~May 4th 2003~
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with
JKR and do not take credit for her brilliant work. These stories are based on
her characters, setting, and ideas. I would like to thank the webmasters of Harry
Potter Lexicon and the authors to "Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries
of Harry Potter" for much needed reference.
Canon Note: I have started this story
before the release of Order of the Phoenix. Some minor details, age,
Quidditch position, relations, etc. may be off. I would like to keep my story
somewhat close to canon and therefore try and incorporate new facts as the
story progresses. Marie will be the same Marietta, Cho's friend in OOTP, but
her character will remain the sweet girl as I portrayed her. (Roger will switch
from Beater to Chaser later in the novel to be consistent with OOTP . . . why
are there not Beater Captains?).
*~Phaedra
Note~*
Hi
there!
Like
many of you, I developed a craze for Harry Potter from the books and movies,
and turned to Fan Fic for extra reading fun. Many
stories have inspired me to write some of my own.
"The
One to Keep" is about Cho Chang, my favorite
character, and a love triangle between Cedric and Oliver. Of course, being an
attractive young lady, the unwanted attention of others adds to the flavor. The
events of my story take place during Harry Potter's third year, Prisoner of
Azkaban. Naturally, I cannot ignore the major events that would affect my
story, but most of the minors shall be ignored. Forgive me if I forget to write
about Cho smiling to Harry at a certain date.
I am particularly proud of "The One to Keep." It is a light-hearted romance fic with a lot of great characters and adventures. I hope you enjoy it. I would also like to thank my "Beta Readers" Johnny and Kaihn. This story wouldn't make sense without you guys. Reviews are encouraged and appreciated.
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~*Through the Window*~
By: Phaedra
Beta: Johnny and Kaihn
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The
sun seemed to rise early that day as if to warn of a long day. Sunlight seeped through the windows and onto
the eyelids of a sleeping fourteen year old girl. In seemingly no time at all,
the bedroom in London was illuminated welcoming
the new day.
"Cho!
Cho dear, wake up!" the young girl's mother called from just outside the
bedroom door. "You have overslept by half an hour! Get up now! We have much to
do!"
Dreading
morning, and the end of the night's wondrous dreams, Cho reluctantly opened her
eyes and sat up gazing at the window.
Wondering why she had left the blinds open, Cho stepped out of bed and
into her bathroom to get ready for the day. Her fourth year at Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry started in less than a week, and Cho Chang had yet
to make her way to Diagon Alley to buy her school
supplies for the upcoming year. She knew the weekend before classes started
that the alley would be crowded, but she had procrastinated anyway. She knew that her friends would have waited
until this weekend, and she was hoping to run into them.
"There's
so much to do!" Cho's mother stated, her voice filled
with a worried anxiety about the impending rush. "New books, potions, antidotes, Quidditch
robes… I'm so proud of our Seeker…"
While
her mother was organizing a list of supplies and making sure breakfast was served,
Cho finishing her grooming. With the sun a bit higher in the morning sky, Cho
hurried down the steps to grab a little breakfast before the long day at Diagon Alley. In her rush, she missed the last step and
fell in the foyer with a loud smack.
Cho's
father laughed. "Looks like the Quidditch Cup will be Ravenclaw's
by the grace and poise of the new seeker!"
Cho,
her face flushed with embarrassment, pulled herself to her feet. "Catching the
snitch requires patience and a sharp eye; as well as speed on the broom, not
how well one walks."
"You
mean how well one falls flat on her face!" her father continued with a smirk as
he continued to read the Daily Prophet.
Cho
sat down to her father's right. She refilled his cup of tea and helped herself
to a bowl of almonds and strawberries and a glass of pumpkin juice. Without
saying a word, she glanced at her father whose eyes have not left the paper.
"Hmm.
Cho, I want you to be extra careful at Hogwarts this year. I hear Dementors will be on the premises. Don't be afraid of them
since they are there to protect the students but please keep your distance. If
some boy tries leading you somewhere excluded…"
"DAD!"
He
paused and looked at her daughters brown eyes. "You're a smart girl Cho; I
trust you will make the right decisions. But these are complicated times for a
young girl, and boys your age are starting to take certain interests in girls
your age. I'm just protecting my little Cho. Besides, you know when it comes to
romance, your mother has a way of knowing everything
you do."
