Doesn't Mean a Thing

It was the final task and Elise’s head was rushing around her. She brushed her sweaty hands on her jeans and hugged Fleur tightly.

“Do not forget what we went over.” Elise reminded.

Fleur gave her a small smile. “I won’t…wish me luck, Elise.” She whispered. The two girls pressed their heads together and closed their eyes, a small act of friendship.

Elise moved over to Viktor, who was holding Hermione’s hand. Hermione was bright red.
Elise hugged Viktor and wished him luck.

Harry was standing alone, as Dumbledore was giving advice to Cedric. He looked scared at the large green maze. Elise hugged him tightly and kissed his thick black hair.

“Be careful, Harry. Think before you cast any spell…and think outside of the box. They will challenge your knowledge, and you have to keep your mind open to it.” She instructed.

Harry nodded. “Have I ever mentioned how much I’m happy you care, Elise?” He asked.

Elise hugged him tighter. “Yeah, you have.” She said. She kissed his forehead and walked over to Cedric, who was staring at the green hedges and misty passageways.

“Be careful, Cedric. Please, take care of yourself and Harry.” She said.

Cedric smiled and hugged her, kissing her forehead. “You know I will, Elise. Look, everything is going to be perfect after this-a perfect summer. Just think of that and don’t worry about me.” He said.

Elise hugged him one more time. “Au revoir.” She whispered. Elise walked back over to Fleur, who handed her Gabrielle. Cedric and Harry took off first. Viktor followed, finally by Fleur. She stopped before the exit, looking back to the crowd, hesitating. She smiled at Elise, and departed into the thick brush.

Gabrielle tugged Elise’s sweater. “Will Fleur be okay?” she asked.

Elise held her hand. “She will.”

*~*~*~*

An ear piercing scream filled the whole place. Red jets shot up, and Dumbledore looked to an auror. “You know what to do.” He said sharply. Elise caught her breath. It was Fleur, no doubt. Both being of veela blood, they had ear drum shattering screams. Elise’s was stronger, because she was half and Fleur was a quarter, but they still sounded the same.

The auror nodded disapparated. He appeared, minutes later, back on the field carrying Fleur. Elise gasped, and ran to her. “What happened?” she asked.

Fleur was sobbing. “The vines, the vines attacked me! I was nearly finished fighting them off when I was stunned!” she screamed. The crowd began chattering. They wrapped a blanket around her because she was shivering. “I ‘ave never seen such horrible things in my life.” She whispered.

An hour or so later, they heard a yell. It was clearly a male voice, and it sounded like Cedric. Another red bolt shot up in the air and the auror disapparated again. This time, he held a writhing Viktor. “He’s been put under the imperius curse, Dumbledore! We must get the other contestants out of there at once!” the auror yelled.

“It’s too late. They’re too deep in to hear us or see us.” Moody said.

“You have to do something!” Elise hissed. She felt a metallic taste on her tongue; it was an effect of being veela. Fred rubbed her back.

“He’ll be alright. He’s done more dangerous things, Elise. He can handle it.” He whispered.

But she could see the fright in his eyes, as of Ron and Hermione. Everyone was terrified. Gabrielle clutched Fleur, who shivered in the grass.

“I hope you’re right.”

*~*~*~*

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Cedric asked. He was in a graveyard. Harry was writhing on the floor; he wanted to help, but there was a strange man carrying a wrinkled baby.

“Cedric! Get back to the cup!” Harry screamed. Cedric couldn’t; he couldn’t leave him there. He had promised to take care of Harry; Harry would die if he left him there.

“Kill the spare.”

Cedric’s life flashed before him. He saw Cho, the girl he loved, the girl he wanted to marry. He saw his mum and his dad, hugging him and kissing him before he went into the maze. He saw his best mates pushing him towards the cup to enter. He saw Elise, Fleur, and Viktor sitting around the lake with him, discussing school and classes. He saw Harry, warning him of the dragons.

“Avada Kedavra!” The rat-like man yelled. “NO!” Harry cried. A bolt of green light shot out at Cedric’s chest, and he was thrown back. He knew what had happened; he’d learned about that spell that school year. It was instant death. There was no coming back. As he flew in the air, Cedric Diggory breathed his last.

