Harry Potter and the Rise of the Dark Lord
By: LogicalRaven
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Hello everybody. Here is another chapter in this long story of mine. I'm trying to set everything up before I get to the wedding scenes, remember the wedding won't happen till New Years, so we've still got to get through Christmas. This is my first real attempt at writing a fluffy Cho/Harry scene let me know how I did.
Read and review
Nothing is my Own
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The Joys Of Family
Her lips felt like soft velvet as his finger rolled gently across them. Her buttery skin shimmered in the fading sun, as they bid farewell to the dying day. Harry couldn't stop staring at her, every move she made was making his stomach turn circles. He gently brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes as she relaxed under the warmth of his arms.
"Do you think we'll every have our world back?" Cho said lightly staring up at the twinkling stars.
"What do you mean, we haven't lost it yet," Harry assured her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
Cho sighed, "I use to think the darkest things in the world would all disappear if we just defeated he who must not be named, but now I'm not so sure. There is so much evil out there."
"What are you looking at?" Harry said following her eyes to the heavens.
Cho smiled, "The stars, I use to make a wish on that bright one in the North every night when I was a little girl."
"Sirius," Harry whispered, staring at the bright North Star.
"It's quite beautiful," Cho whispered, her eyes twinkling in the starry light.
"Yes you are," Harry said before he even realized he was thinking aloud.
Cho blushed feverishly as a smile spread across her face, "You've never said I was beautiful before."
Harry was now blushing too, "I've always thought you were. You've had me spellbound since the first time I saw you."
"Our first Quidditch match, I could have beat you," Cho insisted, giggling nervously.
"You did," Harry said, following a course he'd never allowed himself to take before.
"You've changed," Cho said suddenly frowning.
Harry arched his eyebrows, "In a good way?"
Biting her bottom lip she lowered her head and started fidgeting with a blade of grass.
"In a bad way?" Harry asked feeling slightly concerned.
"I don't know," Cho said immediately, "I can't place it, but something is different."
"Maybe I just missed you," Harry grinned nudging her softly.
Cho let out a light huff, "I guess that's why you sent me all those letters while I was away."
"I couldn't send you letters. You told me you wouldn't receive them," Harry defended.
Cho closed her eyes, "Did you write any?"
"No," Harry confessed feeling his throat slightly constrict.
She lowered her voice where is was barely above a whisper., "I did."
"I wanted to write you, honest," Harry said pleading his case.
Cho sighed again, "I guess it's silly, it isn't like you love me or anything."
It felt like he was on center stage as the spotlight burned down of him, beads of sweat rolled narrowly down his face as she backed him into the most dreaded of corners.
"Cho," was the only word he could find.
She bit her lip staring at him, "If you love me say it."
"I…" Harry started.
"Oy, dinners ready!" Ron bellowed from the back door.
Cho gingerly rose to her feet dusting the grass slivers off her robes. Her expression was one of defeat as she headed towards the house without Harry. He watched her dumbfounded, mentally slapping himself for being so stupid.
"Harry, everything okay?" Ron asked, approaching Harry reluctantly.
"Tell me why I'm such an idiot?" Harry muttered miserably.
Ron shrugged, "What did you do this time?"
"I can't say it to her, I can't tell her I…" Harry trailed of dropping his head into his hands.
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The curtain of night lingered in the room of Ron Weasley. Cho Chang was only a floor below, bunking with Ron's little sister. No matter how terribly hard Harry tried to will his eyes closed, he couldn't sleep. He kept watching the door, expecting his dark beauty to creep in with her damp eyes. It was well into the early morning hours, before realization set in that she wasn't coming. The only noise in the still night were the wails of Ron's snoring melody.
Harry rolled over uncomfortably forcing his eyes from the door. 'Sleep' he thought to himself 'I just need to go to sleep, everything will be better if I just get some sleep.'
Suddenly the creak of Ron's bedroom door caused Harry's forced closed eyes to pop open. He sat up quickly turning towards the door. His heart fell into his stomach and turned to lead as a nervous looking Ginny Weasley quietly closed the door behind her.
"Harry, you awake?" she whispered as she started to approach the bed.
Harry wished he hadn't popped his head up so he could just pretend he was asleep, "Yea, I'm awake."
Ginny smiled taking a quick breath, "I need to talk to you."
"I don't want to wake Ron, can we talk tomorrow?" Harry asked, trying to make a legitimate excuse.
Ginny giggled, "Harry you know just as well as I do that Ron sleeps like the dead.
Harry glanced over as a drooling Ron who was spooning his pillow and smiled.
"What did you want to talk about?" Harry asked shifting to allow her a seat next to him.
"About being my date to Bill's wedding. I wanted you to know it's okay if you want to cancel out of me," Ginny said as if she had been rehearsing it all afternoon.
