Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and am making no money from this.
Cho
Breakfast on the first day of classes in the new term is a bit odd. For one, Pansy and Hermione are absent. For another Ron is absolutely beaming; I can't imagine why. Certainly I have reason to be in a radiant mood: within the week I'll have signed the paperwork making me a professional Quidditch player, but I can't imagine what could have happened to Ron to have him in such a state.
I haven't told anyone outside the Ravenclaw team yet; I planned to announce the good news to everyone here this morning. They're my friends (to varying degrees), so I wanted to make an event of it. It's wonderful news after all, cause to celebrate. I'm somewhat worried about Ron though. I know it's paranoid, but I can't help but feel his grin somehow bodes ill for me.
The newspaper comes and Ron's grin only becomes broader. All of us except him pick up our copies and read. Ron simply waits and watches, however. He watches all of us, but Harry in particular is a fixation for him. Once I actually start reading the paper, it doesn't take me long to see why Ron is behaving the way he is.
Ron was at the site of a Death Eater attack and manage to repel it; he even captured one. It's all very heroic and cause for pride, but the real news is at the end, the identity of the Death Eater Ron managed to capture: the man known as Wormtail.
"You captured Wormtail?" Harry gasps, asking the obvious.
"Damned right I did," Ron replies, the very definition of pride.
"I almost don't believe it," Harry comments. "I know it's in the paper and you say you did, it's just, after this long it's almost like it isn't real. You know what this means, right? They can interrogate him, make him talk about what happen with Sirius; he'll finally be found innocent."
"Yeah, it's great stuff. It was hard not telling you as soon as I got back from break, but this way seemed like it'd be more fun. Shame Parkinson and Hermione aren't here though."
"Yes, where are they?" I ask.
"No idea," Harry answers. "McGonagall was waiting for them in the common room this morning. Not a clue what about."
"Ah. Well regardless, congratulations, Ron. And to you as well, Harry. I hope your godfather is exonerated soon."
"Yes, Congratulations," Fleur agrees.
"I did it without any fancy magic either," Ron brags. "No super rare spells like Hermione reads about, no Unforgivables or killing magic or dark magic or whatever else Parkinson always pushes, I didn't even need any of that flame crap Cho used either."
Of course, Ron's moment of glory has to be used for more than simple pride or vanity; it's a moment to attack Pansy (in abstention) and myself. Such a lovely individual Ron Weasley is.
"What'd you use?" Harry wants to know.
"A stunner. Simple spell a first year would know."
"You got lucky," I comment, not particularly friendly in my tone anymore.
"Just goes to show you, you don't need all that fancy high end stuff some people are big on to win."
"You're a fool if you think first year magic can win against the Dark Lord." Fleur doesn't think much of Ron's new found philosophy of magic either.
"That might sound all wise and stuff, but it's just talk. I got actual results; I took down a Death Eater, and not just any Death Eater, Wormtail. The guy who can get Sirius pardoned."
"Yes, yes, I know who he is and what it means. But one lucky day is just that, luck, like Cho said. You do realize that you can't win a war just with standard spells, no?"
"Yeah, maybe. But you know, maybe a big part of what Death Eaters have going for them is fear. We're all so afraid of that that we don't even try. It's not like they're immune to magic, after all. If we hit them with a spell it works just like if we hit each other in practice."
"Except in practice if you make a mistake you don't die," I comment.
"My sister almost did," Ron answers right back at me.
"When are you going to let that go? It's been weeks, I've apologized, I'll do it again if you like, but at this point I just want to know when you'll stop bringing that up every time we talk or my name even comes up."
"I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe when you stop being such an irresponsible attention seeking girl?"
"Fine," I get up and leave. It's a weak line to leave on, storm off I suppose you could say, but the idea isn't to have some memorable words, it's simply to leave. I find Ron Weasley distasteful to be around and more and more I doubt my ability to control my violent urges around him.
I don't know the endgame for all this, apparently neither does he. It seems clear that time will not resolve this, however. Something will have to change the status quo, an unexpected act of forgiveness, an outburst of violence or perhaps some unforeseen event. I suppose I could end it any time, simply let go and lash out, but that's not a thing I want to do. If I'm to use violence, I want it to be because I choose to do so, not simply because of a lapse in control. Granted I'm not perfect on that score by any means, but it's my goal. Besides, violence would burn bridges, a great many bridges possibly, and I'm not prepared to accept that.
