Hello again. Longest chapter yet and I think they're only growing larger from here on out. So I'll keep this short. Enjoy:
Cho grunted and turned over in bed, wrapping herself tightly in a cocoon of blankets.
She felt a very rude shaking on her shoulder,
"Come on Cho, you lazy prat, get up!"
She opened her eyes to the smirk of Alicia Spinnet. Cho rubbed the sleep out of her eyes "Mmh, what Alicia?" she moaned sitting up in bed. Her head was throbbing.
"Its already nine, you silly sleepyhead. Time for breakfast." Alicia bustled about the room, picking up the trail of discarded clothes that Cho had left around the room. "Blimey, you're messier than usual, Cho."
Cho let out a muffled sound into her pillow in response.
"Alright then, up you get!" Alicia intoned cheerfully, chucking a small vial at Cho.
"Whaa? What's this?" she asked with a furrowed brow, raising up the vial, green contents glittering.
"Invigoration Draught," Alicia said. "There's no bloody way I would be as awake as I am without it. See you downstairs, Cho."
Cho pushed the cork out with her thumb. "Cheers," she grumbled with a yawn before downing it, the door swinging shut in the chaser's wake. Not dissimilar to lemon or lime juice, the contents went down easily and spread from Cho's throat to her fingertips, making her shiver slightly, before jarring her awake. Unfortunately it did little for her pulsing headache.
She disentangled herself from her sheets and duvet, and sliding out of bed, she drew back the curtains of her room, looking down on wizarding London once more.
Cho thought about the previous days events, her muscles aching. They had won the League Cup...for the third year in a row. She sighed and smiled to herself as she dressed for the day, a pair of dark denim shorts and her favourite T-shirt. Emblazoned with the Tornadoes logo, the v-neck was thin and soft from wear, the logo so faded, it was nearly gone.
She made her way to the bathroom, stretching a little, her hair falling into soft waves around her. She brushed her teeth and looked in the mirror at herself. Her face was sun kissed, the small smattering of freckles prominent against her cheeks and bridge of her nose.
Pushing a pair of sunglasses into her hair, she scrutinized herself. She looked nearly the same as she did back all those summers ago before she met up with friends to watch the World Cup not far from here. Cho thought about the excitement of that summer, as the old emotions came flowing back; how she had been so giddy and excited to be at camp with Cedric, her friends, and her family.
Cho sighed wistfully at the memory, wondering if she would have ever dreamed of being in the place she was now, and made her way downstairs to breakfast.
The second she smelled the pancakes and eggs, her stomach rumbled. She rounded the corner, greeted by the expansive spread of food. The Snitch's Wing Inn had become quite famous for hosting almost every quidditch team that came to the London area and thus had built up quite the reputation. The luxurious display was strictly and meticulously maintained by house elves who were scurrying around with platters over their heads, garbed in skillfully embroidered pillowcases and tea towels.
Cho waved and smiled to her teammates who turned from the grouping of tables that they occupied to greet her. She piled her plate with fresh fruit, an egg, and some sausage and sat down at an empty seat next to Alicia, who was engrossed in the mornings issue of Which Broomstick? Cho couldn't help but notice the spread of pictures, one featuring herself raising a snitch filled fist in victory.
"Morning," said Hedi, cutting into a strawberry topped belgian waffle, eyeing Cho with a strange expression. Cho smiled "Morning." She stabbed a particularly pink piece of watermelon. When she looked back up, she met the peculiar stares of Hedi and Alicia. Cho looked at her shirt and wiped her mouth. "What?" she asked, bemused. "Have I got something on me?"
Alicia cracked a smirk and Hedi smiled nervously, "Um, no. Er...Cho did you have…anyone in your room last night?" Chewing her food, Cho furrowed her brow "No. I didn't…why?" she asked. Alicia stifled a giggle, putting her magazine down.
Hedi, turning a light shade of pink, leaned over the table said "Uhm…well only because…I-I came into the suite last night and you were making…noises." Oh no… she thought, not sure what to say, Cho cocked her head "Erm…what?" she asked apprehensively, afraid of the answer. Alicia stifled laughter putting down her magazine. Between cackling, she hissed "You had a wet dream, Cho!"