For the second time that day he felt completely backed into a corner He had almost completely forgotten he was going to Bill's wedding with Ginny.
"I…" Harry started, noticing the disappointed look on her face.
Ginny noticed his lingering eyes and seemed to grow more uncomfortable, "Why do you look at me like that?"
"Like what?" Harry whispered, almost overcome with the urge to touch her face.
Ginny tucked the loose strand behind her ear, "Like that. You're messing everything up."
"Huh?" Harry asked confused.
Ginny stammered, "I'm not suppose to feel this way anymore. You're my friend, my brother."
"Ginny," Harry started.
"NO!" Ginny said loudly, causing Ron to shift dangerously. "I'm tired of making excuses, surely you felt this tension between us too? I just need to know…"
"Know what?" Harry asked.
Ginny looked as if she was needing proof to asked what was on the edge of her tongue, "Do you love her?"
Harry sighed, "Cho?"
"Yes," Ginny demanded.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"How can you not know. You either do or you don't," Ginny said, her face narrowing in embarrassment.
"How do you know when you love someone? People say it all the time, but how do you define a feeling like love? Is it when you think about someone all the time? Is it when you want to be around them? Is it when you're willing to die for them?" Harry said feeling frustrated.
"It's when you look into their eyes and you see their very soul. When you love someone your heart aches when they're not around and you walk on clouds when they are. You know you love someone when you can imagine yourself growing old in their arms," Ginny said lightly in a far off dreamy voice.
Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know if I love her or not. I just know I care about her."
Ginny touched Harry's face lightly, "I…." she trailed off and shook her head, "I just want you to be happy."
"I don't what there to be this weird tension between us," Harry pleaded, feeling the air around them growing thick.
Ginny huffed loudly, "The hell with it."
She nodded her head up towards his and pressed her lips firmly against his. Harry immediately pulled back with a shocked expression.
"Ginny…" Harry said feeling overwhelmed.
Ginny tried to force a smile, "I just needed to know if there could be anything between us. If there wasn't Cho and Ron and everything else that keeps us apart in our lives, could there be a me and you?"
Harry grasped her hand tightly in his, "Ginny Weasley, you are the most amazing girl and I am a fool for not noticing you before. Maybe there could have been something between us, but that time has passed. You've been such a wonderful friend, and I definitely know I don't want to mess that up. I couldn't bare not having you in my life Ginny Weasley, you're one of my best friends."
Ginny let a tear trickle down her cheek, "I know you think I'm being silly. When I was a little girl I use to imagine my first kiss. I thought fireworks would explode behind my eyes and everything would be perfect. I just can't help wondering if you're the one I'm suppose to be with Harry. I'm trying to hard to be your friend, but everything inside of me is telling me there is something more there."
Harry's worst fear was being realize as Ginny's tears forced their way out. She didn't cry freely like Cho, she fought each tear with such vigilance.
Ginny wiped the tears off her cheeks angrily, "I think Cho is a wonderful girl, and I do wish you two the best." She quickly stood up and headed towards the door. "Good night Harry, I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Ginny," Harry whispered as she disappeared. He slowly laid his head back on his pillow. Why did he have so much trouble figuring out his emotions. Dumbledore told him love was what Voldemort detested but he was so full of. If he was so full of love, why couldn't he figure something everyone else found so easy.
He pondering every feeling that he had every felt towards everyone he had ever known. Ron's incredible loud snoring interrupted Harry's train of thoughts as he looked at his red headed friend. He loved Ron like a brother, nothing could ever change that. There another problem arose, love could be defined under so many different terms.
How could he use the same emotion to describe what he felt for Ron and Hermione as he used to describe what he could feel for Cho. Then there was the feelings he felt for Remus, December, Sirius and Dumbledore.
The sun slowly began to rise and shine through Ron's window as Harry realized sleep wasn't going to take him. He doubted anybody would be up this early. Just when he decided to lay in bed awhile longer a terrified scream pierced he house. Harry shot straight up as Ron feel off the bed.
"Bloody hell!" Ron swore as he pulled himself off the floor rubbing his head.
Harry didn't bother to check if Ron was alright. He bolted straight for the doors, running into a scrambling Charlie Weasley in the hallway.
"Did you hear that?" Charlie asked racing in front of Harry.
Harry nodded as they passed Ginny's door. The two occupants of the girls room poked their heads out and began following Charlie and Harry. Harry had to blink when he realized the source of the girly shrill had come from his only living family member.
Dudley Dursley stood in the living room with his mouth in an open gape, staring around at the sight of the living room. He must have experienced his first voyage by floo powder by the looks of the soot cover sweater.
"Dudley," Harry said greeting his cousin apprehensively.
Dudley was in the company of December O'Riley and an Auror who Harry didn't know.
