#hpkj

Killian and Emma’s relationship grew rocky as the Tri-Wizard Tournament unfolded.  The Hufflepuff boy grew sullen and withdrawn, and Emma likewise pulled away, feeling yet again rejected.  She tried to do as Killian had asked and seek out Neal, but it proved excruciatingly difficult.  She managed with some success, but Neal, too, seemed withdrawn and moody.  What scraps of information Emma learned from him were vague and confusing.

The first Challenge for the Tournament involved scaling an enormous beanstalk and retrieving a magic compass.  The four Champions were sent in pairs, with the two Hogwarts Champions sent together after the Beaubatons Headmistress shrieked and complained that it was the only fair way, since any other set of pairs could result on an all-Hogwarts win.  So, Emma and Killian climbed the stalk together.

During the Challenge, Killian seemed oddly at ease and flirty, and the sudden shift from his normally brooding demeanor confused and upset Emma.  At the end of the Challenge, she refused his offer to try to claim a joint victory and descend the beanstalk together.  She left him behind and took the compass, winning the first round.

Neal clinched the win between himself and Tamara, but the details of their voyage were never revealed.  His time is better than Emma’s, putting her in second place after the first round.

In preparations for the Yule Ball, Jefferson’s claim to be Emma’s date makes her life difficult, and he keeps showing up before and after her classes, bothering her.  She has mixed feelings when Neal and Tamara start being more than a little friendly and reveal they are going to the Ball together.  Emma somewhat reluctantly asks Killian to be her escort, but he unexpectedly reveals he already has a date.  Jilted again, Emma goes to Jefferson and agrees to let him escort her.

At the Ball, Killian’s mystery date is revealed to be one of his fellow Hufflepuffs, Bella Tinker.  Emma tries to leave the Ball, and her own date is surprisingly cordial and supportive, if a little disappointed in her decision.  Killian sees the pair sneaking out together and leaves his date behind to pursue.  He finds Emma and Jefferson in a darkened corner, Jefferson touching Emma’s cheek and her leaning into him.  Killian tears the Slytherin boy away from Emma and punches him in the throat.

Emma, shocked by Killian’s sudden rage and overstepping, chews him out for interloping, for ignoring her for months, for punching her date, and for anything else she can think of.  She speaks a little too loudly and not quite vaguely enough, and Neal overhears just enough to learn that Emma and Killian are working together to try to stop his father.  Emma realizes she’s said too much and worries what Neal will do with what she’s said.  She and Killian have a semi-tense reconciliation and decide they’ll weather the fallout of the Ball together.

Back on friendly terms, the pair amp up their investigation as the second challenge is announced.  The second challenge is individual, and each of the four champions is forced to descend into a subterranean cavern to retrieve a potion.  The dragon is a surprise, but Emma manages to complete the task.  Killian posts the best time, and the scores ultimately show a neck-and-neck (and neck) point spread between the two Hogwarts Champions and Neal, with Tamara lagging behind.

Bella Tinker helps Killian and Emma discover The Dark One’s taboo, but they cannot speak the oath “I am Rumpelstiltskin” (an anagram of the Dark One’s childhood name: Tim Maikull Spinster) until they find his horcrux, which they believe to take the form of a dagger.

For the third challenge, the four Champions are individually dropped into a seemingly never-ending jungle, each given only a black map.  Emma unlocks the secret of her map and follows it.  She finds Tamara just as the girl is sucked into a clump of bushes in the maze-like greenery.  Emma laments her inability to help Tamara, and then she literally runs into Killian, who had hear the other girl scream and come to investigate.  Shaken, the pair work together to head toward the middle of the jungle-maze and finally come to a small cave, inside, they find the TriWizard cup and Neal.  They tensely decide to claim it together, but the cup proves to be a portkey, and they unexpectedly arrive at the trap set for them by the Dark One himself.

((I’ve had this bit written forever:))

“Ah, excellent work, Baelfire,” the Dark One said, striding forward with a sickening twist of his lips.  “You’ve brought me the boy…  But who is the blonde interloper?”

“She isn’t a part of this,” Killian growled, trying to step in front of Emma.

“Oh, I think he cares for her,” the Dark One says with obvious glee.  

He flicks his wand at Killian and Emma.

“Petrificus totalus,” says the Dark One, and the two Hogwarts students go stiff.

“Perhaps I’ll cut out her heart and crush it in front of you,” the Dark One says, stalking forward, his eyes on Killian’s face.  “That would serve you well, don’t you think?”

