"Colorless, odorless, and nearly impossible to detect, even with the best of spells," said Cho, taking a pinch of white powder out of the small leather pouch she held in her hand and letting each miniscule grain slip between her fingers back into the open bag. Once it had all fallen back, she pulled the two drawstrings on the purse to close it and, with a small aside smile to herself, locked it away in her trunk.
"You are your own kind of evil," smirked Ron, who propped his arms on the windowsill and leaned forward.
"Thank you," she replied, beginning to smile widely. "I try my best."
"Well, I figured the hunger for revenge on the boy who's made your life a living hell might've had something to do with it. I've heard that you don't take rejection well," he continued.
"Be careful of what you hear, Mr. Weasley," she said in a dangerously low voice. "First off, I was the one who broke it off, and two, I'm not the one hovering outside a window in a high tower on a broomstick that can easily slip from underneath me, if you know what I mean."
"All right, no need to take what I said personally," he said, putting his hands up in the air in a form of surrender and backing his broom away slightly.
"That's better. Besides, I'm the mastermind behind this plan, remember?" she said jokingly, crossing her arms and coming closer to the window.
"Yes, your highness, your wish is my command," he said with a grand flourish of his hands.
She laughed then said, "I'd prefer 'Your Majesty,' if you please."
"But of course, mistress, but please be so kind as to remind your humble servant exactly what the difference is between the two," he replied, bowing as best he could.
"I doubt there is. I just like 'Your Majesty' better," she snorted.
"Whatever suits your fancy," he said, keeping his head inclined.
She laughed again, a pretty musical sound that seemed to echo into the silence of the night.
"Where did you get it, anyway?" he asked with an air of interest.
"What, the title or the powder?" she replied innocently, ever so slightly raising an eyebrow.
"I gave you the title myself, so, the powder," he said, shaking his head.
"Technically, I gave you the suggestion, but as for the powder, I'm afraid you'll just have to be satisfied with the knowledge that I have connections in the right circles," she said, staring pointedly at him, a motion he didn't catch as he pretended to stare off into space thoughtfully.
"Now, why does that remind me of Malfoy...?"
"Prat!" she scoffed, tossing a pillow at his head, which he deftly caught.
"I should've known... can't get anything past you, can I? That's why you're Keeper for the Gryffindor team."
"Reflexes like a cat," he said, grinning widely.
She scoffed again.
"Yeah, a quality you displayed early into your Quidditch career. Hey!" she said indignantly as she found her own ammunition being thrown back at her.
"Hey yourself," he retorted. "I'd rather my first few games not be mentioned."
"Try over half the season," she muttered, smirking.
"What was that?"
"Go back to your own tower before you catch your death of cold. You'll need your sleep if we're going to put our plan into action properly tomorrow." Cho commanded, suddenly looking serious.
"Yes, your majesty," Ron pretended to reply meekly, beginning to steer his broom away from the window.
"Oh, and Ron?" she called, causing him to turn back to look at her. "In case I don't get a chance to say this tomorrow, Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas, Cho," he replied quietly before flying off, grinning like a fool into the dark, a smile that only the moon and stars witnessed.
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Cho-Make sure you record the results of our Inebriation Concentration while we think of a catchier name. Oh, and if anything should happen to go astray that needs professional help, don't call us unless you really feel that we're the best ones to handle matters. Take your time thinking about those last few words. Besides that, just add a small pinch of the dust into whatever drink belongs to your victim(s), sit back, and enjoy! The effects of it should wear off in three or four hours.
Affectionately yours,
Fred and George Weasley
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"Wake up, Cho!"
"Whassat?" she mumbled thickly, half-opening her eyes and fumbling for the opening in the bed hangings.
"You haven't opened your presents yet," said Marietta brightly, pointing to a pile at the foot of Cho's bed.
"And I'm not going to until I've had the full satisfaction of sleeping in late on Christmas morning," she replied petulantly, letting the curtains fall back and thoroughly wishing her friend had gone home like all the rest of the girls in their dorm.
"There's a present from someone that you might want to open now," said Marietta, wrenching back the velvet hangings.
"That I want to open or that you want to see me open?" asked the less than enthusiastic Ravenclaw.
"It's from Ron," she coaxed, hoping it would be tempting enough for her friend to get up.
Cho sighed in exasperation, then sat up and got out of bed, saying blearily, "Hand me the presents."
