The Dragon's Gambit

(Flashback: Summer 1995 following the Triwizard Tournament)

Draco Malfoy was having a very bad day. He had spent the last four hours traipsing the grounds and woods surrounding Malfoy Manor in search of the elusive clamberkane mushrooms. His spiky blond hair was matted with perspiration and his once immaculate clothes creased and marked with grass stains. Draco, tired, hungry, and filthy, silently cursed the day when his parents informed him of this latest test. It was by far, the most difficult assignment ever issued to him. He never complained though. Well aware of the stakes at hand, he was willing to do and learn anything that would help him protect himself for what was to come.

Lucius and Narcissa had challenged Draco to not use his wand for one month. They thought this would be an excellent opportunity to teach their son a lesson in discipline and self reliance. All too often, young wizards made the mistake of relying solely on wand magic and not their strength of will and determination. It made them lazy. Lucius had placed his son’s wand in a glass case in his study and set a locking spell timer for 30 days. Draco could summon the wand at any given time, but that would mean failure. Failure to a Malfoy was totally unacceptable. His parents had also promised to purchase a new broom for him if he was able to last the month. Draco resolved that Slytherin would win the Quidditch championship in the upcoming school year, and the newest, top-of-the-line broom would aid him with that quest.

He sullenly kicked out at a twig as he thought about his parents and their impossibly high standards of expectation. It seemed as if nothing he did was ever good enough for his vigilant taskmasters. Intellectually, Draco knew that this was their way of preparing him for the dark road ahead. After witnessing a brutal attack at a tender age, he vowed that he would someday seek retribution. In the meantime, it was his duty to focus on the training.

Searching for the clamberkanes was one of the many tests that Narcissa asked him to do. It sounded simple enough at first, but hours later, he was frustrated beyond belief and still in pursuit. Though easy enough to locate with a wand magic pointing spell, Draco had to rely exclusively on what he had read about the mushrooms in the past. He sat on a flat rock ruffling his hair in exasperation while racking his brains. Clamberkanes had medicinal healing properties, but they were also edible and quite tasty. They were always found in the middle of berkane bushes, but after rifling through many a thorny shrub, Draco began to seriously doubt the veracity of tome he used as reference. Narcissa told him that these mushrooms grew on the property, so he mentally reviewed all the places he hadn’t looked.

His eyes lit up as he remembered that clamberkanes needed a constant source of water. Draco ran to the spot he hadn’t yet checked, and was relieved to see berkane bushes. Gingerly poking his hand through the sharp blades of the plant, he found the gold speckled red mushrooms nestled in the moist, dark earth. Narcissa hadn’t indicated an amount, so he stuffed his bag to the brim, slung it over his shoulder, and leisurely proceeded back to the Manor.

Draco was walking by a small ravine that divided Malfoy property from that of his godparents. In the middle of the ravine was a brook that meandered for miles. It was one of Draco’s most favorite places in the world, a quiet place to relax and think away from prying eyes. A flash of light caught his attention. He saw someone sitting on a lichen and moss encrusted tree that had fallen, creating a bridge of sorts across the fissure. Weak sunlight glinted off the person’s watch. Gasping, he recognized his godparents’ daughter, and that she had her wand pressed against her forehead. He knew how devastated she was after the murder of her boyfriend, but he never imagined that she would deliberately hurt herself. Draco’s godparents had asked him to check up on her while they were out of town, but he felt they were being far too protective. Obviously he was wrong. That silly girl was about to make a life altering decision, and he had to stop her.

Without giving it a second thought, Draco flung the bag to the ground as he ran right at Cho Chang. He knocked the stick out of her hands, causing it to snap cleanly in half, as he skidded on the bark’s slippery surface. His forward momentum sent both of them reeling off the log and into the cool water below. Unsure of her swimming expertise, Draco kept a firm grip on her on her robes. Grunting in pain when one of Cho’s elbows dug itself into his ribcage, he only released her when he felt sharp teeth sink into his arm. In one fluid motion, the petite girl flipped him over her shoulder and onto the wet, muddy bank. Slightly dazed, he looked up and encountered a pair of blazing velvety brown orbs.