Killian struggles vainly against his invisible bonds, his face contorting in rage and fear.

Neal watches from the side, twitching, uncertain and clearly upset.

“If she’s not a part of it, why kill her?” Neal says, trying to keep his voice gruff and cool.

“She has seen too much,” the Dark One replies, his eyes flicking briefly to Neal.  “Don’t tell me that you’re getting squeamish now, son.”

“No,” Neal says quickly.  He looks around, trying to find something to say.  “It’s just…  She’s…. pretty.”

“There are lots of pretty girls, Bae,” the Dark One says.  “I’m sure we can find you another.  One who is more… pliant than this one.”

Neal swallows hard and steps closer to Emma and Killian, putting himself slightly in front of them so Emma can watch as he stealthily draws his wand from his pocket.

“Well, there’s no reason to torture them, Papa,” he says quietly.  “Just get it over with.”

“Maybe her,” the Dark One says, metallic skin glittering eerily in the moonlight.  “But I have good reason to prolong his suffering.”  

The Dark One raises his wand and levels it at Emma.

“Are you watching, Killian Jones?” the Dark One taunts.  “I want to make sure you remember this moment for the rest of your short, painful life.”

“Avada--” the Dark one begins.

“Finite Incantatem,” Neal says as she leaps in front of Emma.  He looks desperately at Killian for a moment. “Run!”

Emma and Killian sag as the body-bind curse on them is broken.

“--Kedavra!” the Dark One finishes, his eyes going wide as he sees that Neal has thrown himself in the way of the spell.

Emma screams as Neal slumps to the floor, his eyes still open, but now empty.

“No,” the Dark One says quietly.  Then louder: “No!”

He drops to his knees, reaching out to grab his son’s body.  Then his eyes lift to the two Hogwarts students.

“You,” he says, filling the word with hate and rage.

“Time to go,” Killian says, grabbing Emma’s arm and dragging her away from the scene, diving for the fallen portkey.

Their fingers close around it just as the Dark One begins casting another killing curse.

((Back to synopsis/narration:))

The pair arrive at Hogwarts to cheers and confetti, but they are clearly not celebrating.  The aftermath is much like that of the book.

The school year ends, and Emma follows Killian to his family home.  They plot their next move and then seek the Dark One’s dagger so that they can lift the taboo and destroy the horcrux, avenge Neal, and end Tim Spinster’s reign of terror over wizard kind.

((At this point, the outline for the story becomes further fragmented, and while I know Killian and Emma are eventually successful and “all is well,” I’m not sure how they get there.  Again, if anyone wants to take this over, they have my full blessing.  Thank you so much for reading this.  Thank you for your patience and support.))

.

Neal made a noise of frustration.  He put his hand on Emma’s shoulder.  She spun out of his grasp and glared up at him.

“Jeez, Emma, don’t bite my head off,” he said, raising his hands in surrender.  His American accent was still heavy.  Emma had always liked that they had the accent in common.  “Will you let me apologize?”

“For what?” Emma demanded.  Years of pain and anger bubbled to the surface.  “For grabbing me right now?  For showing up after years of silence?  For leaving without so much as an owl?  For what, Neal?  What do you want to apologize for?”

Neal glanced at the other people in the hall before looking at Emma again.

“Can we do this somewhere private?” he asked.  Emma didn’t move or react.  She just stared up at him with an expression of righteous anger.  Neal made another noise of frustration and looked away from her, crossing his arms over his chest.  “For all of it, okay?  I’m sorry.”

Emma believed him.

She really really didn’t want to believe him, but she did.  He was telling the truth.  He was sorry.  Emma felt something crack deep in her chest, and she turned away from Neal and walked as quickly down the hall as she could without actually running.  She heard him call after her, but she didn’t slow down.  She took the stairs in twos and threes and put as much distance as she could between herself and the man who’d broken her heart.

How could Killian ask her to talk to him?  How could he encourage her to be friendly?  Looking at Neal made her want to burst into tears.  How was she supposed to convince him to tell her his secrets?

Emma took huge, gasping breaths to keep herself from crying.  She’d climbed to the seventh floor, she noticed, and she was going past the sometimes-room.  But what did she need?  How would the Room of Requirement help her deal with an impossible situation?  She didn’t need a room.  She needed—

“Emma?” a familiar female voice said.

The blonde girl spun and found Mary-Margaret watching her with concern on her face.

