Disclaimer- Obviously I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, though it would be nice to!

Song lyrics: "Stars" by Switchfoot.

…Eh you'll see why I used the song. :D Anyway…on to the third chapter…w00t!

Deceiving Appearances: Chapter 3 Starlight Memories

Maybe I've been the problem
Maybe I'm the one to blame
But even when I turn it off and blame myself
The outcome feels the same
I've been thinking maybe I've been partly cloudy
Maybe I'm the chance of rain
And maybe I'm overcast
And maybe all my luck's washed down the drain

I've been thinking about everyone
Everyone, you look so lonely
But when I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
I see someone else
When I look at the stars, stars
I feel like myself

Cho opened her eyes with slow deliberation, her pupils soon filling with the bright sunlight cast in her dorm. However, the beams of light were too intense, and in seconds her eyes were shut once more. She commenced to immediately rub them profusely…she never had been a morning person. With a long stretch, a cat-like yawn, and much needed force, she was able to miraculously drag herself from the comfort of the inviting bed.

She examined the room, looking for something that would trigger her mind…and her eyes rested on her not-filled books. Grabbing them and stuffing them into a nearby corner, she ran into the bathroom to slip on her Hogwarts robes. After long minutes of brushing her teeth and making herself look presentable, she left her hair down, satisfied. Cho adjusted her prefect's pin in nervousness, giving one last glance to the mirror to fiddle with her robes, smooth out invisible wrinkles in her skirt, and re-center her Ravenclaw tie. At the last minute, she applied lip-gloss, ran back to gather her books, and checked the time to make sure she wasn't late.

When she finally finished analyzing everything, and re-checking to make sure she had all her supplies, she made her way to the Great Hall. She hastily slipped into a table with her chatty friends, not bother to get breakfast quite yet. The Ravenclaw causally observed the tables around her, idly scanning the Gryffindor table. A few waved, and she produced a weak smile, turning around to search the Hufflepuff table. Once she did so, she suddenly decided to skip the table for now, for obvious reasons.

It reminded her too much of…

Cho shook her head fiercely, receiving questioning looks from the occupants at her table, whom she replied by smiling sheepishly. Oddly, she didn't notice herself scanning the Slytherin table until she drifted off in her thoughts for what seemed like an eternity. She wasn't aware that she was innocently spacing off, until she met a pair of pale eyes that rested on hers. A curious spark illuminated them, causing her to blink dazedly, and she allowed herself to be led away by another current of drifting thoughts until it occurred to her exactly where she was staring, and who she was unintentionally staring at.

The white-blond hair, pale face, curiously crystal eyes, and smug smirk let off a few alarms…Cho jumped involuntarily, blinking profusely, and averting all eye-contact…but before she did so, she noticed his smirk widen as he witnessed the realization hit her. Cho flushed, mentally reprimanding herself for drifting off like she did. "Now the prat's going to think I have the hots for him or something stupid like that…" Cho thought to herself angrily, and annoyed.

Leaning her head on one of her hands, she contemplated an excuse if she was confronted by him, (which she was positively certain he would) but before she could begin to think of a plausible cause, the entrance of Dumbledore interrupted her. She (with shameful admittance) was hardly paying any attention, although she had mastered the act of pretending to be keenly interested. Only one detail caught in her brain, and that was something about a schedule change…but she didn't quite know the purpose. It didn't worry her, nor did she frankly care. They were all probably going to get messages like they did before, anyway.

Her thoughts faded back to the 6'1" problem, and after much thought, she decided that if he came near her, she'd just hex him into oblivion. It was effortless, simplistic, and it sounded like a pretty efficient plan to her. With this in mind, she began her way to her first class, unworried.

Before she could walk two steps, her owl dropped a message into her pile of books, and had taken off. Eyeing the message with interest, she balanced all her books in one arm, taking a second to maneuver her other arm to somehow manage to tear open the envelope. Smoothing out the letter itself, she began to read. It explained that only 6th and 7th years would be experiencing the schedule change, and that it would only be temporary (although it would last the whole year). Cho skimmed through the letter, pondering why it didn't have her updated schedule. She re-skimmed it until she noticed the print that showed through on the backside.

