Note before I get started on this. THANKS TO ALL WHO READ, TWICE AS MANY
THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Also, I only own things NOT mentioned in the
books.
PS: Pai Lung was a Chinese mythical dragon
Eternal Passion
Chapter 3
After hours of flying, Cho said they were nearing her home. The terrain was looking bleak and featureless with just a few ponds breaking the fields. Pai Lung didn't seem phased by the fact he'd flown across pretty much all of Britain, but looked like he wouldn't mind a rest either. Slowly, the Violta dragon went into a shallow descent so as not to pitch his riders forward. Eventually, a vast moor came into view. Warm updrafts rose off the land, bringing with them the scent of heather and lavender. Skylarks were starting to descend as the sun dipped low into the west. At long last, Pai Lung flared his wings back and halted his momentum. Slowly, he descended to the ground and landed smoothly. Harry let out a sigh.
"Phew! I didn't think riding a Violta dragon would actually tire me out. Pai Lung did the flying, not me."
Cho smiled as she dismounted the dragon, still seeming to be in fairly good shape. Obviously, this wasn't the first time she'd travelled a long distance by dragon.
"Normally you wouldn't feel tired Harry, but you remember how Pai Lung shocked that Death-Eater? Well, he's been absorbing electricity from the atmosphere since then. Also, he's sucked some out of you."
Harry frowned and scratched his head.
"Wait a minute. Violta dragons can drain electricity from PEOPLE?"
Cho nodded. Harry studied the fifteen-foot dragon, who was looking at him as he spoke. Pai Lung swung around, and walked off into the moorland. Harry watched him go.
"Doesn't he have a hiding place? Where do you keep him?"
Cho smiled at the thought of keeping the dragon as a pet.
"We don't keep him. Come on inside, and I'll explain a few things and introduce you to my family."
Harry made sure his bag was over his shoulders properly, and followed Cho into her house. It was reasonably big, and looked fairly luxurious. He felt hesitant going into Cho's home. He hadn't ever been inside a girl's house before, and didn't know what to expect. Cho's home looked fairly ordinary and could have quite easily passed as a Muggle household. A dark-haired woman Harry assumed to be Cho's mother was sat on a sofa watching the TV. A small boy sat on the floor, absent-mindedly playing with a bunch of toys. He didn't look more than eight or nine, and had a look of Cho about him. Cho coughed to get her mother's attention, who responded as if Pai Lung had electrocuted her.
"Oh, hello dear, I see you're back. When did you get back in?"
She turned around, and Harry could instantly see where Cho got her looks from. Cho shifted uneasily as her brother looked up at Harry, his jaws wide.
"Um, we just got back now Mum. Pai Lung went to, err, catch something to eat. Mum, this is Harry Potter."
Cho's mother nodded and smiled, her eyes flickering to Harry's scar.
"Welcome Harry, it's lovely to see you in the flesh at last. Cho never stops talking about you. So you're a Seeker too are you?"
Harry nodded. Cho's mother smiled.
"Cho's last boyfriend was a Seeker as well. Has she told you?"
Harry looked slightly uncomfortable. Cho saw his discomfort and went to her mother and whispered something to her. Cho's mother looked up at Harry.
"Sorry Harry, I didn't know. Are you hungry dear?"
Harry shook his head, but then seemed to reconsider, and nodded. Cho's mother smiled and got up.
"Come on then Harry. Is there anything in particular you'd like?"
Harry considered.
"Well, I don't want to ask for something you don't have. Could you do the choosing for me please?"
Cho's mother laughed.
"If only Cho was like this. Sometimes she takes half an hour to decide what she wants to eat."
Cho flushed red, then picked up Harry's bag and slung it over her back.
"Come on Harry, I'll show you my room. We'll be down when you've done tea for us Mum."
