A/N: To address some angry concerns, the moral of the story is this: It's an H/C fic because I believe true love goes beyond sex. You just have to read the ending of the fic to understand. Who says that because Harry and Cho don't have sex, they love each other any less, that the story is less of an H/C romance? That tells me something is wrong with our society. The lord knows that I am the biggest H/C fan out there. Furthermore, I hate to tell you all this but I poured a lot of time into writing the fic beforehand. I told you all I was just posting the chapters one by one; posting before finishing the story in my opinion leaves too much of a long wait and in some cases, the story never gets finished. I wanted to avoid that. So I'm sorry but I can't rewrite the entire story. And on another note, JK Rowling is a great writer but she can't adhere to every whim of her readers (so no I won't be killing off Draco). I'm sure none of us wanted Sirius to die but she had her reasons and we keep reading nonetheless—sorry if I sound like a snob and I apologize for upsetting a lot of you. I promise the next fic will make up for all the D/C romance considering so many readers are upset.
To Dragon Sword Master: Very sorry about your disappointment, my explanation is to see the above. And in addition, no, I will not be killing Draco off, the reason being that's it's a love triangle and he's important to the plotline. Like I've stated before, it is ultimately an H/C fic and I hope you do stick around for the ending. Your input is appreciated, as always.
To Cimbelmyne: Thank you for reviewing. Well, I happen to think that Draco has a soft side somewhere in there, hence the love triangle. Prepare yourself for more Draco guilt haha. I hope you keep reading, so glad you aren't ready to punch me or something haha! Your input is appreciated.
To LT2000: Thanks for your review; I understand your concerns but the thing is that I happen to be an avid H/C fan but at the same time, I actually don't mind D/C either so with that in mind, I am going to say that considering this is a love triangle, there is going to be some D/C romance as well. I am not portraying Draco as villainous as he is portrayed by JKR because I see him as a forgivable character but of course, you are welcome to think whatever you want—I am just saying that there will a lot of D/C interaction that requires forgiving Draco in order to understand it. Anyway, thanks a lot for reviewing and hopefully you'll stick around until the ending.
To wb: Thanks for your review—Harry will get back at Draco, don't worry. I hope you keep reading.
To Aragorn Elessar: I'm glad that you are open-minded and thanks for your review. The thing is, I think in JKR's terms, Draco has no hope of being remotely good, that's why I have so much fun playing him up. Thanks again!
To Ying-ying Sama: Thanks for reviewing! Keep reading.
To Simbelmyne Star: Ahh my Beta! Thanks for helping me edit! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you continue reading the "nastiness" haha! I think Draco is so much fun to change up. Keep reading!
To The Phoenix King: Thanks for reviewing. I hope that you don't hurt me because I'm going to kill off Draco, the D/C romance is part of the plotline but nonetheless I hope you stick around for a sweet H/C ending.
To Wewe12qw: Yeyuh! New reviewer! Thank for reviewing pretty much every chapter—I hope that my fic catches more attention. I'm only temporarily evil, hopefully the fight scene in this chapter will make up for anyone who's really upset with me right now. I hope you keep reading. Oh yeah to answer your question, I am reading Cruel Summer, and yes I do read lemon and slash (depending on the pairing); I pretty much read everything.
To King of Vaypouria: No problem! I always write feedback to my readers…anyway, so glad you like the story and I hope you keep reading and reviewing. I know the D/C is somewhat unrealistic (the entire pairing is in my opinion) but that's why it's an unconventional fic! Thanks for your support!
To Dancer4Life: (I think I know who this is?) Anyway! Thanks sooo much for your support, I love you gurl!
To wb: Thanks for reviewing! You seem to have taken the news slightly better than I thought haha, I hope you keep reading and reviewing, I need your support! Thanks again and btw Harry and Draco will definitely have quite a confrontation and the story is very much H/C at the end so you have something to look forward too!