Pressed for time, she read impatiently, fearing that she'd become dreadfully late. Seeing no one in the hallway, Cho walked furiously and read, not bothering to look up to see if anyone was there until a noise alerted her, and she glanced up at the last minute. All her things scattered in every single direction possible, and a muffled, "Ouch!" could be heard from the other person. Apologizes tumbled out profusely as she picked up her things with the help of the unknown person.

Very grateful and utterly embarrassed at her foolish haste, Cho glanced up to identify the person, recognizing the dark hair and green eyes almost immediately. Surprised at seeing Harry, she shyly averted her eyes, adding to her multiplying embarrassment. He scratched his head, (for lack of anything else to do) and offered Cho an awkward smile…obviously just as uncomfortable as she was. He assured Cho that the bump wasn't a large deal, and proceeded on his way.

As his figure disappeared behind a corner, she shook her head, deciding that she was definitely a safety hazard. Cho read the rest of the letter, no longer worried if she was tardy. What struck her as peculiar was the fact that she was assigned to go to the Astronomy Tower at this moment. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Was a class going to be held there? If so, she wasn't very aware of it…but then again, she hadn't exactly been aware of anything lately. She started into a sprint. After all, she had a couple minutes left to get there. She'd need to pick up the pace…she was unfortunately in the opposite direction of the tower.

Cho neared her destination, trotting up the stairs by twos, but pausing to push the heavy door open. She inspected place before her, puzzled and dismayed to find only one person there. Her spirits sunk lower after she registered the fact that she recognized him to be someone she was attempting to avoid: The silvery hair, green robes, tall figure…

Cho cringed inwardly when he turned around. Cho had hoped that maybe she made a mistake…but he confirmed his identity. In turn, he seemed mildly surprised at her presence. Swiftly looking away, she soon regretted the action after realizing that he still recalled the events of earlier that day. His smirk was apparent, and she could feel the pressure of his ego begin to fill the whole room, putting excruciating pressure on her brain. Putting up with him seemed more like an unmerciful and bizarre punishment rather than a class or duty. She rolled her eyes with displeasure, deciding to re-skim the letter, yet again. No one else had showed up, and she was beginning to wonder if she missed a certain detail that she overlooked.

However, before she had the chance to, a peculiar clicking sound was heard from the door. She curiously looked over to Malfoy, their eyes meeting for a fleeting second before it dawned on them. Alarmed, they dashed to the door, attempting spells, asking for help…but to no avail. Draco twisted the doorknob, rattling and shaking it violently…the door not budging. "What's wrong with it?" Cho inquired frantically, watching in horror as she found herself locked in with him. "Does it really look like I know?" he answered hotly, obviously very irritated, finally kicking the door with pure disgust.

She rolled her eyes again, walking away from the hopeless door (and the hopeless git still attempting to open the hopeless door) to retrieve her letter. She flipped it hurriedly, her eyes finally resting on their objective. "We're supposedly supposed to know what to do when we get here…" Cho's mouth set in a grim line as she concentrated on the words before her. "What's that supposed to mean?" Draco let go of the door, sending her a mixture of bewildered and aggravated looks.

He walked over to her, glancing down from above her, casting a shadow on her as she read on. She looked up, aware of the distraction, and glared. He sneered, and she continued to interpret the letter. "It's thanking us for our time and effort of fixing the inconvenience. Our payment will be sent to our company…?" Cho shook her head, casting the letter aside.

Draco leaned on a nearby wall, the back of his head resting on it as he grumbled. He sighed exasperatedly, "In other words, they gave us the wrong bloody letters!" He crossed his arms, muttering obscenities. Cho stifled a yawn, bringing her knees to her chin, and resting her head peacefully. "I guess so," was her soft reply. His eyebrows shot up at her as he turned his attention to the sleepy Ravenclaw. "What's with you?" Cho shrugged, idly observing her surroundings. "Just a bit tired…that's all." She noticed his blue orbs eye her suspiciously, but he ceased to prod her with questions, and instead, plopped down beside her. He brought one knee up, while keeping the other straight. He rested one elbow on his bent knee, and kept the other arm carelessly resting on the other leg.

