Author's Note:
I am so terribly sorry that I haven't been uploading quickly. I'm currently in summer school and have just been busy with my classes. Thank you for being patient! :)
fanfic reader: Thank you for the compliment! I hope to hear from you again.
RecklessGleekChic: That's so awesome that you are hooked! And thank you for the compliments! I hope I won't let you down and the rest of the readers as I continue to write the story. It's very challenging to write Draco's character and keep with it since all I want to do is make him go head over heels for Cho, but we'll see as the story progresses. Haha. It's fun to write them both this way :) I hope to hear from you again.
Juliet: It's awesome to hear from you again! I, myself, am excited as well with what's going to happen as i write.
Thanks for reading everyone! Review and Comment!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters; they are solely the creation of none other than Ms. Rowling herself.
The towering redwoods and cycads stood still as the breeze maneuvered its way in between them. Birds chirped silently, while the serene sound of the forest remained calm as possible. Colors of green and brown mixed and matched, as the flowerless forest seemed to be a never-ending path. Exhausted, Cho found a sturdy log to sit upon, while she gently unhooked her heels and rubbed her sore ankles. "Draco, it's just a stain." She muttered, a little frightened by the boy's actions.
Draco ran his fingers through his smooth and silken hair, thinking to himself. Was he stupid enough to actually wander into the forest without having a single clue where to go? Most would argue yes, but some would lend a sympathetic thought towards the boy. After all, he was already one point down to Potter. "Will you be quiet? Do I have to repeat myself 10 million times before you realize that your voice is annoying as my…" he stopped and dropped his hand to his sides.
Cho slipped her shoes back on and stood up straightening her dress. She's had it with Draco, and the calmness in her slowly evaporated with every word—nay—every letter the boy said. "I've had it with your ludicrous acts! It was just a simple stain!" With that said, Cho quickly took her wand out and pointed it towards Draco's chest. "Scourgify!" She called out, causing the mess on the snake's shirt to be washed off.
Draco watched in horror as Cho pointed her wand at him, but as he saw what she did, his heart rate quickly normalized. "Do that again and I'll hex you." He hissed as he straightened his shirt. The ravenclaw was aggravated to the bone. Oh how she wanted to REALLY hex Draco into oblivion. She wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw for nothing. Simply keeping her lips sealed, she hesitantly followed Draco's lead. If there was one thing she wasn't good at, it was geography and maps. She'd prefer solving arithmancy problems any day, but deciphering a map would cause more problems, than actually solving anything. "Watch your step." Draco grumbled, causing Cho to blink in surprise.
'Was that something nice that just came out of his mouth? No, Cho. You're hearing things.' Cho thought to herself as she carefully stepped down onto a fallen log. With heels on, it was far difficult to walk along a path of scattered leaves and twigs—it was quite slippery. Trying to watch her step, she carefully dipped, hopped, moved, and skipped over things as Draco, nonchalant, walked onward unmoved by Cho's difficult state. Catching herself off guard, Cho found herself tripping and falling into a shallow ditch. "OUCH!" She cried out loud in slight pain, causing Draco to stop and turn around. "Owww…" She groaned.
Draco quickly moved to help Cho up. "Who wears those kinds of shoes to begin with?" He mumbled as he stretched an arm out. "Hold my arm." He ordered as he helped pull Cho up.
"Hiking in the woods wasn't on my agenda to begin with!" Cho painfully addressed as she grabbed tight onto Draco's arm. "My ankle…I think I broke it." She muttered while rubbing the area.
The boy quickly unhooked the girl's shoes and set them aside. "You clearly can't walk." He replied as he looked at the darkening sky above.
"I can perform a—"
"No! If you do something stupid, people will blame me!" Draco quickly cut in.
'It's not like you can get in any more trouble already.' Cho thought to herself. "Then what do you propose?" She asked in pain. "I can't walk!"
Draco looked left and right, up and down, before crouching in front of Cho. "Get on my back." He grumbled, not happy that he had to carry the girl.
Cho shook her head. "Oh..no..I'm not gett—"
"Do you want to stay here and get eaten by some two headed beast? Or would you just be quiet and follow what I say?" Draco interrupted as he waited for Cho to get on his back.
