Author's note:
This was written for the Teacher's Lounge "I Never" Challenge.
Challenge: Hufflepuff/Gryffindor Quidditch match in book 3 (where Harry falls off his broom and Cedric catches the Snitch) from Cho Chang's point of view. Written in first person. Remember she's a Quidditch player herself, so she'll appreciate the technicalities of the game. She probably also fancies Cedric by then, though I don't think they're going out. She'll also care about the result of the game for how it will affect Ravenclaw's chances (you might need to check in the book for this). I don't want much of the lead-up or the aftermath of the game - at least 90% of your story needs to be her thoughts and reactions during it. Minimum 750 words.
I stepped onto the pitch one cool quiet morning and stood there for a long minute taking in the fresh air. The wind gently blew my hair as I took in the beauty of the Quidditch pitch before me. My team mates would be arriving soon, but I wanted the first flight all to myself. I loved to fly. I loved how the wind flew between my strands of hair as I took off and zoomed around the pitch.
I always have had a sharp eye for spotting things in a distance. When I was younger, around ten-years-old, my grandmother lost a emerald necklace in her house when I was visiting. I found it high above my head nestled on a bookshelf covered in decorative plates. My grandmother had been cleaning that day and took her necklace off. She forgot to put it away properly before she started cleaning. 'You have a good eye for finding things,' my grandmother always said,'You might do well as a Seeker.' Which is one reason why I applied for that position.
I found my broom where I had put it at the start of the season in the broom cupboard on the field, laid my coat aside and quickly climbed on it hovering above the ground. Right as I was about to take off I heard someone shout from below right at me.
"Hey, you're on our practice time." In an instant I turned around so fast, I fell off my broom as I tried to see who was calling to me. Whomever it was raced to my aid. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt. He bent over me making sure I was alright. I was staring into the eyes of a beautiful boy. The most beautiful boy in the world. He had brown hair that flowed freely. He handed me his hand to help me get up. I sat a moment dumbfounded, I couldn't figure out, let alone remember what I was suppose to do. He flashed a pearly white smile at me.
"Are you okay?" he asked me as I heard words, but couldn't reply. I saw his hand, and finally remembered to accept it. His hand overpowered mine with large fingers, and I never wanted to let go. I wanted to hold his hand forever and I didn't know why. What was going on with me? Cho Chang had only one crush, and that was Harry Potter. Then again, every girl in the school had a crush on him too.
"Excuse me?" The voice made me come back from my thoughts as I stared into the smile. I realized I was still holding his hands and quickly let go.
"I thought Ravenclaws had the pitch for the morning," I managed to get out through a dry throat. Where were words when I need them? I thought. He chuckled.
"No, it's Hufflepuff's turn for Saturday morning. You're after lunch," he said with a deep, husky voice. There it was again; his smile that made me kept staring at it.
"Oh," was all I could say before my throat became dry again. I could feel my cheeks burning out of embarrassment. Here I was standing in front of a beautiful boy, and I couldn't think of anything to say.
"But if you want, you can take a lap around the pitch before breakfast," he offered. Big brown eyes stared back at me with a playful look and all I could think about was wanting to escape.
"No, that's okay," I gulped.
"Are you sure? I love a good race. I'm Cedric by the way.," he introduced himself.
"I know who you are," I said. Then I felt my cheeks burn. Why did I have to say that? Stupid!
"Oh, you're one of those girls then," Cedric said sadly as he started getting ready for his practice.
"Hey, that's unfair. You don't even know my name," I said to him chasing after him.
"You do know who I am." he said turning to face me.
"Yeah, but that's because all the girls have huge crushes on you and on Harry," I said before I could stop myself.
"Is that so?" He laughed at me, as he did, he made me feel very dumb. I felt my cheeks burn with anger instead of embarrassment. I completely forgot about falling off my broom in front of him.
"I don't know who you think you are, but I'm the Ravenclaw Seeker, when our teams play together I'll beat you before you get a chance to look for the Snitch." It was the only thing I could think of. 'Stupid! Why did I say something stupid like that ,' I thought. I shook my head, annoyed.
"Don't fall off your broom then." He snickered as he remembered why he started talking to me in the first place.
"I'm not a klutz, I was startled by your appearance," I said in an aggravated tone. Something about him made me want to talk to him more, but at the same time I wanted to get away from him. I kept saying stupid things to him.
"You never did tell me your name," he said.
"I don't have to," I replied. There we go, right on time a stupid thing to say. I was so aggravated with myself that I stormed off with out even getting my coat.
"Gryffindor's playing Hufflepuff? I thought they were playing Slytherin," I said to Cedric as we got the brooms for our morning flying practice.
"Yeah, Malfoy 'claims' his arm still is broken from the Hippogriff. He's faking of course, he just doesn't want to play."
"I heard Malfoy only came on the team because his father bought new brooms for the team," I said.
"Yeah, that's the only reason why he's on the team."
Ever since I fell off my broom, we became friends. We started off by talking to each other every now and then when we ran into each other in the corridors, and in the few run in's we've had in the library. Then the following week, we started practicing together. He handed me a broom, as he did so our fingers brushed lightly against each other. I don't know what happened, but my insides went all flip-flop when his fingers brushed against mine. I blushed automatically, and looked away at the Quidditch pitch.
"Good day for flying," Cedric said as he read my mind. He always knows what I'm thinking when it comes to Quidditch. He understands the sport like I do.
"Do you think you will have good weather for your game?" I asked with a worried tone in my voice. I wasn't close to Harry, because we run with different crowds, but I wanted him to be safe too.