Chapter 13: Aftermath
Cho sat numbly, naked, on her bed. Without knowing what else to do, Cho held her face in her hands and cried. Tears seemed to always comfort her in a time of loneliness and Cho had never felt more alone. She knew that her first time should have been a joyous experience but she felt cold and confused. Wiping her tears away slowly and feeling very sore, she arose from her bed. Not knowing how to feel or what to think, she got dressed and went to sleep.
Five days had passed and Cho hadn't spoken to "Harry" or anyone else at all. The sixth years from the Leaky Cauldron Career Advice Seminar were returning and so were many of the other students. Marietta had returned and was enthusiastically telling Cho about her vacation.
"…and so, I can't believe I didn't get his number. I might even go so far as to say he was hotter than Oliver Wood!" Marietta pranced around the room as she put her clothes in the closet. "Cho, are you listening?"
Cho smiled weakly. "Hot guy at the café. I gotcha."
Marietta sat down next to Cho on her bed. "Are you okay? You've seemed a little edgy ever since I got back yesterday. Have you seen Harry yet? He's probably looking all over for you."
Cho hadn't told Marietta about losing her virginity. She opened her mouth slowly. "Okay, Etta, there's something I have to tell you. I think I must have been dreaming, or something…"
Marietta sat in silence as Cho debriefed her at about the entire sex incident.
"That is so weird, Cho. I don't know what else to say except that if you don't feel it right, then I suppose it can't be."
Cho rubbed her face in exhaustion. "I feel so strange but I didn't know what else to do…it was definitely him but he was acting differently. I mean, what's he playing at? He would at least owled me if he was planning on coming back that first night."
Marietta shook her head. "Urgh, I don't know, Cho. I mean, why don't you just ask him about it?"
Cho nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'll ask him"
The next day at breakfast Harry spoke quietly to Ron.
"She's been avoiding me, mate. I have no idea what I did to make her upset."
Ron rolled his eyes, "She's just that kind of girl. Hot one minute, cold the next. They change fast…girls." He longingly looked over at Hermione who was engaged in conversation with Parvati.
Harry stirred his cereal slowly and shook his head. "This is different."
Ron looked past Harry's shoulder. "Well, she's coming this way, mate. Here's your golden opportunity to ask her."
Ron got up and went over to talk to Dean and Ginny.
Cho sat down next to Harry curtly. She was wearing her blue Ravenclaw robes and a scarf even though she was indoors. Her hair was worn down instead of in her usual ponytail.
Cho smiled. "Good morning."
"Good morning, yourself." He leaned in to kiss Cho's cheek and noticed, peeking over the top of her scarf, a giant red spot on the side of her neck. Harry didn't know much about sex or any of that stuff, but he had seen a lot of those on Hermione's neck before, and he knew all too well how they got on girls' necks. What has she been up to? Is that the reason she's been avoiding me?
"Cho, where'd you get that?"
"Get what?"
"That spot—er—that red spot, on your neck."
Cho licked her lips, puzzled. This wasn't making any sense. "From you."
Harry's eyes widened in amazement. He knew that he had kissed Cho's neck before, but he had never left a mark.
"When was this?"
Cho laughed nervously. "This was…what, four, five, days ago."
Harry felt his breakfast turning over in his stomach. Was she joking? "What's going on, Cho? I was at the Leaky Cauldron for the past five days!"
Jumping to her own defense, Cho quickly stated, "I know! But the first night, you came back. Harry, what's wrong with you? Don't you remember what we did? Were you…um, drunk or something?"
Harry suddenly had difficulty swallowing his pumpkin juice. "Cho! No! I don't drink Muggle alcohol and what did we do?"
Cho widened her brown eyes and lowered her voice, "Harry…we shagged."
Harry's face instantly paled. Being that he was a sixteen year old teenage male, he knew that he would remember every single detail if he had shagged his very beautiful girlfriend.
"No, we didn't."
"Yes, we did."
"No, we didn't"
"Why are you lying to me?"
"Why are you lying to me?"
Cho started to cry. "I can't believe you."
