Chapter 5 – Hogsmeade and the Lake

The next three weeks had gone agonizingly slowly for Darren. School had been unbearable, and Draco's constant taunts and threats to have Darren thrown out of Slytherin House had only hardened his resolve to get himself removed. It was the only choice he had; at least that is what he kept telling himself. One day in Potions Draco had sabotaged Neville's Healing Potion and blamed Darren for it, but even Snape could not ignore the fact that Draco had so obviously thrown a rock into poor Neville's cauldron. Draco was not punished, but Neville lost five points for not paying attention to what was going on around him at all times. History of Magic had dragged on as usual, and Darren often thought to himself how the goblins had time for so many rebellions since they were the ones in charge of Gringott's Bank. At least he was able to catch up on the missed sleep he needed. He had spent the last week on the couch in the common room, unable to take anymore of Draco's rants and taunts. He had had to walk away twice, or he was sure he was going to hit the little prat.

The only thing that got him through those weeks was the fact that he was to meet Cho Chang in The Three Broomsticks at two today. Several times he had seen her in the Great Hall at meal times, or in the hallway, but he had never gotten the chance to speak with her since the day he had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. Or, had she asked him? The way it had happened had made him wonder for a few days, but either way was fine for him. He had wanted to just talk to her for over five years, and now he had a date with her. He had not felt this god in quite some time.

"Come on Darren, lets go," Blaise called to him.

"I'm coming, just a minute1," he shouted back. He ran his comb through his hair one last time and straightened his shirt, and making sure it was tucked in in the back. He put his wand in his jacket pocket, but left it sitting so that if Draco tried to start any trouble, he would be able to grab it quickly.

"Darren! Hurry up!" he heard Blaise call again.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Darren replied.

He made his way down the hallway to the common room. Blaise was waiting impatiently, and he rolled his eyes at Darren when he saw him.

"Man, what were you doing?" he asked.

"Getting ready Blaise, what else would I be doing?"

"Well, I was beginning to think you weren't going to go after all Darren."

"Are you crazy? Why would I not go, especially today?" he responded. He knew that Blaise knew he was to meet Cho in The Three Broomsticks.

"Oh, that's right; today you get your dream date. I forgot." Blaise slapped his forehead in mock sincerity, as if he had forgotten the day Darren was hoping to have.

Darren just chuckled at him, and punched him lightly on the arm. The two of them made their way to the Entrance Hall, where Filch was checking names and faces. Several third years were chatting excitedly about their first visit to Hogsmeade, and Darren smiled as he remembered the day he and Blaise had bought their first batch of dungbombs and then set them off in the bathroom when Crabbe and Goyle were bathing. It had really made no difference, as they smelled the same even without the dungbombs. He was brought back to the present by Filch's face in his.

"Looking for more dungbombs I bet. Aren't you, you two?" he screeched. He had not forgotten the incident of more than three years ago, and it was doubtful he ever would. Filch seemed to remember ever thing any student did that caused him extra work.

"No Mr. Filch, I am meeting my date at the Three Broomsticks, as is Darren, so we have no use for dungbombs," Blaise said with a perfectly straight face. Darren had to stifle a laugh, but Blaise just smiled in Filch's face as if he was daring him to accuse him of anything else.

Filch looked them over one more time, before saying "Off with you two then, and don't let me smell any more dungbombs in the Slytherin baths again!"

They just walked out the door before breaking out in laughter. Darren and Blaise were not in the Weasley twin's league as far as mayhem goes, but they did pretty well on their own.

"If he ever figures out we put that glue on Mrs. Norris' paws, he would kill us," Darren said. That had been quite funny, they agreed. Blaise was very good at Banishing Spells, and could hit a target with just about anything, and he had banished drops of glue and made them stick to Mrs. Norris' paws as she was sleeping in the fifth floor corridor one night. She had jumped up and made to look for whoever it was that had woken her, but she was immediately stuck to the floor, and she had screeched for ten minutes before Filch had found her. They had laughed all the way back to the Slytherin common room, that night. They laughed at the site of Filch's cat stuck to the floor, her screeches echoing off of the stone walls, and confusing Filch as to where she was. He had been in a very mean mood the days after that, but he had no idea who it was, so he could really do nothing to anyone, but Darren and Blaise had avoided him anyway. They reminisced on the way to Hogsmeade, laughing at their fellow students, such as Crabbe and his inability to perform even the most simple charms, or the time Goyle had burned his robes by lighting them on fire when attempting to banish a lit match, but instead summoning it to him, and landing it in this pocket.

