Author's Note: Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! Hope you all enjoy
Chapter Three (Sorry it's so short)!
Chapter Three - Cho Chang
Harry Potter sighed and paced his room, trying to think up something to say to Cho. How could he explain that he had to cease all relations with her . . . because he was bound for life to someone else? Because he was bound to life with another boy? Well, he could always conveniently leave that part out . . . No one had to know about that.
"Cho," he began, thinking out his words. "Cho, I've been thinking very hard about our relationship and I think that we shouldn't see each other anymore . . ." No, that sounded like he wanted to break up with her. God, how could he make her understand that it wasn't her fault? That she hadn't done anything wrong? That he might be in love with her . . . maybe?
"Cho," he began again. "Dumbledore called me into his office today and told me that I've been bound . . ." But then that would require a detailed explanation of the binding spell and the rules and regulations and the ceremonies and traditions. What was supposed to be a dismissal would turn into a thirty-minute long discussion. This was something he wanted to get over and done with as quickly as possible.
There was a knock on his door and Harry swallowed deeply. This was it then. The moment of truth.
"Come in," Harry stammered.
"Hey," Cho said, bursting into the room like a beam of sunshine. Harry almost smacked his head against the stone wall. She was so beautiful and so energetic and so playful . . . She just made him feel good. Wasn't he at least deserving of that? And now he had to call it off. To tell her that he just couldn't go out with her any longer.
"Cho, I'm sorry. This isn't about you, it's about me," he quickly blurted out. "It has to do with destiny and charms and just a whole lot of stuff that I really don't want to explain to you right now."
"What are you talking about Harry?" Cho asked, completely and utterly confused.
"I'm saying that we can't see each other anymore."
"Oh," Cho said quietly, sitting down on the side of the bed. "Is it something . . . Is it something you can't control Harry? Or do you want to break up with me?"
"Cho," Harry said, slumping down next to her. "It's something that's completely out of my control. I love you, you know I do. I just can't go out with you anymore. You'll always have a place in my heart. I want you to know that. God, Cho, I love you . . ."
He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the tears gently off of her cheeks. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him in an embrace. He rubbed her back comfortingly. Her chest was heaving with sobs. This was all she needed. To lose another love . . .
"Cho, Cho, my Cho . . ." he whispered softly in her ear.
God, why did it have to be like this?
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It had been an hour since Cho Chang had left -- left for good -- and Harry was lying on his bed. His sheets were cold and damp from his tears but he was too depressed to move. So he just lay there, salt caked onto his cheeks. He heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" he said, weakly.
"Hermione," a voice softly replied.
"Come in," Harry sniffed as Hermione opened the door slowly.
"I heard about what happened. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Who told you?"
"Cho. She came to my room soon after she left yours. She told me . . . She told me that you broke up with her. She said that it was over something you couldn't control. Did Dumbledore tell you to break up with Cho?"
"Why do you think Dumbledore would tell me to do something like that?" Harry asked, suddenly bitter.
"I just thought that this might have something to do with Dumbledore summoning you into his office this morning."
Harry sighed. Would it be better just to get everything out and into the open? Should he tell Hermione about the binding spell or would it be smarter just to keep everything to himself -- At least, keep everything to himself until he knew more information.
Tell her now.
"Okay, fine. I'll tell you what happened," Harry sighed. "You're going to find out eventually so I might as well tell you now. But first I have to be assured that you can keep a secret."
"Definitely Harry," Hermione confirmed and Harry knew that he could count on her.
"Okay, do you know what a binding spell is?"
Hermione's eyes grew wide with anticipation. "I've read all about binding spells! Supposedly binding spells seek out two people who are soulmates and it binds them together for life. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. According to Dumbledore, someone cast a binding spell and now . . . well, I'm bound."
Hermione's jaw dropped open. Harry Potter? Bound?
"You're . . . bound? For life? To whom?"
"Dumbledore wouldn't tell me but I have a feeling that I'm not going to be too happy with the match."
"Nonsense," Hermione scoffed. "Binding spells pair you with someone who . . . well, it binds you with your soulmate! How can you not be happy with your soulmate?"
"Easily," Harry grumbled. "Dumbledore told me my soulmate was another boy."
"A . . . what?!" Hermione exclaimed. "You've been bound . . . to another boy? But Harry, you're not gay!"
"I know!" Harry exclaimed. "I tried telling Dumbledore that but he wouldn't hear a word of it. It just said 'That will be seen in time.'"
"This is absolutely unbelievable," Hermione said. "Harry Potter's been bound . . . You are aware that being bound to a person usually means that you have to sleep with them right?"
"Yes," Harry said, exasperated. "I am very aware of that."
"Just making sure," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "Well, you can either sit around here brooding all day or you can come downstairs to dinner."
"I think I'd prefer dinner," Harry said. "I'd prefer anything to being left alone in this room with my own thoughts. Hermione . . ."
"Yes?"
"You won't tell anyone about my being bound, will you?"
"Harry," she smiled. "Friends trust each other."
"Right," he grinned. "Let's go down to dinner then."
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Dinner could not have been any worse. The tension between Cho and Harry was practically palpable even though they were sitting at their two separate tables. Harry began to rethink his statement "I'd prefer anything to being left alone in this room with my own thoughts." It was halfway through dinner when Dumbledore stood up and raised his chalice in a toast:
"To the unexpected," he said, "And to all the wonderful things it can bring to us. May we reap the fruits of our destinies and may we make the best of whatever situation comes upon us. May we remember to be merciful. May we remember to show forgiveness. May we remember to look inside our preconceived notions to see the purpose of the plan that has been laid out for us. May we remember that things are not always as bad as they seem."
Dumbledore raised his glass to Harry and smiled.
Cho Chang ran out of the Great Hall in tears.