“I can’t,” Emma said immediately, shaking her head.  She could feel tears threatening her again.  It hurt too much.  She couldn’t deal with the emotions.  “I need—”

A friend.

Emma let out a shaky breath as Mary-Margaret stepped forward and offered a hug.  Emma didn’t move from her spot as the dark-haired girl enfolded her in her arms.  She stood stiffly for a moment, and then she relaxed into the embrace, sniffling and letting her friend hold her.  She closed her eyes.

Mary-Margaret didn’t say anything.  She just breathed evenly and softly stroked the other girl’s back.  She waited until Emma’s sniffles vanished and her breathing was even again before she drew back.  She smiled at Emma and squeezed her arm.  Then she led her back to the Gryffindor dormitories, chatting about class and other innocuous topics on the way, putting Emma into a more relaxed, comfortable mood.

It wasn’t until they’d both finished their homework and were sitting alone in their room that Mary-Margaret finally broached the subject.

“Do you want to talk about Neal?” she asked tentatively.  Her expression and posture were open and sympathetic.

Emma sighed.

“I really don’t,” she said.  She watched Mary-Margaret nod sadly.  “But I think maybe I should.”

Mary-Margaret’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, but she recovered quickly.

“Okay,” the chaser said.  “I’m really good at listening.”

“I know,” Emma said with a small smile.  She felt a little guilty for keeping her distance.  She knew talking to Mary-Margaret would make her feel better.  But she also knew she couldn’t tell her friend everything.  That was part of why she’d been keeping Mary-Margaret in the dark.  It had seemed easier.  But with Killian being so strange and focused, Emma could use a chat with her best friend.  “I’m sorry I haven’t felt much like talking.”

“It’s okay,” Mary-Margaret said.  “I know you’ve gone through some traumatic things.  You, Ruby, and Killian.  So, I understand that you’ve been spending more time with them.  I’m sure it bonded you in a way I won’t ever truly understand.”

Wait, spending time with Killian and Ruby?

“Ruby’s been distant, too?” Emma asked with a frown.

Mary-Margaret blinked.

“I—yes.  I thought she’d been spending more time with you,” she said in a more concerned tone of voice.

Emma shook her head.

“No, not with us.  I mean me,” she said.  “I’ve spent some time with Killian, but Ruby and I haven’t done much together without you.  Maybe she’s focusing more on Whale?”

Mary-Margaret pursed her lips.

“I don’t know,” she said.  “Maybe.”

She shook her head.

“But tell me about what’s going on with you,” Mary-Margaret prompted.  “I can’t imagine what it’s like to see Neal again after all this time.”

Emma inhaled a slow breath and let it out as a loud sigh.

“It hurts,” she admitted in a quiet voice.  “I didn’t think it would hurt this much, but it does.”

Mary-Margaret nodded.

“And you can’t just avoid him, since you’re both Champions,” she said sympathetically.

Emma nodded as well.  

“I can’t avoid him,” she confirmed with a frown.  “For multiple reasons.”

“Oh?” Mary-Margaret asked, cocking her head to the side.  She looked at Emma with open curiosity.  “What reasons other than the Tournament..?”

Emma grimaced.  She probably shouldn’t have said anything.  She didn’t want to betray any of Killian’s confidences, especially after talking to Mary-Margaret was probably what had gotten them into the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament predicament in the first place.  But they were in the dorm, not the greenhouse, and she could be discrete.  And there was one other reason she couldn't avoid the man.

“Well, he’s apparently following me to class,” Emma said in a voice that she thought sounded far too petulant.

Mary-Margaret hummed in understanding and sympathy.  

“Do you know what you’re going to do?” she asked with gentle curiosity.

Emma sighed.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, shaking her head again.  “I can’t avoid him.  I don’t want to feel trapped or like I have to keep looking over my shoulder.  It makes me feel sick.”

“Then, are you going to confront him?” Mary-Margaret asked.

“I think I have to,” Emma said with equal parts resignation and resolve.  “I don’t think there’s any way around it, especially if I want to stand a chance of winning the Tournament.”

Mary-Margaret looked surprised for a moment, but she schooled her features.

“Like a quidditch match,” she said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, kind of,” Emma said.  “I wish they hadn’t cancelled quidditch for the year.  I could use the head-clearing effect of a match.”

“We could still go flying,” Mary-Margaret suggested.

