Author's Note: H'llo all! Thank you for your interest in my humble attempt at writing a Harry Potter fic. I usually write other fandoms, so this is a departure from the norm for me. I hope you appreciate it, and if you like what you see here please leave a review for me so I know I should write more. Thank you!

Also, please forgive me, but I did not add Fleur's accent. Sheer laziness, I know. Please forgive me...I'll try to return and add it later. ~hides~ Bad Tam, very very bad....

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the setting in this fic. It write it to pay homage to J. K. Rowling and show my appreciation for the gifted creativity she has blessed the world with. Please don't sue me...I haven't made any money from this and don't want any for it.

Warning: This fanfic contains f/f slash. Don't bother to flame me for this, I know full well what some people think about this. It's fanfic, get over yourself. Do not press review, do not collect $200. Everyone else, please review! I love good reviews and praise, but *constructive* criticism is appreciated too.

Hold Me Tight

Flying Away

Swoop, dive. Sharp climb. Lazy right curve, sharp left turn. Then the opposite. Corkscrew then up...up...up....

I snapped into a tight spiral back down, pushing myself to my limit and not caring a bit if I could pull it off. It was almost inconsequential that I did, though my broom lost a few twigs from the tail. I just laughed, daring the wind to take me and blow me that extra millimeter off course. I was dancing on the razor's edge and knew fully well how the air currents had me at their mercy as I defied death on the school's ancient Cleensweep 7.

Then I noticed that the last maneuver where I had brushed the ground had caused a slight list to the left, but I was already executing another dive. I was dangerously close to losing control and I heard a scream from the stands that confirmed how off course I was. I pulled up a little too sharply, a little too close to the ground, and managed to survive the landing. The broom wasn't as lucky, and I rolled carefully away I saw that the handle had neatly snapped in half. I was lucky it hadn't been my arm.

A heavily accented voice was calling across the pitch, coming closer as I carefully pulled myself to my feet, panting heavily. I wiped sweat out of my eyes, looking up to see who had been watching. I thought I was alone out here despite the beautiful spring weather.

"Fleur?" I couldn't believe my eyes as she came closer, nothing but concern on her beautiful face.

Beautiful? Well, yes, but what was I thinking? I shook my head, trying to clear it, but something about her always made my heart skip a beat and my breath come in short gasps. It was an interesting feat this time, considering I was already in a similar state from the workout I had just put myself through.

"Cho! Are you okay? I was so scared when I saw you fall!" Her accent was very pronounced in her worry and I felt my stomach do a strange flip-flop.

"Fine," I gasped, giving her a thumbs up. I was bent over, hands resting on my knees and supporting my upper body. I had wiped myself out.

So, what did she want from me? I gave her a weak smile, trying to be reassuring, but her presence here puzzled me. I finally straightened, stretching a little to warm down from the work out. I gave her a raise of the eyebrow, trying to question her without having to form words.

"I was walking past when I saw you flying and I was simply entranced." Her clear blue eyes sparkled and I blinked in surprise. "I thought at first it was Krum, the flying was so precise, but you are much more petite and more daring than he is while merely practicing."

I laughed. "Right. I'm not that good, I'm just the house Seeker for Ravenclaw. If you want to see good flying you should see Harry in the air or--" I blinked, breaking off. I couldn't believe I had been about to slip so thoughtlessly. I had been about to say, or Cedric. The very reason I had been up there, flying with all my conflicted heart. I gulped, blinking back tears that fell anyway.

"Oh, I am so sorry." She reached up and brushed my tears away and my skin tingled where she had touched me.

Why? Even when Cedric had danced with me, brushing close to me, I didn't get so jumpy and...and...girlie.

It didn't matter. I just smiled gratefully. "Damn, I wish my broom hadn't snapped when I fell. I could really use some more flying. It helps me forget."

She looked a little shocked at my language, but nodded so understandingly. "You loved him very much, didn't you?"

"I--he was a good friend. A fellow Seeker. We didn't know each other that well, and now I really wish we had."

