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?).

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

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~ The Power of Plumage ~

By: Phaedra
Editor: Kaihn Aelathali

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With his heart once again shattered by having Cho so close, and losing another opportunity, Cedric slowly trudged to his room.  The fresh memories of listening to Cho and Oliver weighed his body down and had his feet feeling as if they were made of lead.   In mere moments, he had been taken from floating on the highest of highs, to being tossed about on the cold stormy sea of rejection.  He slowly cracked open the door and instantly heard boisterous laughs of Roger, and if his ears weren't mistaken, Drew. Perplexed of their sudden friendship, he stepped in and slammed the door to announce his arrival, and hint at his displeasure.

"Cedric! Finished already?" Roger exclaimed until he noticed Cedric's solemn face. "What's got you down? Weren't you with that little hottie?"

"He's here, isn't he?" asked Drew, his tone matching Cedric's look.

"Oliver? Yes." Cedric frowned.

"Oliver? Oliver who?" Roger was confused.

"OLIVER WOOD!" Cedric let his voice rise. "He flew from Northern England…on broomstick…to see Cho."

"NO!" Roger said in disbelief.

"You bloody half-wit!  Look!" Drew said pointing at the small hole that had been magically turned into a viewing hole for the other rooms.

Roger scurried over and saw Cho and Oliver snogging by the fireplace. Cedric remained where he was standing. He couldn't bear the thought of seeing the couple together.

"Well son of a witch!" Roger gasped. "That little harlot!"

"Harlot?  Hardly, Wood is her official boyfriend you twit." Drew turned to Cedric. "Tough break, Cedric," said Drew as he patted Cedric on the back for reassurance. "There are plenty of other options, you know."

Cedric took note that Drew's hand was still on his shoulder and joked despite his emotional pain, "No thanks, Drew."

Roger quickly turned around with eyes wide in shock of the innuendo. Could Roger's new idol be serious?  Drew frowned at Cedric's reference and smacked him across the head as Roger breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now Cedric, as much as a catch as you may be, you're not my type," Drew replied sardonically. "I'll stick to doing more in fifteen minutes with girls that used to hate me than what you can manage in a semester with girls that love you."

"So…what is it that you got that I don't? C'mon, what's your secret?" Roger acted like a giddy school girl sharing bedtime stories. Both Cedric and Drew ignored Roger.

"Love? Does she…? No, she couldn't…"

"Are you really that daft, Cedric?" Drew scolded. "It seems that the only person that can't see it is you!"

"Well tell me! How do you explain that?" Cedric furiously pointed to the peeping hole.  "She has a really funny way of showing it!"

"No, you just have a funny way of understanding the way things tend to work.  She's in a relationship, and regardless of how bad it may be, just being a better man than Oliver won't take her away from him.  Just wait, those two won't last."

"How can you be so sure?" Cedric stood with a frown. He burrowed his eyebrows, crossed his arms and pouted. He didn't want to hear the truth.

"Because I know her!  I know her type.  Her needs, her wants, the way she works.  If you paid attention to things once in a while, so would you!"

"So, you gave it to Cho too?" asked Roger in shock. Drew frowned and raised his hand to smack Roger before he shrieked and dove under the bed.

"Cho is rather young and quite naïve. But with how smart she is, it shouldn't take too long for her to realize that Oliver is too typical for her."

"Naïve?" pressed Cedric. "I know what his kind will do to NAÏVE young girls! I won't have it!"

"He won't take too much advantage of her, or I'll take care of him myself.  Keep in mind, there are other girls out there that are worth seeing," advised Drew.

"So…uh…back to you and Heidi," Roger beamed at Drew. "How did you do it? I've been trying to get Heidi to be my girlfriend for years!"

Drew raised a brow as he finally turned to face Roger. "Girlfriend? Who said anything about Heidi being my girlfriend?"

Cedric and Roger's eyes grew wide and jaw dropped. "You have to…after that…aren't they always…" Cedric stammered.

"They don't have to be your girlfriend?" Roger finished.

Drew calmly shook his head.  "Idiots! Emotional closeness and physical lust are two different things.  You can have the physics without the emotion.  And thus far, Heidi has not mentioned anything about emotion."

Roger and Cedric exchanged surprised glances and looked back at Drew in shock. Perhaps they were a lot more naïve then they thought. Drew simply shrugged and smirked.