The walk went quickly, but Darren was nervous about meeting Cho. It was one, and they were outside Dervish and Bange's when Blaise told him to go and meet her.

"Yeah, I guess so," Darren had replied.

"You guess so? What the hell does that mean?" Blaise had exclaimed. "Don't tell me you aren't going to go? You have wanted to go on a date with Cho ever since first year, and if you don't go, you are a bigger idiot than either Crabbe or Goyle."

Darren just nudged the dirt with his foot, not wanting to tell his best friend that he was nervous at the prospect of spending time alone with Cho. "She probably forgot anyway Blaise, so maybe I won't go."

Blaise just looked at him like he had three heads. "If you don't go, I don't think you will ever get a second chance to go out with her again, so if that is what you want, by all means don't go." His tone was a challenge, and Darren knew he was right. But he was more worried about how a relationship would affect his personal life and what was happening there. Would she interfere, or make things harder?

He looked at the dirt a little longer then told Blaise, "Okay, I'll go, but walk with me to the pub, okay?"

"No way pal. You go on your own. You don't want her to see that you need somebody to bring you along, do you?"

"No, I guess not," he replied. But he felt he did need somebody to help push him along, but it was probably better if Blaise did not come.

Blaise gave him a push, telling him "Go on Darren, or you will be late."

"Right, right, I'm going, I'm going."

He told Blaise goodbye, and started up the street that ran through Hogsmeade. He saw the students in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, and next to that a few ordering costumes inside Gladrags. Honeydukes, as usual, was packed to the gills with students buying candy, as was Zonkos, with others buying things that would make Filch go into apoplectic fits in the near future. He smiled to himself, remembering the gags that Blaise was going to get for the two of them to use at school later in the day. As he passed the post office and the hooting and screeching owls, he saw The Three Broomsticks and his heart began to flutter. His stomach clenched and he felt it begin to churn as well. He had stopped, and almost gotten run over by a Hag leaving the post office. He righted himself, steeled his nerve, and walked the rest of the way to the pub.

At the entrance, he paused once more, and then opened the door. He was hit by a great amount of noise and a warm blast of air in his face. The bar was a little hot from the weather, but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. He stood at the door, looking around to try to see her. He did not, and his heart fell.

'Has she not come,' he was thinking when his thoughts were interrupted by Madam Rosmerta.

"Can I help you young man?" she asked.

"Sorry?"

"I said can I help you? Are you looking for someone?" she asked again.

He just looked at her for a second, and said "I am looking to meet somebody, yes."

"Well, who is it then?" Her tone was a little clipped, but he hoped she really could help him.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Cho Chang at two o'clock," he told her. "But I am not sure if she is here yet, so I'll sit down and wait if that is okay."

"She looked around. "Sit where? All the tables and booths are full."

"Well, maybe I will sit outside and catch her there." He had turned to leave when she touched his shoulder.

"What does she look like? Maybe I have seen her."

"Well, she is very pretty, dark hair, and Asian features," he told her, hoping that she had indeed seen Cho, and knew where she was.

Madam Rosmerta smiled at him and said simply "Booth three, next to the kitchen door." She turned and walked away after wishing him good luck.

Darren looked, and could see dark hair barely peaking over the booth's back. He walked over to the table, hoping that the owner had been right. As he walked across the barroom, he passed Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny in a booth as well, and felt that his initial feelings from the carriage were accurate. When he got to the table, he stopped for a second, steadying himself one last time.

"Hello Darren," she said without turning around.

She had caught him off guard, and he had no idea what to do at that moment. He just looked at her, and then said "Hi Cho. Can I sit down?"

"Of course you can, I have been holding the seat for you."

He sat, feeling very self conscious all of a sudden. "How did you know I was there?" he asked her.

