Disclaimer: Characters/settings/names/etc. borrowed from J.K. Rowling. :
Every Saturday, after Ravenclaw team practices, Cho continued to take lessons with Malfoy. As much as she hated to admit it, Malfoy was actually a decent coach. After two sessions, Cho succeeded in catching all of Malfoy's Remembrall throws. After three more, she could catch most of the Snitches that he let out. He devised strenuous but effective training methods, and Cho felt herself getting stronger and faster. She even felt more comfortable on her broom. But most importantly, she learned how to block out Malfoy's incessant insults.
Words don't mean anything, words don't mean anything, Cho chanted to herself as Malfoy threw makeshift Bludgers while emitting streams of insults at her.
Wham! Pain erupted in Cho's shoulder as a Bludger collided with her. She rubbed her shoulder subconsciously and braced herself for more.
"Man!" Malfoy sneered in frustration. " Merlin, Chang, you move slower than a Stupefied flobberworm!"
Cho's jaw dropped.
No one, Cho fumed. No one. Calls me slow. Not when running is all I have. As he geared up to throw another one, Cho decided she finally had had enough. She flew up to Malfoy, anger bubbling within her.
When they were inches apart, Cho said as coldly and quietly as possible, "Do I?" Her voice quivered dangerously with fury, and Malfoy backed up a bit on his broom.
"Race me," Cho hissed at him. "Prove it. Prove that you're more than just hot air. I'll win. I will kick your skinny arse all the way from here to Hogsmeade." With every word, she jabbed a finger at Malfoy's chest.
She saw a brief uncertainty flicker in Malfoy's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with cunning. "Okay," Malfoy said, "But let's make this interesting." He pulled a Snitch out of his robes and opened his palm. The ball stretched its wings slowly and with a soft 'whoosh', swiftly sped away. "If you catch it," he added, cocking an eyebrow, "I'll agree to end lessons." Cho must have looked skeptical at that, because Malfoy finished conceitedly, "Don't worry. That won't happen."
The two then sped off at top speed, so fast that people sitting in their common rooms that evening would have noticed a blue and green streak outside their windows for a split second.
The wind stung Cho's cheeks as she flew, but she didn't care. Here it was, finally, her chance to prove that she could be her old self. Her old self that could get good grades, could play Quidditch, and could elicit looks from admiring boys. Somehow, naively, she felt that if she could just catch this Snitch, she would grasp everything good in her life back, that she would be back to her old self. Before Cedric died. Cho bit her lip in determination and scanned the darkening sky for the Snitch, which had disappeared from her vision. Suddenly, a devious thought flitted through her mind. Should she?
Cho grinned evilly. She should.
Gasping audibly, she zoomed purposely into Malfoy's field of view and pushed her broom into a steep dive. She saw Malfoy's surprised look as he quickly followed. Laughing inwardly at his gullibility, Cho stretched her hand out for dramatic effect. The ground rose at breakneck speed. A little longer…At the last minute, Cho pulled out of the dive, laughing hysterically as she ascended back up into the sky. Tears of laughter threatened to spill out of her eyes, and she clutched at her sides. "Gotcha, Malfoy!" she giggled madly. "I can't believe you fell for that old Wronski Feint! Ahaha!" She found it hard to breathe. Then, after what seemed an eternity, the laughter subsided and Cho exhaled. She searched around for her coach, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Malfoy?" Cho called. "Sheesh, sore loser, no need to hide." Nothing but thick silence answered her. Cho felt a bit of panic start to rise in her. "Malfoy?" she called out again, more fearfully this time. Suddenly, she peered over the front of her broom and screamed.
Malfoy was lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, motionless. Cho immediately flew down to the ground and fell to her knees in front of his body. Shit, shit, shit, Cho cursed repeatedly, running a hand through her hair. What am I going to do! Malfoy wasn't breathing. Oh, Merlin, I've killed him! Cho's heart started pounding unbelievably fast, and her head spun, making her feel nauseous. Cho knew she couldn't risk running up to the hospital wing until he had resumed breathing. She tried frantically to remember a Healing charm, any, and fortunately remembered something Professor Flitwick had taught a few weeks ago. The Air Supplying Charm! Suministro aire! Cho remembered in relief. Yes! She reached into her robes for her wand, but felt only the stitched lining of the pockets. Oh, bloody hell! Cho fumed, as she remembered that she had left her wand in her dorm in an attempt to control her temper with Malfoy and avoid any more "unlawful hexing." In a panic, she began to dig frantically at her pockets, as if willing her wand to show up. No, no, no, this can't be happening! Tears of horror started to stream down her cheeks as Cho dug through Malfoy's robes as well, finally pulling out a broken wand –the impact of the fall had split Malfoy's gorgeous wand in half. He was starting to turn blue.
Oh Merlin! Cho thought, as she leaned down in a last act of desperation. Trying to remember all the films that she had watched on the telly at home, Cho exhaled three times into Malfoy's mouth and allowed a second for the air to move through his lungs. Tears continuing to fall, she didn't stop the cycle until she felt him cough slightly. Color returned to Malfoy's face, but he still didn't open his eyes. Releasing a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, Cho sighed.
Amazed at how well she handled the situation, Cho hurriedly stood and lifted Malfoy into her arms. Bloody hell, you're a lot heavier than you look, Cho grumbled to herself as she staggered against the dead weight. Then, shocked, she mentally slapped herself. Hello! You almost killed the guy and you're complaining! Cho started hastily toward the school and walked as fast as she could up the spiraling staircase to the hospital wing. Breathing hard, she stumbled into the open door, and not waiting to answer Madam Pomfrey's fearful questions, dropped Malfoy into the nearest cot.
"Oh dear, dear," Madam Pomfrey fretted, bustling around Malfoy, while waving her wand and preparing antidotes for abrasions. Cho sank into a nearby chair and buried her face in her hands, crying with relief. He's going to be okay, calm down, she scolded herself. To her irritation, it seemed that all she did lately was cry.
"It's okay, dear," Madam Pomfrey reassured Cho while mending Malfoy's broken arm. "You did well, bringing him up here! You shouldn't be crying, you should be giving yourself a pat on the back." Madam Pomfrey smiled.
Cho didn't try to explain that she was crying out of happiness, but simply nodded and bade the nurse good night.
(A/N) Hope you liked Chapter 2! I hope to hear from you guys as well! I would love to know how I'm doing. :)