“Oh, my god, flying sounds amazing,” Ruby said as she threw open the door and walked into the dorm room.  She grinned at each of her roommates in turn, but the smile stopped just short of her eyes, as most happy expressions had since the night in the shrieking shack.  “Can we go flying?  Throw around a quaffle?  Please?”

Emma’s smile was genuine as she turned to face the other girl.

“Are you trying to get us to skip afternoon classes, Miss Lucas?” Emma said in her best prefect voice.

The brunette’s mouth fell open in shock.  She recovered quickly.

“I’m advising mental health over another stuffy lecture,” Ruby said, lifting her chin.  “We can get notes from somebody later.  Flying is in our physical and emotional best interest.”

Mary-Margaret let out a little laugh and looked at Emma expectantly.

“Okay, okay,” Emma said, holding up her hands in mock surrender.  “Just this once.  Next time, we have to fly /after/ class, okay?”

Ruby squealed, and her expression looked more genuinely pleased as she grabbed her gear.  Mary-Margaret did likewise, pulling her broom and pads from where she kept them neatly stored.  Emma watched the other two girls for a moment before she collected her own supplies.  Then she followed her two best friends out of the castle, ditching class, to enjoy the autumn afternoon.

.

Emma felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured down the back of her robe.  She shivered.

“I can’t believe Neal’s involved,” she said, shaking her head.  “He’s got to be another pawn here, being used.  And if I asked him about it, it could get back to Riddle.”

“Because Neal would tell his father,” Killias said.

“No,” Emma said.  “Neal isn’t involved.  He wouldn’t do that.  He never told me much about his father, but I know he had some seriously negative feelings about him.  He wouldn't be working for Riddle.  That’s not the Neal I knew.”

“He might not be the Neal we knew anymore, Swan,” Killian said.  “The Dark One can twist people, even without using the Imperius Curse.  And he’s /blood/.  People do mental things for family.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Emma said sharply.

Killian inhaled before speaking again.

“Aye, well, trust me, then,” he said.  “And don’t trust Neal.  He knows something.  I don’t think we can get him to tell us what it is, but I’d bet my life that he knows something.”

Emma frowned.

“You think he’d talk to me?” she guessed, her tone reflecting her displeasure at the idea.

“Maybe,” Killian said.  “He seemed keen to speak to you tonight.”

Emma’s scowl deepened as she tossed the idea around in her head.  She didn’t like it.

“I can’t just suddenly pretend to be okay with what he did to me,” she said with a shake of her head.

“I wouldn’t expect that,” Killian said.  “And playing hard to get might work better.  Make him try to regain your trust.  He might let something slip in his efforts.”

Emma studied Killian for a moment, her expression still dark.

“And you’re okay with that?” she asked with skepticism.  “You’re fine with the idea of me letting him pursue me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Killian asked, looking confused.

“Because we…” Emma started.  She looked away from Killian.  Maybe she’d been mistaken about their relationship.

“Because we what?” Killian prompted when Emma didn’t finish her thought.

“Because we’re a team,” Emma said.  “Consorting with… the enemy hardly seems like something you’d be okay with me doing.  Not that I believe Neal’s the enemy.  But still.”

“We are a team,” Killian agreed, the corner of mouth quirking up.  “But I’d consort with the Dark One himself if it meant a stronger chance at defeating him.  Our goal is what is more important.  The ends justify the means, Swan.  If you have to seduce Neal for the information, so be it.”

Emma didn’t like the sound of that, and she got a little nagging feeling that Killian wasn’t being completely honest.  But she couldn’t tell what part of the short speech was a lie.  She studied the Hufflepuff for another moment and then sighed.  Her gaze drifted to the large bed.  It looked awfully tempting.

“Okay,” Emma said with a little shrug.  She didn’t want to ‘consort’ with Neal, honestly.  The idea made her heart ache.  It would be painful.  But Killian was right.  There was a lot more at stake than just their own feelings.  Still, it felt uncomfortable to have Killian so casually send her off to Neal as though it didn’t bother him in the least.  She’d thought she and Killian were…  not dating, she supposed, but something.  Had she been wrong?  She knew he had a reputation for being a player, but he’d been so adamant with his declarations to her.  Was it all an act?

No, she would have known if he’d been lying.  But if he really was in love with her, how could he send her to seduce Neal?

She didn’t like it.

“I’m tired,” she said honestly.  She closed her eyes for a moment and heard Killian let out a little hum beside her.

“Would you like to lie down?” he asked in a soft murmur.

