Chapter 25
Two's Company, Three's a Crowd
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Preparations for the Valentine's Ball were in full swing. It was only a couple of days to go. The Saturday before the Ball Dumbledore had granted permission for the students to go to Hogsmeade. Harry and Cho decided to go separately because they both wanted to spend time with their own friends and also because Harry wanted to get Cho a card and a present.
"How am I going to get rid of Hermione?" Ron complained
"Why don't you send her off with Ginny" Harry suggested, "For all we know she's probably thinking exactly the same about you."
"Yeah" Ron said smiling, "My first Valentine's card. I can't wait. What will I buy her? What if she doesn't like it?"
"Relax; whatever you get she'll love it"
"I'll love what" Hermione said her eyes lighting up as the boys walked into the common room. "Are you talking about my Valentine's present, how sweet!"
"Ron, Hermione is going to come with me" Ginny said, "We have loads to buy"
"We" Ron asked
"Yes, Ron we, I've got stuff to get"
"You're not back with Dean are you?" Ron looked shocked and a little annoyed.
Ginny looked back at her brother just as annoyed. She looked just like Mrs Weasley did when she got annoyed with the twins.
"As a matter of fact, no I'm not back with Dean, but I am seeing a Fourth Year in Ravenclaw, and you can't do anything about it." Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm, "Come on Hermione, we have stuff to do."
Hermione was shoved out the door, she didn't get a chance to kiss Ron goodbye she just got to wave.
"Sisters" Ron huffed, "Why couldn't she have been a boy. I never have to put up with this from any of my brothers."
Harry chuckled to himself.
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It was cold in Hogsmeade but dry. Every shop was full with students browsing from aisle to aisle. As always Zonko's joke shop and Honeydukes sweet shop were packed out. Children crowded the streets and every shop corner. Harry and Ron were desperately thinking about what they could get their girlfriends.
"What do you think of this Harry?" Ron called from the other side of the shop.
"It's not very Hermione, is it?"
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I thought this would be easier" Ron sighed.
"What about this for Cho?" Harry said
"That!" Ron laughed, "I wouldn't give that to Malfoy and you know what I think of him. Let's get out of here and try Flourish and Blotts"
"Good idea, we'll definitely find something there"
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"Do you think she'll like it?" Ron asked for the hundredth time
"Yes Ron, she'll love it" Harry replied rolling his eyes as he tried to wrap Cho's present while sitting on his bed.
He had bought Cho a small silver bracelet and had got a small card that had a witch and a wizard on brooms flying off together into the sunset. He wrote inside the card,
"Cho,
Happy Valentine's Day,
Love Harry"
He didn't want to be too soppy but also didn't want to be too practical, as that might appear cold so he went with simplicity.
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"Hi Cho" Ron said as he walked down the corridor the next day. "How are you? Are you alright, you look down?"
Ron thought he should go get Harry until Cho said,
"I'm fine Ron really, its just today would have been his birthday"
"Who's?" Ron asked stupidly
"Cedric's" she snapped, "Today would have been his birthday"
Ron's cheeks burned red with embarrassment. Of course she had been referring to Cedric, she always was.
"Eh! Well don't be upset, Harry will be down soon and he'll look after you"
"Harry!" Cho snorted.
Ron thought he saw anger flash in front of Cho's face but she quickly snapped out of it when she saw Ron staring at her.
She laughed, "Look at me, getting upset over a dead boyfriend when I have a great boyfriend now. I'll be fine Ron I'm just being silly"
She laughed once more and walked off leaving a very stunned Ron. He understood why she would be upset today; if anything happened to Hermione he would be exactly the same. There was something else that bothered him, did he really see her get angry when he mentioned Harry's name? Also that laugh where had he heard that before? It sounded familiar but he couldn't remember where he heard it. It wasn't recently because Cho never laughed when she was around Harry and his friends, she was always quiet.
He continued on down to the common room when he heard,
"Get out of the way Weaslebee, we have places to be, people to see" Malfoy laughed
"Rack off Malfoy" Ron replied
Malfoy strutted down the corridor laughing and that's when it hit Ron.
