July 14, 2003

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with JKR and do not take credit for her brilliant work. These stories are based on her characters, setting, and ideas. I would like to thank the webmasters of Harry Potter Lexicon and the authors to "Ultimate Unofficial Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter" for much needed reference.

Canon Note: I have started this story before the release of Order of the Phoenix. Some minor details, age, Quidditch position, relations, etc. may be off. I would like to keep my story somewhat close to canon and therefore try and incorporate new facts as the story progresses. (Roger will switch from Beater to Chaser later in the novel to be consistent with OOTP ...why are there not Beater Captains?).

Champéry Disclaimer: I am not Swiss and never been to Champéry, and therefore unaware of the environment and culture. My only source on this place is from www.champery.com. (I'm not even sure if there are lakes for the sake of some scenes.)

Also Kaihn and Johnny should be recognized and appreciated for buffing and polishing my rough drafts. Thanks a million!

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~ Champagne in Champéry ~

By: Phaedra
Beta: Kaihn

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Five miles above waves, crashing into rocky shores, in a muggle plane bound for Switzerland, Cho Chang gripped the armrests of her seat hard enough to turn her knuckles white.  Most of her friends, who like Cho, had never flown were very calm and somewhat excited about their first flight.  Some didn't even realize the plane was moving until they looked out the windows.   Cho, however, was pale with her own teeth marks on her lips from nervously chewing on them.   Her eyes were glued to the chair in front of her, and she hadn't noticed that Cedric had sat beside her moments ago.  Cedric remained silent for the moment, afraid of startling her.  Suddenly, Cho clutched the armrests harder and shut her eyes tight.  Cedric couldn't take it any longer; he had to say something to calm her.

"Cho?" Cedric spoke softly as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Cho's eyes shot open and twitched.  It took a minute before she could collect herself enough to focus on Cedric.  Cedric's eyes widened for a second.  He had seen how pale her face and knuckles were, but her terrified eyes caught him off guard.

"Are you all right, Cho?" Cedric asked trying to look as soothing as possible.

A slight degree of calmness spread over her face.  Cho studied Cedric's face, drawing strength from it.  She took a deep breath, and tried to crack a smile.  Cedric's worried heart relaxed a bit when she showed some sign of ease.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I never have been on these things either! But it's not all that bad," reassured Cedric. "It wouldn't be so popular in the Muggle world if they weren't safe.  And it's hardly noticeable that you're moving once your ears adjust to the pressure."

"Yeah, Cho!" Roger said as he turned his head from the seat in front of the couple. "You have nothing to worry about. If something happened and the plane fell from the sky, we could always conduct a cushioning charm on your arse!"

Cho's blood drained from her face once more as she inhaled a breath of fear. She closed her eyes tight again and clutched the arms of the chair. Roger laughed harder at Cho's fearful face and her sounds of whimpering.

"Damn you, Davies!" Cedric cursed as he kicked the back of his chair, knocking Roger a bit off balance.

Roger laughed for a few more seconds and crossed his arms on the back of the chair. He gave Cho a pitiful look.

"Honestly, Cho!" he scoffed. "How in the hell can you be a good Seeker if you can't handle the altitude!?"

"Cho is a great Seeker! She just is not used to Muggle contraptions!  And no Seeker ever flies this high!" defended Cedric.

Roger rolled his eyes and turned around to sit properly in his chair. Cedric wrapped his arm around Cho and placed her head on his chest. For the briefest of moments, he felt a pang of guilt for pulling another man's girl against him.   But what choice did Cedric have?  Oliver was countries distant.   And despite his hopes and desires, Cho was still Cedric's friend before she was anything else to him.  Cho did not resist. She took another breath and felt almost instantly relaxed in Cedric's arms.  Her breathing slowed and deepened as her mind went from frantic panic to a comforting level of serenity.  Cedric was too much in a blissful state to respond to Roger's gagging noise and to barely notice the packet of butter flying towards his head.

"You're going to need that to butter up to her!" teased Roger with his eyes peering between the seats.

Cedric scowled and kicked the back of Roger's chair hard enough to knock Roger to the floor if he weren't grasping the armchairs. "Watch it Davies! You're going to be eating this butter out of my hand by the time this vacation is over!"

"Roger, stop pestering them!" ordered Jenna who sat next to Roger.

"What? I'm just having a bit of fun!"

"I have to tell you something!" she whispered to him and put away her magazine. Roger leaned in closer. "Cedric obviously likes Cho, and I know she likes him too! A lot."

"Really?! By golly Jenna! That is top news! Get the Daily Prophet!" Roger said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that, genius!"

"Shush!" she ordered. "Thing is…Cho keeps her feelings bottled up. She'll have feelings and not realize what they mean!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that Cho will never tell Cedric that she likes him because she doesn't know that she does! She won't admit it to herself as long as she has Oliver. Her mind won't let her because its too close to cheating!  She will do flirty things without realizing what she is doing! I'm afraid that she will go too far with Cedric when she is still Oliver's boyfriend! I will not let her cheat on him!"

"Nah! Cedric needs to get laid!  Look at him!  He's the Golden Boy of his house, but when was the last time you saw him with a girl?!  Cho's the best thing that's happened to that twit in years!  Oliver doesn't have to know!"

"Roger! That's awful!"

"No, that's being a guy!"

"Oh never mind!" Jenna turned back to her magazine and furiously fumbled through the pages.

"So…Jenna?" Roger said in a forced husky voice. "Wanna join the 'Mile-high club?'" Jenna growled and smacked Roger in the face. "You know you want me!" he retorted.

A few rows behind the blissful couple, Heidi fumbled with a crossword puzzle and occasionally frowned at the Slytherin boy sitting next to her. Drew had traded seats with Cedric to avoid Roger. Ideally, he would have been near Cho, about his only friend on this trip and the reason he was here.  She had invited him, and having nothing better planned, he had accepted.  Sitting next to Cho was out though, so Drew had taken the seat near Heidi.  She was not his favorite person, but was better than a butter-tossing Roger.  She was annoying, but at least her hatred of him would guarantee that she'd leave him alone.  Or so Drew thought.  Fate intervened, and quickly pushed Heidi over the edges of boredom to the point where even Drew's company looked appealing.

