A/N: This is an alternate universe story set during Harry's fourth and Cho's fifth year at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: These are JKR's playthings, not mine.
Bad Cho-mance
Chapter 1 – Cho's Champion
The dragon swooped through the air, in pursuit of the young man on the broomstick. He dodged its talons as he focused on the golden egg, just out of his reach. In the stands, Cho Chang was watching his every move, playing nervously with her robes and muttering "don't let it get Harry, oh please don't let it get Harry!" The dragon shot out a jet of fire from its nostrils, missing Harry by an inch. Cho squealed, and hid her face in her hands. "I can't watch any more, Cecile," she said to the girl sitting beside her. Cecile tutted at her friend's foolishness, but Cho did not remove her hands.
Ten minutes later, a loud cheer went up from the crowd, as Ludo Bagman's magnified voice announced Harry's triumph: he had got the golden egg. "I think you can open your eyes now, Cho," Cecile said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Cho breathed a sigh of relief, and watched happily as Harry, safe and sound, was awarded points by the judges. Along with her relief, though, she felt a pang of longing and regret. Never had her urge to run and fling her arms around Harry been stronger, but she knew she must resist – she had not yet been brave enough to find out whether Harry reciprocated her feelings. Besides, she didn't want to make herself look like a crazy person in front of the entire school, not to mention the foreign visitors and Ministry representatives. So she restrained herself, but her heart beat faster and faster as she looked at Harry, flushed with pride, surrounded by his friends. It was not until she felt Cecile tugging impatiently at her sleeve that she realised most of the other Ravenclaws had left the stands already.
"Wasn't Harry magnificent?" Cho said to Cecile late on, as they sipped butterbeer together in front of the fire in the Ravenclaw common room.
"I thought Fleur was much better," Cecile replied. "The judges were very unfair to 'er."
Cho couldn't hold back a laugh. "Are you being serious? Fleur was rubbish!"
Cecile glared, and Cho decided not to say any more on the subject. Fleur was Cecile's classmate at Beauxbatons, and they had known each other since they were small.
"You should be supporting Fleur in this tournament, not that little boy," Cecile said.
"Hey, he's not little! He's only a year younger than me," Cho replied, and she could feel her face growing hot. She hadn't confessed her feelings for Harry to anyone, but they were growing stronger by the day.
" 'E is too young to be a Triwizard champion," Cecile said.
Although Cecile undoubtedly had a point, Cho felt compelled to defend Harry. "He's as much a champion as anyone in the Tournament! More so! Weren't you watching him earlier?" Cho's face was growing hot again.
Cecile laughed now. "I certainly watched more than you did! You 'ad your eyes closed for 'alf of the time!"
"Well ... that's true ... but ... shut up!" Cho said crossly.
Cecile looked into Cho's eyes, and suddenly grinned widely.
"Oh, mon dieu! You love 'im!"
Cho fiddled with her sleeve. "Oh do shut up, Cecile."
Cecile did not shut up. "You do! You love little 'Arry Potter! Ah, that is so sweet!"
Cho looked up at Cecile, and sighed. "Well, I wouldn't use the word 'love', but -"
Cecile clapped her hands eagerly. "You must ask 'im on a date!"
"Ummm ... well ... I've thought about it. A lot, actually," Cho admitted. "I just don't feel, you know ... confident enough, I guess." She reddened, and turned her face away from her friend.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Cecile said, in her most encouraging voice. "I can 'elp you."
"Do you mean you'll ask him out for me?" Cho asked eagerly, turning back to face Cecile.
The French girl laughed. "No, that would not work," she said, pushing some of her auburn curls out of her face. "You see, I am so beautiful that of course 'Arry would choose me over you, non?"
Cho wasn't quite sure whether Cecile was joking, but she scowled anyway. "In that case, how can you help me, pray tell?"
"Simple. You need to change the way you look and dress. The better you look, the more confidence you will 'ave, and 'Arry will like you more, too."
"I think I look okay now," Cho said, slightly hurt.
"Looking okay will not 'elp you in life, my friend. You must look fabulous. Come with me – we will start straight away!"
Cecile skipped happily off to the dormitories. Cho sighed, and followed her reluctantly. Cecile had clearly made up her mind, and there was no way of getting out of this now ...