Harry shook his head vigorously. "Cho, we hadn't even talked about that yet!"
From afar, Pansy Parkinson, who had just descended into the Great Hall, noticed Harry and Cho had risen from the table and were arguing. She ran and stepped between them. Pansy spoke meekly, "I have something to tell you. Come on, let's go to the library."
Pansy felt strange that she was helping Harry and Cho. She imagined the embarrassment she'd feel when her friends found out she was helping their most hated couple. Yet, Pansy had an overriding feeling in the back of her mind that her bitter anger against Draco was too great to ignore. If Draco wasn't going to admit his mistakes, she would. Out of spite, out of being used by him, out of the pain she felt from his rejection, out of everything.
Harry and Cho looked at each other skeptically.
Pansy urged them to follow her. "Please. There's something you both need to know."
Harry and Cho quickly exited the Great Hall and followed Pansy toward the library.
At the Slytherin table, Draco watched Harry, Cho and Pansy exit and instantly knew from his gut feeling and paranoia, that was about to be exposed. He bolted straight from the table, knocking over his glass of pumpkin juice, and followed the threesome toward the library.
Following Pansy and Cho into the library, and feeling extremely confused, Harry folded his arms. He looked at Cho. She was biting her nails in anxiety.
"Now, what's this all about?" Harry demanded of Pansy angrily.
Pansy climbed onto the bookshelf and brought down a huge book simply titled Encyclopedia of Potions. She flipped the pages to the back and read aloud, "The Polyjuice Potion." She looked up at Harry and Cho's blank faces. "Ever heard of it?"
Cho shook her head. She looked at the long list of ingredients. She didn't remember Snape ever teaching them about anything that complicated. But Harry, very much annoyed, replied, "Yes, and what does this have to do with anything?" He remembered everything about the potion, considering he, Hermione and Ron had used it in their second year to interrogate Malfoy.
Pansy continued slowly, "Okay, just hear me out. You know that this potion is forbidden in school…but I know it was used…on Cho."
Cho's eyes widened in fear. She read over the purpose of the potion. Used to change into the physical form of another.
"Draco has used it on Cho…I think…he impersonated you, Potter, and…um…" Pansy blushed, "…had sex with her—er—but as you…" she pointed to Harry, "and Cho thinks that you have really…you know, shagged her."
Harry, at first, laughed in utter disbelief. He wasn't going to trust some Slytherin girl! Especially one who seemed to have been fond of his archenemy in the past. He spat, "Why would he do that? Is Malfoy even clever enough to think of that?"
Pansy pleaded, "He did it because you insulted him at The Three Broomsticks that day. I actually heard him, too! Think of it…it makes sense, doesn't it? It takes a month to make…and look," Pansy flipped toward the back of the book and pulled out a card. "Draco borrowed this book for about a month." She pointed to Draco's name on the list of students who had borrowed the book. The card showed every single day it was in the possession of a student. "See, he returned it yesterday. He was obviously here over winter vacation."
Cho nodded and spoke in a trance-like state. "Harry, you said Draco hadn't really shown up to any of your classes…that was for about a month. He'd been so quiet…not showing up for Quidditch matches. He was making this…potion."
Harry remembered the breakfast before school had let out for vacation; Goyle had given him a noogie. He had rubbed his head. He probably took one of my hairs.
Pansy continued meekly. "It's the perfect way for him to get back at you for what happened at The Three Broomsticks."
Cho looked at Pansy, pale and with tears in her eyes. Had she been raped? Cho asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Pansy closed the book. "Because he hurt me."
Harry didn't want to believe it. He grabbed Cho's hand harshly. She looked at him, almost afraid. Harry had a grim look of determination mixed with hatred, disbelief, fear and sadness.
"Ow!" Cho cried, "Where are you going?"
"Hospital wing. You're getting tested."
Cho struggled to keep up with Harry as he raced toward the hospital wing. Bursting through the double doors, Harry shouted for Madam Pomfrey.
Madam Pomfrey emerged from behind a curtain. "What is the meaning of this, Potter?"
