CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"So, what happened?" whispered Ron as he, Hermione and Harry were eating breakfast in the Great Hall.
"What do you mean, 'what happened'?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
"You know," whispered Ron. "With you and Cho. I know you already told her last night."
"Yeah, I did," said Harry.
"So, what happened?" asked Hermione.
"Nothing."
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?"
"Nothing," repeated Harry. "Nothing happened."
"Why? Ooh... you got busted, didn't you?" asked Ron.
"No."
"Then what happened?"
Harry put down his fork. "She told me she loved me too," he said.
"That's great!" said Ron.
"Congratulations!" exclaimed Hermione.
"But," Harry continued, " she told me she just isn't ready for another relationship YET."
"So you DID get busted!" said Ron.
"No. She told me to wait for her. She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either."
"Oh... OK," said Ron timidly.
The trio resumed breakfast without another word.
* * *
Cho was unusually quiet at breakfast. Liz Tyler, a friend of Cho's, was one of the first people to notice her unusual quietness.
"Cho?" Liz called. "You OK?"
Cho had been staring into space and was now shaking her head to snap herself back to reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she lied.
"You haven't touched your food," commented Liz.
"Oh... I... uh... I'm not very hungry," fibbed Cho once more. Liz scrutinized her before shrugging.
"Fine," said Liz, "but if you're ready to talk, I'm here, all right?"
Cho gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Liz."
"Anytime."
* * *
It had been exactly a week since Harry courted Cho, and still, Cho couldn't decide whether or not to answer "yes" to Harry. Yes, she knew within her soul that she indeed loved him, but she was quite unsure if she should begin another relationship with another guy. She had been deeply hurt when Cedric broke up with her.
'But on the other hand,' a voice in her head started to remind her, 'you were glad to be free, because you can love Harry freely.'
'Yeah,' she realized. She HAD been sort of glad to be free – hurt, yes, but nevertheless glad.
'So what am I worrying about?' she asked herself.
"You OK?" asked Charlotte Watson, another friend of Cho's. "You've been staring into space for almost an hour, you know. You didn't even go down for dinner. Aren't you hungry?"
"No," replied Cho flatly.
"Are you all right?" Charlotte asked again.
"No."
"Why, what's wrong?" Charlotte sat down beside Cho and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You can tell me anything, and you know that."
Cho took a deep breath. "You know that I really loved Cedric, didn't you? And that I was really hurt when he broke up with me two weeks ago?" Charlotte nodded.
"Harry courted me last week."
"What?" exclaimed Charlotte. "Wait... Harry? Harry who?"
"Harry Potter. You know – third year Gryffindor, Seeker, black hair, green eyes, lightning-bolt scar?"
"Oh... that Harry," breathed Charlotte. "He courted you?" Cho nodded.
"So what did you tell him?"
"I didn't say yes," said Cho. Charlotte seemed to have relaxed a little.
"But I didn't say no either."
"Huh?"
"That's my problem!" Cho exclaimed exasperatedly. "I don't know if I should get into another relationship or not."
"Do you love Harry?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then go for it." Charlotte's answer was final.
"I... I'm scared," said Cho timidly. Tears were starting to fall from her eyes.
"Scared?" echoed Charlotte. "Of what? Of getting hurt? Cho, that's the point. In love, you get hurt. That's a reality. You can't escape that. But if you really love Harry, you'll take the chance – you'll face that risk of getting hurt YET AGAIN. You should be stronger now, you know, because you've been hurt before. That experience should serve as your inspiration – to love again, and get hurt again."
"Thank you, Charlotte," said Cho, hugging her friend as though she'd never let go.
"You're welcome," said Charlotte as they pulled away from each other. "Now stop crying," she commanded as she wiped Cho's tear-stained face. "It distorts your beautiful facial features." She smiled, and Cho smiled back.
"Stay here; Liz and I'll get food from the kitchens. You haven't eaten a single thing since lunch."
"Thanks again," said Cho. Once Charlotte had left the dormitory, she looked out the window.