"Don't you do anything better than writing in that stupid journal!?" snapped Heidi.

Drew paused his writing for a moment, released an exaggerated sigh, and continued to write pressing the pen down harder.

"Um, hello?" Heidi pressed infuriated from being ignored. "Did you not hear me?"

Drew continued to ignore her and write in his journal. Heidi was not used to being ignored.  Her looks alone had always guaranteed that any guy she paid attention to paid it back tenfold.  Demanding attention, she grabbed the quill from his hand.  Before she had time to laugh at him, he grabbed the hand that had stolen his pen and held it in place with an iron grip.  His nostrils flared as his eyes locked on hers.  Heidi felt as if her very soul were being examined, so piercing was his gaze.  Drew's free hand slowly reached over and pulled the pen from Heidi's restrained hand.  Heidi was so shocked by Drew's assertiveness that she could feel her heart explode through her ribs.

"Don't touch the pen.  Don't… EVER… touch the pen."

Heidi's eyes were wide.  She thought the quiet bookworm type like Drew would be the easiest sort to get attention from; weren't they all desperate losers?  Instead, not only had he resisted, but he had touched her without trying to woo her.  His sheer forcefulness had livened her senses.  His eyes remained locked on hers for a few more seconds before he retracted and went back to his writing.  The last instant their eyes were together, Heidi had thought she'd seen something softer surface, but it had been too quick for her to pin down.  Now that he'd turned away, Heidi couldn't help fidgeting in her chair. Every second she would shift in her seat and shoot a glance at Drew.  She just couldn't decide if she were trying to get his attention and his gaze again, or if she were trying to annoy him.

"What, is sitting still too difficult for you?" Drew paused his writing but kept his eyes glued to his entry.

"Does it bother you?" Heidi teased.

"Fidget again and I'll show you something bothersome, woman!"

Heidi never felt so enticed before. For some strange reason, she found Drew's dominating traits intriguing. She looked at him again, and it felt like the first time she was really seeing him.  His dark features were very attractive: long dark hair, tanned skin, intense eyes. It was as if he were a "bad-boy." Had she not noticed his looks before just because he wore the green and black of the Slytherin house?  She'd thought herself too worthy to associate with him, but here he was treating her as little more than an annoyance.  Her heart fluttered in a way that she'd never felt from any of the guys that wanted her around.  Heidi couldn't believe her new feelings for Drew. After all, some girls thrive on bad boys.

The flight was drawing to an end as the plane prepared for landing. The landing was rather rough. The plane shook and dipped causing the baggage, and Cho's stomach, to rattle. By this time, Cho's face was buried in Cedric's arms. Breathing in the savory scent of his cologne was the only thing saving Cho's sanity. Cedric's arm began to fall asleep with the loss of circulation, but he would have let it fall completely off if it meant the woman he loved was holding on to it.

Moments after the plane landed, Cho began to regain her energetic personality as her land legs awoke. They took a muggle taxi through roads lined with snow-coated trees and near ice-capped mountains to the Edgecombe Chalet in Champéry. As soon as they had dropped off their baggage and changed, Marietta led a group to the mountains for a round of Skiing. Cho, still a little distraught from the flight, decided to stay in the chalet and take a nap.

"There she is! The world's most feared slope!" said Marietta gazing on an incredibly steep mountainside. "It's called Chavanette. Also known as 'The Wall!'"

"The Wall?!" Cedric gasped. "You expect us to slide down a wall?!"

"Scared there, Diggory?" teased Roger.

"You wish, Davies!"

"Come on now, children," said Marietta as they made way to the mountain. "There will be plenty of time for snow fights later!"

They reached the mountain top and gazed down at the slope which seemed completely vertical. Marietta took the liberty of taking the first step and slid down the hill with such ease. Jenna and the other girls didn't seem to be as frightened and followed after. Their skis left perfectly strait trails, a mark of flawless skiing. Cedric and Roger, on the other hand, twiddled their thumbs, each expecting the other to go first. The two boys' faces were as white as the snow, yet they tried their best to put on a macho façade.

"Maybe throwing a Snitch down there will get your fat arse moving down that hill, Cedric!" scoffed Roger. "But you might not catch up to it!"

"Maybe," Cedric responded. "I wouldn't be able to see where I am going with the snow storm you'll leave behind chasing that naked skier!"

"WHERE!?" Roger craned his neck over the ledge of the hill, lost his balance, and tumbled down the mountainside picking up immense speed.

Roger's screams faded away after seconds, so great was his speed.  Cedric took several minutes to himself at the mountaintop before he was brave enough to slightly move his skis forward. Inch by inch he moved his skis over the ledge of the hill until they gently rocked back and forth. Cedric tried his best to keep his balance until he was ready to nudge forward into a plummeting drop. Suddenly, a strong wind blew from behind and shook Cedric. His balance gone and his skis too far forward, he shot down the mountainside at an alarming rate.  Pellets of snow and ice stung his face as his momentum drove him faster.  His body was too much in shock to move, which was to his advantage: the stability kept him on a straight course.  It felt like hours of sliding even though the chalets at the bottom of the mountain kept looking bigger and bigger. And then something stood in his way and Cedric's world went black.

*~*

Cedric dreamt that he was floating in the middle of the Hogwart's lake on a single board. He could hear a faint song from under the water, but the words were lost when they hit the air.  To his left, a shark with legs swam and dove for the lake's bottom. The song continued. To his right, a beautiful blonde with a bubble around her head also dove for the lake's bottom. It sounded as if the song repeated itself, so Cedric dunked his head under water to try and hear the message.

"We have…we have taken…OH NO!"

Without a second to spare Cedric dove into the lake. The cool water felt refreshing against his face.

