Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho and Tom seriously consider their feelings about each other.
Chapter 15- Good Intentions and a Game
The upcoming Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match had Cho busy almost every morning of the week. She would get up at the crack of dawn, the sun barely creeping up over the horizon as she meandered her way down to the snow laden pitch where the rest of her sleep deprived team would be waiting. Henry, adopting much of the same erratic and slightly neurotic behaviour of Oliver Wood, would drive them to the ground with training and practice.
Knowing better than to grumble about it, Cho obediently kept up the pace though she was frustrated with using the school brooms that were much slower than her Comet back home. She had little alternative though, knowing that the extra money Dumbledore gave her (and that she still hadn't found a way to repay him for) would not be enough to cover the cost of a new broom.
Sighing, Cho pushed her knotted hair out of her face while she drifted off alone to the change rooms. Propping her broom up on one of the lockers, she pulled off the water logged outer layers of her robes, wrinkling her nose at the mud and grass stains. She would definitely have to send a thank you note to the house elves if they manage to salvage any of today's clothes. Stepping into one of the shower cubicles, she peeled off the rest of her quidditch robes, relishing in the warm spray of water that instantly relaxed her muscles.
"Cho, are you in there?" called a loud and distinctly male voice.
Cho dropped the bottle of shampoo she was holding, watching half of its translucent purple contents swirl down the drain. Setting it upright, Cho turned the water off quickly and wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself.
"Henry, could this conversation not wait 2 minutes?" she yelped, hoping that he was well outside the change rooms.
His voice sounded sheepish. "Oh right, I'm sorry about that. I'll be waiting outside then"
Sighing, Cho switched the water back on and completed the rest of her bathroom routine with half the amount of time she would usually use. Dressing hurriedly in casual muggle clothing and with her Ravenclaw scarf wound loosely around her neck, she stepped out of the steamy change room and into the substantially colder area just outside. Henry was where he said he would be, leaning up against a stone pillar with his gloved hands shoved deep into his pockets.
"You wanted to see me?" asked Cho, approaching his lone figure. Her breath rose up in small puffs of white, reminding her of her childhood where she would pretend to be a dragon during the chilly winter months. Smiling a little to herself, Cho reached Henry, her smile dissipating rapidly as she saw how uncharacteristically serious looked.
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something" he said, his voice tinny and nervous "because we're friends"
Feeling slightly alarmed now, Cho prodded him to continue "Of course we are. What is it Henry?"
He took a deep breath before blowing it back out noisily "It's about Riddle"
Cho assumed her best demeanour of normalcy as she replied with a politely curious tone "What about him exactly?"
"I know it's none of my business and you're free to be with whoever you like. But as a friend to a friend, Riddle is bad news. There's something off about him Cho, and whatever it is, it can't be anything good"
He looked at her as though she would explode at him and that was going to be her first reaction - to defend Riddle, to claim that Henry's allegations were completely unfound and unjust. But that was not true seeing that Cho had those exact same feelings and she knew that Henry always had good intentions. He was just warning a friend and Cho appreciated that he cared enough about her to do that.
"I agree with you" breathed Cho, giving Henry a small smile to show she wasn't at all mad with him "But everyone needs a friend as good as you- even Riddle"
Henry spluttered, looking baffled at the idea "Riddle has friends! It doesn't mean you have to take on the job!"
"I wouldn't call Malfoy and Black friends as much as lackeys" remarked Cho grimly, tugging at the ends of her scarf "And he's not as bad as you think he is"
Sensing the determination in her face, Henry knew he was fighting a losing battle with her. As stubborn as she was, his new seeker was not foolish and a lot tougher than she looked. Although Henry would never stop disliking Riddle, perhaps he would give her the benefit of the doubt this time. He only hoped that she had better sense than to be one of those girls who fancied themselves in love with the Head Boy.
"Fine but be careful. He better not try to take liberties with my favourite seeker," said Henry seriously, though he was grinning at her with sparkling eyes "Or he'll have me to answer to."
Cho laughed loudly, ducking her head as though embarrassed. "Henry, let's not make these talks a regular thing okay?"
Henry chuckled, pulling Cho into a bear hug that crushed her to his warm body that reverberated with his laughter "I should probably stick to quidditch shouldn't it?"
Cho silently agreed, before pulling away and heading back to the castle arm in arm with her friend, feeling warm and happy despite the frost that settled into her clothes.
"Cho, eat something. You look like you're about to pass out" commented Arlene unhelpfully, watching Cho's usual pale face turn a very light shade of greenish grey. She shoved a plate of pancakes doused in sticky syrup towards her but she rejected it with a grimace. While Cho usually loved anything sweet, the very sight of it mixed with her jumble of nerves made her want to retch.
