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THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE CHOOSING OF CHAMPIONS, were hectic. In fact, Hugo fondly dubbed them as 'the days of never-lasting peace'. Ever since the night of the choosing of champions, it seemed that the group of four could never hang out by themselves without a gaggle of girls and boys introducing themselves and surrounding Cedric, while some begged him to sign some of their belongings whilst they giggled over the handsome boy.

After all the champions had been chosen, and the houses had been dismissed, the Hufflepuff common room flooded with students as they awaited for the boy to return and as soon as Cedric Diggory walked into the room, there had been loud, joyous cheers as people lifted him above the crowd. Soon, the older years were ushering anyone under the age of fourteen back into the dorms so that the real celebrations could begin.

The common room was filled to the brim with students as many of them found themselves dancing to the lively beat of music and drinking firewhiskey, (which had been stolen from the kitchens by a few seventh years), while others had taken up the task of attempting to hotbox the entire room.

For the entirety of the night, Clover, Juliette, and Hugo hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Cedric at all. The champion had found himself constantly in between snogging Cho and in conversation with a flurry of students, leaving the three no chance to go up to him.

Clover loved the boy, she really did, but it was getting to a point where the girl couldn't stand the constant interruptions as people fawned over and congratulated Cedric all while she tried to clear her mind and relax. Call her selfish but she also knew that she wasn't the only one who felt this way. Juliette and Hugo had also begun to mentally drift away whenever people approached them. The three were happy for him and their love for Cedric never wavered, but the stream of constant and endless attention was beginning to get aggravating — and Clover knew that Cedric felt the same way to some extent.

She saw the way his eyes pleading glanced at the three as people approached him. Cedric was like a puppy. It's truly the only way to describe him. His loveable energy attracted attention but too many people caused him to panic. The boy adored being the Hogwarts champion and he was completely grateful to have been picked but Cedric missed the times where he could just sit back along with his friends and do nothing, represent nothing.

And that's exactly why the four all gathered on one of the benches in the courtyard, the crisp November air being filled with light-hearted laughter and talking. Students milled through the yard, making their way to and fro classes. The four had just finished school for the day and decided to take to the courtyard as a way to avoid all homework assignments.

"Have they told you what the first task is?" Hugo questioned, his hand mindlessly picking and pulling at the grass from the ground beneath him.

"I reckon we'll have to figure it out ourselves." Cedric answered, looking towards up from his position. The boy was laying across the stone bench with his head on Clover's lap, whilst his legs were propped up next to Juliette.

"Well, you're going to win," Hugo stated confidently before his face dropped into a small frown. "But in all seriousness mate, you have to win because I've got five galleons on you and I don't want to lose that— I'm even representing you!" The boy gestured at his bright, yellow badge which displayed Cedric along with his full name before it swirled and morphed to a neon green colour, with Harry's face on it along with the phrase 'Potter Stinks!'. "Like it?! Bought it off one of the Slytherins this morning for a sickle!" Hugo snickered.

"C'mon Hugo, take it off." Cedric's cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment as the other boy chuckled and shook his head.

"No can do, Diggory." Hugo tutted, standing up from the ground. "You see, I'm representing the TRUE Hogwarts champion!" Cedric rolled his eyes and allowed a small chuckle to pass through his lips.

Clover scrunched her nose up as she watched the badge spin and turn in an endless cycle. "Isn't it a bit mean though?" She asked, her eyes drifting to Hugo's badge once more as the green flashed. "I mean, he's way younger than the rest of the champions- he's only a boy."

"Managed to weasel his way into the tournament though, didn't he?" Juliette piped up, "Nasty little fecker tends to do that a lot y'know? First the whole Voldemort thing in third year, then the Chamber of Secrets in fourth year." — Clover shuddered at the thought of the petrifying year. "-then, of course, there was the whole Sirius Black situation last year and now he's hijacked the tournament."

"Hijacked is a strong word..." Clover started, only to be shut down by Hugo.

"But that's what he did, did he not?" The boy persisted, "Potter has the need to be in the spotlight 24/7, and just when our boy, Ced, here gets the chance, the almighty 'boy who lived' swoops in and breaks all the rules just to enter a tournament."

"How could he even enter?"

"Merlin, Clover, must we explain everything to you?"

"I just don't understand why-"

"Get a grip, Clover. What's not to understand? Potter is a twat."

