For the Love of Draco Malfoy

     By Alexis Potter

 

"I want you to be mine," he said softly and dangerously. "Not Potter's. Or Cedric's."

My hands fluttered around the books I was trying to gather. Why is he doing this to me? I thought miserably, shoving a charms book into my bag. Why won't he leave me alone?

"Cho. Listen to me."

I looked up at him, my eyes shining with tears. "No. Leave me alone, Malfoy."

He reached his hand towards my face and outlined it with the tip of his finger. "You're beautiful, and I want you to be mine."

"Get away from me!" I said shrilly, swinging my bag around my shoulders and standing up. "I don't like you, Malfoy. I never will."

I tried to forget him in the afternoon classes. But his cold, gentle finger on my face was terribly hard to forget.

* * *

It had all started out a few weeks ago at Quidditch practice. Despite my heart being forever broken by Cedric's death, I found myself growing closer and closer to Harry everyday. Sometimes, we actually stood outside together, holding hands, while Hermione jealously looked on. I never meant to make her jealous, but ever since Harry and I had begun to form a friendship, she hadn't liked me. Then she and Ron began to date, and I began to be forgotten.

It was a cold Friday after Quidditch practice that Harry met me near the broom shed. We'd just had a joint practice-- all four houses had scrimaged each other and worked on their tactics together. Dumbledore had requested this, as he felt the houses were drifting too far apart. Anyway, it was near the broom shed that Harry and I kissed for the first time. I didn't mean for it to happen. I tripped over one of the school brooms, crashed into Harry, and bumped my nose against his. He took this as an attempt to kiss him, and his lips found mine immediately. I thought I would pull away, but I didn't. I had never felt this way before-- before Cedric. It was bliss kissing him... Until Malfoy came in.

"So, we've a regular Romeo and Juliet here," he said coldly.

Harry and I broke apart abruptly. There he was, Draco Malfoy, standing in the doorway, staring at us. I blushed and quickly lowered my eyes, but Harry stared at Malfoy, ever defiant of him. Malfoy smirked.

"Finally got your girlfriend, eh, Potter?" he whispered. "Not for long. I'll see to that." He then winked at me and strolled out, leaving Harry and I in shock.

Due to this unpleasant turn of events, Harry and I agreed not to date until things became a little smoother. I still loved him, though, and he loved me. Then there was Draco.

Ever since he had caught Harry and I kissing, he seemed determined to make me fall in love with him. It was as if he lived only to make Harry miserable, and by stealing me, he would make Harry more miserable than ever. I tried to refuse his advances, but everyday it became worse. He left me love notes in my trunk. He somehow snuck love potions into my pack. How he ever managed to do this, I'll never know.

All I knew was I was sick and tired of Draco Malfoy treating me like this. But what could I do?

As I was stalking back to the Ravenclaw common room in my rage, I crashed into Ron Weasley. He grinned sheepishly at me and stepped aside, but I stopped him before he could go.

"Do you know where Harry is?" I asked.

"No," he replied indifferently. "I thought he'd be with you."

"He's not," I snapped. "Obviously."

Ron shrugged. Then, out of no where, Hermione came running down the hall, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Cho, Ron, you've got to come! It's Harry! He's been hurt!"

"What?" I shreiked.

"Hurry!" she exclaimed, taking off again.

Ron and I glanced at each other and began to run after her.

"When is she gonna stop?" gasped Ron, holding a stitch in his side. Hermione had led us through what seemed twenty corriders, and she still hadn't found their destination. Just as Ron had said this, though, Hermione stopped in front of a staircase that led to the Dungeons-- Potions class.

"Down here," she gasped.

I followed Hermione down the staircase with a heavy heart. Whatever had happened to Harry, it must have been bad, for Hermione to be so upset...

"Cho!" A groan erupted from the dark, sooty floor. As I grew closer, I realized it was Harry.

"Oh, Harry, what happened?" I whispered, kneeling next to him and brushing a few strands of black hair from his sweaty forehead.

"Someone poured some sort of potion on me," he whispered back. "It's all down my back. It burns..." He made a small, choked noise as he pulled back his cloak so I could peer down his back. There were burns all down his spine.

"Who did it?" I asked sharply. "Who did this?!"

"We don't know," said Hermione softly. "Snape made Harry stay after class. You know how he is. I stayed with him, since I knew how horrible it could be... Then I realized I'd left one of my books in Transfiguration, and I just ran up to get it, and then I found him here."

"Snape?" said Ron hollowly. "Could Snape have done it?"

"Hurt precious Potter? No, Weasley, though I feel honored that you think so highly of me." Snape suddenly appeared out of the shadows, a sneer painted on his face. "Take him to the hospital wing, Miss Granger, Miss Chang, and Mr. Weasley. Madam Pompfrey will see that you have your precious Potter back in no time."

* * *

"Are you sure you didn't see who did it?" I whispered to Harry.

Harry shook his head, the hospital bed creaking slightly as he did so. I hadn't left his side for hours, even though I had about ten pounds of homework to complete. Hermione and Ron had left briefly, but only because Harry had insisted they go back to their dorms and get some work done.

"I've no idea," said Harry sadly. "I don't understand who would do it. I mean, there's Snape... But he isn't that malicious, is he?"

"I wouldn't think he'd dare hurt a student," I agreed.

"Wait!" exclaimed Harry. "Malfoy! It could've been Malfoy!"

"Oh," I blushed. "No, it definitely wasn't. I saw him only a few minutes before Hermione came to tell me the news."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I bumped into him, that's all," I replied irritably.

"And what happened?"

"Nothing happened! You act as if we're secretly in love," I snapped.

Harry turned red. "I didn't mean it that way," he muttered.

He looked so abashed that I laughed. "It's all right, Harry. I just hope you get better."

The boy who lived smiled at me and bent upwards to meet my lips. This is how it should always be, I thought happily. Except he shouldn't be in a hospital bed.

* * *

That weekend, Harry and I vowed to spend as much time as possible together. Instead of going to Hogsmeade like everyone else, we were going to stay back at Hogwarts and just... talk. It only seemed right, for Harry wasn't really strong enough to be up for a trip, even though he'd gotten out of the hosptial already.

On Saturday, we'd been walking hand in hand across the grounds, just idly watching everything that went on in Hogwarts, when we heard a voice.

"Potter!"

"Did you hear that?" I said anxiously.

"Dunno," replied Harry.

"POTTER! Mr. Potter!"

"I think someone's calling me," said Harry, his hand dropping out of mine. I watched it slip into pockets wistfully. How I loved to feel his warm hand against mine!

"Mr. Potter, if you would come inside, please," called a harassed-looking Professor McGonagall, who was striding across the grass.

"What for?" Harry pushed his glasses farther up his nose and peered at McGonagall.

"Don't ask questions, for I haven't any answers. Just follow me," she added hastily.

I began to follow Harry and Professor McGonagall up the steps, but McGonagall stopped me halfway up.

"I think you'd better wait out here, Miss Chang," she said gently.

"Why?"

"Just... stay. Harry will be out in a few minutes, all right?" She smiled weakly at me.

"All... right..." I scampered back down the steps, giving Harry a wave as he went into the entrance hall.

No sooner had Harry left then I heard a cold, drawling voice behind me.

"Now that he's gone, we can talk."

I whirled around to see Malfoy stepping out of a thicket of trees near the lake.

"Malfoy!" I spat. "Get away from here!"

"Why? It's public property." He smiled coolly at me.

"Ugh." I began to walk away, with a vague idea of going to the Quidditch field, but he grabbed my arm before I could escape. He apparently could move faster than he let on.

"Let go of me," I said, ice dripping from my every word.

"Why?"

"Because!" I elbowed him in the stomach and ran. Before getting too far, however, I caught a hilarious glimpse of him doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. Despite finding it funny, I felt a pang of guilt as I watched him.

"He deserved it, Cho," I muttered to myself. I'd slowed my sprint to a fast-paced walk, as Malfoy didn't seem to be close. "If he hadn't deserved it, you wouldn't have done it."