"He doesn't remember anything Harry, we've filled him in the best we can. The memory charm has been countered but it could take awhile before his memory returns," December said as Harry approached.
Harry knew very well how long a counter memory charm could take, he remember his last encounter with Lockhart vividly, "I'm Harry, you're cousin."
Dudley narrowed his eyes, "I don't have a cousin. I don't know what you people are playing at, but as soon as I get out of here I'm going straight to the police and reporting this. This is kidnapping."
"They'd just laugh at you, what in the world would you tell them anyways?" Harry jeered, feeling all the hate he had towards his cousin returning.
Dudley saw one of Mrs. Weasleys magical enchanted brooms racing across the floor and dashed behind December, "What the hell is that thing?"
"A broom," Ginny said obviously.
Dudley backed up slightly, "You people are a bunch of freaks! I demand you let me go!"
"Dudley, we've already been through this, it isn't safe for you out there right now," said the Auror Harry didn't recognize. "This is your cousin Harry. The Ministry of Magic used a memory charm on you so you wouldn't remember having a cousin. A very evil wizard is out to kill you, just like your parents, we need your corporation."
Dudley sneered, "So, this is dump I'm going to be staying in?"
"Yes," Harry gritted through his teeth.
"Anybody got a cigarette?" Dudley asked suddenly spinning around to the group nervously.
Harry shook his head as the rest of the group looked at him in puzzled expressions.
Dudley looked shocked, "You know a tobacco stick? How about a beer, you people do have beer don't you?"
"Oh course, but mum doesn't keep butterbeer in the house," Ginny said trying to force a smile.
"Butterbeer?" Dudley asked.
"Dudley, things are different here. It might take some time, but I promise things will start to make sense," Harry continued patiently.
"Hey, I remember you," Dudley said suddenly pointing at Cho.
"I'm Cho Chang, I don't think we've every properly been introduce," Cho said extending her hand to the Dursley.
"You're beautiful," Dudley said with a cocky grin.
Cho looked at Harry apprehensively, "I see civility runs in the family."
"Dudley, this is my girlfriend. You recognize her because you saw me with her at Kings Crossing last summer," Harry tried to explain.
"Let's all get something to eat, then you and Dudley can have nice talk to sort all this out," Mrs. Weasley offered, making an entrance from the kitchen.
"YOU!" Dudley croaked, "I know you too!"
"Yes Dudley, this is my best friend Ron's mother," Harry continued.
Dudley collapsed into the nearby couch, "You lived in my house? That's why the flaps on my extra bedroom, that's …"
"Yes, your father locked me up to keep me from going back to Hogwarts."
"Potter? You went to that wizarding freak school! You attacked me with that thing," Dudley said pointing at the wand poking through Harry's pocket.
Harry grinned, "I never attacked you, though I should have."
Dudley clinched his fist, "I hate you!"
"Precisely, and I'm not happy with this arrangement anymore than you are," Harry spat.
"Come on let's all grab a bit to eat," Mrs. Weasley said again.
Dudley ran his chubby fingers through his hair, "Can nobody get me a bloody arse cigarette!"
Cho placed a warm hand on Harry's rising shoulder and took a seat next to his cousin, "Dudley, I know you and Harry have a bit of a history. But I know you two can work this out. After breakfast I'll go with December to find you a cigarette? If that is what you want."
"Yes, that's what I want," Dudley sneered, "Do you people have any idea what I've been through. My parents were murdered and nobody can tell me a bloody thing."
"Dudley, we'll explain everything to you, just calm down," December voiced in.
"TELL ME NOW! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON!" Dudley suddenly screamed.
"Voldemort killed them!" Harry shrilled back.
Dudley looked curious, "Who?"
"Voldemort, the Dark Wizard who's trying to take over the magical world," Ginny said grabbing Harry's arm, attempting to hold him back.
"So you expect me to believe that a Dark Wizard killed my parents, why the hell would he want to do that. Weren't even one of you people," Dudley said shaking his head.
"Your mother was. Petunia Evans Dursley was a witch just like my mother," Harry said sharply, "Voldemort wants to get to me so he's attacking everyone who had anything to do with me."
"So it's your fault their dead!" Dudley roared, reminding Harry of his late Uncle Vernon.
"No," Cho said instantly, "It isn't Harry's fault at all."
"Lets all eat breakfast and then we can head over to Olivanders this afternoon to get Dudley a wand," Charlie said cautiously.
Dudley's eyes grew wide, "A wand?"
Cho helped Dudley off the couch as she led him towards the kitchen.
"I've always wanted a wand, I think," Dudley started muttering.
Harry narrowed his eyes as his cousin walked pass and thought to himself, 'Watch yourself dear cousin, you're on my turf now.'