When her friend had willingly done so, she purposely began slowly unwrapping every single gift except for Ron's, to compensate for her unpleasant wake-up call. Every motion she made seemed to be agony as Marietta watched her as a hawk watching its out-of-reach prey.
"Oh, how nice. Mum and Dad have sent me a box of sugar quills and a book on the Tornados," she said casually, setting the newly opened gifts aside.
"Lovely," said Marietta, not sounding as though she meant it at all.
Finally, there was only one present left, and Marietta seemed on the verge of wetting herself due to her excitement.
However, Cho only yawned, putting her hand up to cover her mouth, and set it aside.
"I think I'll be going back to bed now," she said, standing up and walking over to her bed.
"Cho! Please?" whined her friend.
"Oh, all right!" she snapped irritably. "And then I suppose I'll have to go down to breakfast, won't I? Well, I needed to work on something, anyway..."
But she smiled as she saw how carefully the small parcel had been wrapped in golden wrapping paper, topped off with a small, glittery bow and a card with the note scrawled with a few hastily written words and signed by the giver.
"Cho—Hope you like your present, Ron," she read aloud.
She carefully scratched at the Spellotape that held the paper together ("Cho! Hurry it up!"), made a face at her impatient friend, and then looked wide-eyed at the small black velvety box she held in the palm of her hand when the wrappings fell away. Cautiously opening it, she lifted the cover up a crack so that a sliver of sunlight shone on the contents of the box and was nearly blinded by a burst of rainbow reflections dancing playfully around inside. Finally, she allowed the cover to open fully and gave a small gasp as she lifted out a delicate charm bracelet, made to a perfect fit for her wrist, with a tiny ringlet of crystals on each metal link and a little golden heart charm dangling from the very middle, a small crystal imbedded in its center.
Marietta squealed loudly and hugged her friend tightly as if the bracelet had been an engagement ring.
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Ron yawned loudly and stretched his long limbs before pulling back the hangings on his bed, hearing only the steady scratching of a quill, which signified that his one and only dorm mate was already awake. Sure enough, the Gryffindor was hunched over his desk, completely absorbed in the essay he was writing and only looking up briefly to dip his quill back into the pot of ink. Ignoring him completely, Ron directed his attention to opening his presents, which sat in an inviting little pile at the foot of his bed.
Setting aside what he knew was the usual maroon sweater from his mother to open later, he was surprised to see two small presents from Harry and Hermione, and decided, with a quick glance at the former, to send their gifts from him by owl.
Tearing away the simple brown paper wrappings, he found a small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Harry and a miniature notebook for hastily scribbled down notes, both gifts devoid of cards.
"Well, I wouldn't know what to write if I sent them cards either," he thought to himself as he started on his other presents. "What would I say, 'Thanks for being such great friends and for stabbing me in the back. Have the worst Christmas ever. Love, Ron.'?"
He half snorted at the thought, causing Harry to pause slightly mid-sentence, then to shake his head and return to writing.
The most interesting parcel of them all was long and slender in the shape of a cylinder, from Cho.
"I expect you to put this on your wall immediately, or I'm going to have to kill you..." the note attached simply said, in Cho's neat, unique handwriting that informed him that she had sent the present.
Looking at it curiously, he carelessly ripped off the top of the bright paper on one end of the tube and then immediately slid the rest of it off easily, catching a glimpse of a signature or two. Heart hammering, he unfurled it to reveal a Chudley Cannons poster, signed by the entire team, with their own personal comments addressed directly to him. The team itself whizzed around the inside of the poster, always stopping at the edge of the paper, before finally coming together in the middle to smile and wave at him. Hardly able to contain himself, he gave a whoop of joy and, as instructed, plastered it onto a space on the wall over his nightstand with a wave of his wand, making sure that it wasn't too permanent so that it could be moved to his room in the Burrow.
"Cho, you've outdone yourself this time..." he muttered, smiling proudly at the new addition to the décor. As he unwrapped his other present from her, he smiled even wider as he opened the large bag of toffees and popped one in his mouth, letting out a sharp sigh so contentedly that his fellow Gryffindor couldn't help but turn around in his seat to see what had made his roommate so happy.
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Cho tapped her foot absent-mindedly, fiddling with her new bracelet fondly while she kept a sharp eye out for her "boyfriend." As there weren't many students left over the holidays, it wasn't difficult to spot him happily strolling down the hallway, whistling some unknown tune.
"I've been waiting for you," she said accusingly, but planting a kiss on his nose all the same as she spotted Hermione out of the corner of her eye. "Do you like your presents?" she added mischievously, a twinkle in her eye.