I stopped at the Quidditch field, climbing up the steps to the bleachers. Sure, I felt a bit silly for sitting in the bleachers all alone, without anyone even on the field, but I had to escape Malfoy. I didn't want him anywhere near me.

What felt like an hour later, I heard his voice again.

"Cho."

"Malfoy, if you don't leave me alone--" I began threateningly, but he cut me off. His lips pressed against mine so quick and so suddenly that I didn't have time to pull away.

When we broke apart, I saw that there was something new in Malfoy's eyes. He'd seen what he'd done. He'd violated me, forced me to kiss him, but only for a deep hatred of his foe. I watched him in grim satisfaction as he began searching for apologetic words.

"Cho-- I'm--"

I almost laughed, but before I had time to, he had swooped down and kissed me again. My hands found their way up to the back of his neck, and I began to touch the soft hair sprouting out of the back of his head. It was very, very clean, and very, very soft. It was different than Harry's... extremely different...

 

It was then that I began the most dangerous relationship I'd ever be in.

* * *

I was in the biggest mess in the history of Cho Chang life. After that simple kiss, Malfoy and I had ended up spending almost two hours up in the bleachers, alternately talking and kissing. What had started out as a childish prank had turned into an adult scandal.

I could see the hurt in Harry's eyes when he finally caught up with me around 5:00 PM. How it pained me to hear him say, "Where were you?" and then hear myself say, "Up in my common room, studying." What a liar I was!

I could never, ever tell him the truth, though. He'd hate me forever. The biggest problem was, what do you do when you're in love with two people at once? If my mother had been around to tell me what to do, she would have said, "Choose Harry! Malfoy is a cold, sniveling jerk." But that was a huge part of the problem. I couldn't tell anyone what was going on, and, though I knew I should choose Harry over Malfoy, I felt like I couldn't let go of Draco. If I did, I feared my world would crash down upon me. I felt something totally new for Draco Malfoy; I had a desperate sort of love that made me think I would lose the world if I lost him.

That night, I literally bumped into Crabbe and Goyle. I'd been walking hurriedly to the Great Hall and crashed into Crabbe. He merely grunted and said he had something for me. Perplexed, I stared at him in disbelief as he handed me a small, folded up square of paper. At the Ravenclaw table, I could barely contain my excitment as I opened it. It read:

 

Cho--

 

I'm sorry for being such a jerk lately. It's just... I don't know. All I know is now I feel really weird, and I was wondering if you would meet me tonight in the Astronomy Tower at midnight?Thanks.

 

Malfoy

 

That was all it said. No "I love you" or "I've finally realized that you're the one". Just an apology and a request for a meeting. But to me, these words meant more than all the gushy love poems in the world.

 

* * *

 

"Why do you want it?"

I swallowed nervously. Why hadn't I expected this question?! One didn't just ask their boyfriend-to-be for an Invisibility Cloak for no reason. I'm crazy, I thought, risking our relationship like this!

"I... I just need it," I said nervously, my hands fidgeting in my pockets. "My friend.. you know, Alyssa Reinhart.. she just broke up with her boyfriend, and she really needs me."

"Alyssa Reinhart?" Harry frowned. "Isn't she in Slytherin?"

"Is she?" I laughed anxiously. "I didn't even notice."

Harry raised his eyebrows at me; I swallowed. I've always been a poor liar.

"You can have it," he said slowly, "but don't get in any trouble."

"I'll be careful!" I replied brightly. I then faked a downcast look, explaining, "You see, Alyssa is just SO upset, she and Michael were going out for two years..."

"I get it, I get it." He smiled at me, his green eyes twinkling. "I guess you're just being a good friend, huh?"

"You could say that." I pasted a smile on my guilt-ridden face.

Harry smiled wider and leaned over me, kissing my cheek gently. "That's part of what I like about you. You're always there when someone needs you."

"Oh," I mumbled. "Yes. I try to be."

"Let me just go get it," said Harry kindly. "I'll be right back. Just make sure you don't get caught!"

I watched him run back to his common room to fetch his Invisibility Cloak. As soon as he was out of sight, I slid down the wall and sat down on the cold floor, burying my face in my hands. I was ruining everything, all for the love of Draco Malfoy.

"Are you okay?"

I snapped my neck back, looking up at Harry, who had suddenly appeared. There was something silvery and liquidy-looking in his hands.

"I'm fine," I replied.

He nodded, then handed me the cloak. "Bring it back tomorrow, and make sure no one knows that you have it."

"I will," I said excitedly, taking the cloak from his hands.

Then, out in that lonely corrider near Harry's common room, he kissed me again. Our second kiss; my second kiss for the day. His hands found their way around my waist and across my back, his touch feeling so passionate and so real, and his lips so warm and intense against mine...

I'm making the biggest mistake of my life, I thought. But I knew I had to meet Malfoy that night. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't.

 

***

 

I glanced at my watch for what seemed the thousandth time. It's definitely past midnight, I told myself. Indeed, it *was* past midnight-- forty-five minutes past midnight. Malfoy still hadn't shown, and I was beginning to get the idea that this meeting was just his idea of a horrible, twisted prank.

What's gotten into me? I thought unhappily, leaning out the window and watching the quiet Hogwarts grounds. I haven't been acting myself. Sneaking around with Malfoy... what did I expect to happen? For him to actually show up?

"Cho?" A soft voice pierced the silence.

"Malfoy!" I cried, turning suddenly on my heel to face him.

"Quiet!" he snapped in an undertone. "Someone will hear you."

"Where were you?" I whispered.

"You forget that unlike Potter, I don't own an Invisibility Cloak," Malfoy murmured, his hands finding their way around my waist. "It's not easy getting around Filch."

I laughed slightly, my hands curling around his back.

"Were you worried about me?" he whispered.

"I was worried you wouldn't show," I whispered back.

"I always keep a promise," he smirked. "Always. And that's why we're going to be together. Because I promised to take you as mine. I promised you wouldn't be Potter's."

My hands slackened and fell away from his body.

"What do you mean?" I whispered hotly. "Is that the only reason you've kissed me? Just to be sure I'll break up with Harry?"

Bewilderment flickered in Draco's eyes. "No, I didn't... No, Cho."

"Yes, I think yes!" I snarled, placing my hands on his chest and giving him a sound push away from me. "This is so stupid. The only reason you're even wasting time on me is to get to Harry!"

"Cho, that's not true!" cried Malfoy, desperation choking his words.

"Yes it is!" I blubbered, tears beginning to make their trails down my face. "But I won't let you do this to me anymore!"

"Cho!" he yelled.

But it was too late. I'd already started down the stairs-- away from pleasure, away from forbidden love, and away from Draco Malfoy.

* * *

I avoided Harry the whole next day. I couldn't help but feel horribly guilty; I had lied to him and betrayed his trust, all for a slimy, cowardly jerk. I didn't even stop by the Gryffindor Common Room to drop off his Invisibility Cloak, as I should have done.

It was late afternoon, around 5:00, when I saw Harry for the first time that day. Swallowing nervously, I decided to muster up my courage and say hello to him. I could avoid him forever. Anyway, I needed to give him his Cloak back. I had kept it safely tucked inside my pack all day, waiting for a good oppertunity to give it to him. Just as I was trotting over to say hello to him, I noticed Alyssa Reinhart coming in the opposite direction. I froze, and without a second thought, threw the Invisibility Cloak around my shoulders.

"Oh, hey, Alyssa," I heard Harry say.

"Um... Hi?" Alyssa quirked a brow at him. What is he doing? I thought wildly. She doesn't even know him! At least not personally.

"I'm sorry about you and Michael," he said kindly.

"What about us?" Alyssa tossed back her mane of streaky blonde hair, staring at Harry intently.

"I heard you guys broke up," he explained in a soft tone.

"We didn't break up, where'd you hear that?" She quirked her brow at him again.

"Cho told me that you..." his voice faded.

"Um, right, Potter." She shoved past him and strolled down the hall, where she actually met her boyfriend Michael.