"No way" he said, turning around and heading in the opposite direction, he had to find Hermione.
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"So tell me that again," Hermione said
Ron had run all the way down to the library and found Hermione sitting in a quiet corner taking down notes from a book. He slowed down and grabbing the nearest book he joined Hermione at the table nearly frightening the girl to death.
He tried to tell her about what he discovered but he was panting and out of breath from running and Hermione couldn't catch what he was saying.
"I…. need….. to….. tell.. you….. something…. but…. cant…. tell… you… here" he spluttered.
Hermione was about to complain that she was really busy and was enjoying the book when she saw the serious face on Ron.
"Come on 'Mione, we'll take a walk around the grounds."
Hermione grabbed her cloak from behind the chair replaced her book on to the shelf and walked out of the library with Ron.
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"You really think Cho is cheating on Harry?" Hermione said
"Yeah, shh! Keep your voice down" Ron said
"Ron, there's no-one out here" Hermione scolded and shivered from the cold
"Do you think Harry knows?" he asked
"Of course not. Why didn't you tell me before?"
Ron went red, "It was the night I thought you and Harry….the night I found you both asleep on the couch."
"Ron, that was ages ago. Do you think she's been cheating on him since then? I wonder who it is with."
Ron's face turned to anger.
"Malfoy" he said
"Malfoy" she repeated "Ouch! What should we do? Do you think we should tell Harry?"
"I don't know, he loves her, but wouldn't he want to know about something like this? If it was you and I, I'd want to know"
"Yeah, me to Ron"
"Okay! So later on we'll track Harry down and tell him"
Hermione nodded in agreement.
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"Cho, talk to me. What is the matter with you today?" Harry asked breaking into a run to try and catch up with her. "Cho please, will you talk to me? Have I done something to upset you? Cho please? Will you slow down for a minute so we can talk, Cho, Cho?"
"Leave me alone Potter!" Cho yelled back down the corridor. "Just leave me alone"
"Potter" he thought.
She had called him Potter. It was the first time someone had said his surname and it hurt him. All the times Malfoy or Snape had spat "Potter" it had never affected him but hearing his own girlfriend use it, bitterly hurt him. Sighing he went to head back to his common room, when he heard from behind,
"Awww! Has Potter and his girlfriend had a little row?"
"Shut up Malfoy" Harry replied anger flowing through his veins; he wasn't in any mood for Malfoy.
"Tsk! Tsk! Wouldn't you think you would be there for your girlfriend, today of all days?"
"What are you talking about Malfoy?"
"Oh, is it true Potter really doesn't know what today is? All of Hufflepuff are talking about it."
"Hufflepuff" Harry said, "But what's that got to do with Cho?"
"You really are as thick as you look" Malfoy laughed. "Today Potter would have been Cedric Diggory's birthday."
Harry slapped his hand off his forehead, how could he have been so selfish, he had automatically thought it was something to do with him.
"Damn it" he said and leaving Malfoy in the cold corridor he went looking for Cho.
As he searched for his girlfriend around the castle he started to think this wasn't his fault. How was he supposed to know that today would have been Cedric's birthday? He barely knew Cedric when he was alive. Although he should have realised if Cho was that upset then it was Cedric related. Malfoy was right, what sort of boyfriend was he?
It wasn't long before he found himself outside the room of requirements. This was their place he knew Cho was inside.
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Cho was sitting on a couch, tissue in her hand and she was staring into space.
"Cho?" Harry called softly. "Cho please, I didn't know. I honestly didn't know today was Cedric's birthday."
Cho sniffled. "I know you didn't" but she didn't turn or look at Harry.
Harry's heart was thumping in his chest, but when she wouldn't look at him he felt a nervous feeling in his stomach.
"Why don't we go for a walk together? Or get some food? I bet you haven't eaten all day. Cho are you hungry?"
"Why can't you just leave me be? I don't want to do anything today. If Cedric was here then everything would be okay."
Harry rolled his eyes, he was trying to remain calm, he really didn't want to be selfish but she was acting as if he didn't exist. He started to think if he died in the morning would she cry like this on his birthday? Hell, did she even know when his birthday was? He tried to take another approach.
