In the next few days, the Weasleys were finally granted permission for me
to stay at 'The Burrow' for the remainder of the summer holidays, which the
Dursleys were only too pleased about. At least it would take my mind away
from things and stop me from becoming so infatuated with someone who was
almost a stranger to me.
Time passed quickly during my time at 'The Burrow', and even Hermione was allowed to come and stay too! She told us all about her holiday to Bulgaria to visit Viktor, one of the other champions from the Tri-Wizard tournament and also the Seeker for the national Bulgarian Quidditch team. He's one of the best Seekers I've ever seen in action - the way he performed the 'Wronskei Feint' was spectacular and I've been practising ways to do that in the Orchard at 'The Burrow'. I also feel that playing Quidditch also makes me feel happier and takes my mind off a lot of things. The adrenaline rush that you gain from flying at such a fast speed makes you feel like you don't exist, and that you are one with the broomstick, just flying, soaring into the sky, leaving all your troubles and cares behind.
The day came when we had to go back to school. We arrived at Kings' Cross station feeling pretty glum, but also excited about the new term and challenges which would face us. As we loaded our trunks onto the train and went to a carriage door, I saw Cho and a few of her friends. She looked happy, but there was still a mark of sadness in her eyes. She didn't see me, and I just got onto the train with Ron and Hermione. I masked my need to be with Cho by having a great time on the train, and even managed to get rid of Draco Malfoy, who wanted to just double check that we were still enemies. I don't know why he bothers - he obviously still knows we are and I have absolutely no intention of being friends with him. He makes fun of Ron and his family, Hermione and her muggle heritage and me, because I have this ugly scar on my forehead. I bet he prides himself with the fact that his father was a Death-Eater, or probably still is. We still firmly believe that Lucious Malfoy was among those in the riot at the Quidditch World Cup Final.
We arrived at school in the evening. The traditional feast and Sorting ceremony went ahead as it does every year. Cho was sitting with her back to me, mine to hers, as both of the tables had been put next to each other this year. Her presence just being behind me made me feel as though everything would be fine and that nothing could hurt me. She got so excited being with her friends again that she threw her arms up into the air to hug her friend whom had just arrived from the bathroom when she accidentally knocked me.
'Oh, I'm sorry!' she said, flashing her pretty smile at me. My insides churned.
'It's OK. Are you OK?' I said quickly, almost not wanting to.
'Yeah, summer was pretty good. It could have been better, but in the circumstances.' she trailed off. She pushed a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear and looked at the ground.
'Hey, don't worry. If you ever want to talk, I'll be here.' I said reassuringly, placing my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up and blinked away her tears.
'Thanks, Harry. You're a good friend.' She said, and turned around back to her roast chicken.
I felt myself going red and turned around slowly so that Ron and Hermione wouldn't notice.
'What was that about Harry?' asked Ron, putting down his fork, looking a little concerned. After all, he had never seen me talking to Cho before.
'Umm, she just said hi.' I said, and started to cut up my sausages. I was about to eat a piece when.
'But why did you put your hand on her shoulder?' Ron asked innocently.
'LOOK! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OK? I CAN'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE!' I shouted. I got up and left the Great Hall, and went up to Gryffindor Tower.
'Password?' asked the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the entrance into the tower.
'Just bloody brilliant. I don't even know the damn password.' I slumped back against the marble banister, drew my knees up to my chest and put my head in my hands. I can't believe that I had shouted at Ron. I know it's not the first time it's happened, but I guess it was boiling up to a point that I had to take it out on someone, and it just happened to be my best friend. I felt so guilty and sat there for at least an hour until Hermione came upstairs. She looked concerned. She sat down next to me. I let my legs out and looked at her, while she gazed out of the large window.
'Ron's really upset, you know.' She said, still looking out of the window.
'I didn't mean it.' She now faced me and looked into my eyes.
'Well, what's wrong? You were fine one minute, and the next, you just explode when Ron asked you a simple question. Tell me, I promise I won't tell. Is it to do with Cho? Cedric?' I turned my head slowly to look out of the window and took a deep breath, and said nothing.
'It is, isn't it? Look, I guess it wasn't easy to see Cedric just be killed like that. I just don't know what to say.' I turned to look at her again.
'You don't have to say anything. Don't worry.' I looked down at the floor now, mirroring Cho's actions. Hermione put her hand on the back of my neck and began to stroke it gently. I put my arm around her and for the first time, I began to cry softly in front of one of my friends.
'Harry, Harry! Ssh, ssh. Don't cry about it. I'm sure Cedric wouldn't want you to be upset over him. I bet he's looking down on you now, wanting you to be happy and glad that you survived against Voldemort on that night. Please, I want you to be happy.' She said gently. I looked up at her face. She too had tears streaming down her cheeks. I guess she hated to see me upset too.
'Now, do you want to go and make it up with Ron? I don't want a repeat of last year!' she joked. I smiled weakly and nodded, wiping my eyes on my black robes. I hugged Hermione again, and we both went down the stairs, retracing our steps into the Great Hall. Ron was sitting at the Gryffindor table, absent-mindedly toying with his mashed potato and gravy until it had become a brown slop.
'Ron, I'm really, really sorry about what I said. It's just the whole Cedric thing really took it's toll on me and it's been building up for a long time. I'm just so sorry that it was you I took it out on, and.' Ron held up his hand as if to silence me, and said,
'Look, it's OK. I'd probably feel the same if I were in your position. Next time, make sure it's Malfoy you take it out on as he really deserves a kick in the.' he said something that made Hermione gasp 'Ron!', but then we all laughed about it. I was glad that everything was OK again, but I knew it wasn't. My feelings for Cho were still there, despite how much I wanted them to go away.