Do something, Cho! my mind screamed. I immediately tore the Cloak off my body and began walking towards Harry as if I'd just spotted him.

"Cho..." he took the Cloak I handed him. "I just bumped into Alyssa Reinhart."

"Oh, did you?" I said in a fakely cheerful voice. "How was she?"

"She said she never broke up with Michael." His startling green eyes locked with mine, until I had to tear my brown ones away in guilt.

"I thought... I thought she did," I faltered.

"If you weren't meeting her, who were you meeting?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And why did you lie to me?"

"I... I couldn't..." The words became tangled in my throat, and I turned to walk away.

"Cho, you dropped something," Harry called after me.

I turned around to see Harry Potter, the love of my life, holding Draco Malfoy's folded up piece of paper in his hand.

"What's this?" he said curiously, beginning to open it.

No, I thought desperately. Help!

"That's nothing-- It's mine!" I choked.

But it was too late. Harry had already unfolded the paper and begun reading. I watched as his face went pale, then grey, then a bright, angry red.

"Malfoy!" he spat. "You were meeting MALFOY! Using my Cloak to meet Malfoy!"

"It's not what you think," I said desperately. "It's nothing like that!"

"Then what is it?" he snapped, shaking the paper at me. "Sounds like you have a 'regular Romeo and Juliet' going on, as he would say!"

"Please, Harry, please," I begged, tears springing into my eyes. "Just listen to me."

"Why? You'd probably just lie to me again!" He tore up the note in his quivering hands and glared at me. "I thought I knew you, Cho."

I felt as if someone had stolen my breath as I watched the love of my life stalk away from me, forever lost.

* * *

From then on, everything was downhill. My friends began to look at me as if I was some kind of (as Ron would say) "scarlet woman", and Malfoy teased me relentlessly in the corriders. Harry wouldn't even look at me, and his friends, Hermione and Ron, barely said hello to me when we met. The only thing that kept me going was my schoolwork. Many hours I stayed shut up in my dormitory, studying the long, lonely hours away.

One day, I was searching through my trunk for a pair of glasses (some of the print in my textbooks was impossibly small) when I found a fat, dusty book with a picture of me on the cover, smiling and waving. Perplexed, I flipped it open. It was my old photo album from my first five years at Hogwarts. I laughed at my first year pictures, but almost cried when I saw a group picture of the Gryffindor table. Little Harry Potter as a first year was an almost heart-breaking sight.

On and on went the pictures, each of them showing my progressive aging, until the pictures began to show my fifth year. My breath became as sudden as a freshly sharpened dagger, and I felt tears sting my eyes. It was coming... soon, it would be here...

As I flipped the page, I saw a picture of me in my dress robes, all dressed for the Yule Ball. I knew what the next picture would be. How I didn't want to see it! But I had to turn the page. I had to.

So I turned it. There was Cedric and I, arm in arm, all ready to go to the ball together. My face was radiating with happiness, and his eyes glowing with love and warmth for me.

"Oh, Cedric," I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks. "What's happened to me?"

I hugged the album to my chest. How could I have forgotten him? I was truly the worst person in the world.

* * *

The next day, something both dreadful and wonderful occured. I had been studying quietly in the library when I noticed Hermione rush in, her cheeks flushed. Glancing at me quickly, she bent next to Ron, who was a few tables away. She began whispering something furiously in his ear. I watched as he went a awful shade of green.

"Should we tell Dumbledore?" Hermione's anxious voice drifted across the room to me.

"Let me just get a look at it first," replied Ron. "Is it still there?"

"Yes. Harry's there as well, looking as if he's about to faint."

I heard Ron groan. "Let's go."

It was then that I had a sudden urge to follow them. You can't, Cho, I told myself. They don't like you. You hurt their best friend. But I have to! another voice squealed in the back of my head.

I stood up so suddenly that I knocked over the chair I was sitting in. "Wait! Ron, Hermione! Wait!"

Hermione turned around, her arms folded across her chest. "What do you want?" she said icily.

"What's happened?" I rushed over to them, abandoning my books on the table. "What happened to Harry?"

"That's none of your business!" replied Hermione shrilly. "Let's go, Ron--"

"Someone hung a rat in his room," Ron blurted out.

"A rat?" I exclaimed. "What?!"

"It's none of your business, as I said," snapped Hermione angrily. "C'mon." She tugged on Ron's arm, and they left, but not before Ron gave me a helpless look over his shoulder. I almost laughed.

What are you waiting for? I thought to myself. Follow them!

Grinning and swinging my pack around my shoulders, I crept surreptitiously behind them. You're wrong, Hermione, I thought. Whatever happens with Harry IS my business.

Halfway to their common room, Ron and Hermione noticed me. It was Ron's fault, really; he dropped a load of books after tripping over a hissing Mrs. Norris. As they were picking them up, they spotted me, hovering behind a statue.

"Come out of there, Cho!" cried Hermione, angry blotches of red on her cheeks. "We know you're there."

I crept out from hiding guiltily. I had hoped to at least get to the common room before they'd caught me.

"Now, what do you want?" Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"I want to help Harry," I whispered, my eyes darting from Ron to Hermione. "You guys don't get it-- I love him-- I never meant to hurt him."

Ron snorted. "You didn't think sneaking around with Draco Malfoy would hurt him?"

"Yes, I knew it would," I admitted, blushing, "but I needed to. He's been bothering me ever since Harry and I have become closer. I just wanted to tell him that I would never like him."

"Is that true?" said Hermione in amazement, squinting at me as if I were far away.

"Yes," I lied. "I never liked him. He kept bothering me about going out with Harry, and he wanted me to go out with HIM..."

"Oh, Cho, I'm so sorry," murmured Hermione, opening her arms for me to hug her.

I accepted her hug, feeling like the worst person in the whole world.

Back at the Gryffindor Common room, things were in an uproar. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas were talking in high, excited voices, and Ginny had her face buried in her hands, sobbing. As soon as I saw this, I hurried over to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What-- Cho?" said Ginny squeakily.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a consoling voice.

"Yes," she replied, her tears seeming to have dried in her amazement. "But why are you--"

"C'mon, Cho," said Hermione haughtily. "We have to go talk to Harry."

"Right," I grinned, giving Ginny another pat and following Hermione.

My stomach had begun to do funny sort of somersaults in excitement. Harry and I were going to be together again. He wouldn't be mad at me. Hermione would explain everything, Harry would understand that I'd never liked Draco, and then...

And then you'll just be an even bigger liar than before, said a small voice in my head. What could I do, though? I loved Harry, and it nearly drove me mad not to be with him. Anyway, things between Draco and I were over for good. For good!

As I entered the room, a disgusting sight met my eyes. A rat, apparently dead, had a noose around its neck and was hanging grotesquely from the ceiling. A few drops of blood were on Harry's bedspread. The most awful thing, though, was the look in Harry's eyes. True, it was almost laughable-- he looked as if he were going to vomit-- but I felt bad for him all the same.

"You okay, Harry?" Hermione asked in a comforting tone.

"Yes, fine, but--" He looked up for the first time and saw me. His eyes flashed with anger. "What is SHE doing here?"

"She doesn't like Malfoy," said Ron. "She never--"

"Malfoy was just bothering her," interrupted Hermione. "She wanted to end it once and for all. Isn't that right, Cho?"

I nodded. "I never meant anything by meeting him. It's not like I was returning his affections." I felt my stomach drop to the dungeons. I really was awful!

"Yeah right," muttered Harry, not looking me in the eye.

I knelt next to him, trying to ignore the hanging rat. "I love you, Harry. Nothing will ever change that."

He looked at me, and I at him. Then, he leaned over, and before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me, and I was lost in a world of passion.

"Ahem." Hermione looked slightly sickened by our display. "This rat. Have you reported anything to Dumbledore?"

"No," said Harry. "Why would I?"

"Because it has a death threat tied in with it," said Ron, giving Harry an odd look. It was then that I noticed he was holding a piece of crinkled paper in his hand.