'Following you was what got me into this mess on the first place!' Cho thought silently to herself before carefully getting on Draco's back. Watching her ankle, she slowly laced her arms around Draco's neck.
"Hold your shoes." Draco ordered as he handed Cho her shoes before grabbing a hold of Cho's legs behind him. Making sure she was positioned well on him, he slowly got up and began walking. Awkward silence dawned upon the two as they moved in unison (literally). Draco turned left and right, and at a certain point, Cho stopped paying attention.
"Tell me if you're tired, you can put me down." Cho silently spoke as she heard Draco's heavy breathing.
"I'm fine." Draco replied proudly as he moved past trees and cut through bushes. In a few hours or so, which seemed like Days for Cho, the two were finally on castle grounds. "Merlin." Draco sighed as he saw the castle not far ahead.
If it were at all possible, Cho would quickly hop off Draco's back and make a run for it, but a broken ankle proved otherwise. "You can just walk me to…"
"Shss!" Draco interrupted once more as he moved quickly and quietly through the halls. "I don't want anyone to see us." He added with a tint of plead in his voice. To think that the Slytherin Prince was seen carrying Potter's pet was just an interesting sight to all. Up the staircases and past different portraits, Draco quietly slipped inside the hospital wing to find a surprised Madam Pomfrey staring at the two.
"Mr. Malfoy? Ms. Chang? Dear me! What on Merlin's sakes happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she helped Draco move Cho to a bed.
"She tripped and broke her ankle." Draco answered vaguely as he cracked his neck from side to side. Cho wasn't heavy, but carrying that weight for a long time was definitely a workout.
Cho simply kept her lips shut as Madam Pomfrey adviced her to sit still while she went ahead and got a few things to treat the ankle. Turning her attention to Draco, she couldn't help but offer a small smile. Oh don't get her wrong, she was still bloody furious, but that small gesture amidst the bad ones he conjured made up for a little bit of his wrong doings. "Thank you." She muttered.
Draco simply nodded and watched as the head nurse returned with a bottle of Merlin knows what. Not finding himself needed in the room, he quickly turned around and left the premise.
—
"Oh my goodness! Cho!" Marietta squealed as she saw her friend walk inside the commons. "What happened? Where's Malfoy? Are you okay? Did he do anything? I asked Harry and he…."
Cho smiled weakly and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm fine. I had a little accident and was at the hospital wing."
"Wait? Hospital Wing? What? But I didn't see you and I—"
"Marietta, I'm fine. Malfoy got tired of me and just left me. I walked back to the castle and had a little tripping accident on my way." Cho explained…vaguely.
"Then explain why you look like you've been rolled over a pile of leaves and twigs? Dear, you look like a disaster." Marietta asked curiously.
"Just cause!" Cho replied with a chuckle. "Oh! Did you see Harry? Where is he?" Cho asked, hoping Marietta would stop asking her about what had happened.
"Well, I saw him right after Malfoy dragged you away. I told him what that Slytherin did and he went ahead and looked for you. I didn't see him after. I thought you were with him, but when I saw him with Hermione walking back to the castle, I started to panic." Marietta replied.
Cho couldn't help but frown a little as she heard the words 'him' and 'Hermione' in one sentence. "Oh…I better go clean up and change into something clean before dinner then" was all Cho replied, before making her way to the dormitory.
—
"Where were you?" Pansy asked calmly, but you could tell from the expression on her face that she was beyond pissed.
Draco simply ignored her as he walked past her to sit on one of the sofas. Resting his feet on the coffee table, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
Pansy moved to where he was and sat next to him. "Draco, I asked you a question."
Draco, irritated, raised his head up and looked blankly at Pansy. "I needed to deal with something." He replied.
"Liar. You were with that Ravenclaw! I saw you walk out of the inn with her!" Pansy exclaimed disappointed.
Sighing, Draco simply rubbed his forehead and said "You already knew where I was, then why did you still find the need to ask."
Pansy, as strong as she was, can be an emotional wreck given the circumstances. And most of the time, those circumstances involved non other than the Slytherin prince himself. "How could you do this to me? For one day Draco can't you think about others and not yourself? It was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate it with you! Is it that hard to do something for me? Is it?" Pansy asked as she began tearing up.
