Lauri and Adrian ended up coming second, but Azalea didn't give a shit. She and James had won, and that was what was important.

They were still on the pitch, waiting for all the families to come down. The two had already had congratulations from McGonagall and from Harry, but everyone else hadn't made it yet.

"I can't believe we did it," Azalea told James, shaking her head slightly as she looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"Honestly? Me neither," the boy smiled slightly, shaking his head. "I love you so much, though. I'm so happy we did it together."

Azalea grinned up at him, more tears threatening to fall. "I love you too."

And to be honest, she didn't care about the fact that everyone was going to see them kissing. They were Triwizard Tournament winners, after all, and she loved him more than anyth-

"Alright, alright!" The obnoxious voice of Fred Weasley split them apart, causing Azalea to flash him a middle finger. "What? I'm just protecting younger children's eyes!"

James laughed loudly as the boy ran at them, Alice, Louis and Lily in tow. Behind them came Rose, Scorpius, Albus and Hugo, and all of them were ecstatic.

"Well done!" Lily yelled as she hugged Azalea tighter than ever, squeezing hard. Azalea laughed as Alice piled on.

"You're a triwizard winner, Lea!" Her blonde best friend yelled, her eyes teary as she looked upon the redhead in front of her. "Like, seriously, do you know how amazing that is?"

"I mean, yeah," shrugged Azalea. "But, um... it wasn't just me, it was also James."

Lily shook her head. "You'd slap me if I told you a year ago you were giving credit to my brother."

"Yeah, well, I wanna slap myself now," chuckled Azalea, as she saw her mum and Daisy run onto the pitch.

"Azalea!" Her mother called, and the redhead gave Alice and Lily a knowing look before rushing towards the woman.

"Mum!"

Annabelle pulled her youngest daughter into a tight embrace as she reached her, whispering into her hair. "I'm so proud of you."

Azalea smiled into her chest, knowing that all she had ever really needed was her mother's love.

"Thanks, mum," she whispered as she pulled back. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," said Annabelle, stroking her hair before smiling.

As she stepped back, she allowed Azalea to look at Daisy, who was stood kind of awkwardly to the side, biting her lip.

"Well, uh... well done," she said to her sister, a small smile on her face.

Azalea rolled her teary eyes as she pulled her sister into a tight hug, saying. "I couldn't have done it without you," into her ear.

It was true. If Daisy and her hadn't made up, she didn't know how she would've ever found the courage to go back to Hogwarts.

"That's not true," the girl instantly said as she pulled back. "You're brave, Azalea, you would've managed."

The girl sighed, still not believing it but not wanting to say anything as all the other parents came rushing onto the pitch to congratulate her and James.

She walked over to her boyfriend, who was being hugged tightly by his mum, and smiled slightly as Ginny gasped, turning to her and hugging her tightly as well.

"Thank you so much for taking care of James," she told Azalea, who chuckled slightly.

"No problem," she grinned. "Anyways, he takes care of me most of the time."

"Still," Ginny smiled down at her. "He can get into a lot of trouble sometimes, and to know that you're with him makes me a lot happier."

Azzie chuckled, shrugging slightly. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing, that we look out for each othe-"

"Attention!"

The time had come.

McGonagall was standing up on a platform with the Triwizard Cup, her wand pressed to her throat. She was looking around at the crowd that had gathered on the pitch, and the crowd still up in the stands, and started her speech.

"I want to thank both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for coming and competing in the Triwizard Tournament this year. It has certainly been memorable, and I really hope everyone has enjoyed it. I also want to thank Mr Potter and his team of aurors for overseeing each task and making sure the champions were kept safe."

Azalea clapped, knowing that disliking Lauri Krum wasn't a reason to not clap all of Durmstrang, and continued to listen.

"This is my second Triwizard Tournament, and for those of you who know it has been a lot more manageable than the first. I have very much enjoyed watching students from all three schools get to know each other and form bonds that I am sure will last a long time, and I hope that the tournament has been a cause to make friends as well as compete against them."

It hadn't been, for Azalea. She'd learned that she was much better staying closer to home, and dating the boy she'd hated for six years. But she had tried to make connections, it wasn't her fault Lauri Krum was a dick.

"Which brings me, finally, to what you have all been waiting for," McGonagall continued. "Our rankings."

Azalea and James smiled at each other, interlocking their hands as the crowd went crazy.

"In third place, with one hundred points, are Adelaide Beaumont and Eleanor Wicker of Beauxbatons!"

Azalea clapped and whooped as the two girls joined McGonagall up at the front, bowing as the crowd, particularly the blue part, went crazy for them.

Azalea didn't mind cheering for them, however, because they'd done their school proud, and she had no doubt they were absolutely lovely girls.

"In second place, with a hundred and twenty five points," McGonagall went on. "Lauri Krum and Adrian Valkare from Durmstrang!"

Lauri looked annoyed as he received his applause, and because of that Azalea and James cheered loudly, their friends joining in, given what Lauri did to Lea.

"And finally, in first place, with a hundred and thirty points," McGonagall couldn't hide her radiant smile as she looked at the two. "Azalea Edwards and James Potter!"

Azalea couldn't keep the smile off her face as she and James ran up to McGonagall, the crowd going ballistic all around them. Tears came to her eyes as she gripped James' hand, knowing that despite how much it had taken out of her and how long the process had been, she'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

So she and James ran up to join McGonagall, both shaking her hand and getting congratulated before Harry came up to hand them the cup.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said, his own wand to his throat. "It is my honour to present to you, the winners of this year's Triwizard Tournament, Azalea Edwards and James Potter!"