"Let me see," I demanded. Ron handed me the piece of paper mutely.

 

Hey there, Potter. Enjoy the rat? Because it might be you soon if you don't watch it.

-- D.M.

 

"Who is D.M.?" I said aloud.

"D.M.?" Hermione repeated.

I gasped suddenly. "Draco Malfoy!"

"Draco Malfoy!" repeated Ron, his face going green.

"I can't... How dare he!" shreiked Hermione, clenching her fists into balls.

I dropped the threatening letter, feeling sick to my stomach. He wouldn't do this. Would he? Was he that desperate to take me back? Or, rather, was he that desperate to hurt Harry? No, Cho, I said to myself. He can't be. He just can't. When I thought back to the day in the bleachers, I almost agreed that he wasn't as malicious as he appeared.

"I think this means we should definitely tell Dumbledore," said Ron, his voice shaking. "Let's go, mates."

Tears sprang into my eyes. We were going to turn in Draco Malfoy, the love of my... No. I shook my head. He wasn't the love of my life. Harry was. Why did I keep thinking of Malfoy that way?

Something warm in my hand shook me out of my downtrodden thoughts. It was Harry's hand slipping into mine. I smiled at him gently. Even though I was feeling absolutely terrible for being a liar, and also for sympathizing with Malfoy, his warm hand against mine made me feel a thousand times better.

I'd never been to Dumbledore's office before, but Harry seemed to know the way directly towards it. When we arrived there, Harry let go of my hand and knocked on the door several times. No one answered. Just then, Professor McGonagall came striding by.

"What are you doing here?" she said coldly.

"We need to speak with the headmaster," said Hermione in a dignified voice.

Professor McGonagall's brow quirked. She still remembered the last time when the students had tried to reach Professor Dumbledore; it was back in the time of the Sorcerer's Stone. Could it be that something as important as that could have occurred?

"What for?" she said suspiciously.

"I've been threatened," Harry said bravely. "Someone hung a rat in my room and gave me this note."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened as she read the crinkled piece of paper. Immediately after reading it, she stepped forward, saying, "Mars Bars!" The door sprang open, leading up a long, windy staircase. I gasped in spite of myself; Harry grinned at me.

"Let's go," said Professor McGonagall shakily.

"Professor Dumbledore, these students need to see you," said Professor McGonagall. She was surprisingly composed; everyone else was bent over and panting from the long, windy staircase.

"Oh? About what, may I ask?" Dumbledore peered at the four of us, doubled over and breathing heavily.

"Mr. Potter recieved a death threat. Though it may lead us to nothing, it shouldn't be taken lightly." She nodded curtly.

"Indeed. You may return to your office, Minerva, I will take care of this."

Professor McGonagall nodded again and exited. Dumbledore motioned for us gather around his desk.

"Now, what seems to be the problem?" he asked in a low voice.

"Draco Malfoy--" Ron started.

"Hush, Ron!" snapped Hermione. She then smiled sweetly at Dumbledore. "Someone hung a rat over Harry's bed and gave us this note." She handed Dumbledore the piece of paper mutely.

Dumbledore scanned the note briefly, then handed it back to Hermione, clearing his throat. "That certainly is inappropriate. Do you have any idea who D.M. is?"

"Draco Malfoy?" suggested Harry softly.

Dumbledore frowned. "That is a grave accusation, Mr. Potter. Are you prepared to take the consequences of that accusation?"

I felt my face go red. Please say no, Harry, I thought unhappily. Just leave Malfoy alone.

"I am," replied Harry seriously."

Great, I thought.

"Then we will question Mr. Malfoy consequently. It will be taken care of," he added, seeing Hermione's crestfallen face.

She wants him to get in trouble, I thought angrily. She just wants punishment. There's no justice to that girl.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," said Harry, sounding relieved.

"You're welcome," said Dumbledore, a smile twitching across his face. "Now, off to classes with you!"

* * *

 

"Mr. Malfoy is going to be expelled," Dumbledore announced, looking unusually grave at breakfast in the Great Hall. "He seriously offended Mr. Potter, and the only option for us is expulsion."

"No!" cried Malfoy weakly. "Please! I didn't do anything!"

"Take himaway!" roared Dumbledore, spit flying from him mouth.

"No!" I screamed. "No!"

They couldn't take him away. They couldn't! I loved him. I loved him so much that it hurt! Instead of thinking about how much I loved him, I decided to act. I sprang out of my chair and followed Crabbe and Goyle out into the entrance hall. Malfoy's two friends had betrayed him and helped with his expulsion, dragging him into the hall.

"Cho," he whispered as I leaned over him.

"If you go, so do I," I said, determined tears spilling over my cheeks. "I love you, Draco."

"I love you too," he murmured. He bent forward, his lips touching mine gently.

And I meant it. If he went, so did I...

 

"Cho!"

I practically leapt out of bed. Rolling over onto my back, I peered into the face of Geraldine Reed, a fellow Ravenclaw 6th year.

"You're going to be late for class," she said matter-of-factly. "It's almost 9:00."

"All right, all right," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes tiredly and pulling out my robes. "I'm up."

As I slipped my black Hogwarts robes over my head, I began to recall the passionate dream I'd had. Did I really mean that? Did I love Draco that much? No, I shook my head. I didn't love

Malfoy at all. He was a horrible, slimy, conniving...

"Will you hurry up?" Geraldine appeared at my bed again.

"I'm going," I replied irritably. "What do you want, anyway?"

"I promised your boyfriend I'd escort you down to the Great Hall on your two month anniversary," she said, handing me a dozen of roses. "He's very romantic, isn't he?"

I stared at the roses guiltily. "Yes, very romantic."

As I walked into the Great Hall, the twelve, long-stemmed roses clutched in my hands, I noticed something very odd. There were flower petals scattered along my feet, trailing behind me, as if I were shedding petals as I walked. Glancing behind me, I realized Neville was hiding behind a statue, a basket of petals in his quivering hands. I laughed to myself and continued towards the Gryffindor table. Harry really was too much sometimes.

"Happy two month anniversary!" exclaimed Ron, slinging his arm around Hermione. She rolled her eyes, but didn't shove Ron's arm off.

"Thanks," I said shakily. I hadn't been expecting a huge party for our two month anniversary, and I hadn't gotten anything for Harry.

"Ah! Happy Anniversary, Cho." Harry kissed me gently and handed me a small, wrapped package.

"I didn't--"

"You didn't have to," muttered Harry, going red. "I wanted to, though." His face brightened considerably and he added, "Won't you sit at Gryffindor today?"

I glanced behind me at the Ravenclaw table. All of my friends were scrutinizing me closely. If I sat with the Gryffindors, my reputation among the Ravenclaws would be ruined. I'd be considered a traitor to her house. So what did I do?

It was then that I had a sudden idea. Grabbing Harry's hands, I said in a soft, seductive voice, "Why don't we go celebrate our anniversary somewhere alone?"

Ron raised his eyebrows and grinned; Hermione coughed loudly. Okay, so I sounded like a "scarlet woman". But what other choice did I have?

"Sure, Cho," Harry practically choked, sputting in excitement and anticipation. "I'd love to."

Even though I know Harry expected a lot more, I only let him kiss me a bit in a dark corrider near Transfiguration. I could barely stand to watch his face, shining with disappointment, when I told him we should be getting off to class. What HAD he expected, anyway? We were too young for anything more than kissing, or so my innocent mind had decided.

As I was walking down to Charms (alone, may I note. Harry had went off to Divination with Ron, and I didn't know where Hermione was.) I encountered Draco Malfoy. I expected the usual catty remark, like, "Where's your lover?" or "Been kissing any half-bloods lately?", but he didn't say anything. He seemed deeply absorbed in thought, almost as absorbed as I. The crowded hall began to close in on me, and as I was pressing through the horde of people, I heard a soft, gentle voice say something.

"Happy Anniversary, Cho."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as straight as needles. It was Draco Mafloy's voice. I turned around quickly to relpy, but he had disappeared into the mass of students.