"We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" Roger fell to his knees and bowed to Drew.

Drew rolled his eyes and extended a hand in gratitude. Cedric stood his ground and just looked at Drew with a disapproving stare.

"I wouldn't snog with a girl if I didn't care about her!" Cedric said honorably.

"Cedric, I never said I didn't care.  There's just more than one sort of care.  And she hasn't mentioned the sort of care you are looking for," Drew said as he tried to shake Roger from kissing his shoes. "Besides, there will be plenty of time for romance and love later. We're teenagers! Let us enjoy our magic wands before they fizzle."

Cedric's mind split in two.  He could not approve of physical intimacy without true love and condemned those who did.  He had always prided himself in being an honest gentleman, who only romanced those he loved.

'But then again, it has gotten me no where,' Cedric thought. 'Perhaps I should just forget about this whole mess and have fun. Yeah…single and fun!'

The door opened and Heidi stepped in wearing a strong perfume. She was looking rather attractive, but Drew didn't flinch. She approached him with a flirty smile and kissed him on the cheek.

"I miss you, do you want to meet me?" she whispered in his ear.

"Yes.  Go wait for me," Drew said easily. "I have unfinished business with these two."

"Okay!" Heidi beamed and bounced out of the room. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Anyone up for a drink at 'Plumage?'" Drew asked the boys.

"PLUMAGE?! That place where the waitresses are gorgeous witches…in short skirts?! AH!" Roger shrieked from excitement.

"Wait a minute, what about Heidi?" questioned Cedric pointing at the door.

"I did tell her I had some business with you two. She just didn't ask what or how long it would take. She'll be waiting when we get back. Let's go!"

They grabbed their coats and exited the room, Roger still groveling at Drew's feet. Cedric, clearly disgusted that Roger idolized Drew's behavior, picked up Roger by the collar, kicked his buttocks, and ordered him to walk strait. They walked downstairs, and to Cedric's disappointment, met Oliver and Cho who were snuggling on the couch.

"You, Wood.  Get your boots on.  You're coming with us."  Drew's voice made it clear that there was no arguing the matter.

Cedric's body shuddered, but he managed to hold his head high as Oliver shot a nasty look at him.  'What the hell is Drew thinking?  It's bad enough Cho teased me, and then ditched me as soon as Wood showed up, but now I'm supposed to accompany him on a friendly outing?  This is madness!'

Oliver rolled his eyes. "No thanks!" He turned back to Cho and kissed her on the head. He knew Cedric was watching.

"What's going on?" asked Cho.

"Just a friendly outing, Cho. Be back soon. Sometime this century, Oliver?"

Cho was reluctant to part with Oliver so soon after their argument. She was sure that he was also content staying with her for the rest of the night. However, she figured that it was best for Cedric to straighten out this mess with Oliver with Drew and Roger present. With them there, no duel could break out.

"Go on, Ollie. I'll wait," she said smiling at him. Her cheeks were bright pink for she knew that Cedric was glaring at her.

"Be back soon," he kissed Cho on the cheek, shot yet another nasty look at Cedric and followed Drew out the door and into a cab.

The cab was quiet for most of the trip for downtown, other than Roger's occasional worships to Drew. Oliver was stuck in the middle between Cedric and Roger. On one side was as annoying pratt that worshiped anyone more experienced with women. On the other side he rubbed elbows with the guy that chased his girl. He had to use every ounce of his strength to restrain from punching Cedric, or conducting a charm to open the cab door and send him flying into the streets.

"What's going on Thornborough?" demanded Oliver.

"Plumage." The cab stopped in the parking lot of the famous restaurant for single wizards.

"Plumage?" coughed Oliver as he crawled out of the cab. "You dragged me from my girl to Plumage?"

"Yes.  Problem, Wood?"

"Why?  Why are you doing this! Bringing me to your adolescent outings…and with HIM!" Oliver jabbed a finger towards Cedric.  Oliver's face filled with rage and his words strained through gritted teeth.

"As far as adolescents go, you're far more of one than I ever was or will be.  But, I have two reasons Wood.  First, we're going to straighten some things out here tonight. I'll be damned if I let you two rip that poor girl in half.  And secondly of course, I'm always partial to a bit of plumage myself, you ass."