Cho yawned into her hand. She couldn't understand why exactly she was so tired. After all, she had enough sleep last night. She crossed her arms over her knees, then tilted her head to rest it on them. Obviously, Draco noticed her sleepy demeanor, for he turned to her, shaking his head. "If you're that tired, why don't you just go to sleep? All your yawning is even starting to make me feel tired." She caught his eye and nodded, her brown-hues dancing with laughter from his comment.

With one sleepier yawn, she broke contact and shut her eyes, inhaling gently as she fell into a serene slumber.

Cho stretched a bit from her uncomfortable position, opening her eyes to find that everything was dark. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the cold air breeze through her. It took a few seconds for her to realize where she was, and she shivered, pulling the extra robe around her for warmth. "Wait…extra robe?" Cho stopped, pondering over the phrase she was thinking. She brought a hand to her chin, unable to detect the peculiar sense that came over her when she thought this. Attempting to figure it out, she took a glimpse around, finding everything being the same except the fact that everything was dark…and Draco wasn't wearing his outer robes.

Then it hit her.

She looked down, searching for the emblem of green, and found it staring straight up at her, mocking. She was about to fling it off of her, but then remembered the frigid air that would freeze her alive. Obviously all the rustling that she caused stirred the attention of the Slytherin, although the only thing he said was, "Look." He pointed with his arm slightly to the side, far...far beyond what she could see from the opposite wall she sat at.

Biting her lip, she noticed he stood there, not cold at all, just staring up at the sky in a fixed manner. She stood, still clutching the robe, and made her way over to where he was standing. She placed one hand down to brace herself. Then, peeked her head out into the open sky, following the direction of his arm with a tilt of her head.

Cho gasped, her eyes widening at the beautiful sight. It was simply amazing. The moon was full, and the stars danced along brightly beside, in intricate patterns across the sky. Ivory against a dark indigo, dissolving into the deepest shades of violet that faded into an onyx colored sky.

Draco's arm retreated, and she broke out of her bemused state. She turned to face him, and with quiescence, said, "Thank you." She smiled sheepishly, and he waved it off. "You were shivering so hard, it was annoying." At this, Cho began to laugh quietly, earning perplexed glances from Draco, who was obviously questioning her state of mind. "He can ruin a good moment with ease." Cho shook her head amusingly. She stared off in front of her, and at that moment, a meteor shower had started. A flash of light passed by them, and Cho noticed a shooting star pass by, and she inhaled sharply, turning Draco's attention to the winter sky.

"Make a wish," she ordered. Draco shook his head, raising his eyebrows. "Make a wish? Why would I want to do that? That's a childish and naïve-" he stopped after realizing that she wasn't paying attention at all. Her eyes were closed in deep engrossment, her head slightly bent forward, causing strands of long, raven hair to glimmer ethereally in the starlight.

He sighed, grumbling to himself before he propped his head up with his hands in defeat. He shut his eyes quickly, evident pique written all over his face, and made an expeditious wish. He looked over to Cho, who was staring straight ahead with a smile that hinted at a smirk. She didn't say anything…she didn't have to. He already knew what she was thinking, and he scoffed. Looking away, he glared at a nearby wall.

"I was only thinking to myself."

"Ah huh."

"I concentrate better with my eyes closed."

"Yep."

"I wasn't wishing for anything, mind you." He turned around to cross his arms, annoyed at her obvious disbelief.

"Okay."

He could see her laughing to herself, making him scoff and shake his head. He noticed her begin to yawn again and smirked.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" His eyes were gleaming deviously, looking her up. He decided to have a little fun…after all, he was getting bored.

She crossed her arms, "Pshhhhhhh, like you'll do anything." She waved his suggestion off nonchalantly, rolling her eyes.

With an air of mystery and suave, he walked over and stood behind her, his hands on her waist. He leaned his head on her shoulder. "I'm quite bored you know. Why don't we liven things up a little?"

