DISCLAIMER: The Harry Potter universe belongs to Jo Rowling… and she can do anything with the characters as she pleases… /teary-eyed/

AU. Spans GOF and OoTP. Best for incurable Cho/Cedric shippers above 13.

The House of Chang

addicted to heroine

Chapter 11

Mistletoe

'Hurry up, Cho, we've got loads of packing to do,' Marietta said, tapping her foor impatiently.

The final DA meeting before Christmas break had just finished, and Cho couldn't move. In fact, she felt rooted to the spot. When was the next time she would be in the Room of Requirement? Or, for that matter, Hogwarts?

Out of the corner of her eye, Cho saw Harry busy putting away the cushions with Ron and Hermione. She licked her dry lips and cleared her throat. 'No, you go on,' she managed to say hoarsely. 'I'll meet you in the dormitory. I... you know I've gotten really good at packing over the summer.'

Marietta chuckled. 'Well, I suppose.' Her look of amusement, however, was quickly replaced by one of concern. 'Are you all right, though?'

Cho nodded. Ron and Hermione were on their way out the door, arguing over something as usual. Harry wasn't with them. 'Yes, I'm fine,' she lied. 'Go.'

Whether it was her mixed-up hormones due to pregnancy or something else, Cho had no idea, but the tears came as soon as Marietta was out of earshot. Get a hold of yourself! This is your last chance—ask Harry now!

But before Cho could compose herself, Harry had finished straightening the cushion pile and had turned to her in all her teary-eyed, red-nosed glory.

'Wha—What's up?' he said awkwardly. Harry always had a way with words, Cho thought to herself ironically.

Cho shook her head and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. 'I'm sorry,' she said in between sniffs. 'I suppose... it's just...'

Oh dear Merlin, what to say? Cho seized the first idea that presented itself. 'Learning all this stuff... it just makes me... wonder whether... if he'd known it all... he'd still be alive.'

The innocuous little pronoun sent her into another fit of sobs.

Harry sighed helplessly. 'He did know this stuff,' he said. 'He was really good at it, or he could never have got to the middle of that maze. But if Voldemort really wants to kill you, you don't stand a chance.'

Cho bit her lip. Of course she knew Cedric was capable of these things. As caught up as they'd been in each other, she'd spent an entire month helping Cedric prepare for the Third Task. But she couldn't very well tell Harry what this room really reminded her of…

'You survived, when you were just a baby,' Cho said softly.

'Yeah, well... I don't know why, nor does anyone else, so it's nothing to be proud of.' Harry was already edging his way towards the door. Cho's heart sank; she was scaring him away!

'Oh, don't go!' she cried. How desperate could she get? 'I'm really sorry to get all upset like this... I didn't mean to... I know it must be horrible for you—me mentioning Cedric, when you saw him die... I suppose you just want to forget about it?'

Harry stared at his shoes.

'But p-please... I've been meaning to ask you for ages... did Cedric—did he... m-m-mention me at all before he died?'

Harry looked up. He sounded as if he were in pain. 'Well—no... There—there wasn't time for him to say anything...'

Her eyes swimming with tears, Cho reached for the nearest bookcase to steady herself as the sobs continued to rack her body. Cedric didn't say a word. What, had she expected to hear anything else from Harry? The baby gave her a well-placed kick, as if to chastise her for her stupidity.

'Look,' Harry was saying, 'I don't want to ruin Christmas for either of us. Let's not talk about it. Please?'

But the emotions Cho had kept bottled up the past few months didn't want to be held in, not for a second longer. They came out in a flurry of words and tears, too fast to even register on her brain. 'I thought—I thought you'd u-u-understand! I need to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too! I mean, you saw it happen, d-didn't you?'

Harry looked startled, even frightened, at her outburst. 'Please, Cho, I really can't. Please—stop crying.' He fished a handkerchief from the pocket of his robes and offered it to her.

What exactly overcame her at that moment, Cho couldn't be certain, but it caused her to throw herself into Harry's arms. She felt his body freeze up in surprise before he started awkwardly patting her on the back as she sobbed on his shoulder.

Cho raised her head to look at him through her tears, her lower lip quivering. Harry was nowhere as tall as Cedric, but they had some things in common... Rumpled hair, a strong jaw... And Harry was nothing if not completely brave...

Mistletoe. They were standing under mistletoe.

