First chapter of this story-a little Cho Chang thing with an OC character as her cousin. Set after Diggory dies. Also, I don't own Harry Potter. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. Amanda Kate, name of Cho's mother, her cousin, her aunt, and her cat Ami are all products of my imagination. Read on. ^^
-Serenia
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Reality
" Will you go to the ball with me?" Cho Chang twisted in bed, cold beads of sweat rolling down her face. The simple phrase that Cedric had asked her that night, merely a few months before, ringing in her mind. Cedric Diggory. Loved son, student, and friend. A tear rolled down her cheek to mix with the sweat. She stifled a sob, and reached for her alarm clock. 4:30. Sighing, she crawled out of bed.
Cho laid back on the couch, staring off into the distance, her robe clinging to her body. She was surprised when her cat, Ami, jumped onto her lap. " You're awake early," she said softly, stroking her smooth fur. Ami purred in response, and snuggled closer. Her eyes misted over, and she closed them. Cedric Diggory, dead. Dead. Dead. Cho hugged herself. He was gone. No more laughter or conversation, no more discussions, no more Quidditch with him. Death is strange, she mused, it takes away so much-all wrapped up into that one word. Closing her eyes, she thought, I need a vacation. And a chiropractor.
" Cho?" The girl slowly opened her eyes, and locked eye contact with her mother. " Cho..." she reprimanded. " Sorry, Mum. I just couldn't sleep. Really." She felt the pressure on the cushions, and she realized her mother had sat down next to her. Cho continued to stroke Ami as she laid her dark head on her mother's shoulder. Cedric had always comforted her when she was sad... Before she knew it, a flash of the above-mentioned boy's face had raced through her mind, and the tears started to tumble down her fair face, until they were turned into hopeless sobs. " Shhh...it's all right Cho...he's in a better place..." her mother said softly. The tears subsided a minute after, and Cho laid exhausted on the couch. She glanced at the blurry clock image. 5:30. A hour had passed.
" Cho! Incoming!" The slight girl slipped out of her daydream and caught the ball in record time. She rested quietly on her broom, grinning. " Bonzer, mate!" Her cousin, who was a year younger than she was, called. He was visiting from Australia [1], and they were currently playing a game of catch-on broomsticks. After, they both slid off to land on the soft grassy ground, and her cousin sighed wistfully. " In Oz, we play boomerang on broomsticks. It's like-what do them Muggles call it? Ultimate...frisswree." Cho smiled at her male cousin, her favorite of all her relatives. He glanced toward Cho. " Didn't you say that THE Harry Potter got a Firebolt?" Cho nodded. The other whistled. " That's big bickies, wonder how they afforded it. Ah well, if you got a good broom it doesn't mean you've got skill!" he pronounced cheerfully. They were interrupted when Cho's mother called, " LUNCH!" " Let's go tucker in then." They both headed for the house.
" Loren, is she still...?" The lady cut off. Cho's mother nodded. " It's been a blow for her. Cedric was...well, may Merlin help him." The other lady sighed, for she was Cho's aunt. " The poor thing...and of all the people that could win her heart, it was that unfortunate Diggory boy." Mrs. Chang flicked her wand toward a pot, and it immediately started boiling. " I'm starting to worry about her. It's been a couple of months already and she still wakes up much too early. If she does this at Hogwarts..." Cho's aunt interrupted. " Don't worry. You know Derek's school, in Brisbane? Well, he was picked as a transfer student to Hogwarts, so he'll take care of the dear." Cho's mother turned, surprised, " Really?" " Yes. He'll be there for the year." She smiled.
" Bye, Dad." Cho gave a loving embrace to her father. " Bye, Mum." Her mother smiled. " Now, make sure your cousin is all right there. We'll see you next summer, dear." With Derek at her heels, they both boarded the train and shuffled into a compartment. Cho approached the window seat and waved to her parents, a smile pasted on her face until they were out of sight. She lay back in her seat, until Derek interrupted. " Your cobber's here to see you," he whispered, as he rose off the seat and moved across the aisle. Cho turned as one of he friends, Amanda Kate, plopped down on the seat next to her.
