Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Most of them belong to J.K. Rowling. I do own any characters that never appeared in the Harry Potter series.

Words in italic are thoughts

Chapter 8

"Cho wait up." Harry shouted. He had been chasing after Cho for very long, even after she ran into the forbidden forest. For some reason the distance between them never shortened even thought he was running as fast as he could. Suddenly he saw something immerse over a bush to his left, moving quickly in the direction of Cho.

"Cho! Look out!" Harry bellowed, as he whipped out his wand and pointed it at the creature.

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

The spell found its spot and the creature seem to have stopped on one leg. It swayed a bit before falling down on its side with a loud bang. Harry relaxed himself, breathing deeply.

"What are you doing here Harry?" Harry looked up and was surprised to find a teary-eyed Cho right in front of him.

"I was trying to get you back…" Harry replied.

Suddenly a rat scurried out of the bushes, along with a stag, a dog and behind them, a red haired girl.

"What the…" Harry started, but stopped as the rat changed into a man, who whipped out his wand. He heard the words 'Avada Kedavra', and he saw the animals and the girl fall. The man then turned around, then bought his wand down and a green light streaked towards Cho.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

~

Harry snapped his eyes open, sweat on his face and head throbbing painfully. He automatically lifted his right hand to wipe away the sweat when he discovered that his hand was holding on to something, something which wouldn't let go. He turned his head to look, only to see raven hair covering his arm. Registering that whatever was holding him belongs to the owner of the hair, he began to think who in the world that is, which resulted in another painful throb. He relaxed his right hand to avoid waking the person up, lifting his left hand to his face instead.

Harry tried to recall what he had been dreaming about before he had awakened. There was a dog, a stag, a rat, a red-haired girl and Cho… "Cho…" The thought of her registered something in his head.

"Cho's hair is raven-colored…"  Harry thought to himself, looking at the hair. "This means…"

He looked around him, trying to find out where he was. It took him a couple of minutes to realize that he was lying on his bed in Number 4, Privet Drive. He reached out his left hand for his glasses at his bedside table, only to drop it with a clutter when he couldn't find the strength to hold it. It was then he discovered he was feeling very weak and that his body seems to be like a rock. – he can hardly lift and bend his leg.

"Harry. Finally you are awake." Harry turned his head to his left, to see the vague outline of a figure sitting on a chair which definitely wasn't there before.

"Professor Lupin?"

"Just call me Remus Harry." He stood up and walked over to pick up his glasses.

"I'm glad you are awake, Harry. The others will be delighted to know you are awake." Remus added, handing over Harry's glasses. Harry reached for the glasses, only for it to drop on to the floor again with a clutter when his fingers just refuse to bend.

"Here let me help you." Remus smiled at him before putting on the glasses for him.

Suddenly he felt the figure to his right stir. He turned to saw the raven hair lifted from his arm, revealing a puffy faced Cho.

"Harry!" Cho shouted. Harry could see the tears forming on her eyes before she threw herself at him, holding him in a bone-crushing hug and sobbed into his chest.

"Miss Chang has been here ever since that incident Harry." Remus started. "I must go for a while, I promised the others to notify them once you are awake." He added with a wink and with a crack, he was gone, leaving a weak Harry with a sobbing Cho on his chest.

~

"Cho…" Harry started for the fifth time. "Please stop crying."

It has been a full ten minutes since Remus is gone but Cho was still sobbing on his chest, muttering sorry over and over again. Nothing Harry said had any effect on her. Personally Harry thought that if had the strength to return the hug he would be able to stop her sobbing. Unfortunately his body will still as heavy as lead to him and the best he could do was try to push himself away up against the wall behind his bed. He had successfully moved a full 3 inches before Cho discovered that he was moving.

"Oh Harry I'm sorry." Cho finally picked herself up from him and wiped her tear-stained face with her hand. "Here let me help you."

Cho then stood up and supported Harry while he gingerly pushed himself backwards. After that was done, Cho sat herself down on the end of the bed and looked at Harry.

"I'm really sorry Harry." Cho started.

"For?" Harry replied weakly.

"I caused you so much trouble." Cho continued. "You wouldn't have got yourself hurt if that guy wasn't tried to kill me."

"You didn't cause me any trouble Cho… Trouble always finds me." Harry said, smiling at Cho.

It seems that Cho couldn't find a reply to his words, so she only smiled at him. As Harry took in her smiling face, it seemed that all the puffiness and tears were gone from her face; it was the happy smiling Cho that Harry always thought about. Cho seemed to notice him staring at her, and blushed.

Harry blushed also; Cho's smile was too much for him. Mainly to stop himself from blushing more he directed his eyes away from Cho and started at the ceiling. Cho who also seemed to be embarrassed, stood up and started walked around.

"What's this?"

Harry looked to where Cho was standing and saw what she was pointing at; the last present he received from Remus that he didn't open.

"It's one of my birthday gifts." Harry replied weakly

"Why don't you want to open it?"