*~*~*~*

Viktor was in the arena too. Harry and Cedric were left inside.

Suddenly, there was a flash and Cedric and Harry were on the ground, cut and bloodied. A crystal cup sat in the grass, shining.

Everyone started cheering. Fred threw his arms in the air and Ron and Hermione hugged one another. George and Lee danced as the girls screamed.

But something was wrong, and Elise could sense it. She walked down the steps slowly, ignoring Fred’s yells for her to come back. Harry was laying over Cedric, crying. Dumbledore was aghast as people came forward to congratulate them.

Elise looked to Fleur, who gave her the same horrified look. Elise and Fleur ran closer and saw the sight.

The both of them let out bloodcurdling screams that rang in everyone’s ears. Fleur covered her mouth and was pulled back by Gabrielle and Madame Maxime. Elise ran forward, trying to lunge at the boys. It wasn’t true. Fred ran and pulled her, struggling to keep her calm and she thrashed. Students started to notice, and Cho and Mr. Diggory ran from the stands. Elise fainted and slipped through Fred’s arms.

Cedric Diggory was dead, eyes glassy and his mouth curved in a frown.

*~*~*~*

Elise awoke in the hospital wing. Her head was pounding and she could hardly move her body. She saw Fred sitting on the edge of her bed. Harry was sitting on his, being treated for his cuts. The Weasleys and Hermione were there as well…plus a peculiar large black dog at Harry’s feet.

“What happened to me?” Elise asked, holding her head.

“You fainted…and you fell and hit your head.” Fred said. He handed her some medicine. “Madame Pomfrey said to take this for your head.”

“Where is Fleur?” she asked.

“They took her to the Great Hall. She fainted too, but she woke up.The Durmstrangs and Beauxbatons are staying in there for now because they think it’s unsafe to be outside.”

Elise looked to the plump red haired woman who must have been Mrs. Weasley.

“Hello, Mrs. Weasley. I’m Elise Seymour. This wasn’t exactly how I pictured we’d meet.” She said sheepishly.

The woman smiled. “Please, call me Molly. And despite the circumstances, it’s lovely to meet you.”

Elise turned to Harry. “Harry, are you okay?” she asked, worried. She instantly grabbed her forehead, wincing.

“Slow down, Elise, you have a concussion.” Fred said consciously.

“I’m okay. I just…I just need rest.” He said.

Dumbledore entered the room. “Ah, Miss Seymour, you are awake. We have notified your father and he is on his way.”

The doors blew open. Anton Seymour ran inside, rushing to Elise. “Mon enfant, ce qui s'est passé?!”

Elise hugged him. “Je vais bien, papa. Je ne suis pas important en ce moment.”

He hugged her tightly, pushing Fred away. Fred stood next to his mother as Mr. Seymour gave Dumbledore a stern look. “Professor Dumbledore, you promised my daughter would be safer here than Beauxbatons far away. Look at her, she is clearly distraught. What has happened tonight?”

Dumbledore sighed. “Anton, keep your calm. You were always hot headed…a boy has died tonight, Anton. Cedric was a victim to Lord Voldemort.”

“Oh mon dieu, c'est pire que je pensais.” Anton said. “He is back?”

Harry looked at them all, dryly. “Yeah, he is.”

Dumbledore gave him a sleeping draught and Harry drifted into a sleep.

“May I suggest a room at the Three Broomsticks, Anton?” Dumbledore said. “I’m sure Elise would much rather be sleeping in her room tonight than the hospital.”

“Can I be with Fred?” she whispered.

Fred had introduced himself to her father quietly after Harry drifted to sleep. Anton sighed. “I suppose.”

They went back to the Tower. Everyone was in their pajamas, sitting in the common room. They watched silently as Fred, Elise, George, Hermione, and Ron tucked away. Elise changed into pajamas and slipped into the boy’s room. George was fast asleep and Elise snuggled into Fred’s arms.

“Nos vies étaient censés être parfait.” She whispered, falling asleep in his warm arms.