I've barely gotten into my inner monologue and out of the Great Hall when I hear a voice calling from behind me. "Cho, wait up," Harry gets my attention from behind.
I stop just outside the room and wait for my boyfriend. I'm a bit reluctant, since there's a fair chance that he plans to discuss the Yule Ball with me. It's not the sort of discussion that can be avoided, I know, but none the less, I'm not looking forward to it.
"About Ron," Harry starts. "I know he sort of harps, but he's just looking out for his little sister. He can be a little overprotective at times, I guess."
"Yes, I've noticed." I'm not in a particular mood to show patience on this subject.
"I know you don't like hearing about it, so I just wanted to say thanks for being patient with him."
"Yes, well, you should tell him the same. I'm trying to be patient, but my patience is not infinite."
"I know, and I'll talk to him," Harry assures me. "There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about, besides Ron I mean."
"The Yule Ball," I state.
"Yeah, the Yule Ball. What happened there?"
"Where would you like to start? With Ron perhaps?"
"Ron? What about Ron?" Harry asks.
"You seriously have to ask? He was there to ruin the evening."
"You're being paranoid, Cho. He couldn't get a date. That's why he was with us. I told you that then."
"That's nonsense and you know it, or should at least. I don't know if Ron tried to get a date or not, not that it particularly matters. By the time that night around he'd decided he was going to meddle for all he was worth. He made a show of being miserable, needing attention any time we'd do anything resembling date activities, and it absolutely had an effect on you."
"He's my friend, my best friend. Of course it affects me if he isn't happy."
"Oh please, that was a performance designed to play on your emotions, to make you choose between him and I. He knew you'd try to make both of us happy and in the process the entire night would be a disaster, and it was."
"So you're blaming Ron for you and Fleur doing… all that stuff people say you did?"
"I'm saying Ron was the instigating factor, yes. By the time Fleur came around the night was essentially a total loss, I was miserable and she was a way out. If not for her I probably would have tried to find some excuse to leave the date early."
"That probably would have been better."
"No Harry, what would have been better is if you would have told either Ron or myself that the other needed your full attention."
"I don't want to turn my back on people like that, Cho."
"Yes, that's quite well known."
After a pause Harry continues. "So what, are you and Fleur a thing now? You know, dating or something?"
"No, we are not. And for the record that kiss was not something I planned or even expected. It simply, happened, as the saying goes. I was outside the Ravenclaw dormitory, about to go inside and Fleur kissed me, no advance warning, she simply did. That's all it was."
"And does she know that?"
"I don't know. We haven't spoken about it."
"Well why not?"
"It's our first full day back, Harry, I simply haven't had a chance. There are other things in my life I have to attend to, you realize."
"Maybe you should. Maybe then everyone can figure out exactly what's going on around here."
Apparently, that's the end of that conversation, because Harry just walks away after that parting line. No questions about what else might have been occupying my time since I got back, no reassurance that his promise to talk to Ron was anything more than a platitude or even promise to investigate my claims of Ron's intention at the Yule Ball for Harry and I, instead Harry simply ordered me to talk to Fleur and report back to him. The onus for everything is on me.
"That looked unpleasant." I hear Fleur say, having obviously been loitering in the shadows.
"Listening in?" I ask.
"Of course, I'm here to keep an eye on you all. I told you at the start of the year, no?"
"I'm not sure this qualifies for the sort of things you were here to monitor."
"I think the goings on of Harry's life are exactly the sort of things Dumbledore wants to hear about."
"You make him sound like a gossip."
"Ah, do I? I think concerned parent is closer to how he feels. Either way, you and Harry were talking about me, so it's only fair I know about it, no?"
"Fair? I don't know about that. It does seem appropriate that we should talk, however."
"Yes, I suppose it is." Fleur pauses, I'm not sure if she's thinking of what to say or simply trying to find the right words in English. "It was a fun evening, I enjoyed spending it with you. And yes, I've never particularly cared about gender for that sort of thing, it's not uncommon for Veela to be open minded that way. But regardless of how it felt in that moment, it was a mistake to kiss you. It's caused so many problems, and I'm sorry."
"So a spur of the moment decision?"
"Yes. Trying to steal you from Harry like that is not something I should do. He's been good to my family. He helped my sister during the Triwizard Tournament when he didn't have to, shouldn't have even. Doing what I did is not how you should repay someone who's done what he has."
