The Only Exception

A Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang fan fic

Their life before Cedric's painful death.

CHAPTER 1

CHO:

What did Cedric Diggory want from me?

First day back from summer vacation and I was already teased by my friend Marietta when Cedric visited our train compartment with a bunch of flowers (I think freshly protruded from his wand) ready in his hands. He tapped the glass door and sheepishly handed me several pollen infested yellow and blue flowers of an unknown species.

"Nice to see you again, Chang." He nodded and smiled that infamous smile. I thanked him and took the flowers. He stood in the compartment for what seemed like the longest 30-seconds of both our lives. Then he took a deep breath, gave me another one of that smile and silently went out of the compartment into the narrow corridor where some of his friends were already jeering him.

I knew I blushed hard, seeing how Marietta was trying to hold her laughter. Or worse, I may even have looked like the petrified Mrs. Norris from last year!

"I told you he was serious!" Marietta squealed at me. "First the cauldron full of sweets from Honeydukes, then this! You are the envy of every girl in school Cho!"

Last year, when Cedric was on the first Hogsmeade trip as a fourth year, he bought me all sorts of things—including the cauldron full of almost every kind of sweets invented (That was eventually passed around the Ravenclaw common room).

"I don't know Marietta." I replied while she was busy staring dreamily at the bouquet of flowers. "His kind of guy scares me."

"Scare you?" That seem to have awaken Marietta from her trance. "How could someone as sweet and gentle as Cedric Diggory scare you?"

"Him being gentle and sweet scares me! Him being the perfect student, perfect son, perfect wizard... It's too much for a person to handle isn't it? He can have whoever he wants, whenever he wants!"

"And he seems to want you, Cho!"

"For now, I guess..."

"Oh, you and your insecurities! Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? Almost all the guys at school wants to be with you! You are like the girl version of Cedric! And it is just righteous for you guys to be together!" Marietta exclaimed.

"Or so everyone says..." I shrugged. I heard Marietta sigh and snatched the bouquet away from my hands and started observing it again.

"You know, Cho? He tries so hard to connect with you... just look at these flowers. They're both your house colors."

I slumped on my seat as I gaze back on the bouquet Marietta was still holding. She was right. All the flowers were a mixture of both Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's colors. Our colors.

And to think, it wasn't even the first time he gave me something symbolic because right after the end of the term feast last year—and to my astonishment—Cedric gave me the first snitch he caught from his first Quidditch match in Hogwarts.

I had it with me inside my robe pockets. I didn't know why I always had it with me. But it was just a gut feeling that maybe, it became some sort of a lucky charm for me; a good luck charm for this year's Quidditch cup and the oncoming try-outs Roger Davis had thoughtfully reminded me just a few hours ago.

I rested my hand where the round object was and felt its engraved yet smooth carvings. It had been a while since it flew. But before I could even let it out of my pocket and have Marietta play with it again, the train suddenly went into a halt and started to get freezing cold.

CEDRIC:

Being jeered at by your friends was an awful lot worse when they did it in front of a girl—especially to that one girl.

Cho Chang had clearly made me make a fool out of myself for a couple of times. And it wouldn't take a normal person a second look before he knows of what I wanted from her. And my friends seemed to get it all just in one glance.

"We've never seen you this serious, Ced." Chris Harriet laughed at me when finally inside our own compartment. "Flowers for Chang? Merlin, what did that girl ever do to you?"

"Very funny, Harriet." I said indifferently.

"I mean, c'mon, Cedric. Anyone would want to have you! Just please, please, leave Chang alone. It leaves us little people with fewer choices." Ernie McMillan jived in.

Cho Chang wasn't just any other girl. For one, she plays Quidditch. But still, she was a picture of femininity. She reserves all her aggressiveness inside the pitch and I had a firsthand experience with it. I got to fly and train with her during summer before last during a flying lesson. So, it wasn't a surprise to know that she tried out for seeker last year. It was just unfortunate that the Cup got called off. It would've been nice to see how she had improved.

Second, she's beautiful even if she's not trying. But the problem was, I wasn't the only one who noticed. Mealtimes at the Great Hall were the only times I get to see her often. And it never failed to amaze me how many guys turn their heads toward her direction or call her attention whenever she walks in. And I envied Roger Davis for being able to sit right next to her during these times.

And sometimes, it came into a point when I completely stopped sneaking glances at the Ravenclaw table just to avoid pitiful sights... Roger passing her some cornflakes; Roger pouring some pumpkin juice on her goblet; Roger reading the Daily Prophet with her; Roger handing her some napkin...

"So, is our sweet and gentle pretty boy has finally plucked up the courage to get serious with girls?" Chris jaunted once more, mimicking a school girl and disturbing my thoughts of clobbering Davis.

"Shut up, Chr-!" But before I could even retaliate, the train went to a screeching halt and there came a loud thud.

The train went still and I heard others meeting up in the corridor, chatting and whispering while the prefects try in their might to get hold of the calmness slowly fading away among the students.

"What's going on?" I heard Ernie whispered beside me.

And then it came as a shock. It was as if all the happiness was drained from my soul. I looked out at the corridor and saw tall hooded figures approaching. Immediately, I slid back and tried to pace my breath. Dad told me about this. But I wondered why in Hogwarts.

I breathed silently as the Dementors search each compartment for the whereabouts of Sirius Black.

CHO:

"That was the most horrible thing!" Marietta exclaimed, still breathing heavily and holding her chest. I offered her a hand while she tried to balance herself while climbing the carriage.

"Why were they inside the train?" She continued.

"I don't know, Mar. I guess it's because of Black." I sat down next to her. I watched as Padma and her friend took the carriage with us. We waited for a few moments then the carriage made its way towards the castle.

I looked back at the carriage after us where other students tried to fill now. And there—tall yet lean as always—Cedric, shaken like the rest of us, was waving at me with a small grin on his face. I gave him a curtly nod and smiled back.

I watched as his figure became smaller and smaller. When the carriage turned into a corner, he was totally obstructed by the trees. I sat back quietly where I saw Padma Patil's friend eyeing me suspiciously. Well, of course I knew her name. I just really want to forget everything about her. Ria Avilon was the last person I wanted to share a carriage with.

"Hello, Cho." She said in a very dignified tone.

"Hi, Ria..."

"I saw Cedric Diggory visiting you at your compartment." Ria raised an eyebrow, "For what purpose may I ask?"

I could not believe I was having a discussion about Cedric Diggory with his most obsessed fan. Ria never made my life miserable. But the nasty glances, the raised eyebrows, the arrogant expression... everything was directed at me with pure loathing.

"Cedric gave her a bunch of flowers." Marietta told Ria and Padma before I could even stop her.

"Really?" Ria said. And that was the last I've heard from her all throughout the ride. And I saw Marietta grinning broadly beside me.

"I hope Sirius Black is hiding somewhere in her dormitory room and murder her already." Marietta murmured to me during the feast while Roger put more chocolate pudding on my plate.

"Want more Cho? This will be the last treat you've got! No more of these when Quiddtich starts." Roger chuckled. "I want my seeker to be in her best shape."

"There are still try-outs, Roger. I've still got to pass." I almost groaned at him.

He shrugged. "But still, I think you're the best we've got."

I tried to ignore both Roger and Marietta while they were still on their rants about Quidditch and Ria Avilon. Because as the new girl, Luna Lovegood, raised her goblet and drank pumpkin juice, I saw in the reflection Cedric Diggory staring at me from behind.

And then I felt the snitch flutter inside my robes.

CEDRIC:

I was hoping I could get to Cho before the Ravenclaws climb up to their tower. Tomorrow would be another long day of waiting during mealtimes. I really just wanted to ask her something. Last year wasn't a good time to ask, with the hiatus and all hovering the school. This year sounded fair. I knew she needed me this time.

Chris and Ernie called to me as I still sit patiently watching the Ravenclaw table.

"Hey, Cedric! We're about to go down, mate!" Chris shouted. I shooed him and Ernie with an impatient hand. Cho was still at the table with Davis and her friend.

"Go on ahead without me." I shouted back. I heard them snicker as they finally got the idea that I wanted to talk to Cho. I watched as Davis finally led her out of the Great Hall with Marietta Edgcombe in tow. I took my chance and shouted,

"Hey, Cho!" I ran after them. I only had my eyes on her and her surprised expression. But I didn't miss Roger looking almost annoyed with my disruption.

"Can I talk to you?"

Cho glanced back to the others not knowing what to do. And thank the Giant Squid for Marietta, she tugged Roger away from Cho and happily said that they will go on without her.

"You'll be fine, Cho?" Roger said before ascending to the staircase. I heard Cho give a sigh.

"I know my way back, Roger."

Roger nodded and reluctantly left me and Cho alone on the foot of the staircase (where the first years where looking dumbfounded with the moving staircases above).

"What is it, Cedric?" Cho asked. She looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Don't tell me if you've given the flower to the wrong girl?" she teased.

"No, no..." I chuckled and shook my head. "I just wanted to know if... well, you know what's coming up this year and with Black on the loose and hopefully Quidditch won't be called off... I was just wondering..."

Cho was looking at me quite funnily, as if restraining a laugh. Well, I knew I already looked stupid.

"Well I was wondering if..." I continued, now running my hand through my hair looking sheepish than ever. "I wonder if you want to train with me. You know, in preparation for the try-outs. Well, I hoped you'd still consider entering the team—no, I mean the Ravenclaw team...And I've seen you fly. We're both seekers, I just thought, we could be good influences on each other..."

Cho seemed to consider what I said for a few moments.

"Oh..." I heard her say. "Well, that seems a good offer. So I guess, yes. Why not?"

"Really? You'd like to train with me?"

"Weren't you the one who asked?" she kidded and laughed at me.

"Well, apologies for my being an idiot, Miss Chang." I chuckled. "So, I'll see you this Saturday morning?"

Cho nodded.

"And I think your snitch misses you a lot." She pulled out a struggling snitch from her pockets. My struggling snitch. "I think this is why you gave this to me."

I chuckled again. "Yes and no."

Cho raised her eyebrows.

"You'll know soon." I told her. And before I could even stop myself, and like it was the most natural thing to do, I kissed her forehead right there in the middle of the crowding Hogwarts students.

And that was the time all the rumors started to flame about me really pursuing Cho Chang. But then again, it wasn't really just a rumor.

HOPE Y'ALL LIKE IT SO FAR! :)