“Malfoy, you stupid git! What the hell did you do that for?” Cho demanded furiously.

Taken aback by her anger, Draco pointed accusingly at the snapped stick and said, “I thought you were trying to curse yourself. I was only trying to save your miserable neck, Chang.”

“You thought I was trying to curse myself with this?” she echoed incredulously as she picked up the pieces of wood. “Why?”

“You were holding the wand up to your head in the proper fashion. I dare you to tell me that I’m wrong.”

“You’re not only wrong, but you are an idiot to boot!” said Cho heatedly. She waved the pieces in the air. “Does this look like a wand to you?”

Draco inhaled deeply to keep an even keel on his temper. Normally he wouldn’t let anyone get away with speaking to him in such manner, but it was difficult to call upon his customary icy hauteur when he was covered with mud and lying in such a ridiculous position. Besides, his parents would be quite angry with him if he did anything to Cho. Narcissa and Lucius doted on their goddaughter whom they had always regarded as one of the family. He struggled to look calmly at the wood she held in her hands. “It’s a little long and a bit unwieldy for a typical wand, but if it works for you...” He shrugged. “It doesn’t look like an Ollivander’s model. Did you buy it abroad?”

“It’s called a fishing pole, Malfoy.” At his blank look and raised eyebrow, she continued. “Muggles use it to catch fish.” She threw down the broken rod in disgust. “I finally manage to get some much needed time to myself, but then you come barreling up, scaring me, and heaving us both into the brook. You thought you were trying to help me, but you almost end up drowning me!”

“Drown you? I hadn’t ascertained if you knew how to swim.”

“You needn’t have bothered with anything. The water isn’t deep, and I do know how to swim,” she said caustically. Her palm hit the glassy surface as if to prove a point. Cho was relatively short, and the water level barely reached her waist.

“Do Muggles really use that thing to catch fish?” Draco asked suspiciously. “Then why are you using it? You’re a witch. All you have to do is–”

Cho cut him off with a hiss. “I’m sick and tired of people telling me what to do. I’m perfectly fine, no thanks to you. You’ve done your good little deed for the day. Now go away.”

She trudged to the bank, furtively stealing glances at her watch. Taking off her robe and wringing it out, she was totally unaware of the arresting picture she made with her wet clothes molding each and every curve and swell of her body. Despite the fact that she was the closest thing to a sister that he ever had, Draco was not immune to such display. Breath catching in his throat, he sat there, eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief. Who would have guessed that under the ultra conservative exterior in which she cloaked herself was one delectably fine package. Cho was petite and athletic, but she also had this elegantly refined way of carrying herself. She moved with unaffected, unconscious grace. He had never noticed because her type didn’t appeal to him. His eyes slowly traveled down the length of her body before sweeping upward for another lingering look. Draco was suddenly aware that Cho had stopped moving. He chanced a look into her eyes and was stunned by the sheer forcefulness of undiluted, explosive rage.

"What the hell are you staring at?"

"You," Draco replied quite simply as he gave her a wolfish grin. He was unexpectedly gratified when her expression changed a split second later. Color flooded her face, staining the high creamy cheekbones a delightful crimson. He had never noticed how expressively intense her eyes could be when she was unguarded; swiftly adapting to her change of mood like a chameleon. Cho looked utterly fetching all flushed and flustered. He could see her hands itching to grab her robe to cover herself, but pride warred against modesty and eventually won the battle.

Throwing back her shoulders and damming her emotions behind a wall of tempered steel, she stared steadily at Draco and said, "You're trespassing, Malfoy. Leave. Now!"

The imperious command fell on deaf ears as Draco languidly stretched like a sleek jungle cat and stood up. Cho looked resentfully at him. Draco had recently grown taller, but he had quickly adapted to his new frame without the usual awkwardness. Lightly muscled and whipcord lean from countless hours of Quidditch practice, Draco commanded a lot of attention with his mere presence alone. He automatically ran his fingers through his hair, further disheveling the muddy water darkened blond locks.

"That's debatable and you know it. Your parents have always given their favorite godson freedom to walk their estate at will, and there's not a thing you can do about it."

