Harry Potter and the Jade Heart
Chapter 3
"Rumours"
Nobody questioned it, but Harry sensed that people were talking about it. Cho didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't care. He couldn't tell if people were whispering about Cho or himself. Maybe it was a mixture of both. He found out some of the things they were saying by accident. He was in the library with Hermione. Ron was off somewhere. They all had an essay to do for History of Magic.
"I don't want to do this anymore!" exclaimed Hermione. She threw her quill down and pushed her parchment away.
"That's a surprise. What's with you?" Harry had never seen Hermione blow off homework for no reason.
"I'm just stressed. Stupid O.W.L.s. And being a prefect on top of that."
"But you like studying. You wanted to be prefect."
"I know. Ergh!" Hermione dramatically put her head down on the table.
"Er. I'll be back. I need to go find a book," said Harry. He cautiously left Hermione and went to the other end of the library in search of a book on famous ghouls and goblins. He heard his name from the table on the other side of the aisle. He should have been used to this by now. Don't people have anything better to do than talk about him? He wasn't going to listen but then he also heard Cho's name mentioned.
"I can't believe either of them would do that to Cedric," he heard a girl whisper loudly.
"I can understand Harry, but Cho?"
"What about her?"
"Isn't it a bit odd that she dates one champion and then dates another? And plus, all three of them are seekers. What next? Is she going to date Malfoy after You-Know-Who kills Harry Potter?"
"Nah. He wasn't a champion." All of them laughed.
"But what about Harry? Why did he go after Cho Chang? I thought he liked Hermione."
"Weren't they dating?"
"Ooh! Maybe Harry killed Cedric so he could date Cho!"
Harry couldn't take anymore. He walked back to the table unnoticed and slammed his book down on the table. Hermione sat up quickly. She was about to be cross with him but she saw the angry look on his face. "What happened?"
"Do you know what people are saying about me and Cho?"
Hermione quickly went back to her essay. "No. Why would anyone be talking about the two of you?" Harry glared at her. Hermione avoided looking up.
"Tell me."
"All right. I know you liked Cho, but no one else knew, well, except for Ron and maybe a few others. And we know that you were not responsible for Cedric's death, but some people question that, after all he was your competition in more ways than one. And it hasn't even been a year. Why *are* you two dating so soon? Or at all?"
"Hey, it wasn't my idea, okay? Really. But both of us agree that it's best to move on."
Hermione didn't say anything. She just raised her eyebrows and looked around.
In the back of Harry's mind he had known something like this would have happened. What was he supposed to do? Break up with Cho? Yeah, that would be good for her. And why should he care what everyone was saying? But it was the way Hermione was acting that bothered him. His best friend thinking ill of his relationship. Then Harry blurted out, "It's not my fault Ron moved on and never asked you out!" Harry picked up his things and stormed out of the library. He headed straight to his dormitory without stopping. He almost plowed down Neville when entering the common room.
Harry felt half bad, but the other half of him was too angry to care. Things have been messed up before but not like this. He remembered last year when Ron was mad at him. Those were some of the worst days he ever had at Hogwarts. He wasn't ready to apologize to Hermione yet. He didn't even know why he yelled at her. She didn't exactly do anything. Was Cho really worth all this?
He decided to go talk to her. He stormed back out of the dormitory and walked quickly around the castle. He found her after fifteen minutes.
"What's the matter, Harry?"
He was about to blurt out all the things that people have been saying about them, but he stopped himself. She smiled intently at him. He smiled back. "Nothing. You wanna go flying?"
"Sure." Harry grabbed Cho's hand and they walked outside and to the shed. They grabbed their brooms and the snitch and headed out onto the Quidditch field. They flew around the field and practiced getting the snitch. Harry caught it each time. He didn't even dare to let Cho catch it. She would have known he did it on purpose.
Harry was happiest when he was flying. It was even better with just Cho flying with him. They flew beside each other occasionally.
Harry saw the snitch again and flew to get it. Cho was flying towards him and away from the snitch. Harry slowed down. They were knee to knee and facing each other. Cho leaned over and kissed Harry on the lips. Harry doesn't know how long it lasted, but at that moment time could have stopped.