Arlene sighed, pushing a single piece of toast towards her "At least eat this then. I don't want you plummeting to your death because you didn't have enough energy to ride a broomstick."
Cho muttered her thanks and bit down into the dry toast, churning it around in her mouth before chasing it down with water. She was only half way through it when Henry came running down the Great Hall, calling for her and the others to get down to the change rooms right away. Dropping the toast, Cho got up and thanked those that wished her good luck on the first match of the season before rushing out of the Great Hall.
She had just rounded the corner when she suddenly bumped into something solid, sending her almost crashing to the ground if it were not for the person that steadied her.
"Good morning Miss Chang"
Cho smiled at Tom, noticing that he looked as impeccable as ever, his expression neutral save for the gleam in his eyes "Hello Tom. Are you going to watch the game today?"
She wasn't sure when she had gotten quite so comfortable with the Head Boy but at some point during the last few days, her mind decided to give him a chance to prove that he genuinely likes her as a friend. No games, no ulterior motives. Just two people who respect each other enough to be on friendly terms. It seemed fair didn't it?
Tom's eyes raked over her robe clad form, noticing that she was dressed for quidditch with the tell-tale bronze and blue uniform. Truthfully, he had never attended a game before as he believed it was just another way for idiots to add brain damage to further their list of incapabilities.
"I don't find much joy in quidditch actually" he replied truthfully, instantly regretting it as he saw the hurt in her lovely dark brown eyes that stared back at him. He quickly amended his blunder, not quite understanding what possessed him to say it other than reflex "But I might make an exception today and see what all the fuss is about"
Cho beamed at him then, startling Tom that such an expression was aimed at him. "I'll see you there then! I hope you're going to root for Ravenclaw!"
Tom smiled indulgently at her, amused by her sudden enthusiasm and happiness "Good luck then"
Cho wrapped her arms around Tom's middle, not noticing as he froze at her touch "Thanks" she chirped, breathing in his clean soapy scent "I'll see you later then!"
Before Tom could react, Cho had flounced away towards the double doors that led to the quidditch pitch. He didn't know what made her breach his personal boundaries like that but he found it wasn't at all disagreeable. It was new and warm and she smelled like a comforting mix of floral tea. Feeling the lingering stares of curious students that were beginning to exit the Great Hall, Tom hastily made his way to the doors too, aware that it suddenly felt a little too warm inside.
The actual game was as dull as ever but Tom found it fascinating to watch the Ravenclaw seeker. She appeared to be in her natural element on the pitch, slicing through the air with ease and grace. Her hair whipped through the wind, a curtain of black trailing through the speckled white skies as it snowed heavily. There were several points in the game when Tom thought that the golden snitch was almost captured before it fluttered away out of the seeker's reach. There were also several maddening moments when Tom almost broke the handle of his wand out of anxiety when Cho almost got hit with a bludger. Convinced that someone had obviously put something in his morning pumpkin juice, Tom sat back down on the semi frozen bench next to Abraxas Malfoy trying to look as composed as possible.
"The new Ravenclaw seeker's not bad is she?" asked Abraxas casually, his eyes trained on the progress of the quaffle. He whooped loudly as one of Ravenclaw's beaters hit a bludger at a Gryffindor, almost unseating him completely from his broomstick.
"No, she isn't" remarked Tom quietly as he kept an eye on her.
Abraxas' grin turned feral, his luminous grey eyes sparkling with ill intent "And she's not bad looking either for a blood traitor"
Tom turned rigid, his jaw tensing at Malfoy's words "You will not speak of her like that" said Tom quietly, his voice a deadly whisper that was all too familiar to Abraxas.
Recognising that this was the voice of his master and not the Head Boy, Abraxas lowered his gaze as well as his voice "My apologies my lord"
Tom nodded stiltedly, though the anger was still evident in his darkened eyes. He did not like the way Abraxas spoke of her as it suggested that perhaps he had also had this discussion with his Slytherin friends too. On more than one occasion, Tom had delved into the minds of his followers and was disgusted by what he found there. There were lust driven images and other things that were unmentionable at best that he found despicable. Tom had also seen the picture of an attractive oriental girl in more than one boy's mind and while not particularly taken aback by the fact, he still resented that others noticed her beauty too.
So while Tom had not come up with a solid plan on how to keep Cho by his side, he knew he couldn't protect her from his followers till they were convinced she was off limits in every sense of the word. He wished he could soundly say that his followers obeyed his every word and demand but some lacked control and had paid dearly for it. The only person he could trust with her was himself.
