A.N: *stumbles in drunkenly from self-inflicted sleep deprivation 3 years later with Starbucks* so hey guess what
"You know what?" Jake asks as he's throwing a green apple in a quick upward flick of his hand.
"What?" Cho asks bemusedly, watching the dragon boy sprawled on the sofa. She follows along with him the apple's spin in the air and its inevitable descend. He catches it with a steady grip and then throws it upwards once more.
"I know I'm not supposed to say anything, like… diplomacy and all. But" he wrinkles his nose disdainfully "Your entire school system is so weird." He takes out the arm he used as a pillow to swiftly toss the apple with both hands before catching it again. "Think about it. Teenagers, man. There's already this idea in the world that the slightest difference between people is what sets them apart and that that's how it should be. Which is not bad per se, but many seem to forget to do that there's anything besides that. Which is so not true!"
"It's not?" Cho asks distractedly while braiding her hair. Jake catches the apple and pauses; he cranes his neck in her direction and pointedly looks at her. She doesn't really notice, focused on tying up her finished work.
"Everyone is so focused on differences between each other and they forget about the importance of the opposite." He once more starts to toss the apple but Cho then asks
"Opposite of what?"
At that Jake's grip weakens and the green apple ends up slipping down and smacking him in the face. He blurts an indignant "ow" then promptly slides up in a proper sitting position on the couch. Cho is obviously laughing at him, but he keeps frowning in preoccupation, not willing to let the topic go.
"Differences, Cho, I'm talking about differences! People forgetting that the rest are people too! They're all talking about things that other people are or what they are not and in the end, it makes them split apart from each other so much, they forget anything else besides the others'… "otherness". This is a source for so freakin' much conflict in both the magical and human history. Not to mention my job as a protector basically spins around this whole shindig."
"Shindig?" Cho repeats amusedly.
He huffs, arms crossed and leaning backwards against the couch pillows. "Which brings me back to Hogwarts, where kids are going through puberty and all the lovely awkward phases and thinking - like any other kid their age - that they know how the world works. And right as they come in here, they're split into categories. And not just according to their hobbies and whatnot - oh no, they're made to fully identify with a House and made to think like theirs is the best one. They're made to compete against the others for the entire school-year. And they do that for. Seven. Years. And then they leave with that idea stuck in their brains! And then when their kids get to come here – rinse and repeat. Am I the only one seeing anything wrong here?"
Cho purses her lips, poker-faced, but puzzled. Jake could see thoughts shifting in her dark eyes, as she thinks of a suitable response.
"Jake, you're a real sweetheart and you are very dear to me and I consider you my friend." She pauses to sigh quietly. "But I don't' know what I'm supposed to say when you talk about a place I love like that."
Jake shrugs lazily. "Point taken, doll. I'm just glad you didn't jump to bite my head off."
Cho shakes her head, jet hair swaying gently. "Honestly, I don't know if I'm supposed to feel offended or not. It was a bit too muddled to tell."
"Okay, just. From the top, what I mean basically is that… " The boy sits up, runs his hand through his spiky hair and takes a deep breath "Why do you guys see each other as rivals you have to compete against?"
Her eyebrows rise in response; pausing before struggling to come up with a verbal one. "Well, I..."
"I mean, a little friendly rivalry is good and all" he continues, staring unperturbed at the ceiling above them, "But what I see here looks like football-fanatic rivalry rank sometimes. I mean, just saying." He finishes lamely, his line accompanied by a small shrug.
"People are different, Jake." Cho straightens in her seat while fiddling with her braid, fingers combing through loose hair. "This is just our school's way of making each student find their place, a place where they can fit in, and find people who share similar traits and interests."
She turns towards him, her open gaze trying to convey her feelings to him. "For me, Ravenclaw gave me a name to something I had but didn't know how to express beforehand. It's a part of me that I cherish. I honestly think it's one of the best parts of me." Cho pauses for a bit, gaze pointed downwards, fingers nimbly weaving another strand of hair into a plait. "And I never let me being a Ravenclaw get in the way of my relationships. I mean, my boyfriend, he..." Her movements falter in time with her words, the slim braid slipping from her hold and quickly starting to unravel.
Jake knows the bare bones of what happened, and seeing once again hints of the aftermath himself - just this, the silent, swift falling apart of a girl over a dead loved one - it hits too close to home. Like Rose's attempts to turn herself to stone and steel to get through her missions while aware of all the lies she has been fed all her life. Her bluebell eyes get razor sharp and he can smell how her heart bleeds in enraged spasms.
Cho is so unlike Rose - she is yielding to the core, every layer of her soft and welcoming. Her hurt tastes just as intense to his senses though; his dragon instincts are clawing at him, wanting to help, to protect, to shelter and heal.
"I- I'm sorry." Her shaky voice tries to dispel the glassiness from her eyes. "It's just, you know..." Jake gently places his hand on top of hers on the couch to stop her apology. He catches her gaze and smiles as sweetly as he can muster in this situation. "Yeah, it's cool. Don't worry about it."
She lets out a sad little chuckle, squeezes his hand in fondness, then straightens herself once more. Jake takes this as his cue to break the atmosphere into something a little less grim.
"Now I'm starting to wonder though..." His opening brings Cho's gaze back towards him. She watches the familiar, telltale grin form on his face, apple throwing beginning anew. "What house do you think I'd get in?"
A.N.: *finger guns* self indulgent crossovers! :y