Emma nodded, her eyes still closed.  Beside her, she heard Killian rise to his feet, and then he was gently tugging her off her chair.  She kept her eyes closed and let him lead her to the bed.  He pulled back the covers and guided her onto the mattress.  She was mildly disappointed when he didn’t immediately follow her, but as she listened to him rustling around the room, she realized he was dousing the lamps.  When he did join her in the bed, she was already drifting.

“Sleep well, Swan,” he whispered as he slipped his arm around her.

She mumbled something in reply and let unconsciousness claim her.

.

The whole TriWizard Tournament felt wrong to Emma.  She couldn’t believe it was a coincidence.  But why would Riddle organize a school competition?  That made no sense.  Could he really be that determined to get to Killian?  Why would the most powerful dark wizard in the history of magic be so scared of a teenager?

Unless Riddle knew that Killian had found out about the horcrux and the taboo.

But how could he know?

Her mind racing, Emma let her housemates escort her back to the Gryffindor dormitory.  She dressed for bed, but she knew there was no way she could sleep.  She stared at the ceiling until she was sure that Mary Margaret and Ruby were both dreaming, and then she slipped out of their room.  She found a few revellers in the common room, and they congratulated her again.  Emma talked to them as briefly as she could, telling them she was going to the prefect’s bathroom as an excuse for why she was leaving the dorm so late.  The celebrants seemed convinced and wished her well as she slipped out through the portrait and into the castle.

Emma wandered a little, following her feet and hoping that Killian was watching his map.  She wasn’t sure she could bring herself to go to the Hufflepuff dormitory after the chaos that had occurred in the Great Hall.  If there were still people awake in her own dorm, it seemed reasonable to assume there would be Hufflepuffs who were still up, too.  Especially since they also had a house celebrity to congratulate.

Emma loitered in the halls near the dungeons, biting her thumbnail and pacing.  She stretched her shoulders as she walked, balling and unballing her fists in agitation.  She wished she could go for a flight or something.  She needed to channel her pent up emotions.

The sound of her name being whispered made Emma turn around suddenly.  She exhaled a sharp breath of relief at the sight of Killian, and then she frowned at him as he wadded up his invisibility cloak.

“You could have done that in front of me,” she muttered.

“I liked the view,” he replied glibly, grinning as he started to close the distance between them.  When he was standing in front of her, his expression turned serious.  “Are you okay, love?”

“Not hardly,” she said, scowling to the side instead of meeting his eyes.  “We need to talk.  Someplace private.”

Killian looked around the hallway, his forehead furrowing in concern.  He hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded once.

“I think I know a place,” he murmured.  “Follow me.”

He reached for Emma’s hand, and she allowed the gesture.  Once his fingers were threaded in hers, he started leading her upstairs and then upstairs and then upstairs again.  He stopped on the seventh floor and led her down a particularly boring corridor with one blank wall and an old tapestry on the other.  Emma raised an eyebrow at Killian in confusion as he led her through the same hallway three times, muttering to himself.  She was about to ask if he was feeling okay, but then he stopped walking.

And there was a door.

“What the—” Emma gasped at the sight, but Killian was already pulling the door open.  He shushed her, and she looked at him with wide, incredulous eyes.  She dropped her voice to an angry whisper.  “We can’t just go in a door that appeared out of nowhere!”

“In a magic castle, Swan, seriously?” he said, cocking an eyebrow as he stepped into the darkened room, tugging Emma along with him.

The door clicked shut behind them, and Emma tightened her grip on Killian’s hand.

“Where are we?” she asked him in a strained voice.

“Not sure as of yet,” Killian said in a casual, distracted tone.  He shifted, drawing his wand, and then lifted it to cast a spell.  “Lumos Maris.”

Killian’s underwater light spell painted the room in swirling, mottled blues and greens.  Emma was momentarily distracted by the light itself and had to force herself to look instead at what the light revealed.

The room was small, with heavy stone walls covered in thick tapestries that would dampen sound.  A little table sat tucked in one corner, covered in parchment and quills and flanked by a pair of chairs.  There was a comfortable-looking sofa tucked along the left wall, piled with various cushions and pillows.  Opposite the sofa, a large bed dominated the right side of the room.  Emma looked at Killian sideways, raising an eyebrow, and he cleared his throat.

“Well,” he said, “this is nice…”

“Where are we?” she asked again, annoyance coloring her tone.

“The Room of Requirement,” Killian said as he lit the lamps scattered around the room and doused his light spell.