"I see. And if Harry wasn't my boyfriend, if it was someone else, someone who you didn't feel you owed a debt to?" I'm not sure if it's relevant, but I'm curious.
"Then things might be different."
I'm at a bit of a loss for how to respond to that. A hypothetical romantic interest from Fleur was an interesting divertissement to examine at some unspecified point in the future, but the issue is much more immediate now, and I don't have a good answer for how to react.
"So what other things have you been attending to?" Fleur snaps me out of the thoughts.
"Hmm? Other things?"
"You told Harry you had other things you were attending to since you got back from break. Anything interesting?"
"Quidditch contracts," I answer. "The first of them are in and I got an offer. Actually, three, but one of them I plan to accept. A lawyer is looking it over now for anything untoward. Assuming it checks out I'll sign and everything will be official by the end of the week."
"Ah, congratulations. You've wanted this for some time, no? Hmm, that would explain why you looked like that at breakfast."
"Looked like what?"
"Like you had a secret you couldn't wait to tell."
"Of course I wanted to tell people. It's great news, something I've dreamed of for years, and it's actually going to happen now. An up and coming team that has a legitimate shot, solid play time guaranteed in the contract, to say nothing of the gold offered. It's a very generous compensation package. It's everything I hoped for. So yes, I wanted to share it with my friends."
"And Ron stole your big moment."
"I hadn't actually thought of it that way." I answer.
"Ah? It seemed obvious to me. You had news, he had news, he went first and upstaged your news so much you didn't even say a word there."
I'd like to call Fleur paranoid or say I'm not so childish, but now that I think about it, she seems dead on in her analysis.
"Regardless, congratulations." And with that Fleur hugs me. Thankfully, that's all she does; no kiss this time.
Pansy
It was dinner time before we got back to the castle. Not like it's a big surprise, the Parkinsons have a lot of assets, a lot to look over and check off the list. A lot of the investments I'll have to spend time looking at later; make sure it's all in places that make money and not funding shit I don't want to fund, that sort of thing. But that's boring crap and it'll take a long time, so I'll do it later. I don't know if I'll let Hermione help or not. I know she'll want to offer and all that, but I'm not sure.
Yeah, Hermione loves me, and I love her, and I trust her and all, but letting her all over the family finances? I don't know. I guess it's no big thing, I've already made my decision to be with her, but it just feels weird. I mean, it's one hell of a romantic evening, cuddle up by the fire in the common room and go over numbers. Piles and piles of them. Fun. I don't know, Muggles use computers for this shit, maybe there's a reason. Maybe it's easier somehow. I guess maybe I should ask Hermione, since managing wealth is sort of my job now.
It's just sort of weird, letting another person into all the gold and stuff. I don't know why, it shouldn't be, not for Hermione but it just somehow is. Yeah, it's a bit late to have second thoughts about her, and no way is this anything like that, it's more like, two worlds that were never supposed to meet: Hermione, mud blood hated by my family that I got tossed out for, and all the Parkinson shit, the gold and assets and all that.I guess it's stupid, I should suck it up and just ask her, especially about that computer shit. I trust her and all, there's no rational reason not to talk to her about this. Not now though. No point; no computers in the castle so even if they're great shit it wouldn't matter until summer.
So that'll wait. I guess if they're that good maybe I'd need to somehow rig Parkinson Manor with electricity in a few rooms. And the French maids. Definitely need to do that as soon as I get back there.
The old man fixed my room up pretty well. It's not pristine or anything, but a lot of the damage is fixed, most of the broken stuff is repaired. That's nice and all, but I still hate the old man seeing me break down like that. I get why he was there, make sure there's no traps or anything, his responsibility to look after us and all. It'd look bad for the headmaster to have two students die on his watch, after all, especially since all the shit in the paper last year didn't do wonders for his reputation. Yeah, they stopped all that crap and the dark lord actually being back vindicates him, but he still got smeared and a lot of people still remember.
I guess that's not entirely true though, the old man is in the papers some still, even if people don't realize it. There's that Order of the Phoenix that fights the Death Eaters out in public, leaves those burning phoenix marks on the ground and shit. It's pretty obvious the old man runs that order. Hermione, Potter and the idiot weasel can't believe it's really the order doing it, that there has to be something else going on, but whatever the case, it's in the papers and if the old man gets publicly connected to it there'll be some heavy shit coming down on his head.