And as he handed them the cup, Azalea's eyes threatened to betray her. She smiled warmly and grinned at James as they were handed the cup, each of them holding a handle and thrusting it into the air.

The crowd was going crazy, and it was all for them.

All around, people were screaming and cheering. Azalea didn't think she'd ever heard joy like it.

And to be honest, she wasn't even looking at Lauri's sour face, all she was looking at was her friends and her family.

"So," James' voice in her ear brought her back, and she turned to him. "I guess you didn't break your neck because of the tournament after all, huh?"

Azalea rolled her eyes and smiled slightly, nodding.

"No," she said. "But I did get a really stupid boyfriend out of it."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "He sounds like a real git."

"Oh, he was," smiled Azalea. "But he's actually somewhat matured this year, surprisingly."

"Well, that's good," James grinned. "I can also tell this guy is really handsome, just by the way you're blushing-"

"If we weren't holding the cup, I'd be strangling you right now, Potter-"

"Well, that's certainly back to normal," James chuckled, going silent for a second. However, he soon leaned forward, whispering to her. "But just so you know, Azzie, this cup isn't the best thing I've got out of this. It's you."

And Azalea didn't say it, as they put the cup down and all their friends came running over, wanting to see it. She didn't say anything.

But he was the best thing she'd got out of it, too.

✾✾✾

Azalea didn't know how she'd ever moved on from the third task, or becoming a Triwizard Tournament winner, but she had.

It was a week since the third task now, and she and James had had quite a lot of unwanted attention in the corridors, but neither really minded. They only had five more days left of school now until they left forever, and were trying to make the most of it.

The foreign students had left yesterday, going back to their own schools. Azalea had watched them leave with her friends, but she hadn't said goodbye to any of them. Lauri had tried, but James had shut that down fast.

Seeing that ship and the carriage leave made a bittersweet ending to a brilliant thing, and Azalea couldn't help but feel the tears come as she watched them go.

However, life moved on. There was a graduation ball that was happening in a few days, and all seventh years were attending. Azalea had presumed she was going with James, but he hadn't asked her yet.

It hadn't stopped him being asked by a load of people though, apparently.

"James got like, five offers today," Fred said casually as he sat down next to Azalea in the common room two nights before the ball.

"Oh yeah?" Azalea chuckled. "Did he turn them all down?"

"Is that even a question?" Fred chuckled. "Of course he did, and he was surprisingly very mature about it. He told them all about you, as well."

Azalea's whole body fizzed with warmth and happiness and she sighed. "Well, people do say I've changed him."

"Yeah, and it's scary as hell," Fred said jokingly. "Anyway, just thought you might like to know."

"Well, he hasn't actually asked me yet, so technically he's still open," the redhead girl shrugged.

"Ah ah ah," Fred corrected, waggling his finger at her. "You just don't know what he has planned."

Azalea frowned slightly, and said. "Okay..."

Fred just grinned, and tapped aside of his nose as he got up and left. "Don't doubt him! He's actually done pretty good! Nothing that I wouldn't have thought of, of course!"

"Oh, yeah!" Azalea yelled jokingly, grinning slightly as she did.

Now, all she needed to do was find a dress.

✾✾✾

It was easier than the Yule Ball. Lily had a dress of her mum's that she'd once worn to a ministry ball that the girl insisted Azalea wear. When she saw the dress, she found it hard to say no, because it was fucking beautiful and she loved it.

"James is going to lose his mind!" Lily had squealed after she accepted.

"Chill, Lil, he hasn't even asked me yet," Azalea shook her head.

"Yeah, well," Lily shrugged. "He's totally going to."

And she was right.

Because the next day, one day from the ball, as Azalea walked round the courtyard alone, she couldn't help but notice a large crowd formed around something.

She frowned, heading into the throng, pushing forwards because she wanted to know what was going on.

What she didn't expect when she got to the front was to find James Potter, standing in the middle of the courtyard with nothing but a huge sign in his hands.

AZALEA EDWARDS,
I KNOW I SAID I WOULDN'T
DO THIS THIS YEAR, BUT YOU'RE
SO BEAUTIFUL I COULDN'T RESIST.
WILL YOU GO TO THE BALL
WITH ME?

Azalea blushed heavily and covered her mouth, shaking her head slightly.

"So come on, Edwards!" James yelled from behind the sign. "Will you?"

The redhead in front of him rolled her eyes heavily and said. "Well, I could hardly say no to such a public proposal, might damage your ego!"

"Is that a yes?!" James exclaimed.

Azalea posed in a mock thinking pose before rolling her eyes. "Yes, James Sirius-ly arrogant Potter, I will go to the ball with you!"

"SHE SAID YES!" James yelled in wonder as he ditched the sign and ran at Azalea, picking her up and spinning her round as the crowd that had gathered cheered loudly.

Azalea giggled heavily as James picked her up, spinning her and kissing her at the same time.

As they came apart, however, she rolled her eyes. "You promised me you wouldn't ask me out this year."

"Yeah, well... I broke that promise," James shrugged. "Not a bad thing, though, right? And plus, Lils said you're wearing a killer dress, I couldn't miss that."

Azalea flushed heavily and shrugged. "No," she told him, smiling brightly. "It's not a bad thing at all."