Time passed quickly during my time at 'The Burrow', and even Hermione was allowed to come and stay too! She told us all about her holiday to Bulgaria to visit Viktor, one of the other champions from the Tri-Wizard tournament and also the Seeker for the national Bulgarian Quidditch team. He's one of the best Seekers I've ever seen in action - the way he performed the 'Wronskei Feint' was spectacular and I've been practising ways to do that in the Orchard at 'The Burrow'. I also feel that playing Quidditch also makes me feel happier and takes my mind off a lot of things. The adrenaline rush that you gain from flying at such a fast speed makes you feel like you don't exist, and that you are one with the broomstick, just flying, soaring into the sky, leaving all your troubles and cares behind.
The day came when we had to go back to school. We arrived at Kings' Cross station feeling pretty glum, but also excited about the new term and challenges which would face us. As we loaded our trunks onto the train and went to a carriage door, I saw Cho and a few of her friends. She looked happy, but there was still a mark of sadness in her eyes. She didn't see me, and I just got onto the train with Ron and Hermione. I masked my need to be with Cho by having a great time on the train, and even managed to get rid of Draco Malfoy, who wanted to just double check that we were still enemies. I don't know why he bothers - he obviously still knows we are and I have absolutely no intention of being friends with him. He makes fun of Ron and his family, Hermione and her muggle heritage and me, because I have this ugly scar on my forehead. I bet he prides himself with the fact that his father was a Death-Eater, or probably still is. We still firmly believe that Lucious Malfoy was among those in the riot at the Quidditch World Cup Final.
We arrived at school in the evening. The traditional feast and Sorting ceremony went ahead as it does every year. Cho was sitting with her back to me, mine to hers, as both of the tables had been put next to each other this year. Her presence just being behind me made me feel as though everything would be fine and that nothing could hurt me. She got so excited being with her friends again that she threw her arms up into the air to hug her friend whom had just arrived from the bathroom when she accidentally knocked me.
'Oh, I'm sorry!' she said, flashing her pretty smile at me. My insides churned.
'It's OK. Are you OK?' I said quickly, almost not wanting to.
'Yeah, summer was pretty good. It could have been better, but in the circumstances.' she trailed off. She pushed a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear and looked at the ground.
'Hey, don't worry. If you ever want to talk, I'll be here.' I said reassuringly, placing my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up and blinked away her tears.
'Thanks, Harry. You're a good friend.' She said, and turned around back to her roast chicken.
I felt myself going red and turned around slowly so that Ron and Hermione wouldn't notice.
'What was that about Harry?' asked Ron, putting down his fork, looking a little concerned. After all, he had never seen me talking to Cho before.
'Umm, she just said hi.' I said, and started to cut up my sausages. I was about to eat a piece when.
'But why did you put your hand on her shoulder?' Ron asked innocently.
'LOOK! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OK? I CAN'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE!' I shouted. I got up and left the Great Hall, and went up to Gryffindor Tower.
'Password?' asked the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the entrance into the tower.
'Just bloody brilliant. I don't even know the damn password.' I slumped back against the marble banister, drew my knees up to my chest and put my head in my hands. I can't believe that I had shouted at Ron. I know it's not the first time it's happened, but I guess it was boiling up to a point that I had to take it out on someone, and it just happened to be my best friend. I felt so guilty and sat there for at least an hour until Hermione came upstairs. She looked concerned. She sat down next to me. I let my legs out and looked at her, while she gazed out of the large window.
'Ron's really upset, you know.' She said, still looking out of the window.
'I didn't mean it.' She now faced me and looked into my eyes.
'Well, what's wrong? You were fine one minute, and the next, you just explode when Ron asked you a simple question. Tell me, I promise I won't tell. Is it to do with Cho? Cedric?' I turned my head slowly to look out of the window and took a deep breath, and said nothing.
'It is, isn't it? Look, I guess it wasn't easy to see Cedric just be killed like that. I just don't know what to say.' I turned to look at her again.
'You don't have to say anything. Don't worry.' I looked down at the floor now, mirroring Cho's actions. Hermione put her hand on the back of my neck and began to stroke it gently. I put my arm around her and for the first time, I began to cry softly in front of one of my friends.
'Harry, Harry! Ssh, ssh. Don't cry about it. I'm sure Cedric wouldn't want you to be upset over him. I bet he's looking down on you now, wanting you to be happy and glad that you survived against Voldemort on that night. Please, I want you to be happy.' She said gently. I looked up at her face. She too had tears streaming down her cheeks. I guess she hated to see me upset too.
'Now, do you want to go and make it up with Ron? I don't want a repeat of last year!' she joked. I smiled weakly and nodded, wiping my eyes on my black robes. I hugged Hermione again, and we both went down the stairs, retracing our steps into the Great Hall. Ron was sitting at the Gryffindor table, absent-mindedly toying with his mashed potato and gravy until it had become a brown slop.
'Ron, I'm really, really sorry about what I said. It's just the whole Cedric thing really took it's toll on me and it's been building up for a long time. I'm just so sorry that it was you I took it out on, and.' Ron held up his hand as if to silence me, and said,
'Look, it's OK. I'd probably feel the same if I were in your position. Next time, make sure it's Malfoy you take it out on as he really deserves a kick in the.' he said something that made Hermione gasp 'Ron!', but then we all laughed about it. I was glad that everything was OK again, but I knew it wasn't. My feelings for Cho were still there, despite how much I wanted them to go away.