Chapter 3
"Rumours"
Nobody questioned it, but Harry sensed that people were talking about it. Cho didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't care. He couldn't tell if people were whispering about Cho or himself. Maybe it was a mixture of both. He found out some of the things they were saying by accident. He was in the library with Hermione. Ron was off somewhere. They all had an essay to do for History of Magic.
"I don't want to do this anymore!" exclaimed Hermione. She threw her quill down and pushed her parchment away.
"That's a surprise. What's with you?" Harry had never seen Hermione blow off homework for no reason.
"I'm just stressed. Stupid O.W.L.s. And being a prefect on top of that."
"But you like studying. You wanted to be prefect."
"I know. Ergh!" Hermione dramatically put her head down on the table.
"Er. I'll be back. I need to go find a book," said Harry. He cautiously left Hermione and went to the other end of the library in search of a book on famous ghouls and goblins. He heard his name from the table on the other side of the aisle. He should have been used to this by now. Don't people have anything better to do than talk about him? He wasn't going to listen but then he also heard Cho's name mentioned.
"I can't believe either of them would do that to Cedric," he heard a girl whisper loudly.
"I can understand Harry, but Cho?"
"What about her?"
"Isn't it a bit odd that she dates one champion and then dates another? And plus, all three of them are seekers. What next? Is she going to date Malfoy after You-Know-Who kills Harry Potter?"
"Nah. He wasn't a champion." All of them laughed.
"But what about Harry? Why did he go after Cho Chang? I thought he liked Hermione."
"Weren't they dating?"
"Ooh! Maybe Harry killed Cedric so he could date Cho!"
Harry couldn't take anymore. He walked back to the table unnoticed and slammed his book down on the table. Hermione sat up quickly. She was about to be cross with him but she saw the angry look on his face. "What happened?"
"Do you know what people are saying about me and Cho?"
Hermione quickly went back to her essay. "No. Why would anyone be talking about the two of you?" Harry glared at her. Hermione avoided looking up.
"Tell me."
"All right. I know you liked Cho, but no one else knew, well, except for Ron and maybe a few others. And we know that you were not responsible for Cedric's death, but some people question that, after all he was your competition in more ways than one. And it hasn't even been a year. Why *are* you two dating so soon? Or at all?"
"Hey, it wasn't my idea, okay? Really. But both of us agree that it's best to move on."
Hermione didn't say anything. She just raised her eyebrows and looked around.
In the back of Harry's mind he had known something like this would have happened. What was he supposed to do? Break up with Cho? Yeah, that would be good for her. And why should he care what everyone was saying? But it was the way Hermione was acting that bothered him. His best friend thinking ill of his relationship. Then Harry blurted out, "It's not my fault Ron moved on and never asked you out!" Harry picked up his things and stormed out of the library. He headed straight to his dormitory without stopping. He almost plowed down Neville when entering the common room.
Harry felt half bad, but the other half of him was too angry to care. Things have been messed up before but not like this. He remembered last year when Ron was mad at him. Those were some of the worst days he ever had at Hogwarts. He wasn't ready to apologize to Hermione yet. He didn't even know why he yelled at her. She didn't exactly do anything. Was Cho really worth all this?
He decided to go talk to her. He stormed back out of the dormitory and walked quickly around the castle. He found her after fifteen minutes.
"What's the matter, Harry?"
He was about to blurt out all the things that people have been saying about them, but he stopped himself. She smiled intently at him. He smiled back. "Nothing. You wanna go flying?"
"Sure." Harry grabbed Cho's hand and they walked outside and to the shed. They grabbed their brooms and the snitch and headed out onto the Quidditch field. They flew around the field and practiced getting the snitch. Harry caught it each time. He didn't even dare to let Cho catch it. She would have known he did it on purpose.
Harry was happiest when he was flying. It was even better with just Cho flying with him. They flew beside each other occasionally.
Harry saw the snitch again and flew to get it. Cho was flying towards him and away from the snitch. Harry slowed down. They were knee to knee and facing each other. Cho leaned over and kissed Harry on the lips. Harry doesn't know how long it lasted, but at that moment time could have stopped.