'I love you, Harry,' she said to herself. 'Just wait, I'll say yes to you.'
A/N: Yes! Fourteen down, one last to go! I've decided to add another (yes, ANOTHER) chapter to really polish the ending.
OK, so the ending is corny, especially the last paragraph. I know. You guys don't have to rub it in.
Well, I think my character-inventing skills are starting to work again! (This is part of my disclaimer, OK?) Cho's friends, Liz Tyler and Charlotte Watson, were figments of my imagination – sort of. Anyway, they're mine. Here's the history: I derived Liz Tyler's name from (1) Liv Tyler (aka Arwen from Lord of the Rings) and (2) Elizabeth Wakefield (aka Liz from the Sweet Valley book series). Charlotte Watson's name comes from (1) someone I know (for the people who know me, I think you know who this is) and (2) Emma Watson (aka Hermione from Harry Potter. Rumor has it that her whole name is EMMA CHARLOTTE WATSON, is it true?)
OK, so much for the history of my characters. The rest of the characters in this fic… need I mention to whom they belong? All of us know already anyway.
The last chapter – Chapter 15 – is coming up. I promise. (runs away from people waiting TOO long already for this fic to end. Don't worry guys, I want this to end already as much as you do. Ü)
Oh, by the way, I'd just like to say "HI!" to the following people:
*our beloved Gardener
*Kampupot
*Kalachuchi (not sure of the spelling either... sorry Kalachuchi!)
*Gumamela (you can't see this anyway... sorry ka na lang! Jwk!)
*Rosas (I heard Gardener saying your name was ROSAS, not ROSAL. Not sure anyway)
*Sampaguita (gusto ko yang flower mo! I like the smell of it! Ala lang...)
*and of course, not to forget our beloved Fertilizer!
*Cho Chang... I mean Jung... hi! Thanks for everything!
Hey you guys, I'm thinking of changing my name to bougainvillea... what do you think? No, scratch that! I like star of david better. Don't you? STAR OF DAVID RULES!
"So, what happened?" whispered Ron as he, Hermione and Harry were eating breakfast in the Great Hall.
"What do you mean, 'what happened'?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
"You know," whispered Ron. "With you and Cho. I know you already told her last night."
"Yeah, I did," said Harry.
"So, what happened?" asked Hermione.
"Nothing."
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?"
"Nothing," repeated Harry. "Nothing happened."
"Why? Ooh... you got busted, didn't you?" asked Ron.
"No."
"Then what happened?"
Harry put down his fork. "She told me she loved me too," he said.
"That's great!" said Ron.
"Congratulations!" exclaimed Hermione.
"But," Harry continued, " she told me she just isn't ready for another relationship YET."
"So you DID get busted!" said Ron.
"No. She told me to wait for her. She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either."
"Oh... OK," said Ron timidly.
The trio resumed breakfast without another word.
* * *
Cho was unusually quiet at breakfast. Liz Tyler, a friend of Cho's, was one of the first people to notice her unusual quietness.
"Cho?" Liz called. "You OK?"
Cho had been staring into space and was now shaking her head to snap herself back to reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she lied.
"You haven't touched your food," commented Liz.
"Oh... I... uh... I'm not very hungry," fibbed Cho once more. Liz scrutinized her before shrugging.
"Fine," said Liz, "but if you're ready to talk, I'm here, all right?"
Cho gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Liz."
"Anytime."
* * *
It had been exactly a week since Harry courted Cho, and still, Cho couldn't decide whether or not to answer "yes" to Harry. Yes, she knew within her soul that she indeed loved him, but she was quite unsure if she should begin another relationship with another guy. She had been deeply hurt when Cedric broke up with her.
'But on the other hand,' a voice in her head started to remind her, 'you were glad to be free, because you can love Harry freely.'
'Yeah,' she realized. She HAD been sort of glad to be free – hurt, yes, but nevertheless glad.
'So what am I worrying about?' she asked herself.