It was just a simple sentence. "Happy Anniversary, Cho." But it carried something so much deeper, so much dearer to me... All through Charms, I couldn't concentrate. I'd almost broken my wand absentmindedly when I was trying to perform an elementary Goating Charm. What is with me? I thought as I left the classroom. I could barely hear the other students buzzing around me.

"Hey, Cho!" A loud voice startled me out of my romantic musings.

"Harry," I said happily; he slipped his arm around my waist.

"You didn't think I was going to forget that it's our anniversary, did you? I still have more planned." He grinned shyly, winking.

"Sounds like fun," I replied more enthusiasm than I felt.

"It will be," he replied excitedly. "Be right back." I watched as he slipped down the hall, a slight spring to his step.

I wish I felt as happy about this as he did, I thought sadly. I should feel as happy as he does. Harry and I are GOING OUT for goodness sake's. But all I can think about are those gorgeous, icy eyes, trailing across my body, looking into mine, and those pale pink lips pressing against my own...

A cry sounded from down the hall.

Harry.

Tears flooded down my cheeks and I ran, my backpack slipping from my shoulders onto the floor. I didn't care. I just knew that I'd heard Harry's cry. What if his attacker had struck again? What if...

I found him only a short distance away from where we'd been talking. He was lying on his back, stone cold, his eyes closed. He looked... He looked...

Dead.

"He'll be fine, Miss Chang," said Madam Pompfrey irritably. "Sitting by his bedside while he's unconcious won't help a bit."

"What was the curse again?" I asked annoyingly. I needed all the facts.

"The Ortius Curse," she replied. "It kills you if left unattended long enough."

I shuddered, taking Harry's cold, clammy hand in mine. It had to have been Draco Malfoy that had attacked him. Who else could it have been? On our anniversary, too. How horrible he was! To think I'd ever loved him!

"How is our patient?" Dumbledore's benevolent voice sounded outside the door.

"I think he'll be all right, but it was a close shave," said Madam Pompfrey anxiously. "That poor boy, I don't know how much more he can handle..."

"Harry is a strong boy," said Dumbledore confidently.

He then stepped past Madam Pompfrey and stared down at Harry in his bed. Then, as if noticing me for the first time, he said, "Oh, Miss Chang! It's good for you to be here. You're just what he needs."

"It was Draco Malfoy," I said quickly. There was no need for small talk. "I'm sure it was. He's malicious, and he hates Harry, and--"

"You have no proof, Miss Chang," interjected Dumbledore. "And Mr. Malfoy has maintained that he is innocent."

"He's lying!" I exclaimed. "He even signed the note with his initials!"

"Have you ever considered framing?" said Dumbledore calmly. "It's very possible that someone is trying to get him in trouble."

"That's HIS story," I said hotly.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to protest, but just then, Harry's eyes fluttered open and his hand squeezed mine. He emitted a small groan, his other hand reaching for his head.

"What happened?" he moaned.

"You were hit with the Ortius Curse," explained Dumbledore in a low voice. "Miss Chang here saved your life."

"Cho," he whispered.

I smiled at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

"I'll leave you two be for now," said Dumbledore, smiling gently. "I'll be back to question you later, Harry," he added.

Harry nodded bravely, but as soon as Dumbledore had left, he turned to me and said desperately, "Who is doing this to me, Cho? Who?"

I was about to say Draco Malfoy, but Dumbledore's words came back to me. So I just smoothed back Harry's hair and said, "I don't know, Harry. I don't know."

"How are you feeling?" I asked Harry. It was only a few days after Harry had been hit with the Ortius Curse, but he was already looking much better.

"Fine, thanks to you." He kissed my forehead. "I would have gone mad without you."

I grinned and blushed. He was really too sweet sometimes.

"So, have we decided who it is yet?" I said, smiling wryly.

"Malfoy, I thought," he replied, his green eyes gazing into mine.

"Yes, but Dumbledore said--" I stopped abruptly. Did he have to gaze at me that way? I felt like his eyes were seeing right through my soul.

"What?" He continued to stare at me.

"You're distracting me," I remarked, laughing.

"I am? How so?"

"Those eyes of yours... they make me feel..."

He put a finger to my lips, then kissed me. "Like this?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "Just like that."

He took me into his arms and began kissing me. It wasn't very romantic, and we kept leaping up at odd times when we heard Madam Pompfrey going by, but it still felt wonderful.

"So, what shall we do now that Harry's out of the Hospital?" asked Ron excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

"Some sort of celebration, I would think," I replied, a smile curving on my lips. "He's been in there for so long."

"It's only been two weeks," remarked Hermione. "Not that long."

"Long enough." I pulled my long, black hair into a ponytail and sighed softly. I truly was in love. Draco Malfoy was gone from my thoughts forever.

Then again, Malfoy did keep popping into my head frequently. But it wasn't because I saw him as romantic and sexy anymore. It was because I knew he had something to do with Harry's attacks-- he had to have been the one to hurt him! It totally made sense. After I broke up with him, he was angry with Harry for stealing his potential girlfriend away, so he got even by attacking him. Then, on our anniversary, when he saw us so happy together, he decided to vent his dissatisfied feelings in another attack. He was awful, truly awful! But I didn't intend on giving up on him just yet. I was going to prove him guilty, and then I was going to make sure he got justice.

But for now, I decided not to think of revenge. Harry was getting out of the Hospital, and I couldn't have been happier! Finally, we could spend some nice, uninterrupted time together, without Madam Pompfrey breathing down our necks.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked.

"Hey!" Harry beamed at the three of us. "How'd you get in here, Cho?"

"Ron let me in," I explained in a low voice. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he replied, kissing my cheek. "How have you three been?"

"We're good if you are, Harry," said Ron seriously. "We've been awful worried about you."

"Well, I'm fine now," said Harry, his eyes gazing into mine once again. "Perfectly fine." He took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

Just then, someone darted past us, her face down and something red in her hands.

"Wait!" yelled Ron, chasing after her.

"Who was that?" wondered Hermione aloud.

I frowned. "I don't know, but it didn't look like a Gryffindor."

"That's because it ISN'T a Gryffindor," announced Ron, pulling the girl by the arm. He had apparently caught her.

I looked up and saw that it was--

"Pansy Parkinson?" exclaimed Hermione. "What are you doing in OUR common room?!"

"Nothing," she muttered, the bucket of red paint in her hands shifting oddly.

My eyes widened in sudden realization. "Harry, go check your dorm. See if anything's unusual."

"All-- all right," said Harry shakily. "I will..."

"I'll go too," I decided aloud, hopping up and following Harry up the staircase to his dorm.

"Look!" gasped Harry, his hand groping for my arm.

On the wall near Harry's bed, something was painted in big, bright red letters. It read, Die Potter. Die! and then underneath it, the two initials: D.M.

"She..." I mouthed wordlessly at the wall.

"She was behind these attacks?" exclaimed Harry. "But why?"

"Let's find out," I said in a grave voice. I stalked out of Harry's dormitory, ready to give Pansy Parkinson everything I had.

Ron still had Pansy by the arm when Harry and I returned. I shot her a utterly poisonous look, which she returned. How dare she, I thought bitterly. How dare she hurt Harry this way! But why would she do this? She's malicious, but she has no real reason to...

"Explain yourself," I demanded in a harsh voice.

"I don't have to," she replied flatly.

"Fine," I hissed. "You can explain to Dumbledore first, then."

"No!" she squeaked. I noticed in grim satisfaction that her hands were shaking in her lap. "I'll tell everything. Just give me a chance to explain."

"We're waiting," snapped Hermione. She was looking just as angry as I was feeling.

Pansy scowled at us, then began to speak. "I wanted you to think that Draco Malfoy was doing all this so that he'd stop chasing after you, Cho."

"Why?" I pressed on.

"Because I love him, that's why!" hollered Pansy, not bothering to keep her voice down. "That stupid idiot, chasing after and kissing you at all hours of the night--"

"What?" cried Harry.

