Hello my fellow readers - here's my 3rd round submission for the Quidditch Cup FF Challenge I'm participating in. I'm working on my other stories, and I apologize for the delay. I have a real reason though - I just bought my very first house - and have been overwhelmed trying to get it all together. You'll see a Show Me update this week - I swear! -Redhead414
Team: Ballycastle Bats
Position: Beater #2
Words: 1536 words before the Author's Note
Pairing: Cedric Diggory/Cho Chang
Prompts: [open book]; [maybe, maybe not]; ["pretend that didn't happen"]; [When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know your name is safe in their mouth."]; [blue]
Other Guidelines: Rare Pairs (pairing in romance category, less than 2000 stories); story must include a Hufflepuff
"Are you worried about the task tomorrow?"
"Should I be?"
Cho glared at her boyfriend, not at all amused.
Cedric chuckled, draping an arm around her as they sat together on a stone bench inside the courtyard. He kissed her cheek and added a reassuring squeeze for good measure. "You worry too much."
She shook her head. "I'm starting to think Hermione Granger's right. None of you are worrying enough." Looking down at the open book in her lap, she thumbed through a few pages and pointed out a defensive charm she'd marked earlier that day. "I overheard Hermione telling Harry about this. I wasn't sure if you were aware of it...and I thought it might help."
He silently scanned through the paragraph. It was actually a charm he was well acquainted with as he learned it in Professor Flitwick's class early in the year. Cho wouldn't have known that because she was a year younger than him, but he knew she was trying to help. "I'll have to remember that," he replied with a grateful smile. He looked up as Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed through the courtyard, chuckling as Hermione was instructing Harry on the proper wand movement to cast a protego. "I can't imagine being Harry," he confessed to Cho. "I'm barely hanging on by a unicorn hair in this tournament and I've got two more years under my belt."
Cho rolled her eyes. "He's only gotten as far as he has because Hermione Granger's made it her life's mission this year to make sure he doesn't get himself killed. That's what Marietta says, anyway. She also said they're dating too. She read about it in Rita Skeeter's latest article in The Daily Prophet."
"You really ought to not take anything Marietta Edgecombe says seriously," Cedric said with a laugh. "Or that daft woman from The Daily Prophet. They're just really good friends. Harry's lucky to have friends like Hermione and Ron – especially this year. Besides, she and Victor Krum have become rather close this year."
She gave him a pointed stare. "Did Cedric Diggory participate in gossip? Something you routinely tell Marietta and I not to do?"
"It's not gossip if it's a fact," he teased. Pecking her lips with his, he took her open book, closed it, and placed it inside her navy blue messenger bag. "Fancy a walk?"
Cho smiled. "Might as well."
She went to grab her bag from Cedric, but he shook his head, slinging the strap over his shoulder and offering a hand. Silently, the two strolled outside of the courtyard, shuffling their feet towards the quidditch pitch, which had been temporarily replaced with a labyrinth of a maze. Staring at the gargantuan puzzle before them, goose pimples appeared on her arms and Cho felt her whole body tense.
Cedric, sensing her apprehension, gave her hand a squeeze. "It's just a maze, Cho."
"It's the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric," she plainly replied. "It's not just a maze."
"But it is," he said, sitting down on top of the hill that overlooked tomorrow's task, pulling her down with him. He moved her bag off to the side and moved his legs so that she could sit between them, leaning her back against his chest. "All I have to do is make sure I find the cup before the others."
Sighing, Cho closed her eyes as Cedric wrapped his arms around her middle. "This entire tournament has been peculiar - and not in a good way. Harry never should have been able to compete, Mr. Crouch is dead, and my mum says that there have been strange things happening at the Ministry."
Cedric perched his chin on top of her shoulder and nodded. "Hogwarts will always protect us," he said quietly.
"No one is safe from the Triwizard Tournament," Cho countered. "Professor Dumbledore said from the beginning that the tournament was about eternal glory, and the tasks assigned were extremely dangerous. So far, he's been true to his word." She turned her head slightly so she could look him in the eyes. "Would you have entered the tournament if your father hadn't urged you?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know."