Harry felt like his life was ending.
Chapter Three - Cho Chang
Harry Potter sighed and paced his room, trying to think up something to say to Cho. How could he explain that he had to cease all relations with her . . . because he was bound for life to someone else? Because he was bound to life with another boy? Well, he could always conveniently leave that part out . . . No one had to know about that.
"Cho," he began, thinking out his words. "Cho, I've been thinking very hard about our relationship and I think that we shouldn't see each other anymore . . ." No, that sounded like he wanted to break up with her. God, how could he make her understand that it wasn't her fault? That she hadn't done anything wrong? That he might be in love with her . . . maybe?
"Cho," he began again. "Dumbledore called me into his office today and told me that I've been bound . . ." But then that would require a detailed explanation of the binding spell and the rules and regulations and the ceremonies and traditions. What was supposed to be a dismissal would turn into a thirty-minute long discussion. This was something he wanted to get over and done with as quickly as possible.
There was a knock on his door and Harry swallowed deeply. This was it then. The moment of truth.
"Come in," Harry stammered.
"Hey," Cho said, bursting into the room like a beam of sunshine. Harry almost smacked his head against the stone wall. She was so beautiful and so energetic and so playful . . . She just made him feel good. Wasn't he at least deserving of that? And now he had to call it off. To tell her that he just couldn't go out with her any longer.
"Cho, I'm sorry. This isn't about you, it's about me," he quickly blurted out. "It has to do with destiny and charms and just a whole lot of stuff that I really don't want to explain to you right now."
"What are you talking about Harry?" Cho asked, completely and utterly confused.
"I'm saying that we can't see each other anymore."
"Oh," Cho said quietly, sitting down on the side of the bed. "Is it something . . . Is it something you can't control Harry? Or do you want to break up with me?"
"Cho," Harry said, slumping down next to her. "It's something that's completely out of my control. I love you, you know I do. I just can't go out with you anymore. You'll always have a place in my heart. I want you to know that. God, Cho, I love you . . ."
He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the tears gently off of her cheeks. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him in an embrace. He rubbed her back comfortingly. Her chest was heaving with sobs. This was all she needed. To lose another love . . .
"Cho, Cho, my Cho . . ." he whispered softly in her ear.
God, why did it have to be like this?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------
It had been an hour since Cho Chang had left -- left for good -- and Harry was lying on his bed. His sheets were cold and damp from his tears but he was too depressed to move. So he just lay there, salt caked onto his cheeks. He heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" he said, weakly.
"Hermione," a voice softly replied.
"Come in," Harry sniffed as Hermione opened the door slowly.
"I heard about what happened. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Who told you?"
"Cho. She came to my room soon after she left yours. She told me . . . She told me that you broke up with her. She said that it was over something you couldn't control. Did Dumbledore tell you to break up with Cho?"
"Why do you think Dumbledore would tell me to do something like that?" Harry asked, suddenly bitter.
"I just thought that this might have something to do with Dumbledore summoning you into his office this morning."
Harry sighed. Would it be better just to get everything out and into the open? Should he tell Hermione about the binding spell or would it be smarter just to keep everything to himself -- At least, keep everything to himself until he knew more information.
Tell her now.
"Okay, fine. I'll tell you what happened," Harry sighed. "You're going to find out eventually so I might as well tell you now. But first I have to be assured that you can keep a secret."
"Definitely Harry," Hermione confirmed and Harry knew that he could count on her.
"Okay, do you know what a binding spell is?"
Hermione's eyes grew wide with anticipation. "I've read all about binding spells! Supposedly binding spells seek out two people who are soulmates and it binds them together for life. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. According to Dumbledore, someone cast a binding spell and now . . . well, I'm bound."
Hermione's jaw dropped open. Harry Potter? Bound?
"You're . . . bound? For life? To whom?"
"Dumbledore wouldn't tell me but I have a feeling that I'm not going to be too happy with the match."
"Nonsense," Hermione scoffed. "Binding spells pair you with someone who . . . well, it binds you with your soulmate! How can you not be happy with your soulmate?"
"Easily," Harry grumbled. "Dumbledore told me my soulmate was another boy."
"A . . . what?!" Hermione exclaimed. "You've been bound . . . to another boy? But Harry, you're not gay!"
"I know!" Harry exclaimed. "I tried telling Dumbledore that but he wouldn't hear a word of it. It just said 'That will be seen in time.'"
"This is absolutely unbelievable," Hermione said. "Harry Potter's been bound . . . You are aware that being bound to a person usually means that you have to sleep with them right?"
"Yes," Harry said, exasperated. "I am very aware of that."
"Just making sure," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "Well, you can either sit around here brooding all day or you can come downstairs to dinner."
"I think I'd prefer dinner," Harry said. "I'd prefer anything to being left alone in this room with my own thoughts. Hermione . . ."
"Yes?"
"You won't tell anyone about my being bound, will you?"
"Harry," she smiled. "Friends trust each other."
"Right," he grinned. "Let's go down to dinner then."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------------------
Dinner could not have been any worse. The tension between Cho and Harry was practically palpable even though they were sitting at their two separate tables. Harry began to rethink his statement "I'd prefer anything to being left alone in this room with my own thoughts." It was halfway through dinner when Dumbledore stood up and raised his chalice in a toast:
"To the unexpected," he said, "And to all the wonderful things it can bring to us. May we reap the fruits of our destinies and may we make the best of whatever situation comes upon us. May we remember to be merciful. May we remember to show forgiveness. May we remember to look inside our preconceived notions to see the purpose of the plan that has been laid out for us. May we remember that things are not always as bad as they seem."
Dumbledore raised his glass to Harry and smiled.
Cho Chang ran out of the Great Hall in tears.
Harry felt like his life was ending.