Harry walked upstairs. The house had three bedrooms currently occupied. Cho carried his bag into her room. It was a deep blue in colour, and had pictures of her favourite Quidditch team on the wall. A large cupboard gave off a lovely smell of pine, and at another end of the room was a chest of drawers that also gave off a pine scent. She lit a few candles and then put the bag on the floor and sat on her squashy bed.
"So Harry, what do you think of my home then?"
Harry smiled at her, a red flush creeping into his cheeks. Before he could say anything though, Pai Lung gave a roar outside. Harry jumped, but Cho acted as though it was nothing out of the ordinary. Looking out the window, he could see the dragon had been feeding offshore. What looked like the carcass of a small dolphin was clutched in the dragon's talons, and he was tearing into it with great relish. Cho motioned for him to sit down. Harry complied and squatted on the floor.
"Well Cho, you've got to be the first girl I know to have a pet dragon. How on earth did you tame him?"
Cho giggled a bit.
"I didn't. During You-Know-Who's reign before you were born, he blackmailed and killed a lot of Violta dragons. My father saved Pai Lung from being killed, and I guess you could say he swore a life debt of protection. The amazing thing is that You-Know-Who actually managed to kill so many of the dragons. They aren't easy to kill by any means. And then there's the curse that comes with killing one. The killer is cursed to be haunted with death forever."
Harry nodded. Just as he was about to ask Cho another question, her nine- year old brother came running into the room. He threw himself at Harry, who was knocked flat. The small boy launched into a salvo of questions.
"Are you really Harry Potter? Is it true you'll kill Voldemort? Are you in love with Cho? Can I show you my..."
Cho laughed and prised her brother off Harry, who was looking very flustered.
"Easy now Ben, Harry needs time to answer those questions. Well Harry? What have you got to say?"
Harry went bright red. Cho struggled to keep a straight face as she looked at him.
"Surely it's not too hard to say that you're really Harry Potter? Or are you tongue tied?"
Harry nodded, taken aback by Ben's desire to know if he was in love with his sister. Cho ruffled her little brother's hair.
"Go on now Benny, run off to bed before I turn you into a newt for bothering us. Shoo!"
Ben ran out the room, poking his tongue out at Cho. Harry wiped his forehead.
"Whew. I thought he wouldn't leave us alone. Where can I sleep for tonight please Cho?"
Cho looked around her slightly messy bedroom. When she couldn't see anywhere immediately obvious, she moved off her bed.
"You can sleep in my bed for tonight Harry. We'll sort something out in the morning."
Harry shook his head.
"No, you sleep in your bed Cho. The floor's good enough for me to kip on."
They carried on bickering for several minutes before it was decided. Cho's mother called up at that point, saying that tea was ready. Harry and Cho both went running for the stairs when suddenly they both found themselves falling. It didn't take long to see the culprit. Ben ran out of his room and started singing.
"Harry and Cho are sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Cho made a grab for her little brother, but he was simply too fast. He giggled, waved and ran downstairs. Harry got up, and then, almost as an afterthought, offered his hand to Cho. Cho blushed and took his hand.
"Well, you really are a gentleman Harry. You remember our first Quidditch match together? Would you have knocked me off my broom to get the Snitch?"
Harry thought and shook his head.
"No. I wasn't so desperate to win that I'd fly around dismounting every other player."
"But what if I was about to grab the Snitch?"
"Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, lets just worry about who's the slower of us in going to tea."
Harry and Cho reached the dining room in seconds. Ben was there already, and a dark-skinned man who could only be Cho's father. Harry sat between Ben and Cho, smiling at Cho's dad. He looked up and smiled at Harry.
"Ah, you must be Harry Potter. Welcome to the Chang household. Please, tuck in."
Harry looked down at his food. His plate held a mass of unappetising looking fish, potato and carrots. He sniffed the fish, and on smelling it, he decided it would be rude to delay any longer. He cut a piece off and put it in his mouth. The taste was exquisite. His eyes lit up and he began to eat faster, although he kept his manners and didn't go mental. Once he'd finished what was in his mouth, he looked up at Mrs Chang.