“What the hell is that?” Emma pressed.

“It’s whatever you need it to be,” Killian said with a shrug.  “You think of what you need the room for when you pace the hallway, and then the castle gives you the necessary features.”

“Like a giant bed?” Emma asked skeptically.

“Uh, yes,” Killian said, looking away.  He cleared his throat and then continued.  “Or a quiet place to study, or a convenient place to hide.  Or, in our case, a private place to—”

“Discuss Riddle,” Emma said, finishing for Killian in case he got any ideas about the reason for her visit.

“Aye,” he said, nodding and licking his lips.  He gestured to the sofa and table.

Emma moved into the room and went to the table.  She thought the quills and parchment might prove useful.  She took the chair in the corner, leaving the one facing her for Killian.  He moved it to sit beside her, also facing into the little room.

“You want to talk?” Killian asked gently as he sat down.

Emma nodded, but she pursed her lips together, looking around the small chamber with doubt.

“How do you know it’s safe to talk here?” she whispered.

“The Room gives you what you need,” Killian said confidently.  “I trust it.  We can speak freely.”

Emma searched Killian’s face.  He believed what he was saying.

“I don’t want to mess things up for you again,” she told him seriously, her expression grave.

“Emma, you—” Killian started to reassure her, shaking his head.  Then he froze.  He cocked his head slightly to the side.  “Again?”

“It’s my fault,” she said in a rush.  “It’s my fault they found you.”

“What are you talking about, Swan?” Killian asked carefully, his eyes showing his sudden apprehension.

“I wasn’t thinking.  I was stupid,” she confessed.  “After I found you in your room, I told Mary Margaret, but Professor French overheard me, and then they announced the Tournament…”

Killian stared at Emma with a shocked expression.  He shook his head.

“How could that possibly be connected?” he asked.  “Why would French overhearing about me result in—”

Killian cut himself off, frowning.  He scratched behind his ear for a moment.

“Riddle has Belle,” Emma said.  “I know it.  Professor French has been lying about why she’s not in school.  He looks terrified when I ask him about her, and he lies.  He’s spying for Riddle because the Dark One has his daughter.  He has to be.”

“That doesn’t…  How do you know he’s lying?” Killian asked, his brow furrowed.

“I… just do. I always know when someone is lying,” she said, shrugging uncomfortably and looking at the table.

“You… can tell when someone is lying..?” Killian asked in a slow, careful tone, clearly not trying to sound like he was accusing her of being crazy.

“Yes,” she said again, forcing herself to look at him.  “I can.”

Killian licked his lips.

“You’ll have to forgive me, love, but that seems a rather far-fetched proposit—”

“Try me,” she said in a huff, scowling at him as she cut him off.  She met his eyes, her expression grave.

“Emma, that hardly seems—”

“Damn it, Killian, just try me,” she growled.  “Then you’ll know.”

He studied her for a moment, his gaze flicking back and forth between her eyes.  Finally, he shrugged.

“I’ve never seen a thestral,” he said in a completely neutral tone of voice.

“Liar,” she said, narrowing her eyes.  “Tell me something I don’t already know about you.”

He licked his lips again.

“My brother’s patronus was an albatross,” he said in the same tone of voice.

“Truth,” Emma said, still holding his eyes.  “Again.”

“That could be a guess,” Killian said.  “This is a mental—”

“Again,” Emma repeated through clenched teeth.

Killian shook his head in surrender, glancing around in a circle as he thought of something to say.

“I’ve never drank a Muggle cola,” he said still shaking his head.

“Lie,” she said.  “Again.”

Killian looked at Emma and something in his expression shifted.  He moved his jaw to the side and then slowly back to center.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier about Neal,” he said softly.

Emma flinched.

“Truth,” she said in a shaky voice.  “Again.”

“Emma, I—” Killian started.

“Again,” she said, scowling at him.

“I don’t want your help with Riddle,” he said in a warning tone.  “I shouldn’t have got you involved.”

Emma narrowed her eyes.

“Lie,” she said, “mostly.”

Killian swallowed, his jaw twitching.

“I don’t want to play this game, Emma,” he said quietly.

“You still don’t believe me,” she said.  “Again.”

Killian shook his head.

“I believe you,” he said.

“Lie,” she said immediately, though it wasn’t a complete lie.  He also hadn’t been lying about not wanting to play.  

