I'd Draw You Smiling

Lacey,

Your father and I don't have any issues with you going to your friends' house for the beginning of the summer. Just be sure to write us occasionally. We hardly see you as it is.

Enjoy your remaining months at school, and try to stay out of trouble. I received a letter from your Potions Professor, telling us that you threatened a few younger students with your wand. Your teacher also mentioned that those awful twin friends of yours were involved. You know how I feel about them, Lacey.

I fed Herold. I hope he doesn't bite too much.

Love,

Mum

I sat in astonishment at the breakfast table, reading and re-reading my letter from home. For one thing, it was possibly the first time that I had received one that wasn't fifteen words in length. For another, my mother had called Fred and George "awful".

I supposed her sentiments dated back to four summers earlier when the Twins had come to visit me for a day. They'd let their rampant curiosity regarding muggle artifacts - inhereted from their father, no doubt - get the better of them, and nearly destroyed every electronic device in the house. Needless to say, they hadn't been invited back. Mother couldn't quite grasp the idea that they had grown up a bit and wouldn’t keep trying to press all the buttons on the blender at once.

It was morning on the day of the third task, and I had gone to breakfast early with Hermione Granger. It was only seven o'clock; most students were still in bed. I would have been, myself, if I had been able to sleep at all. I was so worried about exams that I couldn’t close my eyes at night without thinking that I hadn't studied hard enough. I'd tossed and turned in my four-poster bed for a while, then gotten up and headed down to the common room where my books were still spread across the low table in front of the fire.

Hermione had stumbled in around ten minutes to seven, looking nearly dead on her feet. I was sure I looked about the same, so I didn't mention it and instead followed her out of the portrait hole and down to breakfast.

Herald had been waiting for me, staring balefully at the platters of food already steaming on the table. I'd taken the envelope from his beak and fed him a link of sausage, patting his wing absently as I'd scanned over my mother's hurried handwriting, snorting in disgust at her lines about Snape and the Twins. Hermione had evidently heard me, because her spoon stopped halfway to her mouth, and she raised her eyebrows in question. I'd shaken my head and she had continued eating in a most unladylike fashion, shoveling spoonful after spoonful of porridge into her mouth. Halfway through her bowl, she'd muttered something about the library and "helping Harry", then stood and dashed off, disappearing through the doorway.

I sat alone at the table, my plate still empty and Herald still sitting by my empty pumpkin juice goblet. I had no exams that day, only hours upon endless hours of studying to do, beginning just after breakfast. Fred and George wouldn't be down to the Great Hall for a while, yet, and I wasn't hungry in the slightest. I sat, staring at my mother's letter, marveling at my complete lack of activity. I was tempted to go upstairs and lay down, but my eyes still didn’t feel very heavy, even considering the two days I'd gone without sleep. I decided, instead, to sit at the table and scrawl a letter back to my mother. I searched my pockets for a quill and heard Herald hooting in contempt. He placed his head under his wing and sat there while I wrote.

Mum,

I was just wondering if you could send me a few things for summer? Maybe a few light shirts and that pair of yellow shorts I've got in the top drawer? Maybe a jumper or two, also? Thanks.

Thank you for feeding Herald. He hasn't bitten me this morning, but he's unhappy about being sent on a trip again so soon. Sorry if he's in bad humor when he arrives home.

About the letter you got from Professor Snape: He's slightly biased. A students from his House called me a filthy name, and when I defended myself, half the Slytherins in the corridor pulled their wands on Fred, George, and I. Snape didn't seem to think his students deserved punishment. The Twins and I weren't so lucky.

Also, about the Twins: They've grown up some, Mum. They're taking Muggle Studies, now, so they understand things a bit better. Don’t think too badly about them. They mean well.

I'll see you in a few weeks. Tell Dad I say hello.

Lacey

I coaxed Herald out from beneath his wing with another piece of sausage, then tied the letter to his leg. He bit my wrist irritably and flew off through the window and into the morning sky.

The clouds were pale, still too faint to tell what the weather would be like for the rest of the day. I glanced up at the ceiling, which was cloudless and pale blue, an image of outside progressed a few hours. The champions would have a mild night for their challenge. I glanced around for Cedric or Harry and, seeing neither, turned my attention to those who were in the Great Hall.

Collin Creevey was seated with his brother, Dennis, near the staff table. There was a large, muggle camera on the table between them and, noticing me looking at them, they waved eagerly. The only other Gryffindors eating breakfast were the nameless ones. As far as the other Houses went, they also only had a smattering of students seated at their tables. Malfoy and his cronies were muttering something together at the end of the Slytherin table, looking rather smug. I turned away before they could attempt to offend me.

As I was turning back to my table, I caught sight of Cedric Diggory waving in my direction. I looked around to be sure I was the one he was waving to, and, once sure, waved back. He disentangled himself from the long Hufflepuff bench he was sitting on and strolled in my direction. He sat heavily next to me, his legs splayed out into the aisle and his bent elbows resting on the tabletop behind him.

