Stars in Her Eyes {Wolfstar's Daughter}

Chapter 39: Task One

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Nell whined, slumped over a plate of untouched toast that Hermione had slid in front of her at some point that morning.

"Please don't." Ron grimaced and dramatically dropped his fork. He quickly picked it up again though when Hermione shot him a look of disbelief and annoyance at his insensitivity.

"Er, I mean, you're gonna be fine. Totally fine." He corrected himself with an awkward cough.

Nell was very much of aware of how terrible her and Harry must've looked seeing as she had barely got any sleep the previous night and by the looks of it, Harry hadn't slept at all. It didn't help that the full moon was approaching far faster than she would've liked, seeing as she was still feeling particularly run down from the last one.

Her joints had maintained their dull ache for much longer into the new month than usual, something she blamed on stress as she hadn't exactly foreseen being thrown into a dragon duelling competition against her will.

"Tell that to Harry" Nell nodded towards the boy who had his elbows on the table and held his head in his hands. At the sound of his name his head shot up, looking rather dazed and groggy without his glasses which were set down on the table beside him.

"Huh? Yeah I'm good." The boy mumbled, his mind far away from breakfast at the Gryffindor table. Hermione looked between the two, brows furrowed in worry.

"Look, remember when you were all nervous about your last quidditch match? And everything went fine, great in fact?" She pointed out, in hopes to calm the pair whilst Ron hummed in agreement, finally going back to his food.

"Yeah, well a dragon's a little bigger than a quaffle, Mione." Nell remarked, having taken to pushing the toast around on her plate as a distraction method.

"And a snitch" Harry groaned before plopping his head back down into his hands, gripping his fingers tightly in his hair. Hermione huffed in defeat, turning back to her food with pursed lips.

"I don't even know why I try."

Nell looked up from her plate with regretful eyes, Hermione really was just trying to make them feel better, she didn't deserve their nerves being channeled onto her.

"Sorry, we're just really nervous." She mumbled apologetically to her friend who instantly sent her a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, sorry Hermione." Harry added, looking up again before attempting to eat some of the food the girl had shovelled in front of him. He only managed a couple of small mouthfuls but it was more than he would've eaten otherwise. Nell just continued to nudge hers around on the plate, fearful that she wouldn't be able to keep it down

"Hey? What about me? I'm the one who's trying to eat here whilst you two are looking particularly vomity." Ron taunted, gesturing his fork between the two teens before Nell ripped off a piece of her toast and threw it as his head.

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With two of them pacing, one sat rigidly on the edge of their bed and the other two stood awkwardly at the side, the five champions anxiously awaited the first task. By now - even if they hadn't already known - the dragons' involvement had become blatantly clear by the chorus of screeches and growls sounding from outside the tent. The two youngest of the five lingered nervously in the corner, hands tightly intertwined as Cedric and Krum took up most of the floor space with their strides.

Everyone's heads snapped to the tent entrance in expectance as the fabric was pushed open, only to sigh as someone dramatically strutted into the room. Rita Skeeter sighed contently as she looked between the champions, her photographer following behind her every move like a lost puppy.