Drew turned on his heel and strode towards the door before Oliver could reply again.  Roger nipped at Drew's heels like a puppy following someone home, while Cedric and Oliver reluctantly followed.  The quartet entered the building, and as Cedric and Oliver milled about in the lobby, as far away from each other as possible, Drew asked the hostess for a table as Roger stared in awe at the staff members.  Drew smacked Roger in the head. 

"Try not to spill too much drool, you'll drown us all!"  scoffed Drew.

But it was too late, Roger was goggle-eying every waitress. They were all incredibly seductive knockouts. Some must have a bit of Veela blood. Oliver and Cedric both smiled lightly at Drew's remark, until they each saw the other smiling. 

Their faces twisted back to scowls as Drew motioned for them to follow him to a table.  The four wove their way through the bustling restaurant, Cedric occaisionally having to kick Roger to keep him on track.  The hostess motioned to their table and left them with a smile.  Drew pushed Roger into the booth and then sat near the aisle blocking him in.  Cedric and Oliver frowned, and reluctantly sat across from him. 

Before Cedric or Oliver could demand to know what was going on, a waitress appeared to take their order.  Roger's eyes widened as he basked in her beauty, but Drew kept himself composed. 

"Three firewhiskeys, and one bottle of pure tonic.  Thank you, Sue Ellen."

As Sue Ellen walked away, Roger's gaze followed her, but Cedric and Oliver sat still, both staring at Drew, waiting.  They barely noticed their drinks slide onto the table in front of them.  Drew picked up his glass and took a sip, matching their stare, his eyes darting between the two.  Oblivious to all of this, Roger slammed down his firewhiskey and his head was nearly spinning completely around, trying to take in every detail of every waitress.

"Well?" Oliver finally broke the silence.

"Well, what, Ollie?"  Drew asked.   Cedric sniggered.

"DON'T CALL ME OLLIE!"  Oliver yelled slamming his fist on the table.

"Bite me, Wood.   I've already told you why we're here."

"But I don't understand?  Why here?  Why couldn't we do this back at the resort?" Cedric asked. 

"Because you two simple minded jackasses, the cause of the problems is AT the resort.  Ergo, we are elsewhere for the moment.  Besides, who doesn't enjoy a little bit of a show now and then?"

"I'm in no mood for games Thornborough.  Make your point so we can get out of here and I can get back to my girl!"  Oliver snapped.  Cedric flinched.

"Now you see Wood? That is exactly what I mean."

Cedric, still irritated by Oliver's last remark, spoke up.  "What are you playing at Drew?  Why do you care?"

Drew took another sip of his drink, and then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and his chin on his folded hands.

"Playing?  Hardly.  First of all, I don't give a damn about you two saps.  You're two of the biggest fools I've ever met.  Wood, you remind me why I hate my own gender, and Cedric, you remind me what a pain in the ass I used to be.  I'm here for one reason, and that is Cho."

Roger's ears perked up and he turned his attention to the conversation.  "Cho? What about Cho? She's hot too but nothing compared to that one!" he said pointed to a waitress at the next table.

Drew didn't turn his head, but raised one foot and brought it down hard on Roger's toes under the table.  Roger yelped and reached under the table and grabbed his foot, banging his head on the table in the process.

"Now, as I was saying, both of you jackasses love her, right?"

"Yes," Cedric said promptly and Oliver nodded hesitantly.

Oliver had an unsure look on his face. When Oliver heard Cedric's prompt response he cast him a half-angry half-shocked stare. Cedric glared at Oliver for not actually saying "Yes."

"And it's obvious both of you are important to her, right?  Wood?" 

"Of course!" Oliver proudly nodded. 

"Diggory?"  Drew asked. Cedric slowly nodded an agreement. "So what's the damn problem?" 

Oliver and Cedric spoke at once.
 

"He's trying to steal my girl!"

"He treats her terribly!"

"She's dating me, not him!"

"He doesn't satisfy her!"

At that last remark, Oliver rose strait in the air and pulled his fist back to take a swing.  Drew raised his hand to call for silence. 

"Shut the hell up, both of you! Sit DOWN, Wood! Listen to yourselves.  Cedric, who is she dating?"

Cedric's jaw dropped, he had thought Drew was on his side. After a moment of struggle, managed to say, "him."