*~*

Cedric slowly opened his eyes and saw a blurry dark-haired girl hovering over him. Her hand was pressing a cold wet sponge against his forehead and allowing water to trickle down his face with every squeeze.  The water felt wonderful, but was doing little to take away the terrible headache.

"Cho?" he said, every breath bringing pain.

"Shh…" Cho hushed. "You had a bad accident. Slammed right into a tree! But you're okay now. Just a few broken ribs, fractured skull, and internal bleeding here and there."

"WHA?!" Cedric tried to get up but was too much in pain to move. He also noticed that Cho had tied him down. "What in the…"

"I've tied you down because I knew you'd run before I can fix you!" replied Cho as she walked to the next room.

He started to panic as Cho left him. "CHO! CHO!"

"I'm right here Ced!" Cho returned with a tray of potion bottles and magic surgical tools. "I'll fix you right up!"

Cedric turned his head to look at the tray.  In a breath, he had seen all he needed to see. There were bottles of Skele-gro, purple liquids, gadgets with pinchers and screws, etc., and other items that would seem more at home in a torture chamber than a hospital.  Cho then grabbed a device that resembled a cross between a cork opener and a screw driver.

"No, no, NO! NO! NOOOO!" screamed Cedric as he struggled against the restraints. He was seriously hurt and certainly was not in a mood for Cho to play nurse games.

"Calm down, Cedric!" Cho said in a most soothing voice. "I need to stick this in your . . ."

"YOU ARE NOT STICKING THAT ANYWHERE! You are too young to be messing around with those things! Get me to a real nurse!"

Cho made a sad puppy-face at Cedric. Tears trickled down her face and she started to wail.

"All I wanted to do was to help you!" she whined in the most irritating tone. "I wanted to be a Healer and make people feel better! But you won't let me! You don't trust me!"

Cho continued to cry and pout her lips. Cedric gave her a stern look.

"Your sad puppy-face isn't going to work, Miss Chang!" he said coolly.

Cho quickly changed to her upset face.  Cedric stoically called her bluff. Usually, Cho's tears got her what she wanted with him, but not this time.  It may have been the broken ribs, or perhaps the sharp blow to the head, but her charm wasn't enough to convince him to let her use such terrible looking equipment on him.  Disturbed by Cedric's opposition but firm in her resolve to heal him, she took the tiny cork-screw contraption, jammed it to the gash on Cedric's head, and waved her wand. Cedric screamed as the screw turned and withdrew from his head bring debris of leaves, branches, and rocks. Cho followed by cleaning the wound with the purple potion to relieve pain and another potion to speed up the healing.

Mere seconds passed before Cedric's pain left his body. When Cedric's head healed, he realized how much of a baby he had been and remained quiet as Cho continued healing. He gazed intently at her as she bandaged the rest of the cuts and scrapes and moved his bones back in place. Her gentle touch on his beaten skin gave him a rash of goose-bumps. If his limbs weren't tied down, he would have held her tightly as a sign of gratitude. She looked so beautiful to him with her long dark hair flung over her shoulders as she bent over him to attend to his bandages. She cared so much for his well-being and for that, Cedric was more drawn to her. She turned to Cedric and looked in his eyes. Her stare was so unusual, but so familiar. He'd never seen that look in her eyes for him.  It was almost as if she wanted the same thing he did.

"All finished, except…" she leaned closer to his face and ran a finger across his forehead brushing a strand of hair from his eyes.

She leaned over his body and freed his limbs from the restraints. Her gentle touch tickled his skin as she untied the knots. When she moved to the other side, her long hair tickled the side of his face. She turned back to look at him. She was so close. There was that yearning look again. Cedric wanted so badly to taste her lips. But instead he had to taste the clear liquid she offered.

"Drink this. It will ensure the healing of your bones," she softly said and handed him a glass of Skele-gro. "It shouldn't taste bad. You only need a dilute sample for your minor fractures."

Cedric accepted the glass and drank it instantly without making so much of a pungent face. He let the glass slip from his fingers and fall to the floor where it shattered on the ground. Cho tried to bend over to pick up the pieces but he held her in place.  Cedric held her arm and drew her close to him.  He was still weak, but she felt the strength of his will in his grip.  She did not resist, and followed his lead.

"I want you here," he demanded.

"But, I…"

"Shush," he interrupted as he drifted on the edge of consciousness.

Cho submissively lay at Cedric's side. She rested her head on his chest for a second before remembering his fractured ribs. She lifted her head worried that her weight would not allow the bones to properly heal, but Cedric once again pulled her toward him.

"Relax… it'll heal… you did well…thank you," he whispered and ran his fingers through her hair.

Cho did as Cedric requested, but tried to suspend her head over his body. He noticed this and did not allow it. He drew her head closer to his body and grasped her shoulders. Perhaps it was the potions that clouded Cedric's judgment. He was always too shy to even look at Cho for more than five seconds. Still, Cho did not take any offense to Cedric's sudden boldness.  So, Cho laid there by his side and listed to his breathing and heartbeat. She was too worried about him to simply fall asleep. His heartbeat was fast for someone who was at rest and seemingly so relaxed, but the pace was still soothing. She had this feeling before when Cedric hugged her. She felt warm and secure as if nothing in the world could harm her. The rhythms of his heartbeat were like a lullaby to her and sent her to a light nap.

The door opened and their friends strolled in. They had just returned from dinner and found Cho and Cedric asleep in the living room. They exchanged smiles and left them at peace for the moment. Roger, on the other hand, went off to plan some devilry.

~*~*~

The morning sun peered through the windows of the penthouse room in Marietta's chalet. Cho slowly awoke when the rays shone on her face. It took her a moment to wonder how she got from the couch to a bed…and into Cedric's arms. She wondered, but she did not panic.  She found herself wallowing in bliss cradled in Cedric's strong arms, feeling his breath on the back of her neck. Cho closed her eyes with a smile, hoping to prolong the experience.  But when Cedric awoke, he reacted differently.  Although he very much enjoyed holding Cho as they slept, Cedric's gentlemanly side kicked in and he jumped from the bed nearly flinging Cho off the side.