"Excuse me Mrs Chang?"
"Yes Harry?"
"What fish is this?"
"That's sea trout dear. With a few spices and herbs added, in a way only I know how."
She smiled and tapped her nose. Harry smiled back and turned to finish off his meal. When he'd eaten his main course, Ben brought around three helpings of pudding. Harry couldn't help but notice he had the biggest and Cho was being given the smallest. Mr and Mrs Chang had gone into the living room. Cho sighed at Ben.
"Ok Ben, go get me some more! You did that on purpose!"
Ben smiled mischievously.
"This is the lot, Chobacca! TOO BAD!"
Laughing, he ran out of the room. Cho rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Trust me Harry, it's always better to be an only child rather than have that little spider monkey as a brother. The things he gets up to are unbelievable."
Harry began to spoon out his pudding to Cho so they'd have equal amounts.
"So are your parents witches and wizards?"
Cho absent-mindedly played with her food, not looking up.
"My dad's a Squib, and my mum's a witch. Ben isn't showing any magical talent except for new ways to wind me up to the point of distraction."
"Did your parents originally come from this country?"
"No, they met in Hong Kong about twenty or so years ago. They moved over here just as You-Know-Who started looking for followers. This house was a ruin when they got here, so they renovated it. I think you've figured out I'm a year older than you. Then in 1987, we were cursed, I mean blessed, with Ben. He was born on May 24th."
Harry finished his pudding and sat back.
"Very interesting Cho. Your family cooks amazing food."
Cho smiled.
"Why thank you."
They put their plates to be washed up and ran upstairs, avoiding Ben. They sat in Cho's room talking about Quidditch, and then finally Cho asked to be left alone whilst she got ready for bed. Harry went to get changed for bed also. It was getting late, and he was tired from all that had happened that day. He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a while, then headed back to Cho's room. Cho was already in bed when Harry walked in, and he didn't have the heart to disturb her. He smiled at her, as she looked so pretty when she was sleeping. Silently, he slid inside his sleeping bag and drifted off into a deep sleep.
PS: Pai Lung was a Chinese mythical dragon
Eternal Passion
Chapter 3
After hours of flying, Cho said they were nearing her home. The terrain was looking bleak and featureless with just a few ponds breaking the fields. Pai Lung didn't seem phased by the fact he'd flown across pretty much all of Britain, but looked like he wouldn't mind a rest either. Slowly, the Violta dragon went into a shallow descent so as not to pitch his riders forward. Eventually, a vast moor came into view. Warm updrafts rose off the land, bringing with them the scent of heather and lavender. Skylarks were starting to descend as the sun dipped low into the west. At long last, Pai Lung flared his wings back and halted his momentum. Slowly, he descended to the ground and landed smoothly. Harry let out a sigh.
"Phew! I didn't think riding a Violta dragon would actually tire me out. Pai Lung did the flying, not me."
Cho smiled as she dismounted the dragon, still seeming to be in fairly good shape. Obviously, this wasn't the first time she'd travelled a long distance by dragon.
"Normally you wouldn't feel tired Harry, but you remember how Pai Lung shocked that Death-Eater? Well, he's been absorbing electricity from the atmosphere since then. Also, he's sucked some out of you."
Harry frowned and scratched his head.
"Wait a minute. Violta dragons can drain electricity from PEOPLE?"
Cho nodded. Harry studied the fifteen-foot dragon, who was looking at him as he spoke. Pai Lung swung around, and walked off into the moorland. Harry watched him go.
"Doesn't he have a hiding place? Where do you keep him?"
Cho smiled at the thought of keeping the dragon as a pet.
"We don't keep him. Come on inside, and I'll explain a few things and introduce you to my family."
