A/N: Okay, a few more reviews, that's good! Keep it up! I apologize for any inconsistency/confusion/whatever else that went on in the last chapter; I edited and then reposted it so that it'll hopefully be a bit clearer.
To LogicalRaven: So glad you see my point… but yeah, a part of me wishes that Cho hadn't been so dumb and emotional and that she and Harry could just have had a normal relationship (as normal as things get for Harry anyway). I can't believe she'd pick Michael though, even though I don't know that much about him. Anyway, yes, Cho is still a bit bitter about Harry, wouldn't you be if the last person you went out with (and still may have feelings for) was seen with the one person they said they didn't like that way? I'm also glad you liked the chapter! lol
To toxicclove1: Thanks! Yep, bad, bad Hermione and Harry… J
To Wanchu: To tell you the truth, before I came up with this story, I'd never thought about Ron/Cho before either! But no, it's not you, I need to fix that, and if you go back and skim through the last chapter later (is that the one you're talking about?) it'll hopefully make a little more sense…
To mikochan2: Wow, you're so sweet! Thank you so much! Cho/Ron stories are very rare, and that's probably partly why I wrote one! lol Keep reviewing and reading! I love exclamation points, can't you tell?! J
Thanks you guys, you really make me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. I love to write, but I want other people to help me improve my writing and encourage me too, you know? Oh, and I'm changing something really major; instead of playing Hufflepuff, Gryffindor will play Ravenclaw that next weekend. And, to explain Michael's behavior, he's just a really jealous sort of guy, the way I'm writing him and he just does really rash things before thinking them over. Please encourage your other ff.net pals to read/review! I'm doing it again, aren't I? Looking like a loser… anyway, like always, hope you enjoy! I'm getting more and more excited with each review!
Disclaimer: nothing's mine, we've been over this before… (*rolls eyes*)
Chapter 4As the she ascended into the air, Cho felt as though all her troubles had been left behind on the ground with the rest of her conscious thought. Right now, all that mattered was the wind blowing on her face and the light, free feeling that flying always gave her. She twisted and dived and did all sorts of tricks, delighting at how her broom, regardless of its slightly out-of-date brand, seemed to obey her every touch and grip.
She hadn't bothered to try to take out the snitch and practice, as Madam Hooch knew perfectly well that she had been suspended from the team and would never let her use it now, so she flew laps around the stands and weaved in and out of the goalposts, as well as continuing her dives and turns.
"I'll go to practice tomorrow," she thought, "and show that I can fly properly now. The least I could do to start bringing things back to normal is to play at the next game,"
Higher and higher she soared, until she was almost level with the clouds. She stopped at this height and closed her eyes, letting the serenity of the moment wash over her. This was probably what she loved most about flying by herself in her spare time. She didn't have to worry about schoolwork, making sure she said or did the right things, or anything at all. All she felt was peace and glorious release from the mortal-bound prison she lived in when her feet were planted firmly on the ground.
"If only I could stay in this moment forever," she thought dreamily, eyes still closed.
Below, Ron had stopped on the edge of the field when he saw her zoom past one of the goalposts, and watched in appreciation of the way she gracefully directed her broom and pulled out of each dive, missing the ground by inches. And yet, the entire time, she also had a firm, determined look on her face as she flew, mixed with another emotion. Peace. Then, when she rose sharply and didn't stop until she was just a tiny prick in the sky, he decided to take this chance to go talk to her, still transfixed by her flying abilities.
He had never given a second thought to her reception to him as he flew closer and closer, heart beating wildly with a desire to talk to her. Exactly why it was doing so, he would save for thinking about later, but for now, as he was a mere thirteen inches behind her, he accepted it and went forward.
"You fly well," he said, finding his voice and trying to ignore the way her hair was close enough to brush his face.
She jolted, and turned around abruptly to face him, a mixture of relief and curiosity in her expression, as well as a little bit of anger at being interrupted during her one calm moment for a long time.
"Thank you," she replied, looking a little embarrassed now as she comprehended what he had just said.
"It's the truth," he said calmly.
"So… what do you want exactly?" Cho asked, not realizing how rude the words sounded until they had escaped her mouth.
Ron looked abashed and said slowly, "I… don't know. I guess I just wanted to talk to you,"
"Oh," she said, looking equally disconcerted. "Would you like to sit down on the field instead of being up here?"
This was apparently not the response he was expecting, for he began stuttering badly, "Uh, well, if it m-makes you feel better I-I don't- I mean- I'm-I'm fine with it,"
"Okay," she said, starting to descend, and he followed suit.
Once on the ground, she put her broom off to the side and sat down, motioning for Ron to do so as well. He did, although somewhat apprehensively, and settled himself across from her.
"Funny," she thought cynically, "seems I did this not so long ago, except with someone else,"
"Look, about the other night," he blurted, it being the thing weighing heaviest on his mind.
She looked puzzled and said, "What do you mean?"
"That night, when Harry and Hermione… in the library…" was all he got out before his throat starting constricting painfully.
"You mean… you were there?" she said. "Were you the one following me afterwards?"
He nodded, still unable to speak.