" Cho!" The addressed smiled warmly, as Amanda Kate chattered on. " Who's the boy? He's got an awfully cute accent, you know," she giggled. " My cousin. He's from Australia, actually," she answered wirily. The other smiled. " Then I know why he's so handsome-he's got your genes." Cho slapped her playfully. A.K. laughed. " Really, Cho, the boys are all QUEUEING up to be your boyfriend. Somebody even said that the Boy Who Lived asked you to the Yule Ball last year!" Cho's face fell and her heart twisted at the mention of the Yule Ball...one of the best moments she had with Cedric...gliding on the polished floor... She blinked back tears.
" Cho...is that Harry Potter? The one with the bluey offsider (Australian Lingo: Redhead Sidekick)?" Cho nodded, a bit annoyed with everyone talking about Harry Potter. She could remember the day he had asked her to the ball, and she was still a bit embarrassed from refusing him. " Miss. Chang?" A clear voice interrupted them both. Cho looked up into the Deputy Head Mistress' face, Professor McGonagall. " Yes Professor?" We need your cousin for the Sorting Hat...he'll be back shortly." Cho nodded in thanks, and went to sit next to her crowd of friends. " Cho?" The slim girl looked up from her plate, and saw Derek. She smiled, then asked, " So, what house were you sorted into?" His expression was glum. " Gryffindor." Her mood fell, but she faked a smile as she desperately searched for pros. " That's Harry Potter's house. You'll be in his age group, and I'm sure he'll be helpful." She droned on, because she knew that Derek was much in awe of the boy. A faint grin lit up his face, and she pushed him towards the Gryffindor table, calling to him that she'd meet him the next morning.
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Ok, that's it for the first part...bit lousy, I know. :P Anyway, that was Cho...next chapter should have Harry Potter, one of his friends, or Derek. I don't know which yet.
-Serenia
_______________________________________________________________________
Reality
" Will you go to the ball with me?" Cho Chang twisted in bed, cold beads of sweat rolling down her face. The simple phrase that Cedric had asked her that night, merely a few months before, ringing in her mind. Cedric Diggory. Loved son, student, and friend. A tear rolled down her cheek to mix with the sweat. She stifled a sob, and reached for her alarm clock. 4:30. Sighing, she crawled out of bed.
Cho laid back on the couch, staring off into the distance, her robe clinging to her body. She was surprised when her cat, Ami, jumped onto her lap. " You're awake early," she said softly, stroking her smooth fur. Ami purred in response, and snuggled closer. Her eyes misted over, and she closed them. Cedric Diggory, dead. Dead. Dead. Cho hugged herself. He was gone. No more laughter or conversation, no more discussions, no more Quidditch with him. Death is strange, she mused, it takes away so much-all wrapped up into that one word. Closing her eyes, she thought, I need a vacation. And a chiropractor.
" Cho?" The girl slowly opened her eyes, and locked eye contact with her mother. " Cho..." she reprimanded. " Sorry, Mum. I just couldn't sleep. Really." She felt the pressure on the cushions, and she realized her mother had sat down next to her. Cho continued to stroke Ami as she laid her dark head on her mother's shoulder. Cedric had always comforted her when she was sad... Before she knew it, a flash of the above-mentioned boy's face had raced through her mind, and the tears started to tumble down her fair face, until they were turned into hopeless sobs. " Shhh...it's all right Cho...he's in a better place..." her mother said softly. The tears subsided a minute after, and Cho laid exhausted on the couch. She glanced at the blurry clock image. 5:30. A hour had passed.
