Veiled Hearts

Chapter Ten

As the days passed by, the champions of the tournament were announced. Not without the drama, though.

Harry Potter. A fourth-year student like the rest of us, chosen by either luck or cheating.

The school had already started to take sides between him and Cedric, the original champion chosen for the tournament.

I manage to escape the swarm of students hurrying towards the great hall for lunch, and I must have taken a wrong turn because I don't recognise the hallway in which I've ended up.

I open my satchel, searching around for the map that the boys drew for me last night in the common room, since they weren't in my classes today.

My fingers grasp the crumpled page folded in between my books when a hard knock on my shoulder causes me to drop my bag, the contents spilling out onto the floor.

I lift my head to see the cause of my dilemma. His eyes are trained on the floor, anger spilling from him when I follow his gaze to the badge on the floor.

The moving pin with bold letters spelling out "Potter stinks".

I swallow my embarrassment as I lift my foot and stomp on it, smashing the bloody thing in two.

"I should have done that the moment Malfoy gave me the stupid thing"

My eyes shut as I mentally curse that blonde-haired boy.

Causing me problems even when he isn't present in the moment.

I bend down, opening the mouth of my bag wider, and start shoving my books and pages back where they belong.

Harry reaches for the loose picture a few centimetres away from me.

The knock was so hard, that even the photo I kept safe in the inner pocket tumbled out.

"Is that your dad?" His voice still lingers with silent anger.

"Um... yeah. It would be weird to have a photo of a rando in my bag"

An awkward laugh escapes me, an attempt to move past the photo I kept dear.

He hands me the photo, his gaze not leaving mine as we both stand, and I stuff the memory deep into my bag.

"Why are you in such a rush, huh?"

I ask, meeting his gaze, his green eyes darker than I saw them yesterday.

"It's nothing"

"I heard some people say you put the name in the goblet"

"I'm so sick of everyone saying that rubbish" Anger prickled the air around him.

"Just because I heard it doesn't mean I believe it, Harry"

"Well, I wish Ron would see it that way. He's convinced I would put my name in the goblet"

"Oh, so that's the 'nothing', huh?" I offer him a soft smile to help ease the tension.

He nods.

I incline my head towards the corridor, "Do you mind if we walk and talk?"

We slowly walk through the hallways, eyes trailing us as we walk past the walls lined with moving portraits.

"How are you feeling about the first task? Do you know what it's gonna be?"

"No clues to anything yet" he huffs out.

"Well, I suppose I can spare my free periods if you need to do some re-con for these tasks" throw the offer out there for him, "I could honestly do with an extracurricular"

He clearly doesn't want anyone's pity, but I can't help but feel sorry for him. I can't imagine how I'd feel if Blaise thought I'd done something like this, and he didn't believe me.

He stares at me like he doesn't understand the English I've spoken. I don't think I have reverted to French like last time.

"You're looking at me like I've got something disgusting on my face"

"You're just different from the gits that are a part of your house"

"Well, I think you've assumed that we're all the same, huh?"

He shrugs, "Yeah I guess so"

"Let's make a deal then. I'll help you with the tasks, if you don't assume every Slytherin is the same"

I hold out my hand to seal the deal I've laid before the shaggy-haired boy before me, feeling just as stupid as I did the first time I held out my hand to this boy in potions.

"Alright deal. But I believe you'll be the only one to change my assumptions, Sloane" Harry's hand is calmly cradled against mine.

I didn't realise we had stopped in front of the Great Hall until the scent of lunch had my stomach grumbling.

We both turn to face the students sitting around each table, Harry becoming tense beside me.

"I'm sure Ron will come to his senses in time, Harry" I pat his arm and smile before I walk along the isle between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw table towards my friends. Yet, for some reason, Blaise is gaping at me as if I've been jinxed.

But it's not Blaise's face that concerns me. It's the fact, Malfoy's face that is contorted in a sneer and his piercing grey eyes are trailing me with an emotion I can't quite pinpoint, but his gaze leaves as quickly as it was there.