CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cho Chang glanced at the grandfather clock in the Ravenclaw common room. It was five minutes to ten – five minutes before she was to meet Harry by the lake. She got up from the chair she was sitting on and headed towards the exit.
"Where d'you think you're going?" asked a voice behind her. She turned around and saw Penelope Clearwater staring at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Out," replied Cho flatly.
"At this time?" pressed Penelope.
"Yeah," said Cho, trying to keep her cool. Penelope was an OK person, but at certain times, like this, she could be a real pain in the neck. "I'm meeting someone."
"Who?" demanded Penelope. "Don't tell me it's Cedric – you told me you two broke up already."
"It's not because we already broke up we don't have the right to meet each other," retorted Cho. "Besides, whoever I'm meeting, it's none of your business."
She felt bad for talking like that to Penelope, mainly because she was Head Girl, but she had no other choice. She suddenly stormed out of the Ravenclaw common room.
* * *
Cho shivered. She rubbed her hands briskly over her arms and hugged herself. It was very cold outside – it was so stupid of her not to bring a sweater along. The wind was blowing fiercely, a sign of the first week of February.
Cho glanced at her watch. Five minutes after ten. Harry was five minutes late. 'Where the hell is he?'
"Hey, sorry I'm late."
Cho turned around to see Harry smiling nervously at her. He was clutching a long, silvery-gray cloak. It took Cho a few moments before she realized it was –
"My Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, seeming to have read Cho's thoughts. "An inheritance from my father. Um… I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone. About the Cloak, I mean."
"Oh!" exclaimed Cho. "Sure, no problem."
"Thanks."
"So… what is it you wanted to talk about?" asked Cho, her teeth chattering. Her body was shivering uncontrollably. Harry removed his sweater and handed it to Cho.
"Here, take this."
Cho smiled gratefully at Harry and took the sweater. Then she looked at Harry expectantly.
"Oh, yeah, about… THAT…" stuttered Harry. His gaze dropped to his shoes on the dirty ground. "I… uh… well… let me ask you, do you already have a date for the Valentine's Day ball?"
"A date?" echoed Cho. "Well… no, not yet…" she admitted. "Why?"
'Yes!' screamed Harry inwardly. "Oh… uh… nothing," he squeaked. "I… uh… I want you to close your eyes for a moment."
"Why?" asked Cho.
"Just… please, just close your eyes," pleaded Harry.
Cho shrugged her shoulders, then slowly closed her eyes. Harry made sure she couldn't see anything. Then, taking out his wand, he conjured a bunch of red roses. Tucking his wand back into the depths of his robe pocket, he told Cho to open her eyes.
Harry dropped to his knees immediately. He took Cho's right hand in his left, holding out the bunch of flowers in his right hand.
"For… me?" asked Cho, glancing at the roses. Harry nodded, and Cho took them. "They're beautiful…"
"But not as beautiful as you," said Harry, grabbing Cho's attention.
"Cho," Harry began, "I love you. I love you with all my heart. I know you've just gone through a tough time with Cedric, but I'm ready to take care of you. I'll never leave you. I…"
"Harry, stand up," Cho said firmly. Harry stood up quietly.
Cho gazed into Harry's emerald-green eyes. "Harry," she began, "I love you too. But I've just broken up with Cedric, and I don't think I'm already ready for another relationship. And I have to make sure that I REALLY do love you; do you understand me? I don't want to lead you on.
"I'm not saying no, Harry," said Cho, "but I'm not saying yes either. Not YET. Please, just be patient Harry. If you truly love me, you'll wait for me."
Harry understood. He nodded and released Cho's hand.
"I… I'll be going now," he said timidly.
"OK," said Cho.
Cho watched as Harry climbed up the staircase of the entrance hall. Once Harry was out of sight, she sat down on the grass, gazed at the horizon, and thought about what Harry had done.
A/N: Well, what d'you think? I think this chapter sucks – BIG TIME! I had NO inspiration whatsoever in writing this (coOL-wacky, lam mo naman kung anong pinagdaraanan ko ngayon!). Please review this chapter and tell me what you think. This fic is nearing its ending! YES! Ü
Cho Chang glanced at the grandfather clock in the Ravenclaw common room. It was five minutes to ten – five minutes before she was to meet Harry by the lake. She got up from the chair she was sitting on and headed towards the exit.