"The mirror over the bar, I saw you come in and watched you walk over." She smiled while she told him this. Darren liked the fact that she was watching him. It excited him for some reason.

He looked over his shoulder, admonishing himself that he should have seen her in the mirror, as she was almost sitting in front of it. "Have you been waiting long?'

"About ten minutes. We were lucky to get a table this late in the day. Usually it is full by this time, but hopefully it will stay less crowded today," she said.

"Have you gotten anything to drink yet? Can I get you something?"

"I could go for a butterbeer Darren," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Be right back," he said cheerfully.

Darren went to the bar and made his order. While he waited, he looked at her in the mirror. She had on a pale yellow summer dress, two thin straps over her shoulders, and her long legs were showing just under the table. She was not attempting to show off, and that is what made her look even better to him. She caught him looking at her, and he blushed and looked away quickly. He could see her smile at him, but he did not look at her directly while he was waiting. He got their drinks and started back to the table. He was not sure which was lighter; his heart or his wallet. He set her drink in front of her then sat down again. She took a long pull on the butterbeer, as did he. It was good, but he did not even taste it.

"So Darren, what would you like to do today?"

"Huh?" he said.

"What would you like to do today? Go to Honeydukes, Zonkos, or just sit and talk?"

"Well, what about a walk on the lake shore?" he asked. "We can get a couple more butterbeers and take them with us, if you would like."

"That sounds nice Darren, let's go"

"Okay, be right back again then Cho," he told her.

When he went up to the bar, he felt her watching him, and he looked up into the mirror and saw her looking at him. It was her turn to blush now, ad she looked away quickly. As he waited again, he had something catch his attention, something that he did not need today. He heard Draco Malfoy behind him.

"Cho Chang, I thought you had better taste than to be seen with someone like Clarkson."

Darren turned to see Draco and his two cronies had her penned on three sides in front of the booth. He felt his temper rise, but he did not need to lift a finger.

"Draco, the only thing in bad taste here is that goop in your hair, so why don't you get away from me, you little prat."

Draco turned red from her insult, but he had no intention of doing anything, not in front of a bar full of people that had just heard him be insulted by her. The bar man tapped Darren on the elbow and he paid him and took the bottles back to where Cho was still standing, facing off with Draco and Crabbe and Goyle. He walked between them and she surprised him by talking his arm in hers.

"Bye Draco," she called to him as they left the pub.

Malfoy was red faced and fuming, but he just sat down at the table that Darren and Cho had vacated. Darren felt her lean into him, holding his arm tightly.

"Sorry about that," he told her.

"Sorry about what? Malfoy? I can handle him, he doesn't bother me," she answered.

Darren just smiled, and Cho laughed at the look in his face.

"What is so funny?"

"Nothing."

"No Darren, you wouldn't be laughing if it was nothing," she teased.

"Well, I was thinking of that time when Moody had turned him into a ferret," he admitted. They both looked at each other and then burst out laughing. He then proceeded to tell her about McGonagall using Draco for an example in transfiguration and changing him into a ferret then as well. Cho almost choked on her butterbeer when he told her this.

"You know, old McGonagall is a lot funnier than most people think," she declared.

"Funny? Well, I guess it was funny when she turned Malfoy into a ferret, but she doesn't usually show much of a sense of humor, at least that I have seen."

Darren and Cho were walking down High Street, heading towards Hogsmeade Station, and from there it was a short walk to the lake. Cho had let go of his arm when they had left The Three Broomsticks, but she had walked closely next to him. He had realized quickly that she was only holding on to him to make Draco angrier, but it did not bother Darren at all. Anything that made Draco Malfoy feel stupid or uncomfortable was fine with him. Once they reached the station, they crossed the tracks and ambled down to the lake shore. Cho pulled a piece of bread from her pocket and tossed it in the water. A large tentacle broke the surface and pulled it under.

"I love the animals here," she announced. "When that poor Hippogriff was going to be killed, I was so upset."

Darren did not know what to say to this, and he just kept quiet.

"What about you Darren, do you like animals?"