"Sometimes I get the impression that your father is trying to live vicariously through you and your abilities," Cho confessed.
Cedric smiled. "Dad's just…overly proud. I'm his only child, after all."
"You're too nice," Cho retorted with a small grin. "But I like that about you."
"Oh yeah?" he cheeked. "What else do you like about me?"
Cho pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, pretending to be deep in thought. "Funny…I can't think of anything else."
Feigning a look of horror, Cedric waited for Cho to let down her guard before, pulling her down to the ground, laughing as she yelped. Pinning her to the grass, he straddled her waist and smirked at her with a sense of pride. He leaned in close, their noses barely touching. "I can think of plenty of things that I love about you."
Cho froze momentarily. She could see by the look in his eyes that he was sincere with his choice of words. "Cedric..."
"Should I pretend that didn't happen?" he asked. "I can if you want to, but know it won't change how I truly feel about you."
It took her a second to process, but she quickly made up for lost time with a fervent shake of her head. "No...it's ok," she said.
Cedric nodded and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I love you, Cho Chang."
She smiled, brushing a hand against his cheek. "I know you do."
"Do you really? How so?"
Cho shrugged. "My dad says that when someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know your name is safe in their mouth. I used to think he was mental...but now I see what he means. And that's a good thing, because I...I love you too, Cedric."
Cedric nodded, kissing her once more. "I'm glad you said yes when I asked you to the Yule Ball."
Cho blushed. "I was glad when you asked. I wasn't sure that you would."
"It would be pretty stupid of me to ignore the prettiest girl in Hogwarts."
"I'm hardly the prettiest girl in Hogwarts."
He kissed her once more and pulled back. "In my opinion, you're the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, and my opinion is all that matters." Crawling off of her, Cedric plopped down next to Cho and rolled to his side, facing her as she rolled towards him to do the same. "Do you have plans for the summer?"
Cho shrugged. "Probably not, other than going to a few Tutshill Tornado games. Dad has season tickets that he splits with a co-worker at the Ministry. He promised that I could go with him to the games this summer. Mum never appears to be interested when he takes her."
Cedric laughed. "Your mum sounds like a very serious woman."
"Serious is an understatement." Sitting up, she looked back over at the maze that awaited her boyfriend, as well as the other three Triwizard Champions, and felt her goose pimples return. Sighing, she tucked her long, shiny black locks back behind her ear and adjusted her headband. "Cedric…what if something does happen tomorrow?"
Joining her, Cedric reached over and grabbed her hand with his, giving it a squeeze. "I wish you wouldn't worry, Cho. Nothing is going to happen. One of us is going to reach the cup first. Hopefully it's me – and if it isn't – I hope it's Harry so that Hogwarts is still the winning school."
She looked over at him, her hand linked with his. "When are your parents arriving?"
"I'm sure they'll be here plenty early," Cedric replied. "Dad will most certainly want to get good seats. I thought I'd introduce you to them tomorrow, if you don't mind."
"Really?"
"Of course, really! I've talked about you to Mum and Dad nonstop in my letters. They can't wait to meet you."
Cho grinned. "I would love to meet your parents. Maybe sometime this summer, you can come over to my house for a visit, and meet my parents. I can introduce you properly as my boyfriend."
Cedric beamed. "I'd like that."
The two of them sat there a little while longer, enjoying the silence and the company of each other before they decided to return for dinner. Hand in hand, the two of them stood and stared at what was very much a sleeping dragon, which was how the maze would stay until the start of the final task. "Please promise to be careful tomorrow," Cho whispered.
He pulled her close and gently kissed her lips, lingering momentarily before pulling away. "Hogwarts will keep us safe," he repeated. "Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix anything that could possibly happen to us inside the maze."
Cho pointed a finger into his chest and gave him a stern look. "You better hope so."
Cedric kissed her one last time. "I don't need to hope so. I know so. Besides—"
"I know," Cho interjected with a weary smile. "It's just a maze."