“Let’s talk about Riddle,” Killian said in a low voice, his expression guarded.  “So, you say Riddle has French’s daughter—”

Emma scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“—so you think French has been spying for Riddle,” Killian went on.  “I think that’s a fair assessment, but why are you so bothered by it?”

“Because they’re trying to get to you,” Emma said.  “The TriWizard Tournament is some kind of cover for them getting to you.  I know it.  That’s why they called your name even though you didn’t put your name in.”

“And you know I didn’t put my name in because you can tell when someone is lying,” Killian said as a statement of fact.

“Yes,” Emma said, “and because the headmasters of the other two schools were lying.”

“They…” Killian started, blinking in surprise.  “What did they lie about?”

Emma took a breath.  He believed her.  She ran a hand through her hair and nodded once.

“It wasn’t anything outright,” Emma said in a quiet huff of air, “they just weren't being honest.  They know something.  Neither of them were as surprised as they were pretending to be.”

“Did the headmistress know?” Killian asked, frowning.

“No,” Emma said, shaking her head.  “Professor McGonagall didn’t know.”

Killian nodded.

“But why go to all the trouble of arranging this big event?” Killian asked aloud, his tone speculative.  “It doesn’t make sense.”

“How else could they get to Hogwarts?” Emma asked.  “This is one of the most secure locations in Europe.”

“But with all the visiting dignitaries…” Killian said.  He nodded again.  “Hardly seems worth the trouble for just me.”

“Well, how close was your brother to finding him?” Emma asked.  “How many hornet’s nests did you kick this summer?”

“A few,” Killian admitted.  “And they say he’s the determined sort.  Still, all of this…  It’s barmy.”

“We need to be vigilant,” Emma said.

“We?” Killian repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Emma said.  “You’re not doing this alone, remember?”

“Emma, if he’s coming after me, I’d rather you be far away,” Killian said with complete honesty.

“Well, seeing as how I’m the—uh, one of the Hogwarts Champions, that’s not going to happen,” Emma said.  “I’m in this, either way.  It’s…  It’s actually a decent cover.”

“Unless it’s a trap,” Killian said.

“It’s not a trap if you know in advance,” Emma said.

“No, Swan, it’s still a trap,” he said.  “It’s just less of a surprise when it springs.”

“Okay,” Emma said.  “Then we just have to make sure we’re ready.”

“Ready for what?” Killian asked.

“Anything,” Emma replied grimly.

.

The headmistress made a speech about honor and sportsmanship or something. Emma wasn't really paying attention. She could feel eyes on her, and she knew she shouldn't turn around, but she couldn't help it. She found him easily-too easily-sitting among the Slytherins that were his former classmates. Neal was ignoring the Hogwarts students, the headmistress, and even his own Durmstrang classmates. He was staring at Emma.

Their eyes met and Emma's chest felt tight. His face was older, harder, like the intervening years had been unpleasant, but his eyes were the same warm shade of brown she'd fallen in love with just a few short years ago. He smiled, a brief, crooked thing, and Emma's heart skipped a beat. How could he affect her so strongly after what he'd done?

Emma guessed it was true what they said about first loves.

Mary Margaret shook her shoulder, and Emma reluctantly tore her gaze from Neal. She turned to her roommate and saw the brunette looking at her with clear concern.

"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret whispered.

Emma couldn't find her voice.

"The Goblet of Fire!" the headmistress exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. Professor French brought the chalice forward. "The Goblet will now choose the Champions who will compete in this year's Tri-Wizard Tournament."

French set the Goblet down on a little table near the podium and took a step back. As everyone watched, the fire in the goblet billowed higher, and something small shot up into the air. Professor McGonagall caught the tiny projectile and unfolded it. the edges of the scrap of paper were singed.

"The Beauxbatons Champion is," the Hogwarts headmistress proclaimed, pausing for dramatic effect, "Tamara Gregory!"

The assembled Beauxbatons students cheered, and the named girl, a beautiful seventh-year student, smiled brightly and accepted a hug from another student before making her way to the stage.

Directrice Cora Descours gave Tamara a slight smile of approval and patted her shoulder.

The room fell silent again as the flames from the goblet rose and danced. A second slip of paper shot into the air. It headed straight for the Durmstrang headmaster, who caught it and handed it to Professor McGonagall with a nod of his head.

Emma felt that itch between her shoulders again.

McGonagall unfurled the scrap of paper and read the name aloud, once more giving a dramatic pause.

"The Durmstrang Champion is… Neal Cassidy!"

