The Serpent of Durmstrang // A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter Fourteen

The weeks following Sirius' discharge from the hospital had been a whirlwind for Harry. While his training had been taken to a whole new level by Professor Gregorovitch, the weight of the tournament was still on his shoulders. However, it felt lighter, eclipsed by the prophecy.

Sitting by his lonesome on the shores of the lake gave Harry a moment of peace. His thoughts churning at the consequences of the prophecy that pertained to him as the one to defeat Voldemort. He frowned and closed his eyes. January had almost passed, and the Second Task was at-hand, yet he couldn't find it in himself to focus on the tournament. He watched the Black Lake, knowing that somewhere down there was a Merfolk settlement. Somewhere down there was where someone close to him would be held hostage for him to rescue.

A breeze blew through the trees, masking the footsteps of someone approaching. Lost in thought, Harry did not even notice until a hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing ever so slightly.

Harry looked up, "Fleur."

Fleur smiled, her blonde hair swaying to the tempo of the breeze. Harry could not help but return the gesture, his face cracking into a grin as he admired the Veela. Flawless, even with the wind making a mess of her hair.

"Harry, have you been sleeping well?" Fleur noticed the growing bags under his eyes, darkening every single day. It had been a few days since they had been able to find time for themselves. Every single waking moment was devoted to the Second Task, and even Fleur was feeling the effects of the stress.

Harry sighed, a slight frown returning. He shifted a little to the left, giving enough space on the rock outcrop for Fleur, which she gladly took.

"Not really."

"You'll do great in the Second Task. You should get some rest, it'll definitely help!"

Harry did not have the heart to tell her about the prophecy, nor was he sure if it was the best choice. The smaller the circle, the better. Especially since Voldemort would stop at nothing to finally hear the full prophecy. It would be even harder now that Harry smashed the prophecy orb, making the information known only to a select few.

The price, however, was that he could not share the information with anybody, not to his friends, and certainly not to Fleur. It would be putting them in more danger than just being close to him. The fear of losing those he loved the most, those he cherished, gripped at his heart every night. There were dreams that he dreamed, ones that he would have loved to just forget, but couldn't. And every single time one of those popped up, he would sleep even less. The product can be seen, and his haggard form was not something that he could hide any longer. His friends had noticed. Fleur had noticed. Everyone else was starting to notice.

Harry Potter was looking like a shell of his former self.

A sigh escaped his lips, before the boy-who-lived turned away and towards the lake. His eyes were now closed, as though in deep thought. Fleur would catch on, and make no comment as she enjoyed the little time they get to spend together. She herself had been losing sleep each passing day. As a Veela, being enclosed within the element that was essentially her weakness was daunting. The only saving grace was the fact that she was quarter-blood, lessening the effects of long-term water exposure. But the threat is still there.

It would not be the first time for Harry and Fleur to share the same thought. The dream of not having to face these challenges, of just being in love and following around like they should be. Love struck, foolish, yet free.

"It will get better, won't it?" Harry asked, his eyes still closed as he found himself basking in the warring scent of the lake and Fleur's own perfume. "These days. These times. It will pass." It was said in an almost pleading tone, and Fleur caught onto it. What she did not know was the fact that Harry was speaking of more than just the Tri-Wizard Tournament.