The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 40. Preludes.

Mike was dreading the briefing for the third task, since he might have to talk to Elizabeth. She had sulked more and and more at the Slytherin table over the course of the week, and hadn't even shown up this morning. Not only was Mike upset at how his own relationship was turning out, but Elizabeth's attitude irritated Nadine, which in turn irritated Kate. He wished nothing more than to go back to the relationship they had had... But that chance was gone forever.

The Quidditch pitch, where the third task was to take place, had been transformed. The champions were waiting, standing next to Padma Patil. Elizabeth didn't give Mike so much as a look. When they all were gathered, Padma began.

"Welcome," she said. "The third task will take place in the afternoon on June the twenty-fifth."

Mike looked at the pitch. A tree, at least twenty feet across at the bottom, grew there, already higher than the Quaffle hoops.

Noting the champions' attention, Padma continued, "It'll grow to five hundred feet by the time the third task comes around. The Triwizard cup will be placed on the top, and there'll be three clearly defined paths up. You'll be able to choose based on the points achieved in the first two tasks. Hogwarts first, then Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang will take the remaining path."

"That's it?" Veronique Rossi asked skeptically. "Just climb a tree?"

"Well, there'll be obstacles," Padma replied. "A few creatures you'll have to deal with, a number of risky choices you'll have to make. And there will be no tricks. Broomsticks and other flying devices are forbidden, and the cup itself will be protected by strong spells that will repel attempts to touch it with anything other than the contestants' bodies. Needless to say, you can't summon it. Any more questions?"

There were none. Mike moved towards Elizabeth, but she seemed to notice and immediately headed back to the castle.

Dammit, Mike thought. How am I supposed to do something when my partner won't even talk to me?

Reluctantly, Mike concluded that he had been right the night the Goblet selected him and Elizabeth. Hogwarts would lose this tournament.

XXX

"Shall we have the final match and conclude the club tournament tonight?" Potter asked. Almost everyone cheered.

Elizabeth didn't. She had been dreading this moment. Coming face-to-face with Longbottom. Nadine's girlfriend. She still tried to get her mind around the idea.

Kate stepped up. "What's the matter, Malfoy? Afraid?"

"Shut up, Longbottom. You'll pay for taking Nadine away from me." She raised her sword.

Kate took a ready stance. "I took Nadine away?"

"What else to do you call it?" Elizabeth thrust her sword at Kate, who had to step back.

"I call it dating. Something you and Mike did. I didn't complain you took him away from me." She lunged and was blocked.

"I didn't. You still hung around together." Elizabeth made several strikes, but Kate parried all of them.

"Maybe it's because I didn't call him a fan of Dark wizards for dating a Slytherin," Kate said. "Maybe it's because I accepted your relationship." She took another lunge, forcing Elizabeth to block.

"Or maybe," Elizabeth countered, "it's because he never hid it from you. There were no secrets. Touché." Elizabeth's next strike got through Kate's defenses and scored a point.

Kate frowned and brought her sword back up. "You may be right. But don't you think,"--she thrusted forward, forcing Elizabeth to take a few steps back-- "that you went a bit overboard?"

"No! Wouldn't you be disturbed if it was the other way around, if Mike or Jordan were--"

"No!" Kate said firmly. "I wouldn't. Unfortunately, my two best friends are both as heterosexual as they can be." Elizabeth was only half-listening, having to parry several attack in just a few seconds. "I don't see any meaningful difference between the two relationships--other than the fact that right now, Nadine and I have one, and you and Mike... don't. Touché." Kate scored.

"And I don't want it," Elizabeth, still mad Kate got through, retorted angrily, before launching a rapid attack. Kate retreated, putting up a series of equally quick blocks.

"Oh, really? Then what would you say if I told you Mike's dating someone else?"

The words hit her, and Kate's next strike nearly skewered Elizabeth. She barely managed to knock the blade away. "Who?" she demanded.

Kate blocked another strike, stepped back, and took a breath. "Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Uh-huh. In case you wanted to know, it's Patricia Nott." This stunned Elizabeth, and Kate immediately took advantage of it with a successful attack. "Touché."

"That was low, Longbottom. I know Nott is still with Goyle." Elizabeth charged ahead, trying to strike back at Kate, who retreated. For a few moments, nothing was said, until Kate finally knocked Elizabeth's sword upward and, before Elizabeth disentangled and brought it back down, waltzed around her. Having forced Kate to the end of the piste, she now found herself at that end. Kate looked ready to block any attack.

"Why the anger, then?" she said. "Admit it. You're jealous."

Elizabeth blocked another attack. "You just said it to score." And she launched her own flurry of attacks, again forcing Kate to retreat.

"That's the point--" Kate stopped to block a particularly fierce swing. "By the way, for future reference, I'm the only lesbian involved, you know. Nadine's bi."

Having pushed Kate back into the center of the piste, Elizabeth took a deep breath. "And you're telling me this... why?"

"No reason." Elizabeth struck as Kate began her answer.

"Touché."

"Oh, good job, Malfoy."

"Next point wins the match."

"I can count, thank you. You know something... I think you may be in denial." She lunged again. Elizabeth parried the strike and launched one of her own.

"What?"

"You aren't into women, are you?" Kate stepped back to block another attack. "If you are, I can tell Mike to stop wasting his time."

"I am not a lesbian!" Elizabeth shouted with her next attack. She half-hoped the scream would distract Kate enough for her to score, but Kate managed the parry. She retreated again and sighed with relief.

"Denial. Classic case of denial." Kate blocked again. "Say, you aren't jealous of me, by any chance? Nadine does find you attractive." Kate touched her hair. "She likes blondes. Touché."

"What? You can't have--"

"You saw it. I scored. You lost."

"But it was unfair!"

"Why? You let yourself be distracted. You wouldn't if there wasn't some truth to some of it. And like it or not, you'll have to meet with Mike tomorrow, so think carefully."

"You should have been a Slytherin, Longbottom."

"Maybe I should transfer. More time with Nadine." And Kate left before Elizabeth could find a suitable retort.

The match with Longbottom had infuriated her on many levels, starting with the fact that she lost. But coupling that with all the accusations of jealousy and lesbianism... the worst part was that the lesbianism part was the only thing where she could honestly tell herself Kate was wrong.