Rita Skeeter A/N: Still the edited version for readability, lovelies! Here's a adorable little scene for you all to enjoy.
Cho's Intermission: Parties and Potions
The team, cleaned up and changed, entered the Ravenclaw common room to cheers and snowflakes drifting to the marble floor, dissolving upon contact. There was a food table full of the best indulgences, from what Cho could see from her distance, with students milling about it in a large throng. Penelope handed each of them a concert program as they appeared in the doorway, informing them that Professor Flitwick had brought the Ravenclaw members of the Choir to the common room for a pre-Thanksgiving special treat in celebration of their victory. Cho watched as Roger embraced Penelope, lingering as he whispered into her ear. She quelled the spike of jealousy the image had evoked; after all, Penelope was in seventh year and also in a serious relationship (albeit with a Gryffindor boy). She didn't have to think of it much longer as Padma Patil in third year barreled out of nowhere, appearing in front of her. "Cho! That was some excellent flying. How do you feel being the only girl on the team?" She paused her line of questioning, lowering her voice as Roger passed nearby. "Is Roger nice as a Captain?"
Cho smiled at the younger girl. "Have you considered Quidditch, Padma? I won't be the only girl then."
"Oh dear, no! Quidditch just doesn't," she wrinkled her nose, "suit me. I like Potions and Arithmancy – my last time on a broom was first year. And how Madam Hooch berated us for hovering and talking – I'd needed to know if I was right on some of the exam questions from the previous week!" Cho smiled indulgently at the third year, who looked ready to launch into a new spiel. She was friendly but overly talkative, and she needed to keep Roger in her line of vision. She groaned inwardly as she realized her inherent stalker tendencies. Maybe she should just call it a night and curl up with her Charms textbook.
"All right, Ravenclaws, be seated in just five minutes for the very first edition preview of our Thanksgiving repertoire!" Flitwick excitedly waved his hands about, nearly falling off the stack of discarded books he stood atop. Cho quickly made her way over to the food table, realizing she was famished. She widened her eyes at the small placard that said chow mein, the platter nearly scraped clean. "We're going to need a refilling spell for that one," a familiar voice said over her shoulder. Cho turned quickly to find herself nearly nose to nose with Roger, jumping back in surprise. Her hip hit the sturdy table painfully and she grimaced, holding it. Roger came forward with a concerned expression, placing his hand on her arm. "Sorry to startle you. I hope this dish, I mean, I thought it was ethnic, for you," he looked worried as Cho didn't glance up. "I don't know, I'm just going to cast the spell," he concluded his rambling with a flick of his wand, the noodles elegantly twirling their way into a chow mein sculpture. Cho's hip still throbbed, but she managed a smile.
"I'm more Scottish than I am Chinese," she admitted. "I speak Mandarin but my mum claims I have an accent when I speak it. I do appreciate the gesture nonetheless."
Roger looked at her with relief. "I'm so glad. I wanted to surprise you after your first match and victory! It's still surreal that you beat Cedric."
"That we beat Hufflepuff," Cho corrected. "It was a team effort."
Roger grinned at her before nodding to someone behind her. Cho turned to see Penelope gesturing wildly at the front row seats, with reserved hovering over them in a puff of smoke. "Rapido!" she mouthed at Cho. "Shall we?" asked Roger, leading the way to the front of the house. She settled herself next to him, front and center, reveling at the close proximity of the chairs. When the concert started, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sopranos, knowing that she could be amongst them. Her glances at Roger had been reduced to a bare minimum due to her level of immersion in the music – he looked as taken as she was, from what she glimpsed in those brief moments. She was able to forget most of her surroundings, all but the feel of his arm against hers as he brushed his hair out of his face.
The after party was rather civilized; Ravenclaws left the hard partying to their peers in other Houses. The lights were dimmed and a silver disco ball glittered in the moonlight streaming through the tall windows. Cho had immediately hit the food table after the concert, realized that Roger's presence had temporarily sated her hunger. It hit her once again when she stood up, and she nearly stumbled to the table. She piled her plate and hid herself in a corner, opening an abandoned fifth year Potions book she found on the floor. She turned to the Table of Contents, flipping pages to the Dreamless Sleep potion. As she cleared her plate in record time, she knew she could nod off right there and then, no need for a dreamless sleep…she opened her eyes with a start at a jagged piece of parchment wedged between the pages. She opened the folded pages to see neat, slanted cursive writing.
I will need to obtain the ingredients for this potion, as dreams are as much torture as nightmares. I dream of beautiful girls, not knowing if it is truly love, not ready to settle, just recalling images of their eyes and lips and hair. My mum says I'll be the equivalent of an old maid if I don't date at least once at Hogwarts. Who is she to talk, going through three husbands –
"What are you doing with my Potions book?" A deep voice asked above her in a dangerous tone. Cho looked up to see Roger scowling down at her. When he saw it was her, he rearranged his features into a more pleasant expression. "Ah. Cho. Trying to get ahead?"
Cho opened her mouth to answer him, but her first words morphed into an earsplitting yawn. "Just...looking at some potions...OWLs," she smiled dreamily.
"Oh dear. What have you had to drink?" Roger took in her bleary-eyed expression with concern.
"Nothing," she defensively tried to stand up, but slumped against him once she rose to her feet, her chin resting on his warm shoulder. "Mm," she sighed contentedly.
Roger sighed as well, wrapping his arms around her waist. "If you wanted to dance, you just had to ask me," he murmured softly.
"So...tired," Cho's voice was muffled by his sweater.
"Can you walk?" he asked. "Cho?" When he received no response, he lightly stroked her hair.
"Passed out on your shoulder, has she?" Penelope asked, approaching from behind. "Maybe I mixed too much sleep potion into the chow mein."
"You did what?" Roger's voice was incredulous.
"Well, I needed the party to end early for me to clean up."
"And people slumping the the floor in the common room was your plan?"
"I consulted Professor Snape for the correct amount in regards to timing. And regardless, most Ravenclaws would have the common sense to make their way up to the dormitories once they feel the initial strains of tiredness."
"Ah, well, that would explain my little chickadee's behavior."
"Your what?" It was Penelope's turn to sound incredulous.
"Nothing," Roger said, sounding embarrassed. He shifted Cho so she was in his arms. "Will you open the girl's dormitories for me?"
"You know you could use a potion to wake her up," Penelope said sensibly.
"I would never." He gazed down at her peacefully sleeping form. "She wasn't enjoying the party anyway."