Hell's Princess {H. Potter}

Chapter 16

"Morning, El."

Delighted to have her soulmate's attention solely on her, Eleena allowed a giggle to slip past her lips as she moved to occupy the empty seat beside Harry. She cuddled close against his right side, accepting the chaste kiss that he planted on her cheek as his way of greeting. The Ravenclaw was all too happy to reciprocate with a peck of her own, despite her plan to sneak up on him having been ruined by his increasingly keen perception towards her and her presence.

"Good morning." Eleena chirped, "You're getting better at sensing me."

"I've had a lot of chances to practice." Harry pointed out, indirectly verbalizing his and Eleena's frequent interactions.

"It's not my fault that I want to be around you so often." Eleena light-heartedly argued.

"I'm not complaining." Harry rectified, "Our bond's easy to notice when you know what to look for."

Eleena was inclined to agree with his statement. Perhaps it had something to do with her elevated experience with soul bonds, given that she and her twin were magically bonded as well, but the feeling she got whenever Harry was near was certainly recognizable. It was similar to the tug she and Salem shared, or like the pull mortals felt around her inborn charm—an inescapable warmth, a kind of sensitivity, that drew your attention no matter the time and place.

"No appetite today?" Eleena remarked, eyeing the little food on Harry's plate.

"Yeah..." Harry grimaced, fiddling with his spoon.

"Why is that? Don't you think you need the energy for later? The second task is today, I'm sure you know."

"Exactly. It's not the smartest decision to eat before going swimming."

Though Harry had a point, there were several hours left before the second task's commencement. He had loads of spare time to eat. Eleena understood that the idea of undergoing yet another part of a tournament he'd unwillingly been put into was undoubtedly nerve-wracking. However, she refused to let him go about his day without eating a single meal. Breakfast, after all, was the most important meal of the day, and she was more than willing to feed him if necessary.

Making up her mind, the Ravenclaw swiped Harry's utensils from his hands and catered to him in his stead. For a moment there, she figured she must've embarrassed him, given how red he turned as he gaped at the spoonful she was offering him. However, he quickly proved her wrong by sending her an appreciative smile, welcoming her doting with open arms (or an open mouth, in this case).

"I've been keeping track of my things since we got the hint." He spoke after swallowing his third bite, "Nothing's missing yet."

"They'll probably do it today. They have the time. The second task isn't due until this afternoon. It's only 8:00."

"That's what I'm worried about... I have a really bad feeling about this."

Eleena lowered the spoon in her hand, greatly disliking the sight of her darling soulmate so upset over something out of their control. She wondered if there was something she could do to make him feel better, but aside from abandoning the tournament right then and there—which they couldn't possibly do after all the effort they put into ruining the first task and the fact that they had to wait for Riddle to reveal himself—she couldn't think of an actual solution. She mused on the subject for a few seconds longer, eventually coming to the conclusion that perhaps it wasn't his involuntary participation that was bothering him. Maybe it was the object that he would be temporarily losing for the sake of the tournament.

"What is there to worry about? Whatever goes missing, I assure you, you'll have it back before the end of the day." Eleena guaranteed.

"What if I don't? If something goes wrong... " Harry trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip.