Hi again! I haven't been writing for awhile, I know, so I thought I would
make it up to you by writing a songfic. I KNOW I should be working on
Change of Heart, but I'm kind of at a rut at thins point, and there's this
pesky little thing called High School... Sorry, back to work now! Anyway,
this should be short and sweet, so please review at the end of it. If it
sucks, don't flame me; tell me NICELY. The way to kill an author's spirit
is to send them a whole bunch of flames.
Enjoy!
~Aaren~
*~*~*~*~*
19-year-old Cho Chang paced the hallway of the apartment she and her boyfriend Harry Potter shared, planning out what she would say and his possible retorts. She could appreciate the fact that the fight between him and Voldemort was personal, and that he wanted revenge for his parents' and so many others' deaths, but she was worried about him.
When they had started dating, he was really sweet, a little naïve, but still somehow having confidence when he was with her. They had moved in together after they both graduated from Hogwarts, and they couldn't have been happier. For awhile, anyway.
But very recently, they were just getting on each other's nerves; Harry thinking that Cho was being overprotective, Cho griping that it seemed that Harry always had to be the hero. At first, they had just laughed it off, thinking that they were just getting their disagreements over with now so they could get closer.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
But it had gotten worse. They had simply stopped understanding each other. They could be heard three floors down screaming at each other. They kept pushing each other with verbal insults, seeing how far the other would go. Yet, Harry had never hit Cho, never. He had been the brunt of abuse growing up and he had sworn not to ever hit her when they started dating. Cho felt that verbal abuse was as equally bad though.
Every time she wanted to leave, there was always something about him that made her stay, and for awhile, it would be the same it had been when they started dating. But it would always regress back to where they would be screaming each other again to the point that Cho would break down and cry and Harry would be as cold as ice and stay away, doing his Auror duties for weeks at a time.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
"Harry, can I talk to you for a second?" Cho asked quietly as she came into the apartment, seeing Harry with his nose in a book.
"Sure love. What's going on?" Harry asked as he put the book A Guide to Animagi down.
"I'm really nervous about this," Cho said.
Harry frowned, knowing what was about to happen. "What, me becoming an Animagus? I thought we talked about this…"
"No, not just about that. About you being an Auror. It's really dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt."
Cho saw Harry visibly tense, but kept his voice low and steady. He didn't want another fight.
"I can't deny what I am, Cho. This is what I am meant to do. It's what I want to do."
"I know, and I respect that—"
"Do you? Sometimes I don't know."
*Baby, I don't know why you treat me so bad
You says you love me, no one above me
And I was all you had
And though my heart is eatin' for you
I can't stop cryin'
I don't know how I allow you to treat me this way
And still I stay*
"How can you say that? I respect you, you *know* that!" Cho exclaimed.
Harry sighed. "Cho, that's what I mean! Every time I want to make a decision, you always make me feel guilty about it!"
"I make *you* feel guilty about it?! What about me, Harry? Do you know what you do to me when you go off on those Auror missions?! Do you think I want someone else I care about to die? I don't want you to end up like Cedric!"
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Harry spun around and his green eyes flashed with anger and guilt. Cho abruptly shut her mouth.
"Alright Cho, can you do me a favor and FOR ONCE let's not go there." Harry said vehemently.
"Harry…" Cho said, but Harry turned his back on her and walked away.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
"No goddamnit, don't do that to me!" Cho yelled, running over and grabbing his shoulder, turning him around.
"Cho, just SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Harry exploded, pulling his shoulder back out of her grip and moved away from her, starting for the door.
"I'm leaving."
"Is that all you can do when you can't handle something?! LEAVE?!" Cho yelled.
"Sure as hell better than staying here!"
*Baby, I don't know why you wanna do me wrong
See, when I'm home, I'm all alone
And you are always gone
Boy, you know I really love you
I can't deny
I can't see how you can bring me to so many tears
After all these years*
"Harry, don't leave!" Cho yelled suddenly.
Harry turned and said softly without any of the malice from before, "Give me a reason not to."
"I love you!" Cho said desprately.
He turned and crossed the room. Taking her in his arms, he said softly, "You know how I feel about you. Hell, I would do anything for you, you *know* that. But I can't deal with this anymore. I hate yelling at you, and I would give anything to go back to the way we were before, but it isn't going to happen. Time doesn't stop. I've changed, Cho. You've changed. Maybe we've just stopped loving each other. It's not like we wanted to, but we knew going into this that we are like night and day, we are so different. I don't know, maybe that's why I fell for you, but that fire—that fire that I love so much about you--- it's starting to burn out."
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Cho pulled herself away from him. "So now what? You're just gonna leave? Like always? Just because you don't want to ride this out? Damn it, I don't know what's going to happen but I want to give it a shot!" She shouted angrily, tears starting to well up in her black eyes.
Harry said, "Yes, Cho, I'm leaving. But this time, I'm not coming back. I hurt you too much to stay."
"God damn you! Why are you doing this to me? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE HERO, HARRY?! TELL ME WHY AND I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE!"
Harry turned around and said, "Because I love you too goddamn much to see you hurting like this."
*Oh, I just need you, I just need you
So sad, so sad, what love will make you do
All the things that we accept
Be the things that we regret
So all of my ladies
Feel me, come on sing with me*
Cho began to sing softly to Harry:
"See, when I get the strength to leave, you, always tell me that you need, me, and I'm weak cuz I believe, you, and I'm mad because I love, you, so I stop and think that may, be, you could learn to 'preciate, me, then it all remains the same, that, You ain't never gonna change, never gonna change never gonna change."
She turned her back and heard the door shut, and collapsed on the couch and started to sob.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Three years later…
Bells were chiming over the raven-haired woman's head as the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows reflected patterns of swirled light on her satin dress. Cho Chang was now the mature, poised age of 24, her past behind her. She had become a successful journalist for The Daily Prophet and was learning to forget about the dark-haired, emerald- eyed man that haunted her dreams, even after 3 years. She was going to cherish this day with her family and friends and try to drown out the ache in her heart.
*This could've been us, Harry. This could've been our wedding day. Instead, I have to watch some of our best friends on the happiest day of their lives.*
Cho looked over at Hermione, who looked sick, but otherwise gorgeous in her white satin wedding dress. The years had been good to her, as the man she was about to be wed to was; the love she had for Ron shone in her honey- brown eyes.
Ginny was sitting next to Hermione, absentmindedly stroking her arm. Ginny had also developed grace with her age; at 23, she was one of the most brilliant ambassadors for the Minister of Magic, and there were rumors going around that she was going to change history and become the first woman Minister.
"Oh, god, I can't do this. I'm going to slip and fall on my butt right in front of everyone in these heels," Hermione mumbled.
(AN: Don't laugh, I've had that happen to me…)
Cho and Ginny smiled at each other over Hermione's smooth tawny head.
Cho said, "'Mione, if that's all you're worried about, you are a light- hearted woman. Look at me…"
'Mione raised her head to look into Cho's inky-black eyes.
"You're going to be just fine. You won't fall, you won't stain or rip your dress, and you most assuredly will not mess up. Okay? You love Ron, and you've wanted to do this ever since you've started dating. Now go out there and get your man!"
The two other women laughed at Cho's bluntness.
(AN: I don't want to mess up your picture of Ron and Hermione's wedding because I suck at doing weddings, so you make it up here…okay? Okay.)
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
A few hours later at the reception…
"All right you guys, someone better catch this bouquet besides Ginny because if they don't I'm going to be very upset!" Hermione called over her shoulder.
The women behind Hermione laughed.
"Here goes!" Hermione said, and tossed it over her shoulder.
Cho, who was standing at the far edge of the dance floor where the rest of the women were standing, felt something hit her in the head. She instinctively caught it, and looked down at her hands to see the white rose bouquet.
*Oh no.* Cho thought.
Everyone turned to look at Cho's very surprised face as she caught the bouquet and saw a flash of what looked like extreme sadness cross over her delicate face before it disappeared again.
Cho walked over to Ginny and said desperately, "Here…" But Ginny backed up.
"Nope, sorry Cho, it's bad luck to give the bouquet away after you catch it."
(AN: Is that true? I went to an Italian wedding once where this happened and my cousin said that to my friend who caught it and tried to give it away. If that's not the way you were brought up, I apologize.)
Ron distracted the other women by sitting Hermione in a chair and gently reaching under her wedding dress to her garter, which he slipped off.
"Can I barrow this?" He asked, his blue eyes shining.
Hermione laughed and nodded.
Ron stood up and tossed the garter behind him in much the same way Hermione did.
All the guys went for it, but a man with dark hair caught it in his hand.
Everyone turned to see Harry Potter standing on the hardwood floor with the garter in his hand.
"Sorry I'm late," he said and smiled.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, and ran over to give him a hug. Soon enough, everyone was standing around Harry, saying hello and exchanged hugs.
Harry gently pulled away from Mrs. Weasley and walked over to Cho, thinking how beautiful she was.
"Harry." Cho greeted quietly.
"Cho." Harry responded.
"So, how's Auror duties going?" Cho asked, but not without malice.
Harry frowned at the iciness in Cho's voice. "Don't be cold, it doesn't suit you," He said quietly.
Cho started to respond, but Harry held up a hand.
"Cho, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I was wrong for telling you to leave me alone, for yelling at you, and for all the things I said. You were right about me, I always tried to be the hero. I guess you could call it my superiority complex," he admitted, and Cho smiled at this.
Harry grew serious and continued. "If there could be one thing I wanted you to know, it's that I still love you and that I never stopped. Again, you were right; I should have trusted you enough to ride it out with you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
He turned away, but heard, "If you think I'm going to let a bunch of stupid fights get in the way of my loving you, you're not the man I thought you were, Harry Potter. I would have told you that a long time ago, but you were kind of not there."
Harry turned to see Cho with tears down her face, smiling.
He smiled for the first time in months and said, "Come 'ere," as he pulled her into a fierce, reconciling kiss.
*Baby, why you hurt me
Leave me and desert me
Boy, I gave you all my heart
And all you did was tear it up
Lookin' out my window
Knowing that I should go
Even when I pack my bags
There's something always holds me back*
FIN.
Enjoy!
~Aaren~
*~*~*~*~*
19-year-old Cho Chang paced the hallway of the apartment she and her boyfriend Harry Potter shared, planning out what she would say and his possible retorts. She could appreciate the fact that the fight between him and Voldemort was personal, and that he wanted revenge for his parents' and so many others' deaths, but she was worried about him.
When they had started dating, he was really sweet, a little naïve, but still somehow having confidence when he was with her. They had moved in together after they both graduated from Hogwarts, and they couldn't have been happier. For awhile, anyway.
But very recently, they were just getting on each other's nerves; Harry thinking that Cho was being overprotective, Cho griping that it seemed that Harry always had to be the hero. At first, they had just laughed it off, thinking that they were just getting their disagreements over with now so they could get closer.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
But it had gotten worse. They had simply stopped understanding each other. They could be heard three floors down screaming at each other. They kept pushing each other with verbal insults, seeing how far the other would go. Yet, Harry had never hit Cho, never. He had been the brunt of abuse growing up and he had sworn not to ever hit her when they started dating. Cho felt that verbal abuse was as equally bad though.
Every time she wanted to leave, there was always something about him that made her stay, and for awhile, it would be the same it had been when they started dating. But it would always regress back to where they would be screaming each other again to the point that Cho would break down and cry and Harry would be as cold as ice and stay away, doing his Auror duties for weeks at a time.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
"Harry, can I talk to you for a second?" Cho asked quietly as she came into the apartment, seeing Harry with his nose in a book.
"Sure love. What's going on?" Harry asked as he put the book A Guide to Animagi down.
"I'm really nervous about this," Cho said.
Harry frowned, knowing what was about to happen. "What, me becoming an Animagus? I thought we talked about this…"
"No, not just about that. About you being an Auror. It's really dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt."
Cho saw Harry visibly tense, but kept his voice low and steady. He didn't want another fight.
"I can't deny what I am, Cho. This is what I am meant to do. It's what I want to do."
"I know, and I respect that—"
"Do you? Sometimes I don't know."
*Baby, I don't know why you treat me so bad
You says you love me, no one above me
And I was all you had
And though my heart is eatin' for you
I can't stop cryin'
I don't know how I allow you to treat me this way
And still I stay*
"How can you say that? I respect you, you *know* that!" Cho exclaimed.
Harry sighed. "Cho, that's what I mean! Every time I want to make a decision, you always make me feel guilty about it!"
"I make *you* feel guilty about it?! What about me, Harry? Do you know what you do to me when you go off on those Auror missions?! Do you think I want someone else I care about to die? I don't want you to end up like Cedric!"
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Harry spun around and his green eyes flashed with anger and guilt. Cho abruptly shut her mouth.
"Alright Cho, can you do me a favor and FOR ONCE let's not go there." Harry said vehemently.
"Harry…" Cho said, but Harry turned his back on her and walked away.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
"No goddamnit, don't do that to me!" Cho yelled, running over and grabbing his shoulder, turning him around.
"Cho, just SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Harry exploded, pulling his shoulder back out of her grip and moved away from her, starting for the door.
"I'm leaving."
"Is that all you can do when you can't handle something?! LEAVE?!" Cho yelled.
"Sure as hell better than staying here!"
*Baby, I don't know why you wanna do me wrong
See, when I'm home, I'm all alone
And you are always gone
Boy, you know I really love you
I can't deny
I can't see how you can bring me to so many tears
After all these years*
"Harry, don't leave!" Cho yelled suddenly.
Harry turned and said softly without any of the malice from before, "Give me a reason not to."
"I love you!" Cho said desprately.
He turned and crossed the room. Taking her in his arms, he said softly, "You know how I feel about you. Hell, I would do anything for you, you *know* that. But I can't deal with this anymore. I hate yelling at you, and I would give anything to go back to the way we were before, but it isn't going to happen. Time doesn't stop. I've changed, Cho. You've changed. Maybe we've just stopped loving each other. It's not like we wanted to, but we knew going into this that we are like night and day, we are so different. I don't know, maybe that's why I fell for you, but that fire—that fire that I love so much about you--- it's starting to burn out."
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Cho pulled herself away from him. "So now what? You're just gonna leave? Like always? Just because you don't want to ride this out? Damn it, I don't know what's going to happen but I want to give it a shot!" She shouted angrily, tears starting to well up in her black eyes.
Harry said, "Yes, Cho, I'm leaving. But this time, I'm not coming back. I hurt you too much to stay."
"God damn you! Why are you doing this to me? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE HERO, HARRY?! TELL ME WHY AND I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE!"
Harry turned around and said, "Because I love you too goddamn much to see you hurting like this."
*Oh, I just need you, I just need you
So sad, so sad, what love will make you do
All the things that we accept
Be the things that we regret
So all of my ladies
Feel me, come on sing with me*
Cho began to sing softly to Harry:
"See, when I get the strength to leave, you, always tell me that you need, me, and I'm weak cuz I believe, you, and I'm mad because I love, you, so I stop and think that may, be, you could learn to 'preciate, me, then it all remains the same, that, You ain't never gonna change, never gonna change never gonna change."
She turned her back and heard the door shut, and collapsed on the couch and started to sob.
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
Three years later…
Bells were chiming over the raven-haired woman's head as the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass windows reflected patterns of swirled light on her satin dress. Cho Chang was now the mature, poised age of 24, her past behind her. She had become a successful journalist for The Daily Prophet and was learning to forget about the dark-haired, emerald- eyed man that haunted her dreams, even after 3 years. She was going to cherish this day with her family and friends and try to drown out the ache in her heart.
*This could've been us, Harry. This could've been our wedding day. Instead, I have to watch some of our best friends on the happiest day of their lives.*
Cho looked over at Hermione, who looked sick, but otherwise gorgeous in her white satin wedding dress. The years had been good to her, as the man she was about to be wed to was; the love she had for Ron shone in her honey- brown eyes.