It's the tail end of dinner at the castle, so it's mainly just the paper to keep Hermione and I company while we eat. That idiot Longbottom is around too, but I'll take the paper as company over him. Sure enough, there's some sort of action on the front page, it's Death Eaters this time though, not the Order.
"Pansy, have you seen this?" Hermione asks me.
"Yeah, yeah, Death Eater attack, big deal," I reply.
"No, read it."
I take the time to actually see what happened, what the details that got Hermione's attention so much are. "Holy shit, the idiot weasel captured a Death Eater?"
"Not only that, it was Wormtail. That means Sirius can be proven innocent."
"Lucky for Potter I guess. And lucky for us we've been gone all day. That idiot weasel probably hasn't shut the hell up about this all day long."
"Yeah, he kind of has made a big deal of it," Longbottom confirms. "He made sure to make a thing at breakfast about how all he needed was a stunner, no um, whatever that stuff Cho does is, and no dark magic."
"What, he picked a fight with Cho?" I ask. I guess he tried to pick one with me too. I wonder if he realized I wasn't there. With that moron anything's possible after all.
"Basically."
"She kick his ass?"
"No, after they argued a bit she just walked away. I don't think she's talked to him since."
"Too bad."
"Really?" Hermione looks at me. "If she did fight him, I thought you'd be upset you weren't here to see it."
"Good point."
"Where were you two all day anyway?" Longbottom asks.
"Parkinson Manor."
"What were you doing there?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but the place is mine now."
"Oh. Well um, that's good. Right?"
Damn, I can't tell if he's too stupid to know if that's a good thing, or too scared of me to risk a real opinion. Worthless idiot either way.
"Yes, it's extremely good," Hermione agrees. "I have to say Ron and Cho fighting isn't though. I'd hoped those two might get past it on their own given time."
"But they haven't, so you want to meddle," I smirk at Hermione.
"You know me so well, dear."
"What's your plan? Cho or the idiot weasel?" There are only two clear choices, Hermione will talk to one of them, possibly both. But even if she means to talk to both, one has to be first.
"I think speaking to Ron will work just fine for this."
"Talking to idiots never works in my experience."
"I have more patience than you do I think, dear," Hermione gives me a sweet smile.
"That or you're just a masochist."
"Honestly it didn't used to feel this hard. We should all be friends, there should be no reason for as much fighting as there is lately."
"Other than the girl weasel almost getting cooked."
"It's time to get past that. Cho lost her temper, yes, and shouldn't have used magic she didn't have total control of against another person, but Ginny shouldn't have provoked her either. And regardless, no one was hurt. Once everyone calmed down they should have all said they were sorry and that would have been the end of it."
"Like this hasn't been a long time coming. I mean, come on, you know the weasels haven't liked Cho all showing off and crap. Ever since we took her shopping and put it in her head that she could and should act like a pin up girl they've been pissy."
"You say that like you're bragging and taking credit. And I think Fleur was a rather large factor influencing Cho's look and mannerisms this year," Hermione corrects me.
"Yeah, fine, whatever, point is the weasels just don't like how Cho is going, and it's going to get worse. I mean, just look at where we're all going."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean look at all of us and where we're going in life. I don't really know crap about Quidditch, just watched because it was an obligation and shit, but Cho seems ok at it, thinks she has a future as a pro. They make good money, and looking like she does, Cho will get endorsements if she isn't a shit player in the pros. The girl's going to be rich.
"The weasels though? No clue what the girl weasel wants to do, but the idiot? An Auror? You don't get rich doing that. Besides, he seems like the sort who thinks getting something because of your looks is cheating or something; thinks you don't earn it if you get something because you're hot. You know, self made man crap, working class hero worship and all that shit. It's dumb, but he seems to buy into it."
"And you think this is really what's at work here?"
"Of course. You really think the girl weasel wants to grow up and be like Cho? Her idiot mother has probably filled her head with shit about how that's not how proper girls dress or act; raised her to be a housewife just like her. Get a husband, pop out a dozen kids and pretend it's a happy life."
"How is being raised to be a house wife relevant?"
"Come on, just look at where we're all going. Unless I really misread you, you plan to live in Parkinson Manor with me. Cho will be off being rich and famous, Fleur will be off doing whatever the hell a succubus does, probably not in some small-time place though. And what about the weasels? Small time shit. Hell, the girl weasel will probably live in that same hovel she does now, inherit it. That or some shit hole just like it. Same with Potter, some boring normal house, boring normal life doing boring shit. We're going in different directions, Hermione, and it's just going to get worse."
