On The Train
"Hey, Harry," said Ron, nodding toward the glass window onto the corridor.
Harry looked around. Cho was passing, accompanied by Marietta Edgecombe, who was wearing a balaclava. His and Cho's eyes met for a moment. Cho blushed and kept walking. Harry looked down at the chessboard, then jumped up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as he opened the opened the door and hurried out into the corridor.
"Cho-" he called, in what was half a shout and half a whisper. Reluctantly, she turned around and walked toward Harry, leaving her friend waiting at the end of the car.
"Look Cho, I--"
"Harry..."
"I'm sorry I blamed you for what happened with the D.A.," he said, trying hard not to look over Cho's shoulder at Marietta.
"Thanks, Harry," she said. "To be honest, I was pretty miffed too." He thought he saw a faint smile on her face as her eyes flicked back toward the end of the car. "It's just that... I had to stand up for my friend, you know."
Harry tried to imagine Ron or Hermione doing something as awful as snitching on the D.A. to Umbridge. Neither of them could be that stupid, he was certain. Still...
He felt Cho's eyes on him as he thought for a moment longer. "I suppose you did," he conceded.
Now he was sure she was smiling. "Still, you were lucky you had that lifetime Quidditch ban... *I* would have been the one knocking you off *your* broom after the way you'd been acting toward me!" Even after all that had happened in past few weeks, Harry couldn't help it - he laughed.
"I'm not banned anymore, you know - better watch out next year," he retorted. She gave him an impudent grin. Smiling back at her, he began to notice a familiar feeling in his stomach, one he had almost forgotten. He hadn't realized how close she was standing to him... and somehow her face seemed to be getting closer to his, though a part of him was certain that Cho wasn't moving anywhere. And suddenly they were kissing, without knowing how had happened. Harry's heart felt lighter than it had in ages. Since before he'd seen Cedric die, he realized.
A cough came from behind them, and Harry and Cho both jumped. Harry began to blush - he had completely forgotten about Marietta Edgecombe during his conversation with Cho. Cho was blushing too, but she was still smiling. She took his hand. "I didn't cry that time," she whispered to him.
"I was just thinking how much nicer that made it," Harry replied.
"So," Cho said, "come and visit me during the summer? I've got some great Quidditch tickets to see the Tornados."
"Well, I suppose it *would* be better than spending time with my aunt and uncle," he replied slyly "even if Ron would never forgive me for supporting the Tornados".
"Oho!" Cho laughed. "I think that means yes. See you then, Harry."
"Bye, Cho," he said. She turned around and walked away with Marietta, while Harry headed back to his compartment. He couldn't help thinking to himself that at least one thing had gone right in his fifth year at Hogwarts.
"Hey, Harry," said Ron, nodding toward the glass window onto the corridor.
Harry looked around. Cho was passing, accompanied by Marietta Edgecombe, who was wearing a balaclava. His and Cho's eyes met for a moment. Cho blushed and kept walking. Harry looked down at the chessboard, then jumped up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as he opened the opened the door and hurried out into the corridor.
"Cho-" he called, in what was half a shout and half a whisper. Reluctantly, she turned around and walked toward Harry, leaving her friend waiting at the end of the car.
"Look Cho, I--"
"Harry..."
"I'm sorry I blamed you for what happened with the D.A.," he said, trying hard not to look over Cho's shoulder at Marietta.
"Thanks, Harry," she said. "To be honest, I was pretty miffed too." He thought he saw a faint smile on her face as her eyes flicked back toward the end of the car. "It's just that... I had to stand up for my friend, you know."
Harry tried to imagine Ron or Hermione doing something as awful as snitching on the D.A. to Umbridge. Neither of them could be that stupid, he was certain. Still...
He felt Cho's eyes on him as he thought for a moment longer. "I suppose you did," he conceded.
Now he was sure she was smiling. "Still, you were lucky you had that lifetime Quidditch ban... *I* would have been the one knocking you off *your* broom after the way you'd been acting toward me!" Even after all that had happened in past few weeks, Harry couldn't help it - he laughed.
"I'm not banned anymore, you know - better watch out next year," he retorted. She gave him an impudent grin. Smiling back at her, he began to notice a familiar feeling in his stomach, one he had almost forgotten. He hadn't realized how close she was standing to him... and somehow her face seemed to be getting closer to his, though a part of him was certain that Cho wasn't moving anywhere. And suddenly they were kissing, without knowing how had happened. Harry's heart felt lighter than it had in ages. Since before he'd seen Cedric die, he realized.
A cough came from behind them, and Harry and Cho both jumped. Harry began to blush - he had completely forgotten about Marietta Edgecombe during his conversation with Cho. Cho was blushing too, but she was still smiling. She took his hand. "I didn't cry that time," she whispered to him.
"I was just thinking how much nicer that made it," Harry replied.
"So," Cho said, "come and visit me during the summer? I've got some great Quidditch tickets to see the Tornados."
"Well, I suppose it *would* be better than spending time with my aunt and uncle," he replied slyly "even if Ron would never forgive me for supporting the Tornados".
"Oho!" Cho laughed. "I think that means yes. See you then, Harry."
"Bye, Cho," he said. She turned around and walked away with Marietta, while Harry headed back to his compartment. He couldn't help thinking to himself that at least one thing had gone right in his fifth year at Hogwarts.