"I'm sorry! I don't know how it happened! I didn't! I'm so sorry Cho!" he said frantically and covered his hands in his face.

"No, it's ok Cedric," Cho reassured him and pulled his hands away from his face. She looked at him with a flirty smile. "Don't worry about it! I enjoyed lying with you!"

Cho immediately slapped her hands over her mouth, realizing what she had just said.  But it was too late, her sentence hung in the air.  Cedric's eyes widened in shock, and he looked at her in disbelief.  Noticing how uncomfortable she looked after her slip, his eyes softened and he readied himself to try to relieve her distress. Unfortunately, Cedric had never faced an awkward situation quite like this. He didn't know what to do. Except maybe to risk everything?

'She must feel something for me! That look she gave me, the care, and now this?' Cedric thought.

He slowly lowered himself to sit next to Cho and leaned in closer to her face. He took a moment to try and make eye contact with Cho, but she wouldn't look at him. He had to be forceful. He held the hand that covered her mouth, pulled it toward him. He softly kissed it while looking in her eyes that were now looking intently at him. She wasn't resisting. But how far would Cedric's bravery let him go?

'Here goes…' Cedric cupped his hand around her neck and let his fingers grace through her hair. He slightly pulled her head closer as well as drifting his own head closer. She closed her eyes and pouted her lip, expecting his lips to meet hers.

SMACK! Cedric and Cho yelped and pulled away from each other. Something hard and cold hit their faces. Roger stood in the doorway bundled in winter attire, speckled with snow. He must have raided the new-fallen snow.

"ROGER!" Cedric growled through his face full of ice and snow.

"Cool down there, Golden boy!" he said as he prepared to throw the other snowball. "Oh! Am I interrupting anything?!"

Before Cedric could respond, a metal tray flew across the room headed for Roger's head. He ducked and the metal tray crashed on the wall behind him.

"CHO?!" Roger yelled. "What in the…"

She didn't respond, but continued to throw pillows, glassware, Marietta's pet cat Maggie; anything she could get her hands on went flying at Roger's head.

"Can't you take a joke, Chang?!"

"OUT! OUT! OUT!"

Roger didn't stick around for Cho to give him a concussion and stomped down the stairs. Cho breathed heavily and turned to Cedric with an irritated look. But she quickly wiped that look with a half-hearted smile. Her smile was so inviting. The fact that she was still in her negligee with her hair flung around her shoulders made it hard for Cedric to think strait. Cedric was stunned. It was as if Cho cared that her moment with Cedric was interrupted.

'Cho, do not play with my feelings like this. Don't lead me to believe that you have feelings for me. Damn you look good,' he thought. She continued to smile at him accompanied with a kind of body language that craved him to finish. She slowly walked towards him. 'No, Cho. You're still with Oliver.'

"Shall we go downstairs?" he asked unwillingly.

Cho tried to hide her disappointment and agreed to his request. They bundled up and met their friends outside by the frozen lake. Some were gliding across the ice and others were putting on ice-skates.

"Hi guys! We're going ice-skating!" said Marietta in a perky voice.

"Ice-skating?" Cedric pondered.

"Yes, it's easy! Just like skiing!"

"SKIING?!"

"Oops," Marietta blushed. "Well, it's really not that bad Cedric. Okay, maybe the skiing was a bit to hard for you but any child can ice skate…I mean…not that you're a child or anything…oh no! You're very much a…"

Marietta's face flamed a fierce red. She was too embarrassed to finish her sentence and ran off to the lake. Cedric and Cho tried to suppress their laughter.

"Shall we give this a try?" Cedric asked Cho unwillingly.

"Do you know how to ice skate? I'm not very good." Cho admitted.

"Never tried it either," confessed Cedric. "Hopefully not as much grace is needed for ice-skating as in skiing."

He gave Cho an uncomfortable smirk and escorted her to the lake. They put on ice skates and slowly trotted to the frozen water.

'This isn't so bad,' Cedric thought. 'Just slide one foot in front of the other, and…'

"Cedric," said Cho. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" he said shakily with both hands clutched on her arms for balance (which her small body didn't allow much support).

"If you say so," replied Cho not doing quite so well with her own balance.

The two struggled on skates; Cho trying to hold Cedric up as well as keeping her own balance. However, the support of Cedric's weight on the slippery ice caused Cho to slip and land on her bottom.  Without her support, Cedric quickly followed Cho to the ice, landing on her in just the right way to have Jae Chang reaching for a loaded gun, and Roger yelling crude remarks.  Fortunately for Cedric, Cho's father was not around.

"BWAHAHAHA!" laughed Roger. "Couldn't wait 'til tonight, eh Cedric?" Roger threw a snowball at Cedric's flushed face and skated off.

"I'm so sorry Cho!" Cedric got up and pleaded as he wiped the snow off his face. "I just lost balance and…"

Before Cedric could finish his sentence his lips were met with another wad of cold snow. Cho laughed and pointed at him with a snow-drenched finger.  Cedric sputtered the snow from his mouth and glared at Cho. Thinking that she might have offended Cedric, Cho quickly let her laugher trail off.   An evil glint ran across Cedric's eyes as he reached down and scooped some snow into his own arms.

"Whose side are you on?!" Cedric slammed a handful of snow on top of Cho's head.

She screamed as the ice melted to cold water and trickled through her scalp. Cho tried to throw another ball of snow in retaliation, but Cedric's point-blank range offered little time or chance to gather enough snow for a snowball.  Cho took off as quickly as her skates could take her.  Cedric unsnapped the blades from his boots and started running after Cho, keeping exceptional balance and traction now that he could keep his footing.  As soon as Cho slipped once, she found herself snatched off the ground and flung over Cedric's shoulders.

"CEDRIC! NO! What are you doing?!" she screamed flinging her arms and attracting everyone's attention.

