68 First Task

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(Author Note: This chapter is dedicated to the madlads who joined our discord, and read ahead in the Shivering Isles. )

It was a chilly morning of November, a part of the forbidden forest Magnus was now so familiar with had changed overnight into a gladiatorial arena.

A fitting description, given just what the school champions would have to face.

Students by the hundred were grouped together in the stands, carrying banners and signs in support of their housemates minus a couple exceptions. Some Slytherin were waving around Durmstrang banners, and Magnus could very clearly see a blond ferret among them.

'Look at him go, sitting like the perfect little pureblood with half a week's worth of hair potions on his head, daddy would be so proud.' Magnus from his own place in the second row.

He came rather early to save a few good spots for his friends before the masses came in, and with a couple glares and repulsions charms, he had a good five empty spots all around him. Yes, five, Sirius practically begged him not to let Potter get stomped by the mob.

Half an hour before the 'games' could start, his friends plus Hermione who dragged along two sleepyheads by the scruff of their robes entered the makeshift Colosseum. He waved at them lazily, sprawled on his seat, but did not care enough to watch them clumsily make themselves a way through the crowd.

Until Granger accidentally kicked someone's bum, then he was very interested.

Unfortunately for him and his childish love of drama, it was only a little first year Gryffindor 'An Ickle Firstie' as Gred and Forge would say. So a quick apology, and letting him have a peek at wizarding Jesus walking behind her was all it took to diffuse the situation. Pity.

"Good Morning, Magnus."

"Hello, do you think Dragons can have Nargles?"

" 'Morning" X2

"Hi."

You can guess which is which, and the first three guesses don't count.

"Good morning." He smiled, "I don't know if they can have nargles, but I certainly hope these ones don't."

The little chipmunk gave him a teasing smile, but knew he didn't like talking about personal matters in mixed company so she wisely chose to keep silent.

"Me too, but Victor said he was confident he could win." Granger said, but still looked like a particularly nervous brown bush.

Magnus was surprised Victor could even string a coherent sentence without mentioning Quidditch, this girl must've had one hell of an effect on him.

'Weird kink, but I don't judge.' He thought looking from the overgrown teeth to the king sized bush on her head.

Luna however, was in want of teasing.

"Victor, huh?" She didn't say much, but god was her smirk efficient.

The poor Gryffindor girl became a bumbling mess the likes of which even Longbottom would laugh at...no he wouldn't, but if he had the slightest bit of bad in him, he would!

Magnus didn't like too much softness in one person, there should at least be some form of teasing and roughness to keep things interesting. Like Fleur, she was the perfect mix of insanely sharp and rough edges keeping her warm, tender side safe and hidden away from the unworthy.

God, he had it bad.

'And she's going in there alone, trying to steal from a dragon' An insidious voice whispered in his mind, but he banished it, remembering all the training and planning they'd done.

Fleur was ready.

"You sure work fast, Granger." He struck the iron while it was hot, while also trying to get his mind out of the gutter.

The first objective was a success, judging by the nearly steaming face of one Hermione Granger.

The second...not so much.

"I've gotta go, keep my spot for me." He said, ignoring the questions and knowing glances alike.

Magnus felt an odd sense of pride when he saw Luna weave a rather good repulsion charm on his seat, so he turned around to pat the eccentric but very much deserving chipmunk on the head.

Then he took off.

...

Finding the champion's tent was easy, entering it undetected was even easier. There was no security keeping the champions safe, no ward, sentry or even the lightest of detection spells.

Just a good old tent with second grade soundproofing charms, it was almost inviting him to break in. So he did, fully disillusioned.

He was greeted by a pacing Cedric, who was mumbling a couple quick animation spells under his breath, as well as a rather good cooling charm. A good enough plan, but way too basic for his own personal risk tolerance.

Krum was sitting like a statue, looking down at the enchanted Chinese Fireball he was given with an unreadable expression. He didn't look particularly confident, but he was about to face a dragon so it was pretty understandable.

'The opposite would be more worrying, really.'

Then there was Fleur, sitting cross legged in the back of the tent, looking like the very face of quiet confidence and serenity with just enough snootiness mixed in to make him want to relentlessly tease her, or maybe hug the magic out of her? He wasn't sure which, maybe both.

She was already holding her wand, levitating the small but still fierce Welch Green, he felt pity for the small guy...girl, he was modeled after a female dragon.

All too suddenly, a huge relieved smile blossomed on her face, and he felt the bitter sting of jealousy being roused within him. Who in hell had the right to make her smile like this?

Then she looked at him, and he felt like an idiot.

Magnus approached her, letting go of his invisibility charm. He didn't mind the puzzled look the two others were shooting at him, but seeing him and Fleur act so naturally was seemingly enough to convince them that visits were normal.

The power of yellow vests; act normal and people will think it's normal.

"How did you see me?" He asked, switching to French for more privacy.

"Invisibility charms don't hide your footprint, canaille." She smiled at him so sweetly he almost believed her.

"Liar." He crouched down to her level, making her chuckle. "I always cover my tracks."

"Are you sure?" She looked down, raising a perfect eyebrow, before huffing when he didn't raise to the bait. "You could've played along, most men would kill for a chat with me."