"You're their only godchild, so enough with your obnoxious pretentiousness. My parents happen to be in Paris for the Ministry's Ambassador Induction Ball. In their absence, my wishes take precedence. If you don't leave me alone in the next few seconds, you will regret it. I promise you."

"Now see here, Chang, I...," he broke off abruptly, staring upward into the darkening sky. He frowned at the ominous looking clouds. "Right," said Draco. "Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I have other things to do which most certainly don't involve you."

“Look at those clouds,” he said, jerking a finger in the distance. “It looks like we’re in for a storm, and you know how this place floods when it pours.”

“When I want a weather report, I will refer to the Daily Prophecy or tune into the WWN,” Cho replied tartly. “I really don’t care about a little rain.”

With a gusty sigh of impatience Draco said, “Chang, the very last thing I want to do is spend more time in your oh so charming company, but Aunt Mayourie and Uncle Bryan, not to mention my parents, will never forgive me if they found out that I knowingly left you here by yourself when there is a storm brewing.”

“Exactly who is going to tell them?” she interjected.

“There will be hell to pay, so I will be walking you back to your house whether you like it or not. You’re coming with me even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and haul you back there myself,” he continued as if she hadn’t interrupted.

“A Malfoy condescending to do manual labor? I think not.” Cho stole yet another glance at her watch and said, “I don’t have time to put up with your chauvinism nor deal with your sadly misguided sense of chivalry. I happily release you from any responsibility you may feel for me, so you can go away now. Go and inflict your loathsome, unwanted presence on someone who actually likes you.”

Draco raised a sardonic brow. “Last chance. Are you walking or riding?” When she didn’t reply, he strode toward her with a purposeful gleam in his silvery eyes.

“Stop!” Cho yelled as she grabbed her wand from her pocket and aimed it at him.

Reaching for his own wand, Draco remembered too late that his was locked in Lucius’ study. He tried a stalling tactic. Laughing scornfully he said, “You wouldn’t dare, Chang. You would ruin any chance of ever becoming a prefect if you were caught doing magic off of school grounds.”

“You know perfectly well that Uncle Lucius has a number of shielding charms covering both estates. Leave now, Malfoy. I don’t want to use this, but I–”

He suddenly lunged at her. Startled but still in control, Cho closed her eyes in concentration and roared out a spell. Light erupted from the end of her wand, striking him squarely in the chest. She cautiously opened her eyes and was just in time to see a fuzzy white ball of fluff ricochet off of a couple of trees, a rock, and a log before coming to rest at her feet. Cho couldn’t help herself. The air was filled with the merry sound of her laughter as she gazed at the highly indignant creature who was chittering furiously at her and snapping at her ankles. “Draco Malfoy, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret is back and just as springy as ever I see!” she said through a fit of giggles.

The ferret swiped ineffectively at the fine, whitish-blond, spiky fringe covering his enormous, icy, granite eyes. Draco scampered up a boulder and glared at Cho. He sat perched on the edge, hind legs crossed and front paws tapping an angry staccato pattern on the rough surface as he waited for her to regain her composure. He was livid. How dare that wretched girl remind him of the time when phony Mad Eye Moody turned him into this rodent form. Draco, who been thoroughly humiliated, still hadn’t quite managed to live it down at school.

Cho dropped to her knees and peered into Draco’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Fur Face, but I did warn you.”

A resounding boom of thunder rattled the earth, flinging the squawking ferret at Cho’s head. He clung tenaciously to the long, silken, wet, ebony tendrils. “I can’t see, Malfoy,” she yelled. “Get your tail out of my eyes.” She stood up and promptly tripped over a fallen branch, scraping her wand hard against the boulder. Two sets of eyes stared at the broken wand in dismay. The tip was bent at a crooked angle, with only the sturdy dragon’s heartstring core holding the pieces of oak together. She gave it a little wave. It sputtered before emitting a weak puff of puce colored smoke. Cho let out a small scream of pure frustration. An extremely practical person by nature, she wasn’t given to having hysterical fits unless severely pushed. Fifteen minutes in Draco’s company, and she was almost at the end of her tether and ready to rip her hair out.

