Just as Cho had thought, things around the school soon got back to normal. The next task was not until February, and the champions had months to prepare. Within a week after the first task, any insults directed at Harry were only voiced by the Slytherins, and Harry himself could not have looked happier about it.

Cho, however, wasn't having the best time of it. Within the week after the first task, Georgia's crush on Cedric grew to an astounding level- she was utterly convinced that at any moment Cedric was going to sweep her up in his arms and profess his undying love to her. The more ludicrous Georgia got, the worse Cho felt. Georgia sat in the Ravenclaw common room at night, extolling the physical and emotional virtues of Cedric, reminding Cho that she herself had picked up the same things; she, Cho, had felt dizzy looking into those gray eyes, long to touch those broad shoulders, wished those strong arms could be wrapped around her. When Georgia sat there releasing hot air over her silly little schoolgirl's crush, it made Cho feel somehow degraded- as though her own feelings for Cedric had been nothing more than a silly little schoolgirl's crush.

But they had. Hadn't they?

Cho didn't know. It was hard to forget that, for the tiniest, isolated moment, she had seen Cedric. Not Cedric the Quidditch Star, not Cedric the Pretty Boy or Cedric the School Champion. Just him. Cedric. It was hard to forget that- and it was all the harder to forget the feelings she once held for Cedric.

It happened that a little while after the first task, Cho was in the library studying by herself. Lately, anything was better than listening to Georgia describe the way Cedric walked, or talked, or breathed in and out. It was about ten o'clock when she decided to pack up for the night. Yawning, she collected her books together, shoved them in her bag, and exited the library. As she walked down the corridor, she absent-mindedly registered the sound of the library doors opening and shutting again behind her, but it wasn't until someone called out her name that she realised she'd been followed out of the library,

"Cho!"

She turned- to see not just any someone, but the someone- the one who had been on her mind for the past fortnight.

"Hi Cedric!" she called back, and then, hoping to avoid any conversation, turned and walked faster up the hallway. The last thing she needed when she was trying to get over Cedric was to have to talk to him. It was better to completely cut off contact with him until she was sure her crush- or whatever it was- was completely gone.

No such luck, however. Cedric jogged to catch up to her. "Cho- wait up!"

Pretend you don't hear him, Cho thought. So she walked faster. Cedric broke into a run- Cho did too. She knew she was being stupid- she knew it must have looked weird, sprinting away from Cedric- bit she didn't care. She'd gone through enough trouble trying desperately not to think about Cedric and contact with him could ruin all the good work she'd done in getting over him.

But Cedric was taller and faster than Cho- it wasn't long before he'd caught up with her. "Cho- stop, stop, stop-"

Cho gasped as he grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop and spin around, to face him. The look in his eyes was so startling she took a few steps backward. Cedric wasn't even puffed out, but his face was red. And his eyes were so…there was something in them Cho couldn't place, but for a moment she'd thought he looked hurt.

"Why are you running away from me?" he said frankly.

"I- I- what?" Cho said.

"Why are you running away from me?" he repeated, holding her gaze. Cho had to look at the floor.

'I'm sorry, I…didn't hear you." Cho said lamely, feeling her cheeks burn. Good one, idiot, Cho chastised herself. Now Cedric thought she was crazy and a liar. She didn't meet his gaze, but, instead, still looking at the floor, she said, 'Well, sorry anyway Cedric, but I have a lot of work to do and I'd better get back to my common room."

"I'll walk you there," Cedric said lightly.

"Okay, sure," she heard herself say, as her stomach twisted itself into knots. She braved a glance at his face as they set off towards the staircase as the end of the corridor. He was looking straight ahead, the muscles in his neck tense- he kept clenching and unclenching his fists as though he wasn't sure what to do with his hands.

The silence stretched out awkwardly as they paced towards the staircase. Cho couldn't stand awkward silences.

"Were you just working in the library?" she said, rather desperately.

"Yes," Cedric replied.

"For the tournament?"

"No. Transfigs."

"Oh." Cho said.

There was really nothing else to say. They walked in silence down the stairs, through the tapestry (which Cedric held open for Cho in a touching sort of way) and then up another, smaller staircase. They were nearly at the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room before Cedric spoke again.

"Did you like it?"

"Like what?"

He turned to look at her. "The tournament. The first task. Did you like watching it?"

Cho paused. How to answer without letting him know that watching him face that giant dragon had made her feel sick with fear? "I suppose so," she said slowly. She shoved her free hand in her pocket as she felt Cedric's eyes on her again.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know," Cho said, "I suppose…well, there was so much hype about it…and really, it was just watching four people nearly get massacred by dragons. I didn't like that. I don't like violence." She paused, waiting for Cedric's reaction, suddenly feeling quite calm. Cedric managed a smile.