She raised her chin comically, and he had the urge to snatch it and kiss her already.

'Soon.' He resolved.

"I'm not most men." Magnus said, looking at the dancing fire behind her eyes.

"Non, you are not." She said, moving a few strands of his hair away. "They would've been content supporting me from outside, doing the sane thing."

"They sound very boring."

"That's because they are, mon petit chou." Fleur cradled his cheek, before smiling in satisfaction when he didn't avoid her touch.

"Easy with the pet names, a boy might get the wrong idea if you talk to him like that." He said, barely holding back a smile.

"Maybe I want you to." She looked at him hungrily.

"Maybe I will." He wouldn't be undone this time, even if he had to use Occlumency not to blush.

The moment was broken by the boom calling forth the first champion, Cedric Diggory to face his challenge, and the wretched situation came back to hit them in the face.

"Why the grim face?" Fleur asked, sounding a bit hurt. "Don't you think I'm ready."

"I know you are." He touched her hand, which still rested on his cheek and did horrible/wonderful things with her fingers. "I'm still gonna worry."

"Good." She sighed, maybe she hadn't been that confident from the start. "That's good."

"You remember the plan?"

"Yes, and all thirty four contingencies." Fleur smiled, and he almost forgot himself again.

"If they don't work, just summon me from the stands." He said, and he meant it, it would doubtlessly cost her some points but there were no rules saying she couldn't use someone as a weapon in the tasks.

"You'd face a dragon for me?" She asked, sounding both amused and pleased.

'I'd rather face a dragon than you most of the time, but I just keep coming back.' Magnus thought, enjoying her warmth for a moment.

"You wouldn't?" He shot back, and she flicked his forehead.

"Idiot." Fleur rolled her eyes. "Of course I would."

From anyone else, he'd think they were bluffing, but it was Fleur who said it, and believed her.

"That makes me at least as good as a shiny cup." He smiled.

"At very least." She nodded, before cracking up.

A second explosion was heard, and Krum left the tent.

"I think you have to go." Fleur said.

"I know." He sighed, "I'd wish good luck, but you won't need it, just stick to the plan."

"Wait!" She called him, and he saw the angry Welch Green levitating toward him. "Take it with you, It'll be worth its weight in gold once I win this tournament."

Magnus laughed, picking up the small thing. It stayed put, happy to get away from the weird bird lady who kept trying to make it fly in ways a dragon definitely shouldn't.

"You know, you're a bit adorable when I think about it." He said cooeing at the golem shaped like a dangerous beast.

"…"

Still better than the weird bird lady.

…

"Missed me?" Magnus said, wandlessly dispelling the repulsion charm before sitting down.

"Where were you?" Granger asked, nosy as ever.

"Man, you missed the whole show." Weasley was strangely enough, much more amiable when you met him in real life (and there wasn't any food involved.) "Diggory tried to bait it with a transfigured dog, but his dragon ended up eating it in one bite, the tamers had to step in before it could swallow him too. He still got some pretty bad burns though."

"Poor man." He said, still caressing the small green dragon. "What about Krum?"

"You should have seen him! He cast a strange looking curse at the Fireball's eyes and it went blind, it trashed around a lot and ended up breaking it's own eggs, but he got the golden one." Ronald said dreamily, and Magnus couldn't help but wince.

'It will likely be put down.'

"Magnus, is this a dragon on your lap?" Padma asked him, in her titular 'what the fuck did you do this time' tone.

"Yes." He nodded, "Do we have a problem?"

"…"

"No, nevermind."

It seems like he still had it in him to scare people around, he thought he might've gotten softer with how comfortable his life had been lately.

But it seems like no amount of silver spoons could make a muggleborn orphan lose his edge, at least not when he's had a deadly cancer before.

'I wonder what I should name her…'

…

"Victor Krum got forty points for his troubles, and is currently in the lead." The annoying voice of Ludo Bagman announced. "Let's see if Beauxbatons can do better!"

Another boom was let out, and the Welsh green was released in the middle of the arena, it was chained and busy protecting its progeny, but a dragon was a dragon.

Rage, Power and fire made flesh.

Magnus had to transform his eyes to see Fleur when she first came out, a good five hundred meters away from the stands and half as much from the precious golden egg.

'Here comes the sleeping charm.' He thought, seeing her wave her wand in precise moves to give as much power to her spell as possible.

And power she would need, when she wanted to put a dragon to sleep.

Fleur had to draw from her own Veela nature to help the spell along, with each word carrying a bit of magic he'd felt everyday in her allure.

The French Champion sang a magical lullaby, and half the stadium was put to sleep. The dragon, while stronger, was way much closer to the source of the torpeur. It struggled, but eventually gave in and fell asleep.

Fleur approached quickly but carefully, until she could transfigure the ground beneath her golden egg into a basket which she pulled along with the Carpe Retractum spell, one of Magnus's favorites.

'Nobody remembers to protect against the Pull charm.' He smiled, knowing her victory was close.

The Veela picked up her egg, no longer maintaining her sleeping charm and rushed to the exit under a round of thundering applause. He saw her looking through the stands while Poppy urged her to get in the infirmary, their eyes finally met and she gave the brightest smile he'd seen in two lifetimes.

Fleur had completed the first task.