Giving her watch another agonized glance, Cho tried bending the wand back to its original shape, but only succeeded in splintering more of the wood. A big fat drop of water landed on Draco’s back causing him squirm wildly. She placed the ferret back on the boulder, and looked around, carefully assessing the situation. There was no other way around it. She set about gathering all of her things as well as Draco’s bag of clamberkanes which she had spied earlier. Yanking a dry grey jumper out of her bag, she stuffed her sodden robe inside.

Cho grimly pulled the warm cashmere over her wet shirt, tucking the ends into the waistband of her jeans. She scooped Draco and held him up to her face. "If you ever tell anyone what I'm about to do, I will hunt you down and wring your scrawny little neck. And you better behave like a perfect gentleman. If you don't, so help me, Malfoy, I will hack off every single strand of your hair before I transfigure you back...if; I transfigure you back. Are we clear?" she demanded.

Draco blinked innocently back at her, lips curving into his trademark smirk. "We're not going anywhere until you nod, Fur Face,” she said as she gave him a tiny shake. Another cold, juicy drop landed on Draco's pink button nose causing him to sneeze. He quickly agreed, and Cho unceremoniously dumped him down the inside front of her jumper. Draco howled in protest and nudged his head out of the neck hole.

With an impatient sigh Cho said, “We have to seek shelter. With your short legs, you won’t be able to keep up, and you’ll drown before we reach our destination. I could, of course, try to transfigure you back right now, but with my wand malfunctioning, you might end up being something worse. A lovely Blast-Ended Skrewt perhaps?” Cho offered him a hard smile. “So are you walking or riding?” she asked, deliberately lobbing his earlier words right back at him.

The ferret childishly flicked his tongue out at her before crawling in resignation down into the little nest she created for him. Draco absolutely hated not being in control of a situation. He wished he knew where they were going, but for now, he would have to rely on Chang. Oh that girl made him so angry. Just wait until she changed him back into his human form. At least he was snug and warm, though a little damp he thought to himself as he absently rubbed his head on a mound, relishing the cottony softness of her blouse.

“Damn it Malfoy, behave!” growled Cho. “Stop wiggling and keep your filthy paws to yourself. I swear if I wasn’t responsible for your current situation, I would slap you silly for daring to touch me like that!”

Draco froze. He couldn’t figure out why she was so incensed with him. Again. Faint light filtered through the weave of her jumper, dimly illuminating his surroundings. His eyes widened in horror when he saw what he had been cuddling against. Correction, make that two nicely rounded whats. No wonder she was so offended and screeching in feminine outrage. Chuckling to himself, Draco carefully moved his body lower until he was resting on her stomach, the flatter, more safer place for a curious ferret to stretch. The steady rhythm of her breathing was very comforting. He yawned and pulled at a fold of cashmere to serve as a blanket. Well really, he thought to himself. If that girl insisted on doing all the work, then he would just have a nap.

Cho lifted the sleeping ferret from his cashmere and cotton bed and woke him. They were in a small cave of sorts which had many chests of varying sizes and shapes aligning the walls. The girl obviously spent a lot of time here for she easily navigated the corners in the semi-darkness. She had placed their belongings on a table close to the cave’s entrance and hung her robe neatly on a peg. Draco inspected his clamberkanes for bruising, and was relieved to find none. Muttering to herself, Cho rifled through a small, ornate, metal box, before eventually finding the Spellotape.

“Better hope this works,” she said to the ferret. Cho ripped a long piece of tape from the roll and wound it precisely around the break. She gave it an experimental wave and scowled. “It’s off balance and it rattles terribly.” She sighed. “Come along then, Malfoy. Front and center. Time to change you back.”

Draco, who had been watching her intently, scurried off and hid in the pocket of her robe. He peered out at her with an uncharacteristic pleading look in his grey eyes. “Oh very well,” she capitulated. “I’ll test it first.” She rapped her wand smartly against the palm of her hand and said, “Lumos.” Nothing happened. Cho shook the oak pieces and tried it again with the same result. She continued on and on, louder and louder, but to no avail, until she shrieked the spell at the top of her lungs. The wand suddenly glowed a deep orange and flames whooshed out of the tip, igniting her robe.

