The tension in the great hall as everyone moved about to take their seats could be cut with a knife. It was Thursday, and the Goblet of Fire was about to select the three pairs it wanted for the tournament.

All the teachers were there, as well. Aside from McGonagall, they were stood at the back, and Azalea noticed Harry was with them, chatting merrily with Teddy, despite the read of the room.

Azalea, surprisingly, wasn't feeling any of the tension. She was sat with the gang; Albus, Rose, Scorpius, Lily, Alice, and even James, Fred and Louis. All of them were alight with excitement, yet all knew they didn't have a chance of getting chosen.

(Or so Azalea thought).

"Sit down, please!" McGonagall called around at everyone, and of course, those that weren't already doing so complied. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champion selection!"

She pointed her wand at the torches around the room in turn, sending their wildly flickering flames down to smaller ones and dimming the light in the room. Now, the main source of light was the goblet's fire, which of course was the whole point.

Slowly, McGonagall turned to the goblet, holding her hand up to it, and waiting.

All of a sudden, the flame turned red, shooting a slightly charred piece of parchment out. McGonagall caught it swiftly,  reading it out in a loud voice.

"The Durmstrang champions are... Lauri Krum and Adrian Valkare!"

There was a loud cheer from all the Durmstrang students as Lauri and Adrian stood up. Lauri looked over at Azalea, smiling slightly as he and his friend got down off the bench they were sat at and went to shake hands with McGonagall. After they had, they walked up the hall, everyone still cheering for them, and into the trophy room off it, where all the champions were going to await further information.

When the flame glowed red again, everyone was ready for it. Azalea wondered who would be next, Beauxbatons or Hogwarts, and who it would be.

The parchment released this time was larger, and only had charred edges.

McGonagall read it with verve. "The champions from Beauxbatons are... Adelaide Beaumont  and Eleanor Wicker!"

The two selected Beauxbatons girls were both blonde with blue eyes, and very beautiful. Azalea clapped for both of them, smiling slightly as she wondered how Hogwarts was going to fair in this competition.

So it's just Hogwarts left, she thought, as Adelaide and Eleanor walked through into the trophy room. Wonder who in the world it's going to be.

The third slip of parchment came even quicker than the other two, thrust from the red flame quickly and into McGonagall's hand.

However, as she read this one, for just a split second, she let out a little gasp, her eyes widening and her head shaking. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, and Azalea didn't blink.

Then, finally, McGonagall announced. "The two champions for Hogwarts are..."

She seemed almost afraid to say it-

"James Potter and Azalea Edwards!"

✾✾✾

When she was younger, Azalea had fallen out a tree.

She hadn't meant to, it had been an accident, but she still remembered the way she'd hit the ground hard, the way she'd yelled in pain, the way Daisy had come running over to her to try and help her.

The way all the air had been knocked from her lungs.

For most of her life, she'd have told you that's the most pain she'd ever been in.

Until now.

Except now, it wasn't painful. But it was the same sensation. All the air had been completely knocked from her lungs, her mouth dry.

What. The. FUCK.

That was her name. McGonagall had just said her name, and James Potter's.

JAMES POTTER'S.

She had been chosen to compete, with James Potter, for the Triwizard Tournament.

Oh, shit.

"Lea-" Lily hissed, as her ears faded back into the moment and she heard the claps, and her friend's voice. "Lea, you need to move."

But Azalea couldn't move. All around the room, people were hooting with joy for her and James, and she just couldn't move.

"Lea, for God's sake-"

Between Alice and Lily, Azalea was lifted up and shoved forward, down the steps. The girl had trouble remembering to walk, but she eventually did, joining James at the bottom of the-

James.

Somewhere in the back of Azalea's mind, she knew the truth. But somehow, she was expecting James to also be reacting the same way she was. She was expecting him to be surprised.

But no. He was stood grinning up at her, gesturing for her to come to him.

And all at once, every single morsel of shock in Azalea turned to anger.

He entered us in.

It was him.

He put my name in that fucking goblet without my permission.

Yeah, there went any positive feeling's she'd felt towards James so far this year.

When she reached him, she felt the strong urge to punch him, but shoved it down. Instead, she stared straight at him, eyes narrowed, flames burning in them. James' eyes went wide, then softened, then went apologetic.

"Lea," he whispered to her once she was close enough, not being heard because everyone was still cheering. "Lea, listen-"

"Save it," Azalea hissed, her whole mind burning with rage.

But she mustered up the best pleased expression she could and headed over to McGonagall with him, shaking her hand happily and letting James do the same before the both of them headed off up the hall, the claps and cheers still continuing until they got past all the teachers, and James' dad, and into the small hall that lead down to the trophy room.

This was the five seconds they would get where they weren't being overheard, and Azalea and James both wanted to use it.

"Azalea-" James started.

"Shut up, Potter, what in the hell made you think this was a good idea?" Azalea demanded.

"I just thought we'd be able to work together and-"

"Work together? I hope you know you're the last person I'd want to work with now, Potter-"

"Azalea?"

