Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry forum - Arithmany Class, Assignment #3
Word count: 969
Illuminated in the moonlight is a tall, thin figure. Upon closer examination, the figure isn't tall - she's riding a broomstick. He watches the person - he supposes it's a girl - enjoying the moonlit ride. His eyes are mesmerized. Now there is a beauty, he thinks. Grabbing his wand and bag, he quickly dresses and heads outside. Maybe he might catch a glimpse of this free creature of the night. Or, he might just savour the night air, revel in the feeling of the coolness and openness of Hogwarts' grounds.
Walking swiftly, he approaches the Quidditch Pitch and lays down in the grass. Propped up on his elbows, he watches the girl fly through the air. A feeling of intense admiration washes over him. She looks so perfect flying there, with her long hair trailing behind like a banner.
She is so happy up here. This is the only time when she is truly free. She doesn't understand why her family wants her to stop playing Quidditch. True, in her second and third years she received several injuries after the Ravenclaw-Slytherin and Ravenclaw-Gryffindor games. But that's all over and done with now. Now, she is just Cho. Flying through the starlight. Or so she imagines.
She sees the moon rising, changing from a harvest yellow to a deep blue, then to white. As it moves in the night sky, Cho makes a wish. Hands out, head thrown back, her long hair blowing in the wind, she dangles in mid-air, enjoying the feeling for a scant second before she has to once more descend.
He hastily crawls back into the shadows. She lands and dismounts gracefully, and at once he knows who it is. He is surprised at his ability to spot her figure, although he tells himself it is easy. She isn't very tall and, unlike most of the other sixth years, she is small for her age.
She walks right past him, which makes him adore her even more. She is a cold beauty, callous, oblivious. She is completely unobservant after her flying high, but he understands. After he sees her, he becomes oblivious to his surroundings and does not notice he is being watched. Trying to be careful, he follows her back to the castle, making sure to keep in the shadows.
She hears a sound and turns, drawing her wand.
"Lumos!" She lights up a small area around her. Damn, Blaise thinks, creeping back into the line of trees, hoping she doesn't spot him. She peers into the darkness, shrugs, and extinguishes her wand with a wave. Blaise curses himself and resolves to follow her at a slower pace.
Nearing the bridge that crosses one of the various parts of the grounds, she stops and peers down into the river below. She cocks her head to the side and smiles.
"I know you're there."
He stands perfectly still, willing each molecule to make no sound.
"You can come out," she says, her voice light. "I know who you are."
Hesitantly, Blaise steps out onto the bridge. He sees her for the first time face to face. His body is in shadows, hers illuminated by the light of the moon.
Her breath catches and she stares at him. Up close, his feminine features are clear. She is surprised at how beautiful he is when he isn't scowling.
Step by step he decrease the distance between them. His eyes are calculating, like a predator hunting its prey.
She stands resolute, steeling her courage for this unexpected encounter.
Instead of trading words, he reaches up and fixes her hair, untangling the messy wind-blown strands. His face is not contorted into a sneering expression, so she lets him continue, wondering where this will lead. He fixes her rumpled uniform tie, then drops his hands to his sides.
In her turn, she opens his robes and grins at his startled expression. She sticks her tongue out, eliciting a chuckle from him. The sound is endearing, so she smiles at him.
He is awed at how pretty her face becomes when she smiles. This is what every male dies for at Hogwarts. One of Cho Chang's famous smiles.
He pauses and in that moment, she steps forward and looks up at him, wondering what he'll do next. He leans forward and places a chaste kiss on her cheek, as though to do more would mar her beauty. He is no saint and he knows he doesn't deserve her.
She giggles and draws him in for a proper kiss. After several moments of increasing passion, they separate as if burned. She drops him hastily and he lets his hands fall out of her slightly mussed hair.
He admires her form and loves how her tousled hair is his doing.
She smiles cat-like at him, her flushed cheeks and glowing eyes showing how much she enjoyed the kiss. Maybe she would want to do more, he muses, but quickly dismisses the thought. She is too beautiful and innocent.
He will always remember this moment, as though it is burned into his memory. She is a temptress, but she is beautiful so she can get away with it. Rather, he will let her. Before he can collect his senses, he hears her voice floating back down the bridge.
"Room of Requirement?" she asks.
He is running as fast as dignity allows. Maybe there are other beautiful memories that will be ingrained in his mind, each as lovely as the next. He smirks, allowing his eyes to follow only her beauty.
She looks back once and his heart melts like ice in the sun. She is so pretty he will do anything for her. Because he is a slave to beauty.