AN: I have finally updated after like five months. I just want to say I'm sorry to the few who have read this and liked it, for not updating. I also want to say that I have gone back and changed some stuff in the other chapters. The biggest things were first and last names for some characters, so if you don't recognise some names, you might just want to go back and read/skim the other chapters. The other stuff I changes was just some grammar and I added some stuff and re-wrote a couple sentences to make it sound better. Thank you for reading and again, I'm sorry.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and all rightful owners.

The Third Task

I felt like rejoicing in the rare warm weather. At the moment I should have been lounging somewhere on the vast lawns but here I was, climbing onto the stands surrounding a rather large arena, being squashed in between a bunch of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. I strained my neck looking for other green and silver ties. But I saw only blue and white, yellow and black and whole bunch of red and orange ties.

The stands seemed to be in uproar of cheering. I had never seen this much of it, even at a Quidditch game. The Gryffindor's were chanting for Potter while Hufflepuff was rooting for Diggory. The rest was filled by Slytherin, their booing and foul comments were causing quite a ruckus between them and Gryffindor. Personally, I didn't really care who won but chose to sit with Slytherin; sitting with Gryffindor or Hufflepuff would not help my social status in Slytherin or the Pureblood social circle.

After the task had begun, I chose to not pay any attention to my surroundings at all. If I had got to choose I would not have come at all but all my housemates had come so I was forced also.

Blaise had not spoken to me since the Yule Ball and I declared it an epic disaster. He barely even acknowledged me in the common room or the halls, choosing to look at the ground or turn around and walk away. The latter being the most embarrassing. For a while after the ball, Daphne continued to ask me if I was dating Blaise but I simply told her no and didn't expand.

The sound of silence as conversations and shouting ceased shocked me out of my thoughts. Everything was quiet, no one spoke and no one made a move toward Potter who was crouched over someone- a boy- in yellow and black robes. And the boy- Diggory- he wasn't moving. Potter seemed to be crying but his fists were balled up in anger. I couldn't seem to comprehend what was happening, it was just impossible. Some were already realizing what had happened and they spoke in low voices in groups. More caught one and the voices rose, but everything blurred around me. I couldn't even start to believe it. I had thought Hogwarts was a safe haven, where nothing dangerous, bad or evil could touch. But I could feel something was changing, and it scared me.

McGonagall and the rest of the teachers proceeded to clear the stands and send the students back to their dorms. The aisles in between the benches became crowded as the hoards of students pushed to get to the school. Suddenly, as I was still trying to gather my bearings, someone stumbled and hit me square between the shoulder blades. I put my arms out catch myself. No one noticed me on the ground and I feared I was going to be trampled. But as soon as I would attempt to get up, another person would kick my arm or leg and I would be pushed to the ground. I decided it might be best to just wait it out just as my arm sent another person sprawling. But then I felt a hand grab my upper arm and its grip tighten as the person pulled me to my feet. I looked up and saw my rescuers eyes. Grey eyes. I groaned inwardly. Oh why did it have to be Draco Malfoy? He pushed past people, dragging me with him. He didn't look at me but I could tell by his stance and disposition that he was annoyed. We made our way out of the throng quickly, partially because Malfoy did not heed to knock people out his way. When we paused at the edge of the crowd, his hand remained on my arm. I waited to see if he would let me go but when he didn't, I looked at him expectantly. He noticed my look and he let go of my arm quickly as if I had burnt him.

"Than-" I began but he disappeared before I managed to thank him. I shook my head at his insolence and continued to make my way to the castle.

OOOOOOOOO

The rest of the task… Well, Potter won. He was the Champion and nobody seemed to care. The other houses couldn't stop talking about the… death of Diggory but all my house pretended that nothing had happened. Of course people talked about it, in hushed conversations in the corner of the common room or in the privacy of the dormitories but otherwise it was a shunned topic of conversation.

OOOOOOOOO

When I awoke the next morning, I discovered a discoloured bruise on my knee from when I had fallen. I muttered a curse as I dragged myself out of bed; I was already late for class. If there was class. With… what happened, classes could have been cancelled.

My uniform and undergarments under my arm, I headed to the shower. The floor was cold under my feet and hurriedly tugged my nightgown over my head. As I stepped in the shower, the searing hot water hit my skin and I felt goosebumps rise on the skin not touching it.

After getting out, I dressed quickly and left my hair down. Soon after leaving my dormitory, I quickly discovered that there really were no classes. Students were buzzing around the common room, some were even laughing and celebrating that there were no classes. As much as I loved Slytherin, and even as a Slytherin, I had to admit that some of my housemates crossed the line between cold and cruel.

I took a seat and pulled out a book from beneath my robes. As I opened it, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, Pansy and my sister took a seat on the couches near my lone chair. Pansy was practically sitting on Malfoy's lap and I gagged behind my book. Malfoy and Blaise started talking while Pansy listened in. I had a feeling she didn't understand a thing they were saying. After about ten minutes, Pansy's shrill voice rose loud enough so I could hear.

"Draco, tell me where you were last night? I don't understand why you can't tell me!" I looked over the top of my book, she was standing up and moving her arms about wildly and her pug-like face was screwed up in frustration.

"Pansy, calm down. You're making this too big a deal. Everyone's staring at us." Everyone really was staring at them. Malfoy grabbed Pansy's arm in attempt to pull her back on the couch but she yanked it out of his grip.

"Just tell me where you were! You're the one making it a big deal. Where were you?" She was angry now and I was having a hard time not laughing at her. "Were you with someone else? A girl? If you were, were over Draco Malfoy!" She stamped her foot and crossed her arms.

"Over? We were never even together, Pansy, I just took you to the Yule Ball. And for your information, I was with Astoria Greengrass." He smirked and crossed his own arms. The whole group looked at me, Pansy eyes grew big (I was sure they were going to pop out her big head) and the angriest look appeared on her face.

"Her? You were with her!" She stamped over to me and I tried not to shrink back in my chair. She grabbed the sleeve of my robe and yanked me to my feet. I looked at Malfoy, who was still smirking, and then my sister, whose eyes were as wide as saucers. I looked pointedly at her but she just stood there. You'd think she'd help her little sister who was about to be ripped to shreds by her best friend.

"Yes he was. He helped me when I was about be trampled by a bunch of stupid Hufflepuffs. That's it." I don't where that came from, I sounded so calm. She narrowed her eyes at me and looked at me closely. "Ask him yourself, I'm not lying." She turned to Malfoy, who merely shrugged. She sniffed before turning around and stalking back over to her friends. Unsurprisingly she went right back beside Malfoy. She hugged him and kissed him on the lips quickly. I felt bile rise in my throat and turned back to my book.