If there was one thing that Draco couldn't take, it was the sight of a woman crying. "Pansy you're making a big deal out of this. Just go and sleep on it." He replied coldly as he stood up and made his way to the dormitory.
Blaise, who was watching from afar, stopped Draco the moment he walked by him. "Man, she's upset and it's her birthday. The least you could do is tell her you're sorry and Happy Birthday."
Draco pushed Blaise's hand away and ignored his comment as he proceeded to the dormitory. Irritated, Draco slumped himself on his bed and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Why are women so difficult' He thought to himself as he stood up and grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment before leaving the dorms and heading to the owlery.
Feathers from an assortment of owls greeted Draco as he stepped in the owlery. Beckoning for his owl, he took the liberty of scribbling a few things on the parchment he carried. Unsatisfied with his list he scratched a few things, before writing down a new set of list. Pulled into his own thoughts, he was unaware that someone was watching him close by.
Cho had forgotten to send her mother something that she quickly trotted off to the owlery before dinner. Dusting the feathers that stuck to her as she entered the place, her eyes landed on the familiar blond she had just shared an interesting afternoon with. Curious as to why the boy seemed so caught up with his letter, Cho took a risk and spoke up. "Hey."
Draco jumped in surprise as he heard Cho's voice. Turning with a furrowed brow, he asked irritated. "What are you doing here?" Quickly, he shooed his owl away and tried to hide the parchment he held.
Cho simply chuckled to herself as she saw the black creature flutter away. "You don't have to scare the whole place. Ah….." She paused awkwardly. She was furious with what Draco had put her through, but at this point, she really didn't care anymore. "….you're sending a letter?" She asked, not knowing what else to say.
Draco simply raised a brow before moving to the other side of the room completely ignoring Cho. Beckoning for his owl once more, he quickly laid the parchment back on the table and stared at it defeated. 'I don't have a clue what she wants.' Draco thought to himself, before looking up to see his owl staring back at him. Grinning, he gently brushed its back, before looking back at the parchment. 'Pansies and chocolate. Wait, what kind of chocolate? And does she even like Pansies? Why is this so hard?' Draco's thoughts screamed in nuisance as he tried to think of things that Pansy might or might not like. Cho watched from a distance as she carefully tied the letter on her owl's foot. Moving towards the windows, she sent her owl off and turned her gaze back to Draco who looked up in time to catch her eyes. Blinking and a little bit embarrassed, she quickly lowered her head down and was about to leave when Draco quickly spoke up. "Wait!"
Shutting her eyes at the sound of his voice, she slowly turned back around to respond. "Yes?" She asked, body slightly tensed.
Draco made sure that no one else was around or entering before looking back at Cho. "I need to ask you a question." He replied before setting his quill down. Slightly embarrassed at the fact that he had to ask her this, he stumbled through it. "W-What did Pottergiveyouonyerburffday…?" Cho squinted as she tried to process what he had asked. Shaking her head, she asked for him to repeat himself, making Draco hiss at her. "I said. What did Potter give you on your birthday?"
Cho blinked several times, not clear if she heard Draco right. "Are you asking what Harry gave me for my birthday?"
Draco nodded in annoyance. "Yeah..do you have to repeat it like a parrot?" He asked.
Chuckling to herself, Cho moved closer and replied. "No, but it's funny that you're asking me this. Ah…he really didn't get me anything. Are you trying to give someone a birthday present? A girl maybe?"
Blinking from the storm of questions Cho quickly fired, he instantly responded "None of your business…" before scribbling whatever he wrote in the beginning.
"If this girl is your mother, a heart-warming letter always works or a bottle of perfume. On the other hand, if it's not a relative, you can't go wrong with chocolates and sweets. Do you know what she likes?" Cho asked, curious as to whom Draco was purchasing a gift for.
Draco didn't answer, but kept in mind what she was saying. Cho, taking his silence being normal, continued. "Well…Flowers works too, but I suggest not to give her the kind that can be associated with her name. Like giving someone named Rose a rose. It's just cliché. If this person's name isn't rose, white roses are always lovely during this time of the year."
Draco quickly crossed out the word pansies on his list and replaced it with white roses. Cho trying to take a peek, noticed the change and simply chuckled in the inside. "Is that all you wanted to ask me?"