He thought about the Griffin penned up at Hagrid's hut and said "Yes, I do." He really did like animals, and the Griffin was very interesting.

"What do you think you will do after school?" she asked. This question caught him off guard completely. The last two years he had not given much thought at all to the time after school.

"I don't know," he replied, and then he noticed that she was looking intently at him. She continued to look at him for a few more seconds, and then gave her desires for after school.

"I want to work for the Department of Magical Games and Sport. Work with Quidditch somehow. Do you play Darren?"

Darren had wanted to try out for beater in second year, but the prospect of playing with Malfoy had made him decide against it. "No, I never tried out here Cho."

"Well, you should if you get the chance. It is so much fun."

Somehow he thought he might have a hard time hitting a bludger at Cho in a game, no matter what. "I might, but what else do you want Cho?"

She raised one eyebrow at him.

"After school that is," he corrected.

"Well, I guess what every girl wants. To get married, have children, and do what I love, which is be around Quidditch. What do you want Darren?"

"The family thing sounds good, but as far as what job I would want? I think I would like to be a teacher, here, at Hogwarts."

"Really? What subject then?"

He had to think for a minute before surprising himself with his own answer. "Potions, I guess."

She just made a thoughtful face and nodded. "That is interesting. I never figured you for a teacher Darren."

"Well, what did you figure me for then?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a job that is rough and outdoors. Like with magical creatures or something like that."

"That would be good, but I am pretty good at Potions, even though Professor Snape is a git."

"Darren, he is your head of house. How can you think that way about him?"

"You don't see him all the time Cho. He is mean and spiteful all the time, not just in the classes he teaches to the other house's students. Anyway, I don't want to talk about Snape."

Their conversation died for several minutes as they continued walking around the lake. On the right was the hill with the Shrieking Shack, and the Forbidden Forest was in the distance. Cho had stopped and sat down with her feet in the water. He sat next to her, hoping he had not given her the wrong impression with his opinion of Snape. For several minutes they sat and did not talk, and Darren had the feeling he was not making a good impression on her. He decided that it was now or never. He might not get another chance during school.

"Cho, can I ask you something?"

She turned her head slowly, letting her hair fall in her face as the sun glinted off the water, catching her just right. "Yes."

"Would you accompany me to the Halloween Ball?" His heart was pounding and his mouth was dry as cotton. She smiled and picked up a small pebble. It skipped four times on the water before she answered.

"Darren, I would love to go with you." A wave of relief swept over him. He had had girlfriends before, but never any like her. The act of asking her out had scared him witless. In his eyes, she was perfect, and that is the most terrible thing to face. Face something perfect. She smiled at him and leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"If you had not asked me, I was going to have to find a way to hit you over the head to make you do it Darren. I have turned down three other boys already." She laughed at his reaction. It must have been obvious to her that he had realized that she wanted him to ask her. He was shocked to think that Cho Chang, Head Girl and top student in her year, the most popular girl in school, would be wanting him to ask her to the Ball.

He just smiled before saying "Why do you want me to go with you?" He felt it was an honest question, as he did not believe in playing games with somebody's emotions.

"Well, I don't know really. I guess it was last year when you and I bumped into each other in the hallway that time." Darren remembered that incident well. "I dropped my books and everything, and you were such a gentleman when you picked them all up and you apologized so much, it embarrassed me, to tell the truth. You even opened the classroom door for me. I just got the feeling that you were a nice person, and I guess I just wanted to see if that was true."

"Well Cho, I just remember that I thought I had hurt you. I was very sorry to have bumped into you like that, and I thought it was the right thing to do, to at least help you when it was my fault after all."

