A/N: so much has been happening in my life. My final exams for Theology just finished but I still have a lot on my mind. I needed to distract myself from everything else academic-related because I might go crazy if I go on thinking about them. I needed to escape from it all. So, I decided to just update since I have ideas waiting to be typed down. Enjoy everyone!

Chapter 9

CHO'S POV

Thoughts kept on coming as much as the water which trailed along Cho's red and black hair, porcelian face and delicate curves. "How rude it was for me to just leave Draco there, but I think he can manage on his own". What made her decide to leave was the mere fact that she was so distracted with Draco. "I don't want him to think that I'm some slut salivating over his well-built body. I'd be making a fool of myself if I stayed any longer. Showing my uneasiness isn't going to help at all". As much as possible, Cho wanted to avoid any awkward vibe in her apartment. After bathing, she brushed her teeth, put some night cream on her face and went to her room to sleep.

She lay down on her back and stared at the ceiling.

"There isn't anything awkward in the situation earlier. Draco was calm and casual. He was just being his usual self. But then again, did he intentionally knock on my door without any clothes on? Wait a minute. Why am I making such a big deal out of this matter anyway? Since when did I care about how appealing a half-naked "retired" death eater anyway? Why is he making it so hard for me."

Then she lay on her right and stared out the window. What had been outside her window was a beautiful night sky. The moon was full and a lot of stars had been out that night.

"Cho, he's not making it hard for you. You're making it hard for yourself. Could you be feeling something for Draco? No. You cannot feel anything for him. I mean sure, he's confessed that he's changed and that he wants to get away from all the darkside bullshit but you never know. What if he was out to get you? It's all game? He's been quite a womanizer back at Hogwarts so what difference does it make now? He may just be trying to gain your sympathy and then use you, eventually. Next thing you know, you're apartment's going to be his personal motel".

Cho grabbed the pillow and put it over her face

"I believe that he's sincere with his motives. That he just wants to escape. He wants to escape from his past and I think that me being around may actually be of great help. I myself am running away from the past and from what my parents really want me to be. He doesn't want to become a death eater. I don't want to become an Auror. We can help each other out of our respective shitholes alive.

So what if I feel something for him? If so, could I say that I'm in love"?

The pillow over her face was suffocating her so she just went back to staring at the ceiling.

"You're not in love, Cho. You can't be in love. Who are you to say that you're in love when you don't even know what love means in the first place? What you felt for Cedric back then was nothing more but mere infatuation. After Cedric, you hit it off with Adrian but with him, you became either a walking crackhead or a demented junkie. You weren't in love with Adrian because you feel in love with all the drugs he could give you".

"Argh! That's it! No more internal debates"! Cho screamed as she pulled her hair out. "I need to fall asleep"

Cho rushed to her dresser and opened the lowest drawer. In the drawer were her past journals and a box of memorabilia from Cedric. Cho took out everything until she came upon a red box with the words "Cheesecake, etc." imprinted on it. She felt a wave of excitement as she took off the lid "It's been a while. Besides, there's an urgency for it"

Inside the box were three bottles of valium, some used syringes, left over coke, some heroine and 2 stalks of maryjanes. "Well, hello lovelies!"

Cho immediately reached for the valium only to find out that all three bottles had been completely consumed. She was in no mood for coke as she was in no mood to puncture herself with a needle. "Fine, I'll just settle with this", she thought to herself as she grabbed the bag of grass and the box of rolling paper. She rolled herself 2 joints. "I guess this is enough. What a fucked up joint. Rolling skills are rusty. Oh well. Doesn't matter anyway".

Cho lay down on her bed. She opened her sidetable drawer to get out her lighter. Two in the morning, the first joint was lit and Cho was smoking her way to sleep. "Aaah. This feels so much better."

Later on, Cho was feeling euphoric and light. She felt as if she was being lifted up to the heavens. "Oh how I miss flying on my broom. Ah. The Quidditch days". And from there, Cho was able to distract herself from the debate she was having with herself earlier. Her thoughts were happier, more carefree and more sponatenous. By her second joint, Cho felt her eyelids dropping. Before falling asleep completely, she placed the remains of the joint in the side table drawer, hiding it under papers and folders from her former job.

Then, it was off to dreamland.

DRACO'S POV

The alarm went off at exactly 8 in the morning and did not fail at waking Draco up. He groaned.

Draco wasn't the only one growling for his stomach did as well.

"Shut up stomach. You'll be eating breakfast soon. I'll feed you. Just wait" he said to himselfas he patted his stomach. "I hope Cho made me another batch of pancakes again". He told himself as he rushed out to the dining area only to find the vase on the table.

"Crap. She probably isn't up yet. Might as well whip up my own food" he mumbled. Draco opened the pantry and searched for breakfast which won't be so tedious.

"Hmm. What to cook. What to cook" he spoke as he stroked his chin.

"Aha!" Draco grabbed a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. "This should be pretty easy to do." So there, he boiled the water, poured in the macaroni and waited for the pasta to get cooked. By the end of the whole "cooking" process, Draco saw that the macaroni and cheese could serve two people.

"I guess I can leave some for Cho. It's my turn to serve her breakfast".

He took a quick glance at the corridor just to see if Cho's door had been opened. She was still asleep

"See Cho. If I didn't care for you so much, I wouldn't be doing this for you"

Then he placed the macaroni and cheese on the table. Draco opened the refrigerator hoping to find something he can drink besides water. He saw some oranges and decided to make some juice out of it. After preparing the juice, Draco sat down and indulged in his self-prepared breakfast. She left some juice for Cho but placed it in the refrigerator first. As for the macaroni and cheese, well, he left it on the table.

Draco rushed when he looked that the wall clock read "9:30".

"Oh shit", he muttered then rushed to the bathroom. He took a cool shower, brushed his teeth, put on the clothes Cho had given him. Before leaving, he went in front of Cho's door and just stood there for a couple of seconds, staring at the photograph which was hanged on the door. He touched the picture and trailed his finger along Cho's cheek as he whispered to the picture, as if talking to the real Cho.

"I'm doing this all for you Cho. Wish me luck. I'll make it back just in time".

Then out the door he went.