The ferret yelped as his hiding place began disintegrating around him, and went tearing off, out of the cave and into the downpour to cool his singed fur. Cho ran after him to ensure his safety, but he gave her a speaking look which she accurately interpreted as “back off.” Grabbing some candles from one of the trunks, she managed to light them before the robe fire died down.

Draco came trudging back, dejectedly dragging his tail behind him. He offered her a wounded look before curling up next to a burning candle and shaking the water off of his whiskers.

“Don’t even try to lay a guilt trip on me, Draco Malfoy,” Cho said spiritedly. “This mess is mostly your fault. All I wanted was to be left alone, but as usual, you just had to have your own way. I was going to–” Her voice trailed off, a stricken look entering the brown orbs. She took a hesitant look at her watch, relief coursing through her for all was not lost. “Still a few minutes before...” Her gaze dropped down to Draco’s. She shook her head and didn’t finish her sentence.

In a mad frenzy, Cho rushed wildly about, gathering loose stones and digging small items like chess figures, parchment pads, and quills out of the chests. Harnessing all of her energy, she concentrated on trying to transfigure the items in front of her. Her wand seemed to have a mind of its own. Rocks blew up, showering everything with a fine layer of dust. Quills became scary spears of fire as they hurtled mindlessly around the cave. About to give up, Cho tried once more with a crumpled sheet of parchment. The ball spun lazily around a few times before slowly turning into a snake. It hissed angrily and looked at the ferret, a piercing, predatory sparkle in its hungry obsidian eyes. Alarmed, Draco turned to Cho who swept him securely up into her arms directly before the snake pounced. She hurriedly transfigured the slithering reptile back into its original harmless form.

Wearily massaging her temples, she held Draco up to her head and said, “Okay, Fur Face. I think I’ve finally gotten used to manipulating this thing. Let’s try it on something that counts, shall we?” Cho gently placed the ferret on the ground in front of her and readied herself. Draco gave her a dubious look, but bravely remained where he was. Focusing her attention on Draco, she lightly tapped her wand and gave it a mighty swish as she yelled out a spell. Twin points of clear opalescent light shot out of the tip directly at the quavering ferret. A moment later, the cave lit up with a hot streaking flash of blue light before dissolving into wisps of smoke. Cho could see something shifting in front of her, but it wasn’t until the haze cleared was she able to discern the effectiveness of her spell.

Human Draco was lying on his back with his eyes closed. He didn’t appear to be moving, and for one horrifying moment, Cho thought she had mortally wounded him. Seeing his chest slowly move as he drew in breath was cause for great relief. Draco was still unconscious though, and that worried her. She stood in front of him, biting her lip in hesitation, but knowing she had to look him over. Cho brushed aside the silky fringe to examine his forehead and other points of his skull. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she undid the buttons of his shirt and studied his torso, looking for signs of bruising. Running her hands up and down his body, she searched for broken bones. So engrossed was she in her task that she completely missed seeing his eyes flicker open.

“Well, well, well,” a voice drawled in amusement. “I thought you didn’t like me very much, Chang, but now I find you can’t seem keep your hands off of me.”

Cho jumped back and fell in an undignified heap. She glared fiercely at Draco, and said, “Oh good. You’re awake, and judging from your speech, you seem to have all your mental faculties. We’re about a mile from your home. If you stay on the pathway, it should lead directly there. You can leave now.”

“Your hostessing skills and bedside manner are positively underwhelming, Chang. They are utterly abominable. You shall have to improve if you want to keep me entertained.”

“Shut up, Malfoy, and get out of my cave. I have to–” She looked at her watch and gasped. Her face whitened in shock as she screamed, “Nooooooooooo.” Draco saw the look of complete despair in her eyes before they flooded with hot salty tears. “It’s too late. I’m too late,” she raged as she sank to her knees hugging herself. She rocked back and forth, a high keening wail of agony bubbling up from the secret depths of her heart. Draco stared at Cho helplessly as she curled herself up into a fetal position, sob after sob racking her body.

He tentatively touched her shoulder. “You have to stop crying or you’ll make yourself sick.”