"Hello Cedric." I said, "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Just saying hello." He said and smiled that oh-so-charming smile of his. I stared at it a second or two too long and then shook my head.

"You're charming me, Mr. Diggory." I said, blushing a little.

"Oh?" He chuckled, then seemed to remember something. "I thought you were going out with one of the Weasleys?"

"What?" I nearly choked. "No, no. Oh, wow, no."

I glanced at my watch – it was only seven thirty – but the situation had become sufficiently awkward again, and I had the gnawing sense somewhere in my head that I should have been studying.

"Listen, Cedric, I've got to go study. I'll, er, talk to you later? After the task, maybe?"

"Oh, yeah. Look, sorry if I offended you or - "

"You didn't! No worries. Hey, do something heroic for me in the maze, alright? I'll be waiting to hear about it."

"Yeah, sure. It's a date, then." He grinned. My stomach did a series of little flips.

"Good luck!" I chirped - which is something I didn't do often and which also caused me to blush a deeper shade of red - and dashed off toward the main stairwell.

I made my way to the portrait of the Fat Lady and muttered the password. She swung forward to admit me, and I started to climb through the portrait hole, nearly colliding with Fred and George in the process.

"Bloody hell, Lacey, watch it!" Fred yawned, glaring at me sleepily.

"Sorry, I think I'm in love and it's scrambled my brains a little." I said. "What're you two doing up so early, anyway?"

"Some of us have exams today." George said, following me as I backed out into the hallway, his brow furrowed. "Who are you in love with?" Fred whistled a cat call between his teeth and made kissing noises.

"Oh, Cedric, of course. Me and half the girls at this school."

They both looked completely bewildered, then said "Why?"

I shrugged again, "Who knows?" They were frowning, but Fred's seemed a little more jovial than George's. I reached out and pinched George's cheek. "Why, are you a wee bit jealous, Georgie?"

"Sod off." He chuckled, his expression instantly changing.

"Ickle Georgie's got it bad." Fred whispered, making more kissing noises. George aimed a solid punch in his direction, but Fred dodged it and planted a loud kiss on my cheek.

"Tosspots." I laughed and changed the subject. "Anywho, when's the task set to start later?"

"Dunno." George said, "Sometime around four."

"Fine. Let's meet up after your exams, then? And head down to the pitch together? I don't think Lee has any exams this afternoon, he can come, too." I mentally chided myself for rambling.

"Well yeah, idiot. Who else are we going to sit with? MacGonagall?" Fred said. He reached out and ensnared me with an arm around my shoulders, then began dragging me back in the direction I'd just come from.

"I was just down there!" I protested, knowing they were headed for the Great Hall.

"So? We weren't, and you know we never go anywhere without you if we can help it." George looked bored and beckoned me forward.

"But I'm not hungry!" I stamped my foot in protest, though, strangely enough, I was internally cheering. I mentally puzzled over this for a moment then decided that I would actually ask about it, rather than mull it over and come to the wrong conclusion.

"You never go anywhere without me if you can help it?" I repeated what George had said, grinning like an idiot. He looked uncomfortable.

"Well, yeah." He shrugged. Fred scratched the back of his head and glanced around the corridor, "You know that, though. We'd rather have you with us than by yourself. It makes us look good. Not to mention you don't have very many friends beside Fred and me. There's Lee, of course, but lately he's been so busy that – "

"Oh, lovely, George." I interrupted, glaring again, "Really lovely. You think I don't have any friends? Traipsing around with me because you feel bad, then?"

"Shut up, Lacey. You're going to give yourself a nosebleed." Fred laughed, throwing his arm around my neck and towing me forward.

"Right." George added, "Don't get your knickers twisted. We don't feel bad. You're one of us, remember? The Honorary Weasley?"

He threw a friendly arm around my waist and helped his brother drag me down the stairs. We made our way to the Entrance Hall in silence, strolling through the corridors at a pace I couldn't have done on my own; Fred and George were easily a head taller than me with incredibly gangly legs. My own feet merely skimmed over the ground clumsily, not quite supporting my weight because the Twins already were. I was still glaring when we sat down at Gryffindor table.

We sat there for a while and didn’t talk much, which was mostly due to the constant stream of food running between the gold Hogwarts china and Fred and George's mouths.

Harry Potter entered the Great Hall at one point, surrounded by his supporters and haters alike. He looked quite uncomfortable as he sat down across the table from Ron, apparently trying to tune out the assault of voices. He seemed to sense my gaze and looked up. I shot him a sympathetic glance and he only shrugged, spooning a few fried tomatoes onto his plate.

"Poor Harry," I muttered. The Twins turned their heads in his direction and nodded.

"Yeah," Said Fred, "The poor bloke can't even go to the john without a crowd of people after him. Believe me, I was in the boys' bathroom, once, and he walked in. Must've been five guys behind him, and another five guys and girls waiting outside the door for him."

I shook my head and gave my attention to my plate.