"This past year, competing against him, I don't think he would have wanted you to carry around so many regrets. He was very noble and very kind. He wouldn't want--"

"I wish everyone would stop telling me what he would want. Cedric is dead and now we'll never know what he would or wouldn't want." Guilt was making me irritable. Guilt for everything I hadn't felt for him and guilt for not trying harder to get to know him. There was guilt for feeling glad I hadn't gotten to know him better as well. And guilt for feeling thrilled at the touch of a girl...a girl he had competed against all year.

She was apologizing, but I didn't want to hear that. I picked up the pieces of the school broom and bit my lower lip in anxiety. Madam Hooch was not going to be pleased. I started off to tell her what I had done.

"Cho! Please, I just--"

"Sorry, I've got hell to pay and I'd like to get it over and done with. I'll see you around." I waved, then ran to Madame Hooch's office.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"How did this happen, Miss Chang?"

I winced at the tone of her voice. Madam Hooch's yellow eyes were flashing impatiently and I had never seen her so upset.

"I was just flying, trying to stay in shape for next year."

"It's not like you to be so careless. You're smarter than that and we both know it. Before you take it out on any more of my brooms, would you like to talk about it?"

I shrugged.

"I'd hate to try to drag it out of you under the excuse of giving you a detention for your negligence."

I frowned. "It won't do any good. I don't know how to talk about it."

She actually nodded. "This is a difficult thing to have to deal with, and since you were his date to the Yule Ball, a lot of people are concerned for you. You don't have to suffer alone."

I had never seen her look so kind. Concerned. Everyone was concerned.

I felt worse than ever. I didn't deserve their concern.

"I'm sorry." Was that my voice? It sounded so strange, choked with emotion. Then the next strange thing happened. I found myself in her strong, athletic arms, being held like a lost little girl. That's how she made me feel. I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I sobbed against her and let the helplessness overtake me. I was safe here. I was protected. I could be helpless because I had someone else there to be strong for me.

But it didn't last.

The emotion drained out of me, and suddenly I realized I was noticing her. In that way. Wouldn't my mind stop this perversion? Even someone who was just trying to comfort me, and I had to notice her like that. My face was burning in shame and I pulled away.

"I can't--" I swiped at my face with my sleeve, running.

"You can't fly away from your problems," she called after me.

What did she know about it? What could she possibly know about what I was feeling?

~~~~~@~~~~~

Fleur sat down next to me at lunch the next day. It was tense. I tried so hard to stop staring at her out of the corner of my eye. I wanted to smile and apologize for running away like I had. I wanted to let her know I'd like to be her friend at the very least.

Her arm brushed against mine and I shuddered. It had been thrilling. It had made me feel electrified. It made feel so guilty I wanted to throw up. I dropped my fork onto the floor, and the golden utensil clattered noisily against the stone. We both reached for it.

Couldn't she tell I wanted to die? I hoped not. Yet, I hoped so. I wished she could help me. I was terrified that she would try. She smiled as we picked up the fork at the same time and I wanted to smile in return. My face was frozen and I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers. I straightened and uttered a small thanks, but that was all. I managed to finish what food was on my plate in some sort of a daze despite how dry my mouth had become.

"Cho, today is our last day here."

She was standing. My eyes went wide, but I couldn't say a thing. She was walking away, walking from my life forever. I couldn't stop her. I wanted to with all my heart, but so many people would notice and I couldn't stand to make a scene. I would die if anyone knew how I felt around her.

She walked out of the great hall and something in me snapped. I ran after her.

"Send me an owl? We could keep in touch?"

I was humiliated by the desperation in my voice, but it was too late to take it back. No one else seemed to notice and I didn't know how they could miss it. Did she notice the blush growing on my face?

Did I want her to?

"Yes. And, promise not to tell anyone?"

I'd promise anything. Anything for her. All I could do is nod.

"I will see you next year."

She smiled. My world went from black and white to color when she did that. I smiled back.

We would see each other again, next year. That was enough.

~~~~~tbc~~~~~