Dangerously Close

My life could not be worse.

It had been a week since mine and Harry’s name had been drawn from the Goblet of Fire unintentionally. Ever since, I’ve been living in hell. For one, not even Fred and George talked to me. The only three people I’ve really talked to these seven days have been my brother, Rayne, and Ruby. To top it off, the Slytherins were being bloody annoying, going most for Malfoy, Moreno, and the little posse of their worshippers.

No one believed that we hadn’t put our names in. As crazy and much of an excuse as they saw it, it was absolutely mental to think after all that me and Harry had been through we’d be idiotic enough to try to find a way to enter the competition.

It was a whole bloody week with everyone tossing you around and calling names at you while you walked by.

Even Ron had stopped talking to Harry. So had Hermione. In reality, only Rayne, I, and Neville even had actual conversations with him, and they mainly were all the same topic. How much being a champion sucked.

The worst part was not competing at all - being me, I’m always up for a challenge. The thing that worried me deeply was the fact that Harry, my younger, fourteen year-old brother, who was my only family member apart from Sirius who was alive, would be competing. He wasn’t prepared to face the tasks.

And to top it off, today all five of us would have to have an interview with Rita fucking Skeeter.

“Maybe it won’t be that bad,” Rayne tried to cheer me up, giving me a small smile while rubbing my back.

Ruby scoffed. “Please, have you seen that Skeeter? My brother used to work at the Prophet and said she was more full of bullshit than the Ministry.”

“It was worth a try,” Rayne mumbled through gritted teeth, causing Ruby to chuckle.

“It’s not Skeeter I’m worried about, if anything I can punch her bloody proud grin off her face and walk away,” I retorted.

“Then what are you worried about?”

“About her goddamn questions.”

Rayne chuckled. “She is known for being nosy and asking a lot of personal things.”

“It’s her job,” Ruby explained matter-of-factly, picking at something in her nails.

I rolled my eyes. “A fucking annoying job.”

Rayne put a finger to her lips. “Don’t swear! There are youngsters here,” she yelled, pointing to Ruby, who snorted.

“Pfft, come on Rayne. We all know Ruby is secretly seventeen. I swear, she acts like you!”

“I do not,” Ruby exclaimed, standing up from the cushion.

I scoffed. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetie. I have to go before Dumbledore rips my head off for not showing up to the interview.”

“He won’t do that, he treats you like a prized student,” Rayne pointed out.

“I’m pretty sure he’d still kill me for not going. ‘Champion’s duty,’” I said, making quotation marks with my fingers in the last two words before walking out the door. As I walked out, I ran into Finnigan, who rolled his eyes at me and continued walking.

I scoffed behind his back and kept walking down the stairs and halls, ignoring the eyes on me as I scurried to the room where Harry, Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric probably were.

I entered the room, causing the Professors and champions to turn their gaze to me. They were all lined up, with a camera man from the Prophet looking at them as Rita had her back to me, talking to the four. My arrival makes her turn her head to face me. She was dressed in a very bright green button-up dress. Her hair was oddly styled into large, tight curls, and her face showed no care at all as she wore a smirk on her bright cherry red lips.

“Oh, how lovely,” she exclaimed, her voice ringing through the room as she clapped her hands. “Why don’t you join the five over there so we can get a photo?”

I was about to protest but Harry shot me a warning glare and I rolled my eyes, dragging myself to the five, standing next to Cedric.

“Ah, perfect! Now for those of you who don’t know,” she began, shaking each of our hands. She reached for mine, and I hesitantly grabbed her index finger and shook it, earning a weird look from her. “I’m Rita Skeeter. But, who am I kidding? You probably know all about me! It’s you we don’t know. And me, myself, and I want to know! What hides beneath those buff muscles, those rosy cheeks. The raven-hair and sweet smile, the beautiful looks.”

Everyone remained silent, not sure what to say. I exchanged an awkward glance with Fleur.

“So, who wants to go first?”

I bit my lip and looked around as another silence broke out.

Rita clapped her hands and walked behind. “Great! We’ll start with the youngest!”

She grabbed Harry’s arm, snatching him from the room. I groaned and took a seat on the floor, putting my hands under my chin.

