Ariana

The chill of February settled deep into the castle, sinking through the cracks and crevices of Hogwarts' stone walls. Winter had turned everything to ice—lake, sky, and even my patience with the rising tension. Everyone buzzed with excitement, counting down to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, but I couldn't bring myself to share it. Not when I knew what the Task involved.

The Black Lake.

I hated the thought of it. Cold, endless, and dark.

"Air, you've got that look again."

A familiar voice broke through my thoughts, and I glanced up as Miles slid onto the bench across from me in the Great Hall. His hair was a mess from the wind, and there was still snow clinging to his shoulders, making him look annoyingly charming.

"What look?" I mumbled, stabbing at the eggs on my plate with my fork.

"That 'I hate everything' look." Miles grinned, leaning forward on his elbows. "I'm guessing this has something to do with the Tournament?"

I didn't answer right away, instead glancing around at the rest of the Slytherin table. Adrian was seated down the way, talking to Theo and Enzo, who both waved at me as they noticed I was watching. Enzo threw in a wink for good measure.

"Air?" Miles nudged my foot under the table, drawing my attention back to him. "What's wrong?"

"I just..." I sighed, putting down my fork. "It's the lake. The whole thing makes me uneasy. You know how deep it is? How dark?"

"Did you know the Black Lake is over fifty meters deep?"

Miles blinked at me from across the table, mid-bite of toast, as I pull the book out over my bad onto the Great Hall's table with a dramatic thud. A few students glanced over, but I ignored them, watching his reaction.

"Fifty meters?" he repeated, chewing slowly. "And... you're telling me this why?"

"Because," I huffed, flipping the book open to a well-worn page, "it's not just the depth that's unsettling. Look at this." I tapped my finger on the page, where a sketch of a terrifying sea creature snarled up at us.

He leaned over, squinting at it. "Merpeople?"

"And grindylows," I added, voice rising slightly. "And the giant squid, and who knows what else lurking down there. Miles, it's freezing. It's dark. And it's endless. Anything could be in that water."

Miles set his toast down, wiping his hands on his napkin before reaching out to gently shut the book. "Air," he said calmly, brown eyes locking onto mine, "have you been in the library reading horror stories about the lake?"

I sighed, slumping forward onto my arms. "Maybe."

"You've really got to stop torturing yourself."

"I'm not torturing myself." I groaned into my sleeves. "I'm just—"

"Obsessing?"

I shot him a look, and he laughed, the sound soft and warm. "It's not funny," I grumbled. "I'm trying to learn, and I still don't understand why anyone would go in there willingly."

"The champions don't exactly have a choice," Miles pointed out, smiling slightly. "But for the rest of us? Yeah, I'll stick to dry land, thanks."

"That's what I thought." I muttered, nudging the book aside. "Anyway, Adrian says—" I paused, cutting myself off.

Miles raised an eyebrow. "Adrian says...?"

I winced. "Is he... talking to you yet?"

The smile on Miles' face faltered, and he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "Not really. We've exchanged maybe three words since December, and they were all monosyllabic."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably. I knew Adrian was stubborn, but I'd hoped he'd lighten up after a few months. "I'll talk to him."

Miles shook his head quickly. "No, Air, don't. It'll just make things worse. He's your brother—he'll come around when he's ready."

I frowned, studying his expression. There was no resentment there, no irritation—just patience. It was one of the things I'd grown to admire about him. He was steady, always.

"He should come around," I muttered, poking at my eggs. "You've been nothing but kind to me."

Miles tilted his head slightly, watching me. "Kind to you, huh?"

"Yes."

"So... I'm only kind?" he teased, leaning forward on his elbows.

I blinked at him, cheeks heating. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Uh-huh." He smirked, obviously enjoying how flustered I'd become. "Maybe Adrian senses I'm not as innocent as you think, Love."

"Miles," I hissed, kicking him under the table.

He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Relax, I'm joking." He reached out to grab my hand, his fingers brushing against mine. "Don't worry about Adrian. Things will smooth out eventually."

I sighed, but his hand was warm, and for a moment, I let myself believe him.