Lea hadn't noticed that they'd entered the trophy room, a huge place filled with cabinets of gold and silver. However, when the familiar yet confused voice of Lauri called her name, she stopped talking.

"Hey Lauri," she said, walking down the stairs fast to get away from James.

"What are you doing here? I-" Lauri frowned. "I thought you didn't enter."

"Yeah, I did too," Azalea's words were cold and biting, and directed completely at James. She then turned back to Lauri, saying more gently. "But apparently, I did, so here I am."

Lauri chuckled slightly, his dimples becoming even deeper, his face becoming even cuter.

"Well, well, well, the six champions."

Azalea turned away from Lauri, watching as Harry Potter, Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, Professor Slughorn and Professor Longbottom descended the stairs. Behind them followed Madam Maxine and Miss Korkonen.

"Well done, all of you, this really is a huge honour," Professor McGonagall told them all, a huge smile on her face. "I'm going to hand you over to Mr Potter here, who will tell you about the first task."

Harry nodded, smiling round at them all and said. "As Professor McGonagall said, well done, you should all be very proud of yourself. However, the first task will not be easy. It is designed to test your daring and bravery, taking place on November twelfth, in front of a panel of judges, which will be me and all three heads, and your fellow students."

Oh great, all the schools get to watch me make a fool out myself.

"Champions are obviously to work in their pairs, passing information and sharing work. You are not allowed to ask teachers for help. In the first task you will be allowed wands and nothing else," Harry continued. "You will recieve information about the second task when the first is over, and so on. I think that's all the information you need at the moment."

Azalea nodded numbly, only thinking about the moment when she could slap James Potter in the face.

As the Beauxbatons pair and Lauri and Adrian went off to talk to their headmistresses, Harry walked up to James and Azalea. "Well done you two, glad to see you've put aside your differences to work together for this."

"Thanks, dad," James grinned. "Are you gonna be at Hogwarts all year?"

"I'm going to be going back and forth," Harry shrugged. "I need to be here for the tournament and at home for your mother, so I'll just have to see. But I'm not going to miss out on the chance to see you, Al and Lils more."

He turned to the redhead beside his son. "How about you, Azalea? Looking forward to this?"

"So, so much," Azalea smiled sweetly at him. "I mean, it came as a big surprise that we even got put in the goblet, but I guess that's just how it goes."

She put emphasis on her words, again shoving down the urge to hit the boy next to her.

"Yeah, don't worry I've been there," Harry chuckled. "But you two should probably get up to the common room, I know everyone will be wanting to celebrate with you."

Oh great, this'll be fun.

"See you later, dad!" James grinned.

"Yeah," Azalea faked her smile again. "See you."

✾✾✾

"So."

It had been a tough hour of hugs and cheers and congratulations, and Azalea had had enough.

She stood in the Gryffindor seventh year boys' dormitory, facing James, who had Fred and Louis on either side.

"So," she repeated, her tone a warning. "First, you enter my name into the Goblet of Fire, to compete with you no less."

"Lea-"

"Second, you smile like a fucking idiot when we're chosen," Azalea spoke over him. "Third, you argue with me and try to explain what you've done, when you can't justify anyth-"

"Azalea, listen, you need to calm d-"

SMACK

She'd slapped him.

She'd slapped him right across the cheek.

She'd punched him in third year, and she'd slapped him now.

"Shut the FUCK up!" She yelled at him. "I never said I wanted to do this, I never gave permission! The only time I ever WANT to break my fucking neck is when I'm talking to YOU!"

"You're not going to break your neck!" James yelled back. "I just wanted to do this with you, that's not a crime!"

"IT IS WHEN I NEVER GAVE MY PERMISSION-"

"OH COME ON, YOU AS GOOD AS SAID YOU WANTED TO DO IT, I JUST-"

"JUST LISTEN TO ME! THAT WAS A STUPID, IDIOTIC DECISION, BUT FRANKLY I'M NOT SURPRISED-"

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!"

Louis Weasley had never shouted as damn loud in his life, but he had succeeded in getting them both to stop.

"James wasn't doing this to spite you," Louis said, to a still raging Azalea. "He actually wants to do it with you, and you need to listen to him to understand that."

"I am listening, he just has no excuse," Azalea shot back.

"No, you're not," Fred said. "James never wanted you to react like this, and whilst we know he didn't handle it the best, he's not trying to get you killed."

Azalea looked at James, raising her eyebrows. "Really?"

James rolled his eyes. "Did you listen to anything we just said?"

"Alright," Azalea crossed her arms. "Alright, I'll go along with this. But we have to agree right now, that you still won't ask me out, even if we're spending more time around each other."

James sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes and saying jokingly. "Alright then, I won't-"

"Stop talking like that, Potter, I have my limits," said Azalea bitterly. And she wasn't joking.

She left the dorm with a considerable disappointment, however.

Just when I thought this year with James was going to be different.