Frozen
By Artichokie

He will be there, she thought wistfully. He was always there. She didn't have to ask him for him to know to be there—he was just there. The feeling warmed her was she stood pressed against the cold, stone wall, listening for any movement in the next hallway. She knew this was a dangerous game she played, but she couldn't help it. She thrived on it, even.

Her heart raced as she stood in the darkened corridor. All was still—not even a castle ghost wandered through its cavernous area—yet she hesitated. She couldn't be caught, or it would all be for naught. Her body was obscured by a thick cloak with a hood that concealed her black, straight hair. The lower half of her face was covered with a scarf that she'd stolen from one of her roommates, knowing that they wouldn't mind in the least should they find it missing. That was the least of her current worries, though.

Peering around the corner, she did a quick survey of the corridor before pressing herself against the wall. Still no sign of any movement. Good. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the wall. She ran lightly on her toes until she made it to the big oak doors that marked the entrance to the legendary Hogwarts castle. Barely pausing to hesitate, she pulled open one door just a crack and slipped out, letting it close slowly behind her. She'd made it to the grounds. The rest of the journey was easy.

He will be there. He has to be! Her thought propelled her forward, her feet quickly leaving small prints in the pristine white snow. Her breath escaped her chapped lips in small puffs of white that quickly dissipated in her wake. She had donned a cloaked, but she had failed to fasten it in her haste to leave. The sleeves had fallen off of her shoulders, and the hood now bounced gracefully against her back.

The sea of white finally ended in a black mass. The lake, she new, for even without the light of the moon, the surface glimmered with twinkling stars in the sky above her. It lay as still as the land around it. It was as if the air had frozen everything it touched, frozen time itself, allowing her this small glimpse of bliss before the rest of the world intruded. She refused to let go of the moment.

"Cedric?" she called softly into the night air, her footsteps slowing to a light trot. Coming to the edge of the lake, she turned around to face the Hogwarts castle. Her eyes searched the darkness for any signs of movement, but all remained still. Her heart began to race as apprehension pooled in the pit of her stomach.

Why isn't he here? The thought raced through her mind before she could stop it. She didn't want to think about that—didn't want to contemplate disastrous scenarios that could be keeping him. He was here! She knew he was. He had to be.

"Cedric?" she called out again, her voice rising. Her voice caught on the last syllable, her worry now taking over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was acting irrationally. She hadn't given him a chance to appear, and she herself had only just reached their meeting place. Give him time, she knew, but for some reason that part of her brain was being drowned out by the fear she was uncharacteristic feeling. She'd never had to worry with Cedric; he was just there. When he failed to immediately appear, something had to be wrong. It had! It was the only way to explain—

"Cho," a voice whispered against her neck. Gasping, she swung around to face the voice. Although she couldn't make out his features clearly in the gloomy darkness of the night, she knew it was Cedric. Tears of relief sprung to her eyes, threatening to spill out, and a smile forced its way on her lips. The butterflies in her stomach ceased their fluttering and her heart stilled, only to begin racing madly again as he wrapped his arms around her. He was warm—oh, so warm!—and he smelled so good. She enveloped his shoulders in her arms and held him tight, too afraid to let go. If she did, would he still be there? Her happiness took hold, and she could no longer control the tears. She cried softly against his shoulder, her tears damping the fabric of his dark cloak.

"What's this?" he chuckled as he pulled her head off of his shoulder. "Tears? What do you have to cry about, Cho Chang?"

"Nothing," she hastily informed him. Everything. "I'm just so happy you're here. I've missed you."

"You just saw me." The smile disappeared from his face as it took on a serious expression. One of his hands came up to cup her cheek. She let her face fall into his embrace, soaking up the feel of him. "Besides, I'm always with you. How could you think otherwise?"

Before she could stop herself, she launched herself up and pressed her lips against his. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her as their kiss deepened. It had felt like forever since she'd last experienced the magic in his kiss, yet she knew it hadn't been all that long since they'd last embraced. He brought up both hands to hold her face, keeping her close. They drank in each other, blocking out the cold of night.

She broke the kiss, her hands coming up to cover his cheeks. She looked up into his eyes trying to discern the expression hidden in their depths. Shadows obscured them, causing the need to hold on to this moment grow within her. Clenching her teeth, she told him through stiff lips, "Don't ever leave me." His response was to draw her back to him, his lips attacking hers. The desperation in her chest led to the passionate response to his assault. Please, don't leave me…

A sharp wind cut against her bare skin, causing Cho to open her eyes. The lake loomed before her, but Cedric had disappeared as she knew he would. He never stayed long—only long enough to call forth her tears and all of the dreams she'd laid to rest several months ago. The frustration and despair stuck in her throat as she glared at the black surface of the water. How could it remain so calm, even with the wind attacking her back, while she was a complete wreck?

Cedric had been ruthlessly murdered by unforeseen evil forces some months back, but Cho had refused to let him go. He had been a source of happiness for her, although she hadn't realized how much until he was no longer there. It was cruel how fate decided to slap that in her face. The wounds on her soul reopened and bled, never getting the chance to heal, every time the guilt came to play. She'd been so blind.

In her reverie, her cloak had managed to fall to her shoulders, but she hadn't felt the biting edge of the cold until this very moment. Her skin was numb save for the sharp stabs of needle points that were driven by the wind. Unwrapping her arms from around herself, she readjusted her cloak to cover her shoulders and brought the hood up over her head. She wiped the remnants of tears from her face as she continued to stare out in the darkness.

She'd always imagined him saying he would never leave her, but he always did. Right when she thought she could believe him, he disappeared. Her hands clenched into fist, grabbing on to the imaginary rope she had created that kept her tied to her beloved. The threads had begun to unravel, she knew, for she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on. She knew she needed to let go, that dwelling on his passing was causing her more harm than good, but it was just so hard. She was so afraid, so alone.

Why did he have to leave me?