Cedric slumped down next to me. “Hey, erm, Rosalie, can I ask you something?”

“You can call me Rose,” I said, my stomach erupting a bit. “But yeah, go for it.”

“Did you really - you know?”

I groaned again, sticking my head in between my knees. “Are you fucking kidding me?

Cedric frowned. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No - no it’s fine. To answer you, no, I didn’t. Neither did Harry - we really don’t know what happened. Just, please, can you not bring it up again,” I pleaded, smiling.

He nodded. “Got it, agent Rose!”

I giggled and caught Krum glancing in our direction. “What’s wrong with Mr. Charm,” the Hufflepuff next to me asked.

“I have no bloody idea. Did you know he was looking at Hermione the other day,” I asked.

He raised a brow. “Really?”

I was about to open my mouth when Harry came bustling out of the room and Rita walked up to me, yanking my arm and pulling me up. I squealed a bit at the sudden action as she began taking me into the cupboard.

“Why the bloody hell are we doing this in a…cupboard?”

“You should feel right at home,” she mentioned, smiling a toothless smile.

I scoffed. “I never slept in a cupb-”

“Let’s start! Lots to talk about don’t we,” she exclaimed, interrupting me.

“Well, yeah, I gue-”

“So, Rosalie Potter, a girl of seventeen -”

“I’m sixteen,” I corrected, shooting her an annoyed look.

“Sixteen, about to compete in a dangerous competition. Tell me, what was it that made you put your name in the Goblet?”

I groaned. “If someone asks me that one more bloody time! I didn’t put my name in there and that’s the end of the story.”

Rita giggled, making me mentally shoot myself. “Exactly like your brother. How did you manage to put your name in?”

“I just said I didn’t fucking put my name in there.”

“Oh, shh. No need to swear,” Rita said, smiling. “Scratch that last part,” she said to the quill.

I grumbled.

“Now, Rosalie, I want to ask you the same question I asked your brother. If your parents were alive right now, how do you think they’d feel? Do you think they’d feel proud that you’re bringing out your courage and bravery to compete against other immensely powerful and strong students, or concerned for your health?”

“Talking about my parents is too personal for this interview, Mrs. Skeeter,” I snapped.

I peeked over the quill. “Hey! I’m not cryi-”

“Just ignore the parchment! Do not worry! Moving on, if I’m correct, you’re a Seer?”

I nodded. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You see things of danger right,” she asked, raising a brow.

I nodded again. “Erm, yes.”

“Did you see anything about the Tournament? About your name and your younger brother’s?”

I stopped for a minute, thinking back. Why hadn’t I seen it?

“N-No.”

She made a “tsk” sound, shaking her head. “Oh dear. And you’re certain you’re a Seer?”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” I spat. “I think I’d bloody well know if I was having visions!”

“Of course you would,” she exclaimed, nodding. “I think that’s all I need for today, but thank you for being a lovely girl, and best of luck in the tournament.”

She outstretched her hand to me, and I looked at it disgustedly. After a few seconds, realizing I wouldn’t take it, she pulled it back and smiled.

“Would you mind getting Mr. Diggory next,” she asked, trying to sound polite.

I gave her a fake smile and nodded, walking out as fast as I could.

When I reached the outside, I looked at Cedric and nodded.

“Is she that bad,” he asked me in a low voice.

I nodded. “Good luck, she’s going to pester you.”

He laughed and took off. Harry was leaning against a wall, staring into oblivion.

“Come on, I don’t wanna stay two more seconds here with miss Veela and mister Buff-And-Charmer.”

Krum and Delacour looked up at me, both raising a brow.

“Vhat’s that suppose’ to mean,” Fleur asked in her elegant French accent.

I laughed and grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him up and walking out of there without another word to the two champions.

“Did that go good or bad for you,” Harry asked, digging his hands in his pockets.

“She’s a git that wears too much makeup, how do you think it went,” I asked.

“Apparently, my eyes swim with the ghosts of my past,” he said, chuckling.

“And apparently, I need to stop swearing around Rita. But we all know that won’t happen.” I said with a bright smile as I pat his back and pushed him to his classroom.