Cho
rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. Her mother hurried in and expressed
their tardiness. "Let's get going!" Jae and Cho got up from the breakfast table
and headed for their car.
"I
think muggle travel might be appropriate today," commented Jae. "I imagine the
streets of London will be quite busy."
The
Chang family climbed in their car and headed for the Leaky Caldron. Along the way, Cho's mother and father were
sharing a rapid conversation of Cho's safety, position on the Ravenclaw
Quidditch team, high marks from last year despite the terrors of the Basilisk,
trouble she may get with boys, and many other parental concerns.
Cho
on the other hand, gazed through the window of the moving vehicle an into the
muggle world. The vehicle slowed and parked a few meters outside the Leaky
Caldron. Cho climbed out of the car, and walked through the inn and through the
gateway to Diagon Alley. As expected, Diagon Alley was filled with witches and wizards in a last minute frenzy before the term. The road was packed
with young wizards and their families.
"I think it would be far more efficient if we
separate and meet at the Lion Dragon for dinner," suggested Jae, "Cho, you go
get fitted for your new robes. Faye, you
get the potions and writing implements.
I will get Cho's new books."
Jae
then held his wand to Cho's letter from Hogwarts, "Diffindo!" separating
the supply list to three sections. "Please be safe dear, see you at 5:30."
"I will daddy. I'll see you at the Lion Dragon!." she hugged her parents and headed for Quality Quidditch
Supplies.
Outside
the store, young wizards congregated in front of the display window. Wondering
what was causing the commotion, Cho threaded her way
through the crowd. There it was. The
glimmer of the new Firebolt broom greeted its spectators through the window.
Cho read the description of the Firebolt and sighed. Even with hardworking
parents, a Firebolt was out of her family's income.
"Well, I don't expect to see you at Hogwarts,"
she said under her breath.
Dreaming
of the Firebolt's aerodynamic perfection, Cho realized such an item would more
than likely not appear in the hands of young wizards, even Malfoy.
With her eyes fixed on the Firebolt's glimmer, Cho approached the door of the
store. She soon learned an effect of not paying attention to one's
surroundings. "Oh," exclaimed Cho as her shoulder collided with a tall young
man's chest.
"Was
wond'ring when yer going to
pay attention to where ye go'in!" said the young man.
"I'm
so sorry!" pleaded Cho as she drew her eyes from the Firebolt into the hazel
pools of the young man's eyes. Her breath came with more difficulty now than
when she had first seen the broom in the window.
"No
problem," he smiled.
Cho
watched the Gryffindor keeper make his way through the crowd before she
realized she was speechless. Snapping herself back to her senses, she shook her
head and made it through the door to Quality Quidditch supplies without further
incident. Nearly every Quidditch player from Hogwarts was in the shop admiring
merchandise. There were books, brooms, robes, cases of balls and bats, and even
foamed bludgers for children. The crowd was thickest
in the robes section. Cho made her way to the student robes to find Ravenclaw
Quidditch robes. She plucked a set that appeared to fit her small figure and
headed for the dressing room. After trying on the smallest size she stepped out
and studied herself in the mirror. The robes still dragged along the floor.
"Well,
most Quidditch players are a bit taller and wider," said a tailor as he pulled
out a wand and pointed it at the ends of Cho's robes. "No problem my dear, Scrincanda!"
"Oh,
thank you!" Cho watched the robes shrink to fit her figure, allowing her to
move unencumbered. The tailor quickly
moved on to the next student, as Cho stepped in front of the mirror again.
"Hmm.
With a uniform like that, I can't say I'll be watching for the snitch this
year." Cho looked up to see Cedric Diggory's
reflection standing behind hers. Cedric
was the Seeker and Captain for the Hufflepuff team. He was a very handsome
young man and Cho's dear friend.
Cho
turned and saw Cedric Diggory, waiting to try on new uniforms.
"Hi
Cedric, how are you!" Cho gave her friend a small hug.
"Good,
good. Ready for the school year?"
"Not
quite. I can't imagine shopping during the rush every year. My parents are
picking up my books and other school supplies while I am to get fitted for my
new robes."
