sheepishly

"cut to the chase" i huff "who are you working for?" his eyebrows knit in confusion

"i don't understand..."

"oh cut it out!" i shout and push my self off the way "who ordered you to get close to me?!" he stands as still as a statue when he doesn't answer for minutes i shout

"who?" he takes a step back

"no one" he squares his shoulders and his jaw tenses "i was just being friendly" he turns and walks away before he round the corner he turns

"not everybody will hurt you Alice, open up" he leaves and a feeling of emptyness over takes me, i lean against the wall and slide to the floor i groan and rest my head on my knees.

I'm just so tired.

The bell rings and people invade the corridors, i hear them walk and whisper about me but i don't care.

I'm tired of being angry and resentful and sarcastic all the time.

I'm tired of being on my toes and feeling threatened everytime someone bumps into me or wants to touch my shoulder.

I'm tired of being scared that someone will get by my defenses and hurt me and break and then leave me alone to pick up the pieces of my life.