Chapter Eight

So it's Really Him

A/N: After the 'Cat Fight Version' I had a little bit of a writer's block and didn't know where to go with this story. In this part, you'll learn more about Brad, and another boy named Matt, oh, and I guess Hermione will butt in...

The next morning I woke up with a blistering migraine. As I stood up the floor gave a reproachful shake but that was all. The morning was cold and my hair stood up with shock. The windows of my dormitory were fogged up yet there was no snow falling outside. Paige and Rachel were already downstairs in the common room, so I decided to change quickly and meet them down as fast as I could.

When I reached the common room, there was a huge crowd around the notice board. But I ignored it. Instead I took a seat next to Paige by the fireplace.

"Are you feeling okay Cho?" asked Paige with concern and placed her hand upon my forehead.

I brushed her away. "Stop mothering me Paige, I'm fine."

"What Hermione did wasn't very nice," criticized Brad and he folded his arms.

I just noticed him beside Rachel and furrowed my brow. "Not a snowman anymore, Brad?"

He scowled and Rachel giggled.

I turned to look at the crowd around the notice board disperse. In their place was a notice saying that the next Hogsmead visit was this weekend, was that all? "Hogsmead? It's becoming a little of a bore, isn't it?"

"If you call running around like children in a candy shop a bore then yes," agreed Rachel but then she hung her arm around Brad. "We're going to spend the whole of the day there together." I could see Brad shuddering and hid a grin.

"Lucky you," said Paige unenthusiastically. She walked up to the notice board and read the notice with increasing detest. "I guess it's just you and me tomorrow Cho, huh?" I nodded with Paige but I was secretly thinking of other things I could do that day. Maybe I could spend some time with Harry or have a talk with Hermione ...

"I would love to spend time with you, Paige," I said cheerfully. "We can have a best friend day out."

We walked together down to the breakfast hall and we passed Harry, Hermione and Ron on the way. I had a feeling that Hermione was doing her best to ignore me, but Harry and Ron gave us a wave. I waved back and Paige eyed me slyly. She didn't say anything but my cheeks still went pink and hot. I fiddled with my hands and ended up linking them behind my back like a moron. Rachel was paying too much attention to Brad but I had a feeling that she was taking peeks at me too.

We made it to the hall and I took a seat beside Paige and Rachel. Brad stood across from us with his close friend Matt. I made myself a bowl of oatmeal and began eating fast. My head felt better and I needed some energy for my body. After all, I had Quidditch practice this afternoon and I desperately wanted to beat Hufflepuff at our next game.

"Whoo! Slow down there Cho," mocked Matt artfully. "You'll cause yourself a stomach ache."

"She didn't ask for your advice Matt," snarled Paige back. Paige and Matt have been arguing for the past few years in Hogwarts. They can cause avalanches if they want to – or even World War III. "Why don't you just shut up?"

"She didn't ask for you to talk for her either."

It was a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet situation really. Brad was Romeo and Rachel was Juliet, and their friends were their family. Their family always had arguments which kind of tore the lovers apart. I just hope that Brad and Rachel won't end up dying in the end. "Please, you two, I don't need this and neither do you!" I cried out desperately. They kept quiet but eyed each other loathingly. "Shake hands and say sorry."

They shook hands and said sorry.

"Sorry."

But I knew their feud was never over.

"Do you want me to tell you about the dream I had last night?" asked Rachel, trying frenziedly to change the subject.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That afternoon, I changed into my Quidditch robes and made it down to the Quidditch pitch. Paige, Rachel and Delilah (remember her?) followed me down just to make sure that I didn't have another head spin. I tried to reassure them that I was okay but it wasn't good enough for them. When I reached the entrance they waved me goodbye. I gave them a wave back and made my way inside.

Matt was waiting for me (he plays one of the beaters) and when he saw me he gave a wave. I ran up to him enthusiastically, trying to not let my broomstick drag across the mud. Matt, to tell you the truth, is like a brother. We share a tight connection together since day one. It is one thing to have girly talks with Paige and another to just hang and have fun with Matt. "So the 'Cho-Cho Train' finally decided to arrive at its destination," teased Matt.

"Yah," I said playing along with the joke. "I was going to skip it because I head a rumor that a skunk was on the station." I saw that he was looking behind me and I turned around to see what was going on.

The Slytherin Quidditch team was huddled in a pack near the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.

"I see what you mean," said Matt with disgust. "But your estimation was wrong, there are millions of them."

"What do you think you're doing here?" roared Roger Davies with irritation. "The Ravenclaw team has booked the pitch for the whole of this afternoon." A man walked forward from behind the crowd of whispers – not any man, Professor Snape.

"I'm afraid that you are very wrong with that assumption Davies," smirked Professor Snape. "See, I have personally come out here to escort my team to their practice."

"But we booked the pitch for the afternoon!" shouted Roger.

Professor Snape grinned maliciously. "I'm afraid that a Professor's word is much stronger than a student's."

"But we booked the pitch," said Roger, but more softly this time.

"Is that so?"

Roger lost his nerves and rounded us up to go back. I think that Professor Snape is so crude but I'm never strong enough to say that in front of him. Matt has said it three or four times – behind his back that is. But Roger has never been strong enough to stand up to him and prove Snape wrong. I wonder how Harry ever does it ...