"It was very sweet Darren, the way you blushed and looked when you apologized. And like I said, I got the feeling you were a good guy, and I have had my share of bad relationships in the past few years." She went quiet then, and stared at the ground, shifting the dirt with her bare foot. Darren did not say anything, but decided that she would speak when she was ready. He remembered very well the fact that she had been dating Cedric Diggory when he had been killed, and he knew how she felt, to lose someone close.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, skipping rocks, and then she splashed him with water, getting his pants legs wet. He laughed and tossed a large rock next to her, throwing water on her as well. Laughter broke the barrier of unfamiliarity. Cho had moved closer to him, and then put her head on his shoulder. Darren wanted to tell her how he had felt about her for so long, but didn't think it would be a good thing to possibly scare her when the day was going so well. Then she did something that took him by complete surprise. She took his arm and put it around her shoulder, and leaned in against him. He let her rest on him, feeling her body rise and fall with each breath. He felt his stomach churn, and he just sat there, with her next to him. She smelled liked raspberries, a fragrance he liked very much. As they sat together, he massaged her shoulder gently and she nuzzled her head on his shoulder.

"Cho, the Ball is a costume affair. The theme is famous Muggles, so who should we go as?"

She sat back up, rubbing her eyes. "Well, I was thinking we could go as Marc Antony and Cleopatra. I have always loved the ancient Egyptians, and it would be interesting to see you in a Roman general's armor. That is unless you can think of another couple to go as?"

He thought for a minute, but was not able to think of anybody else. "I think that would be a good couple for us to go as, so that is fine with me."

"Should we go to Gladrags and order the costumes now, or wait until later?"

"Lets go today Cho. You never know what might happen that could keep us from getting the right costumes."

"Okay Darren, but can we sit here a little longer then? I really love the lake."

"We can sit here as long as you like," he told her, and it was true, he did not want to leave.

An hour went by without anything being said. Then Cho broke the silence with a question that caught Darren off guard again. "Where exactly are you from Darren?"

"Dublin," he answered.

"Ahh, thought so, the accent gives it away a bit. Is your family there as well then?"

His mood changed immediately, and she could see it on his face. She knew she had asked him something that he did not care for. "I prefer not to talk about my family Cho," he said coldly.

She touched his arm. "I'm sorry Darren. I didn't mean to upset you. Really."

"It's okay," he lied. "I haven't seen my father in two years, and I live at my grandfather's estate in Kent during the summers and on holidays." He was staring at the water, wishing to see his father again, to make everything right once more.

"I'm sorry Darren, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just curious about your family. Please don't be angry."

He blinked away the beginning of a tear and looked her in the eyes. "It's okay Cho, really. I don't talk about it because it is very painful. Blaise doesn't even know about it."

She just nodded thoughtfully and started to swirl the water with her toes again. Once again they sat in silence for a while. Darren broke the silence this time.

"Where are you from Cho?" he asked her.

"Well, originally my family was from China, but we moved to England when I was two. My father works for a manufacturing firm that makes tractors that Muggle farmers use, and my mother raised my brother, sister and I. She is the witch in the family, by the way."

"Your dad isn't a wizard then?" he asked.

"No, is that a problem?" The look on her face told him that if it was, the date was over right then and there. He answered her honestly.

"No, I don't put much creed into the pureblood stuff Cho. I think it is all a bunch of muck. A bunch of Slytherins seem to think it is important, but I think you would be surprised to know how many don't believe it."

"So, can I at least ask if you are ready to go to Gladrags and get our costumes ordered? They close in about half an hour."

He looked at his watch. It was almost five and they had to be back at the castle at six. "Sure, let's go. We don't have much time to get it done, but I think we can do it."

They got up and walked back to town. Gladrags was almost deserted, which told Darren that not too many students had gotten the idea of ordering early. He went to the men's side, getting measured for his costume. Cho was on a pedestal on the other side of the store. She smiled at him as the witch helping her was writing down her measurements while a tape measure did its work on its own. When they were through, they ran into Honeydukes for a bit. Two bags of Every Flavor Beans, one for each of them, and a grab bag of assorted treats was all they had time for. Neither of them wanted to run back, so they did not spend much time looking around the candy shop. Together they walked back to Hogwarts, and half way there she took his hand in hers. She held it tightly, and he squeezed back.

"Ouch!" And she smacked him playfully on his arm.

"Sorry Cho," he apologized.

"I was just joking Darren. Come on, there is the gate."

They entered the grounds again, and made their way back to the Entrance Hall. At the foot of the stairs, they said their goodbyes, but not before making a date to spend the day together the following Saturday, and not before Cho had kissed him lightly on the lips.