Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. ()
Please go here to see its banner:P http/i7. was a beautiful, freezing winter morning. Harry Potter had woken up earlier than usual, knowing that it would be the last day of the Holdays…the last day that he would be alone. Ron and Hermione had left about a week ago for Christmas, along with the rest of the student body. And though the teachers, a boy from Hufflepuff and two girls from Ravenclaw were with him during meals, he had never felt more alone in Hogwarts.
He looked from the frozen lake to his feet, which were covered with snow from his ankle down. He had been ignoring Cho the whole week, and she had been doing the same, and it seemed to Harry that things were never going to go back the way they were ¬¬– which was fine, come to think of it.
Hedwig flew out from the castle to him minutes later, followed by a very pretty seventeen-year-old girl who had gone pink in the face from running. She watched as the snowy owl perched on Harry's shoulder.
"Been girl-hunting again, Hedwig?" asked Harry, then remembered that Hedwig was a girl when she nipped Harry's ear harder than usual, scandalized, and flew back to the Owlery.
"What are you still doing here?" he asked Cho rather rudely.
"Your owl sent me." She answered coolly.
"Oh." Was the only word that entered his mind. "Sorry."
"No need." Said Cho. There was silence for a few moments as they watched the lake, until she suddenly chuckled.
"What's so funny?" asked Harry. None of them took their eyes off the lake.
""Nothing…it's not even funny, really." She admitted.
"Why laugh then?" Harry asked.
"Don't be rude." She told him. "Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks and sorry."
"For what?" asked Harry, not minding that Cho had called him rude.
"For everything. But the truth is, I really did like you. No doubt about that." Cho chuckled again, but Harry knew better. Even without seeing her, he knew she was starting to cry.
"I…liked you too." Harry muttered under his breath.
"No you didn't." she gave a half-laugh. "You thought I was a crybaby who talked too much. But…is it really over yet? I've asked myself that question when I broke up with Michael, I broke up with him in the summer, did you know?"
"Really?' Harry mumbled vaguely, wondering why she was telling him this.
There was another moment's silence, whereas Cho stared at him, then she said, "You've grown so distant, Harry. Even to Ron and Hermione. I noticed."
"Look, if you're here to sort out my – whatever – then,"
"Is this revenge? For last year? Well it's not very good, is it?" asked Cho. She was really starting to get on Harry's nerves, but oddly, he felt himself actually taking in what she was saying.
"Whatever." Said Harry after a few seconds, having nothing to say.
"You know what? I miss the real Harry. The Harry I watched put on the sorting hat nervously. The Harry who rescued the youngest Weasley. The Harry who returned Cedric's body –" she was facing Harry, her eyes and cheeks filled with tears. "You know who he is? He was you."
"You mean the midget?" asked Harry simply. "The one who knew nothing? He was a kid. He's gone."
"And what are you, Harry?" asked Cho angrily. "I liked him better."
"Yeah, well, go to the past then1" yelled Harry so loud that it echoed through the empty grounds.
"You've become selfish." Said Cho before hurrying back into the castle.
Yeah well thought Harry hotly. Deal with it.
After a few more seconds though, Hary got bored and cold and went to return in the castle, but someone was already standing by the doorway – Cho was looking at her feet., obviously waiting for Harry.
"I broke up with Corner –" she began, crying. "because I didn't want everything to be over."
Harry looked down at her, sighed heavily, and took her in his arms.
Harry took the two tankards of butterbeer and hurried over to their table, where Cho was waiting patiently, watching Madame Rosmerta take orders from the villagers on the next table.
"I wish I was as pretty as her." said Cho as Harry shoved the tankard towards her.
"You're…I think you're pretty." said Harry awkwardly, remembering Hermione's sermon. He quickly took a sip of his butterbeer.
"Thanks." Said Cho, blushing. "So where are…Ron and Hermione?"
"Off for Holdiays." muttered Harry. Then, not wanting to sound as though he was lonely, he added, "It's cool, but it's really weird to be alone in the common room for days in a row."
"I know! Though, there's this other Ravenclaw girl, but we aren't really on speaking terms, so it's really odd." Said Cho, tying her hair in a ponytail so it was out of her face.
"And no one's left in Slytherin, is there? Who's the bloke in Hufflepuff?" asked Harry, finally draining his tankard.
"I don't know him either. But the others will be back tonight, right?" asked Cho brightly., though Harry could see in her eyes that she was disappointed.
"Yeah…" Harry answered vaguely "Too bad."
"SorrY?"
"I mean, they should be given more time to spend with their…loved ones. Yeah we should go." He said quickly, reching into his pocket and pultting down sickles on the table. Cho looked a bit scandalized at his haste.
"We only got here."
"I know."
Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to Hogwarts without another word, but Cho stood her ground as soon as they entered the castle, pulling Harry back.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Cho.
Harry sighed deeply, not looking at her.
"Harry!" demanded Cho. "What is it? "
"Ginny." Muttered Harry in a low voice.
"What?" asked Cho, though Harry was sure she heard clearly.
"Ginny, Cho!" he said furiously. "I'm with Ginny.
Cho stared at him, tears forminig in her eyes again. She hiccupped and whispered, "What?"
"No one knows." said Harry in a low voice. "We only got together before the Holidays. I…we…I'm sorry."
Harry turned on his heel and was about to walk away, but Cho said, her voice forcibly calm and trembling, "What was all that rubbish about then? You're just going to turn around and walk away? Harry –"
Harry felt her fling her arms somewhere around his middle, her head on his back.
"Not yet…not until she comes back…"
"What do you mean until she comes back? Cho…" he turned around as Cho sat on her feet, hugging her legs, not looking at him. Harry crouched down in front of her. "I really like you Cho, But Ginny…I'm with her now. You said it yourself, that'd be selfish of me. I…Cho, listen."
He forced her to look at him. She looked prettier than ever to him, even though her face was scarlet and her eyes were a bit puffy and she was sniffing.
"Even before I met you, I really, really fancied you. Even up to now, honestly. But after last year…if being with you meant I'd have to endure us fighting every chance we had…well I though I'd rather fancy you from afar." Explained Harry, ignoring the feeling that his face was growing a bright shade of red.
"But we can –"
"We can't." said Harry firmly. He stood up and said, "Come on, they'll be arriving soon…"
But Cho merely nodded.
"This s really odd." Cho chuckled and hiccupped at the same time and stood up. "For the first…I want…to be here…like this."
"What, crying and freezing?" asked Harry. Cho shook her head.
"With you. Without them. The whole castle is so peaceful, it's perfect."
Harry couldn't help it anymore and he leaned down and kissed her. When they moved back, Cho was smiling timidly. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a thin, square box packaged in a wrapper with snitches on it and gave it to him.
"It's this…what you muggles call.. a see-dee. I picked one up while we were in London." said Cho. She wasn't crying anymore, and looked much confident now "I nearly forgot. Merry Chri –"
The doors burst open even before she could finish her sentence and students both merry and lazy burst in. Cho grinned at Harry and watched Ginny walk up to him.
"Hey, Harry!" greeted Ginny cheerily, but Harry merely blinked at her once, panicking inside.
Harry 's head turned to Cho again, trying to listen to Ginny at the same time.
Cho was gone.