Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon (Chapter Three)

“I would just like to say that this is the most predictable thing I’ve ever witnessed,” I whispered to Draco as we watched Cedric Diggory smiling proudly as he went to join the other champions, Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum. Draco snorted.1

“Agreed,”2

“At least Potter wasn’t chosen. I might have had to put it all in a cheesy novel with weak, 13-year-old main characters with embarrassingly low self-esteem,” Just then, the Goblet of Destiny spurted another name from it’s firey bowl. 3

“Harry Potter…” Dumbledore read. I groaned and banged my head against the table in mock-frustration.4

“Can you believe that?” Draco cried.5

“I understate, mate. Can’t the boy let someone else have the spotlight just once?”6

“Obviously not,” I watch idly as Dumbledore and the other Heads run into the room were the champions (or should we call them People Who Were Chosen By A Really Big Cup) are. 7

“Head back to your dormitories!” Professor McGonagall instructs. “The festivities have ended, your beds await.” As we walk upstairs, our stomachs full of food and our heads full of gossip, I notice that Draco has on his “thinking face”.8

“What are you thinking ‘bout?” I ask him, and he seems to zap out of his trance.9

“Oh, nothing,” he says awkwardly. “Just tired.”10

“Girls, wasn’t it?”11

“Yeah, it might’ve been,” There’s a sort of pause, in which I have time to mull over all the good-looking blokes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 12

Draco – yes.13

Crabbe and Goyle – definitely not.14

Harry Potter – yes.15

Ron Weasley – in a geeky, red-headed sort of way.16

Cedric Diggory – obviously.17

That good-looking Hufflebuff dude – definitely.18

Dumbledore – definitely… he’s absolutely gorgeous.19

Snape – nope.20

Hagrid – yeah, he’s a sexy beast.21

Moody – yes, ‘cause I love guys with lots of scars and a deranged eyeball --22

“Is it just me or is Fleur Delacour ridiculously attractive?” I give a loud snort.23

“She’s pretty, yeah,” 24

“It must be a guy thing, but honestly, she’s gorgeous,” 25

“Ask her out, then, Mr. Smitten,”26

“I’ll do that when you ask out Victor Krum,” 27

“Deal,” Draco looks at me like I’m absolutely deranged. 28

“But – wha – you – what!?” 29

“Orr…” I say, having just thought of a most marvellous idea. “Who can get the person – or, rather, champion – to ask them out first!”30

“Have you lost your mind?” Personally, I don’t think I have a mind to lose, but I don’t bother explaining that to Draco.31

“Look, it’s absolutely brilliant. We, being me and you, have to both try to get them to ask us out. Winner is the one who manages to do it in the quickest time using only sheer wit and charm. You are not allowed to pay them to ask you out, and they are not allowed to know about the bet-game-task, whatever you want to call it.” Draco’s still looking at me like I just ate my eyeball. “Come on, Draco, don’t be such a wimp!”32

“I am not being a wimp!”33

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” I cry. “HE SPEAKS!”34

“Oh, come off it. You know I can speak and that I certainly am not able to get Fleur Delacour to ask me out,”35

“To the Yule Ball, actually,”36

“What?”37

“She has to ask you to the Yule Ball,”38

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Draco complains as we enter our common room.39

“No joke. Winner gets to give the other person a horrendous task to complete. Bet starts tomorrow. G’night!” And with that, I bounded away from my blonde-haired companion and to my dorm. Honestly, you don’t get much more persuasive than that. 40

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A/N: yeah, i know, it's short. the next one'll be longer, though.