In response, Cho turned her head away from him, scoffing, "I'd rather not. In fact, I'm not bored at all! And now if you'd please, Malfoy…" She turned to get him off, but it backfired, leaving him with his arms completely around her waist, her back up against him. She crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side and glaring at his right arm.

"Malfoy…"

His hands began to run up her stomach, earning themselves hard slaps away from Cho. He pleaded, "Come on, Cho! Merlin knows you need a good shag-"

"Draco!" Cho yelled, crossing her arms again, flushing from anger and embarrassment.

"See? That's the spirit! You're already screaming my name, and we haven't even started yet!" Draco smirked at her, amused at her reaction.

Cho covered her face with her hands, shaking her head and groaning with exasperation. "You're a perverted little prat…you know that?"

He chuckled, his smirk widening, "Oh, rest assured, I may be perverted, but I'm quite the opposite of small."

She slapped a hand on her forehead, mumbling, "What am I going to do with you?"

He whispered into her ear, "Anything you want to, darling." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively, then winked at her, running his fingers up her arms. She shivered involuntarily at his touch, and he blew at her hair.

"Why don't you just shag Parkinson?"

At this, Draco made a face in disgust. "Me…with her? That's just…ew."

Seizing the moment from his temporary brain lapse, she untangled herself from him and walked over to her sleeping spot from before, seating herself comfortably. She buried her head in her arms, returning to her former sleeping position. She heard footsteps come to her, but she was too tired to move.

He crouched, placing an arm around her sleeping form, and whispering into her hair amusingly, "You're not afraid of me doing something to you while you sleep?"

Her muffled answer proceeded shortly after. "Marginally." His quiet chuckle was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into a deep slumber.

When she awoke, she noticed that she was comfortably sleeping in her own bed in her dorm. "Was it all a dream?" She asked herself out loud, placing her hand on her face, blinking slowly.

She got up, walking over to the bathroom and stared into the mirror, seeing her robes still on, and the extra one that was still placed over her. She assumed that Draco had carried her back to her dorm. After all, since he was also a prefect, he knew all the passwords, like she did. She stared at the green emblem in the mirror, grinning sheepishly; glad it was the weekend. That'd give her plenty of time to return it.

Cho awoke with a start, breathing heavily and looking around to make sure of where she was. She glanced at the alarm clock beside her on the couch she was sleeping on. She still had an hour before she had to leave for work. Cho exhaled slowly, rubbing her face with her hands. Why in the world did she dream about that…especially that memory? Her seventh year at Hogwarts…

Cho shook away those thoughts. The dream made her long to go back…she did have a most interesting year during that time. She smiled to herself, getting up to fix herself some pumpkin juice. With nothing better to do, Cho got ready, getting dressed, brushing her teeth, etc. She decided to leave her hair down today…after all, she didn't exactly have a certain ribbon thanks to a certain someone.

Today she decided to slip on a pair of green, hemp, low Converses. With everything nearly completed, she grabbed her wand, twisted her ring so the initials weren't exposed, reached for a dark black jacket, and neatly apparated back to the bar.

She sincerely hoped he didn't remember. If he did, he'd definitely be in a cranky mood the whole day, unless he was already in a cranky mood because of all the alcohol he drank from yesterday. Cho sighed at the memory. What an awful way to end the day…and an even more awful night! Cho slightly flushed at recalling her dream. Why did she remember? She still couldn't decipher the meaning behind all her recent flashbacks, not to mention the fact that she curiously and "coincidentally" stumbled across Draco along the way.

Was fate playing some kind of cruel joke on her again? And how was it, that after all these years, Draco was still an enigma to her? Everything he did just seemed to be…unpredictable. The word was practically he himself. His actions could contradict what he was really trying to convey, one minute he'd become flirty, the next suave, then perverted, after that angry…or dark and broody. How could anyone keep up with his mood swings? "He normally only has major mood swings around you, if you haven't noticed…" Cho made a face. "Shut up, brain." Cho chided herself.