I sucked in a shuddery breath. She knew about Malfoy and I. If she told, she'd totally ruin me. Harry would discover that I'd lied, and then...

"That's right," sneered Pansy. "Your beloved Cho was making out with Malfoy in the Astronomy Tower a few months ago."

"She was not," countered Harry in a quivering voice. "They were just talking. They were--"

"That's what SHE told you," laughed Pansy, rolling her eyes. "You believe everything the little tramp says?"

I slammed my fist on the table next to me and stood up. "Don't you dare call me a tramp!"

"Is that true, Cho?" asked Harry in a soft voice.

"Is what true?" I turned my eyes on Harry, my chest heaving with emotion.

"You WERE kissing Malfoy the night you borrowed my Invisibility Cloak. You weren't just talking."

I paused. Should I try to make up another lie? No, I told myself. I'm through with lying. "Yes, Harry. It's true."

Harry's face fell. "So everything was just a lie, wasn't it?"

"No!" I exclaimed, my brow knitting together in anxiety. "It wasn't! I just... I knew you'd never love me again if you knew the truth. You obviously didn't, because we were apart for so long because of that, and I just wanted you back..."

"You're a liar, Cho," he said in a dangerous voice. His eyes were glittering in his anger. "You're a liar AND a heartbreaker."

"No," I whispered. "Please... No."

"Oh, yes," continued Pansy happily. "Now, where was I? Well, since I knew this little romance was going on between between Cho and Malfoy..." She wrinkled her nose. "I figure the only way to break them up would be if Cho thought Malfoy was hurting her DEAR Harry Potter. And it sort of worked, didn't it, Cho?"

"Shut up, Pansy," I breathed. "Just shut up."

"Thanks for your time, Parkinson," said Harry, his face puckered in a frown. "I think I'm going to bed."

"Harry, wait!"

But he had gone.

"C'mon, Pansy, we're taking you to Dumbledore," snarled Hermione. She looked at me. "Cho, maybe you'd better go back to your common room."

"Hermione, please," I pleaded, my eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Please don't hate me. I never wanted to hurt you, or Harry, or Ron, but I made a mistake, and it seemed easier--"

"It seemed easier to lie than to take responsibility for it, right?" growled Ron.

I shrunk back in fear. I had forgotten how protective Ron was of those he loved. Of course he'd never forgive me. I'd hurt Harry beyond belief.

"Please don't hate me," I repeated dully.

"I don't hate you," said Hermione matter-of-factly. "I would never hate you. But I don't know how we can be friends again."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"Tell it to Harry, not me," Hermione mumbled. "C'mon, Pansy!"

I watched Ron and Hermione disappear through the portrait hole with Pansy between them. They were so lucky. They had each other, and always would. Hermione wasn't stupid enough to go fooling around with Draco Malfoy and mess everything up.

"You're still here?"

I whirled around and saw Harry at the foot of the staircase.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again.

I then fled, the portrait banging behind me as I left.

I've ruined everything.

The same three words repeated over and over in my head as I went about my business the next few weeks. I've ruined everything. Oh, how true it was. The year had barely touched spring and I had already estranged my old Ravenclaw friends, broken two boy's hearts, ruined two beautiful friendships with two of the most interesting people in the school, and trashed my what used to be excellent reputation.

Harry and almost never saw each other. Places where we used to bump into each other in the corriders seemed lonely and empty without him. I strongly suspected that he had rearranged his whole walking schedule just so that he didn't have to bump into me. Sometimes, when I was walking to my classes alone, I would spy a statue Harry and I had kissed behind, and I feared my heart would come tumbling out from betwixt my ribs.

Seeing Hermione and Ron was even worst. Right after Pansy Parkinson's visit, they'd been oddly polite, waving at me in the hall when we passed. After a week or so, however, they simply walked by, sometimes engrossed in their own conversations, or otherwise keeping a hard, stony expression on their face. Oh, how it hurt me! But what could I expect? I deserved it, after all.

The funniest part about my suffering was that I still held a bit of attraction to Malfoy. Everytime I saw him in the hall, the red blush crept up my neck until I looked like a badly painted statue. Sometimes he called out to me; sometimes he didn't. I found it slightly amusing, though, how my lips still curved into a smile whenever I heard someone speaking his name, even if they were cursing his being when they were talking of him.

Other than that, I was alone. My Ravenclaw friends were barely friends anymore. I had been too distant to them while I became absorbed in Harry's world. Before Harry, I had been lonely in the world of love. Now I was lonely wherever I was, even if I was with a roomful of people.

I had been musing over all these sorrows for the thousandth time while working over a Potions paper. Sighing, I pushed the books and paper away from me and looked skyward. The ceiling was so high and so beautiful, and it looked like nothing would ever touch it. No one would ever hurt it, no one would ever reach its inner workings, and no one would ever be able to understand how it worked. If no one could understand how it worked, no one could ever touch it in a way that was damaging.

I squeezed my eyes shut and moaned to myself. Was I going crazy? I was thinking about how a ceiling could never have their heart broken just because they WERE a ceiling. Yes, I was definitely going mad. I had once read that people could die of a broken heart. Well, if you could DIE of a broken heart, surely you could go crazy over one? How perfectly awful, I thought unhappily, pulling my books and paper towards me again. Not only am I miserable, I'm crazy, too. Great going, Cho Chang.

"Only two more months," I muttered to myself one day as I was being pushed in the halls. "Only two more months, then you're free of this place. Until next year."

I allowed myself to groan loudly. A couple of first years gave me a startled look as they passed, as if they were afraid I would begin cursing everything in sight. Honestly, I didn't care. I could act as weird as I wanted now, since I didn't have a reputation to uphold anymore. It's not like I had any friends to scare away, so I could openly express my insanity. My insanity, I thought, almost laughing. Can you believe I'm thinking like this?

"Cho! Cho Chang!"

Did someone just call my name? I thought. That's unusual, because no one seems to call my name anymore. Not unless they want homework or something. But no, I'm not even in a classroom right now. So someone must actually genuinelly want to talk to me. Gee, this is an improvement.

I turned around, an amused smile on my face, to look at the caller of my name. My smile immediately wilted when I saw who it was.

"Malfoy," I said coldly, nodding. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh, no," repied Draco, smirking. "I just heard you give a cry of agony and I thought I'd see what I could do to help."

In spite of myself, I felt myself laughing and rolling my eyes. "A cry of agony?"

"What else do you call it?" he asked, grinning.

"Um... I don't know. How about it's just me being odd?"

"Odd and Cho Chang don't go in the same sentence, I don't think."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and grinned heartily at him. I shamefully admitted to myself that I hadn't felt this good since I'd broken up with Harry. Then again, Draco Malfoy had a way of making me feel wonderful and excited, just by listening to him talk. His gorgeous, icy eyes, and his lovely blonde hair that was so smooth and so...

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, glancing at my watch. To my dismay, I realised the corriders were almost empty and all the classrooms were filled. "I'm going to be so late!"

"What do you have?" asked Draco.

"Potions," I replied gloomily. "He'll kill me for being late."

"Why don't you skiv off?" Malfoy grinned broadly. "That way, you won't be late, you won't get in trouble, and plus, you can have a little fun while you're at it."

Another smile curved on my face. "You're awful, Malfoy."

"Awful's my middle name." Draco grabbed my hand and led me down a dark corrider.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

"Somewhere special."

I couldn't help but notice the ominous mysteriousness in his voice. I found it frighteningly attractive.

"Here," his deep voice sounded again. "Close your eyes."

"Draco," I complained. "I am NOT closing my eyes."

"Then you can't come in," he teased, his eyes lighting up with mischief. "I guess we could just sit out here in this lonely corrider instead."

I thought he was joking, but apparently, he wasn't. After a minute or so, I laughed.

"All right, all right," I giggled. "I give in. I'll close my eyes."

"Good and tight now." He waved his hand in front of my face. "Are you sure you're not peeking?"

"I'm sure," I laughed.