"Yes,
the shopping is the worst part but I bet this is going to be a great year,
despite recent events. But it looks like we're not the only procrastinators." Cedric
looked around at other students rushing in and out of shops, arms full of
bought goods. "Listen, everyone's meeting at Florean Fortescue's for ice cream at five. Going to meet us?"
"At five?
Well, sure. For a little bit. I have got to meet my parents at dinner at 5:30."
"Where
are you dining this evening?"
"The
Lion Dragon"
"Ahh. Superb oriental cuisine. A bit on the extravagant side
aren't we Miss Chang?" Cedric winked.
"You
know my family. They love to celebrate special occasions or goodbyes."
"Well,
let's get out of these robes shall we? The sooner we finish shopping the more
time we can catch up. May I escort you to get the rest of your robes fit?"
Cho
laughed. "I never imagined a young man in the corner of a boutique waiting for
me to get fit for robes."
"Please,"
Cedric smirked, "it's not always about you princess! I have to get fitted for
dress robes and maybe buy a couple of Hufflepuff ties."
"Dress
robes? Why do you need dress robes? That doesn't seem like you."
"Oh.
Well…" Cedric spoke uncomfortably, "well, the Prefects are throwing a spring
ball for the seventh years. Sort of a good bye to the graduating students.
Although, if a sixth or seventh year…or Prefect decides to bring a younger
student he…eh…or she may do so."
"I
see," said Cho obliviant to Cedric's innuendos, "Very
well Cedric, I will meet you at the registers as soon as I change."
Without
waiting for a response, Cho rushed in a dressing room and changed to her
original clothes. She wondered how nice it would be to attend a ball welcoming
the spring. A handsome date, beautiful gown, her hair and face done in
extravagant fashion. Until hearing about
the ball, she had been excited about entering a fourth year at Hogwarts. Now
she wished she was old enough to attend the spring ball. 'Well there still
is a possibility.' She would be
allowed to if Cedric took her. Maybe they could go as friends. Then she thought
of the hazel-eyed Gryffindor she bumped into out of the shop.
"A
handsome date…" she said to herself.
A
tap on the door, "Madame, do you need help dressing?"
"Oh,"
she stumbled, "No, I … uh sorry!"
She
quickly hurried out of the dressing room without checking herself in the
mirror. With her new Quidditch robes in her hand, she headed towards the
registers. A gold trimmed book caught her eye. "Seeking the Snitch" by Kennilworthy Wisp. She stopped in front of the book. She
never played a Hogwarts Quidditch match before. Her first game would be with
Hufflepuff; Cedric Diggory was the Seeker, Captain and an excellent player.
'My first game is against the talented
Cedric? He will be hard to beat. I'm going to need all the help I can get.'
She picked up the book and flipped through the pages as she stood in line
awaiting her turn to check out. It was filled with everything known about the
snitch: history, Seeker moves, fouls, etc. 'This will be useful' she thought as
she placed her robes atop the book for check out.
"Madame,
do you need help dressing?" Cho turned and looked into Cedric's eyes before
noticing a suppressed laugh.
"Oh
you! Bet you had a lot of fun hearing me stumble
around!"
Cedric
giggled. "You should have heard yourself."
"Excuse
me." A tall boy cut in front of Cho.
"Oh!"
she looked up at the boy and recognized him from outside the shop.
She
knew who he was. His talent on the Quidditch field would not go unnoticed. Not
only was he the Gryffindor keeper but a handsome heart-breaker. His tall frame
and muscular body earned from years of playing Quidditch only added to flavor.
"Excuse
me, Gina" he said to the cashier, "I believe a left a package here, I am
missing a box of practice Snitches."
"Ah
yes, forgive me. With the Firebolt in the window I have been keeping an eye out
for . . . LOOKOUT!!"
A
flying object was speeding through the stores, bouncing around the ceiling and
wall. It was a wild bludger.
CRASH!
BOOM! BANG! It was headed toward the front.
"LOOKOUT!!" yelled the hazel eyed boy and he
clutched Cho bringing her to the floor protecting her with his body.
The
wild bludger grazed a few centimeters atop the boy's
hair and bounced toward the cashier before a voice called out "IMPEDIMENTA! " The bludger
suspended in mid-air. The cashier plucked the bludger
out of the air and replaced it in its respective box. A pair of red-head boys
snickered behind the table.
