{an} This was written for the wonderful Essa {EssatheTwerp} - hope you like it, lovely :)

One Hundred Forevers
"Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it."
-Rafiki, Lion King,

She had forgotten what love felt like. She had forgotten the sweaty palms, nervous laughs and heart-warming grins. She had forgotten the butterflies, the rapid heartbeat, blushing; the joy. She had forgotten what it felt like to be happy – to really live.

After Cedric was taken from her, she closed herself off. She never wanted to feel that pain again. She made a promise to herself, that she would never let anyone have her heart, because she knew she could not bear to lose anyone else. Her time with Cedric had been so little – it was so unfair. She spent her night's crying and her days burying herself in her studies – hoping to douse the unbearable flames licking away at her heart.

She had managed to turn it off. She had learned to forget what it felt like to care – to feel. She distanced herself from anything and everything that mattered to her. If she didn't feel - she wouldn't get hurt. She wanted to escape from her misery, so she ran.

She never stopped running.

Not until she met him.

When she left Hogwarts, she packed away her wand, her robes, her books and every other thing that reminded her of the past that she so desperately wanted to forget. She found a loft in the heart of London and buried the chest deep into her closet – never to be thought of again {at least that's what she had hoped}.

Cho Chang wanted nothing more than to live her life on her own, alone. Alone - in her mind – didn't mean loneliness, it meant safety. Safety from losing, from pain, from being forced to live a life of continued heartache.

But he changed her mind, he changed everything.

He was tall, broad and muscular. His sandy blond was well kept and his blue eyes were her absolute favorite thing about him. They had met at Muggle café. Cho had stopped for a cup of tea after working a night shift at the Muggle hospital, where she worked as a nurse. Cho had wanted to be a healer when she left Hogwarts, because she had always wanted to save people. Cho loved her job, but every time she lost a patient – it tore open an old would – unhealed and vulnerable. He was stopping in for a coffee before work. He worked as a personal trainer and kick-boxing instructor.

She had been tired and he was busy talking on his cell phone. When she went to leave – they collided, leaving a mess of coffee, tea, stirring straws and sugar packets in their wake.

"I'm so sorry." He had apologized – collecting a pile of napkins from a nearby table and handing them to her. He had been so polite – buying her another drink and assuring her that she had no reason to be sorry. He had insisted on having dinner – to make it up to her. She wasn't interested but she had agreed in order to spare his feelings.

Everything had happened so fast. Soon they were holding hands and stealing kisses. He told her she was beautiful and he could wait until she was ready. He was sweet, caring and polite. He was everything a girl could want – everything that she had dreamed of when she was a little girl. A knight in shining armor, you could say.

But she was scared. Terrified. So, she tried to push him away. She ignored his calls, refused to answer the door. It hurt, but she knew it was much less painful than the possibility of losing him.

She should have known he wouldn't give up that easily.

-|x|-

She didn't bother getting up when he knocked on the heavy wooden door to her apartment.

"C'mon Cho, I know you're home," he called. "I just want to know if you're alright."

"I'm fine." She didn't rise, "Thanks for checking – but, I can't come to the door right now."

"That's garbage and you know it. What's going on with you?" She heard the soft thump of his muscular body hitting the door as he leaned against it. "Did I do something to upset you?"

She frowned at the sadness in his voice and finally stood up. She fixed her untidy hair before approaching the door. She opened it, "You didn't do anything."

He smiled when he saw her and her cheeks flushed. Damn him for being so perfect. "Then what's the matter, love?"

She sighed and stepped aside to give him entrance. "I'm not ready for this." She closed the door.

"That's okay," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'll wait as long as it takes."

"Dudley, I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready. It's not fair to keep you waiting. You're a good man and you deserve someone better than me."

Dudley cupped her check in his hand, the other found her waist. His light blue eyes bore into hers, "Don't you see, Cho, you are perfect for me. I adore you. I don't want to be with anyone other than you. I don't care if it takes forever, I'll wait for you. Hell, I'll wait one hundred forevers if it means I can be with you."

Tears stung her eyes. He loves her. He really, really loves her. She loves him. "I don't want to lose you."

"Baby, I know you are scared, but if you wait around forever you will lose me. My heart will always belong to you, but you should know better than anyone that life doesn't wait for anyone. As long as I am breathing, I'm yours, forever and always. Don't waste a second doubting yourself when we could be spending it together."

The tears broke free and cascaded down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.

"Do you love me?" He questioned, stroking her hair.

She nodded her head, "I do."

He gently gripped her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "He won't be angry – He loves you, he wants you to be happy. You can't spend your life hiding or feeling guilty. You'll always love him, I know that. I'm okay with it. I love you Cho." He kissed her, his fingers tangling in her hair. When he pulled away, she stared up at him, with reddened eyes. "Forever isn't long enough for us, love." He said before his lips overtook hers again.

{an} I hope you like it Essy : ) This is one of my favorite pairings, so I just had to write it for you!

Disclaimer – when I'm making the big bucks off of my writing you'll know! : )

Challenges:

Diagon Alley Fic Crawl: Flourish and Blotts – prompts: One Hundred Forevers & A chance meeting
MCBC: Garbage
I can't think of anymore.