What A Veela Wants

VII. The Second Task

You stand in front of most of the Merpeople hostages: Cho, Angelina, Hermione - but Fleur's hostage is nowhere to be seen.

"Excuse me, Mosieur Grindelwald?" You turn around and see Madame Maxime walking towards you, accompanied by Gabrielle.

"Gottverdammt." You mutter to yourself. "What can I do for you, Madame Maxime?"

"Gabrielle 'ere is ze 'ostage for ze Second Task." She says, effectively thrusting the younger Delacour towards you, before turning heel and walking away. The golden-haired French girl wraps her arms around your waist and begins to sob, and you hug her in return.

"Don't worry Gabrielle, Fleur will rescue you. If not, then I will."

"Thank you so much, Rhae. I doubt zat I will be at ze bottom of zat lake for long, though."

[...]

You stand on the edge of the platform, staring out onto the stage of navy blue and ash grey, watching the water for any sign of the champions emerging with their hostages. The hour limit ticks over, and you see a yellow swimsuit and a dark blob rise out at least 100 foot away from the platorm, shortly followed by a shark and his Gryffindor chaser.

You bite the inside of your lip, a million thoughts running through your mind, before you see both Harry and Fleur emerge, neither without their hostages. Fleur is dragged out by a number of her friends, tears streaming down her face, before she wraps her arms around you and nuzzels her head into your shoulder.

"Mon amour, I can't get Gabrielle." She says to you, desperation and panic clear in her voice.

"I'll get her, mon amour." You turn to the water, and dive headfirst in, ignoring the frantic cries of Ludo Bagman and Crouch Sr, as you feel your limbs drastically shrink, your skin harden and teeth sharpen, before you slowly submerge yourself and swim to where the captives are being held.

[./.]

Hermione's eyes remain glassed over, courtesy of Dumbledore ensuring that the hostages could stay alive whilst under water, but she could see a dark shape emerge out of the gloom, crocodillian-shaped, followed by a trail of blood. She begins to panic as the crocodile swims over, before it swims below her, and she feels the force tugging her to the ground relinquish, and she begins to ascend to the surface.

The water laps around her face as more ripples surriund her, and the crocodile rises up from the depths next to her, accompanied by who she assumed was Fleur's hostage. She looks at the crocodile, and its baby-blue eye immediately answered her thoughts, and she climbs onto its back, reaching her hand out to the younger Delacour sister.

"It's alright, he'll take us to safety."

Tentatively, the French schoolgirl takes Hermione's hand, and is pulled up onto his back. The brunette taps the crocodile on the head, and he begins to swim towards the pontoon, rolling his eyes when the crowds amassed on it gasp out in shock, but the sides of his mouth briefly curl upwards when he sees Dumbledore smiling at him.

[./.]
[...]

"You utter idiot, mon amour."

"I know, but I'm your utter idiot."

Fleur applies more pressure to your eye as it begins to bleed again, with Madame Pomfrey and Hermione bringing more tissues to quench the bleeding.

"I swear to Merlin, Mr Grindelwald, if you end up in this bed again before the year is out, you'd have matched your all-time record."

"Really Poppy? I wasn't planning on it, I swear." The nurse scoffs under her breath and walks away, leaving Fleur standing next to your bed.

You hear a commotion, and you see Crouch Sr and Bagman march in, accompanied by Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick and Moody. Both of your mates step aside as both Ministrymen swarm your bed.