" Cho! Incoming!" The slight girl slipped out of her daydream and caught the ball in record time. She rested quietly on her broom, grinning. " Bonzer, mate!" Her cousin, who was a year younger than she was, called. He was visiting from Australia [1], and they were currently playing a game of catch-on broomsticks. After, they both slid off to land on the soft grassy ground, and her cousin sighed wistfully. " In Oz, we play boomerang on broomsticks. It's like-what do them Muggles call it? Ultimate...frisswree." Cho smiled at her male cousin, her favorite of all her relatives. He glanced toward Cho. " Didn't you say that THE Harry Potter got a Firebolt?" Cho nodded. The other whistled. " That's big bickies, wonder how they afforded it. Ah well, if you got a good broom it doesn't mean you've got skill!" he pronounced cheerfully. They were interrupted when Cho's mother called, " LUNCH!" " Let's go tucker in then." They both headed for the house.
" Loren, is she still...?" The lady cut off. Cho's mother nodded. " It's been a blow for her. Cedric was...well, may Merlin help him." The other lady sighed, for she was Cho's aunt. " The poor thing...and of all the people that could win her heart, it was that unfortunate Diggory boy." Mrs. Chang flicked her wand toward a pot, and it immediately started boiling. " I'm starting to worry about her. It's been a couple of months already and she still wakes up much too early. If she does this at Hogwarts..." Cho's aunt interrupted. " Don't worry. You know Derek's school, in Brisbane? Well, he was picked as a transfer student to Hogwarts, so he'll take care of the dear." Cho's mother turned, surprised, " Really?" " Yes. He'll be there for the year." She smiled.
" Bye, Dad." Cho gave a loving embrace to her father. " Bye, Mum." Her mother smiled. " Now, make sure your cousin is all right there. We'll see you next summer, dear." With Derek at her heels, they both boarded the train and shuffled into a compartment. Cho approached the window seat and waved to her parents, a smile pasted on her face until they were out of sight. She lay back in her seat, until Derek interrupted. " Your cobber's here to see you," he whispered, as he rose off the seat and moved across the aisle. Cho turned as one of he friends, Amanda Kate, plopped down on the seat next to her.
" Cho!" The addressed smiled warmly, as Amanda Kate chattered on. " Who's the boy? He's got an awfully cute accent, you know," she giggled. " My cousin. He's from Australia, actually," she answered wirily. The other smiled. " Then I know why he's so handsome-he's got your genes." Cho slapped her playfully. A.K. laughed. " Really, Cho, the boys are all QUEUEING up to be your boyfriend. Somebody even said that the Boy Who Lived asked you to the Yule Ball last year!" Cho's face fell and her heart twisted at the mention of the Yule Ball...one of the best moments she had with Cedric...gliding on the polished floor... She blinked back tears.
" Cho...is that Harry Potter? The one with the bluey offsider (Australian Lingo: Redhead Sidekick)?" Cho nodded, a bit annoyed with everyone talking about Harry Potter. She could remember the day he had asked her to the ball, and she was still a bit embarrassed from refusing him. " Miss. Chang?" A clear voice interrupted them both. Cho looked up into the Deputy Head Mistress' face, Professor McGonagall. " Yes Professor?" We need your cousin for the Sorting Hat...he'll be back shortly." Cho nodded in thanks, and went to sit next to her crowd of friends. " Cho?" The slim girl looked up from her plate, and saw Derek. She smiled, then asked, " So, what house were you sorted into?" His expression was glum. " Gryffindor." Her mood fell, but she faked a smile as she desperately searched for pros. " That's Harry Potter's house. You'll be in his age group, and I'm sure he'll be helpful." She droned on, because she knew that Derek was much in awe of the boy. A faint grin lit up his face, and she pushed him towards the Gryffindor table, calling to him that she'd meet him the next morning.
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Ok, that's it for the first part...bit lousy, I know. :P Anyway, that was Cho...next chapter should have Harry Potter, one of his friends, or Derek. I don't know which yet.