The next morning, Harry walked downstairs to find an almost deserted common
room. The only people in it were Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins. Ron
and Hermione were sitting and talking. When Harry bid everyone good
morning, Ginny's eyes went wide and she nearly tore out of the portrait
hole.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" wondered George.
Ron shrugged. "She's really uptight lately - maybe it's homework?"
"But why'd she run away from me?" asked Harry.
"No idea," said Fred.
"Do you think she's okay?" asked Hermione with concern.
"I think so. She's just uptight lately.well, actually, she's always uptight, but she'll be okay," said Fred, standing up. "I think I'll go to breakfast."
George stood up and they walked out of the portrait hole. Harry sat down near Ron and Hermione. He couldn't quite believe that they were together. It seemed almost unnatural, like it wasn't supposed to happen. Would they bicker over homework anymore? Would Hermione keep trying to get Ron to be more active in one of her committees? Harry just listened to them talk for a while.
"Harry?" said Hermione.
"What?" said Harry, jumping slightly. He realised that he had been looking at Hermione for a few moments and hadn't paid attention.
"I just asked if you wanted breakfast," she said, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
"Oh - yeah, sure," he said.
They all walked to the Great Hall together. It took Harry all of five minutes to realise that Hermione and Ron were holding hands. He tried not to look. It gave him a funny feeling inside. They loaded their plates with toast and fried tomatoes.
"Harry?" said a voice behind him.
He wheeled around on his seat to find Cho standing there, looking prettier than ever. He turned deep red and stood up clumsily, tripping slightly on his shoelace. She didn't seem to notice.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked.
"Er, sure," said Harry, worried. She looked very serious.
"Let's take a walk," she suggested.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione briefly. Hermione looked like she was hiding back a smile and Ron was sniggering, but nodded. Harry turned to Cho and they walked outside.
The air was cold and sharp. Their breath rose in little clouds above their heads, and they watched the clouds roll lazily across the sky for a few moments. Then Cho cleared her throat.
"Good luck in the Quidditch match," she said awkwardly.
"Yeah.you, too, captain to captain," said Harry. Surely she could have said that in front of Hermione and Ron?
"You know that's not all I wanted to say," she said quietly.
"I thought so," said Harry, smiling. Cho grinned back.
"Right. Er - I - Harry, look." she trailed off.
"What?" asked Harry.
Cho looked at him for a moment. Then, before he knew what was going on, she had kissed him. He stood stunned.
"Cho, what-" he began, but he was cut off.
"Sorry," she mumbled, biting her lip and looking down.
"No - it's okay - but why." Harry trailed off.
"I don't know," said Cho, avoiding his eyes.
They were silent for a while as they watched the ripples in the lake. Then, as though they had read each other's minds, they headed silently back to breakfast. Cho walked slightly in front of Harry. Why had she kissed him? Did this mean that they were together? Could she just be toying with him? Did she feel the same way as he did? Harry wanted to say something to this effect to her, just say something, anything.
"Hey, Cho! C'mon!" shouted someone at the big front doors. It was a Ravenclaw boy, a sixth year like Cho.
"I'm coming!" she called back, smiling in an odd sort of way.
"You haven't eaten anything!" the boy said loudly. "And it's freezing, you'll get sick! Get inside!"
Cho rolled her eyes, laughing. "Liam, since when did you start worrying about me so much? What are you, my dad?"
Liam laughed and Harry smiled weakly. The door closed and Liam disappeared. Now, thought Harry, I'll say something to her now. Say something! He commanded his mouth to move, but nothing happened. Harry held the door for Cho, and she walked in. Before they opened the doors to the Great Hall, though, they both stopped and looked at each other. Harry blushed deeply, and Cho looked like she was going to say something, but she cleared her throat and opened the door without a word. Harry sighed, inwardly kicking himself, and bid her good-bye.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" wondered George.
Ron shrugged. "She's really uptight lately - maybe it's homework?"
"But why'd she run away from me?" asked Harry.
"No idea," said Fred.
"Do you think she's okay?" asked Hermione with concern.
"I think so. She's just uptight lately.well, actually, she's always uptight, but she'll be okay," said Fred, standing up. "I think I'll go to breakfast."
George stood up and they walked out of the portrait hole. Harry sat down near Ron and Hermione. He couldn't quite believe that they were together. It seemed almost unnatural, like it wasn't supposed to happen. Would they bicker over homework anymore? Would Hermione keep trying to get Ron to be more active in one of her committees? Harry just listened to them talk for a while.
"Harry?" said Hermione.
"What?" said Harry, jumping slightly. He realised that he had been looking at Hermione for a few moments and hadn't paid attention.
"I just asked if you wanted breakfast," she said, looking at him with a furrowed brow.
"Oh - yeah, sure," he said.
They all walked to the Great Hall together. It took Harry all of five minutes to realise that Hermione and Ron were holding hands. He tried not to look. It gave him a funny feeling inside. They loaded their plates with toast and fried tomatoes.
"Harry?" said a voice behind him.
He wheeled around on his seat to find Cho standing there, looking prettier than ever. He turned deep red and stood up clumsily, tripping slightly on his shoelace. She didn't seem to notice.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked.
"Er, sure," said Harry, worried. She looked very serious.
"Let's take a walk," she suggested.
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione briefly. Hermione looked like she was hiding back a smile and Ron was sniggering, but nodded. Harry turned to Cho and they walked outside.
The air was cold and sharp. Their breath rose in little clouds above their heads, and they watched the clouds roll lazily across the sky for a few moments. Then Cho cleared her throat.
"Good luck in the Quidditch match," she said awkwardly.
"Yeah.you, too, captain to captain," said Harry. Surely she could have said that in front of Hermione and Ron?
"You know that's not all I wanted to say," she said quietly.
"I thought so," said Harry, smiling. Cho grinned back.
"Right. Er - I - Harry, look." she trailed off.
"What?" asked Harry.
Cho looked at him for a moment. Then, before he knew what was going on, she had kissed him. He stood stunned.
"Cho, what-" he began, but he was cut off.
"Sorry," she mumbled, biting her lip and looking down.
"No - it's okay - but why." Harry trailed off.
"I don't know," said Cho, avoiding his eyes.
They were silent for a while as they watched the ripples in the lake. Then, as though they had read each other's minds, they headed silently back to breakfast. Cho walked slightly in front of Harry. Why had she kissed him? Did this mean that they were together? Could she just be toying with him? Did she feel the same way as he did? Harry wanted to say something to this effect to her, just say something, anything.
"Hey, Cho! C'mon!" shouted someone at the big front doors. It was a Ravenclaw boy, a sixth year like Cho.
"I'm coming!" she called back, smiling in an odd sort of way.
"You haven't eaten anything!" the boy said loudly. "And it's freezing, you'll get sick! Get inside!"
Cho rolled her eyes, laughing. "Liam, since when did you start worrying about me so much? What are you, my dad?"
Liam laughed and Harry smiled weakly. The door closed and Liam disappeared. Now, thought Harry, I'll say something to her now. Say something! He commanded his mouth to move, but nothing happened. Harry held the door for Cho, and she walked in. Before they opened the doors to the Great Hall, though, they both stopped and looked at each other. Harry blushed deeply, and Cho looked like she was going to say something, but she cleared her throat and opened the door without a word. Harry sighed, inwardly kicking himself, and bid her good-bye.