Cho felt her face going red, and she hid her face in her hands. "Oh, shut it!" she squeaked. "I don't believe you!"
Hedi looked back at her after shooting the ever-bold Gryffindor a look for her brashness. "Cho," she started cautiously "You…you were…you kept saying a name." Cho's stomach doing a nervous turn, she dropped her hands, almost not wanting to know. "It was Cedric," Hedi finished sympathetically, shooting Cho another concerned glance. She sighed, and bit her lip, feeling all familiar hot tears welling up in her eyes, a mixture of emotions washing over her in rapid succession. Alicia immediately sobered and Cho determined she must have been just as surprised as she, herself, was.
The two girls watched her as she bit back her tears. This is not the time to be a crybaby, she scolded herself, swallowing over the lump in her throat. She thought of Cedric, how he used to hold her, ask if it hurt, breathe her name as he hit his peak. She remembered their first time in the Prefect's tub, where she had helped him discover the secret behind the Golden Egg. She felt small again, just like back then, her mind a mess of embarrassment and shame.
Cho snapped back to reality as she felt Alicia's hand on her shoulder. "Five years," Cho barely managed. "Its been five years since…since...he died." Hedi looked at Cho sadly, "I'm sure he'd be really proud of you now, Cho," she offered quietly. "I know he was back then."
"Yeah, and I'm sure he's happy you've been...thinking about him." added Alicia in an attempt at comforting her friend, squeezing Cho's slim shoulder.
Cho bit her lip, willing her tears not to fall. "Yeah…I…I guess he would be pretty smug," Cho let herself smile a little, imagining Cedric wiggling his eyebrows at an innuendo.
With that, Cho took a bite of food to distract herself, happy, at least, that the stormy weather in her own mind was no longer displayed outwardly. The other girls seemed pleased that Cho had made it through the confrontation.
The trio ate in silence for a period of time, until Cho was able to fully compose herself again. "Hedi," Cho smiled once she was confident that she wouldn't break down, "thanks for telling me."
"No worries," Hedi smiled back, a mouth full of breakfast. Cho turned to Alicia and smirked "and thanks, Alicia...for your…attempt...at cheering me up."
Alicia, lifting her magazine back to her face, mocked "Ooh, yes…harder…it feels so good!"
Cho yelped, going red again, not hesitating to beat the girl over the head with the Daily Prophet even while the front page featured both girls in the picture.
Receiving amused and befuddled looks from the rest of the Tornadoes' starting team, a few chuckles emanated. Alicia, unfazed by the seeker's embarrassed cries, only got louder, stopping only due to her own laughter.
Cho handily avoided the questions from the others on the team on what had occurred the previous night until they gave up and returned to their food.
"I'll kill you, I really will," grumbled Cho, turning back to her plate. Alicia laughed "Well, at least you've had a better night than me!" she said indignantly. Cho chewed her food thoughtfully with an eyebrow raised, so very ready to turn on the woman. "Oh, jealous are we? And when was the last time you had a good shag, Miss Spinnet?"
Alicia leaned on the back two legs of her chair and put her hands behind her head, "That is none of your concern, Miss Chang," she grinned, but afterwords with furrowed brow muttered, "It has been a while, though."
Cho laughed, "You and me both." Alicia looked at her curiously, "Say, Cho, did you ever actually get with Potter back at Hogwarts? I've heard mixed rumors." Hedi perked up her head from the Prophet, having been graduated from Hogwarts by that time. "Harry Potter?" she asked, eyebrows raised so high they were at risk for getting lost in her hairline. "Blimey, Cho!"
Listening in, the other (quite unwelcome) members of her team interjected. "Oi, I heard she shagged him for a Christmas gift," teased Grant. Chuckles emanated from the group as they leaned forward to listen in. Cho shot Grant a death glare, "You weren't even at Hogwarts anymore, you old swot," she shot back at him.
Alicia gave her a look, jabbing her in the ribs, "Don't think I didn't see you talk to him after that DA meeting ages ago!" Cho groaned, "No, no, we didn't…we...just kissed." The seeker was met with stares of skepticism "In the ruddy Room of Requirement? You only kissed in the Room of Requirement?" Alicia asked, skepticism hanging from her words. Cho was reluctant to explain, leaning her elbows on the table. "I was…kind of crying…about Ced…the whole time." She cringed at the memory of herself, eyes downcast to her food.
