Dusk

Chapter 1: Thanks for your concern...

Marietta sighed as a certain dark haired boy walked passed their compartment. "Harry is cute, Cho."

Cho snapped her head up. "Excuse me?" She realised that she had almost dozed off- the trip to Hogwarts at the end of every summer had become second nature.

"Not for you, of course," said Marietta quickly. "I'm sorry- that was insensitive-"

"Why would that be insensitive?" inquired Cho plainly.

Marietta turned red. "I...I just thought, because of..."

"That had nothing to do with Harry," said Cho loftily. "Nothing. What have you been hearing?"

"I- um- forget I said anything," she muttered desperately.

Cho stood up. "In fact, I think I'll go say hello to him, if that's all right with you?"

She slid open the compartment door and walked mechanically down the hallway. Harry's voice from beyond the compartment directly to her left for some reason had made her blood run cold.

This is ridiculous, she told herself. For heavens sake- just slide open the door, smile, say hello and leave. Why this was so important, Cho didn't know. Maybe just to prove to herself that she wasn't like the others, she knew Harry was telling the truth...

Smiling forcefully, Cho breathed in deeply and slid the door open. There stood Harry, covered in a putrid green sap. The vision was not, to her, the slightest bit funny- it had, in fact, thrown her completely off guard.

Neville goggled at her- somehow she found the power of voice-

"Oh...hello, Harry," she said, trying not to sound strained, the smile more forceful than ever. She realised how awkward the situation was. "Um...bad time?"

He spun around, his expression blank. Cho had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life.

"Oh...hi."

A similar throbbing- a throbbing that Cho had battled with all summer and thought that she had finally put behind her, returned. The voice- now a harsh and scratchy whisper- "Cedric..."

I have to get out of here, she thought frantically. Now.

"Um...well...just thought I'd say hello...bye then." She hoped Harry hadn't noticed the way she practically bolted out of the carriage- sliding the door shut after her with weak, trembling fingers.

She was just hungry, that was all. A little tired. Cho managed to convince herself that nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Cho- hey!"

Please don't be Harry, thought Cho desperately. She felt a bulky arm drape itself over her shoulder.

"How was your summer?"

Roger Davies. "Fine," she said, in a false, cheery voice, freeing herself from his insensitive grasp.

Roger was looking happy with himself. "I went to the seaside- got a badly needed tan. Good thing I had a get away. The whole thing going back on at school- just a bit too

much for me, y'know?" His face darkened momentarily. "I s'pose your summer was no picnic then too- but don't worry, Cho, I'll help you through it..."

Cho stared at him rather disbelievingly. "Oh, that's so nice of you," she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

Roger, however, was far too confident of his own success to notice that Cho was disgusted by his complete lack of sensitivity. "What carriage are you in?"

Cho's near non-existent smile grew thinner. "Oh, I'm just sitting with Marietta- I'm feeling a little tired at the moment."

But this broad hint was wasted on Roger. "Come and sit with us! Some of the other guys and girls are there too..."

"I wouldn't want to leave Marietta by herself. Thanks anyway," she said, with a tone of finality which even Roger could perceive.

"Sure. No problem," he replied, seemingly unperturbed. "See ya around!"

Cho heaved a sigh of relief as he walked away.

"Where were you so long?" asked Marietta, with her mouth full. "I saved you some food."

Cho picked up a pumpkin pastie. "I bumped into Roger in the hallway and he just wouldn't take a hint!"

Marietta's eyes widened. "How do you do it? You always seem to end up with the finest Hogwarts has to offer."

Cho choked on her first bite, but let the comment slip.

"It must be the hair." Marietta ran a hand through her own curly hair. "Surely you notice all the guys ogling you in the hallways!"

"Don't be stupid!" Cho's words came out sharper than she had intended. She forced a laugh.

"You can have them all though," said Marietta, with a sigh. "Just leave me Harry."