Harry shoved Cho, a bit too abrasively, in front of him. "I want her tested."
Pomfrey immediately reached out and gently took Cho's hand, surprised at Harry's somewhat rough treatment. "Tested for what?"
Harry looked at Cho sternly. It was almost as if he was accusing her. "Go on, Cho. You tell her."
Cho swallowed as she started to sob, "I—I—think I might have been raped."
Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened as Cho told her the entire ordeal.
"Yes, I will test you, but Potter, you stay out here." Madam Pomfrey gently guided Cho behind a curtain.
About fifteen minutes later, Cho and Madam Pomfrey emerged from behind the curtain. Madam Pomfrey sighed as Cho sobbed softly. "Potter, there is a definite sign of penetration."
Madam Pomfrey stopped in the middle of her explanation and turned to look at the doorway. Following her gaze, Harry took notice of Draco, who had just entered the hospital wing.
"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Madam Pompfrey asked in a shrill voice.
Harry turned around and Cho looked up at Draco. He looked very sad and distraught.
"I came here to speak to Harry and Cho. I have something to say."
Harry stood up and raced toward Draco. "Did you do it?" he howled.
"Yes."
Turning red instantly, Harry pulled out his wand and aimed at Draco, fuming with anger.
"Stupefy!" But emotionally distraught, Harry aim's narrowly missed Draco's body.
Jumping blindly, Draco barely had time to pull out his own wand in defense and escape the rays of red light. He screamed, "Expelliarmus!"
Harry felt his insides boil as his wand flew out of his hand. He wanted nothing more than to beat Malfoy's face into a bloody pulp. Forgetting that he was a wizard, or even a civilized human being, Harry lunged toward Draco, almost primitively.
Harry drew back his right fist and punched the blonde Slytherin. Harry watched in satisfaction as Draco's head swung to one side from the impact. Pressing his fingers to his lips and feeling blood gushing out, Draco wiped any sadness or signs of weakness from his face and pushed Harry backward onto an empty cot.
Paralyzed with fear, Cho had never felt weaker in her life. She felt that if she didn't do something to stop Harry and Draco's fighting, one of them was going to be killed. Yet, she also felt that if she tried to intervene, she would get killed. She turned to Madam Pomfrey for help, but she had already fled the hospital wing to, Cho assumed, call Dumbledore for help. Cho stared back in fear at the two boys. She was all alone, watching them, almost as if the graphic scene was a horrible movie playing in her head.
Hitting the cot abruptly, Harry hissed with pain when his head banged against the metal edge. Refusing to be defeated, Harry sprang up and ran toward Draco, fist ready to sock his stomach.
Draco, with his arms up, punched Harry's left eye. At the same time, Harry's fist drove into his stomach, leaving him breathless.
"I'm going to kill you, Malfoy! For that, and for taking advantage of MY girlfriend!" Harry spat, clutching his left eye.
With difficulty, Draco managed to croak, "You don't deserve her, you hotheaded half-blood!"
Harry, still covering his swollen eye, laughed aloud and ran to the corner of the room, where his wand had landed after Draco's disarmament. Not really sure if he could make it work, Harry clutched his wand with his free hand and shouted, "CRUC-"
Harry drew back his wand, but before he could aim at Draco he was surprised to feel Cho pull him back.
"No, Harry!"
Harry turned around to face her, bewildered. "No! Do you think what he did was okay?"
Cho shook her head. "No, I don't. But I do want to hear why Draco did this…before you pound him even more. And pounding him is just going to get you into trouble. Harry…" Cho said as she smiled weakly and cupped her boyfriend's face with her soft hands. She saw that his left eye was starting to bruise.
Harry dropped his wand in disgust. He knew that he couldn't produce an Unforgivable Curse; that would make him a true villain, and he certainly didn't want to appear that way in front of the girl he loved. Yet seeing Draco still in one piece hardened Harry's expression. He shook off Cho's caress roughly. "There is no need for explanations, Cho. Malfoy is a scumbag and therefore his motives have only evil purposes."