He took his warm hands and curled them around my petite ones and guided me into the room. A shiver of delight ran down my spine when I felt his touch. My mouth opened slightly, for I felt like I needed more air. There was no doubt about it. He intoxicated me. It was something I could no longer deny.

"You can open your eyes now," he whispered.

My eyes fluttered open to a beautiful sight. We were in what seemed like an empty classroom, except it was much brighter than a usual room. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, and all around, brightly coloured butterflies were flitting around. Some were shocking red, some sky blue, and some colored like a rainbow. There was one thing I knew, though: It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Draco Malfoy, standing there with that characteristic smirk on his face; the sunlight radiating through his blonde hair, making him glow like an angel, and the magical, sparkling butterflies brushing against his face made it a scene from my wildest imagination.

"Draco," I whispered. "It's beautiful."

I impulsively reached for his hand; he gave me it. His other free hand wrapped around my waist, and my free hand found his broad shoulder. I stood on my tiptoes and leaned my face towards him, ready for him to kiss me. He bent down to meet my lips, and then...

CRUNCH.

We immediately broke apart.

"What was that?" I cried anxiously.

"I don't know." With a faint feeling of satisfaction, I noticed Draco was looking nervous.

CRUNCH.

"Wait a second!" I exclaimed, noticing the butterflies were making odd chirping noises and huddling in the corners. "The room must be moving! You know what Dumbledore says, the rooms around here are always changing..."

"But what if it ends up putting us somewhere we don't know how to get out of?" exclaimed Malfoy.

"Good thinking," I said, my face going pale.

CRUNCH.

"Argh!" The room began to move slowly forward, and the ground shook as if there was a violent earthquake taking place.

CRUNCH.

"Cho!" cried Malfoy weakly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm--"

CRUNCH.

Another horrible tremour caused me to fly back against one of the walls.

"We have to get out of here," I yelled. "I'm going to get knocked out if I keep flying around like this."

"Grab my hand," shouted Malfoy, stretching his arm out to take my hand.

I felt his hand curl around my wrist; I knew we'd connected. Together we dove for the exit, but we found that the door was locked.

"Shoot!" I screamed, banging at the door. "How'd we lock ourselves in?"

"Beats me," hollered Malfoy. "What'll we do?"

"Wait!" I whipped out my wand and whispered, "Alohomora!" It was simple, but effective. The door popped open and Malfoy and I tumbled through it.

"Ooow," I moaned, rubbing the back of my head. I'd hit it when I'd fell through the door. My head (and the rest of my body) was throbbing in pain.

"You all right, Cho?" murmured Malfoy, leaning over me and stroking my cheek with his soft hand.

"Yes," I said shyly.

"Now, where were we?" he joked, still hovering over me, with his face close to mine.

"I think we were here," I whispered, craning my neck upwards and kissing him.

When our lips finally parted, he said, "Mmm. Now I remember."

I lowered my eyes bashfully. And here comes the awkward part, I thought unhappily. Here's the part where he either confesses undying love or says he's not ready for a serious relationship.

"Cho, I'm..." He didn't meet my eyes; I guess he was feeling the same as I did. "Uh... I like you a lot."

"I figured that out," I replied, unable to keep the exasperation out of my voice.

"Fine. I'll tell the truth." He kissed me again, but only quickly. "I'm in love with you."

I was silent for a moment, but before long, curiosity got the better of me. "Honestly?"

"Honestly," he said, smiling. "After the night in the Astronomy Tower, I felt awful. Nothing was right anymore."

Funny, I thought. I'd felt exactly the same after Harry.

"But now... I feel like everything's all right again. Like I can stop hanging my head." His radiant blue eyes lit up with happiness. "And I mean that. Since you're obviously not going out with Potter anymore, you can see that I'm not doing it to spite him."

"I'm in love with you, too," I confessed. "Harry was-- he was wonderful. But there's something with you that I just can't describe. And I think it might be love, while what I had with Harry was just-- I just fancied him."

"So everything's perfect then, huh?" Draco grinned again and bent over to kiss me.

We stayed there for almost an hour, in that little deserted corrider. Yes, I thought. I do love him. But everything's not perfect. Not yet.

I had to make peace with Harry first. Otherwise, I'd never be able to live with myself.

As the weeks passed, I began to wonder how to approach Harry with the olive branch. I could write him a letter, but then again, he could just ignore that, and I'd never know if he was still angry with me or not. I could come to him face to face, but then again, I could be risking public humiliation.

As for Draco Malfoy and I-- everything was like a dream. At first, people gave us odd looks whenever we were together, but after a while, everyone just got used to the idea that I was Draco Malfoy's girlfriend. Malfoy's reputation boosted considerably when he began to go out with me, and mine was almost back where it had started at the beginning of the year. I was truly happy. Except for the Harry thing, of course.

One night, I sat down and dipped my quill into some ink. Chewing the inside of my cheek thoughtfully, I bent over a piece of parchment and began to write.

Dear Harry,

I know you probably won't want to read this, and I totally understand. But I just really want to ask you something: Could you ever forgive me? I mean, I know I broke your heart and am a horrible person. And I totally understand if you've decided you're going to hate me forever. But if you could find it within your heart to forgive me, I'd really, really, really appreciate it! Thank you, Harry.

Love,

Cho

There, I thought with satisfaction. Does the word love look weird? No, I decided. It looks good. It'll help remember that he loved me once, and that we should be friends.

"Where are you off to?" Malfoy asked.

By pure coincidence, I had been rushing off the the Owlery just when Malfoy had been roaming the halls after dinner.

"I'm going to send a letter," I said tightly, clutching the note in my hand. If Malfoy read it, he wouldn't be pleased. Just because we were going out didn't mean he had taken a sudden liking to Harry. If anything, he disliked him even more, since he was very protective of me.

"Oh, to who?" persisted Malfoy.

He can be so nosy sometimes! I thought angrily.

"No one," I said without thinking.

"No one?" repeated Malfoy suspiciously.

Great, I thought. Now he KNOWS something's up.

"Actually," I said, swallowing, "The letter is-- it's for Harry." Honesty was key to good relationships, and since I had a bit of a deficit in that field, I thought I'd try turning over a new leaf.

"Harry? Harry POTTER?" snapped Malfoy, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, Harry POTTER," I replied, somewhat annoyed. "Now, I'll be off the Owlery."

He grabbed my arm. "Let me guess, you're going to ask him to be your sweet lover again?"

I tored my arm out of his grip. "That's not it at all!"

"Then what?" he whispered maliciously. "Why else would you be sending him a letter?"

"Because he's hated me ever since he found out that I cheated on him with you," I mumbled, pushing past him. "And I don't like people to hate me."

Malfoy's face softened at once. He knew me better than to have to accuse me of trying to snag Harry back.

"I'm sorry, Cho," he murmured, opening his arms. "I really am."

I paused for a moment, wondering if I should accept his apology, then flew into his arms. I couldn't stand for him to be mad at me, or for me to be mad at him. It didn't make sense; we belonged together.

"So can I walk you down there?" he asked, a slight touch of sarcasm to his voice.

"Yes, if you behave yourself." I grinned and kissed his chin.

He slung his arm around my waist and we walked in a leisurely fashion down to the Owlery.

"Which one, huh?" asked Malfoy, his eyes scanning the Owlery with obvious scorn.

"That one," I said, pointing to a small school owl. "There's no need to bother the bigger ones for such a local delivery."

"You know, you COULD just give it to him," laughed Malfoy. "Or have one of your friends give it to him."

I shook my head. "I'd rather not. He'd probably rip it up."

"He might do that this time, too."

My smile faltered. "You're right. He probably will."

"Don't worry, Cho," Malfoy reassured me. "You're the on who wanted to make everything all right. If he doesn't accept your apology, it's not your fault."

"I guess you're right, Draco," I sighed, tying the note to the bird's foot and hoping for the best.