A shocked silence followed, none of the parties knowing what to say. Alicia had a look on her face, crossed somewhere between disbelief, horror, sympathy, and humor.
Cho looked up from the currants she had been rolling about on her plate. Upon seeing the strange wide eyed look of the chaser, she couldn't help but let out a small "heh" of a laugh before bursting out laughing both at her friend's face and the whole situation. It was only moments before the others joined in.
Cho embraced her teammates at the apparition point, all smiles and loving jokes. They celebrated their success for the season quietly and talked of their off-season plans fondly, thinking back to family and friends they hadn't seen since the travel season had began. Soon, the small crowd that contained the athletes, managers, coaches, and staff of the Tutshill Tornadoes began to dissipate.
Cho waited for Marietta to get out of her work at the Ministry at an airy pub at the corner of the winding high street, glad to begin a quiet vacation. She nursed a simple glass of some minty drink, leaning at one of the small standing counters lining the large open bay window. The sun was warm on her face as she rubbed at the beads of condensation on the glass, thinking about the the earlier breakfast fiasco. It was the first time she really ever told anyone about her series of unfortunate and mortifying encounters with Harry Potter and on top of that, had laughed at her past weepy, unstable self. Was this her finally being able to look back on a dark time of her life? She recalled the old saying about time's ability to heal wounds, not believing it for the long pit of depression that followed Cedric's death. Was it healing now? She didn't know but it thought it had to be a step in the right direction.
Cho was snapped out of her thoughts at a timid throat clearing behind her. She turned around to see a nervous looking teen. He was wearing a tank top, a Tutshill emblem sewn onto the right breast. He couldn't be older than 15, and she could see what looked to be his weary parents sitting in the back.
"Ah…Cho Chang?" he squeaked?
She smiled at him, "Thats me." His eyes wide as saucers, he smiled from ear to ear. "I-I was…my name's Henry" he stammered "I don't want to bother you…but I-maybe you could?" He thrust forward a quill and small book, fingers trembling. Cho laughed a little, "Of course, Henry." She opened the book, the familiar signatures of her fellow teammates lining the pages. "You—you're the last one I needed," the boy squeaked. Cho looked up with a grin. "I can see that."
She eyed Grant Page's boyish scrawl and smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Persistent, huh? Grant doesn't usually agree to signings. You're lucky." Henry's face brightened and he laughed nervously, "It took me ages to get his, yeah," he said sheepishly. Cho finished signing the book, returning it to the boy. "Th—thank you! You were great you know…during the match—er, not just this one. Well all of them, I mean. I watch them all." he sputtered enthusiastically. Cho smiled part in sympathy, part in gratitude, "Thank you," she replied.
She spotted Marietta, garbed in her people work robes, waiting with crossed arms in the doorway. Cho picked up her small bag from the counter, slinging to over her shoulder. "I've got to go, but it was lovely meeting you, Henry," she said. She waived at the parents before she headed towards the door.
Marietta raised an eyebrow and smirked at her friend, "Is he your 'biggest fan'?" Cho rolled her eyes, "No, he was just a nice kid." As much as Cho appreciated the lifestyle that came with premiering on a UK league team—not to mention the one she grew up loving—she was so very ready to retire somewhere quiet for the off-season.
"How was work, Mari?" Cho asked her friend as the pair made their way to the apparition point. Marietta sighed and ran a hand through her bouncing curls. "Incredibly dull," she replied dryly. "Being a Ministry Media Correspondent may sound exciting, but believe you me, combing through articles wears on me quite fast."
Cho smirked at her friend "It wouldn't be a job if it wasn't dull," and pulling her wand, the pair spun in the spot, a sharp crack marking their apparition.
Well, theres the second installment of this set. Hope you maybe, sort of, kind of, possibly enjoyed it. Again: Reviews and feedback are quite welcome. This is still utterly a shot in the dark for me and I'm getting a tad nervous that it's something I ought not to pursue. In any case, thanks much to those who have read thus far.
All My Best,
TheBentWingBird