Harry Potter and the Jade Heart
Chapter 2
"Harry and Cho"
Harry's plan to forget about Cho for awhile did not last very long. In less than a couple weeks, they were walking hand in hand through the castle. The person who initiated it, however, was not Harry but Cho.
As Harry went about his regular routines--classes, quidditch practice, listening to Ron's and Hermione's occasional disputes--Cho would randomly stop Harry in the halls for a few seconds.
"How's Quidditch practice going for the Gryffindors?"
"Not bad. How's your new captain?"
"He is a lot better than our last. We have a game against Slytherin coming up."
"Good luck. I hope you beat Malfoy to the snitch."
"If I can beat the best seeker in the school, I'm sure I'll beat Malfoy," said Cho. She winked at Harry and continued on her way. Harry didn't know if she meant that as a compliment or a boast. Cho isn't the type of person to boast, so Harry took it as a compliment. He smiled and hurried on to Transfiguration.
About a week of this went by, but Harry didn't mind. He was a bit confused by it, but extra attention from Cho wasn't bad at all.
It was a sunny day in November. Care of Magical Creatures had finished. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking back to the school for lunch. In the entrance hall, Harry heard someone calling to him. He looked up the staircase and saw Cho running down towards him.
"Hi. Do you mind if I talk to you?" asked Cho. Harry was reminded of when he was about to ask Cho to the Yule Ball.
"Okay." Ron and Hermione said they would save a seat for him. Harry followed Cho up the stairs and into an empty classroom.
"Do you still like me?" asked Cho. That was not the question Harry had expected. He did not know how to respond. Cho looked like she was waiting for an answer. "You had asked me to the ball last year, so I thought maybe you still liked me."
"Well, everybody likes you," said Harry, pretending he misunderstood the question. "You're really nice."
Cho looked at him thoughtfully. "What happened?" she asked, seriously. "I would appreciate it if you told me. During the third task in the Triwizard Tournament."
Harry had avoided reliving that moment over the summer, but at that moment he felt like she deserved to know. He decided not to go into graphic details. "We were transported to Voldemort's--" Harry paused. Cho hadn't flinched at all. Almost everyone else goes crazy when someone says his name. Harry continued, "His father's house. Cedric was killed before I even knew what was going on. Voldemort was restored. We had a duel. I came back here."
There was an awkward silence as Cho thought about this. "Dumbledore said Voldemort killed Cedric. You just said that Voldemort was restored after Cedric was killed."
"Voldemort practically did kill Cedric. Someone else performed the curse." Harry didn't want to explain Wormtail to her.
"Do you feel guilty about it?" Harry didn't feel like answering Cho's questions anymore.
"Does it matter?" For a moment Cho looked hurt, but then she had a sympathetic look on her face.
"Of course. Your feelings matter," said Cho. She looked down at her hands, which were absentmindedly playing with the seam on her robe. "Everyone has been trying to comfort me and tell me everything will be okay. Have they been doing that for you?"
"Er. I think they understand I'd rather not think about it."
Cho continued as if she didn't hear what he said. "Because I think this whole thing is worse for you than for me. You were there. You witnessed it happening. I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like for you. I on the other hand....Well, we all lose people who were close to us. I don't see why I'm any different. I mean, I miss Cedric, but I do have to move on with my life, right?"
Harry nodded reluctantly.
"But everyone seems to think I should still be in mourning or that I still am. My being sad isn't going to bring him back."
Harry was wondering what she was getting at. "I guess so."
"Cedric liked you. We talked about Quidditch a lot, and he would say that he wished he was as good a seeker as you were. I thought Cedric was a good seeker."
"He was. And a really good person, too."
"He told me about the dragons, too. How you told him about the first task. That was very big of you."
"Well, he helped me out with the second one, so I'd say we're even."
Cho suddenly smiled thoughtfully. "You know what? If you had asked me to the ball just a week earlier, I would have gone with you."
Harry looked puzzled. Just a week? "Well, I think everything worked out for the best."
"Really?"
"You and Cedric made a better couple."
"We made a good couple. You can't say better because you have nothing to compare it to." Cho looked at Harry as if waiting for something. Harry looked back at Cho with a slightly confused look on his face.
Suddenly Cho flung her arms around Harry's neck. "Thank you, Harry."
"For what?" Harry stood there awkwardly with Cho still hugging him.
"Everything."
Harry stopped thinking about how confused he was. He stood there and hugged Cho back.