The next day, I strolled into the Great Hall, tired and yawns all over my face. I had stayed up late the night before reading about ancient Chinese wizards and witches, and it had been past four in the morning when I finally got some sleep. My face flushed with red as I noticed that the mail was coming in. Here it goes, I thought grimly, sitting at the Ravenclaw table.

"Morning, Cho. Where's your boyfriend?" asked a sweet but not particularily bright girl (especially compared to the clever Ravenclaws) named Julie.

"Oh, I dunno," I replied absentmindedly. I wasn't really paying attention to Julie's words; rather, I was watching Harry rip open my letter.

"What's that?" I saw Ron's mouth form the words across the room.

My breath began to catch in my throat as I watched Harry's face. It turned a deathly white, and he quickly pocketed my letter. Ron and Hermione were questioning him wildly, but he simply shooks his head. As I stared at him, he glanced over at my table. Our eyes met for a brief moment. Just as quickly as they had met, I tore my eyes away.

"Cho?" A deep baritone startled me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, Draco!" I smiled brightly. I was still feeling a bit queasy from watching Harry, but seeing Malfoy always made me feel better.

He took my hand and kissed it. "And how is my fair lady this morning?"

I giggled. "Cut that out."

"You know, the school year is finishing up," he told me huskily. "What am I going to do without you?"

"I guess you'll just have to manage," I said distantly, my eyes wandering back to the Gryffindor table.

The two weeks that were left in the school year flew by. At the time, they seemed tediously long, with all the studying for finals, but as I look back on it, they were truly an eyeblink. Many nights I spent leaned up against Draco's shoulder, cramming every bit of information I could into my brain, as he studied for his dreadful finals.

On our last night at Hogwarts, I had packed all my bags and was heading down to the Great Hall for the end-of-the-year dinner when someone stopped me.

"Cho," whispered a voice loudly. "Over here!"

I looked around nervously and said, "Who's there?"

"Oh, it's only me!" Draco Malfoy, my beloved boyfriend, came strolling out of the shadows.

"Why didn't you just say so?" I asked, annoyed.

"Because I need to talk to you. Privately," he added in an anxious voice.

"All right, all right," I replied, my eyes drinking in his upset face. "In here."

I dragged him into the empty Transfiguration room and sat in one of the desks. He followed my actions.

"What is it?" I asked hastily.

"It's about... This summer." He cleared his throat. "What are we going to do?"

"I'll write," I said faintly.

"I have to see you," he whispered desperately.

"Draco, I can't," I said in an unhappy voice. "I'm not sure my parents approve. They've heard stories..." My voice faded into the corners of the room.

"Stories?" he snapped.

I sighed. "Yes. Stories about the Malfoy family. Hasn't everyone?"

A sneercrossed Malfoy's face. "They think I'm rich trash."

"No, Draco, it's not that!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "I mean, my parents don't approve of any boy I bring home. They barely approved of Cedric, for goodness sake's!"

"So you're saying we're going to be apart for two months? Three months?"

"I'm sorry. I'll send pictures." I blinked, and several tears fell into my lap.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he mumbled, his lips clumsily finding mine. He quickly pulled away. "Please don't be upset."

"I'm not," I sighed. "Just don't be angry with me. Please don't."

"I thought you were angry with me," he laughed. I could tell he was trying to make light of something that was a big deal to him. "You can write to me. And I'll write to you. Send pictures." A smile lit up his previously dull face.

"I will, Draco," I muttered, leaning up against his broad chest.

It's going to be torture without him, I thought miserably.

He cleared his throat again. "We'd better go, huh?"

"Yeah." I swallowed. "Yeah."

The next day came too soon. Malfoy and I had been having so much fun at the last feast, joking, talking, and making fun of Crabbe and Goyle together. When he kissed me goodnight, I noticed a trace of lonliness in his blue eyes that I'd never seen before. Already he had begun to miss me, even though were weren't yet seperated.

I woke up feeling particularly groggy after the feast, and I barely remember what was happening that day until I spotted my trunk at the foot of my bed. Oh, right, it was time to leave Hogwarts. I pulled on my Hogwarts robes for the last time that year and looked sadly at my empty Ravenclaw bed.

When I walked into the Ravenclaw Common Room, tons of students were hugging, kissing, and crying. My heart sank horribly. This was it. The last day of Hogwarts. It was supposed to be a day of celebration, but to me, it was horrible. Today was the day that I'd see Malfoy's beautiful face for the lasta time. Two-- maybe three-- months without Malfoy. Oh, how would I survive?

I didn't meet my beloved until outside the train. His face was grave as he took me in his arms and kissed me, his eyes moist. I wasn't sure if they were tears, or if his eyes were just glassy and miserable from being seperated from me. Either way, his normally beautiful eyes disturbed me. They cut deep into my soul, and it made me never want to leave him.

"Draco," I sobbed, tears dripping down my face.

"Cho," he murmured back. His voice was strong, but it was tainted with intensity.

It was then that I noticed Harry's black hair making an apperance from behind a large brick pillar.

"Be right back!" I exclaimed, running off to have a word with him.

"Cho?" Malfoy looked absolutely stricken that I would leave him in such a moment, but I knew that I had to talk to Harry.

"Harry, can I--" I stopped short.

Harry was kissing Ginny Weasley behind the pillar. As soon as he realised I was watching, he broke away from her, and Ginny fled. His face was flushed and anger flashed in his eyes.

"What do you want?" he snarled.

"I just..." I swallowed nervously. He looked so terribly angry!

"What?" he asked in a slightly softer voice.

"Did you get my letter?" I blurted out.

"Yes," he muttered, turning an even brighter red.

"And... Do you forgive me?"

Harry wouldn't meet my eyes. His glasses slipped to the bottom of his nose and he mumbled, "I don't know."

"Please, please, Harry!" I pleaded, impulsively taking his hands in mine. "I never wanted to hurt you. I honestly didn't. But it worked out better, didn't it?"

Harry turned his head to look at Ginny, who was hovering a few yards away. "Yes, it did, Cho." He smiled weakly. "I love Ginny."

"And I love Draco," I whispered.

His face broke into a smile. "I suppose you're right."

"So won't you forgive me? Please?" My eyes were shining with unshed tears. He had to forgive me!

"Yes, Cho, I do forgive you," he finally said. "I'm sorry I was... you know, a bit of an idiot."

"It's all right," I laughed. "It was really my fault, anyway."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have been so stubborn about everything. It's kind of funny, you and Malfoy," he added, grinning.

"So, friends?" I held out my hand.

"Friends," he agreed amiably, shaking my outstretched hand.

I happily kissed his cheek and waved wildly to him, scampering off to have a last few words with Malfoy.

"What was that all about?" exclaimed Malfoy as I returned.

"I'm forgiven," I chirped happily. "Aren't you glad?"

"Yeah, I'm thrilled," replied Malfoy, rolling his eyes. "I have to go talk to Crabbe and Goyle... I'll meet you on the train, all right?"

"Okay." I smiled brightly and began to run off, but someone grabbed my arm.

Hermione and Ron were staring me in the face. Ron looked slightly put off, but Hermione's face was full of compassion. I knew what they had come for.

"Um... Cho. In case you were wondering, we forgive you, too." Hermione smiled nervously.

"Oh!" I leaned over and hugged them both. "Thank you! I'm so happy."

"I guess we're all friends now," said Ron dully.

"I said I was sorry, Ron," I replied sharply.

He grinned. "Okay, okay. I forgive you! We're friends."

Laughing, I said, "Good. Great!"

"Okay, well, we'll see you next year, okay?" Hermione nodded cheerfully.

"See you next year," I replied.

I pulled up my robes so I wouldn't trip on them and hopped into the train. My heart was as light as a feather as I watched Hermione and Ron hurry back over to Harry. The famous trio turned back and waved at me, their faces bright with smiles. I waved back enthusiastically, then pulled back into the train.

"All's well that ends well," said a deep voice.

I turned around to see that Draco was here again.

"Yes," I murmured, leaning upwards and kissing him. "I quite agree."

 

THE END

 

Hope you enjoyed.. hehe