Chamber of Love

Chapter 2

  A few days later Juliette found herself in the Great Hall, sitting alone on a bench and watching the other students throw crumpled papers with their names on it into the goblet. The fire's blue colour reflected on her face, shadows dancing against her pale skin.

The Goblet of Fire was standing tall right in the middle of the Great Hall. A faint, white circle was surrounding it, disabling the students who are under the age of seventeen to throw their names into the fire.

A Ravenclaw put her name in the goblet while she propped her chin in the palm of her right hand and watched the excited faces of others, trying to understand exactly what about this competition rendered them so happy. Were they really thrilled to see their friend get hurt?

Her school sweater was failing to keep her warm and the blue fire created a contrast, making the hall look colder and eerier than ever.

All of a sudden, a loud cheering erupted. Cedric Diggory, who was covered in sweat for some reason, was being dragged into the hall by his friends. He was holding a crumpled paper in his fist. Juliette sat upright with worry but silently cursed at herself when a faint excitement made itself known in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to see if the goblet was going to deem him worthy enough to choose him but she also didn't want him to be selected since participating in this tournament was extremely dangerous and a front seat ticket for the Hospital Wing.

Cedric stepped closer to the tall goblet and put his name into the Goblet of Fire. The hall erupted in cheers but Juliette didn't even applaud. She grabbed her nearly empty bag and stood up, squeezed through the students and left the hall just before the Weasley twins barged in with an aging potion in their hands.

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"Do you think the goblet will choose me?" Asked Cedric, looking surprisingly insecure. His eyes were locked on Dumbledore, who was pacing around the goblet. If Juliette didn't knew any better, she'd think that the headmaster was nervous.

"I really hope it won't." Juliette replied with honesty before sipping her water.

"You're the worst friend ever." Cedric's lips curled up into a faint smile.

"I'm the most honest friend you could ever have." She replied.

Cedric murmured something under his breath but she wasn't paying attention. She was as impatient as everyone else in the Great Hall to find out who the contestants of the tournament were.

Her eyes gazed over the other tables and she started to guess who could be a competitor and who couldn't just to pass some time. She was examining the students at the Slytherin table and to be honest, every each one  of them looked like they had the potential to die five minutes into the competition. Though she wouldn't mind if either Crabbe or Goyle were chosen were they older than seventeen.

With her fingers absentmindedly playing with her dark hair, she was silently examining both familiar and strange faces with a distracted gaze but her eyes caught something— or rather someone who was sitting at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy, his chin resting on his left hand, was staring directly at her. His blue eyes were slightly squinted as if he was being attacked by numerous thoughts.

Juliette didn't have any time to blush or panic because Draco immediately looked away before furrowing his brows.

Strange. She thought to herself. Why was he looking at her? Was there something on her face? Did she offend him when she shut the bathroom door in his face? Why? Wh—

"Will you stop staring at people?" Cedric pulled her away from her thoughts, involuntarily startling her. "It's creepy."

"Tell that to him." She murmured, her eyes never leaving Draco's now distracted face.