The next morning Cho and Harry walked out of the Hospital Wing hand in
hand, gazing at each other with misty eyes. Malfoy was still in the Wing.
It seemed like Harry had managed to cause more damage than he had thought.
Harry was so happy that not even the hour long detention with Snape that
evening could spoil his feelings. They walked into the Great Hall a few
minutes later for breakfast. As soon as they entered the chatter died down
and the Hall went deadly quiet. Harry noticed that everyone was staring at
them and the only expressions he could see were of disbelief, anger,
annoyance, and sadness. The unpleasant silence was followed immediately by
even more unpleasant whispers. Harry looked at Cho, who had gone very pale,
and pulled her back out into the Entrance Hall with one last glance at the
staring faces. He then lead Cho over to the oak front doors and out into
the beautiful Hogwarts grounds. They sat underneath a large tree for a
while, staring over the lake in silence.
"They were talking about me," said Cho at last. "They were talking about us," corrected Harry. "They just weren't expecting us to walk into the Hall holding hands. They'll get used to the idea soon enough". Silence. "Did you see the looks on their faces?" asked Cho. Harry didn't reply. "Some people just looked shocked," went on Cho. "Some people looked sad. Like Ginny". Harry glanced at his girlfriend uneasily. "Some people looked annoyed. Even angry". Just then, Harry noticed two figures sprinting across the grounds to where he was sitting. "Harry," panted Ron. "Cho..." "Congratulations!" said Hermione brightly. "Hey, what's the matter?" asked Ron noticing the disgruntled look on Harry's face. "You were there, Ron," said Harry quietly. "You saw what happened. You've heard what peoople are saying". "What, that Cho's a scarlet woman?" said Ron without thinking. "Ron!" moaned Hermione, sharply elbowing him in the ribs. Cho's eyes filled up with tears, and Harry glared at Ron. "Erm...I mean.....I meant.....," stammered Ron. "Is that what you think?" said Cho in a shakey voice. "Is that what you think I am?" Harry put his arm around her small quivering shoulders. "No. No. Of course not. It's just that.....," began Ron, but Cho wriggled free of Harry's arm, stood up, and started walking back up to the castle. She didn't want people to think that they had succeseeded in upsetting her. "Thanks a lot, Ron," said Harry standing up and hurrying after the girl. Hermione looked at their retreating backs sadly before turning angrily to Ron. "That was so insensitive," she said, whilst Ron stared miserably at his feet.
As soon as Harry entered the Entrance Hall with Cho, he wished they were both somewhere else. Faces turned in their direction, and the unpleasant whispers began again:
"She doesn't even know him".
"She's only going out with him because he's good at Quidditch".
"She only likes him cause he's famous".
"Why would Harry go out with her?"
"She was going out with a Death Eater's son. How dare she even go near Harry!"
Harry realised then, that the whispers were indeed, aimed at Cho, just as she had said, and they were all coming from girls of various ages. Harry wasn't getting away with nothing though - he was recieving angry looks from a lot of the boys. Harry remembered himself giving that same angry look to Malfoy and Cedric when they had been going out with Cho. Harry could deal with that though, he got it all the time from the Slytherins. He was more concerned about Cho. He didn't want her to get upset, and she certainly was now. Would the whispering die down? Would she be able to cope? Would she leave Harry in preferance of a whisper-free life?
"They were talking about me," said Cho at last. "They were talking about us," corrected Harry. "They just weren't expecting us to walk into the Hall holding hands. They'll get used to the idea soon enough". Silence. "Did you see the looks on their faces?" asked Cho. Harry didn't reply. "Some people just looked shocked," went on Cho. "Some people looked sad. Like Ginny". Harry glanced at his girlfriend uneasily. "Some people looked annoyed. Even angry". Just then, Harry noticed two figures sprinting across the grounds to where he was sitting. "Harry," panted Ron. "Cho..." "Congratulations!" said Hermione brightly. "Hey, what's the matter?" asked Ron noticing the disgruntled look on Harry's face. "You were there, Ron," said Harry quietly. "You saw what happened. You've heard what peoople are saying". "What, that Cho's a scarlet woman?" said Ron without thinking. "Ron!" moaned Hermione, sharply elbowing him in the ribs. Cho's eyes filled up with tears, and Harry glared at Ron. "Erm...I mean.....I meant.....," stammered Ron. "Is that what you think?" said Cho in a shakey voice. "Is that what you think I am?" Harry put his arm around her small quivering shoulders. "No. No. Of course not. It's just that.....," began Ron, but Cho wriggled free of Harry's arm, stood up, and started walking back up to the castle. She didn't want people to think that they had succeseeded in upsetting her. "Thanks a lot, Ron," said Harry standing up and hurrying after the girl. Hermione looked at their retreating backs sadly before turning angrily to Ron. "That was so insensitive," she said, whilst Ron stared miserably at his feet.
As soon as Harry entered the Entrance Hall with Cho, he wished they were both somewhere else. Faces turned in their direction, and the unpleasant whispers began again:
"She doesn't even know him".
"She's only going out with him because he's good at Quidditch".
"She only likes him cause he's famous".
"Why would Harry go out with her?"
"She was going out with a Death Eater's son. How dare she even go near Harry!"
Harry realised then, that the whispers were indeed, aimed at Cho, just as she had said, and they were all coming from girls of various ages. Harry wasn't getting away with nothing though - he was recieving angry looks from a lot of the boys. Harry remembered himself giving that same angry look to Malfoy and Cedric when they had been going out with Cho. Harry could deal with that though, he got it all the time from the Slytherins. He was more concerned about Cho. He didn't want her to get upset, and she certainly was now. Would the whispering die down? Would she be able to cope? Would she leave Harry in preferance of a whisper-free life?