After breakfast, the three of us parted ways. I made my way to the common room and my stacks of books. They, on the other hand, stayed on the first floor and headed for the Muggle Studies classroom to take their exam. The common room was busier, now, than it had been on days prior. Many students were done with their exams and had free time to play chess or discuss the Tournament. I blocked the noise out and turned my attention to my Ancient Runes book, because my exam on the subject was to be held the next day.

Somewhere around noon, the couch cushions sunk in a bit with the weight of another person, and I looked up from my studies. Harry Potter was sitting there heavily, his legs splayed out on the table between us and the fire. He looked completely exhausted. I raised my eyebrows in question.

"Shouldn't you be off somewhere practicing spells and whatnot?" I said, leaning away from him as Collin Creevey snapped his picture, "Not now, Collin." I said warningly, and the boy scampered off.

"I have been all morning," Harry said, rubbing his forehead, "Hermione won't leave me alone."

"She means well," I offered, shutting my textbook.

"I know," Harry agreed, "I just wish I was as excited about all this as she and Ron are."

"That would make two of us," I sighed.

"What, you're not obsessed with this Triwizard thing?" He sat up a little straighter and furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Harry, I was raised by Muggles. I'm the family crackpot because I'm the only witch. I would give anything for normalcy. People fighting dragons and swimming under water for an hour is definitely not normal."

"Ah, you're the first." He sat back again, closing his eyes.

"I know."

He seemed to fall asleep after that, and I opened my book again, not noticing when, an hour or so later, he got up and left. I only noticed his absence when Fred threw himself down on the couch beside me. I looked up for a second time.

"It's three o'clock," He said, "George and Lee are waiting downstairs. Shall we head down to the pitch?"

"Sure," I sighed, tossing my book onto the table with a thud.

Fred and I strolled through the portrait hole and out into the corridor, which was nearly deserted save for the few students hurrying downstairs. We bounded down the stairs and slowed in the Entrance Hall, both staring around for George and Lee. I spotted them leaning against the front archway and grabbed Fred's sleeve, towing him behind me as I walked over.

"How were your exams?" I asked once I had reached them.

"I didn't have any," Lee said, grinning, "I spent the whole day in the library watching a few girls from Beauxbatons."

"That's about the dodgiest thing I've ever heard you say," I shook my head.

"Muggle Studies was okay," George changed the subject, "I couldn't remember what the function of a jumper cable was, though," He looked thoughtful, then shrugged, "I just put down that it was something Muggles use to knit sweaters."

"You got it wrong, then," I laughed, "It's something we use get our cars running if the car battery dies."

"Oh, damn." He only shrugged.

The four of us left the Entrance Hall, strolling over the grounds toward the Quidditch Pitch, which was now surrounded by wooden stands decorated with colored banners in support of all the champions. The yellow and black Hufflepuff stands were slightly more crowded than the red and gold Gryffindor ones. In any case, though, populace didn't really matter. We would have sat with the other Harry Supporters if it meant sitting on each others' laps.

We filed into the stands, four rows up from the ground, just behind Ron and Hermione and their group of friends. Ron and Seamus Finnegan had written Harry's last name across their foreheads with some sort of red ink, and Hermione was wearing only red and gold. The air was thick with school songs, Hogwarts' being the loudest as it had two sections singing it, and Beauxbatons and Durmstrang only having one each. I smiled at the festivity of it all and joined in a rousing chorus with Fred and George.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something, please…

There was a great roar as a middle aged man in a traveling cloak dashed out into the enclosure, waving his arms and beckoning to Cedric, who looked quite embarrassed as he followed. I decided, after the cheering subsided a bit, that the man must be Cedric's father. Cedric gazed around, his eyes resting briefly on Cho Chang, who smiled radiantly. He also glanced over at the Gryffindors, most of whom were applauding politely. I let out a loud "GO CEDRIC!" and he grinned, flashing me a thumbs up. I couldn’t tell whose glare was more angry – Lee's or Cho's.

Igor Karkaroff came out next, pumping his fists in the air and pointing at Krum, who followed suit and pumped his fists as well. They were followed by Madame Maxime and Fleur Delacoeur, who simply strolled out and looked haughty. Finally, I glimpsed the top of Dumbledore's head at the edge of the enclosure, and knew Harry was standing beside him. A great roar rose again from the two Hogwarts sections – loudest, of course, from the Gryffindors – and Harry strode over to stand with the other champions. I was struck by how small he looked, standing there between Cedric and Krum. He really was just a boy, despite what everyone else thought.

Dumbledore pointed his wand to his throat and his voice echoed over the stands in a resounding request for silence. The school band – which I hadn't known existed until just then – ended their performance of the school song clumsily, fading out in pieces. I watched the Headmaster as he spoke and gazed over each section of supporters, his glasses gleaming in the fading evening light.

He explained that Moody had hidden the cup in the maze and that Cedric and Harry would begin the task first. He then turned and addressed only the champions. In a rush of cheers and music, the task began.

Harry glanced over before entering the maze. We cheered wildly and he smiled before stepping through the gap in the twelve-foot-high hedges, immediately disappearing into the darkness.