Cedric trudged off the lake and threw Cho onto a bank of snow. He then jumped on her and stuffed her sweater with fistfuls of snow.

"AAAHHHH!" she screamed while throwing bits of snow at him. "NO! STOP! Okay I give! I give!"

"Give what?" Cedric teased and held Cho's arms over her head.

She panted heavily as she studied his face. She had never noticed how intense his features were. Her heart started to race. Even with her shirt stuffed with snow, she felt fiery hot under Cedric's grasp. It felt strange. She had never experienced this kind of emotion before and was not sure what to call it. She felt as if the world stopped moving and she was floating on a cloud. Her gaze was glued to Cedric's passionate gray eyes. She never noticed that look before in his eyes.  For that matter, she had never seen that look in any other man's eyes before.  His eyes were hungry, there was simply no other word for it. He was but a predator over his prey, preparing to move his head down and take what he wanted.   And he would do just that!  Cho blinked.  Something was out of place.  Her eyes quickly cleared as they recognized Jenna hovering over the prone couple.  Cedric noticed Cho's stare move away from his eyes, and he followed her gaze to see what could have pulled her away.  As Cedric's head turned, Jenna crossed her arms and started impatiently tapping her feet.

"We're going inside for warm butterbeer now," she snipped. "Going to join us?"

"Um…yes…of course!" Cedric stood and helped Cho to her feet. She clung to him briefly and looked deep in his eyes. But he managed to break away from that gaze, knowing the moment was once again ruined with Jenna glaring at them.

"Sorry about stuffing your shirt, Cho," he said as he brushed flakes off her side. "C'mon."

They walked past Jenna, who was still standing with her arms crossed giving Cedric a nasty glare. She jumped when Roger approached her from behind and slapped her on the back.

"Way to go Jenna!" he scoffed.

"What are you talking about?! I just saved Cho from…"

"No! You stopped our dear friend from scoring!" Roger interrupted.

"She's with Oliver! And Cedric knows that!"

"So what!" he shrugged. "He's miles away! What happens in Champéry, STAYS in Champéry!"

Jenna frowned at Roger. "I know it was you that summoned that charm isolating Cedric and Cho to a bed last night! That poor girl was probably scared to death with a boy in her bed!"

"Didn't seem like that when I…" Roger giggled.

Jenna's eyes lit up. Roger just sparked her interest. "You did not!"

"Oh yes!" Roger laughed.

"PEEPING TOM!" Jenna punched Roger in the chest and chased him to the chalet.

~*~*~

Throughout the week, Cho and her friends did a series of winter sports and games. They visited downtown Champéry and explored the shops and restaurants. On New Years Eve, Marietta took the group for another ski run on Chavanette, the horrific skiing slope that nearly killed Cedric. Because of that incident Cho was too afraid to ski. Cedric was not about to risk his neck on the slope again, despite the taunting encouragement from Roger.

Instead Cho and Cedric decided to hike through the snow-capped mountains. There were designated trails for leisure walkers that snaked through the forests and beside the frozen lakes. Hand in hand they walked through the breathtaking scene the Alps had to offer. They reached a lookout point and decided to rest there and observe the scenery.

"It's so beautiful out here. So peaceful…" said Cho looking at the unpopulated mountains.

"Yeah…beautiful," Cedric replied gazing dreamily at Cho, not at the mountains.

"You know, I'm glad Marietta took us out for this vacation. I needed it."

"School and Quidditch bothering you?" asked Cedric.

"Yes, and among other things," Cho frowned and thought about her shaky relationship with Oliver. She was getting rather stressed from his neglect and mood swings.

"What other things?"

"Nothing…nothing really." She looked down at her feet and quickly back up to Cedric with a forced smile. "I guess it's just a girl thing!"

"Cho, what's wrong?" he asked with sincerity in his eyes. "You know you can tell me anything!"

Cho had a sad look on her face and again covered it with a half smile. She exhaled deeply and hugged Cedric.

"I know, Cedric. That's why I love you."

Those words sent Cedric's heart flutter briefly but quickly sank to his stomach when he realized that Cho said "love" before only in reference to friendship.

"What are friends for?" he breathed and kissed her on her head. "Want to head back? You seem cold." He looked at her face and saw a look of disappointment. Was it something he said?

"Yes! How could you tell?" Cho said with a fake smile.

"Intuition."

The couple headed back to the chalet expecting to see the ski group back. However, when they entered the house, they were no where to be found.

"Do you think they're all right?" questioned Cho.

"Yeah, it takes a while to hike up that wretched hill. Want a warm drink?"

Cho nodded and situated herself in front of the warm fireplace and hugged her knees. Cedric met her with a cup of hot chocolate and wrapped a fleece around her. He sat quite a distance from her out of pure shyness.

"Thanks." She sipped her cocoa and looked at him. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah."

"Yes you are…come here." Cho patted the empty space to her side as a signal for him to sit by her.

Cedric hesitated for a bit but willingly followed her request. To his surprise she wrapped the remainder of the blanket around him, held his arm, and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't want to be rude, so he placed his arm around her.

'Here I am, cuddling with Cho Chang. Cho Chang is on my arm. Willingly. Why? She's with Oliver. A girl would never act this way if something wasn't wrong! Is that the 'other thing' that has been stressing her out? Of course! I know that he has been treating her badly and she has finally seen that in him! But does she realize how wonderful I can treat her?'

"Cho?"

"Hmm?" Cho replied lazily.

"Um…there's something that I want to tell you…something that I have been feeling for quite the longest time, actually. I just never had the bravery or right moment to say anything."

Cho lifted her head to meet Cedric's eyes. She was looked intrigued and hopeful. But, all Cedric could see were those big brown eyes that bore through him like a drill.

"Um…I…eh…"

"OY!" The door opened and the ski group rushed in drenched with snow and showered with twigs. "Way to make hot chocolate Cedric!" Roger said as he lifted the lid of the pot in the kitchen.