"Since when are you interested in Harry?"

Marietta blushed. "I don't know- he's kind of, grown up and filled out a bit, hasn't he."

Cho put down the pastie and found herself staring at Marietta dumbly. "Uh..."

"You don't mind, do you?" said Marietta pleadingly. "I know you say you don't hold Harry responsible but would you hate me if..."

"I don't hold Harry responsible, Marietta! I just..." Cho suddenly remembered when

Harry had asked her to the Yule Ball. She had been flattered- perhaps even would have gone with him as a friend- but had been genuinely disinterested. Now, however, things felt different. Her emotions had gone haywire and somehow her feelings for Harry and Cedric had muddled with them.

Cho cleared her throat. "I just don't think he needs a girlfriend just yet. He's been through a lot."

"But that's exactly why he needs me! I could help him through it." Cho found herself reminded of Roger. Another person wanting to take someone's grief and use it to gain a romantic advantage.

"He's got plenty of supporting friends."

Marietta misinterpreted Cho's intentions. "Look- you've got to ease up on Harry!"

"I've already told you, I don't..." Cho stopped mid-sentence. She gave Marietta an easy smile. "Let's not talk about this anymore, ok?" Marietta was outside of the grief. Everyone was. Everyone except for Harry, Cho realised.

"Maybe you're right." Marietta swallowed. "Um-so..." and at this point she hiccoughed- "were your parents happy with your OWLS?"

Cho shrugged. "My marks were decent. I'm no Merlin but I'm getting through all right. How about you? Tell me what else you did with the summer holidays."

As Marietta brightened and began to chatter away happily, Cho fell deep into thought. It was truly sick, truly sick that she would even think about looking at Harry that way. He was the only one who could even come close to understanding how she felt- but- he was younger than she was. And most importantly, how could she handle her grief at the loss of Cedric with Harry around as a constant reminder?

"...and she had the ice cream all over her face." Marietta laughed. "But no one had the decency to tell her. Alastor Malimban- you know- that completely drop dead gorgeous, what is he in now, seventh year? He works there, y'see, and we were working the charm just fine until he came to collect our money and there was Beatrice, grinning stupidly, covered in ice cream. He just gave her this really distasteful look, and then said, in that gorgeous voice- "Can I get you anything else, ladies?" He was so icy the table could have frosted over. At that point we just couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into peals of laughter." Marietta paused to wipe her eyes. Her face was glowing with mirth. "Even Alastor joined in. I wish you'd gone with us though," she added wistfully. "Cho?"

Cho looked up. "Mm- yeah, I know."

"So why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?"

"Cho!" Marietta laughed again. "You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying. I was asking you why you didn't come with us to the Moonlight Reverie. The story- with Beatrice- and Alastor- the ice cream?"

Cho laughed politely. "Mm." She continued to stare blankly out the window

Marietta, feeling slightly insulted, went pink. "I'm going to go see some of the others. Is that all right with you?" She expected Cho to protest- but quite the opposite resulted.

"That's a good idea," said Cho approvingly. "I'm no fun at the moment. Go talk to some of the other girls."

Marietta instantly felt sorry. "I'll stay with you, if you want me to. Do you want to talk about something?"

Cho's heart lurched. "NO...no," she said, trying to smile. "No, I think I'll just have a little nap."

Marietta nodded and left.

Little did Cho know that she would in fact fall asleep. And while she slept, she dreamed.

Two cats- who could not be less alike- faced eachother in a cold, damp alleyway. One was a striking marigold, with an ice blue gaze. The other was black as midnight.

"You vould be vise not to forget zat I 'ave some of ze veela in me!" The marigold cat began to spit and hiss. She raised her paw as if she meant to strike.

"Put your claws away! I'm not going to fight you." The black cat flattened her ears and whiskers defensively.

"So. You vill not fight? 'Ee is mine- you stay away from him!"

