Summary: This is parts of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from Cho Chang's perspective.
(The Usual) Disclaimer: All characters and HP terms here are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, except for the following: Pam, Jane, Crystal, Patrick and the portrait of The Wise Old Man.
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Ask Him
"Please," Cho begged her friends, Pam, Crystal and Jane as they were playing exploding snap in their common room. "Can you guys just stop this nonsense? I've told you over and over again, there's nothing going on between us."
"Of course, there's nothing going on between you and Cedric," said Crystal, giving Cho a meaningful look. "You guys just want to hang out..."
"Yeah, hold hands in the library..." Jane said it like it was something Cho does ever so often.
"And share a kiss," added Pam.
All three girls are now looking at Pam -- Cho, with horror and embarrassment, Crystal and Jane, surprise and curiosity.
"Sorry, I wasn't snooping on you or anything," Pam said apologetically. "I was in the library and I saw you and Cedric by the History section. I thought I'd walk over and say hi. By the time I get close enough to you guys, he was already leaning over you..."
Cho now had her face buried in her hands.
"I'm really sorry. I don't think Cedric saw me, if that makes you feel any better..." Pam's voice trailed off.
"Well, there's our answer," Crystal said triumphantly. "Cho, Cedric is your boyfriend!"
"No, it's not like that," replied Cho.
"What?!" exclaimed Jane, "you guys are just kissing buddies?"
That did it. All of them, Cho included, burst out laughing.
"No," said Cho, getting over fits of laughter. "It's just that we never talked about it. I think he likes me, and -- er -- well, I like him, too."
"The understatement of the year," Jane muttered.
Crystal's words of wisdom, "Cho, do the obvious. Ask him."
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Easier said than done, Cho thought as she walked towards the Great Hall one morning.
Just go up to Cedric and ask, she told herself. Now, when would be the right time?
He must be in the Great Hall right now having breakfast, she thought. Should she just walk up to him and ask for a private word?
No, too many Hufflepuff students gawking at them.
Then, maybe this afternoon. He had agreed to meet her after classes to help her with a project in Transfiguration.
Maybe not, her three best friends have also asked for his help and are coming with her this afternoon. While her friends would agree to let her meet him alone, their Transfiguration class was more important than her personal agenda.
How would Cedric react, she wondered. She had to admit that his reaction had been the thing she's dreading the most. What if he says it's only friendship he wanted with her? The thought was just too painful.
Then, why did he kiss her?
Well, he could say it was a mistake; he was just caught in the moment.
"Earth to Cho!" It was Cedric.
"Oh, hi Cedric," Cho greeted him, slightly embarrassed.
"You seem a little distracted," he replied. "I've been waving at you from the other end of the hallway. Anything bothering you?"
"No," she lied. "I was just thinking about my Divination essay."
"Do you have a minute?" he asked.
She nodded and he took her hand to pull her aside, so they are a little distance from the students passing though the hallway.
"Cho, what are we, exactly?"
Cho froze right where she is.
Cedric continued, "we're awfully close, we spend a lot of time together and you must know by now how I feel about you and I... I don't want to be telling people you're my girlfriend if you don't want to."
"So," he asked again, "what are we?"
"What do you want us to be?" she asked back.
She looked up to him, smiling. Cedric was looking at her, as if in a trance. And then he smiled, a look of overwhelming happiness on his face.
He leaned forward to kiss her, but she stepped back.
"What... why, I thought..." he asked, puzzled.
"Not so fast, honey. We ARE by the entrance hall," she replied, gesturing towards the students walking by. "I don't want to do something today and find it in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."
"Oh, c'mon," he pleaded as he took her hand. "Nobody would be interested in my story, I'm not Harry Potter."
As if on cue, Harry came out of the Great Hall with his friends. Amazingly, she wasn't feeling as self-conscious as before.
"Hi, Harry!" Cedric greeted him.
Harry nodded and headed on his way.
"But let me get this straight. Are you my girlfriend now?"
"Yes."
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, they were very encouraging. The next chapter (about a Hogsmeade visit) should be up soon.