She sprang off the ground, shooting him a look of raw, unmitigated fury. “It’s all your fault. Just go away and leave me alone!”

Cho whirled around and began pounding the cave wall with tiny fists. Draco sucked in a deep breath when he saw the fragile knuckles dripping with blood. Making a quick decision, he reached out, grabbing her around the middle, dragging her away from the wall, and pushing her to the ground. Contrary to her delicate appearance, Cho was remarkably strong and capable. She fought him with all her might, pouring her hatred into a struggle with the person who had destroyed what was to have been her precious moment. Only Draco’s superior height and weight prevented him from being seriously hurt. He simply clung to her until her energy was expended. When she finally stopped fighting him, he gradually released the iron-clad grip he had on her. Cho swiftly crawled away from him. She sat with her back against the wall, arms wrapped around her legs, and chin propped up on her knees. They locked glances, each warily sizing the other up. The silence was deafening.

“Do you want to tell me what just happened here, Chang?” Draco asked quietly, a few minutes into the standoff.

The combative light died in her eyes, and was replaced by one of profound grief. “Expectation,” she said sadly. “Everyone, including my own parents, expects me to just suck up Cedric’s death and to quickly put it behind me. I’m not allowed to grieve for him because it greatly upsets Mother and Dad nor am I allowed to even speak his name without being rebuked. Their neatly ordered life is in chaos because their foolish daughter happened to be in love with someone who was murdered at the order of Voldemort. I hate him. I hate him!” Cho grimaced in pain and swiped at the moisture pooling in her eyes. Her fingers left a trail of bloody streaks on her cheeks. Once she started talking, she couldn’t stop.

“I tried to be the daughter they always wanted me to be, so I stopped acknowledging the pain in their presence. It was hellish nightmare trying to hide it under a content facade, but I succeeded in doing so until now. As you know, my parents are in Paris and won’t be home for days. Never have I been so happy to be alone with my thoughts and memories. Today marked the sixth month anniversary of the day Cedric first told me that he loved me. I wanted to spend the day alone, reliving happier times. He’s the one who showed me how to make a simple fishing pole using a stick and piece of string. According to Cedric, many Muggle children fashion their own rods in that manner and have fun trying to catch fish.” Cho paused, lips forming into a ghost of a smile.

“Last Christmas at Hogwarts, we went out to the lake to try our newly made poles. We didn’t catch anything, but the fish and the other creatures who live there certainly enjoyed the bait. Afterward, we took a long walk through Hogsmeade, and–” She stopped abruptly, suddenly aware that she was about to reveal something too personal.

Draco understood, but he was curious about one thing. “Why did you keep looking at your watch? What’s so special about a certain time?”

“5:07 p.m.,” she replied, “was the very first time Cedric told me that he loved me.” Cho’s cheeks turned pink. “It was the first time we kissed.” Seeing Draco’s look of surprise, she said defensively, “What? The time was very important to me. I wanted to savor that moment on the day of what should have been our sixth month anniversary. I happen to be very sentimental.”

“Mental is right,” said Draco. “To allow oneself to be ruled by feelings is a very dangerous thing.”

“Thank you for your wit, wisdom and unsolicited advice,” she said sarcastically. What would you know about love and loss? You’ve never been through the emotional upheaval it causes.”

He gave her a measuring look. “I am speaking from experience, Chang.” Cho, looking puzzled and disbelieving was about to speak, but he held up a hand to stop her. He spoke mechanically. “When I was five, my maternal grandparents and aunt supposedly died when their holiday cottage caught fire. I remember every detail of that day. Earlier, my grandparents had a family party to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Grandfather presented Grandmother with a purple honsou flower. His name had been on the buyer’s waiting list for years, and he was so happy to be able to purchase the blossom, the wizarding symbol of lasting love, in time for their anniversary. They were still just as in love with each other as on the day they married. Grandfather even had his name hyphenated to share a connection with hers. He adored her and the feeling was mutual.”