'Damn you Roger Davies!'

"Have you guys been here this whole time?" asked Marietta. "And where are Heidi and Drew? They ran off after the first run!"

At that moment, the stair creaked and Heidi walked down with frazzled hair and a big smile on her face. Her skirt was shifted off center, one sock not pulled up to the knee, but more noticeably: she wore an oversized green sweater with the Slytherin seal on it!

"Well, hellloooo!" she beamed as all sets eyes grew big and jaws dropped.

She was followed by Drew who, unlike Heidi, was neatly dressed and groomed. His black collared shirt was neatly pressed and buttoned, hair combed, and just simply crisp-looking. Except, his lips were the same shade as Heidi's. Even Roger was too much in shock to throw a wise-crack.

"Well! Happy New Year everyone! Shall we exchange gifts?" Marietta tried to divert the attention away from the obvious.

They all gathered and exchanged their late-Christmas/New Year presents. Heidi sitting next to Drew with adoring eyes. However, he wasn't fazed at all by her admiration.

"What could Drew have done to make Heidi act so strange?" asked Cho, who was still very naïve. Cedric and Roger, who were older, smirked at each other.

"I think Drew is our new God, Diggory!" The boys chuckled. Drew, who heard Roger's remark, gave the boys a triumphant smirk.

~*~*

Meanwhile on the north side of Great Britain, Oliver was enduring long hours of Quidditch training at the Joscelind Wadcock's Quidditch camp. The winter storms were harsh but Oliver was proving himself as a qualified candidate for the upcoming Quidditch Draft. Through the sleet and snow, Oliver blocked a series of Quaffles that flew at him from the arms of experienced Chasers.  However, one unlucky shot sent the bludger flying at Oliver from a blind spot, and it crashed into his wrist.  He cried out in pain but kept playing.

"Mr. Wood! May we have a word with you please?" called one of the trainers.

Oliver descended and met with the trainers beneath the rings. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to will back the tears of pain forming in his eyes.  However, the unfriendly cold air and sharp throbbing from his wrist were almost too unbearable.  He was pleased when they led him out of the harsh storm and into their warm office. His cheeks flushed red instantly with the sudden rise of temperature.

"How long have you been playing as a Keeper?" asked one of the trainers, ignoring Oliver's injury.

"Before I learned to walk, sir," Oliver said with pride.

"Impressive! How serious are you about joining a Professional team? I think you would make a strong candidate for 'ol Puddlemere!"

Oliver felt as if his heart could explode. It wasn't exactly an offer, but the fact that a former Puddlemere United player was interested in Oliver playing for Puddlemere United gave him a rush of excitement. He soon forgot about his painful wrist and numb body.

"Eh…Most definitely…sir," Oliver tried to calmly say and hide his smile.

"You have quite a talent Mr. Wood," said another trainer. Oliver could hardly contain himself. "However, we are going to release you due to your injury. Yes, our healers would be able to fix you in minutes but I won't risk any serious injury. I want you to rest for the remainder of the winter break. Give your muscles and limbs peace, and impress me again next time we meet."

"Thank you sir," Oliver politely replied.

Normally, Oliver would have insisted on finishing the training but he was grateful for the release. There was someone that he was yearning to see. They wished him good-luck in the draft and signed his release papers. He thanked the trainers for their praise and exited to start packing.

"See Madame Fifi for that wrist, Wood!" ordered one of the trainers.

Oliver couldn't hear the order over the howling winds.  He simply waved and headed for his quarters. The trainers intended him to travel home by Floo Powder, but home was not where he wanted to go. He could only think of Cho in Champéry and he knew the resort wasn't hooked up to the Floo Network.  And he was still too young to apparate. He clenched his broomstick and concentrated.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?!"

Oliver mounted his broom and paused to think about the consequences and the trouble he would get into with the Ministry of Magic if he was caught. But he was too high with the excitement of possibly joining Puddlemere United and seeing Cho for the consequences to stop him. He shrugged and decided to risk his chances. Oliver shot like a cannon ball through the storm heading for Switzerland.

"They'll have to catch me first!"

~*~*~

The fire began to die down as the night matured in Marietta's chalet. Previously, the group drank Butterbeer and champagne after exchanging gifts and played drinking games with exploding snap cards, magical twister where the colored dots move at their own will, and of course the ever scandalous Truth or Dare. Cedric and Cho were the only conscious bodies left in the living room. They used this moment alone to talk and drink warm butterbeer. Of course, both wanted to do a little more than just talk.

"Comfy?" asked Cedric as he propped Cho's pillow.

"Yes, thank you," replied Cho. "Thanks for the bracelet, Cedric. It was very thoughtful."

"You're very welcome. They're healing stones you know," Cedric said as he held her wrist and petted the black shiny stones. Long pause.

"So how is it that a good-looking guy like you doesn't have a girlfriend?" Cho blurted.

Cedric nearly choked. She'd caught him off guard with such a non-sequitur.  Until then, the conversation had been very casual, and mostly small-talk.  The butterbeer was doing its job to loosen their usual restraint.

"Er…eh…I dunno, looking for the right one," Cedric said with a lingering look. Cho however, did not pick up on this subtle hint.

"Oh please! I bet you just can't find one that's good enough to satisfy you!"

"Satisfy, yes. But utterly please and drive my senses wild? Can't say I've had a girl like that…" again he gave her that lingering look, "…yet."

"Hm. Interesting," said Cho pouring champagne into two glasses. "You must be very picky."

"Maybe the one girl I want is not interested," he said accepting the champagne glass.

"I find that impossible! What girl could ever resist you?!" Cho laughed. Cedric simply smiled and looked at the ceiling.

"What should we toast to?" asked Cedric.

"Hmm…to all the girls that will utterly please Cedric Diggory and drive his senses wild!"

Cedric burst into laughter. "Miss Chang?"

"Mr. Diggory!" Cho beamed while they clicked their glasses to an unusual toast.