"It wasn't too much fun for me either," he said dryly. They both laughed.

"I think you did very well." Cho said, as the laughter stopped.

"Really?" Cedric met her gaze earnestly.

"Yes," Cho replied, and she laughed again for no reason.

"Hmm," Cedric said, flipping his hair out of his eyes. They had stopped at the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. Cedric was looking at her again, and once again, his expression was completely unreadable.

"Well…thanks for…walking me here," Cho said. "It was nice talking to you."

"It's always nice," Cedric said, in a manner that was almost shy. Cho felt herself blush. She didn't quite know how to say goodbye- and to be frank, didn't want to say goodbye. They looked awkwardly at the ground for a couple more moments.

"Um….Cho," Cedric said finally, "there's something…I wanted to….ask you, I suppose."

"Yes?" Cho said, too quickly.

"I um, wanted to know if…um…" Cedric was having trouble looking at her face.

"Yes?" she prompted.

"I wanted to know if…" he paused, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out, "if…if you've seen my cat."

Cho tried not to let her disappointment show. "Your…cat."

"Yes. I've lost him. His name is Chunk."

"Chunk…the cat?"

"Yes. He tabby and fairly big- so if you see him wandering around the school…"

"I'll tell you, don't worry." Cho managed a smile, but she couldn't have felt worse. For a moment there she'd actually thought that Cedric was going to…Honestly. How could you be so stupid?

"Well, goodnight Cedric," she said, turning away.

"Wait-" Cedric said, "Please don't go." He took a deep breath. "That's not it. I have lost my cat but that's not what I wanted to ask you."

Cho slowly turned around to look at him. "Okay."

He took another deep breath. "I sometimes go flying in the mornings. You know, around the Quidditch pitch. Just on my own.

Cho blinked in surprise. "Oh. That's nice." She paused. "So do I, sometimes."

"I know," Cedric blurted out. She looked at him, and he blushed. "I've seen you. You're a very good flyer."

"So are you," Cho said- not just because it was the right thing to say, but also because it was true.

"Anyway," Cedric said, and now he was staring at his feet more intently than ever. "I wanted to know if…if you'd like to join me."

There was a big silence. Cho struggled with the implications of what Cedric was saying. He didn't look up to meet her eyes- it looked as though he wouldn't dare to look away from the floor.

"Join you?" Cho managed finally, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady.

"Flying, I mean. We…we could go flying one morning. Together."

Cho opened her mouth, closed it, and then immediately opened it again. "Are you joking?"

Cedric finally looked up. The look in his eyes was unmistakable- pure sadness. "You don't want to." he said flatly.

"No! That's not it at all!" Cho cried. "Of course I would love to- if you really meant it, I mean-"

"I do," Cedric said, looking bewildered and hurt at once. "You think- I mean, I'm not- Cho, do you honestly think I would ask you if I didn't mean it?" The question was frank and endearing.

"I- I…" Cho was at a loss for words. It wasn't that she thought he would do something like that- it's just that she couldn't think of any other reason why he would ask her to go someplace. "I'm sorry," she managed lamely. "I guess I wasn't expecting it." She paused. "I would love to."

"Seriously?" Cedric said, looking at her searchingly.

"Yes. Yes-" she said, and laughed. "You think I would say it if I didn't mean it?"

Cedric shook his head and laughed too. He was grinning again- and the thought that Cho had been able to bring that beautiful smile back onto his face made her stomach tingle in a funny way.

"So…when shall we go flying, then?" she said.

"How about Saturday morning? Seven o'clock on the pitch?"

"Yes. It sounds great," Cho said, and found herself grinning too. There was another silence, but a different kind this time- not an awkward one but one in which they grinned at each other. It was an intimate silence, almost as though they were enjoying their special, private joke again.

"Well," said Cedric," I'd better be-"

"Going, yes, me too," Cho said, with a nervous giggle. "Well…."

"Well..."

"Bye."

"See you Saturday.

"Yes, Saturday."

"Bye!" Cedric said again, and, with a last grin, he turned and jogged off down the hall.

Cho leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy. What had she just gotten herself into? And what did he mean, inviting her out flying? It was hard not to jump to conclusions. How would she be able to stand the gap between now and Saturday, waiting for this…meeting (she was reluctant to call it "date") with Cedric?

It would have been easier just to have pretended she didn't hear him.