"I absolutely love them. The poster's on the wall right now, just like you commanded of me, your majesty, and I've probably already cleared a third of the bag of toffees you sent me," he replied, placing a gentle kiss on her hand, causing her to blush slightly.
"How do you like yours?" he asked in turn, arching an eyebrow in inquiry and looking impatiently at her wrists, which were covered by her long sleeves.
Smiling, she lifted up the wrist where the trinket was securely fastened to where he could see it before beginning to grimace slightly, which caused him to frown in turn.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" he asked anxiously at the look on her face.
"Oh, no, I adore it, I really do," she insisted, placing a hand on his arm.
"So? What's the matter?"
"It's just... Ron, I really don't think I can accept this."
"Why not?" he said as he paled considerably.
"It's... much too expensive for me to accept," she replied, biting her bottom lip. "I can't let you be so extravagant on my account."
"But you already have," he said gently, relieved as he placed a hand on her cheek. "Besides, I could say the same about you."
She almost trembled at his touch, remembering how Michael had done something similar and she had felt nothing; now she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach and fire spread from his fingertips throughout her entire body.
"Well, it—it was n—nothing," she stammered, managing a weak smile and lifting up her own hands to hold fast to his wrist.
Realizing his bold motion, he flushed scarlet and quickly removed his hand, nervously smiling back. But now that she had her bearings back, she took it back into her own hand and, feeling divinely happy, led him into the dining room with the wonderful knowledge that he felt the exact same way.
"C'mon, we can sit at the same table today," she said, smiling even more widely, if possible, leading him to the nearest seats that were closest to the food which was, unfortunately, next to Marietta, who couldn't help but elbow her friend all throughout breakfast and wink tactlessly for everyone to see.
Halfway through the meal, the headmaster surprised them by clearing his throat loudly and lightly tapping his fork to his glass, causing clear tinny sounds to ring in everyone's ears.
"In honor of the day, the Head Boy and Girl" —he motioned to the two students at the very end of the table—"have decided to hold a bonfire tonight at 6:00 sharp on the front lawn beside the lake. Everyone here, with the exception of the staff, is invited. A picnic dinner will be taken outside to you, and the festivities should end by one o'clock in the morning."
He swept a look of slight warning to every student in the room, who immediately nodded their agreement, new excitement kindled at the thought of a bonfire, which had never before been suggested. Cho stole a sly look at the Head Girl, Bonnie, before giving a small wink, a courtesy she returned. Taking a chance look over at Harry and Hermione, the latter was chatting excitedly and her boyfriend was nodding in return, as if anticipating the party to come as well.
Everything was going as planned.
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"I saw you winking at Bonnie during breakfast today. I suppose having your little connections help, don't they?" said Ron, one hand in his pocket and another gloved hand holding Cho's.
"Yeah. By the way, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you ever since we came out here," she said, feet crunching softly in the snow.
"What?"
"Why are your gloves maroon?"
"My mum made them for me," he muttered, blushing furiously and tugging his hand out of hers to hide it away in his other pocket.
Seeing that she'd hit a sensitive spot, she set about making amends saying, "Well, there's nothing wrong with wearing maroon gloves that your mother made you, just as long as you're not ashamed of the nice thing she did for you by hiding them away. At least you've got enough respect and pride in your own mother to wear her gifts."
"She keeps forgetting that I don't like maroon," he mumbled, still dark red, but taking his hand out of his pocket to hold hers again.
"You could hide all the yarn she has in that color," she suggested.
"Maybe," he replied, beginning to return to his normal color.
"Anyway, it looks as though Harry and Hermione are going to the bonfire tonight, so we're all set to put our plan into action."
"Good. Erm, you know, I actually got presents from the two of them."
"Oh, really?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Now, aren't you glad I told you to buy them gifts?"
"You're the mastermind."
"Exactly," she said, nodding approvingly. "How are you going to give them their presents?"
"By owl," he replied carelessly.
"You might consider using one of the school owls if you got them each something bigger than my hand; I don't think Pig would be up to it. By the way, what did you get them?"
"I got Harry a few chocolate frogs and Hermione a journal."
She snorted loudly. "Hoping to fatten him and pry into her personal thoughts?"
"If anyone's trying to fatten anyone else, you're the one attempting to make me put on a few pounds. Say, you're not doing it so that Ravenclaw'll be able to beat Gryffindor in our next match?"