Cho nodded and said, “I remember meeting your grandparents, Terence and Lara Featherstone-Rockleigh. Your grandmother actually took me up on her broom to give me a flying lesson and a few Quidditch pointers. Your grandfather came with us and showed me how to dodge the bludgers. I was only four years old, but they were so nice to me and they treated me like a like a real person.”

“I never knew you met them, but you’re right. They always had this special way of relating to children, and to me, they were the best people in the whole wide world.” Draco gazed at the wall behind her in recollection. “My grandparents, along with Aunt Heydon, my mother’s sister, ‘died’ in what was reported as an accidental fire. But I was there, and I know the what really transpired. They were murdered.” Draco moodily got up and began pacing. He sat down on one on one of the trunks, letting his feet dangle over the edge.

“I was to stay with them at the cottage for a week long holiday. It was just the four of us. The night it happened, I had fallen asleep under my bed where I had been playing with my toys. I woke up when I heard screaming and went rushing to my grandparents room. On the way there, I tripped over Aunt Heydon who had been attacked in the hallway. He had stabbed her several times, and she was dying. The very last thing she did before she died was to tell me to hide. I threw myself into the into the linen cupboard which had slats, so I was able to see the murderer clearly. I don’t know how he was able to overpower everyone in the house, but perhaps that was why he killed them without using magic. It was bloody and it was violent and my family died in pain.” Draco’s voice never wavered as he told her his story, but he looked exhausted and completely wiped out.

“I’m so sorry,” Cho whispered to him.

“Save it,” he said curtly. “It happened a long time ago, and I’ve had time to recover.” That was a patent lie. Despite his bravado, he still carried the mental scars of the atrocities he had witnessed that day.

“The murderer set fire to the cottage, making it look like an accident,” he continued. “Before I escaped out of one of the windows, I looked into my grandparents room. I wish I hadn’t. I wish that seeing them holding hands and smiling at each other was my last memory of them. But no. I dashed into their bedroom and saw their bloody defiled bodies, their eyes sightlessly staring back at me. I will never forget it. I found out later that they were killed as an act of revenge. A few years before their deaths, Voldemort was apparently interested in Aunt Heydon, and she spurned him. The Featherstone-Rockleighs are socially well placed and wealthy, plus they are connected to the Malfoys. Voldemort couldn’t afford alienate her because he needed the power the family wields on his side. They were murdered by a wizard hoping to curry favor with Voldemort when and if he ever regained his power. Voldemort was responsible for all their deaths simply because he wished it.” He stood up and began pacing again. He stopped in front of her and sat down.

“You were speaking earlier of expectation, Chang. Do you have any idea of what that means to a Malfoy? I told my parents everything, and all these years, we’ve been planning our revenge. My parents and I had to pretend that my grandparents’ and Aunt Heydon’s deaths were an accident. Do you know how hard it is to have Death Eater scum in your house, eating your food, and talking pleasantly to you about Voldemort’s rise to power as if nothing were wrong? It’s all about expectation. My family has lived the lie about supporting Voldemort in order to get close to him. Hopefully we can discover and exploit his weaknesses, and overthrow that murdering monster. My parents expect me to live this lie and to train for the inevitable confrontation. This quest has practically defined my entire existence, and you know what? I accepted my parents’ strictures in honor of my dead grandparents and aunt. I loathe Voldemort just as much, if not more than you.”

Cho’s hand inched close to Draco’s, eventually touching him. “For what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry. I had no idea.” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and went to stand at the cave’s entrance. She stared pensively out into the hard pouring rain.

After a while, Draco joined her, and together they stood there, in silent communication, each assimilating what had been shared. He ripped off a piece of his shirt and held it out into the rain. Handing her the wet cloth, he said, “Take this and clean your hands before they get infected.” Draco smashed a handful of clamberkanes with a rock, creating a thick paste. He offered it to Cho, watching her ungainly attempts to care for herself. Shaking his head in exasperation, he took her hands into his and applied the medicine to the wounds she acquired from her tirade. With another strip from his shirt, he carefully bandaged the broken skin.

The atmosphere was entirely too heavy for his liking. Draco wanted to ease them back into the amicable squabbling mode they had earlier, so he said, “What do you suggest we do now, Genius?”