Cedric took a small sip from his glass but noticed Cho chug the whole glass. She started to giggle moderately and gave Cedric a flirty smile.

"Oliver barely satisfies me," Cho slipped.

"What?! No way!" Cedric would have much rather talk about his lacking love-life than Oliver, but this was an interesting topic. "Why?" he asked.

"Well…I dunno…something is…off." Cho scooted closer to Cedric and began rubbing his shoulders. "I need someone that can drive MY senses wild."

How was Cedric going to resist that? Cedric could not believe what his ears were telling him. Her forwardness nearly caused him to drop his glass.  He knew she'd only had one butterbeer, and one glass of champagne, surely she still had her wits! 

"Don't you wish these things were easy?" She whispered in his ear and continued her massage. She paused. "I mean, wouldn't it be nice if the perfect guy was right there…easy to find."

Cedric froze, and his spine stiffened suddenly as his body tensed.  This was what he had wanted, what he had been waiting for.  Everything he had been hoping for. But now that the moment was here, he was confused and a bit intimidated.  Technically, she was still with Oliver.  But he wasn't satisfying her and was miles away. 

'Would it be dishonorable to kiss a girl that is obviously detached from her boyfriend? Of course! She's not married to him dammit!' Cedric had his chance, and it was being handed to him on a platter of gold. He was going to take it. He turned around to face her and slipped his arm around her body.

"Nothing's easy, Cho," he whispered and leaned closer.

"Well it should be," Cho whispered back. "Love should be the easiest thing to express…"

"Yes," and as he spoke, his courage swelled and shined through his voice.  His eyes lit up, full of life, as he kissed Cho tenderly on the cheek. "Yes, it should," he whispered in her ear and continued to caress her cheek and upper neck with his lips.

The fluttering of Cedric's lips on her skin sent tingles throughout Cho's body. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. She grew hotter and found it harder to breath with every kiss he gave her. She closed her eyes to experience the sweet pleasure Cedric gave her.

'If this is wrong Cedric, why does it feel so right?' Cho thought to herself.

She could have sworn that Cedric heard her thoughts for he stopped kissing her cheek and gave her a questioning look. But she didn't want him to stop. She wanted something a little more…juicy. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage, her head light, and body still numb from the tingling feeling from his kisses. Her gaze broke from his eyes and drifted down to his lips. They were slightly pink, moist, and extremely appetizing. Cho slowly closed her eyes and pouted her lips. She ran her fingers through Cedric's hair and slowly brought his head closer to hers. Their noses brushed against each other. They were so close. She could almost feel the climatic sensation that would come from kissing his lips. But a door slammed so hard that it shook the room. Cedric pulled back and Cho jumped from surprise.

"OLIVER!" Cho shrieked.

There he was, half frozen from flying in the snow storm across Europe to see Cho about to kiss another guy: his rival. Within a split second, Cho's passion was replaced by guilt and fear. Oliver looked from Cho to Cedric, not with an angry look but rather with hurt and betrayal.  The look on his face shattered Cho's heart.

"It's good to know that I have…or HAD…a girlfriend that I can trust!" Oliver scoffed in a shaky voice and stormed out the chalet holding his injured and now frostbitten wrist.

"OLIVER?! Oliver WAIT!" Cho called and ran after him in the snow.

Oliver's body was already numb because of the cold weather he'd just flown through, but Cho felt full-force the horrible shock of the temperature drop.  Not even bothering with her shoes, she ran out into the snow calling out to Oliver, but doing little that got his attention.  Oliver walked on. With every step, he could feel another crack appear in his broken heart.  The sound of her voice calling out hit him as if a hammer were driving a stake further into his heart, adding more and more cracks with every blow. 

'How could she? I trusted her!' he thought to himself.

The wind blew harder and muffled Cho's call but her pleading voice rang like a siren in Oliver's ears. He froze in his tracks. His feet wanted to move on and run away from what he saw, but something inside him wanted to stop. He turned around and saw Cho struggling through the banks of snow trying to chase after him. She looked like a helpless hare lost in the snow. He clutched his jaw as he watched her thrash about. He glared unsympathetically at the girl that betrayed his heart. He stood there and let her come to him.

"Oliver, please!" she cried. "Oliver, I am so sorry!" Oliver just looked at her with a bitter glare. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at his face. He was unresponsive. "Do you want to talk this out?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Cho. Good-bye!"

Oliver broke apart from her and continued to walk away. Cho shrieked his name and her cries grew more intense. Oliver stopped again. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to leave her, especially after what she did. 'This should be so easy… look at what she did to me!  She betrayed me!  Why can't I leave?  Why should I stay?!'

"Oliver, please!" Cho cried and stumbled at his feet.

Her skin was turning purple and her muscles became rigid. She was suffering from the bitter snow storm. Oliver finally realized that Cho had chased after him in this awful weather without the protection of a coat or shoes. The last few unbroken areas of his heart melted when he realized what she was risking by such brazen actions.  But the question still lingered in his mind, could he trust her?

Oliver tried to pick up Cho, but the recurring pain in his wrist made it difficult. For just that moment, he swallowed both physical and emotional pain to see Cho to safety. He carried her inside the chalet and rested her by the fireplace. Cedric had already left the room, but Oliver was too concerned with Cho to worry about Cedric's whereabouts. With the flick of his wand, he revived the fireplace and bundled Cho with a blanket which was magically warmed. She was on her way to healing as his pain, emotions and all, returned to his body.

Oliver glanced over at the coffee table and saw a pair of glasses and a champagne bottle. The bottle reminded him of their romantic dinner in the garden earlier that year. Now she shared that romance with Cedric. Oliver's heart shattered more with such a thought. To compensate for his emotions he furiously swung his fist at the bottle. It broke apart from the impact and shattered pieces flew across the room. Oliver pulled back his hand that throbbed with pain. On top of the soreness of the fractured wrist, his hand now suffered from the impalement of broken glass. Cho had finally warmed up enough to speak again.