Draco ignored Harry and walked toward Cho. He grabbed her hands. "Cho, I'm sorry. I feel so horrible for doing this to you… I only wanted to hurt him. He insulted my father."
Harry turned around and felt his heart beating a mile a minute. Seeing Cho's hands in Draco's made Harry picture his enemy in bed with his girlfriend. A terrible rage washed over him.
Harry should kill Malfoy and he didn't understand why Cho didn't agree with him. Harry suddenly screamed, "I hope both of you rot!"
Cho instantly jerked her head up to look at Harry's red face. "Harry, I'm the victim here!"
Harry fought back tears in his eyes, unable to control his anger. He knew he shouldn't be accusing Cho, yet he couldn't help it. "Of course! You're always the victim, Cho! And you can go cry now!" Harry's lip began to quiver. "You knew I was at the Leaky Cauldron! You knew I hadn't discussed sex with you yet! And you told me that you loved me. In your heart I know you felt that something was wrong! So why'd you go through with it, Cho?" His voiced cracked, "Was Malfoy really that good?"
Cho, feeling horribly betrayed, had not expected Harry to accuse her, but to comfort her. She spat through her forming tears and hiccupped, "I—I—didn't know—what—what to—to—think! He looked exactly like you, Harry! I was fooled. Snape hadn't taught us about the Polyjuice Potion, I really had no idea it existed! I'm sorry. I did feel like something was wrong, but he looked like you!"
Draco furrowed his eyebrows, unable to comprehend why Cho was apologizing. He stared coldly at Harry.
Cho's confession that she had felt something was wrong did not comfort Harry as Cho expected. "Then why didn't you say anything to him?" he roared.
"He looked just like y—you!"
Harry shook his head. "Looks can be deceiving! You should know that! But you should have paid more attention to your feelings!"
Harry shook his head again, "See you later, Cho." And with that, he simply stormed out of the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head disapprovingly. "Oh dear…that one's surely a firecracker. Perhaps you should go tend to him, Headmaster." She had returned to the hospital wing with Dumbledore at her side.
Dumbledore furrowed his eyebrows, but shook his head. "He needs to be left alone. Miss Chang, Mr. Malfoy, are you alright?"
Draco grabbed Cho's hand tightly, with protection. Surprisingly, she didn't shudder, but she quickly removed her hand from Draco's and sat down on her cot. Cho looked down. "I don't believe what just happened…but I'm okay, Professor. Are—are Harry and Draco going to be in trouble?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor houses, I'm sure. But alas, we cannot put Draco and Harry in detention together. That wouldn't end well, now would it, Miss Chang?"
Cho closed her eyes and imagined more fighting taking place. She shivered. "Certainly not, Professor."
Dumbledore sighed, "I'm afraid this is something you, Harry and Draco will have to work out yourselves." With that statement, Dumbledore turned around and walked out of the hospital wing.
Still standing, Draco noticed the faint taste of blood in his mouth. Madam Pomfrey noticed the blood, too, and sat him on the cot next to Cho. She brought a Muggle First Aid kit to his side. "You boys fought a Muggle fight today, so I'll have to clean it with Muggle first aid."
Draco, making a mental note of being repaired with Mudblood tools, shuddered, but soon thought nothing of it. He peered into Cho's eyes. "I'm really sorry, Cho. I wish I could take it back."
Cho looked back into Draco's eyes for the first time. They were blue. He seems very sorry. He had lost his immature sneer and, for once, actually looked human. In a trance-like state, Cho spoke aloud, almost robotically. "You're eyes are blue, Draco."
Draco held his face in his hands. "Please don't press charges or anything. My father…he'll disown me. I'm so, so, sorry…"
Feeling lonelier than she ever had, Cho ached to have Harry at her side. Cho gave Draco a look of sympathy, but soon removed her gaze. She stared longingly at the empty doorway where Harry had fled, tears still streaming down her face.