You like me, don't you, Harry? You asked me if I wanted to the Yule Ball with you. You look at me all the time. I know you do...

Before she could stop herself, she was tilting her head upward, touching her lips to his.

'I put my earrings away so they wouldn't fly off and hit Neville again, I'm sure they're around here somewhere...' Luna Lovegood's vague, lilting voice at the door.

It was enough to break the spell. Cho broke away and covered her mouth. 'Oh Merlin... I'm sorry, Harry. I—I made a mistake. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry.'

She scooped up her things and hurried out of the room.

Luna glided past a dazed Harry and picked up a pair of radishes lying on a bookshelf. 'Here they are!' she said brightly. 'Told you I would find them. Happy Christmas, Harry.'

Harry opened his mouth, but no words came. Finally, in a strangled voice, 'Happy Christmas, Luna.'

'Cho—wait up! Cho!'

Cho couldn't actually run in her state. The baby, as if completely aware of what her mother had just done, wouldn't stop kicking. It didn't take long before Luna caught up with her.

'What, do you want to give me a lecture now, too?' Cho said dully. 'Forget it, I get enough of that from Marietta.'

Luna looked at her curiously. 'No, I just wanted to walk to the dormitory with you.'

'I didn't mean to do it!' Cho burst out. 'I don't know what came over me. I'm just so confused and... oh, you wouldn't understand.'

'Sure I do,' Luna said. 'Lots of people get emotional when they're pregnant.'

Cho drew in her breath sharply. 'How—you can see through the spell?'

'Of course. You're going to pop any minute now, by the looks of it.' Luna put the radishes on her ears. 'I haven't told anyone, if that's what you're worried about. Nobody would believe me even if I did.'

Cho felt light-headed. Luna had known all this time! 'You must think I'm silly, then—snogging Harry when I'm carrying Cedric's child.'

'It's only natural for you to look for a father figure,' Luna told her seriously. 'And Harry is so much like Cedric in some ways.' She paused. 'He's a lot shorter, though.'

Tears spurted from her eyes for what seemed to be the millionth time this evening. 'Do you know, Luna, Cedric never mentioned me before he died? Harry said so.' Cho laughed bitterly, then held up her left hand to show Luna the ring. 'You'd think a boy who was planning to marry me would be so generous as to include me in his last thoughts.'

'I like to think my mother's last thoughts were about doughnuts,' Luna said dreamily. 'Really jammy ones with lots of sugar.'

'I'm sorry.' Normally, that would have made Cho smile. But she could only nod solemnly.

'Don't be. Anyway, Harry only knows what Cedric's last words were. Not his last thoughts.'

Cho stroked her belly, knowing that to anyone else but Luna it would look like she was moving her hand aimlessly in the air. 'It's a boy, you know. I hope he looks just like Cedric. And as clever and kind—and good at Quidditch—' She trembled.

'If Cedric were here, he would say he wanted the baby to be just like you.'

'You think so?'

'Oh, yes. I wouldn't know if he'd mean it, but you know that's what fathers-to-be always say,' Luna said. 'Except maybe Draco Malfoy. Draco wouldn't say it—he wouldn't want his baby to look like anyone else.'

'Well, Cedric always meant what he said, and said what he meant.'

Luna nodded. 'Yes, I suppose he was that kind of boy. Maybe that's why he was sorted into Hufflepuff, too. But it really doesn't matter—your son will be clever and kind and good at Quidditch. If he doesn't get it from Cedric, he'll get it from his mum.' She smiled.

'I wish—I wish I didn't have to talk about Cedric in the past tense!' Cho exclaimed. 'I wish he were still alive, Luna. I wish that more than anything in the world. For me to wake up and find him still alive. For us to raise our son together.' Her voice broke. 'I miss him so much.'

Luna gave her a hug, being careful not to press against Cho's belly. 'My father always says that the only way to catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack is to cover the traps with mint leaves and apricot preserve.'

'What?' Cho hiccoughed and furrowed her brows in confusion. 'Crumple what? That doesn't make sense.'

Luna smiled serenely. 'Most things in life don't.'

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ah, feels wonderful to finish this update. I've deviated a bit from my original plan for this story because it was moving too slowly; I hope this strategy works better. Formatting still leaves a lot to be desired, of course. I'll put everything up in PDF on my (much-neglected) blog once the story's done. Thanks for your patience!