Chapter 5
Nothing he did seemed to work. He’d tried opening the egg in specific rooms at specific hours, asking Hermione what she thought, and even putting spells over the cursed thing. The result was always the same: horrific screeching the moment the golden shell cracked open a sliver.
If it weren’t for Adonis, Harry would’ve lost his mind by now. Ever since the Yule Ball, the blond had begun hanging out with him when they didn’t have classes. He had eyes only for Harry, rarely ever interacting with Ron or Hermione except to greet them or bid them farewell.
Their relationship had progressed to the point where Harry was no longer nervous to hold Adonis’ hand. Well, not too nervous. The Beauxbaton Malfoy liked to get close, and it always made Harry feel self-conscious. Did his breath smell okay? Were his hands too sweaty? Did his hair look decent?
Something brushed against his leg, keeping it from moving while he thought. He looked up. Across the table, Adonis had paused in his writing.
“Vous tremblez à nouveau , ” he said. “Qu’est-ce qui vous inquiète ?”
“I’m sorry,” Harry apologized without understanding a word. “This stupid egg just has me nervous. The next task is in three days, and I still can’t figure out the clue!”
Adonis tilted his head to the side, brows furrowed. “Vraiment? Il suffit de l’écouter sous l’eau. ”
Harry stared blankly. He would really have to step up his French lessons with Hermione. It would be nice if he could communicate with his crush — were they dating? — more than sometimes, especially when he had something important to say.
With a roll of his eyes, Adonis got up. Before Harry could say anything, he grabbed the egg from his hands and walked off. The brunet hurried to catch up, leaving the pair’s unfinished homework in the study hall. They walked and walked, and Harry couldn’t help but notice how well Adonis seemed to know the corridors and stairways. Somehow, he even knew about the vanishing steps in some places, though Harry was sure no one other than Hogwarts’ residents had been this far in the castle before.
“Adonis, where are we going?” he asked at last when they passed Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. He wasn’t too keen on seeing her at the moment.
“Salle de bain de préfets. Tu as besoin du bain , ” he replied. “C’est privé . ”
Of course, Harry didn’t understand him.
At last, Adonis entered through a door. Harry frowned. Why were they in the prefects’ bathroom? How did Adonis even know where it was? Still, he followed. He needed that egg back.
“We’re not supposed to be in here. This is the- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Adonis had turned on the tap for the bath and chucked the egg inside without hesitation. He was staring at Harry expectantly, stepping back and pointing into the water. “Ouvre-le là-dedans . ”
“What?” Harry didn’t try to decipher his words; he was too busy running to the edge of the bath and searching for the egg. It had disappeared beneath a mountain of bubbles.
Voice raised slightly, Adonis said in a subtle accent, “Open it underwater!”
Turning so fast he might have had whiplash, Harry gaped in astonishment. “You speak English?”
Now Adonis was impatient, arms crossed and his foot tapping. “Of course, I do. The egg, ‘Arry!”
A surge of questions rose in Harry. Why had Adonis let him make a fool of himself with his bad French? How hadn’t he realized Adonis always responded to him, even if he had been speaking in English? What else didn’t he know about Adonis?
He pushed them down, moving closer to the edge. With an encouraging nod from Adonis, he began to take off his robes. He tried not to think of the blond watching him — thankfully, he turned away respectfully as Harry unbuttoned his shirt — and he slipped into the water. After another nod, he submerged his head and pried open the egg.
Expecting the same horrid screeching, Harry was pleasantly surprised when the sound of muffled harmonious singing reached his ears. They sang him a song, which gave him the clue he needed to figure out what the second task of the Tournament was. Something dear to him would be taken, and he would have an hour to find it. He took the fact that he’d had to open the egg underwater and decided his item would be located somewhere wet, most likely the lake on Hogwarts’ grounds.
When he resurfaced, Harry smiled at Adonis. “You are amazing !”
Cheeks flushing pink, Adonis turned to hide his face. “ Je sais. ”