She looked sympathetic and said, "So I take that as a sign that you aren't with her anymore?"
He nodded again.
"I'm sorry," she said, moving to sit beside him and pat him on the back like she would do for one of her friends whenever they had gone through a particularly nasty break-up.
"She's probably been doing that for a while," he said bitterly, his face hardening. "She's been disappearing at least once a week for the past few weeks, probably for a little rendezvous with my so-called best friend."
"How are you so sure he wasn't in the common room with you?" she asked softly.
"Well, er, he was, but he could've snuck out when everyone else was asleep," he said.
"He didn't," she said, still gently.
"How do you know that?" he asked, in a tone not unlike Professor McGonagall's.
"Because," she started calmly, "she was meeting me."
Ron looked flabbergasted.
"What do you mean, she was meeting you?"
"She came up to me one day in Hogsmeade and said that she wanted some help."
"With what?"
"In a way, you."
"Me?"
"You,"
"Why?"
"She liked you. At least she seemed to like you. The little liar… 'No, Harry and I were never together,' " she said, her eyes flashing angrily.
"But, why you? Why didn't she ask Ginny or somebody for help?" he asked, still looking a bit confused.
"I honestly don't know, but she wasted a fair amount of my time, as I discovered in the library," she said sullenly, pulling large tufts of grass out of the ground at a time, to try to appease her desire to beat something to death.
Ron grabbed her hands, to keep her from destroying the field, and looked her in the eye. "But why did you help?" he said, his voice becoming soft in turn.
Cho looked surprised at his sudden movement but was able to lie convincingly. "I don't know…"
"Are you sure about that?" he said, leaning in a bit closer.
"Y-yes," she said, although it sounded weak and unsure even to her own ears.
He held her eyes in a deadlock for another moment before dropping her hands and backing away into his original position, his face unreadable.
"So," he said, deciding to try and make casual conversation, as he had the entire afternoon and evening to kill, "how is Michael?"
Cho mumbled something, going pink in the face with anger again.
"What?"
"The jackass broke up with me,"
"Oh. Sorry," he said, not looking sorry at all.
"He wrote me a note. The coward didn't even have the courage to face me like a man and say that it was over. I don't even know why he broke up with me. He might've seen you running after me in the hallway the other night and formulated his own twisted little ideas… I don't know, and right now, I really don't care," she said, the words she had been longing to say to somebody, anybody, bursting forth in a tidal wave of dialogue.
"I never thought that boy was worth two knuts anyway," he replied, looking grim.
"It's all right though," she said, despite the fact that her hands were instinctively balling into fists. "I don't think I ever really liked him that much anyway."
"But you liked Harry, didn't you?" he asked, his face softening again.
"Is it really that obvious?" she asked, smiling a little. "Marietta always said that I was almost never very good with hiding my feelings about boys."
"Just so you know, he liked you back, he honestly did," he said, "I guess he's just changed a lot since last year,"
"He certainly has… though I doubt he would've been that forward with me last year as he was with Hermione," she said, the small smile fading away.
Ron frowned as well, leaning back slightly on his arms and stretching his legs out to their full length as Cho lied on her back. Presently he laughed lightly, making her look over at him inquisitively.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing,"
"No, tell me," she said, his infectious smile beginning to affect her.
"I was just thinking that it would be funny if we pretended to be together just to make Michael and Hermione jealous of us. Stupid, huh?"
Cho straightened up, excitement evident on her face at his words, as some of the color rushing back to her pale cheeks. "Ron, you're a genius!"
"Wait, you don't really think we should do that, do you?" he said incredulously.
"Why not? We could make them regret what they did. Come on Ron, don't you want to see the look on Hermione's face when you walk in to eat breakfast holding hands with me, of all people?" she coaxed temptingly.
A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he imagined this superb form of revenge before he said, "All right, I'll do it."
She smirked and held out her hand; he took it and the deal was sealed.
"Think we should be getting back now?" he said, after a few more minutes of fantasizing.
"Maybe…" she replied before letting out a gasp.
"What? What is it?" he said, looking to see what was wrong.
"Look," she said.
Ron looked to where she pointed and was greeted with a rather breathtaking sight. The sun had slowly dropped down as they had plotted their scheme and was now, seemingly reluctantly, disappearing right on the horizon. Rays of gold and red burst in every direction in every shade, showering everything with one last burst of light before fading away as their source sank beneath the line where the sky met the ground inch by inch and then… darkness.
"It's amazing how a sunset can be so simple and yet so elaborate, isn't it?" she whispered.
"Yes," he whispered back. He smiled and said, "Almost like magic, right?"
She smiled back and said, "Yeah… almost like magic…"
She let her words trail off into silence and it remained dead quiet until there were quite a few stars scattered across the sky, some in constellations, some in spaces by themselves.
Cho, who was lying on her back again, observed this and said, "You know, the stars sort of remind me of the students here at Hogwarts,"
"Oh really? How?" said Ron, lying down beside her to get a better view of the heavens.