"Well, now that you mention it..." she said, pretending to look thoughtful. "Anyhow, what about the journal?"
"Maybe I was trying to find some way to be able to blackmail her, and maybe I wasn't. She probably won't write in it at all. She'll either suspect that I put some sort of charm on it to track her entries and turn it in to Filch to be confiscated or put it away in a drawer and never look at it ever again," he scoffed.
"How nice to know that your consideration will be treasured for years to come," she said sarcastically.
"You're telling me," he added, rolling his eyes.
"You should at least nick the cards from Harry's chocolate frogs, since they're of more use to you anyway."
"I'm not evil incarnate, remember?" he said, giving her a meaningful look.
"Oh, right. Good thing Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans don't come with a special collectible prize, or Harry would've taken it out of the package before he gave it to you," she said solemnly, with a slight nod.
Ron laughed. "Not exactly behavior expected of the 'Boy-who-lived,' is it?"
"We expect it," reminded Cho.
"Not everyone knows of his dark side," he replied, smiling but with a bitter edge to his voice.
"So, the bonfire will be fun, providing it doesn't snow," she said, changing course as they steered into dangerous waters.
"Even if it does, it won't matter that much. When the fire goes out, we could always just sit in the snow and look at the stars," he said, shrugging.
"Remind me later to say something about your sentimental star comment, but I think looking at the stars right now will only remind me of the Astronomy homework I still have to finish up before classes begin again."
"I've had loads more free time lately, since I don't really have social hour anymore, so all my work's already done. I could help you, if you'd like."
"Help yourself to a share of my work any day. Everyone in my dorm's gone except for Marietta, and she's the nosiest one... it's quite a handful, living with her and trying not to go insane at the same time. Did you know that she woke me up at 7:00 this morning just so that she could watch me open my presents?"
"She sounds obsessed with you, if anything," he said, frowning slightly.
"More like obsessed with me and you as a couple. She wanted to see me unwrap the present you gave me," she replied, looking down to smile at the bracelet as it glittered on her wrist.
"Really?" he asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah," she said. "She's always hungry for details about my love life. In a way, it's flattering, but then it's also a massive pain in the neck. So, I suppose the two sort of balance each other out."
"I probably would've hexed her to high heaven by now."
"Well, that's most likely because you also don't know how sweet she can be. Like I said, it's not really her fault that everything happened the way it did last year."
He sighed and said quietly, "I know. I s'pose you've just got more patience with her than I could have..."
"There's probably a logical explanation for what Harry and Hermione did, Ron. I'm sure that if they were given the choice to do it over, they'd do the exact same thing. But that doesn't mean that they don't care about you at all."
"Oh, and that's why we're going to embarrass the living daylights out them tonight, correct?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and grinning.
"Actually, that's more so a little revenge thing to show that you're not completely cooled off from what they did yet," she replied, returning the smile.
"Just me? If I'm not mistaken, you've got your own little grudge against the two of them," he said, raising the other eyebrow to match.
"I'm not even sure if it's something I should be angry about anymore. It was such a long time ago since Harry and I went out on our first and last date, and whomever he wants to be with now is his own business," she shrugged. "Besides," she added before he could open his mouth to speak, "you want Hermione back, don't you?"
He paused at this new question. Did he? Sure, he'd wanted retribution for the torment his pride had suffered, but did he actually want Hermione back after it all? Cho was undoubtedly ten times better, but how long would that last? After all, they'd both agreed that it would be a pretend relationship, the purpose of which was only to benefit each other by making the people who'd made them unhappy equally miserable in return. But then, there were the Christmas presents they had given each other...
"Ron? Are you all right?" she asked uncertainly, looking nervous at the expression on his face and at the long break in the conversation.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered absently, still looking lost in thought.
"Doesn't he want her back?" she thought to herself. She'd half expected him to say yes straight off, but the other half of her hoped, or rather, wished that he would say no just as quickly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he beat her to it.
"I guess... I'd want her back," he said finally, but still unsure of how much truth was in his words.
"Oh. Right... right," she replied, trying to sound as though she didn't particularly care. But the familiar sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach that signified disappointment was enough to make her feel more than uneasy.
"I never should've asked," she thought uncomfortably, gently taking her hand out of Ron's.
"Is something wrong?" he asked as he noted her considerably paler face.
"Think fast, Cho, hurry!" she thought, panicking. With a blessed inspiration, she bent down and packed together a bunch of snow before straightening and turning to face him, hands behind her back.
