The Merpeople's Song - How Love Can Change Everything
Chapter 1
It was November. The grey clouds hung low over Hogwarts and the wind was becoming colder each day. The Quidditch season had begun, and Harry was walking back up to the castle on his own after a practice session when he noticed somebody sitting by the lake. Harry couldn't make out who it was because it was getting dark, but they too were alone. Harry slowly walked towards the figure wondering who it was and what they were doing there. As he drew closer, Harry realised it was Cho. He hesitated, wondering what to do.
"Speak to her," said a voice in his head. "Go on. There's no-one else around". So, Harry, heart hammering, walked up to Cho. She didn't notice him. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Hi, Cho," Harry croaked. He hurridly cleared his throat. Cho jumped in surprise and looked up. "Oh, hi Harry," she replied smiling. Harry's heart gave a jolt, but he couldn't help noticing that Cho looked slightly upset by something. "Mind if I sit down?" asked Harry, gesturing towards the ground next to Cho, before he realised what he was doing. Cho didn't answer but shook her head, so Harry sat down on the cool grass beside Cho. He glanced at her. She was staring at her feet miserably. "What's the matter?" Harry asked quietly. She looked up at him and quickly looked back down again. "You can tell me, Cho. You can trust me," said Harry with deep concern in his brilliant green eyes. "It's just...," Cho began. "I'm just thinking about something. - Cedric". Harry's heart fell. Did she still love Cedric? "What about him?" Harry said, a little more angrily than he had meant to. Cho gave him a queering look and Harry blushed the colour of his Quidditch robes as he tried to regain the concerned expression. "The thing is," Cho said after a while, breaking the awkward silence. "I want to stop thinking about him. I mean, I'll never forget him, and I'll think about him every now and then, but I just want to stop thinking about him all the time. I need to". "Oh," said Harry, wishing he could say more. "But it's difficult," continued Cho looking over the lake. "It's bound to be difficult, Cho. You loved him. You can't forget him that easily," he replied. "It's going to take time. It'll come though, eventually". Cho looked at him. "Oh, Harry," she said and flung her arms around him. Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he felt his face burning red. Cho started crying into his shoulder so Harry nervously put his arms around her and started to rub his hand on her back to comfort her. "You're so kind, Harry," sobbed Cho, pulling away from him at last. They gazed into each other's eyes for a while, then Cho, as if suddenly realising what she was doing, stood up muttering something about a meeting and rushed off towards the castle. Harry stared after her. He had wanted that moment to last forever.
Cho was still running. She had ran across the Entrance Hall and was now making her way down into the dungeons. She wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of the main school, but she couldn't stay outside. Not with Harry. Things were bad enough as they were. She had a boyfriend, the first since Cedric, and yet she still longed for Cedric's touch. She thought that was unfaire on her current boyfriend, and that was the reason why she was sitting outside alone - to think things over and to get over Cedric. But then, Harry had come. He was such a nice person, so kind and so loyal to his friends, he was fairly good-looking, and he loved her. She knew that, and she had feelings for him too. But nothing could happen between her and Harry. Not when she has a boyfriend. Not when she still thinks of Cedric. That would really be bad. She couldn't love three boys at once. It wasn't right.
She was hurrying along a dark passage when she heard a voice from behind her.
"What are you doing here?" She turned around and her eyes met Draco Malfoy. He saw at once that she had been crying and so he hurried up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. "What's wrong?" Cho began to cry again. She knew she would get over Cedric eventually, like Harry had said. But what was she going to do about Harry? She loved him and he loved her, but she had Draco, and he and Harry were worst enemies. If she left Draco he would turn on Harry, she was sure, and she didn't want Harry to get hurt. She didn't want Draco to turn nasty either. Just then, Cho fell on to her hands and knees. All the crying and the stressing had tired her out greatly and she just couldn't stay on her feet. Malfoy sat down beside her on the cold stone floor and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Get your hands off her!" A sudden shout from behind them made them jump. Harry was standing there pointing his wand at Malfoy. "Wh-what?" stammered Malfoy. "You heard me. Leave her alone!" Harry said loudly. Malfoy looked at Cho, who was staring at Harry open mouthed. "Potter," Malfoy began. There was a loud bang as Harry's curse hit Malfoy, who fell to the floor with a cry. Harry then rushed towards Cho and held out his hand to help her up. Cho did not take his hand, however. Instead she just looked up at him and said, "you shouldn't have done that. - you shouldn't have attacked another student". There was a note of disappoinment in her voice. Harry was very confused by this. "I thought he was hurting you," mumbled Harry. Cho stood up, performed the counter-curse on Malfoy, and disappeared back up the passage. Malfoy sat up and glared at Harry. "You'd better watch it, Potter," he said scathingly and marched off.