Miles tilted his head, his brown eyes softening as he watched me. "You're worried about something happening?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"Air." Miles reached across the table, his hand brushing mine. "It's going to be okay. The champions are trained for this kind of thing, and the professors wouldn't let anything happen."

I managed a small smile, though his words didn't ease the knot in my stomach. "I hope you're right."

Miles smiled back, squeezing my hand before pulling away. "You think I'm wrong?"

"No," I admitted, rolling my eyes despite myself. "You're never wrong, are you?"

"Finally, she admits it." Miles laughed, leaning back and stretching his arms over the bench. "I'm just glad to see you smile."

I shook my head, but I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twitching up. That was the thing about Miles—he always knew how to break through my worry, even if only for a moment.

...

The Black Lake stretched endlessly before me, its surface smooth and glass-like under the weak winter sun. The stands surrounding the water were packed, students bundled in cloaks and scarves as they shouted and cheered. Flags waved for each champion—Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory—all of them preparing to descend into the freezing depths.

I pulled my cloak tighter around myself, standing between Theo and Enzo, who were shivering dramatically beside me.

"Merlin's beard, Air," Theo muttered, rubbing his gloved hands together. "You've dragged us to the worst possible spot."

"It's fine."

"It's bloody freezing," Enzo whined, though he was grinning despite himself. "We should've stayed closer to the firewhiskey punch. I heard someone spiked it."

"You mean you spiked it?" I shot him a look, earning an exaggerated gasp of innocence from him.

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing," Enzo said, clutching his chest like I'd insulted him.

Theo snorted. "As if you weren't bragging about it this morning."

My lips twitched, but my focus returned to the lake. A series of whistles sounded, and the crowd grew louder as the champions stepped forward, their faces calm and composed. My stomach twisted uneasily as I watched them prepare, knowing what was coming.

"Not a fan of water, are you, Air?" Theo asked softly, nudging my shoulder.

"Not that kind of water."

Enzo sighed, tipping his head toward me. "You'll be fine, mate. It's not like you're diving in. And hey, you've got Miles to warm you up later, yeah?"

I swatted his arm, but I couldn't stop the heat that crept up my cheeks. "Shut up, Enzo."

"Oi, look at her blushing!" Theo teased, grinning as I groaned and pulled my cloak tighter.

"Why am I friends with you two?"

Before they could answer, the loud horn blared across the stands, and the crowd fell into a hush. The champions dove into the water, disappearing beneath the dark surface with barely a splash.

I gripped the railing in front of me, my fingers cold against the frozen iron, and held my breath as I stared at the empty, rippling lake. It felt like we were all holding our breath, waiting to see what—or who—would resurface first.

Theo and Enzo, thankfully, let the moment stretch into silence. Even they knew when to shut up.

Minutes dragged by—one, two, five—until I could feel my heartbeat in my throat.

Then, finally, a figure broke the surface, gasping for air. Cheers erupted across the crowd, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

The tension began to ease, and Theo clapped me on the back with a grin. "Told you they'd be fine, Air."

"Yeah," I said, though I couldn't shake the unease completely.

Miles found me not long after, his cheeks flushed and his hands tucked into his coat pockets. He grinned as he approached, brushing a kiss against my temple. "You survived the Second Task."

"Barely," I muttered, though his warmth settled something in my chest.

Miles slipped an arm around me, pulling me close against his side as we walked away from the lake. "You know," he said, his voice low, "I'd stay out of the water for you." Giving me a boyish grin

I tilted my head up at him, trying to hide my smile. "You'd stay out of the water for yourself. You hate swimming."

Miles laughed, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Yeah, well, that too."

The tension I'd carried all morning faded, replaced by the soft, familiar comfort of him. Whatever the Tournament brought next, I knew I'd face it like I always did—head held high, with my friends by my side.

And Miles? Well, Miles was quickly becoming the one constant I couldn't imagine being without. Maybe just maybe I was falling for him.

...

The common room was almost empty by the time I got back, the excitement from the Second Task still buzzing faintly in my chest. The stands had been freezing, but watching the champions disappear into the dark waters of the Black Lake had been nothing short of mesmerizing. I could still feel the chill from the wind as I rubbed my arms and glanced around the room. Most of the other students had gone to bed, leaving the place eerily quiet.