The black cat laughed. "Yours? I wasn't aware he belonged to you! Listen, Fleur, if you like him and he likes you, I don't see what that has to do with me." The cat seemed to sigh. "And its pretty obvious he likes you."

The other cat hissed again. "Vat, you tink I am stupid? I see you talking, 'ee is always looking."

The black cat stared. "We're friends. When friends talk to eachother they generally..."

The other cat seemed to have calmed down, and yawned almost theatrically. "I could 'ave every uzzer boy in your school, Cho Chang. Every uzzer boy. But Mr Diggory- zis one 'as a mind of 'is own."

The black cat said nothing.

"Not to say, of course, zat 'ee does not find me attractive. 'Ee told me so, you know. But 'ee said zat 'ee is interested in somevone else. And..." and here the cat paused dramatically, "'oo else could it be but you?"

Again, the midnight cat did not respond.

"So. I 'ave decided on Roger zen. 'Ee is not a bad sort- almost as good looking as your Cedric. Its only for a short time anyway. Soon I go back to Claude- much cuter zan zese temperamental Engleesh boys!" The marigold cat delicately licked its paw. "Well, Cho- I know you vill have ze courtesy not to tell anvone about our... leetle conversation!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." The black cat continued to stare blankly as the marigold cat haughtily padded away.

Another cat appeared, again, from beyond the shadow- strong, clean and handsome. "Hey Cho," he said, somewhat shyly.

"Um- Fleur was just here." The midnight cat was still unsure. "You just missed her, she just went..."

"I'm not looking for Fleur. I came to spend time with you."

The black cat gulped. "You don't need to feel like you have to. I helped you with school, you helped me with Quidditch. We've become good friends, but..."

The other cat moved closer. "I think its more than that, Cho. I've been thinking about this for a while- but all the talk of Fleur that seems to be going around made me realise that you'd gotten the wrong idea. I wanted to clear it up." The handsome fur had melted into a dark robe. The feline features had begun to resemble that of Cedric Diggory.

"Its ok if you like her." The black fur rolled into shiny, long black hair. The face was that of Cho's own.

"I don't. Is that also ok?"

Cho smothered a smile. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Cedric moved even closer. "I don't know. I...nobody knows me like you do, you know."

Cho could no longer avoid his gaze. Those eyes- soft and warm, had become very dear to her in the coming months. But she had never thought that they would ever look at her in that way.

She put a pale hand on his cheek. To her surprise, he drew her in and kissed her.

"Are you ready, Mr Diggory?" A deep, dark voice spoke coldly and deliberately. The Cho of the dream, contrary to the Cho actually dreaming, seemed to know exactly who the voice belonged to.

"NO! NO! Stay away from him, do you hear me?" Her screams filled the night.

Cedric stepped forward as if in a trance. "I'm here," he said, his voice foreign and mechanical. "And its my time to go."

"What- NO!" Cho had been granted the power of voice in this dream. "CEDRIC!"

"Good." The disturbing voice of nightmares blocked out all other noise. "Now breathe your last breath."

"Yes, Lord Voldemort." Cedric disengaged Cho's hands stonily and fell to the ground. Cho sank to her knees. The alleyway flooded with darkness.

Cho awoke with tears clinging to her eyelashes. The express had screeched to a stop- they had arrived at Hogwarts. Many years ago, she had thrilled at this moment from head to toe. Now Cho felt a cold dread sweep her body. How would her fragile, recovering psyche handle walking up and down the hallways every day? Eating in the dining hall- surrounded by the same laughing, happy people, knowing that one of their peers, who had once been a loved and shining star among them, would never eat there again? How could she, Cho Chang, be expected to overcome the seemingly inexhaustible sensation of being painfully and desperately alone? He would never, ever come back. This cold fact had drilled inside Cho's brain- no longer did she momentarily forget about his demise. Dead, dead, dead, she told herself again stubbornly, as she walked off the train. Cedric Diggory was gone