She looked at him. “I really don’t care what you do, but I have to change out of these wet clothes. Stay or leave, but don’t even dream about turning around.”

Draco grinned to himself, relieved to have shared his burden, but equally relieved that she hadn’t fussed over him. He knew she cared for he had clearly seen the compassion in her eyes, and that’s all that mattered. He heard her rummaging through one of the chests, and for the first time wondered why she kept all of this stuff in the cave. The girl puzzled him.

“I hope you keep food in there,” he called out, still facing the rain.

“No. I don’t have food, but you have mushrooms. We can roast them over the candle fire.” They did just that and feasted in easy, compatible silence.

It was bitterly cold and Cho and Draco sat at opposite walls of the cave, trying to stay warm. They were shivering and chilled to the bone. The candles were about to gutter out. Draco had wanted to build a fire before it was too late, but Cho stubbornly refused to let him burn any of her things.

“This is ridiculous,” he told her impatiently when he could no longer tolerate his frozen state. Picking up her discarded wand and a ball of parchment, he carried them to her and shoved them into her hands. “Try transfiguring this into a blanket.”

Cho, just as fed up as Draco, accepted the items and set them before her. She concentrated, and the parchment slowly became a woolly blanket. With the last spell, half of the sputtering wand fell apart in her hands, utterly spent and completely useless. Both stared greedily at the blanket. Cho finally said, “Here. Grab one end and lets try to tear it in half.”

“No. If we do that, it will minimize the warmth. I have an idea, but you might not like it. In fact, I’m positive you’ll hate it.”

“I’m too frozen to argue with you much longer. Let’s hear it.”

“We can do a technique called spooning. I learned about it by–”

“Ewww. Be quiet, Malfoy. I’m really not in the mood to hear about your ahem... romantic liaisons, and I most definitely don’t want to try any ‘techniques’ with you!”

“Relax Chang, and don’t work your knickers up into a snit. It’s a sleeping position, and it derives its name from the way spoons rest against each other. In a drawer, the curves of the spoons fit nicely together in complete harmony. All I’m suggesting is that we try it so that we can warm ourselves with shared body heat and a shared blanket. That’s all. Agree?” She reluctantly nodded her head. “Wonderful. Now lie down on your side and curl your legs.” Cho did as she was instructed. “Okay, now don’t panic, but I’m going to position myself.” He got down beside her and carefully molded the front of his body against her back, pulling her flush against him. She was absolutely rigid with tension as he covered them both with the blanket.

He put his hand on her hip, fingers splaying along the top of her thigh. "You can breathe you know," he whispered seductively into her ear. "I won't bite, that is unless you want me to."

"Malfoy? If we really must spend more time together, I suggest you shut up and go to sleep. Being unconscious will make you more tolerable and the hours fly faster."

"Anything for you, sweetheart." His eyes sparkled with unholy mischief as he leaned over and gently bussed her cheek. Cho jerked in shocked outrage. Before she could explode, he placed two fingers on the petal soft lips. "Hush. I always give goodnight snogs to those who share my bed," said Draco placidly. "Now go to sleep, Chang, and don't try to analyze it. You really didn't think I would allow you to have the last word, now did you?" With that, his hand dropped to the flat plane of her stomach, pulling her closer to him.

He wished he could see her facial expression. She huffed furiously, but chose not to verbalize the scathing retorts he was certain were buzzing in her head. He could feel her quivering with irritation, but in time her body relaxed as she released all the tensions of the day. Sighing, she snuggled closer to Draco, her head fitting perfectly into the crook of his neck.

Draco smiled wickedly to himself as he watched her sleep. He had known Cho from the cradle because their parents were best friends. They always tolerated each other’s presence, but the feeling of mutual hostility was very much present, even from the start. He had seen an entirely different side of her today. They shared confidences, implicitly trusting each other with their most darkest secrets. She was safe. Cho still obviously grieved over Cedric, so she wouldn’t be forming any romantic attachments to him. Perhaps they could be friends. He had thoroughly enjoyed pissing her off, if only to see the fireworks detonate in those incredibly expressive eyes. The girl intrigued him. Draco would make it a point to get to know Cho better this summer. Oh yes he would indeed.