"Now, Ollie, did you hear that?"  Oliver flinched at the stress Drew put on the nickname, but nodded.  "Good.  That wasn't so painful, was it?"

"That doesn't change a damn thing!" Oliver was beyond furious. Drew rolled his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Ollie, get it through your thick skull.  Those two were friends before you were around.  Deal with it."

Oliver frowned and gritted his teeth. "They…almost…SNOGGED!"

"Almost only counts in horseshoes and fireball spells.  And as I recall, there was a rather empty bottle nearby too."

"That's no excuse!"

"Ollie, Ollie, Ollie…haven't you ever gotten drunk and done something idiotic?  I'm sure you have! You do them sober too? Hm?" Drew cocked his head.

From the look in his eyes Drew could tell that Oliver done just that. Cedric's heart sank.

"Idiotic?" asked Cedric. "I'm sure she meant every bit of what she did!" Oliver growled.

"Then why did she run after 'ol Ollie in the death of winter?"

"HA!" Oliver boasted at Cedric.

"Shut up!" Cedric snapped back.

"Make me!"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" ordered Drew. "Look Oliver, we three" Drew referred to himself, Cedric, and Roger who was at that moment staring at the girl bending over wiping the next table, "at this table all have a thing for that hottie, as Roger tactfully calls her, girlfriend of yours." Oliver stood in anger. "Sit DOWN!  If you don't watch that temper of yours, it's going to hurt her! And then I'm going to have to hurt you, Wood.  Now, you are going to learn to accept the fact that Cho is going to attract hungry wolves and may be too naïve to fend them off!"

Everyone looked at the table in disbelief, still digesting that Drew had admitted his thoughts on Cho's appearance. Drew shrugged.

"What? I can't look either?"

Cedric stood and excused himself.  "I'll be back." 

"Cedric, sit your arse down, I'm not finished with you either!"  demanded Drew.  Cedric sat down, surprised at the outburst.  Drew continued.  "The day you hit puberty, my odds of nailing a girl became about as equal as Longbottom pulling off a spell properly.  Take my advice, Diggory. Don't waste yourself away chasing girls you can't have.  Forget about Cho for now and look elsewhere.  I know that you're at the top of a lot of lists; somehow you rate higher than I do.  Let her go! If she comes back to you then you know its destined and all that good stuff.  In the meantime, don't waste your life away pining; that only ends in madness.  Trust me on that, it is not a pleasant lesson to learn the hard way."

There was a long pause at the table. Oliver didn't want to have to associate with Cedric, especially after the events of earlier tonight, but realized that he had to tolerate him on some level for Cho's sake. Cedric's pride was crushed. He had to witness Cho run after Oliver after she led him to believe that she had strong feelings toward him as well as being ordered to forget about her and move on. With Oliver present. However, he decided to follow Drew's advice and explore his other options.

"Excuse me." Cedric left the table and headed toward the wash room.

Oliver looked at the table and shook his head.  Drew raised a hand and signaled for the waitress.  He motioned for her to come close and then whispered in her ear.  Roger nudged in closer, being the nosy prick that he was, only to receive a blow in the ribs from Drew's elbow. She smiled, straightened up, and walked away.  Oliver watched in disbelief as the waitress walked up to Cedric before he could get back to the table.  She tiptoed to whisper something in his ear, handed him a small piece of paper, and kissed him on the cheek.  Cedric stood there dumbfounded and touched the spot in on his cheek where Sue Ellen kissed. Drew flashed a small smile as Roger turned three shades of envy green.  Oliver raised an eyebrow at Drew, but received only a smirk for an answer.  Cedric finally reappeared, but instead of sitting, stood at the head of the table beaming.

"That…that waitress gave me her number!" 

Oliver spit out the Firewhiskey he'd started to drink, but Drew just smiled again. They all looked over to Sue Ellen who was giggling with a bunch of other waitresses. The girls were occasionally shooting glances in Cedric's direction and smiling.

"See gents, making progress already.  Wood, Diggory, let's go."

"Go? Now? But I…I didn't get…" Roger cried.

"NOW DAVIES!"

Oliver rose from the table, and followed Drew and Cedric.  Oliver and Cedric still kept their distance, but the tension between them was no longer thick enough to strangle people.  Roger lingered at the doorway in the lobby for a moment before Drew retraced his steps, grabbed Roger's collar, and dragged him out of the building and into the waiting cab.

