Cho put a trembling hand into the mud near her face, starting to make a nice handprint. As she did, she saw Cedric's ring on her finger, the one he had given to her before the start of the third TriWizard Tournament event. He had given her this ring just hours before he died...
"I'm not that nervous." Cedric announced, plopping himself down at the Ravenclaw table. "It's only a maze with a few charms and creatures... I bet even Harry will be able to do it."
"Ced!" Cho said in mock horror. "Come on, he's only one year younger... and if you remember, you and him are tied for first place..."
"I suppose." Cedric gave her a small kiss, just to apologize for being somewhat rude to Harry. "Pass the jam?"
As Cho handed her boyfriend the strawberry jam (knowing he disliked raspberry), she noticed something silver glinting on his hand. "Where did you get that ring?"
"My mom gave it to me for Christmas this year. I wore it for the second task for good luck, but I won't need luck today. Will you wear it for me?"
Cho smiled. "Alright. I'll give it back when you come out of that maze holding the Cup, and not a minute before."
"It's a deal" Cedric grinned and lovingly placed the ring on Cho's hand as though it was an engagement ring...
Cho had ran out of tears to cry, but she gave a small sob as she remembered the last day she had seen Cedric alive.
Her hand print was finished and she removed her hand from the mud. She wiped her muddy hand on her black dress and smiled faintly at yet another flashback...
Fourth year, the day after a huge rain storm, and Cho found herself on the muddy banks of the lake. She had just failed another piece of Arithmancy homework. She wanted to drop the class, but it really was an interesting subject, even if she didn't understand it.
She sat, as still as could be, and looked out over the lake. She had her feet firmly infront of her and she was hugging her knees.
She was concentrating on making a branch fall from a tree across the lake, just to keep her mind off her failure. She was also wondering if she was at all psychic, just for fun. "Fall, fall, fall," she murmured.
"No thanks, I'd get all muddy," said a familiar voice from behind her. Cho turned, frowning dejectedly.
"I got another zero in Arithmancy. I'm going to fail that class. I needed to get away from it."
Cedric grinned and sat beside her, clearly not caring about the mud. He took her hand and said, "I'll help you next time."
"You don't even take Arithmancy!" Cho smiled ruefully, wishing he really could help her.
"I don't have to. You take it."
"What?"
"Got you!" Cedric pushed Cho's hand into the mud, leaving a neat handprint. He leapt up and took a few steps away, clearly challenging her to chase him.
"Ack!" Cho shreiked playfully and flung a tiny handful of mud at Cedric's head. It landed on his shoulder with a "Splomft!" and oozed down his arm. "Eww!"
She scrambled to her feet as Cedric pelted her with small bunches of wet mud. Soon it was an all out war, the two of them yelling and laughing and getting completely coated in mud. They spent atleast an hour chasing each other around with mud and the occasional purple earth worm.
Finally, Cho had Cedric cornered. Cedric had one last mud ball, and he was standing on a rock overlooking the lake that students often dove off of when the water was warmer. Cho was standing ankle deep in the mud, but her hands were empty.
Cedric's last bit of mud flew through the air and hit Cho at the top of her forehead, so that the mud slid into her hair. "I'm gonna get you for that!"
Instead of grabbing mud, Cho ran at Cedric and tackled him, sending them both into the lake. They came up laughing and stumbled ashore to collapse on a patch of grass, where they lay hand in hand, giggling, until the sun began to set...