She walked inside, checking herself in and hurriedly plopping on the piano bench, trying to avoid all possible contact with Draco as much as possible. After only one day, everything had already become awkward…things feeling clumsy and out of place. She clenched her hands together, bringing them up to lean her chin against them thoughtfully. Her hair fell gracefully around the curves of her face, the silky smooth texture hanging softly limp as she closed her eyes, trying to clear out her mind of all thoughts in meditation.

Of course, she had drifted off so long that she didn't notice the hand that brushed through her hair and a sudden whiff of breath that was blown playfully into her ear. Cho flinched in shock, looking up suddenly to meet a mischievous pair of light eyes. He was bent over, his face inches from hers, regarding her smugly with an air of amusement. Uncomfortably, Cho flushed slightly, biting her lip and turning her head away casually. She breathed out, turning her attention on the nice, sparkling floor.

"I don't think so." His voice cut through the heated silence as he placed his hand under her head, lifting it up and turning it towards him. He caught her gaze for moments unmoving, as Cho held her breath uneasily. His mouth curved into a smirk as he maneuvered his other hand to stealthily sneak to her hand, efficiently slipping the silver ring off of her finger. Before she knew it, he dropped his hand from under her chin, throwing the ring up into the air and catching it in an arrogant manner. The words, "I win." were plastered all over his face, filling her with agitation.

With quick speed, she got up, using her wit and prior knowledge of him to her advantage. Mustering the sweetest smile she could, she temporarily distracted the blonde, giving her enough time to grab his hand and kiss it daintily. As she slowly let go, she plucked the ring with from his grasp, smiling to herself in satisfaction when she noticed that he was still in a surprised state. Then, using the muscles she had earned from quidditch, she sprinted to the bathroom just as Draco had regained his senses, and had begun to run after her.

She could hear Draco muttering and growling to herself as she ran faster, hearing his footsteps pound behind her, signaling the fact that he was catching up. They ran around in circles, a quite amusing sight to see for Blaise and the secretary. They turned their attention to their work, pretending to stay unnoticed to the hilarious racket and scene the two "love birds" were causing.

"Quit flirting, you two. It's quite distracting." Blaise smirked at them teasingly as they simultaneously halted in their tracks, turning around to give him a death glare. Blaise immediately cleared his throat, whistling at nothing in particular, acting as innocent as he could. Draco scoffed, shaking his head, while Cho rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She took this chance to flee to the bathroom, Draco catching on and running after her, but she already shut the door, pressing all her weight against it.

Draco finally caught up, slamming against the door, attempting to push Cho over. "Fuck." He whispered hoarsely, and punched the door lightly. A small laugh escaped from the other side, and he smirked, backing slowly away from the door until he heard the shuffling of feet, signaling that Cho had her guard down. Waiting a few seconds longer, he heard her shuffle back to the door, and not hearing anything, shuffled away. Counting to three, he slammed against the door, and tumbling in, he held out his hands to balance himself.

Cho left out a startled gasp, then crossed her arms again, an annoyed expression written over her face. Her hands were on her hips, her eyes glaring at him accusingly. "What do you think you're doing? Are you having a gender problem today?" She pointed to the large letters and block figure, signaling that he had crossed female territory.

He raised his eyebrows, then feigned hurt. "Oh, but I'm the perfect guy for any female. I'm a cross between sensitive, daringly brave, and…macho." He placed a hand on his heart, pretending to act sappy and caring, earning large grins from Cho.

"Ah ha! So you're a gay trucker, then?" Draco's expression was priceless. His face went into a defeated and agitated pose, a frown playing on his lips as he found he was yet again out-witted. He began to walk up to her, causing her to step backwards, until she backed up into a wall. "Why in the world does this always happen to me!" Cho thought furiously. Even if she did outsmart him, he would always find a way to pin her into a corner. It just didn't make any sense at all.

Leaning his palm flat against he wall, he stuffed the other hand in his pocket, crossing one foot over the other with the toe of the shoe facing down on the floor. His heel and knee were in the air sideways, which made his legs form something almost like a cross, but not so rigidly horizontal, and more slanted. Inclining his head, Draco leered down at her, causing Cho to hold her ground, staring unwaveringly back up at him.