The cheer sounded like buzzing insects to Emma. Her stomach twisted painfully. Someone clapped her on the shoulder, and Emma startled, turning to see young Henry Nealson, reaching up (not as far as he would have last year) to console her.

"Maybe he'll get eaten by a dragon or something," the young chaser said brightly.

Emma's eyebrows shot up her forehead. When Emma found out who'd told Henry about her relationship with Neal, she was going to give them a piece of her mind.

"Yeah," Emma mumbled in response.

David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby each gave Emma a supportive bump, but then it was time to see who the Hogwarts champion would be.

The little slip flew up into the air, and the headmistress read the name with obvious pride.

"And the Hogwarts champion is… Emma Swan!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Emma blinked, still a little stunned.

"You know what this means, right?" Ruby whispered into her ear. "You're going to the Yule Ball… with Jefferson."

"Ruby!" Mary Margaret chastised. "Now is not the time."

Emma's roommate's helped Emma to her feet, and she slowly made her way up to the platform. The Beaxbatons champion gave her a ghost of a smile, then she met Neal's eyes.

"Hey," Neal said, looking sheepish.

"Don't—" she started, her hackles rising, but a flash of light made her turn.

Another slip of paper flew up from the Goblet of Fire. Professor McGonagall caught it with a puzzled expression and made a disapproving little cluck when she opened the hastily folded ballot.

"Killian Jones," she read, her voice carrying over the hushed room.

"Killian?" Neal said quietly next to Emma, he sounded unhappy and… worried?

Madam Hooch spoke up from her place on at the professor's table.

"That doesn't make any sense," she said. "Killian Jones isn't—"

"What is going on?" demanded Cora Descours in an accented voice. "It is unfair for Hogwarts to have two champions when we only have one!"

"Whatever the cup says is final, Cora," the headmaster from Durmstrang, George Konig, said immediately.

"But Killian Jones isn't here," Madam Hooch went on. "Seventh year isn't required at Hogwarts."

"He must be on campus," Konig said, "or the Goblet could not have chosen him."

A moment of hushed chatter filled the hall.

"Sonorus Castellum," McGonnogall said. The spell amplified her voice, and Emma imagined it would carry through the whole castle. "Killian Jones, report to the great hall at once."

"I'm already here, Professor," Killian drawled from somewhere off to Emma's right.

Every head in the room snapped that direction to find the boy in question leaning against the wall beside the platform. He was wearing trainers, blue jeans, and an old, black tee-shirt. Emma wasn't actually surprised that he was in the Great Hall. How could he miss the ceremony? She was certain that he'd snuck forward while under his invisibility cloak and uncovered himself for dramatic effect. Her already tight stomach did another little flip at the sight of him.

"Mr. Jones, what is the meaning of this?" McGonagall said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"I did not, Professor," Killian said, bowing his head.

"Clearly he is lying," Directrice Cora Descours said. "You said he isn't even a student!"

"He is a student," McGonagall said, turning an icy stare on Descours. "But he has been truant from his classes as of late."

She turned back to Killian.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Jones?" she asked him in an iron voice that brooked no disagreement.

"Aye," he said contritely.

"There cannot be four champions in the Tri-Wizard Tournament!" Cora complained.

"The Goblet's choices are final," George Konig snapped, making Directrice Descours seeth. "There is not precedent against more than three champions."

"You sound as though you want Hogwarts to have an unfair advantage," Descours challenged, narrowing her eyes at Konig.

"It hardly matters," Konig sneered back, but Emma stopped listening.

Her internal lie detector was registering. Neither Descours nor Konig were being honest, and Emma suspected it wasn't just because of anger. Something was going on, and they were both part of it. As the two headmasters continued to argue, Emma kept her eyes on Killian. When he felt her gaze, he turned to her and gave her a tiny nod. She knew it meant he was suspicious too. Good.

After another few minutes of bickering, Killian was ushered onto the stage where he stood next to Emma. Neal stood on her other side, and she could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him again. She didn't want to believe he was part of it, too, but maybe he was.

She'd only known him for a few months, really. It hurt to even think about it.

And Killian.

Emma knew he'd been drawn into this fiasco because of her. That meant Professor French was involved, too. He'd overheard Emma tell Mary Margaret about him being on campus. That had to be the link.

But what did it mean? The whole Tri-Wizard Tournament couldn't be orchestrated just for Riddle to get to Killian, could it?

Well, if it was, they'd just have to turn it back on him.

They had work to do.

.