Forced myself to write this even though I'd been suffering writers block the entire weekend and on, so a gift to all of you my lovely readers.
Merry Christmas!
Last school year had left a lot of thoughts on Cho Chang's mind along with a multitude of emotional hangups, feelings of self loathing, and even contemplations of ending it all when she would close her eyes at quiet times and only see vague visages of his lecherous smile.
The sense of powerlessness, of being violated, used, and discarded while not even being able to remember most of it had very nearly driven her mad, then she would have to remind herself that the bastard was beyond ever being a threat to her or any witch ever again.
She remembered when it had all come to a head, when she had lost it falling apart in that shower in Ravenclaw tower, and then Dancia Malfoy had stepped into her life and not only taken care of her, but arranged a series of events that had that monster's eternal soul devoured by a demon.
That thought garnered a grim smile from the pretty Asian witch as she ran a hand down the side of her face while she eyed her target. She knew this was stupid, she knew she should not be behaving like this, the lurking in the shadows thing beyond passe, but she needed to explain herself to the witch she considered her savior.
She needed more then anything for her actions to make sense to the fae like teen, so she herself could move on, and considering said girl's class had just returned from their second DADA lesson it was no time like the present to catch her off guard.
"So much blood..." Padma Patil muttered while Su Li gently ran her hands in circles along her back, stepping around them and silently shuddering at what they had likely witnessed in Professor Black's classroom Cho stopped behind Dancia, Hermione, and Harry.
"Jesus tap dancing Christ in a miniskirt that was horrible," Harry muttered as he stared down at the floor while both witches nodded in agreement.
"The blood boiler I understand, the organ expeller I suppose makes sense, but turning that last pig inside out while reanimating its bones into a golem wearing its own skin as a cloak?" Hermione covered her mouth looking a bit green as Dancia leaned against the wall before replying.
"What has been seen cannot be unseen, bloody hell I grew up with the Dark Arts and it still unsettles me how easily she warps the mundane into the macabre. I know she is just trying to scare everyone into respecting the power of that branch of magic but damn if I did not wish she was not so good at it."
Cho could only inwardly agree with her on that one, Professor Black did not hold back when she was trying to make a point, and oddly enough that had taught the entirety of Hogwarts more about the dark arts in a week then any of them had learned in years.
Steeling herself she coughed into her hand gaining the terrible trio's attention.
Cho honestly didn't think they earned that moniker, they weren't terrible in the slightest, they were kind, looked after the younger years, and acted as a safety valve for most of the Slytherin and Gryffindor hotheads when they decided to act up.
Nothing quite like a bored and creative Ravenclaw to cut your feet out from under you when you gain their ire after all.
Releasing her breath she smiled calmly while nodding towards the trio slowly, "Dany, could I have a word with you?" She glanced at Hermione and Harry both witch and wizard now standing at the Malfoy heiress's shoulders, rolling her eyes at the over protective antics Dancia nodded and took a step forward.
"Of course Cho, guys relax I'll be fine. Revise our DADA notes or something I'll be back soon." Cho didn't see their response as she turned around and made her way back to where this had all begun, in the girls showers.
Closing the door once Dancia had entered the communal bath Cho shot the door with multiple security charms before letting her shoulders sag and turned back to the younger witch while tossing her wand to the ground.
It was a clear declaration of peace, and she smiled slightly as Dancia tossed her own wand to the ground and nodded to her slowly, well, it seemed this was it after all.
"I formally apologize for forcing myself upon your person at the end of our last term," Cho began in a stilted tone, Dancia for her part cocked her head to the side as a brow rose into her hairline.
"Forced yourself upon me?"
Cho bit her lip and nodded, "When I kissed you without your permission."
The white haired witch snorted at that as she gently waved her hand forward, "Pff, don't worry about that Cho. Seriously it was nothing and I-"
"IT WAS NOT NOTHING!" She roared out before remembering herself and reeled back her emotions taking in the surprised visage of the heiress before her while attempting to collect her wits.