"Oliver," she said softly with tears running down her face.

Oliver studied her face but kept a bitter façade. He realized that her face was covered in sorrow, guilty, and asking for forgiveness.  Cho gently took his hand and picked out each piece of glass one by one. Each piece that was pulled from his body stung but he kept his twitching under control.  Her touch and concern made him weak inside, but only showed her a steely resolve.  When Cho finished she rubbed a healing solution over the cuts and bandaged the wound. In doing so, she grabbed his broken wrist the wrong way. He yelled in pain.

"What happened?" Cho asked, quite worried.

"Nothing!" Oliver curtly replied. More tears ran down Cho's face. "It's nothing. Just an accident."

Cho left Oliver briefly and returned with the same solution of Skele-gro that she gave Cedric the day before. She begged Oliver to drink it. He did so but was still too hurt from seeing her with Cedric to properly appreciate her kindness. However, he was impressed that her care was so effective. Almost instantly, the pain of the cold, fractured wrist, and cuts left his body.

"Why, Cho?" he had to ask. "Is there a reason? Something I did?"

Cho looked away. She wanted to express her feelings to him. She wanted to tell him that she felt that he didn't care for her and that Cedric certainly did. She wanted to tell him that he was overly obsessed with Quidditch and that it drove her away. She wanted to tell him that she was tired of showing love for him but for little return.  But, she didn't want to hurt him anymore than she already had.

"Cho?" Oliver lifted her chin with his bandaged hand and looked at her tenderly. He had a feeling that she had a lot to tell him but she didn't want to express her thoughts. "Please, if you're really sorry then you'll tell me what's on your mind."

Cho was trapped. She would feel guilty and he'd be hurt if she kept quiet, and things would just fester and grow until they hit a point that everything shattered beyond repair.  Or she could speak her peace and wrench Oliver's heart out now, and appear to stomp it flat.

"It's just that…" Cho shifted uncomfortably. "I don't…"

"Yes?" Oliver pressed. She looked up at him in tears.

"I don't know if this is working! You care more about Quidditch than you do about me! You're obsessive! You ignore me! You are unstable! On minute you're warm but soon after you're cold! And I always get hurt by your mood swings! You treat me like a trophy, not as your girlfriend!" She broke into violent tears.

Oliver swallowed hard. He had never realized that he treated Cho so badly. No wonder she sought comfort in Cedric. Cho was the kind of girl than needed care and devotion. Things that Cedric already gave her. But Oliver wasn't going to let some other guy steal his girl. He would change. He put his arm around Cho and rested her head towards his chest. She continued to cry in his robes and clutched them hard.

"What's going on with you and Cedric?" he had to ask that too. Cho's sniffles died a little.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Enough apologies. Just answer me…" Oliver caught himself being too brash, "…please."

"Nothing, Oliver. We are just friends."

"That's not what it looked liked," he responded in a calm tone suppressing his urge to yell.

Cho released a deep sigh. "I know. I guess…I don't know why…I wasn't thinking right."

She looked up at him pleadingly. Oliver took a minute to study her face and decided he should offer her another chance.

"You've broken my trust in you. It will take a lot for it to grow back. You really hurt me Cho." He lifted her chin and looked deep in her eyes. "But I realize that I hurt you too and I am truly sorry. I do very much care about you."

Oliver then leaned closer and gave Cho a passionate kiss. Cho could have melted. Through that kiss, she could feel Oliver's arrogance and cockiness dry away. She believed that he did care for her and was willing to show as much. Cho may never forget how neglecting Oliver was, but was willing to give her relationship with him another chance. What about Cedric? For a brief moment, he graced inside her thought as she kissed Oliver.

'Maybe it's was just the Champagne,' she thought and again bottled up her feelings toward him.

Up the staircase, Cedric sat and eavesdropped on Oliver and Cho's conversation. His chest ached and eyes watered. He was feeling a pool of emotions. He felt an immense amount of guilt and panic for kissing another guy's girl. Even if that guy was his rival. He felt like he was played. Throughout the vacation, Cho gave him mixed feelings as if she wanted more than friendship. 'She must be feeling something for me,' Cedric kept telling himself. But he heard her feelings spill toward Oliver. 'We are just friends.' Once again that "F-word" violently rang in his ears. Most of all, he felt the sting of coming so close to Cho only to be once again distanced.

Cedric stood up with his head high. For almost a year, he showed nothing but love and affection to Cho, only to be ignored in Oliver's presence and used in his absence. 'This is the last time, Cho. I am not going to chase you anymore. I am not going to show any affection. Obviously is not getting me anywhere. I still love you with all my heart. I can't deny that. But it is dishonorable for me to show it…at least right now. Right now, when you say we are just friends. I hope Oliver finally treats you right. Good bye Miss Chang.'

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

~* Phaedra Note *~

Ahh! So close! Don't I have a habit of setting up a fabulous kissing scene only to knock it down before it could happen? Now the tables have turned! Will Cho and Cedric ever get together? Well, obviously! Give me time! Promise it will be good! I have it brewing in my head for quite some time. Moments just not right, yet.

Perhaps I overstepped the PG-13 boundaries once again with some innuendoes. Hm. Nah! Sure you guys love it! Now, realize this isn't the end! We are halfway through the year and thus half-way through the story. I have decided to proceed into the Cho's fifth (GOF) sixth year (OOTP). Unfortunately, chapters will come slow due to school starting up again. Then again, I will always need to vent out frustration in romantic writing. (I'll be expecting a lot of that this year).

0=|===  Kaihn's Note-ation  ===|=0

So close, and yet so far away.  Cedric, I feel your pain.  Oliver, you embody every guy who's full of it and treats his woman like she's a burden that I have known.  You're lucky that my literary self didn't face you in the finals of that duel two chapters ago. 

Once again, the authoress has done it.   Another work of art posted on the 'net for all to enjoy.  Now, If I can just get her to put the whips away when I'm editing…

Just kidding.  This is fun!