Harry made sure his bag was over his shoulders properly, and followed Cho into her house. It was reasonably big, and looked fairly luxurious. He felt hesitant going into Cho's home. He hadn't ever been inside a girl's house before, and didn't know what to expect. Cho's home looked fairly ordinary and could have quite easily passed as a Muggle household. A dark-haired woman Harry assumed to be Cho's mother was sat on a sofa watching the TV. A small boy sat on the floor, absent-mindedly playing with a bunch of toys. He didn't look more than eight or nine, and had a look of Cho about him. Cho coughed to get her mother's attention, who responded as if Pai Lung had electrocuted her.
"Oh, hello dear, I see you're back. When did you get back in?"
She turned around, and Harry could instantly see where Cho got her looks from. Cho shifted uneasily as her brother looked up at Harry, his jaws wide.
"Um, we just got back now Mum. Pai Lung went to, err, catch something to eat. Mum, this is Harry Potter."
Cho's mother nodded and smiled, her eyes flickering to Harry's scar.
"Welcome Harry, it's lovely to see you in the flesh at last. Cho never stops talking about you. So you're a Seeker too are you?"
Harry nodded. Cho's mother smiled.
"Cho's last boyfriend was a Seeker as well. Has she told you?"
Harry looked slightly uncomfortable. Cho saw his discomfort and went to her mother and whispered something to her. Cho's mother looked up at Harry.
"Sorry Harry, I didn't know. Are you hungry dear?"
Harry shook his head, but then seemed to reconsider, and nodded. Cho's mother smiled and got up.
"Come on then Harry. Is there anything in particular you'd like?"
Harry considered.
"Well, I don't want to ask for something you don't have. Could you do the choosing for me please?"
Cho's mother laughed.
"If only Cho was like this. Sometimes she takes half an hour to decide what she wants to eat."
Cho flushed red, then picked up Harry's bag and slung it over her back.
"Come on Harry, I'll show you my room. We'll be down when you've done tea for us Mum."
Harry walked upstairs. The house had three bedrooms currently occupied. Cho carried his bag into her room. It was a deep blue in colour, and had pictures of her favourite Quidditch team on the wall. A large cupboard gave off a lovely smell of pine, and at another end of the room was a chest of drawers that also gave off a pine scent. She lit a few candles and then put the bag on the floor and sat on her squashy bed.
"So Harry, what do you think of my home then?"
Harry smiled at her, a red flush creeping into his cheeks. Before he could say anything though, Pai Lung gave a roar outside. Harry jumped, but Cho acted as though it was nothing out of the ordinary. Looking out the window, he could see the dragon had been feeding offshore. What looked like the carcass of a small dolphin was clutched in the dragon's talons, and he was tearing into it with great relish. Cho motioned for him to sit down. Harry complied and squatted on the floor.
"Well Cho, you've got to be the first girl I know to have a pet dragon. How on earth did you tame him?"
Cho giggled a bit.
"I didn't. During You-Know-Who's reign before you were born, he blackmailed and killed a lot of Violta dragons. My father saved Pai Lung from being killed, and I guess you could say he swore a life debt of protection. The amazing thing is that You-Know-Who actually managed to kill so many of the dragons. They aren't easy to kill by any means. And then there's the curse that comes with killing one. The killer is cursed to be haunted with death forever."
Harry nodded. Just as he was about to ask Cho another question, her nine- year old brother came running into the room. He threw himself at Harry, who was knocked flat. The small boy launched into a salvo of questions.
"Are you really Harry Potter? Is it true you'll kill Voldemort? Are you in love with Cho? Can I show you my..."
Cho laughed and prised her brother off Harry, who was looking very flustered.
"Easy now Ben, Harry needs time to answer those questions. Well Harry? What have you got to say?"
Harry went bright red. Cho struggled to keep a straight face as she looked at him.
"Surely it's not too hard to say that you're really Harry Potter? Or are you tongue tied?"
Harry nodded, taken aback by Ben's desire to know if he was in love with his sister. Cho ruffled her little brother's hair.
"Go on now Benny, run off to bed before I turn you into a newt for bothering us. Shoo!"
Ben ran out the room, poking his tongue out at Cho. Harry wiped his forehead.