~*~*

Cedric lay awake on his bed staring at the piece of paper Sue Ellen had given him at the restaurant. It was an hour before the New Year and everyone in the house was about to congregate downstairs to welcome it. Cedric was still trying to finally accept that he and Cho had no chance as long as Oliver was her boyfriend.  He found the concept simple enough, but grasping it was proving far more difficult.  He stared at the paper with seven digits on it and wondered if he should start to move on tonight.

'What do I have to lose now?' Cedric thought and picked up his wand to page Sue Ellen.

After a few moments of speaking, there were two loud pops. Cedric flinched and turn to see Sue Ellen smiling with a friend of hers from the restaurant. They had apparated into his room.

"Bonjour!" exclaimed Sue Ellen. Her friend smiled and batted their eyelashes.

"H…Hi!" Cedric gasped and stood. Their apparel was far more relaxed, and more revealing, than their waitress uniforms.   "I…I didn't know you could apparate! Is the age limit here different than in England?"

Sue Ellen's friend giggled shrilly and spoke rapid French. Sue Ellen smiled and blushed deep red.

"Ve 'ave been apparating for four years!" she expressed in a strong French accent and smiled.

'Oh…my…God! Older…experienced…gorgeous…French…witches!'

"'Ou seem 'ery tense See-drick!" Sue Ellen breathed and walked over to Cedric.

She nudged him to sit on the bed, sat on his lap, and kissed him softly on the cheek. Cedric's nerves took over his system, and he started to shake.

"'Eee ez so cute!" Sue Ellen beamed and petted the side of his cheek.

"Très mignon! Je veux le manger vers le haut!" Sue Ellen's friend breathed as she hugged Cedric from behind and ruffled his hair.

"Uh…buh…ah…" Cedric flustered.

Cedric could not believe his luck.  Moments ago, he'd just been lying on his bed drowning himself in the vast depths of his own sorrow, mourning the seemingly permanent loss of Cho.  All of his hopes had been crushed, his dreams shattered, his heart broken, and his soul torn asunder.  Then everything had changed.  Now he was on his bed with two beautiful and quite friendly witches. Two! His mind couldn't be further from depression without his body committing to acts he wasn't quite willing to do. What was a teenage boy with raging hormones suppose to think?

Downstairs, the party was near starting.  "Where is everyone?" asked Cho looking at her watch. "It's about to turn midnight!"

"Probably upstairs snogging like little…" Oliver scoffed.

"Oliver! Please!" Cho said and headed upstairs.

"I'll go with you." Roger followed.

Cho made her way to the room Cedric was sharing with Roger, hoping he would be there.  She also wanted to take the opportunity to apologize to Cedric, and to make sure their friendship wouldn't suffer from the night's events.  As she neared the door, it opened and Drew stepped out, closed it behind him and walked down the hall away from Cho not noticing her.  It took Cho a second to realize that was the way to Heidi's room.  Roger tried not to smile or be crude in front of Cho.

'I'm sure she'll follow when she's straightened her blouse!' Cho shook her head, barely believing her own thoughts and headed toward the next room. Roger tried to open the door to his room but it was locked. He made perplexing face and knocked the door. No answer.

"Why is the door locked?" asked Cho when Roger met with her. "What's going on?"

"Maybe he's polishing his wand," said Roger. Cho rolled her eyes.

"ALOHOMORA!" Cho performed the unlocking spell to open the door.

The door swung open but did not stop the witches from their play. One was sitting in Cedric's lap facing him with his hands on her hips and their lips firmly locked.  The other was rubbing his shoulders from behind and occasionally nibbling on his earlobes. Cho's heart stopped. Before they could take notice of their audience, Cho dashed to the bathroom and slammed the door. The slam stopped the girls from kissing Cedric, but they only saw Roger whose eyes were wide and lit and jaw hung open, standing in the doorway. There was a long pause.

"WWWWOOOOOO!" Roger howled breaking the awkward silence.

"N…no…" Cedric gasped nearly out of breath, "It's not…I was just…" Cedric broke from the girls to meet Roger. "They…"

"Cedric," Roger gasped as he placed his hand over his heart, "I will never doubt you again! I bow to thee!" And Roger fell to his knees.