"No, it's going to thunder and lightening, and pour down rain," Cedric said smiling and then frowning when he saw the look on my face. I stared at him horrified.
"Only joking." He didn't tell jokes often, he was more serious than anything. so when he said that, I believed him. He patted me on the back and took off flying on his broom.
As Cedric predicted, the morning of the Quidditch match turned out awful. I didn't get a chance to wish Cedric good luck before the game. I wanted to tell it to Harry too, but he didn't even know I existed. I made the way to the pitch alone, in the pouring rain. I managed to find a spot on the bench and sat down next to other Ravenclaws.
"I can't believe they're playing in this weather," I heard a fellow student say to another one. I nodded in agreement even though they weren't talking to me.
The game started despite the weather conditions. I was thankful we weren't playing in this game. I don't know if I could have seen the Snitch. I watched Harry as he zoomed in and out and up and down. I was able to spot the Snitch the same time he did, and tried watching Cedric at the same time. I took my eyes off of Harry for a few seconds to watch Cedric try to find the snitch. I had forgotten for a moment he was a Seeker too like Harry and I.
The students screamed through the rain. I started to clap, but realized everyone wasn't clapping along with me. Harry was falling fast from the sky as if he had just been thrown off his broom.
I gasped in horror as I watched him fall. Thankfully, Dumbledore raced out there before he fell and had his wand ready. The crowed was in an eerie silence as we sat there getting wet.
"Is the game over?" I asked a student.
"I don't know," she replied.
We sat there for a few minutes before Professor McGonagall told us to go back to the Castle. I obeyed, but wanted to find Cedric fast. He would know what was going on.
I found him an hour later all alone in the Library sitting in a corner. He wasn't doing anything at all but sitting. His face was as pale as I have ever seen it before. I bent down, placed my hand on his shoulder and frowned.
"Cedric?" He jumped slightly as he looked up from his lap. I sat down next to him on the floor.
"We won." Cedric said quietly. I nodded in agreement.
"Well, that's good," I said politely.
"No, we won. I was stupid and caught the Snitch before I realized what was going on. I yelled at Madam Hootch, begged for a rematch, but she said we won fair and square," Cedric admitted.
"Ced, it's okay." I looked at him. I had never before called him 'Ced,' and didn't know how he would react and to my surprise, he didn't tell me off for calling him 'Ced'.
"It's not okay. Harry fell off his broom and all I could think about was getting the Snitch." He lowered his head in his hands. He was ashamed; I could tell.
"I would have done the same thing. How were you to know what was going on with the rest of the game in that weather? If they canceled the match, then Harry wouldn't be in the Hospital wing." I bit my lower lip, Cedric didn't know Harry was in the Hospital wing.
"He's in the hospital wing?" Cedric said looking up at me.
"That's where they took him after the match. Didn't you see?" I asked.
"No, I was too busy arguing with Madam Hooch. I put him in the hospital." Cedric felt guilty.
"No, you didn't. The Dementors came into the arena when they weren't suppose to. He reacted in a way that anyone would have reacted by falling off of his broom. Dumbledore saved him." I tried soothing him. I rubbed his back gently as he hung his head again. The feeling in my stomach where it felt like butterflies were dancing remained every time I saw Cedric.
"Thank you, Cho," he said after several long moments of silence.
"For what?" I said.
"For showing me that I didn't put Harry in the Hospital. I'm not happy that we won, but I will get over it." He looked up at me and for the first time since we started talking, he smiled at me. I stopped rubbing his back.
"You're welcome. Accidents happen when it comes to the art of flying," I said to him. He chuckled at me.
"You learned the lesson the hard way," he said as he teased me. I frowned, and then smiled. Playfully, I hit his shoulder.
"Hey!" I said as I laughed quietly.
"It's true. That's how we met. You fell off your broom," he said seriously after he stopped laughing. He playfully pushed me back. I fell to the floor as I did so, he fell on top of me. I didn't get a chance to take in what was going on.
"AHEM." A voice from in front of us made us stop teasing each other. Madam Pince stared at us with her arms crossed.
He scooted off of me and helped me stand up. We stood there ashamed, with our heads hung low.
"I should give you a detention for rough housing in the Library, but I won't. Consider this a warning," she said sternly.
"Thank you, mam'am," Cedric replied as he glanced at me with a grin. I blushed and looked away.
"Off with you. Get out of the Library now," she stated.
We rushed out of the Library with out looking back and stopped right outside of the Library. It was then when I knew I had a crush on Cedric as he stood there laughing in the corridor.
"That wasn't funny. We could have gotten a detention!" I replied as I swung my bag playfully at him. He ducked out of the way, and backed away slightly.
"It's just a detention," he said as he got all serious again.
"I know, but it would have been my first one," I replied. His beautiful smile turned into a frown. He stood there with his hands in his pocket looking sheepish.
"I should go to Ravenclaw and put away my bag before supper," I said quietly. I didn't want to leave him, but I knew he would be alright.
"I need to get back to Hufflepuff. My teammates knew I wanted to be alone and would be worried about me."
"So, this is it," I said sadly.
"Till next Saturday right?" Cedric questioned as he stared at me.
"Saturday?"
"Our usual morning flying time," he replied softly, smiling as it dawned on me.
"Ohh, sure!" I had forgotten all about that. I stared at him with a sweet smile, said goodbye and walked away quickly before he could see me blushing.
Special thanks to my beta Slytherin Head.