Walking down the deserted hallway, Cho Chang was deeply troubled by the
dark voice in her mind.
"Did you think you could escape me, Cho? For seven years now, you've been hiding away in this fortress thinking I would never reach you."
Cho could feel bile rising up in her throat. She had felt her father's presence getting stronger and stronger over the past few days. In a constant state of fear, Cho had been unable to sleep for the past three nights and her weary body was beginning to lose the destructive battle her father was waging against her. A sharp pain flashed up her spine, but Cho continued to trudge down the hallway aimlessly.
"You thought that snivelling toddler, Harry Potter could save you. You thought his love would protect you, didn't you? Just like Lily Potter's love protected him. Well I've got news for you, daughter mine. He doesn't love you. He's never loved you and he never ever will."
Tears welled up in the wide violet windows that were Cho's eyes. The silent tears ran down her translucent cheek, as her father's voice expressed her fears.
"He's never loved and he never will. You belong to me." A dark chant began humming through her mind.
Cho's pace quickened as she reached up and dug her fingers into her temple. She wiped her eyes furiously and straightened herself.
"Stop it! You don't know anything. Harry loves me, he always had and he always will. His love makes me strong and with his help I can vanquish you from my life." Cho fought wildly with the voice in her head. In a desperate attempt to infuriate her father she mumbled, "For, hasn't Harry already gotten the better of you so many times?" But instead of departing aggressively, Tom Riddle merely laughed his disturbing laugh and slowly slipped out of his daughter's mind, leaving behind the soft echo of, "If you really think so."
As soon as he was gone from her mind, it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off Cho's shoulders. She wrapped her frail arms around her shuddering body and looked up, just in time to see Harry striding towards her.
"Cho, we have to talk." Harry announced as he slowed to a halt in front of Cho.
Cho, looked into his eyes and could read the deep concern blooming within them and wondered curiously about the blush that lingered on his cheeks.
"That's definitely a shy/embarrassed blush" Cho thought to herself, feeling lighter and more carefree than ever. "I wonder what's wrong" She touched her hand to his chest, expecting to be enfolded into a hug, but Harry gripped her shoulders tightly.
"I'm sorry, Cho. If you could just listen to what I have to say."
A small grin appeared on Cho's face and she nodded slightly. Harry cleared his throat nervously.
" We.We've been going out now, for nearly two years. And I believe that our relationship is a caring and honest one. So. so I think that I should be honest with you and say that I think that, maybe our relationship is more of a friendship than anything else." The grin on Cho's face disappeared, but Harry kept going.
"Lately I have been experiencing some weird feelings for Ginny. And I don't want you to think that I'm saying this just so that I can pursue a relationship with her. But I don't believe that we can really love each other, as much as a serious relationship deserves."
With that Harry worriedly searched Cho's pale face for signs of heart ache. But Cho surprised him by reaching up and giving him a big hug.
"Oh Harry. I hope that you and Ginny will be very, very happy. And you tell her that if she hurts you in any way, she'll have me to deal with." Cho let out a small giggle as Harry yelled exuberantly, picked her up and span her around in circles.
"Cho. Thank you so much for this. You wouldn't begin to understand how torn I was feeling. You are so good to me. Oops I better go, the team will have my head if I miss any more practices.." And with another loud whoop, Harry dropped Cho back onto the ground and began jogging down the hallway. Cho turned around, her smile slowly fading away. And as she watched Harry disappear slowly down the hallway, she could feel her heart shattering into a million pieces.
"He doesn't love you, he never has and he never will."
"Did you think you could escape me, Cho? For seven years now, you've been hiding away in this fortress thinking I would never reach you."
Cho could feel bile rising up in her throat. She had felt her father's presence getting stronger and stronger over the past few days. In a constant state of fear, Cho had been unable to sleep for the past three nights and her weary body was beginning to lose the destructive battle her father was waging against her. A sharp pain flashed up her spine, but Cho continued to trudge down the hallway aimlessly.
"You thought that snivelling toddler, Harry Potter could save you. You thought his love would protect you, didn't you? Just like Lily Potter's love protected him. Well I've got news for you, daughter mine. He doesn't love you. He's never loved you and he never ever will."
Tears welled up in the wide violet windows that were Cho's eyes. The silent tears ran down her translucent cheek, as her father's voice expressed her fears.
"He's never loved and he never will. You belong to me." A dark chant began humming through her mind.
Cho's pace quickened as she reached up and dug her fingers into her temple. She wiped her eyes furiously and straightened herself.
"Stop it! You don't know anything. Harry loves me, he always had and he always will. His love makes me strong and with his help I can vanquish you from my life." Cho fought wildly with the voice in her head. In a desperate attempt to infuriate her father she mumbled, "For, hasn't Harry already gotten the better of you so many times?" But instead of departing aggressively, Tom Riddle merely laughed his disturbing laugh and slowly slipped out of his daughter's mind, leaving behind the soft echo of, "If you really think so."
As soon as he was gone from her mind, it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off Cho's shoulders. She wrapped her frail arms around her shuddering body and looked up, just in time to see Harry striding towards her.
"Cho, we have to talk." Harry announced as he slowed to a halt in front of Cho.
Cho, looked into his eyes and could read the deep concern blooming within them and wondered curiously about the blush that lingered on his cheeks.
"That's definitely a shy/embarrassed blush" Cho thought to herself, feeling lighter and more carefree than ever. "I wonder what's wrong" She touched her hand to his chest, expecting to be enfolded into a hug, but Harry gripped her shoulders tightly.
"I'm sorry, Cho. If you could just listen to what I have to say."
A small grin appeared on Cho's face and she nodded slightly. Harry cleared his throat nervously.
" We.We've been going out now, for nearly two years. And I believe that our relationship is a caring and honest one. So. so I think that I should be honest with you and say that I think that, maybe our relationship is more of a friendship than anything else." The grin on Cho's face disappeared, but Harry kept going.
"Lately I have been experiencing some weird feelings for Ginny. And I don't want you to think that I'm saying this just so that I can pursue a relationship with her. But I don't believe that we can really love each other, as much as a serious relationship deserves."
With that Harry worriedly searched Cho's pale face for signs of heart ache. But Cho surprised him by reaching up and giving him a big hug.
"Oh Harry. I hope that you and Ginny will be very, very happy. And you tell her that if she hurts you in any way, she'll have me to deal with." Cho let out a small giggle as Harry yelled exuberantly, picked her up and span her around in circles.
"Cho. Thank you so much for this. You wouldn't begin to understand how torn I was feeling. You are so good to me. Oops I better go, the team will have my head if I miss any more practices.." And with another loud whoop, Harry dropped Cho back onto the ground and began jogging down the hallway. Cho turned around, her smile slowly fading away. And as she watched Harry disappear slowly down the hallway, she could feel her heart shattering into a million pieces.
"He doesn't love you, he never has and he never will."
