A/N: Thank you Orangenie, LovelyDanger and JessicaEdelynEvans13 for your reviews. This is for you guys! :)
Previously on 'The Redemption'... Cho is released from the hospital wing, terrible things happen to Malfoy, Cho gives Tom his belated Christmas present and her headaches persist...
Chapter 23- Flight
The cracks were beginning to show.
Since the day at the greenhouses, Tom noticed the flashes of pain on Cho's face more and more as the weeks had gone by. He steadfastly tried to ignore them, but the guilt and concern that washed through him was too strong for him to avoid. There had been moments, rare and short times of thinking where Tom considered the possibility of restoring her memories just to save her the pain of trying. But in the end, as always, he couldn't do it.
Tom didn't want to imagine the look of absolute hatred and disgust on her face if he did. And now that he had a taste of it, he couldn't imagine not being with her even if it meant lying through his teeth every time she trusted him.
"Tom?"
He pulled his focus towards her voice, looking into her dark eyes alight with mild concern.
He didn't deserve her.
"Yes?"
She pointed to a long piece of parchment taped to the noticeboard outside the Hogwarts staff room "We have our job consultations with our head of houses this week"
Tom's eyes grazed the length of the list and spied his name and Cho's with the times at which they needed to be present. Looking down at his watch, he realised that she was already 5 minutes late to her appointment.
Cho, who had seemingly come to the same realisation, rushed off in the opposite direction of the corridor before realising she hadn't said goodbye to Tom. With a degree of amusement that lightened his mood considerably, she ran back to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I'll see you later!"
He watched with fondness as she dodged a peeved looking ghost and apologised, disappearing around the corner with a swish of long dark hair.
"I'm sorry I'm late Professor!" breathed Cho, bursting through the open door and struggling to catch her breath. The moving staircases were taking so long, she had to go up to Ravenclaw tower the long way through several portrait holes and even a tunnel made of several barrels.
The Head of Ravenclaw house didn't look terribly pleased but gestured for Cho to sit down. Sinking gratefully into the chair, she deposited her bag on the floor and tried to sit up straight.
Adjusting her glasses, Professor Selwyn looked down her narrow nose at a piece of parchment, muttering the subjects Cho was taking this year under her breath.
"So Miss Chang, are you aware of your grades so far in this year?"
Suddenly, Cho was sweating bullets. Was she falling behind in class? Did she do terribly in the quizzes last week? She must have missed something in her hippogriff anatomical diagram…
With a wry smile, Cho found it was odd how her priorities still lay with academics though she possessed far bigger problems like time travel, memory loss and the fact that Tom Riddle was acting strangely again around her.
"Umm… No Professor" she replied politely, clasping her hands in her lap.
Professor Selwyn's usual hard glare softened a little as she slid the piece of parchment towards Cho "Outstandings, in every subject! Though I hear that Herbology practical lessons may tip your scores if you don't brush up on those skills and Potions still has a little room for improvement… But all in all, I'm certain you'll do well after graduation!"
Cho smiled at the Professor, relief flooding through her "Thank you Professor"
Professor Selwyn smiled indulgently at her, her grey blue eyes kind and motherly "Now, Miss Chang, what career paths were you looking to do once you leave?"
Cho didn't have to think for long; already knowing what her answer would be "A Healer. But I heard it's quite difficult to get an apprenticeship…" said Cho, doubt beginning to colour her tone.
But the Professor dismissed her doubts with a flourish of her wand. A scroll of parchment from one of her shelves zoomed over to her table, hovering for a moment before unfurling itself onto the table.
"Nonsense! There will always be room for a dedicated and passionate healer" assured Professor Selwyn "And in fact, I have an internship from St Mungo's here if you would like to take it. It's only a week, but you may learn some new things and decide if this path is what you want"
Cho could scarcely believe her luck. If she was able to intern at St Mungo's then she might be able to get an apprenticeship later! It had always been her dream job – much more so than doing paperwork at the Ministry, but something had always prevented her from pursuing it. Fear of failure? Or possibly because it was hard for her to see patients with trauma because it reminded her so much of the war?
The war? Where had that thought come from? … What war?
She winced with pain as the familiar stabbing headache returned. Covering her grimace with a half-hearted grin, she asked brightly "Where do I sign?"
It was a rare late Sunday afternoon where neither Cho nor Tom had anything to do. As Head Boy, Tom had already completed the Prefect's roster for patrols, sorted through the suggestions box (while steadfastly ignoring the copious amounts of love letters addressed to him) and finished the other minor duties assigned by Dippet. Cho in turn had no quidditch practice as Henry had 'errands to run' and she had finished her Ancient Rune's project with Tom in the library the day before.