"You know, you never reminded me to tease you about your star comment," she said, a twinkle in her eye.
"That was only a few minutes ago and... no. You wouldn't..." he said, backing away.
"Oh, wouldn't I?" she asked, before smirking and tossing her snowball at him with all the strength she could muster and hitting him square in the face. Luckily, the snow was soft and powdery, almost instantly disintegrating as soon as it impacted with his head, but she turned and ran with a wild shriek all the same as he began gathering together an even larger bomb than she had tossed at him.
"You can run, but you can't hide!" he called menacingly, beginning to chase after her.
She yelped as she felt an icy cold slushy sensation on the back of her head before gasping, "You're in trouble now!"
"Try me," he said, smirking and nonchalantly tossing a snowball up and down. With something that could only be compared to an incensed war cry, she charged toward him and, catching him completely by surprise, plowed him down into the ground. However, to her dismay, he flung out an arm to catch himself and ended up grabbing her own, bringing her down with him.
They both looked at each other in shock for a few moments then proceeded to laugh themselves breathless. Cho was the first to recover from her laughing attack to realize that she was lying directly on top of Ron in what would seem a very awkward position to any passersby; he abruptly stopped laughing when he realized that she had and was just staring at him for the moment, looking a bit ill at ease.
Here was the moment to say something rational or witty to break the silence, but neither seemed very willing to speak. Their breathing became even more irregular than before, each breath coming out as a cloud of fog and, slowly, both began inching towards each other. Two hearts beat together furiously in the heat of the moment, and all the blood seemed to rush from the very tips of their toes to the tops of their heads, making them feel warmer than they'd ever felt in their entire life, despite the freezing winter weather. Instinctively, they tilted their heads to opposite sides and continued to move in closer, closing their eyes as they went and then—
"Cho!" called the very last voice either one of them wanted to hear at the moment.
Cho pulled back as if she had been burned, startled into looking up towards the direction of her friend, then stood up and untangled herself from him altogether, balling her hands into fists.
"I'm going to kill her. I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" she thought furiously, thrusting out a hand in Ron's direction to pull him up. After bringing him to his feet a bit more roughly than she had intended, she began to stalk towards Marietta, with every intention of murdering her "friend," everything from beheading her to hanging her from a dungeon ceiling by placing her toes in shackles then dipping her in a pot of boiling oil ran through her mind in a matter of moments.
"Or I could tie her to a wooden post, cover her in honey, and let flesh-eating beetles slowly consume her flesh..." she thought sadistically, narrowing her eyes into slits.
"Cho? Are you all right?" he asked, all confusion and apprehension changing to alarm at the bloodthirsty look of murder in her eyes.
"Just fine," she snarled, continuing to storm towards Marietta with the air of a predator sizing up and preparing to pounce on her prey.
Meanwhile, the blissfully ignorant Ravenclaw stood just in front of the stone steps leading up to castle entrance, hand on hips and looking slightly annoyed. Upon her friend's approach, however, her face lit up and she immediately made her way over to the livid Cho, unaware of the anger she'd unleashed.
"There you are! I've been looking for you," she said with a playful punch.
"What—the—hell—do—you—want?" Cho said through clenched teeth. She appeared to be making superhuman efforts not to wring her fellow classmate's neck, and a vein throbbed ominously in her neck.
"I was wondering whether you'd finished your Astronomy essay or not, because I'd rather fancy a... walk..." Marietta said, faltering when her friend's eyes widened and her mouth twisted into a sort of silent growl.
"That... is what you wanted me for?"
"Well, um, yes," she squeaked, taking a quick step backwards and looking over her friend's shoulder to see Ron looking as though he was unsure of what to do. "But if you're busy, I'll just see you at the bonfire tonight. Bye!" she spouted quickly, turning and literally running for her life.
"Are you sure you're all right?" he persisted, fighting his own urge to run.
"Ooh, she—it—yes, I'm fine," she replied finally, letting out a long breath and feeling all her anger drain away quickly into amusement at the look of vague fear on her comrade's face. "In fact, I think I should be the one asking that question... you look as though you just drank an entire pitcher of bubotuber pus with a dragon dung chaser."
"Have you ever even seen yourself when you're angry?" he replied weakly. "It's like you're out for blood, ready to create a massacre by yourself and wipe out the entire world population."
"Oh, no, that's only when I'm a little bit angry. You should see me on a really bad day," she said coolly.
