Rather than watch Hope struggle and stress herself over the coin mystery, Henry decided he wanted to enter the lake on the next full moon. He was in desperate need of a swim, and it would be nice to give his tail a nice stretch. It would also be good to get away from the castle since everyone had gone complete mental with the events of the Yule Ball. The group was somewhat divided again when everyone heard that Elliot had asked a Hufflepuff girl to the Yule Ball rather than Eliza.

Eliza tried to act like she was okay with the whole scenario of him asking another girl, but it was quite obvious that she was not. She could only fake a smile for so long before she grew upset and left the group if they were gathered.

Henry just wanted things to go somewhat back to normal, so that everyone was happy and not completely stressed, but it seemed like he was going to have to wait on that for awhile. In the meantime, he just wanted Hope to happy, and he knew she was easily amused by his tail. Just by inviting her that morning, she already seemed to be in a better mood.

As they sat down by the lake, he watched as she twirled the coin in her fingers with an absentminded look, until he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Earth to Hope...hello? Are you in there?" He called to her.

She blinked before turning to him. "Hmm?"

"Hope, put the coin down. We're not thinking of the tournament today. We're just out here enjoying ourselves, alright?"

He pushed her hand down, waiting until Hope slid the coin into her pocket. "There you go, it's gone. Out of sight, out of mind."

"Good. Now...I'll be right back."

Hope turned around with a knowing grin and covered her eyes as Henry went to change to enter the water. She heard the sound of a familiar splash, and waited until Henry called to her. Turning around, she saw him splashing about in the water, swimming on his back.

"Feels great. You should come in." He told her.

"What are you nuts?"Hope said wrapping her arms around herself. "That water just looks cold, I'm not getting in there. I quite like the warmth, thank you."

"Don't be such a chicken, Hopey."

"Don't be such a flounder head, Ry Ry."

She sighed before flopping back. "Everything is completely mad this year. The Triwizard Tournament, Stella and Teddy getting together.."

"Finally." The two said together.

"And then..all this drama between Elliot and Eliza. I can't even wrap my head around him asking someone else, I mean, do you know who he asked?" She asked him.

Henry shrugged. "Not a clue and he won't say anything either. You got to feel bad for him though, Eliza could have asked him sooner, she was just waiting on him. Girls should be asking guys too. They can't rely on the boys to make the first move all the time. Then when they end up going with someone else, they get all upset. It's tough being a boy sometimes."

"Oh you poor thing." Hope pouted at him. "Must be so difficult."

"Well, it's true. We're expected to do everything first. We have to ask the girl out first, make the first move first, be the one to propose ...all while facing rejection, each and every time."

"Excuse me, but you so did not make the first move." Hope said smirking at him. "I kissed you first."

"Only to prove a point..you were just trying to give me cooties. That's not making a move, that's making a statement!"

"Are you suggesting that you want me to make the first move?" She questioned, folding her arms and staring at him.

"I might be." He grinned at her. 'It be nice to switch up tradition, you know?"

Hope snorted. "Right, for non-traditional purposes. So are you coming on land or not?"

Henry made a face at her. "Or you could come in the water..."

"No way, it's freezing! We've been over this..."

"Come on, Hopey, you just have to break tradition, just this once. Besides you're wearing one of your mother's jumpers, you'll warm up in no time."

"Uh the jumper only covers my upper half, I'm not wearing  knitted knickers here, Henry."

The two giggled at the term that they had learned from Eleanor early on in their lives, before Henry looked to Hope.

"Well, you do have a wand to dry off-"

"Ugh fine!" Hope rolled her eyes and was about to enter the water when Henry turned away from her.

"Well I don't want a kiss now if you're going to have an attitude about it." He said in a cheeky tone.

"I swear to Merlin-" She splashed at him, completely drenching his face. He yelped at the sudden rush of water at him, before he turned and saw her standing knee deep in the water.

"Oh so that's how you want to play it, huh?"His eyes narrowed as hers widened.

"Now wait just a second," she said holding up her hands. "Let's not do anything we'll regret-"

"I don't see how I'll regret this." He smiled, nearing her.

"Don't you dare-"

Suddenly, she was tackled back into the water and as she imagined it to be, it was terribly cold. She quickly emerged, her bottom lip trembling as she shivered.

"Y-y-you g-g-git." She stammered. 

"I'm sorry, are you cold?"

"Y-yes, you can k-kiss that non-tradition s-stuff goodbye!" She told him.

"Well, I have no problem with keeping it traditional..but just this one time." He said as he pushed the wet hair out of her face. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as he cupped her cheek gently, as he continued to lean in closer and closer to her.

But it was as if fate was working against Henry Elvendork Black as Hope became distracted by something in the water, interrupting the would be kiss.

"Henry look..."

He sighed before staring up at the night sky as Hope moved away from him. "What?"

"The coin...it's floating, look!"

"What?!" He turned his head abruptly and saw the gold piece floating in the water. Hope scooped it up and held it in the light of the moon.

"That was it..it was water! Just like the mermaids in the second task before, it was water...this is...this is a water challenge."