"Yeah" was all Draco said before folding the parchment into a scroll and sending it off with his owl.
"Ok then…well I hope she likes it." Cho replied before turning around, ready to leave.
Draco looked at Cho and couldn't help but think how passive this girl was. Most of the girls in the castle would simply yell and bicker all the time, especially if he made a half-ass comment towards them. Unaware of where he was putting his hand, Draco didn't expect an owl to peck on it. "OUCH!" He yelled as he quickly retracted his hand and saw the small line of blood.
Cho quickly turned around upon hearing Draco yell. Rushing back inside the owlery, she moved next to him. "Are you okay? What happened?" She asked as she spotted the boy holding tight onto his hand for dear life. "Let me take a look." She asked, reaching for his hand.
Draco, hesitant, shook his head and quickly pocketed his hand. "It's nothing." He muttered before pacing forward.
Cho, quick enough, grabbed a hold of his arm (this time) and carefully, but quickly pulled his hand to her. "Tell me that it's nothing when you get an infection." She replied sarcastically, but subtle, before taking a look at the cut. "That's quite deep. Perhaps Madam…"
"I said it's nothing." Draco insisted as he tried to pull his hand back, but Cho had a good hold on it.
"Will you hold still? I'll just clear up that dried blood." She ordered. Taking her wand, she quickly pointed it towards the cut and carefully spelled out, "Tergeo." The dried blood soon dissolved, giving way for the wound to breathe. "There…just go and ask the hospital wing to give you something to close the wound and a bandage." Cho added.
Furrowing his brows at the Raven, he simply turned his back to her and walked out.
'And he tells me I have bad manners…' Cho thought to herself before following him out.
—
7:00 AMs were always terrible for Draco. If there was one spell he could invent, he would invent the spell that allowed you to move the sun around and the moon back in its place. Dreading the day, Draco lazily got ready for breakfast.
The Great Hall, like always, was full of conversing students who, Draco marveled at for being up and about this early. "Morning…" Goyle greeted as Draco sat next to him for breakfast.
"Morning." Draco replied as he grabbed a hold of his cup and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. Soon, owls came flooding in as they delivered packages to their respective recipients. Grabbing a hold of the daily prophet near him, Draco began reading the daily news only to have himself choked by an excited Pansy.
"THANK YOU! Draco! You're so sweet! I can't beli-"
Pansy couldn't even finish her sentence since Draco was quick enough to cover her mouth. "Will you keep it down?" He whispered. A few of the students in their table quickly turned their eyes on the two; some were chuckling and giggling to themselves.
Pansy quickly pushed his hand away and began to speak. "They're just lovely. Thank you!" Delighted with her flowers and sweets, she, without thinking, bent down and kissed Draco on the cheek.
A flustered Draco, wide eyed, stood up and exited the room without another word. Cho, who was watching all of this, simply smiled to herself before turning her gaze to Marietta, who was enjoying the little show that Pansy and Draco were putting on. "I can't believe there's a romantic bone in that boy's body." Marietta commented as she took a bite of her bread.
"It's nice of him to do that for her." Cho replied as she slowly bit into her crumpet. Not paying attention, her owl quickly swooped down and dropped a stemmed white rose in front of her. To Cho's surprise—and to everyone sitting around her—she curiously picked it up. "Huh?" She asked.
Marietta giggled to herself as she playfully nudged Cho. "Look at you and that know-it-all squealer receiving flowers so casually." She teased.
"But…I-…" Cho muttered, before quickly fixing her eyes on Harry, who seemed to be enjoying a casual conversation with Hermione. "I'll ask him later." Cho added, before taking another bite of her crumpet.
—
Draco walked out of the Great Hall embarrassed. He hated how girls needed to make a big deal out of everything. There was only one person who he thought didn't really share much of her emotions to the public, well not that he could really attest to it. Glancing at his bandaged hand, he decided to make his way to his first class, before the halls were flooded with students. Passing through the quad, he spotted the few rose bushes that were in full bloom. Stopping for a second to "smell the roses", he sneakily plucked a rose and stared at it for a quick second before racing his way inside the castle.
Not a moment too soon, the students began to start their first class of the day.