She smirked as she could've sworn that he paled a few shades lighter.
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A/N: Okay, everyone, I'm really, really, really, really, really, really (this may go on for a while), really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY sorry. For a full list of excuses, see my notes at the end of chapter 8 of my other story Dear Harry. For now, be happy with my update and my replies to your reviews:
To MyaAngel: Okay, I've written more. :-) I definitely do want to write more, and have every intent of finishing this story. Thanks so much for such a sweet review! And the first one I got for chapter 11, too!
To Sheen Rox: Thank you SO much! And I absolutely thrive on fluffy things, so be sure to expect much more to come in the future! I agree, Cho does have a few issues she needs to work out at the moment, but I think, deep down, she's got the makings of a real tough girl. Maybe it's just me. :-) And, of course, who can keep the golden trio apart forever? Certainly not me. But it might take a while... and someone's probably told you all about the Valentine's Day episode of Jimmy Neutron, but I'll tell all anyway. Jimmy bottled a strong concentration of testosterone to look for a cure for love, so that he and his friends wouldn't have to go through it when they got older (I think. It's been a while...). Anyway, so, of course all of those hormones get let loose when either Sheen or Carl opens up the air vents where Jimmy's got it swirling around in this little glass compartment and love is in the air! Sheen falls for Libby, Jimmy for Cindy, and Carl for... Jimmy's mom. Hee hee hee... sorry. Anyway, at the end, Jimmy and Cindy almost kiss, but then he's "cured" as is everyone else. However, Sheen and Libby seem to keep it going, even without the hormones, Carl is still secretly obsessed with Jimmy's mom, and Jimmy, I think, really does like Cindy, deep down, and vice versa. So, there ya go. :-)
To shortywithbrains: Spoiled Asians are definitely rare. You'll have to just sit tight and see what Cho's plan is, (cackles evilly) and thanks for answering my poll question!
To LogicalRaven: Oh, that would definitely be the ultimate revenge, wouldn't it? I just think that Harry might be a little bit suspicious if she just spontaneously beat him down with a Howler and then kissed Ron right in front of him all in one blow, you know? And as for Michael, I might have a little bit more torture planned for him later, and I might not. It all depends on how I feel about it. But Hermione and Harry are definitely going to get the full blast of it, not to mention I'm keeping the Howler in mind! Hope your patience paid off!
To Siriusly Serious: I thought it'd be nice to build up a little bit more tension, and so I'm glad you liked the little pub scene finishing touch. And Malfoy... oh, boy. He's going to be evil incarnate. :-) I'm not a huge fan of slash myself, but I hope you got over your writer's block pretty soon!
To Shortyst1: Thanks, I try. Spontaneity is great, isn't it?
To Magic Crystal Rose: Sorry I couldn't update sooner, but do you like Cho's present from Ron?
To thestral91: Aw, thanks! Love ya like a sis (as always)! :-)
To Hermione-Jane-Granger200 (ChoChang100): Well, as you can see, Ron got Cho a present. I'm not sure about when the two of them will really, seriously, start going out, but I'll be sure to work it in there. :-)
To Alanna Brett: Thank you so, so much! I'm not sure about whether or not I could pursue a career in writing, but it's flattering and encouraging all the same to have your praise. Pit rules! :-)
To Goldilocks31890: Oh, yeah, you were the one who gave me all those awesome reviews for D.H. Keep on staying so great and reading/reviewing my fics!
To kite13: Thanks! Expect evil plans, very evil plans... :-)
To Latresa: That's so sweet, thank you! Please don't stop reviewing and reading!
To pinkflamengo: I can't tell you how touching it is to me when someone sits down and takes the time to not only read through my story, but then review for almost every single chapter. Thank you. And thanks so much for any shred of patience you have left, lol!
To ctctctct: Thanks. I totally plan on finishing this fic, so be sure to stick around!
To GotBubbles: Cool name! Anyway, I was thinking about a twist I could put to the story, and making Harry evil seemed like the perfect thing to do. I almost feel like murdering him when I write out parts with him and Hermione, but, you know, he's Harry Potter, so you obviously can't kill him off. They're both definitely going to pay through the nose for betraying Ron, and I'm not sure about what to do with them yet. I'll probably keep them together, though. Thanks so much for a great review!
Anyway, Cho's plan may not be as mysterious now, but you'll just have to see about the specifics, eh? :-) Peace out everyone, and keep being awesome!
-Unicorn13