O8 | the hardest task

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     "A bloody — dragon — Samira — Diggory — you bloody — bitch — of a — genius!"

     Nora was hitting her with every word she pressed out, still panting from running all the way down from the stands to the healer's tent, were Samira was sitting in, having Madame Pomfrey smearing a thick orange paste onto the burning on her face.

     "You could have ended up as a grilled chicken! What have you thought entering this bloody tournament?", Ian yelled at her, obviously close to tears of sheer relief.

     "Calm down, I'm fine, it's just gotten a little hot out there", Samira chuckled, but as she did, a sharp pain spread all over her face. "I had everything under control, I swear."

     "A dog?!", Nora went on scolding Samira. "How the bloody hell did you get this stupid idea?"

     Cedric next to Nora grew unhealthy pale and scratched the back of his head, turning away from his sister and her two friends. It had been his idea, but Samira wouldn't tell; at least not in front of Madame Pomfrey. She had returned to the common room late last night, without the fuzziest about how to fight a dragon. Cedric had awaited her and had came up with several ideas. Standing in front of a dragon, now knowing she didn't need to slay it, but only steal its egg, Samira decided to go for the plan with turning a stone into a dog. It had worked well, until the dragon changed his mind and went after Samira instead of the black Labrador.

     "Well, it worked, so what?" She threw a smile at Cedric, who weakly returned it, still his face white as Madame Pomfrey's robe. "C'mon, let's watch the other champions. I'm okay, believe me."

     Satisfied with the second place she had made and the golden egg in her arms, Samira reached the Hufflepuff common room later that evening, escorted by Cedric.

     "I'm sorry, it really was a stupid idea, you should have gone for the conjunctivitis charm, as you had planned", Cedric said, looking concerned. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt and would be first place with Krum and Harry then."

     "If I'd thought the conjunctivitis charm would have been a better choice, I'd have chosen it, Ced. I don't mind being second place, actually it's great!" Samira ruffled her brother's hair, and a smile appeared on his face. "So the next task is for everyone of us, huh?"

      "What are you talking about?"

      "The Yule Ball, stupid! Will you ask Cho?"

      Cedric's face turned as crimson as a burning sunset. He cleared his throat, running his fingers through his hair to fix the mess Samira had left. "I considered it, yes. But she's talking about Roger a lot lately, you know? Says you misunderstood him and he's not that bad at all."

     "Well, little Chang doesn't seem to have a spark of dignity in her body then, does she?", Samira snorted, rolling her eyes. "So the reason you stopped hanging out with him isn't his miserable behaviour towards me, I guess?"

     "Sure it was!", Cedric defended himself. "If I had been there in the entrance hall that day, I would have told him the same things you did, and I hope you know that!"

     "Then your mission is clear, isn't it?" He looked at her confused. "Save the poor girl from Roger, dumbass! Though in my opinion, she would deserve this misunderstood guy, but whatever makes you happy, bro."

     "She's still a better choice than George Weasley."

     "Oh Josephine", Samira chuckled. "George and you would make an awful couple, believe me."

     The smack on the back of her head she received after that statement was totally worth it, though.

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     The golden egg didn't only weigh heavy in her heart, but also heavy on her consciousness. December rushed by in a hush, and soon it was close to Christmas. Samira hadn't really tried that hard to solve the mystery of this screaming little piece of shit. She wasn't even close to it. But there still was plenty of time left until the 24th of February, and to be honest, there were much more important things on her mind now.

     Samira hadn't found a date for the Yule Ball yet. It's not that she didn't get any chances being thrown at her. She had been asked several times, but none of those guys had red hair, chocolate brown eyes and a Cheshire grin to melt her heart.

     George Weasley didn't seem to make an attempt to ask Samira for a date, she wouldn't get her hopes high about this. No, Samira was digging in the depths of her insides to find the courage to ask him out. It couldn't be much worse than facing a dragon, could it?

     Well, the answer was: it could! Samira had planned their conversations so many times, but when occasions hit, her tongue refused its duty, what wasn't even bad, because probably nothing but senseless babbling and pathetic gesticulation would be the result of it, and so she remained silent.

     Even Cedric had managed to ask Cho for a date, and Nora and Ian simply decided to go together as friends. When Fleur Delacour had been asked out by Roger, and rumours about Viktor Krum already having a date with whoever, Samira remained the only champion left without a date. The fact that she had to open the Yule Ball with her nonexistent partner was putting more stress onto her shoulders than any Triwizard task ever could.

     "Okay, I'll take the next guy who'll ask me", Samira whispered at Nora during their Transfiguration lesson. "I don't even care anymore. I just need a bloody date!"

     "Better it is", Nora muttered back. "George Weasley had asked Katie Bell this morning to go to the ball with him. Maybe you should finally give up on him, I don't really think he's interested in you, Sam."

     Was this a heart attack? A stroke? Every single one of Samira's body functions felt wrong, and there was an ache in her chest, as if someone had thrown it into cold water.

     "Sam?", Nora asked, cocking an eyebrow, but Samira was blankly staring into nothingness, mumbling, "Yeah ... Maybe I should."

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