I spotted Adel curled up in the corner, a book balanced on her knees. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulder as she chewed the end of a quill, utterly lost in whatever she was scribbling. The sight made me smile.

"Hey, you're still up?" I asked, walking over and flopping onto the couch beside her.

Adel jumped, her quill slipping from her hand. "Merlin's beard, Ari! You scared me!"

"Sorry." I laughed, tugging the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapping it around myself. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, shutting the book and tucking it out of sight.

"Mm-hmm." I raised an eyebrow. "Secretive much?"

Adel stuck her tongue out at me, but her cheeks had turned a suspicious shade of pink.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, changing the subject. Her eyes scanned me, concerned. "The lake looked so cold. You must have been freezing just sitting there."

I exhaled, leaning back against the couch. "Freezing doesn't even begin to cover it. But it was worth it. Watching the champions dive in—I don't think I'll forget it anytime soon."

Adel frowned. "I still think it's crazy. They could have died down there."

"They all came out fine," I pointed out. "Though that grindylow moment had me holding my breath."

Adel hesitated, then leaned closer. "You... you didn't wish you were down there, did you?"

"What? No." I shook my head quickly. "I'm perfectly happy watching, thank you very much. Besides, someone had to keep Theo and Enzo from sneaking alcohol into the punch."

Adel rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Still, it's terrifying. I read a book about the lake once. Did you know how deep it is? Over fifty meters! And the creatures in there..." She shuddered. "It's a whole different world."

I laughed softly. "And yet, you're the one with nightmares about spiders, not grindylows."

"Spiders are worse," she muttered, crossing her arms.

The laughter faded, and I leaned back, watching the flicker of the firelight. "Hey, is Adrian talking to you much?" I asked casually.

Adel's expression shifted. "Yeah, actually, he was. He was talking about how he and Miles have been avoiding each other. He's... been busy, I think."

"Busy with Miles, you mean?"

Adel gave me a look. "Don't start, Ari."

"I'm not starting anything," I said defensively. "I just...you know what let's not talk about them. I worry about you."

"I'm fine," she said softly, though her tone lacked conviction.

"Mm-hmm." I tilted my head, studying her. "Okay, spill. What's going on?"

Adel sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Okay, fine. I'm... sort of fine."

"Sort of?"

She hesitated, then leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You can't laugh, okay?"

"Why would I laugh?"

"Just promise."

"Okay, okay. I promise."

Adel hesitated a second longer before blurting, "I have a crush."

My mouth twitched, but I managed to hold back a smile. "On who?"

She buried her face in her hands, groaning. "This is embarrassing."

"Come on, you brought it up!" I nudged her playfully. "Spill."

Adel peeked at me through her fingers. "It's... Luke."

"Luke?" I repeated, surprised. "As in Luke Larkin? Second-year, Ravenclaw, smart as anything Luke? Luke who I used to tutor?"

She groaned louder. "Stop saying his name like that!"

"Like what?" I teased, grinning now.

"Ari!" she whined, swatting at me.

I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But... I mean, he's a good guy. Kind of adorable, actually. Does he know?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, horrified. "And he never will."

"Why not?"

"Because!" She hid her face again. "He'd probably laugh in my face or think I'm weird or—"

"Adel." I cut her off gently. "You're amazing, okay? If Luke has any sense, he'd be over the moon that someone like you even likes him."

She looked up at me, doubtful. "You really think so?"

"I know so." I smiled at her, smoothing down her hair.

Adel sighed, leaning into me. "Thanks, Ari."

"Anytime," I murmured, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

For a while, we just sat there, listening to the crackle of the fire. Despite the exhaustion still clinging to me, my heart felt lighter. No matter how chaotic everything else was, moments like this reminded me of what really mattered.

I'm on a roll with this story! I mentioned it would get darker, but we all love fluff. What do we think about Miles? Do we like him or not? Low-key spoiling you guys🤭🤭

-Love your favourite Mexican Latina Victoria. C