"Where d'you think you're going?" asked a voice behind her. She turned around and saw Penelope Clearwater staring at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Out," replied Cho flatly.
"At this time?" pressed Penelope.
"Yeah," said Cho, trying to keep her cool. Penelope was an OK person, but at certain times, like this, she could be a real pain in the neck. "I'm meeting someone."
"Who?" demanded Penelope. "Don't tell me it's Cedric – you told me you two broke up already."
"It's not because we already broke up we don't have the right to meet each other," retorted Cho. "Besides, whoever I'm meeting, it's none of your business."
She felt bad for talking like that to Penelope, mainly because she was Head Girl, but she had no other choice. She suddenly stormed out of the Ravenclaw common room.
* * *
Cho shivered. She rubbed her hands briskly over her arms and hugged herself. It was very cold outside – it was so stupid of her not to bring a sweater along. The wind was blowing fiercely, a sign of the first week of February.
Cho glanced at her watch. Five minutes after ten. Harry was five minutes late. 'Where the hell is he?'
"Hey, sorry I'm late."
Cho turned around to see Harry smiling nervously at her. He was clutching a long, silvery-gray cloak. It took Cho a few moments before she realized it was –
"My Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, seeming to have read Cho's thoughts. "An inheritance from my father. Um… I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone. About the Cloak, I mean."
"Oh!" exclaimed Cho. "Sure, no problem."
"Thanks."
"So… what is it you wanted to talk about?" asked Cho, her teeth chattering. Her body was shivering uncontrollably. Harry removed his sweater and handed it to Cho.
"Here, take this."
Cho smiled gratefully at Harry and took the sweater. Then she looked at Harry expectantly.
"Oh, yeah, about… THAT…" stuttered Harry. His gaze dropped to his shoes on the dirty ground. "I… uh… well… let me ask you, do you already have a date for the Valentine's Day ball?"
"A date?" echoed Cho. "Well… no, not yet…" she admitted. "Why?"
'Yes!' screamed Harry inwardly. "Oh… uh… nothing," he squeaked. "I… uh… I want you to close your eyes for a moment."
"Why?" asked Cho.
"Just… please, just close your eyes," pleaded Harry.
Cho shrugged her shoulders, then slowly closed her eyes. Harry made sure she couldn't see anything. Then, taking out his wand, he conjured a bunch of red roses. Tucking his wand back into the depths of his robe pocket, he told Cho to open her eyes.
Harry dropped to his knees immediately. He took Cho's right hand in his left, holding out the bunch of flowers in his right hand.
"For… me?" asked Cho, glancing at the roses. Harry nodded, and Cho took them. "They're beautiful…"
"But not as beautiful as you," said Harry, grabbing Cho's attention.
"Cho," Harry began, "I love you. I love you with all my heart. I know you've just gone through a tough time with Cedric, but I'm ready to take care of you. I'll never leave you. I…"
"Harry, stand up," Cho said firmly. Harry stood up quietly.
Cho gazed into Harry's emerald-green eyes. "Harry," she began, "I love you too. But I've just broken up with Cedric, and I don't think I'm already ready for another relationship. And I have to make sure that I REALLY do love you; do you understand me? I don't want to lead you on.
"I'm not saying no, Harry," said Cho, "but I'm not saying yes either. Not YET. Please, just be patient Harry. If you truly love me, you'll wait for me."
Harry understood. He nodded and released Cho's hand.
"I… I'll be going now," he said timidly.
"OK," said Cho.
Cho watched as Harry climbed up the staircase of the entrance hall. Once Harry was out of sight, she sat down on the grass, gazed at the horizon, and thought about what Harry had done.
A/N: Well, what d'you think? I think this chapter sucks – BIG TIME! I had NO inspiration whatsoever in writing this (coOL-wacky, lam mo naman kung anong pinagdaraanan ko ngayon!). Please review this chapter and tell me what you think. This fic is nearing its ending! YES! Ü