"Some are in close-knit groups with lots of friends, others with only a few, but with a group nonetheless," she began, sounding very philosophical, "and some don't belong anywhere, they just exist,"
He glanced over at her, and seeing the sadness in her eyes said, "I take it you're not one of the loners though, are you? Always walking in the halls surrounded by a large group… I'm obviously one of people with only a few close friends,"
"I do have a lot of people around me all the time, but that doesn't mean that they're all my close friends. In fact, I would give anything to have the kind of friendship that you have with Harry and Hermione,"
"Some friendship," he muttered.
"I meant before all this happened,"
"Yeah, I guess I was lucky then,"
"It's just that- I can't talk to any of my friends about really personal things, my feelings, my thoughts, I can't really pour out my soul to them. If I had close friends, then maybe I could, but I don't,"
"Why don't you? And why are you talking to me if you can't talk to anyone else? Why me?"
"The answer to your first question is easier than the answers to your last questions. I guess it's because I'm afraid. Ever since I lost Cedric, it was like I was afraid of losing everybody close to me, my parents, my relatives… but even before Cedric died, I had the feeling that I only had friends because I had good looks."
"What about the answers to the last two questions?" he said, turning his head so that he was facing her.
"I'm not so sure about those. I think… you're just a person that's good to talk to, you don't giggle constantly and gossip when I'm trying to be serious, which is good, because if you did, I would think your bread wasn't buttered on the right side, so to speak, and you don't constantly try to ask me out or flirt with me. And you're just so… what's the word?" She tensed her face as she concentrated, wracking her brain for the right term. "Friendly, I guess would be the proper word to describe you with, you're just really understanding and a good listener,"
"Thanks,"
"It's the truth," she said, facing him.
"I believe that was my line," he said, smirking.
"Yes, well, I was sure you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it. Do you?"
"No, not really,"
"Good," she said, looking away to glance at her watch. "We should really go back now, it's getting late," she added, standing up and brushing the little bits of grass out of his hair. He laughed and did the same for her.
"So I'll meet you in the Great Hall tomorrow, okay?" he said when they had reached the large oak doors, laughing and clowning the entire way there like old friends.
"All right, I'll be there 8:00 sharp, ready to walk in with you," she replied, still smiling widely.
"8:00 it is. Good night, milady," he said, bowing and taking her hand to drop a light kiss on it.
"Until tomorrow, my lord," she joked back when he had dropped her hand and curtsied.
They both laughed at their medieval terms before bidding each other good night and going their separate ways.
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"He broke up with me," Hermione said, sitting down in the armchair across from Harry's.
"You don't think he- saw us, do you?" he said in a low voice.
"I don't know; he didn't stick around long enough to explain."
"Or maybe he just didn't want to explain."
Hermione sighed heavily and put her head in her hands. "How did this happen?" she burst out angrily. "Why did we do that? Why?"
"I don't know 'Mione, but the point is, we did," Harry replied, moving towards her to slide an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.
It had all been unexpected on Hermione's part. She had gone to the library to do exactly what she had said she was going to do: her homework. She had made excellent progress on her essay before Harry had shown up with a strangely determined look on his face.
"Oh, hello Harry," she remembered saying when she had looked up to see who had blocked her only source of light so that she was unable to write anything else.
"Hi," he said. "Need any help?"
"Um, I think I could've handled it myself, but I'm pretty much finishing up here, so if you'll help me put back these books,"- she gestured towards the towering stacks on the table she had been working at- "that'll be a big help."
"All right," he replied, picking up a few books off the top of a nearby stack.
They had worked silently for a few minutes before he broke the silence. "You know, I remember the day we met,"
She looked up, surprised. "Well, I do too,"
"Have you ever wondered what life would've been like if Ron and I hadn't been there to save you from that troll?"
"No, not really,"
"Have you ever wondered," he said, inches away from her face, "what could've happened if I had asked you to the Yule Ball instead of Krum?"
"No," she said, starting to feel a little… scared? No, excited… or was she excited?
He leaned in ever closer, his breath starting to mingle with hers.
"Have you ever wondered what would've happened if it was me who asked you out a few weeks back instead of Ron?"
"N-no…"
"Have you ever thought of the fact that Ron isn't the only one who has feelings for you?"
She shook her head, now unable to speak. She saw the sadness, the frustration, the longing in his eyes and, without giving it another thought, leaned in and closed the gap, doing exactly what he had wanted her to do, and the rest was history.
"I don't know what we were thinking," Hermione said after a reasonably long reminiscence of that night, shaking her head. "No, that's it, we weren't,"
Harry put his hand on her chin and raised her face to his, and all those remorseful thoughts flew out the window. Soon, they were so occupied that they didn't even notice a tall, redheaded figure move quickly across the room after a glance at them towards his dormitory, ignoring them as well as he could and focusing instead on the unexpected alliance he had formed that day.
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A/N: Okay, I know that chapter was shorter than the other one, but I'm in sort of a hurry to get this one up. I promise the next chapter will be a bit longer, with, hopefully, a little less waiting. I also hope that this sort of explains Harry and Hermione's strange, extremely OOC behavior, although the explanation in itself made them OOC anyway. Oh well. As I always say, please review!