Tom wore a brittle smile as Ravenclaw scored another goal. He had always been a selfish person, and he definitely intended to keep her by his side whether she wanted to or not. She was in too deep now and Tom never denied himself anything he wanted.
Cho was smiling so much, her cheeks hurt from the exertion. Ravenclaw had won the match against Gryffindor the day before and she was still riding the high that resulted from her teams' victory. Once Cho had caught the elusive snitch and fluttered to the ground amidst the cheering crowds, her team mates crushed her into hugs, dwarfing their comparatively tiny seeker. Surprisingly, Tom had also come down to congratulate her, offering her a small smile and polite words that made her heart skip even when she thought about it. She hadn't felt that loved in a long time, not since Cedric had passed and her life had been turned upside down. It felt nice to have companionship again even if it were fleeting should she return back to her own time. She should enjoy it while she can.
"What do you think of this?" asked Arlene loudly, pulling Cho out of her reverie by swishing a long black dress in front of Cho's face "Is it too sinister looking for a ball?"
Cho pursed her lips, looking at the robes that looked a lot like something a witch would wear in a muggle child's book "A little bit. Don't you want to wear something a little bit more festive?"
Arlene shrugged though there was a mischievous gleam in her eye "I did always want a dress made completely out of tinsel… I wonder if they sell that here?"
Cho shook her head, adamant that her friend would wear nothing of the sort. "Here let me have a look for you". Trailing her fingertips across the racks of dress robes, she paused at a lovely emerald green one before pulling it out with a flourish. It was long and made of silk, the colour vibrant and complimentary to Arlene's vibrant tresses. "How about this one?"
Arlene's distracted gaze wandered over to what Cho was holding, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the dress dangling from the hanger "Oooh, that's nicer than a tinsel dress"
Cho resisted the urge to snort in laughter, instead clapping a hand over her mouth "I would like to think so, yes". Shoving it in Arlene's direction, Cho scooted her friend over the change rooms to try it on. Arlene didn't object, rustling the red velvet curtains till she got them to close completely.
Meanwhile, Cho returned to the racks of dresses, perusing through the small selection that weren't attached to tags marked with ridiculous prices. There wasn't much to look at though, and Cho was about to toss-up between a strange olive brown dress and another pink one that held far too many ruffles.
The sound of a curtain swishing open caught Cho's attention, making her turn around to see Arlene in her gown. She twirled around a few times, the hem of the dress a little bit too long because of her bare feet.
"So what do you think?" she asked, rocking on her heels like a child "Is it too much?"
Cho smiled at her friend, "Of course not, you look beautiful"
Arlene beamed, her face glowing with happiness "Why thank you!"
Cho's eyes trailed after the two hideous dresses she was looking at earlier "I suppose I should try something on too…"
Arlene made a face "Chang, I thought you had better taste than that!" she said, waving her hand towards the general direction of the dresses "And you don't need to anyway. I bought you a dress as an early Christmas present"
Cho blinked owlishly, her eyebrows raised: "When did you do that?"
Arlene smirked, lounging in a nearby armchair in her new dress "I snuck out into Hogsmeade the other week. And tell Henry to wear a blue tie"
Cho objected, her eyebrows furrowed "You can't do that, it's too much for a present!"
Arlene dismissed Cho's words with a roll of her eyes "It really isn't. And plus, if it makes you feel better, you can help me with History of Magic for the rest of the year. I don't remember the first thing about troll rebellions of 1764-"
"Goblin rebellions of 1616 you mean" corrected Cho automatically, a small smile forming on her face as Arlene laughed good naturedly.
"Precisely" replied Arlene, running her hands over the smooth silk "You are an invaluable resource as well as my best friend. You will accept the present whether you like it or not."
Cho grinned, touched that Arlene would consider herself as her best friend despite only knowing each other for a few months. Stepping over to the counter, Cho picked up a comb glittering with green and clear crystals before placing it in Arlene's hair.
"Perfect" announced Cho, stepping back and admiring her choices while Arlene spun around again only to be scolded by the slightly harried looking shopkeeper. The older woman glanced at the two girls with narrowed eyes, her eyes resting on the delicate dress that Arlene was currently wearing.
"Would you like me to wrap those up for you dear?" she asked pointedly, her spectacles sliding down her long nose.
Arlene curtsied deeply, a mocking smile on her lips as she adopted an overly formal tone "That would be lovely Madam Malkin."
Cho stifled her giggles, turning away to avoid Madam Malkin's hawk like eyes and Arlene's poor impersonation of the shopkeeper just behind.