I made my way back to the common room with the rest of the Ravenclaw Team and sunk my self into an armchair by the fireplace. Everyone else made their way to their bedrooms to go to sleep. The common room was basically empty and I just wanted to rest on that armchair for a few hours and enjoy the silence I had. I rarely ever have silence.

I heard footsteps coming down from the boy's side of the stairs and turned around to see who it was.

"I heard you come back," said Brad as he took a seat beside me near the fire. "A little early isn't it?"

"The Slytherins kicked us off the pitch," I said grumpily. "Some attitude they have."

"What was their excuse this time?"

"Don't know but Snape came down with them."

"And Roger chickened out I bet."

"Just like him to."

We sat in silence for a second and I watched the fire crackle cozily beside me. There was still something I needed to know.

"Why didn't you tell them?"

I took Brad off guard. "About what?"

"About Harry."

"It's your affair and your private life; I didn't want to seem like paparazzi."

"Then how did you find out?"

"The lake isn't a private kissing booth you know."

I laughed out loud. "I knew you'd say that."

"So do you like him? I mean, is it really him?" He looked interested. Not jealous, not angry, just interested.

It was a question that I had asked myself last night when I had gone to sleep. It was a question that played at the back of my mind. But I knew the answer –

"Yes, it's really him."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Paige and I walked out of the Hogwart's grounds together and into Hogsmead. Rachel and Brad had already gone ahead of us and into some sort of restaurant to eat.

"ARRGHH! The same footpaths," moaned Paige.

"The same shops," I said, joining in with her.

"The same items to buy," Paige groaned and pointed to the things inside the shops.

"The same faces," I said. But I lost Paige's next sentence because my eye caught Harry's as he walked down the street of Hogsmead. He looked back and gave me a smile. "But the same faces are still wonderful."

"What?" asked Paige and turned to see who I was looking at.

I quickly changed my view and we decided to go into the Three Broomsticks. I found a table and we sat together. Paige ordered the butterbeers and while she did that I took a look around at all the people. Only a few seconds after I did this, did Harry, Ron and Hermione walk in and took a seat quite close to our table. Paige sat down and handed me over my butterbeer.

"I wonder what Rachel and Brad are doing right now," sighed Paige longingly. "I bet they're having a blast at least."

"Ya, loads of fun," I couldn't help but smirk at Paige's sorrow.

"What's so funny?"

"You, you're saying that you're having a horrible time, as if you'd rather be doing that essay for Professor McGonagall."

Paige stuck a tongue out and we laughed. "That essay? Nah, hanging with you and doing nothing is fine."

Someone walked up to us and tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up and almost lost grip of my butterbeer. It was Hermione.

"You have some nerve showing up," snarled Paige angrily at Hermione. "Cho, want me to show her the door?" I shook my head.

"Cho," said Hermione nervously. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure," I said encouragingly.

"Alone."

I took a brave and deep breath then stood up and left the Three Broomstick with her. We started walking down the street, I tried to not act too nervous but it was obvious that I was trying to put some distance between us. Hermione gave me nervous glances too but kept quiet. After a while of walking, I stopped and looked her in the face.

"So what is it?" I demanded.

Hermione looked at me crossly at first but her expression then softened. She quickly glanced at her shoes. "Sorry."

"Oh, is that all you wanted to say?"

"What else am I meant to say? Want a parade Cho, because I can't arrange that."

I shook my head hastily.

We took a seat at one of the side benches and she took the courage to actually look at me. "Maybe I was too caught up in the love incident, and forgot my right place of my mind. I guess I was too self-centered."

I smiled back at her. "To be truthful, I would have been shocked if you hadn't reacted that way, he's your friend after all."

"Thanks for understanding Cho."

"You're welcome, anything else you want to let go?"

"I think we can just call truce and pretend our fight never happened," sighed Hermione, she reached out a hand for me to shake and I shook it firmly. My whole perspective of Hermione changed at that very moment; maybe I had jumped to conclusions too. After all, Hermione was – nice. Her heart was in the right place for sure.

She stood up. "I need to go catch up with Ron and Harry; we'll talk later if we have the chance, okay?"

I stood up and gave her a smile ", can't wait for that chance."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, no one was in the dormitory, they were still downstairs in the Great Hall. I had decided to come up early because there was something I needed to do. I took the picture of Cedric from my side drawer and gave it a smile.

"Don't worry Cedric; Harry will take good care of me." Lightheartedly I took Cedric's picture from the brass frame and folded it smaller and smaller and smaller. Then I placed it in the palm of my hand and walked up to the open window at the end of the dormitory.

I blew the photo away from my hand gently and watched it sway with the icy wind. A third of the way down to the grounds, the photo unfolded and the picture of Cedric smiled back at me. It looked as if he was dancing, laughing, he knew that I was happy and was happy too! The photo landed on the surface of the lake and sunk slowly down. I turned away from the window and smiled at myself.

I was past Cedric's death. I knew that. I never thought that I would ever think that but I did. I gave it a little taste on my lips.

"I'm past Cedric's death," I whispered softly into the dormitory. The voice that echoed sent me a shiver, but it felt so good.

A/N: Sorry that there is nothing on Harry and Cho's chemistry here but I wanted something to make it seem solid that Cho has gone past Cedric's death and that she is ready to move on. I've finally figured out what I want to do for the ending! But – unfortunately – I won't be sharing it with you and I'm sorry that you might not like it, but this is how the story goes... *_^