Clover looked to Hugo with raised brows and a slack jaw as the boy scoffed. The girl felt the slight warmth of embarrassment and frustration creeping up her spine. She was silent for a few seconds before straightening up.

"No, I understand." She said shortly as she stood up, causing Cedric to sit up straight on the bench. The girl picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "...but I'm not going to act like a dick towards a fourteen year old boy just because he entered a death tournament. That's not who I am."

"Clover, wait!" Cedric called out desperately, as the girl began to make her way across the courtyard. "Where are you going?!"

"The library." She called back, turning to face her three friends. "I'll see you guys later." Clover turned her back to the three before walking in the opposite direction of the school. The girl needed to clear her head and being around her friends wasn't helping to shake her nerves, because in all honesty, Clover was terrified.

She was terrified that her friend would get hurt. She was terrified of the unknown that this whole tournament held, and call her stupid for feeling that way, but the girl loved her friends too much to even think of one of them being hurt or killed just for eternal glory- which quite frankly, would probably only last a good decade.

Clover found herself wandering out onto the wooden bridge that overlooked the ravine below. The bridge, from an outside perspective, appeared to be derelict and was constructed of wood beams which extended to the floor of the ravine it lay across. The roof of the Covered Bridge had sagged and appeared tarred. The bridge seamlessly blended in with the natural environment surrounding it. Something about the structure brought peace to the girl and it was something she couldn't exactly put her finger on.

Clover huffed and clutched the barrier of the bridge, her eyes closing as she breathed in and out to ease the frustration which had built up. Maybe she was just overthinking everything and getting herself worked up over nothing. The girl felt the incessant need to scream but she managed to suppress it as she took another large breath in. Clover was so busy focusing on the view ahead of her, she failed to spot The Weasley twins carrying a large box of badges run onto the bridge, all while being chased by a few younger Slytherins.

"Oi, Fred, watch out." George whispered loudly, as he leaned lazily on the bridge barrier, not really trying at all to stop his brother. The younger Slytherins had pulled out their wands but Fred had already dramatically pretended to trip as he flung the box of 'Potter Stinks' badges over the side of the bridge earning a halfhearted shrug from George as he faced the Slytherins. "Oh well, I did try to warn him."

"Now, now," Fred began, dusting off his hands as he approached his twin. "Why are your wands drawn, huh, gonna hex us?" Fred casually lifted a finger and flicked the end of one of the wands pointed at his face. "Look how ridiculous you look — all I'm doing is trying to enjoy the view and here you are with your wands out like a bunch of angsty thirteen year olds."

"You owe us two galleons." One of them hissed, as he raised his wand higher as if to appear more menacing. Unfortunately, the boy was a good foot smaller than the twins, so the sight merely made Fred and George snicker in amusement.

"Was that supposed to be threatening?" George questioned his face displaying visible boredom. The boy leaned over slightly, his arms behind his back as he spoke. "Let me give you a small tip, if you're going to threaten someone speak up a little more...and quit the hissing, you're not a cat."

"Let's just go." Another one of the Slytherins grumbled, dragging two others off with her. The remaining Slytherin shot the twins another glare before stalking off after his friends.

"Alright, box two done." Fred mentally checked off, while George's eyes drifted after the Slytherins. "I think Malfoy had one earlier too, and getting it off him might be a challenge but I guess that's what dungbombs are for."

George had stopped listening to his brother as his gaze focused in on Clover, who stood silently and alone, her hands clasped over the barrier of the bridge. Something about her seemed to radiate an energy George couldn't possibly begin to explain, but the same energy was the very reason he liked talking to the girl. So as he watched the girl staring off into the distance, he found himself feeling as if a string of intrigue was tugging him towards her. George tilted his head slightly as he looked around for any sign of Cedric or the rest of her friends, but he came to no avail.

"George? Georgie? — GEORGE!"

The boy snapped his eyes back to Fred who was clicking his fingers in George's direction.

"So..?" Fred asked.

"'So', what?"

"What are we going to do?"

George glanced towards the Hufflepuff girl once more before turning back to his twin.

"Yeah, Dungbombs sound great...and I mean, if worse comes to worst, hexes were invented for a reason." George answered with a sly smirk.

"Right you are, George." Fred nodded, pushing himself off of the barrier so that he was now standing up straight. "Look, I'm starving. I say we make a pit stop at the kitchens."

"Um...you go ahead, I'll catch up."

Fred followed George's eye-line as the two looked towards Clover. The boy turned to his brother with a smirk.