"I forgot all about it…"

"Can I open it for you?" Cho asked with a smile on her face.

"Yeah sure"

Cho picked up the small parcel and bought it over to Harry's bed, where she started unwrapped it to reveal two beautiful rings, both with a blue stone set on it, along with a note. Cho picked up the note, and started reading it aloud.

Dear Harry,

            These rings were your parents. They were the Potter's family heirloom and are one of the most magically artifacts myself have ever seen. I and Albus will talk to you in person about it when we see you.

Regards,

Remus

"They are beautiful." Cho started again, staring at the rings. Harry also stared at the rings. "These belonged to my parents..."

"Let me put them away?" Cho seem to finally take her eyes off the pair of rings.

"Sure, just leave it in my trunk."

As Cho returned the rings to his trunk and started exploring his room again, his mind drifted to the fight with Peter, and he began to recall the incident. As he thought about it, a big question popped into his mind.

"Cho?"

"Yes?"

"Why was Peter after you?"

"You mean that guy?"

"Yes, the guy who tried to kill you."

"I don't know Harry." Cho replied back, smiling at Harry but the sense of happiness ebbing away from her.

"Don't worry Cho." Harry smiled at her, and continued without thinking. "I don't believe you will lead me to my doom."

It was as if a thousand flowers were suddenly in his room, for the look on Cho face after that was as refreshing and full of happiness as if you are in a garden of a thousand beautiful flowers. Without a word Cho swooped down on him and kissed him. At first Harry tried to pull away, shocked by the sudden gesture, but he returned the kiss after getting over the initial shock, and then continued snogging her…

~

"It seems that we still chose the wrong time to pop in."

Harry and Cho separated from each other on hearing the words, both blushing crimson. Harry looked up to see Dumbledore and Lupin standing there, both wearing smiles on their faces.

"Hi Professor" Harry and Cho started, but stopped at once when they realize that had spoken the same words at the same time.

"Good day to you two." Dumbledore chuckled, peering at the two very red teens over his glasses. "Now if both of you will excuse me from breaking up your catching-up session, I have some things to go through with Harry."

Harry went even redder if that was possible after that, but still he looked up to Dumbledore and waited for him to continue.

"Harry I think I'll leave you first?" Cho started, obviously with the impression that Dumbledore wanted to speak to Harry in private.

"Professor, can Cho stay?" Harry looked towards Dumbledore.

"Of course if you allow her to Harry." Dumbledore smiled at the both of them. "What I'm going to talk about is about you naturally, so of course if you don't mind her knowing, she can stay."

"So you don't have to leave." Harry turned and smiled at Cho, gesturing to her that she should sit down next to him on his bed.

"As a matter of fact, I also have one errand that requires me to speak to Miss Chang, so I can just speak to her here and save myself a trip. And if all of you are comfortable…" Dumbledore stated again, conjuring out two squishy chairs and gestured to Lupin to have a seat. "Here are two different potions that Madam Pomfrey insisted that you drink. You must take each twice a day until you get your strength back or when the potion is finished, whichever is later."

Harry eyed the potions with a look of disgust – medical potions normally taste horrible, but nodded his acknowledgement to Dumbledore all the same.

"In case you are wondering, I'll not go through that incident with you today. I feel that that is something which is to be done only after you regain your strength." Dumbledore continued. "I'm here today not as you-know-what, but as your headmaster Harry. Miss Chang you should be listening to this also. I have here two letters, one for each of you, and I think their contents will make the both of you very happy."

~

Another chapter done. :D I seem be developing more of a writer's block day by day, and the chapter seems so… disorganized. Actually I didn't mean to stop here but ran out of time, so I split the whole visit by Dumbledore into 2 chapters, so if you feel I left out many things, most of it will be revealed in the conversation in the next chapter.

Anyway hope you guys like it. I will now slowly move away from all the actions and the cliffies, and move into a more general and romantic story; I don't have so many action-packed scenarios in my head. So what do the letters contain? Remember to review!!!

Devonny Rose, hippyman69, sai-cy , Firebreath : Here's your update, hope you liked it, thanks for the support

dweem-angel : Sorry to disappoint you… What you want to know will only be out after quite long… So you'll just have to stick around.

chris-warren876 : There's your idea in this chapter, the two rings, more will be revealed in later chapters!!! Hope you liked it

PeZ-yUaN : Introducing the most evil person on this planet… Me. Anyway I hope this cliffy isn't too steep for you, I don't even consider this as a cliffy anyway… hope you liked this so far, and thaks for the support

john : I'm really sorry but with the current flow of events I have, the details of that fight will only be revealed next chapter. So stay around okz?

RiNuN : Don't worry, they will be happy in the end, it just adds to the plot. I assure you they'll be together by the end of the fic.

PhoenixPadfoot89 : Err… because I'm more evil then old Voldie? All will be revealed… Soon ^_^

Keyblademaster44 : Thanks for the support, but I kidda liked your old nick better… Penguin sounds so much… cuter

shdurrani : Thanks for the support :D