Beneath the surfaces - Draco Malfoy

7. 𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒙𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒔

Lumina had barely

stepped into the corridor when she was met with a surge of energy from the students gathered around, their excitement palpable as they eagerly anticipated the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. She could see the murmur of voices and the shuffle of feet, and for a split second, the idea of standing in the crowd overwhelmed her. She was eager to catch a glimpse of the foreign students, but more than that, she didn't want to face Malfoy again.

As the buzz from the crowd heightened, Lumina quietly moved in the opposite direction, giving herself a moment to breathe away from the spectacle. She paused for just a moment, leaning against the cold stone of the wall, grateful for the chance to gather herself. But soon enough, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind her.

"Oi, where've you been?" Ron's voice cut through the buzz, and she spun around to see her twin standing there, his freckled face full of concern, his eyes scanning the area as though he half-expected someone to jump out at them.

"I was just... avoiding the crowd," she said quickly, offering a faint smile to downplay the tension in her chest.

Without another word, Ron grabbed her arm, pulling her into the throng of students. "You missed the whole thing," he whispered, his voice laced with irritation and worry. "We were starting to worry you got lost in there."

"I'll explain later," she promised under her breath, knowing he wouldn't drop it for long.

The pair shuffled through the bustling students, Ron's grip firm on her arm, pulling her deeper into the crowd. Moments later, Hermione and Harry emerged through the sea of students, both looking flushed with excitement and relief at the sight of Lumina.

"There you are! We've been looking for you!" Hermione exclaimed, her voice filled with an eagerness Lumina had never quite seen before.

"What happened?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Hermione's enthusiasm.

"Viktor Krum is here!" Ron practically shouted, his eyes gleaming as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "He's with Durmstrang! Can you believe it?"

The mention of Viktor Krum made Lumina's heart skip a beat. The Quidditch legend was a household name, and the thought of seeing him in person was both thrilling and surreal. "Really? He's actually here?" she asked, hardly able to believe it.

"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," Hermione said with a small shake of her head, though Lumina could see the faint glint of excitement in her eyes.

"Only a Quidditch player?" Ron responded, looking at her as if she had grown another head. "Hermione, he's one of the best Seekers in the world!"

Lumina craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the Durmstrang students filtering through, but all she could see was their dark, fur-lined coats swirling in the crowd, their faces obscured in mystery. The air was charged with anticipation, but it felt like they were a world away.

"Can you believe it?" Hermione said, her voice now betraying a hint of excitement. "This is such a big event for Hogwarts!"

"Yeah, but I can't see anything!" Lumina grumbled, feeling a bit frustrated as she tried to peer over the heads of the students in front of her.

As the group of them moved toward the entrance to the Great Hall, the noise of the students began to die down, replaced with a thrilling quiet as the doors loomed ahead. The Great Hall gleamed with warmth, and the moment Lumina stepped inside, she felt her pulse quicken.

"Let's try to get a good spot," Hermione suggested, grabbing Lumina's arm and pulling her farther into the hall.

"Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed, his voice eager as he waved them over to an empty spot. "Over here! Hermione, budge up, make some room!" he added, his tone a little frantic as he tried to rearrange the seating.