"Alright then," Fred raised his eyebrows and nudged his brother teasingly, before hebegan to walk towards the castle, leaving George lingering in the same spot.

The boy waited until his brother was out of sight before letting the string guide him towards the girl. He silently approached her before leaning against the barrier beside her.

"Ah yes, I too, like to look into nothingness." George remarked as the girl jumped in fright.

"Holy Hufflepuff!" She chuckled, clutching her heart as the red-headed boy beside her laughed. "Hey, I didn't hear you coming over."

"Well, I'm sorry for scaring you then."

Clover turned to face the boy, "Are you really sorry?" She asked, a small smile crossing her face while George tilted his head in thought.

"Not really."

"Fair enough."

"So what brings you out here?" George spoke up, his tone laced with awkwardness as he turned his head to face the girl.

"Had to clear my head, y'know?" Clover sighed, "Too much is happening and my brain is on overload! I also have like three essays due and zero motivation to do them." The girl took a shaky breath in as she laughed lowly. "Yeah, I'm just overthinking...what about you though, what brings you out here?"

"Oh, you know..." George trailed off.

"Let me guess, another Weasley twin scheme?"

"You're not exactly wrong." George shrugged as he leaned against the barrier. "We stole a bunch of badges and threw them over."

"That's not too bad I guess." Clover grinned, "Should I be thanking you for your service?"

"Didn't like them then?"

"Not at all, They're horrid!"

"I bet Pretty Boy Diggory likes them though."

Clover rolled her eyes at the boy's bitter tone. "You're wrong actually," she began, turning so her side was leaning against the barrier. "He tried to get Hugo to take his off...keyword being 'tried'— Hugo, of course, refused to. Something about Cedric being, 'the true champion'."

"Well do you believe that?" George asked curiously, he was well aware of the divide Harry had caused in the school's unity.

"I don't." The girl stated, "—and I guess that's why I'm here. Everything is just..." Clover shook her head, her curls falling in front of her face. "Never mind, it's stupid."

"Well go on, don't leave me hanging." George teased, his eyebrow raised as the girl chuckled.

"I don't know why I'm so worked up about this— it's just a school tournament but I'm so worried. It just feels like some unexplainable feeling gnawing at me, trying to tell me something and I can't seem to decipher whether it is a good feeling or a bad one. Along with that, I'm frustrated at Hugo and Juliette, I mean I have no right to be, but they're condoning something I'm not necessarily comfortable with, and I'm all for harmless teasing and all but this is so much more different, they don't even see what they're doing wrong... and I just really want to sleep right now because I'm exhausted and a little bit hungry."

"Whew..." George blew out a breath at the girl's ramble. "Feel better?" Clover faced him with a sheepish, but apologetic, smile.

"A little bit, yeah... sorry for that."

"No need, but you owe me one now."

"That's fair, as long as it's nothing that'll get me expelled."

"Who do you take me for?" The boy scoffed in mock defence as he pressed his hand to his chest. Clover merely laughed at the gesture, the glint in her eye twinkling at she tugged on her bag strap.

"I better head to the library." The girl told him, glancing towards the courtyard where students were now filling the scarceness.

"Great, I'll walk with you." George nodded, as Clover pushed off the barrier and began to walk with the boy at her side. "I'm meeting Fred in the kitchens." He added.

"The kitchens? Ugh, don't even tempt me with the word." Clover moaned dramatically, "While you're there, you should ask for a butterbeer float. Three scoops of ice cream, then butterbeer, then cream piped on top with butterscotch sauce...it's practically holy grail."

"Y'know what? I might just have to try it."

"Can that advice be the favour I owe you?

"Not a chance, Carstairs."

"Well, It was worth a shot."

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Okay so I'd just like to note a few things before I carry on with this story:

1. You gotta realise that Clover is a major over-thinker and she's worrying a lot over the safety of her friend and obviously her worry only turns to stress.

2. The one thing about Hugo is that he's a sweetheart, but he is the most dickish sweetheart you'll ever meet. He has no filter and sometimes gets ahead of himself. So if you ever see him being blunt or mean- suck it up.

3. At the moment, Juliette and Hugo both dislike Harry because he's seemingly taking some of Cedric's spotlight. Clover doesn't view it that way because she hates the concept of the tournament and in a way, she pities Harry.

4. Glover (George + Clover) own my heart.

Anywaysss, I love you all and I'll see you soon!