"Want to join Harry and me for breakfast?" Hermione asked (Y/n). She was holding up a stack of toast, which was being carried in a napkin.
"Oh? Did he not want to eat in the Great Hall?" (Y/n) asked.
"I assume not. I haven't asked him, really..." Hermione admitted. (Y/n) smiled, shaking her head.
"Let's go," (Y/n) agreed. The two went back up the marble staircase (Y/n) had just gone down and made for the Gryffindor Tower, hoping to run into Harry.
"—iculous! Absolutely ridiculous!" Lily Potter was fuming as she, James, and Harry stepped out from the portrait hole. "Not even allowed to stay until the third task— (Y/n), Hermione, darlings," Lily said, calming down slightly at the awaiting girls. Harry, embarrassed, pushed his fawning parents off of him. "Thank you for your text, (Y/n). I can't believe Harry here didn't mention it..." She gave her son a brief look.
"Dumbledore is saying he doesn't want to risk Harry dropping out... Even though Harry didn't put his own name in and, therefore, can't be bound to the vow placed in the Goblet of Fire!" Lily said furiously. "Putting our son at risk either way! No leads on who put his name in, no way out, and we're not allowed to watch the first and second task!"
"Yikes. Couldn't even give in on letting you spectate the tasks?" (Y/n) hissed. "Well, I suppose putting Harry at risk is Dumbledore's job."
"...what?" Harry asked.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, Harry, but Dumbledore only cares about the greater good."
"That's ridiculous! He cares for me!"
"Oh, you sweet thing," (Y/n) cooed affectionately. James looked up from his phone and whispered to Lily.
"Really? Right now?" she asked exasperated. "Don't they know—"
"Of course they know," James huffed. "Harry, we've got to get going. Text if you need anything. We'll be here for (Y/n)'s play and that's about it until the Third Task... Stay safe. We love you." He was whisking Lily off and the two were frantically bickering with one another.
"You think we'll be like them one day?" (Y/n) teased, nudging Harry. "Kidding."
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why're you kidding?"
"Because we didn't start Hogwarts with a love-hate relationship!"
"Oh. You were kidding in that sense. I thought you were kidding about being married one day."
"Wh— Har—"
"Want to go for a walk?" Hermione interrupted.
"Good idea," Harry said gratefully.
They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Hermione and (Y/n) exactly what had happened after he had left Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief, Hermione also accepted his story without question.
"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," Hermione said when he'd finished telling the girls about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry... I don't think any student could have done it... they'd never be able to fool the goblet, or get over Dumbledore's—"
"Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted.
Hermione hesitated.
"Erm... yes... he was at breakfast," she said.