"You OK?" asked Charlotte Watson, another friend of Cho's. "You've been staring into space for almost an hour, you know. You didn't even go down for dinner. Aren't you hungry?"
"No," replied Cho flatly.
"Are you all right?" Charlotte asked again.
"No."
"Why, what's wrong?" Charlotte sat down beside Cho and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You can tell me anything, and you know that."
Cho took a deep breath. "You know that I really loved Cedric, didn't you? And that I was really hurt when he broke up with me two weeks ago?" Charlotte nodded.
"Harry courted me last week."
"What?" exclaimed Charlotte. "Wait... Harry? Harry who?"
"Harry Potter. You know – third year Gryffindor, Seeker, black hair, green eyes, lightning-bolt scar?"
"Oh... that Harry," breathed Charlotte. "He courted you?" Cho nodded.
"So what did you tell him?"
"I didn't say yes," said Cho. Charlotte seemed to have relaxed a little.
"But I didn't say no either."
"Huh?"
"That's my problem!" Cho exclaimed exasperatedly. "I don't know if I should get into another relationship or not."
"Do you love Harry?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then go for it." Charlotte's answer was final.
"I... I'm scared," said Cho timidly. Tears were starting to fall from her eyes.
"Scared?" echoed Charlotte. "Of what? Of getting hurt? Cho, that's the point. In love, you get hurt. That's a reality. You can't escape that. But if you really love Harry, you'll take the chance – you'll face that risk of getting hurt YET AGAIN. You should be stronger now, you know, because you've been hurt before. That experience should serve as your inspiration – to love again, and get hurt again."
"Thank you, Charlotte," said Cho, hugging her friend as though she'd never let go.
"You're welcome," said Charlotte as they pulled away from each other. "Now stop crying," she commanded as she wiped Cho's tear-stained face. "It distorts your beautiful facial features." She smiled, and Cho smiled back.
"Stay here; Liz and I'll get food from the kitchens. You haven't eaten a single thing since lunch."
"Thanks again," said Cho. Once Charlotte had left the dormitory, she looked out the window.
'I love you, Harry,' she said to herself. 'Just wait, I'll say yes to you.'
A/N: Yes! Fourteen down, one last to go! I've decided to add another (yes, ANOTHER) chapter to really polish the ending.
OK, so the ending is corny, especially the last paragraph. I know. You guys don't have to rub it in.
Well, I think my character-inventing skills are starting to work again! (This is part of my disclaimer, OK?) Cho's friends, Liz Tyler and Charlotte Watson, were figments of my imagination – sort of. Anyway, they're mine. Here's the history: I derived Liz Tyler's name from (1) Liv Tyler (aka Arwen from Lord of the Rings) and (2) Elizabeth Wakefield (aka Liz from the Sweet Valley book series). Charlotte Watson's name comes from (1) someone I know (for the people who know me, I think you know who this is) and (2) Emma Watson (aka Hermione from Harry Potter. Rumor has it that her whole name is EMMA CHARLOTTE WATSON, is it true?)
OK, so much for the history of my characters. The rest of the characters in this fic… need I mention to whom they belong? All of us know already anyway.
The last chapter – Chapter 15 – is coming up. I promise. (runs away from people waiting TOO long already for this fic to end. Don't worry guys, I want this to end already as much as you do. Ü)
Oh, by the way, I'd just like to say "HI!" to the following people:
*our beloved Gardener
*Kampupot
*Kalachuchi (not sure of the spelling either... sorry Kalachuchi!)
*Gumamela (you can't see this anyway... sorry ka na lang! Jwk!)
*Rosas (I heard Gardener saying your name was ROSAS, not ROSAL. Not sure anyway)
*Sampaguita (gusto ko yang flower mo! I like the smell of it! Ala lang...)
*and of course, not to forget our beloved Fertilizer!
*Cho Chang... I mean Jung... hi! Thanks for everything!
Hey you guys, I'm thinking of changing my name to bougainvillea... what do you think? No, scratch that! I like star of david better. Don't you? STAR OF DAVID RULES!