Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine. :D


Hog's Head

Cho Chang glanced at her list one last time to make sure she had gotten everything. Forgetting one of her favorite sweets and having to wait until the next Hogsmeade visit was not an option.

"Let's see…fudge, coconut ice, acid pops, sugar quills…" Cho muttered to herself as she walked up and down the aisles.

"You are such a Ravenclaw. Only someone from our House would actually make a list of things to buy from Honeydukes," Marietta said as she picked up a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and pooped in her mouth. "And I do plan on paying for that," she added when one of the helpers gave her a reproachful look.

"Who's the one who always gets mad at me when I forget the Every Flavor Beans, huh?" Cho stuck her hand in the freezer and removed several sherbet balls. "I do not want to listen to you complain until February, okay?"

"Fine. Whatever. Anyway, weren't we supposed to be at the Hog's Head ten minutes ago?" Marietta gestured at the clock. Cho looked up, surprised to see that the clock read ten minutes past the hour. They were going to be more than just fashionably late if they kept up this pace. She quickly went to the counter, bought her items, and hurried out the store with Marietta.

The chill wind whipped Cho's long, black hair in all directions as the two girls made their way to the Inn. About a week ago, Hermoine Granger had stopped Cho in the hallway to see if she was interested in joining a new club. "If you are, meet us at 1:00 at the Hog's Head Inn during the first Hogmeade trip," she had said vaguely. Marietta hadn't seemed too fond of the idea, as they really had no information, but Cho had begged her to come along because she couldn't bear going there alone. Plus, she thought to herself, seeing Harry Potter again could never hurt.

A large percent of Cho's thoughts were now dedicated to Harry Potter. They had actually seen each other quite a lot since the school year had started—on the train, in the hall and even in the owlery. She couldn't keep her mind off him. When there was a lull in Cho's busy life, her mind would stray to the beautiful emerald color of Harry's eyes or the cuteness of his hairstyle. Cho welcomed these simple daydreams with open arms. The other alternative, thinking about Cedric, her late boyfriend, was unbearable and Cho had previously promised herself that she would not think of Cedric in order to avoid the pain.

"Well, we're here," Marietta said dully as she and Cho strolled up to the front of the Inn. Marietta looked at the Inn distastefully, observing the battered sign and the grotesque image of a pig's bleeding head. "On an ordinary day, I wouldn't be caught dead in this place. I can't believe I'm doing this." Cho politely ignored her friend and opened the wooden door.

"This is…pleasant," Cho said as she looked around the inn. Cobwebs seemed to be a part of the interior design, and every inch of the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the store was opened.

"That's the overstatement of the year," Marietta responded sarcastically.

Cho and Marietta easily spotted the group of Hogwarts students—every other patron in the inn was sitting alone nursing a firewhisky or some other alcoholic drink. Cho saw Neville, the Gryffindor twins and a black-haired boy sitting together. She also recognized Michael Corner, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein of her own House and some members of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams.

"This should be interesting," Cho whispered to Marietta as she smiled at Harry and took a seat next to Ron Weasley.

The two girls listened as Hermoine went into an awkward explanation of why they were there. She was offering them an opportunity to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts first-hand from Harry himself. Cho became immediately interested in the idea. If You-Know-Who was indeed back, learning a few extra jinxes and spells couldn't hurt. Learning them from Harry would definitely be a plus, too, she thought to herself. The other students in the pub suddenly began naming all the heroic deeds Harry had done throughout his time at Hogwarts, justifying his position as teacher. Cho took the opportunity and immediately mentioned the Triwizard Cup before anyone else could,

"And that's not to mention," she looked at Harry and smiled admiringly at him, "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year—getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things…" She sat back, satisfied with her comment, as a murmur of agreement sounded from the others around the table.

The rest of the conversation was really of no interest to Cho and she gazed out the window until it was over.

"I'll meet up with you in a minute, okay?" Cho said to Marietta as she fastened up her bag. She wanted to be alone with Harry, but she didn't want to seem too obvious. Marietta looked at Cho, clearly annoyed, and responded,

"No. We're leaving. Now." Cho signed dejectedly and allowed Marietta to usher her out of the Hog's Head. Before she stepped out into the sunlight, however, she managed to turn around and give a small wave to Harry.

Cho squinted as the bright sunlight hit her face. It was in complete contrast to the dark, dismal environment of the Hog's Head. She rubbed her eyes absentmindedly and glanced around the street.

"So where do you want to go?" she asked Marietta.

"How about we go to the Three Broomsticks, a normal bar," Marietta said, emphasizing the "normal", while looking disdainfully at the sign in front of the Inn. "I still can't believe you made me do this. And now we've signed a contract. Who knows what that entails? I need a butterbeer." Cho laughed at her friend's antics and the two girls made their way to the more popular inn. This was an unbelievable start to the new school year and Cho couldn't contain her excitement.

"It's not going to be that bad. Where's your optimism?" A muffled grunt was the only reply from the curly haired girl. She'll warm up to the idea, Cho reassured herself as Marietta opened the doors to the pub and they entered the warm interior. What's the worse that could happen?


A/N: It's been a long time, hasn't it? My life has been so busy that I didn't get around to updating until Thanskgiving Break. So, what did you think? Please dont forget to review. I swear those are like little inspirational speeches that keep me writing. Next Scene (get pumped!): Cho's first kiss (with Harry, of course)