"Argh! I await the day you two go back to Hogwarts! Out of my store!"
yelled the cashier dragging two red-headed twins by the ear.
Cho
was still in the arms of the hazel-eyed boy. His body was warm and his heart was
pounding with adrenaline. She closed her eyes for a brief moment inhaling the
masculine scent that was sure to cause girls to faint. Those brief seconds in
those strong arms seemed like forever. He eventually stood and released Cho,
bringing her head down to reality. He looked at her.
"Sorry again sir, here are your snitches. Good
luck training, Oliver." she handed the hazel-eyed boy a gold trimmed box that
resembled a box of candy.
"Thanks, Gina." He turned to the cashier and
retrieved his item. He turned back to Cho, "Are you all right there, Cho?"
Cho's
voice failed her. Oliver looked up at
Cedric expressionless. "Good day Cedric."
"See you at school, Oliver." Cedric
respectively replied as Oliver left the store. Oliver stole one last look at
Cho through the display window over the Firebolt. She had not taken her eyes
off him.
"That will be 14 Galleons and 2 sickles . . .
miss? MISS?"
"Oh." Cho looked from the window to Gina. "I'm
sorry. I'm . . . I'm still a little shaken." She rummaged through her purse for
her money.
"My apologize miss for the disruption. I seem
to get the rambunctious group during my shift."
Meanwhile
the display windows were fogging, courtesy of the red-head twins. Gina
pretended not to acknowledge them. After Cho received her packaged goods, she
noticed Cedric suppressing a laugh. She gave him a look, waiting for him to
reveal what was so funny. They left the store and his laugher only grew.
"It's not funny Cedric; the poor woman has a
lot to deal with. I'm sure guarding that Firebolt is more than enough to stress
someone out."
"Madame, do you need help dressing?" Cedric
pointed at her blouse, laughter only intensifying. Cho looked down at her
blouse and found the top four buttons undone.
"Ahhhh!!" she
screamed, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She hastily buttoned her top.
"I tried, but the expensive box of practice
snitches caught your attention. Or was
it the boy who owns them?"
"Please," uttered
Cho, "Oliver Wood is the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which only
means that he is competition. In fact, I don't think he is aware of my new role
as Ravenclaw seeker. We don't know each other. Barely said a word to each
other."
"You mean you never had the courage to say
anything?" teased Cedric.
"Never had the opportunity!" was her excuse.
"Okay, then how do you explain me?" argued
Cedric, "Oliver is a Keeper, someone the Chasers have to worry about. But you
and I are both Seekers, direct competitors. You're fraternizing with the enemy."
Cedric playfully pinched Cho's arm.
"I'm only your friend to steal your moves!"
snapped Cho with a lighthearted smirk.
Cedric
simply rolled his eyes in response.
"Well, guess we should separate for the
moment. Lady's and men's dressing rooms in opposite directions" Cho said headed
for the ladies section, abandoning Cedric, much to her relief at the moment.
"Sure," he sighed and turned to the men's
dress robes.
On
the other side of the store, Cho met with Madame Malkin
to fit for new robes. She was a smart girl, she schedule a private appointment
with the tailor aware of the weekend rush. After, Malkins
took Cho's measurements, she held out her wand to a
stack of fabric and thread and begin sewing. She selected the highest quality
fabric and performed the best stitching magic could offer. As Madame Malkin prepared the finishes touches on her robes, Cho
browsed over the dress robes. She was drawn to the royal blue satin dress robe
modeled by a mannequin in the display window. She delicately touched the
fabric. The soft touch of the silk slipped across her fingers as if they were
water.
"Miss Chang, your robes are ready."
"Excuse me Madame Malkin,
but may I try on this dress robe please?" she said
without taking her eye off the dress.
"Of course my dear," she headed in the back
and retrieved the dress in her size. "Planning to attend the Spring Ball?"
"I would like to," she sighed.
Madame
Malkin's eyes twinkled as she escorted Cho to the
dressing room. When Cho stepped out, all eyes in the ladies section gazed on
the beautiful girl displaying a dress that seemed made for her. Wearing that dress would have made her the belle
of any ball. The fabric hugged her body, drawing attention to her supple curves
while the deep blue color complimented her dark features. The dress flowed on
her body as it were an extension of her. However, she looked upon herself in
the mirror without a smile.