Closing her eyes Cho nodded to herself before continuing on, "It was not nothing because I forced myself on you as that bastard forced himself on me. I know you don't look at it that way but...but I don't have words for it...let me think this out... I... Just... I lost my first kiss, my virginity and my sense of self all while not being able to remember any of it, my memories were...stolen from me. I was desperate, emotionally exhausted, and needed an anchor."
Cho ran her hands through her long hair before continuing on, "I needed to feel an emotional connection to someone I knew cared. You were not the first girl that walked into that shower while I was retching out my guts and sobbing my soul out Dancia."
That caused the snow haired girl to jerk back in surprise as she blinked rapidly, "I wasn't?"
Eyes narrowing Cho glanced away as she muttered out, "No, you were not. You were though the first one who took it upon herself to help me through my...trials." Meeting her gaze once again the Asian witch grinned at the now blushing third year before her who shifted about uncomfortably.
"I just did what was right," Dancia muttered as she glanced away.
Cho nodded slowly at that before whispering out, "And yet, you were the only one to do so."
There was silence for a time before Cho finally collected herself enough to continue on, "I kissed you on the train because...because I wanted the first kiss I remembered to be with someone I knew cared about me. I did not... I did not want every intimate moment I had from there on out for the rest of my life to remind me of that monster's smile. I...I wanted it to remind me of someone I actually cared about. That had shown they had cared for me."
Dropping her head she glanced aside and held in a sob before nodding slowly and turning away, "So, I'm sorry, and thank you, Dany, for being you. I'll never forget the kindness you have shown me."
As she began walking away there was a huffing noise behind her when Dancia calmly stated, "Cho stop," doing so she turned around to see the fae girl approach her, tilt her head to the side sending a cascade of white hair flowing, and grinned impishly.
What she had not expected was said teens arms jutting forward, her thin fingers carding through her hair, or her lips meeting her own. Cho groaned in pleasure as her arms wrapped around Dancia, their tongues lashing together as they soon ran hands up each others bodies.
They had been passionately snogging for roughly five minutes before Cho broke the embrace and took a step back, smirking down at a very flush faced Dancia who looked beyond flustered before glancing back up to meet her gaze evenly.
Cho managed to mutter out, "I...Really want this but...I know that...that..."
Dancia sighed while glancing away, "You know as well as I do that we can't be a thing, right?" Cho nodded slowly and Dancia returned it in kind, "Well... I at the very least wanted you to know you didn't force yourself on me. Never, ever, EVER, compare yourself to that monster again...savvy?"
Cho smirked at her and nodded as she straightened out her clothes and snatched up her wand before turning around and sauntered towards the exit, muttering "Savvy," as the door slammed shut behind her.
Dany stood there for a time before reaching a shaky hand into her book bag, eventually finding her compact she snapped the mirror open and pointed a finger at it while muttering, "Dora Tonks."
Slumping against the wall and eventually sliding to the floor she sat there for a time before the pink haired auror's image appeared in her hand held mirror.
"Wotcher little cousin! How can I help you out today?"
Eye twitching Dany stared at the ceiling for a time before muttering, "I was just clam jammed, very likely by myself, and I need a vibrator, now."
Dora was silent for precisely three seconds as her brain processed that before she sputtered out, "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
Rubbing her thighs together uncomfortably Dany let out a growl before seething out, "I was just dragged into the showers, snogged senseless by an Asian hottie, then afterwards she basically told me 'lets just be friends.'
Dora blinked at that then nodded, "Well shit, Cho?"
"Cho," Dany agreed.
"Ouch, yeah ok I'll see what I can do, hold in there little sister, and don't do anything I would!" She ended cheerfully as the communication was cut.
"Fuck you too Dora," she spat out as she snapped the compact shut and then spent the next five minutes cleaning herself up enough to be presentable. Exiting the showers she found Harry and Mia going over their homework and decided to just leave them to it, entering her dorm she fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.
After a time she eventually let out an exasperated snort while closing her eyes, "You're probably laughing your ass off at the moment old friend... Not that I don't blame you... Oh wait...yes I do."