"Whew. I thought he wouldn't leave us alone. Where can I sleep for tonight please Cho?"
Cho looked around her slightly messy bedroom. When she couldn't see anywhere immediately obvious, she moved off her bed.
"You can sleep in my bed for tonight Harry. We'll sort something out in the morning."
Harry shook his head.
"No, you sleep in your bed Cho. The floor's good enough for me to kip on."
They carried on bickering for several minutes before it was decided. Cho's mother called up at that point, saying that tea was ready. Harry and Cho both went running for the stairs when suddenly they both found themselves falling. It didn't take long to see the culprit. Ben ran out of his room and started singing.
"Harry and Cho are sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Cho made a grab for her little brother, but he was simply too fast. He giggled, waved and ran downstairs. Harry got up, and then, almost as an afterthought, offered his hand to Cho. Cho blushed and took his hand.
"Well, you really are a gentleman Harry. You remember our first Quidditch match together? Would you have knocked me off my broom to get the Snitch?"
Harry thought and shook his head.
"No. I wasn't so desperate to win that I'd fly around dismounting every other player."
"But what if I was about to grab the Snitch?"
"Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, lets just worry about who's the slower of us in going to tea."
Harry and Cho reached the dining room in seconds. Ben was there already, and a dark-skinned man who could only be Cho's father. Harry sat between Ben and Cho, smiling at Cho's dad. He looked up and smiled at Harry.
"Ah, you must be Harry Potter. Welcome to the Chang household. Please, tuck in."
Harry looked down at his food. His plate held a mass of unappetising looking fish, potato and carrots. He sniffed the fish, and on smelling it, he decided it would be rude to delay any longer. He cut a piece off and put it in his mouth. The taste was exquisite. His eyes lit up and he began to eat faster, although he kept his manners and didn't go mental. Once he'd finished what was in his mouth, he looked up at Mrs Chang.
"Excuse me Mrs Chang?"
"Yes Harry?"
"What fish is this?"
"That's sea trout dear. With a few spices and herbs added, in a way only I know how."
She smiled and tapped her nose. Harry smiled back and turned to finish off his meal. When he'd eaten his main course, Ben brought around three helpings of pudding. Harry couldn't help but notice he had the biggest and Cho was being given the smallest. Mr and Mrs Chang had gone into the living room. Cho sighed at Ben.
"Ok Ben, go get me some more! You did that on purpose!"
Ben smiled mischievously.
"This is the lot, Chobacca! TOO BAD!"
Laughing, he ran out of the room. Cho rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Trust me Harry, it's always better to be an only child rather than have that little spider monkey as a brother. The things he gets up to are unbelievable."
Harry began to spoon out his pudding to Cho so they'd have equal amounts.
"So are your parents witches and wizards?"
Cho absent-mindedly played with her food, not looking up.
"My dad's a Squib, and my mum's a witch. Ben isn't showing any magical talent except for new ways to wind me up to the point of distraction."
"Did your parents originally come from this country?"
"No, they met in Hong Kong about twenty or so years ago. They moved over here just as You-Know-Who started looking for followers. This house was a ruin when they got here, so they renovated it. I think you've figured out I'm a year older than you. Then in 1987, we were cursed, I mean blessed, with Ben. He was born on May 24th."
Harry finished his pudding and sat back.
"Very interesting Cho. Your family cooks amazing food."
Cho smiled.
"Why thank you."
They put their plates to be washed up and ran upstairs, avoiding Ben. They sat in Cho's room talking about Quidditch, and then finally Cho asked to be left alone whilst she got ready for bed. Harry went to get changed for bed also. It was getting late, and he was tired from all that had happened that day. He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a while, then headed back to Cho's room. Cho was already in bed when Harry walked in, and he didn't have the heart to disturb her. He smiled at her, as she looked so pretty when she was sleeping. Silently, he slid inside his sleeping bag and drifted off into a deep sleep.