"OY! Five more minutes 'til midnight! GET DOWN HERE!" Drew yelled from the steps.

"Um…shall we?" Cedric said to his new 'friends.'

"I 'ave to freshen up," said Sue Ellen as she headed for the bathroom.

"Vous êtes prochain, beau," the other one said to Roger as she brushed his cheek.

Roger, not knowing a word of French didn't understand the invitation to a snog, but her touch was enough to cause him to faint. The girl shrugged her shoulders and stepped over Roger to follow Cedric downstairs. Sue Ellen walked gracefully to the bathroom door and opened it slowly. She saw Cho sitting on the floor hugging her knees with her face streamed with tears.

"Oy! I iz sorry! 'Scuse me!" Sue Ellen apologized and tried to shut the door, but Cho shot to her feet, flung the door open, and purposely knocked Sue Ellen in her busty chest with her shoulder as she walked with her nose in the air. "EEnglis Vomen!"

Throughout the rest of the vacation, Cho showed extra affection towards Oliver, particularly when Cedric was around. However, Cedric had made his presence rare the last couple of days. He would leave early in the morning and not return until late at night. Occasionally, he would stop by the house for a warm butterbeer…to share with Sue Ellen. Even on the rare incidents where he was at the house, he did not look at Cho. But Cho looked at him. Cedric had a happy brightness to his face. It hurt to know that his sunny face wasn't a result of her doing. She wondered what kind of faces he had when it concerned her.

'Sad? Rejected?'

Cho could feel tears starting to brew every time she saw that sunny face. In hopes of relief, she buried her face in Oliver's chest and held him tight. Now that Oliver found new wonderful feelings for Cho, he returned the same sort of affection. But unlike Cho, his actions were a sign of love. He didn't realize that Cho's heart was slipping through his fingers.

~*~*

The vacation drew to a close and the group prepared to head home. Cho decided to ride home with Oliver on the International Knight Bus. (Why didn't Marietta think of that before?) Everyone that was going to ride the muggle plane with Marietta had their bags were packed and loaded in the cab. There were only minutes left before they had to depart.

"You be careful, okay Cha-Cha?" said Marietta as she hugged her friend goodbye. "You too Oliver, take care of her!" Oliver nodded.

"You too, Marietta," Cho replied. "Thank you so much for bringing us along!"

"Bye Cho!" Heidi hugged Cho. "And thanks for bringing HIM!" She flashed a smile at Drew.

"Please be good Heidi," Cho breathed.

Rather than speaking to say good-bye, Drew kissed Cho on the cheek, then snapped his fingers at Heidi to follow him in the cab. Roger smacked Cho on the back and winked at her before following the rest of the girls into the cab. Only Cedric was left. He was standing with his arm rested on the car's hood as the group crowded in the back. She looked longingly at him hoping their eyes would meet, but his gaze was fixed on at the car. Suddenly, Oliver's wand beeped; the International Knight Bus service was trying to contact him. Oliver separated himself to answer the call. Now Cho and Cedric were left alone. He finally looked at her, but not with the warm look that she was used to. She walked slowly toward him. His cold stare did not change.

"See you at school?" he said coolly as he extended his hand. She accepted.

His hands felt like ice, cold enough to match the chill in his eyes and in the air. She held his hand and continued to look tenderly in his eyes hoping to see the passionate look she once ignored. She squeezed his hand hoping that he would pull her arm around him and embrace her good-bye or at least kiss her softly on her hand. Instead, he gave her a half smile and patted her hand once with his free hand.

Cedric's voice was stiff and curt.  "Good-bye Cho." 

He let go of her and got in the front seat of the cab, shutting the door behind him.  He did not look at her again.  The cab driver gunned the engine and the car shot away, leaving Cho behind and showering her with a mist of snow.  Cho's eyes started to water as her lips trembled. If Oliver hadn't placed a hand on her shoulder, she would have cried.  His touch reminded her that someone still cared for her, even if her care for him was waning.  Cedric HAD showed her more concern in one day than Oliver had in months, but what happened to all of it?

~*~*~

"Is something wrong, Cho?" asked Oliver when they were miles away from Champéry on the International Knight Bus, traveling through France. "Are you feeling all right?"

