Draco, darling

34.

Deafening cries echoed from the stands around what was usually the Quidditch pitch. Each school encouraged its champion and Hogwarts was divided; the cries therefore varied between Delacour, Krum, Diggory and Potter. Usually, there was just enough room to accommodate the Hogwarts students, so the Ministry had installed one more floor above the original stands. It would be difficult to find a place in the happy chaos that had settled in the stadium.

And, Meli was late.

It was her fault, really. She knew she was always late and yet, decided to stay behind when Jane had left early to see Diggory before the first task. And now, she was running towards the pitch, breathless. She had just ran ten minutes in the hallways of the school and halfway to where the cheers and chants were coming from.

Meli finally reached the wooden stairs that led to the Slytherin stands and jumped them two by two. Once at the top, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Louis was standing a few meters front with a middle-aged woman. The witch had a hand on the boy's shoulder and was talking to him. Louis looked tense, back straight and staring just over the woman's shoulder. She was barely taller than him, with long black hair that reached the middle of her back. When she turned her head slightly, Meli saw her face more clearly and was shocked. The ressemblance with Louis was incredible; the same nose, the same jawline, the same eyes. The witch, who was obviously related to Louis, said a last thing and left to disappear into the crowd of students.

Meli had been observing the woman and when she turned back to Louis, he was looking at her. During the quarter of seconds before he realized she was staring back at him, the sadness in the boy's eyes was obvious. But then, he turned around and walked to the Gryffindor students were sitting.

It wasn't her business. That's what Meli told herself as she made her way to where Jane was. The girl didn't seem relaxed, entwining her fingers but once she saw her friends, she smiled and waved at her. Meli reached her and sat down beside her.

"You look like you learned some really, really bad news. Tell me." she said, nudging Jane in the arm.

"Dragons. They have to fight fucking dragons." Jane said through gritted teeth.

Meli repressed a smile. She wasn't the one with a boyfriend competing and her friend was worried. She would think about how it was kind of funny to make kids fight dragons later.

"He told you that?" she asked.

Jane nodded and proceeded to explain what had happened in the champion's tent. She was almost done with the story when someone touched Meli's shoulder. She turned around to find Draco just behind her.

"Hey, I've been looking for you two everywh-" the boy started. He stopped talking when he saw Jane's face. "Why does she look like that?"

"I have been asking that question for years." Meli fake-whispered. She was trying to relax Jane and managed to make her smile.

"It's dragons. That's the first task." said Blaise's voice from the other side of their little group. He slumped down next to Jane. "Who the fuck thought that was a good idea?"

"How do you know?" asked Draco, frowning.

They all ignored him.

Jane took Blaise's hand. "They'll be fine, don't worry." She didn't mention who was the second person who'll be fine but they all knew. Well, Draco didn't but apart from that, they all knew.

"Weren't you the one so worried you were as white ad Draco in his ferret alter ego a minute ago?" Meli asked, ignoring Draco again who had scoffed this time.