Chapter 2
"Harry and Cho"
Harry's plan to forget about Cho for awhile did not last very long. In less than a couple weeks, they were walking hand in hand through the castle. The person who initiated it, however, was not Harry but Cho.
As Harry went about his regular routines--classes, quidditch practice, listening to Ron's and Hermione's occasional disputes--Cho would randomly stop Harry in the halls for a few seconds.
"How's Quidditch practice going for the Gryffindors?"
"Not bad. How's your new captain?"
"He is a lot better than our last. We have a game against Slytherin coming up."
"Good luck. I hope you beat Malfoy to the snitch."
"If I can beat the best seeker in the school, I'm sure I'll beat Malfoy," said Cho. She winked at Harry and continued on her way. Harry didn't know if she meant that as a compliment or a boast. Cho isn't the type of person to boast, so Harry took it as a compliment. He smiled and hurried on to Transfiguration.
About a week of this went by, but Harry didn't mind. He was a bit confused by it, but extra attention from Cho wasn't bad at all.
It was a sunny day in November. Care of Magical Creatures had finished. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking back to the school for lunch. In the entrance hall, Harry heard someone calling to him. He looked up the staircase and saw Cho running down towards him.
"Hi. Do you mind if I talk to you?" asked Cho. Harry was reminded of when he was about to ask Cho to the Yule Ball.
"Okay." Ron and Hermione said they would save a seat for him. Harry followed Cho up the stairs and into an empty classroom.
"Do you still like me?" asked Cho. That was not the question Harry had expected. He did not know how to respond. Cho looked like she was waiting for an answer. "You had asked me to the ball last year, so I thought maybe you still liked me."
"Well, everybody likes you," said Harry, pretending he misunderstood the question. "You're really nice."
Cho looked at him thoughtfully. "What happened?" she asked, seriously. "I would appreciate it if you told me. During the third task in the Triwizard Tournament."
Harry had avoided reliving that moment over the summer, but at that moment he felt like she deserved to know. He decided not to go into graphic details. "We were transported to Voldemort's--" Harry paused. Cho hadn't flinched at all. Almost everyone else goes crazy when someone says his name. Harry continued, "His father's house. Cedric was killed before I even knew what was going on. Voldemort was restored. We had a duel. I came back here."
There was an awkward silence as Cho thought about this. "Dumbledore said Voldemort killed Cedric. You just said that Voldemort was restored after Cedric was killed."
"Voldemort practically did kill Cedric. Someone else performed the curse." Harry didn't want to explain Wormtail to her.
"Do you feel guilty about it?" Harry didn't feel like answering Cho's questions anymore.
"Does it matter?" For a moment Cho looked hurt, but then she had a sympathetic look on her face.
"Of course. Your feelings matter," said Cho. She looked down at her hands, which were absentmindedly playing with the seam on her robe. "Everyone has been trying to comfort me and tell me everything will be okay. Have they been doing that for you?"
"Er. I think they understand I'd rather not think about it."
Cho continued as if she didn't hear what he said. "Because I think this whole thing is worse for you than for me. You were there. You witnessed it happening. I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like for you. I on the other hand....Well, we all lose people who were close to us. I don't see why I'm any different. I mean, I miss Cedric, but I do have to move on with my life, right?"
Harry nodded reluctantly.
"But everyone seems to think I should still be in mourning or that I still am. My being sad isn't going to bring him back."
Harry was wondering what she was getting at. "I guess so."
"Cedric liked you. We talked about Quidditch a lot, and he would say that he wished he was as good a seeker as you were. I thought Cedric was a good seeker."
"He was. And a really good person, too."
"He told me about the dragons, too. How you told him about the first task. That was very big of you."
"Well, he helped me out with the second one, so I'd say we're even."
Cho suddenly smiled thoughtfully. "You know what? If you had asked me to the ball just a week earlier, I would have gone with you."
Harry looked puzzled. Just a week? "Well, I think everything worked out for the best."
"Really?"
"You and Cedric made a better couple."
"We made a good couple. You can't say better because you have nothing to compare it to." Cho looked at Harry as if waiting for something. Harry looked back at Cho with a slightly confused look on his face.
Suddenly Cho flung her arms around Harry's neck. "Thank you, Harry."
"For what?" Harry stood there awkwardly with Cho still hugging him.
"Everything."
Harry stopped thinking about how confused he was. He stood there and hugged Cho back.