He was about to retort when the noise of the door bursting open filled their ears. A small gasp was heard, and Cho looked out from under Draco, who lazily turned his head. A mother was holding her young daughter's eyes, wearing a scandalized expression, and leading the daughter away, muttering something like, "Don't look at the bad people, sweetie."

Cho looked absolutely embarrassed and mortified, while Draco smirked devilishly, letting out a few chuckles in sheer mirth. Cho crossed her arms, huffing and glaring. "We didn't do anything!" Draco grinned mischievously, leaning forward towards her, and she pushed at his shoulders jokingly. "That doesn't mean I want to remedy that, mind you." She added, taking this chance to let herself out from the situation. As she turned to walk out, he caught her wrist, tugging her back to him. She turned, halting with inquiring eyes. "Meet me in my office at exactly 10 p.m."

He released her arm as she nodded, and she heard his footsteps behind her as he walked out of the bathroom, turning to make his way to his office. She headed back to the piano, noting that there were three more hours left before she was to report to him.

The three hours went by quicker than expected, although she almost forgot completely about the time because she was having a blast with the customers…who would've thought? She played short, lively, and animated tunes on the piano, filling the room with light-hearted spirits. There was dancing everywhere…and if it wasn't dancing, it was clapping, singing, or talking. Just for kicks, she even played a waltz to watch the couples lightly swaying around with gracefulness. If anyone new had come in, they would've mistaken the dancing as a formal party, instead of a bar.

When she acknowledged the time, she sneaked out as inconspicuously as possible…her heart racing. She almost skipped down the hallway, nearing the door to his office. She breathed in slowly, looking straight ahead of her at the door, then looking down at the doorknob. Her hand reached out to pull the doorknob, and as she did so, she knocked once, to alert him that she was there.

When she finally walked through, he was standing up, bent over his papers with one arm rigidly straight, held to support him, and the palm of his hand on the corner of his desk, his fingers hanging over the side. Blonde strands swooshed around freely while he turned his head quickly, scribbling at a record pace. She would've proclaimed his indifference, but the engrossed look in his eyes said otherwise. Once he completed the last of his scribbling, he placed his pen down. His attention diverted to her nonchalantly, then walked over to the door, holding it out for her.

"I want to show you something."

mnemosynesque- Thanks for your review! (And the compliment, too!) :D I never thought my writing would be such an influence, though…and that makes me feel special! XD Lol! Thank you again for taking your time to write a review!

hAzElEyEs -Wow…three reviews! You're like…a fanfiction writer's dream! XD I always thought Draco and Cho would have their humorous times…and then their sad times. Their personalities are so different! Lol! I think I've been influenced by fanfiction too much…That being said, thank you for finding that spelling error! I normally try to read/check over my work…but then again I'm lazy. XD I don't like grammar and spelling errors, and I would've never seen that one…so thank you again :D

StormwolfX3- Hehehe! Thank you for reviewing! Yes, procrastinators unite! XD Lol! I'll try to update as soon as possible…ooooh, I like pixie sticks! Ooh, scary squirrel…very hyper squirrel! Did I mention pixie sticks are good? Especially when you're tired…lol! Watch out for the next update!

boblina- Thanks for reviewing…and the compliment, too:D Teehee! I hope you like this update! I'm sorry it took so long!

Oh boy…third chapter done! I hope it wasn't confusing or anything…XD If it was, feel free to ask any questions! I was originally planning to keep on going with the scene, but I felt that I was really taking too long to update, so I'll save the rest for the next chapter! Anticipate suspense, drama, angst, and romance in the next chapter of Deceiving Appearances!

…Can you tell my sanity has run out the window?

Tell me what you think! And if you're not as lazy as I am…maybe you'll review? I'd be much obliged:D

Okay, now it's time for me to get to working on the fourth update…but this one might not be as quick as the last two…XD School's back on, and my vacation days are over. I'm sure many of you know what that's like. If I don't update soon…eh…don't burn my WHOLE house down, k? At least save me some chocolate or something…