Chapter 1
It was November. The grey clouds hung low over Hogwarts and the wind was becoming colder each day. The Quidditch season had begun, and Harry was walking back up to the castle on his own after a practice session when he noticed somebody sitting by the lake. Harry couldn't make out who it was because it was getting dark, but they too were alone. Harry slowly walked towards the figure wondering who it was and what they were doing there. As he drew closer, Harry realised it was Cho. He hesitated, wondering what to do.
"Speak to her," said a voice in his head. "Go on. There's no-one else around". So, Harry, heart hammering, walked up to Cho. She didn't notice him. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Hi, Cho," Harry croaked. He hurridly cleared his throat. Cho jumped in surprise and looked up. "Oh, hi Harry," she replied smiling. Harry's heart gave a jolt, but he couldn't help noticing that Cho looked slightly upset by something. "Mind if I sit down?" asked Harry, gesturing towards the ground next to Cho, before he realised what he was doing. Cho didn't answer but shook her head, so Harry sat down on the cool grass beside Cho. He glanced at her. She was staring at her feet miserably. "What's the matter?" Harry asked quietly. She looked up at him and quickly looked back down again. "You can tell me, Cho. You can trust me," said Harry with deep concern in his brilliant green eyes. "It's just...," Cho began. "I'm just thinking about something. - Cedric". Harry's heart fell. Did she still love Cedric? "What about him?" Harry said, a little more angrily than he had meant to. Cho gave him a queering look and Harry blushed the colour of his Quidditch robes as he tried to regain the concerned expression. "The thing is," Cho said after a while, breaking the awkward silence. "I want to stop thinking about him. I mean, I'll never forget him, and I'll think about him every now and then, but I just want to stop thinking about him all the time. I need to". "Oh," said Harry, wishing he could say more. "But it's difficult," continued Cho looking over the lake. "It's bound to be difficult, Cho. You loved him. You can't forget him that easily," he replied. "It's going to take time. It'll come though, eventually". Cho looked at him. "Oh, Harry," she said and flung her arms around him. Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he felt his face burning red. Cho started crying into his shoulder so Harry nervously put his arms around her and started to rub his hand on her back to comfort her. "You're so kind, Harry," sobbed Cho, pulling away from him at last. They gazed into each other's eyes for a while, then Cho, as if suddenly realising what she was doing, stood up muttering something about a meeting and rushed off towards the castle. Harry stared after her. He had wanted that moment to last forever.
Cho was still running. She had ran across the Entrance Hall and was now making her way down into the dungeons. She wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle of the main school, but she couldn't stay outside. Not with Harry. Things were bad enough as they were. She had a boyfriend, the first since Cedric, and yet she still longed for Cedric's touch. She thought that was unfaire on her current boyfriend, and that was the reason why she was sitting outside alone - to think things over and to get over Cedric. But then, Harry had come. He was such a nice person, so kind and so loyal to his friends, he was fairly good-looking, and he loved her. She knew that, and she had feelings for him too. But nothing could happen between her and Harry. Not when she has a boyfriend. Not when she still thinks of Cedric. That would really be bad. She couldn't love three boys at once. It wasn't right.
She was hurrying along a dark passage when she heard a voice from behind her.
"What are you doing here?" She turned around and her eyes met Draco Malfoy. He saw at once that she had been crying and so he hurried up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. "What's wrong?" Cho began to cry again. She knew she would get over Cedric eventually, like Harry had said. But what was she going to do about Harry? She loved him and he loved her, but she had Draco, and he and Harry were worst enemies. If she left Draco he would turn on Harry, she was sure, and she didn't want Harry to get hurt. She didn't want Draco to turn nasty either. Just then, Cho fell on to her hands and knees. All the crying and the stressing had tired her out greatly and she just couldn't stay on her feet. Malfoy sat down beside her on the cold stone floor and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Get your hands off her!" A sudden shout from behind them made them jump. Harry was standing there pointing his wand at Malfoy. "Wh-what?" stammered Malfoy. "You heard me. Leave her alone!" Harry said loudly. Malfoy looked at Cho, who was staring at Harry open mouthed. "Potter," Malfoy began. There was a loud bang as Harry's curse hit Malfoy, who fell to the floor with a cry. Harry then rushed towards Cho and held out his hand to help her up. Cho did not take his hand, however. Instead she just looked up at him and said, "you shouldn't have done that. - you shouldn't have attacked another student". There was a note of disappoinment in her voice. Harry was very confused by this. "I thought he was hurting you," mumbled Harry. Cho stood up, performed the counter-curse on Malfoy, and disappeared back up the passage. Malfoy sat up and glared at Harry. "You'd better watch it, Potter," he said scathingly and marched off.