And Kaylee, I feel for Cho, too. I'm also a shrimp =)
(The Usual) Disclaimer: All characters and HP terms here are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, except for the following: Pam, Jane, Crystal, Patrick and the portrait of The Wise Old Man.
===========================
Ask Him
"Please," Cho begged her friends, Pam, Crystal and Jane as they were playing exploding snap in their common room. "Can you guys just stop this nonsense? I've told you over and over again, there's nothing going on between us."
"Of course, there's nothing going on between you and Cedric," said Crystal, giving Cho a meaningful look. "You guys just want to hang out..."
"Yeah, hold hands in the library..." Jane said it like it was something Cho does ever so often.
"And share a kiss," added Pam.
All three girls are now looking at Pam -- Cho, with horror and embarrassment, Crystal and Jane, surprise and curiosity.
"Sorry, I wasn't snooping on you or anything," Pam said apologetically. "I was in the library and I saw you and Cedric by the History section. I thought I'd walk over and say hi. By the time I get close enough to you guys, he was already leaning over you..."
Cho now had her face buried in her hands.
"I'm really sorry. I don't think Cedric saw me, if that makes you feel any better..." Pam's voice trailed off.
"Well, there's our answer," Crystal said triumphantly. "Cho, Cedric is your boyfriend!"
"No, it's not like that," replied Cho.
"What?!" exclaimed Jane, "you guys are just kissing buddies?"
That did it. All of them, Cho included, burst out laughing.
"No," said Cho, getting over fits of laughter. "It's just that we never talked about it. I think he likes me, and -- er -- well, I like him, too."
"The understatement of the year," Jane muttered.
Crystal's words of wisdom, "Cho, do the obvious. Ask him."
-----------------------------------
Easier said than done, Cho thought as she walked towards the Great Hall one morning.
Just go up to Cedric and ask, she told herself. Now, when would be the right time?
He must be in the Great Hall right now having breakfast, she thought. Should she just walk up to him and ask for a private word?
No, too many Hufflepuff students gawking at them.
Then, maybe this afternoon. He had agreed to meet her after classes to help her with a project in Transfiguration.
Maybe not, her three best friends have also asked for his help and are coming with her this afternoon. While her friends would agree to let her meet him alone, their Transfiguration class was more important than her personal agenda.
How would Cedric react, she wondered. She had to admit that his reaction had been the thing she's dreading the most. What if he says it's only friendship he wanted with her? The thought was just too painful.
Then, why did he kiss her?
Well, he could say it was a mistake; he was just caught in the moment.
"Earth to Cho!" It was Cedric.
"Oh, hi Cedric," Cho greeted him, slightly embarrassed.
"You seem a little distracted," he replied. "I've been waving at you from the other end of the hallway. Anything bothering you?"
"No," she lied. "I was just thinking about my Divination essay."
"Do you have a minute?" he asked.
She nodded and he took her hand to pull her aside, so they are a little distance from the students passing though the hallway.
"Cho, what are we, exactly?"
Cho froze right where she is.
Cedric continued, "we're awfully close, we spend a lot of time together and you must know by now how I feel about you and I... I don't want to be telling people you're my girlfriend if you don't want to."
"So," he asked again, "what are we?"
"What do you want us to be?" she asked back.
She looked up to him, smiling. Cedric was looking at her, as if in a trance. And then he smiled, a look of overwhelming happiness on his face.
He leaned forward to kiss her, but she stepped back.
"What... why, I thought..." he asked, puzzled.
"Not so fast, honey. We ARE by the entrance hall," she replied, gesturing towards the students walking by. "I don't want to do something today and find it in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."
"Oh, c'mon," he pleaded as he took her hand. "Nobody would be interested in my story, I'm not Harry Potter."
As if on cue, Harry came out of the Great Hall with his friends. Amazingly, she wasn't feeling as self-conscious as before.
"Hi, Harry!" Cedric greeted him.
Harry nodded and headed on his way.
"But let me get this straight. Are you my girlfriend now?"
"Yes."
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, they were very encouraging. The next chapter (about a Hogsmeade visit) should be up soon.
And Kaylee, I feel for Cho, too. I'm also a shrimp =)