While Cho was very tempted to go and nap, or pick out her clothing for the first day of her internship tomorrow night, she thought about perhaps finding a way to cheer up Tom. He was even more sullen than usual, casting her these looks while he thought she wasn't looking. Sometimes he looked sad or disconnected and once or twice he had looked furious though Cho suspected it was not directed at her. She couldn't figure out what was wrong and every time she asked, he changed the topic or smiled that tight lipped smile of his that held little happiness.
Frowning, Cho flipped over to her side, staring out the window and startled when she realised an owl was waiting there patiently with a scroll tied to its leg. Hopping off her bed, she pushed up the window and let the bird inside, feeding it some of Arlene's bird treats that she made herself. The owl seemed to enjoy them as Cho detached the letter, nibbling a few then picking up an extra before it flew back outside.
Familiar neat writing was printed on the short note: 'I never gave you your Christmas present. Meet me on the quidditch pitch in 15 minutes – TR'
Grinning, Cho changed out of her soft cotton pyjamas and threw on a pair of pants and a thinner woollen jumper. Abandoning her scarf, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and raced downstairs with childish excitement, wondering what he had gotten her and accepting that she would love it anyway even if it were a paperclip.
She hadn't expected this.
He hadn't bothered to wrap it but instead there was a big gaudy gold bow attached to the handle. It was so completely unlike Tom that she almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. The other part of her was baulking at how much it must have cost. Although she would never say this out loud in fear of offending him, she wondered how he could afford it. She recognised this broom from one of her quidditch magazines in the future. Although considered vintage by that age, it was the best broom in the 1940's and 50's – a sleek mahogany handle polished to perfection with bristles that tapered to a point to ensure smooth riding. Along the side, was the glowing gold cursive etched beautifully - 'The Comet Fire'. It must have cost many galleons, much more than an orphaned school student could afford.
"Do you like it?" asked Tom, echoing her own words from before with a smirk on his lips to show that he knew perfectly well she loved it.
Cho wiped her eyes, immediately embarrassed that she had begun to tear up. Instead of replying, she flung herself at Tom, burying her face into the starched collar of his school uniform and breathing in the comforting scent of soap.
Initially startled, Tom began to wound his arms around her slight frame, resting his chin on top of her head "You're welcome"
Cho pulled away, her eyes still brimming with tears "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Tom felt a smile spread across his face as he watched her pick up the broom and admire the handiwork. His problems from the past few weeks melted away as he saw how happy she was. He liked to think he had something to do with her feelings for him and not the gigantic price tag that he had removed from the present.
Grabbing his hand, Cho gave him her most dazzling smile "Come on, let's go and try this out!"
The look on Tom's face made her burst into a fit of giggles. After much coaxing and persuading, Cho had managed to get him on the broom. It was quite clear that the only times he had ever ridden a broom was during lessons in first year. Though he tried to hide it, Cho could have sworn she saw him quaking as he mounted the broom with a clumsiness that betrayed his usual grace and composure. She knew it was terribly sadistic of her to take enjoyment out of his discomfort but she was determined to show him the wonders and joy of flying.
Biting back another smile, Cho sat in front of him and her heart stuttered as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Checking over her shoulder to see that he had his eyes very firmly shut, Cho gave him no warning and pushed off the ground, soaring towards the sky.
It was an irrational fear to be scared of heights. Tom knew that if he or Cho did fall, he had a wand in the pockets of his robes that could save him by conjuring a mattress or stopping the fall altogether. But the feel of the broom underneath him felt rickety and unstable, and the wind that whipped his face felt too fast for his liking. The only thing comforting thing was the warmth emanating from Cho and the pleading look he gave her that convinced him to get on this forsaken stick of a vehicle.
"Open your eyes Tom" said Cho softly, her voice almost getting carried away with the wind.
Though every fibre of his being was defiant against his request, he did as he was told. Gripping onto Cho more tightly, Tom realised that they were a lot higher than he had realised. Fighting back a wave of nausea, he kept his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun was almost set. Muted oranges and pinks mixed in with grey clouds and dappled light, creating a mix that was quite beautiful. They glided easily over the tops of the forbidden forest, the dense canopy of trees hiding the creatures that dwelled there.
Without realising it, Tom's feeling of dizziness disappeared to be replaced with contentment. As though sensing his change of heart, Cho turned her face slightly, giving him a smug look.
"I told you it would be lovely up here"
"Just don't expect me to sign up to be a replacement on the quidditch team" he replied gruffly.
She laughed in return, the sound carefree and clear. Changing course, Cho steered them so they circled the tallest turrets of Hogwarts castle, noticing that his hold on her had loosened considerably as he slowly relaxed to their easy conversation.
'This is much better than napping' thought Cho blissfully, as she watched the last bit of sun sink below the mountains with Tom. He seemed to agree, pressing his lips against her temple and hugging her close as cold began to settle through the grounds. 'Much better'.
A/N: As always, thank you for reading. I'll be off on holidays for a month (to America - yay!) so don't be concerned if I update even less than usual :P
Love, DecoyDream x