"Cho darling" he started, "Cedric wouldn't have wanted to see you like this."
"Cedric loved me"
"Yes, I know but I love you too"
"Yes but Cedric…"
"Cedric is gone!" Harry interrupted with a touch of anger in his voice, he had been patient enough. "I'm sorry but you have to realise that. Is there two people in this relationship or three?"
Harry hadn't meant to say the last part out loud and regretted it as soon as his mouth had opened.
"Cho, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, really I didn't"
Anger crossed Cho's face, "how could you say something like that? Get out!"
"Cho please" Harry stammered
"Harry, I said GET OUT!" she shouted back.
"Fine" Harry replied getting up from the sofa and heading to the door. "I'll see you later"
Cho just turned her back to him.
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Fuming Harry headed back to the common room. He didn't want to see anyone but he knew that wouldn't be the case. He had just walked through the door when he heard,
"Hiya Harry" from Ron
"Hi Ron, Hermione" Harry replied.
"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked
"It wasn't my fault, I didn't know"
"What didn't you know mate" Ron asked
"I didn't know today was Cedric Diggory's bloody birthday"
"Ah!" Hermione said, "And how is Cho?"
"Don't mention her name" Harry said huffily as he flopped down into the chair. "Women, they can never make up their minds or explain things. She was sitting there as if he had just died, she didn't look at me or want to know me."
"Harry she's upset, she really loved him"
"But she says she loves me 'Mione"
"Wouldn't bet on that," Ron said under his breath
"Shh! Ron" Hermione replied quickly hoping Harry hadn't heard, but the expression on his face showed he had.
"What was that Ron?" he said
"Nothing Harry, forget it"
"No, come on, out with it, what did you say?"
"Now Harry, I'm only telling you this because you're my best friend" Ron said and taking a deep breath continued. "We think that Cho is cheating on you."
Harry thought his world had collapsed.
"You're wrong. I don't believe you. Why would you say something like that? No way you're wrong, she wouldn't"
Hermione turned to Harry.
"Harry, we're sorry, we just don't want you to get hurt"
"And what are you doing now? Don't you think this isn't hurting me telling me such lies! What proof do you have and do you know who the other person is?"
"Malfoy" Ron answered
"Malfoy" Harry laughed, "Oh! Brilliant of all the people in the whole school you pick him there's a surprise. If Neville was my enemy would you have said him? Hermione I expected more from you listening to gossip. Who told you this Crabbe, Goyle, no how about Pansy Parkinson Malfoy's girlfriend!"
"Harry it isn't gossip Ron saw them" Hermione whispered
"Oh! And when was this Ron?"
"Well I didn't see them exactly. I heard them laughing together"
"And that's a crime these days, hang on I hear Colin Creevy talking to your sister Ginny. Quick Ron I think they're kissing"
"Leave my sister out of this!" Ron replied angrily, "I'm only telling you what I heard there was kissing noises and giggling"
"When did it happen Ron?" Harry asked again with anger in his voice.
"The night I came in and found you on the couch with Hermione" Ron hung his head and was suddenly interested in his shoes.
"THAT NIGHT! Merlin's sake Ron. You accused me of cheating on Cho that night with Hermione. Is there something wrong with you or are you just looking forward to the day when I say we split up?"
Harry stormed out of the door.
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He didn't need this now. He had teachers worrying about him; he was worried about his own health and his magic. He had a girlfriend that he loved that wasn't talking to him and now his two best friends that he needed the most were telling him that the girl he loved was cheating on him with his enemy.
His head ached and he felt dizzy again, he was meant to be resting and getting his magic back up but this definitely didn't help. He went outside to get fresh air and walk off his headache.
He wasn't watching where he was walking to and he found himself at the Quidditch pitch where the maze had been the previous year. Harry just stood staring feeling nothing. He was lost in his own thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a gentle soft voice he recognised and loved,
"Harry?"
Harry turned around and looked into Cho's dark brown eyes. Tears stung in both their eyes and they said absolutely nothing to each other but they just stood and hugged one another.
From behind a bush Malfoy watched and a grin appeared on his face,
"That's my girl!"
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End of chapter