Oliver placed a hand over Cho's forehead to search for a sign of sickness. She was pale and her eyes were watery, but not by the result of an ailment. All Cho could think about was Cedric, and especially his sudden change of feelings for her. She wanted to bury herself in the pillow and wake up in his arms like she did a few days ago. But instead she was in Oliver's arms. He hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. Since Oliver had caught Cho and Cedric about to kiss, he'd been showering her with affection. 

"Cho?" Oliver pressed.

"I'm fine, Oliver," she replied. "I'm just worn out."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to get you anything?"

"I said I'm fine!" Cho snapped.

Oliver was taken back. There was a long pause broken by a frustrated sigh from Cho. For a while, Oliver couldn't figure out what was wrong with her until a light bulb flashed in his head. He wanted to kick himself for not seeing it before.

"Cho? There's something we need to talk about. Something I have been meaning to tell you."

He placed an arm around her and brought her head closer to his chest. Cho's heart beat a little faster. She just knew that he was going to lecture her again about Cedric. She still had strong feelings for Oliver and therefore felt guilty for the new feelings for Cedric that were starting to brew.

"Oliver…I…"

"Cho…I know…this is going to be hard when I graduate. But I am willing to go through great lengths for us."

Cho blinked. She nearly forgot that Oliver was going to graduate from Hogwarts in a few months. She wondered about this many times before but now it really hit her. Her emotional pendulum swung back to Oliver at the mention of his departure.

"Oliver…"

"Cho, you're young and you have years of Hogwarts ahead of you, and it would be selfish of me if I asked you to stay with me…"

Cho's heart stopped and tears swelled with tears. First she had to experience Cedric's iciness and now this. She still loved Oliver and was not prepared for him to leave her.

"OLIVER!"

"Listen…I know I've been a pratt these past few months. There is just so much pressure on me this year!" He lifted her chin to gaze in her eyes. "If it weren't for you, I'd be in St. Mungo's. I will always be yours if you'll have me."

He then hugged her tighter so her face was lost in his broad chest. She could hear his heart thump faster and noticed a faint sniffle coming from Oliver. She nudged away from his embrace enough to look at him. His tender smile and lone tear that built up in his eye was enough for Cho to forget about her feelings for Cedric…for now.

"I'm never going to forget you," he said reaching in his pocket. "And I hope you won't forget me either." He handed her a small box and revealed a ruby ring. "I want you to wear this to remember me always, and to remember that I promised I'd wait for you."

Cho looked at the gold and ruby ring with confusion. A month ago she would have been thrilled to receive such a present from Oliver. However, she couldn't help but wonder if Oliver's new affection was stemming from when he caught her with Cedric. It made her feel worse to accept the present. Very briefly, Cho considered not accepting the gift.  But Oliver removed the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. He then softly kissed that hand and leaned in to passionately kiss Cho's lips.

"Rubies are a sign of love and affection," Oliver said and gazed intently at her.

Cho's heart fluttered. 'How could I doubt you, Oliver? You must really love me! I love you too! And yes, I want to be with you! Whatever I have to go through.'

She finally gave him an affectionate smiled and embraced him which he more than welcomed. She didn't have to say it, but Oliver knew that Cho still had strong feelings for him and was willing to accept his new attitude. She squeezed him tighter and exhaled a sigh of content before falling asleep in his arms.

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~* Phaedra Note *~

Oh don't hate me, Cedric lovers! What's a good romance without the excessive drama? Dang, two women at once, Cedric! What a dog! *ducks from flying tomatoes* Aw C'mon! Can't the poor boy have a bit of fun! He's been pining after Cho for MONTHS! Of course, I'm not encouraging this, but I am the authoress! Don't hate Cedric for exercising his testosterone. He is a curious teenager after all! *giggle*

Well, at this point the story is taken a rather sharp (and hopefully unexpected) twist. I hope you like what's coming!

Preview for Chapter 12: The Writings of a Slytherin ~ Cho experiences Drew's journal and has a different outlook on old memories. And a *maybe* little piece for you Draco/Cho shippers. (Yes, I have caved on that one).

0=={==== Kaihn's Note-ation  ====}==0

Who'd a thunk that a Slytherin would be trying to hammer sense into a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff prefect?  Whoa!  *kicks Roger once in the butt for good measure*

Anyway, mad props to the authoress, once again, for delivering a mass of ass-kicking material here!