"I should have had you be my mannequin?"
beamed Malkin, "Shall I wrap it up for you?"
"No, thank you." She wanted to say yes but was
afraid the dress would only go to waste. "I'm sorry I wasted your time Madame Malkin, but I'm afraid this dress would only sit in my
trunk. I'm only a fourth year."
"It was no trouble at all my
dear."
Cho
stepped in the dressing room to change. She handed the dress back to Madame Malkin and took the fitted dress robes. After purchasing she
looked for Cedric in the men's department. He was sorting through different
Hufflepuff ties. He looked up at her.
"Amazing how ties can have different sizes. My
neck didn't grow! How am I supposed to find one that fits?"
Cho
studied her friend and plucked a random tie from the table. She flung it over
his neck on her tippy toes to reach him. He gazed
down at her beauty as she tied the tie for him. From his view he could see her
long eyelashes flutter every other second, smell the coconut in her hair, while
observing her lips flinch in concentration.
"There," she finished, "Ties are normally one
size; you just have to adjust them. I thought you're old enough to figure that
out."
"Well…Mark's not here to perform a tie tying
charm." he looked at his watch. "Oh, almost five already? Time to meet the
gang."
Leaving
the store, they crossed the road to meet their friends at Florean
Fortescue's. Cho couldn't help turning around and
gazing at the blue dress through the display window, her eyes full of dreams
that would not be. They entered the eatery and found most of their friends had
already arrived. A large group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, friends of both Cho and Cedric, occupied two
tables, the floor underneath covered with bags of supplies and robes.
"HEEEY!" yelled Mark, Cedric's fellow
Hufflepuff and good friend. "'Bout time bro, thought you might have gotten
yourself lost," he looked at Cho with a wink, "or preoccupied."
"What are you talking about? I'm not that
late." he pulled back a chair for Cho, but she neglected it, running to greet
her friends. Sparing himself some embarrassment, Cedric seated himself.
"Jenna, Marietta, Roger!" she beamed hugging
her fellow fourth-year friends, "My goodness it's been so long! Roger how are you?" Roger was a few years older than Cho and very
intelligent, and quite the flirt. She turned around and was presented with an
ice cream sundae.
"Oh,
why thank you Cedric, how thoughtful."
"Thought you could bear to gain a few pounds," Cedric smirked. "You know, anything I can do to make that broom of yours a little
slower."
Cho
took an empty seat next to Cedric. She took a few bites of her sundae as she
caught up with her friends. They talked about the upcoming year, Quidditch,
Cedric becoming prefect, and other various topics. A few moments later, Cho
realized how late she was for her meeting with her parents for dinner. She
dropped her spoon, and hastily left waving good-bye to her friends. Through the
window, Cedric watched Cho as she hurried to the Lion Dragon.
"Fancy
her?" asked Joey another good Hufflepuff friend of Cedric. "Buying her ice
cream, watching her try on robes, gazing at those beautiful eyes?" he teased
fluttering his eyelids with a smirk. Cedric tried to hold is laugh.
"She is beautiful, but we are friends and I
try to keep our relationship as such."
"Uh huh," Mark was Cedric's best friend and
knew him as well as Cedric knew himself.
Sometimes better. He watched his best friend gazing at the floor knowing
what was brewing in his head.
"Better be just friends Diggory," exclaimed
Roger, Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, with a mouthful of ice cream, "can't have
you corrupting our new Seeker."
"You have no worries there, Davies." Cedric
stole a last glance at the window.
Cho
entered the restaurant at 6:00 – half an hour late. Her family was habitually late for
everything, but this time it made no difference. She found the hostess lead her
parents to a table by a window.
"Ah, Cho, just in time. Apparently there was a
30 minute wait to get a table. I suppose
next time I'll have to make reservations?" said her father. She sat next to her
father and accepted a menu from the hostess. Cho skimmed through the menu while
updating her parents about her busy day. She told them about the bludger, and the blue dress. However, she left out interesting details
concerning Oliver. She gazed out the window to her left and in search of the
hazel-eyed boy that caught her interest.
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