She couldn't swear to it, but Dany was fairly certain she heard Draco's Harry cackling in the distance.
The rest of term passed without any real incident, the trio bulldozed their way through the core classes and their electives, setting the curve as always with Neville and Susan following just behind. The only real hiccup to the status quo was Auntie Bella's classes which all bordered between 'questionably legal' and 'morally irresponsible', which ironically enough made her the most effective Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Hogwarts had in the past three decades.
That was why before this Yule break Dany had decided it was time to take out the Diadem horcrux since it more than likely was the focei for the curse on the DADA position. While her Auntie was a handful Dancia truly did love her and could appreciate her talents as a teacher and...and...
"And if I'd taken it out last year Cho would likely not have been raped by Lockhart..."
Dany stared down at the floor before the statue of the one eyed witch biting her lip in contemplation while waiting on her cousin's arrival. This was of course a thought that had rolled through her head since she first found out about that bastard's crimes, and while she was not responsible for his actions she would always wonder if her inaction made her just as guilty.
A thought for another day since the statues humped back split open and one Nymphadora Tonks popped out of the opening still clothed in her auror robes and looking more tired than Dany had seen her in some time.
"Wotcher Dany, hows Thumper treating you, need new batteries yet?" Dora asked with a wide grin, cheeks flushing Dany turned away from her while walking towards the Room of Requirement.
"Must you?" She seethed out while her cousin nodded enthusiastically behind her.
"Oh yes I must, my prerogative as your older sister figure and all that."
"Noted. I had Dobby freeze all the portraits and Helena Ravenclaw's ghost agreed to divert all the other ghosts and Peeves towards the other side of the castle. We've got a half hour to pull this off so lets make it quick."
Dora nodded as she put her game face on, pink spiked hair shifting to long wavy brown ringlets, soft blue eyes shifting to hard violet, and her soft heart shaped features turning aristocratically sharp.
"Right, lets do this," nodding the two witches opened the Room of Requirement to reveal what amounted to Hogwarts lost and found. "Bloody hell..." Dora muttered as Dany could only nod in agreement.
"After we take this fucker out I intend to show this place to my friends, I can only imagine how Mia and Luna are going to react to a thousand years of lost artifacts and books. Neville and Harry, well..."
"They'll find ancient broomsticks and probably end up stuck under an avalanche of stuff they brought down on themselves while racing about the place, "Dora stated flatly.
Dany snorted at that, "Well they are boys so...that is certainly on the table."
They walked in silence until they finally found the cabinet housing the diadem, Dora cocked her head to the side meeting her cousin's gaze, "This it?"
Eyes narrowing Dany nodded once, "Yeah, that's the bastard's horcrux..."
Dora grinned at that while pointing her wand forward, "Brill, AVADA KEDAVRA!"
As with the diary the diadem released an unholy scream as the soul fragment was torn from the ancient artifact leaving nothing but dust and echoes in its wake.
The two witches stared at the now gleaming founders artifact for a time before Dany reached forward and let the ancient crown rest in her hands a few moments before muttering, "Two down...four to go not counting snake face himself... You're one step closer to being safe my friend..."
Wiping unexpected tears from her eyes Dany grabbed Dora's hand and dragged her away from the mountains of junk and in less then ten minutes had her sneaking back out of the school. Getting to Ravenclaw tower just before curfew Dany avoided her friends and managed to get into bed without being questioned by anyone, which was good considering she had no desire to socialize at the moment.
The next day the majority of the school left on the Hogwarts Express to spend the winter hols with their families, when Dany exited the train on Platform 9 3/4 she followed Luna to her parents, and smiled up at Pandora Lovegood while handing her Ravenclaw's Diadem wrapped in heavy canvas.
The blonde woman looked down at the package in confusion but before she could say anything Dany just winked at her and walked away.
Whatever came from mixing two unknown quantities together would after all be at the very least entertaining and unexpected, Dany grinned slightly as she took her mum and dad's hands and walked towards the stations exit with one final thought on her mind.
Chaos was, after all, the spice of life.