The second task
Estelle gasps as she breaks the water’s surface.
Cassius can see the exact moment her confusion turns into fear, panic slowly taking hold of her and he swims closer.
He reaches her right before she disappears under the water once again.
“I can’t swim” she says, clinging to him.
“I know” he answers soothingly “But you don’t have to, I’m here”
She smiles a little at that, relaxing minutely as he slowly moves them towards the shore.
After Madam Pompfey smothers them in warm towels and sheets, Estelle comes back into herself.
“That - stupid. Idiotic. Senile.” Cassius has to fight back a snort at that “Cretin old fool. I was basically kidnapped! I-”
She falls silent as Cassius kisses the top of her head.
“I love it when you are angry” he explains.
Her cheeks redden at that, and she ducks her head to hide it.
“Well, when you aren’t angry at me” he muses out loud.
She playfully slaps him at that.
He just grins back, unrepentant.
“I was right” she says after a while, both of them looking at the lake and waiting for the other champions to surface.
At his questioning gaze she elaborates “It’s gonna be boring”
He really laughs at that, a joyful, young sound that has never bee heard coming from a Slytherin.
Not that anyone other than Madam Pompfey hears it now.
They wait patiently for the other champions to come up.
(Krum surfaces not long after, with a shark head and a confused Granger in tow.
Fleur takes a bit longer, but she emerges a little before Potter, a young girl that looks exactly like her in her arms.
“You English have strange lake monsters” she says, before being almost suffocated in a hug coming from an older version of her and her sister that Cassius supposes it’s their mother.
Cassius leaves her and Estelle to talk and walks over to Granger, letting his fett swing under the shore as they silently wait for the Savior of the Magical World to reemerge.
Cassius isn’t even surprised when he hears that he’s only late because he wanted to save all of the hostages.
Honestly kid.)