Ginny was sitting next to Hermione, absentmindedly stroking her arm. Ginny had also developed grace with her age; at 23, she was one of the most brilliant ambassadors for the Minister of Magic, and there were rumors going around that she was going to change history and become the first woman Minister.
"Oh, god, I can't do this. I'm going to slip and fall on my butt right in front of everyone in these heels," Hermione mumbled.
(AN: Don't laugh, I've had that happen to me…)
Cho and Ginny smiled at each other over Hermione's smooth tawny head.
Cho said, "'Mione, if that's all you're worried about, you are a light- hearted woman. Look at me…"
'Mione raised her head to look into Cho's inky-black eyes.
"You're going to be just fine. You won't fall, you won't stain or rip your dress, and you most assuredly will not mess up. Okay? You love Ron, and you've wanted to do this ever since you've started dating. Now go out there and get your man!"
The two other women laughed at Cho's bluntness.
(AN: I don't want to mess up your picture of Ron and Hermione's wedding because I suck at doing weddings, so you make it up here…okay? Okay.)
*See, my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you*
A few hours later at the reception…
"All right you guys, someone better catch this bouquet besides Ginny because if they don't I'm going to be very upset!" Hermione called over her shoulder.
The women behind Hermione laughed.
"Here goes!" Hermione said, and tossed it over her shoulder.
Cho, who was standing at the far edge of the dance floor where the rest of the women were standing, felt something hit her in the head. She instinctively caught it, and looked down at her hands to see the white rose bouquet.
*Oh no.* Cho thought.
Everyone turned to look at Cho's very surprised face as she caught the bouquet and saw a flash of what looked like extreme sadness cross over her delicate face before it disappeared again.
Cho walked over to Ginny and said desperately, "Here…" But Ginny backed up.
"Nope, sorry Cho, it's bad luck to give the bouquet away after you catch it."
(AN: Is that true? I went to an Italian wedding once where this happened and my cousin said that to my friend who caught it and tried to give it away. If that's not the way you were brought up, I apologize.)
Ron distracted the other women by sitting Hermione in a chair and gently reaching under her wedding dress to her garter, which he slipped off.
"Can I barrow this?" He asked, his blue eyes shining.
Hermione laughed and nodded.
Ron stood up and tossed the garter behind him in much the same way Hermione did.
All the guys went for it, but a man with dark hair caught it in his hand.
Everyone turned to see Harry Potter standing on the hardwood floor with the garter in his hand.
"Sorry I'm late," he said and smiled.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, and ran over to give him a hug. Soon enough, everyone was standing around Harry, saying hello and exchanged hugs.
Harry gently pulled away from Mrs. Weasley and walked over to Cho, thinking how beautiful she was.
"Harry." Cho greeted quietly.
"Cho." Harry responded.
"So, how's Auror duties going?" Cho asked, but not without malice.
Harry frowned at the iciness in Cho's voice. "Don't be cold, it doesn't suit you," He said quietly.
Cho started to respond, but Harry held up a hand.
"Cho, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I was wrong for telling you to leave me alone, for yelling at you, and for all the things I said. You were right about me, I always tried to be the hero. I guess you could call it my superiority complex," he admitted, and Cho smiled at this.
Harry grew serious and continued. "If there could be one thing I wanted you to know, it's that I still love you and that I never stopped. Again, you were right; I should have trusted you enough to ride it out with you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
He turned away, but heard, "If you think I'm going to let a bunch of stupid fights get in the way of my loving you, you're not the man I thought you were, Harry Potter. I would have told you that a long time ago, but you were kind of not there."
Harry turned to see Cho with tears down her face, smiling.
He smiled for the first time in months and said, "Come 'ere," as he pulled her into a fierce, reconciling kiss.
*Baby, why you hurt me
Leave me and desert me
Boy, I gave you all my heart
And all you did was tear it up
Lookin' out my window
Knowing that I should go
Even when I pack my bags
There's something always holds me back*
FIN.
