Cedric suddenly arrived from behind her. He saw her standing still and froze too.

"Megan, you okay?"

"Yeah..." she said, glancing briefly his way before turning her eyes back on the cup. "You?"

"Yeah..."

This was it, and they both knew it. The last sprint to the finish. Whoever got it first would win. But Megan couldn't entirely determine which she wanted most. If she at least knew what it would mean for her and Cedric... They glanced at each other, silently promising to be fair.

In one movement, they both ran towards the cup. It was a good half a mile ahead, but one couldn't miss it, it gleamed too brightly in the darkening maze. Cedric, who was taller and stronger, was soon in front. Megan knew he would win, he was much faster than her. Just then, Megan saw a gigantic black spider heading quickly in their direction. Cedric hadn't seen it, and if he didn't move, he would be hit.

"CEDRIC!" Megan yelled. "ON YOUR LEFT!"

He looked just in time to throw himself forwards out of its way. Megan raised her wand and yelled:

"Stupefy!"

The only effect the spell had was make it turn on her instead.

"Oh, boy... Impedimenta! Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"

Cedric's spells were no more effective than Megan's. Just then, its pincers snapped themselves around her and she felt herself being lifted. Megan let out a scream.

"Expelliarmus!" Cedric yelled.

The pincers dropped her and Cedric was there to catch her. Then, they both aimed their wands at the underside of the spider and shouted together:

"Stupefy!"

This time, it worked. The spider toppled over and fell on the floor over the hedge around them. They held each other tightly.

"You okay?" Cedric asked, panting.

"I'm fine. You?" she asked, gasping too.

"Fine."

They stood frozen, holding each other and panting. Just then, a strong wind blew around them. They glanced in the direction it was coming from. The hedge was moving towards them... but that couldn't be right...

"Run!" Cedric shouted, and they sprinted in the opposite direction.

The Cup was still about a mile away, now. They ran on and on, the hedges drawing up closer as they pushed on. Just then, Cedric tripped and fell to floor. Megan spun around.

"Cedric!"

He was caught in the vines of the hedges, which were coiling around his ankles.

"Go on, Megan, don't worry about me!" he shouted. "GO!"

But he might as well have said nothing at all.

"Reducto!" Megan shouted.

The vines recoiled and Megan quickly yanked them off and pulled Cedric to his feet. They were getting closer and closer to the end. They threw themselves forwards at the foot of the Triwizard Cup. The hedge closed behind them, boxing them in. They looked at each other, breathless, lying on the ground, sweaty and bruised.

"Some game, huh?" Cedric said, with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah..."

He reached out and took her hand.

"Are you okay?"

Panting, she nodded.

"You? Those things weren't poisonous, were they,"

"I don't think so. The teachers aren't trying to kill us," he smiled.

He got up and helped her to her feet. They looked at each other for a moment, both making sure the other was unharmed. Cedric pushed hair out of Megan's eyes, while she touched his cheek. They were shaken and grubby, but all right. And whatever happened, that was what mattered.

"Now, what?" Megan asked.

They looked at the cup. It was beautiful and gleamed in the darkness. They only had to touch it. They glanced at each other and Megan knew he was thinking what she was. If one won, would that mean they would have to end their relationship? Megan hadn't cared who won at first, but... she had to be honest, the thought of having gone through all that pain and suffering, the stress... and that it had been for nothing...

"... Go on, Megan," Cedric finally said. "You take it."

Megan stared blankly at him.

"What?"

"Go on and take the cup. You saved me twice."

"You're joking. No way. You're faster than me, you'd win. You take it."

"No. I would have lost if you hadn't saved me from the spider, or warned me about the dragons..."

"And I would have failed if you hadn't told me about the egg. And drowned after that if you hadn't gone after me."

"I had help."

"So did I." Megan retorted.

They looked at each other. Both knew they would never agree.

"Together, then." Megan said.

"What?"

"We'll tie. It's still a Hogwarts victory."

"You sure?"

"Yes," she said. "We both went through too much to just let one of us walk away empty handed. We'll both take it. It's the best way to satisfy both of us."

Cedric smiled.

"Karkaroff and Madame Maxime won't be happy."

"I don't give a rat's tail about them, Madam Maxime broke Hagrid's heart and Karkaroff's shady."

He laughed at that.

"Okay, then." He agreed.

He took her hand, and then looked at the cup.

"On three. One..." Cedric began.

"Two..."

"Three!" They said together.

They both caught a handle each. The cup glowed brightly, and Cedric frowned.

"What the..."

Before Megan could ask what was confusing him, he shouted:

"Megan, hold on!"

And they felt themselves heaved off the ground into a whirlwind of colour.