Hermione stops and thinks about it. "You might have a point there. We are going in different directions. In half a year Cho will graduate, and whatever her career path, she'll be gone from here. Maybe Fleur will be here next year, maybe not. And she's a Veela, not a succubus."
"Yeah right. Look at the girl; people may like the word Veela but that girl is a succubus, pure and simple." Hermione can't help but smile at that.
Ginny
It's well into the evening before Hermione and Parkinson show up at the common room. Everyone's still awake and around, so those two aren't exactly getting in unnoticed.
"Where have you been?" I demand.
"Yeah, where were you?" Ron asks.
"We were worried," Harry agrees.
"It's fine, we were at Parkinson Manor all day," Hermione replies.
"Where were you doing there?" Ron doesn't like the answer, obviously.
"Wait, that actually worked?" I can't believe it.
"What worked?"
"Hermione's been trying to bully the Minister into giving it to Parkinson here. Been at it for weeks."
"I have not been bullying," Hermione insists. "I've merely been corresponding with the Minister."
"Yeah, because rich pure blood families have their stuff stolen via the mail all the time."
"Regardless, Parkinson Manor and all the family assets were transferred to Pansy. We were at the manor with Dumbledore taking inventory of everything and signing forms. I hear things were busy here as well."
"Yeah, I captured Wormtail. Was over break, the paper just reported on it today," Ron beams.
"That's wonderful news," Hermione praises. "Though I heard there was a bit of a blow up at breakfast about it? Maybe you weren't at your most humble about it?"
"What humble? I just said how I did it. Not my fault Cho didn't like it."
"I was told it wasn't quite that innocent."
"What's it matter? What'd you hear anyway?" I like how my brother tries to brush the whole thing off and then see just how much trouble he might be in, all in the span of just a few words.
"I heard you rubbed it in her face, Ron. Made a point of saying how her magic wasn't needed."
"Yeah, so what?" Ron demands. "Either way, it's true. All I needed was a stunner."
"Ron, this has to stop."
"He has to stop capturing Death Eaters?" I ask.
"That's not what I mean, and you know it," Hermione corrects me. "I mean this feud with Cho that he has, and that you also seem to have, it has to stop."
"Why?" Ron looks at Hermione.
"Yeah, why?" I agree. "You think we're all just going to be pals and get along? Because yeah, I'm just not feeling it with the Fleur fan girl." That's exactly what Cho is, Fleur's fan girl.
"Enough," Hermione raises her voice; not something she does often with us. "I'm had enough of this stupid war of yours. Yes, maybe Cho chose her magic poorly, maybe it was dangerous, but Ginny, you should know better than to shoot someone in the back like that. And Ron, I understand protecting your sister, but you are going out of your way to keep pushing this fight of yours, far past any reasonable point."
"What's the big deal?" Ron asks. "So I don't like her and say so, so what?"
"So it isn't just that, Ron. I don't know what your problem with her is, if this is all about that fight, if you don't like her dating Harry, some Quidditch rivalry or what, and I'm past caring. There is no reason we should be fighting; this is a great year for us. Pansy has her inheritance back, you captured a major Death Eater, it looks like Harry will get his godfather back soon, we should all be celebrating. Instead you're pitting us against each other and all but forcing everyone to pick sides.
"Well, I refuse. You understand me? I will not choose you or Cho. I will not put up with your harping on that fight, or Ginny on how Cho dresses, or either of you on if Fleur is an example to follow, none of it. It is over. If you want to keep pursuing this you can do it without me. Friends don't ask friends to pick sides like this. So it's time to decide what matters to you more, this grudge or my friendship."
"Wow, I didn't know you were that upset about it, Hermione," my brother apologizes. "Sure, I'll let it go, no problem."
"Yeah, I'll play nice," I agree.
"Of course the idiot weasel agreed; he'd have to do his own homework otherwise," Parkinson mutters.
"Oh shut up," My brother glares at Parkinson.
Author's Notes:
Sorry it's been so long since I updated. May was pretty brutal for work, and when the term finally ended and I'm off I have the fun of picked up some bug and spent a few weeks miserable to one degree or another. Anyway, here it is, I hope you all enjoy. Thanks to that-fan, like always. I couldn't do it without him. Of course, thanks to everyone who reviews too. I appreciate them all.