Dusk

Chapter 4: Berries, mistletoe and broomsticks

"Tonight's the night, Cho. Tonight- after practise."

Cho nodded resolutely. "Tonight," she murmured to herself.

"Unless of course- you chicken out again."

Cho shook her head. "No- I'll do it."

The voice laughed. "Last week you bolted out of the meeting with Marietta, even though Harry had given you every encouragement. Cowardly. Pathetic. You're a wretched, useless girl."

"Keep your eye on the snitch, Chang! Quit daydreaming!" Hilda Pottsley zoomed past angrily.

Cho swallowed. Her mind was buzzing painfully- Quidditch... Cedric... suddenly, she saw a glimmer of gold.

"Dive, Chang, DIVE! WAKE UP!!"

Cho dove for the snitch in time to see Ingrid Renéduff swipe it cleanly out of the air. The Hufflepuff supporters gave a deafening cheer. The game was lost.

Ingrid gave a small smile. "Not fast enough, Chang," she teased, holding up the struggling snitch triumphantly. Cho caught a flickerof anger in Ingrid's eyes- clearly there was a rumour involving her and Alastor, among the others circulating. Within seconds other members of the Hufflepuff team were flying around their seeker excitedly. Cho landed quickly, hoping to avoid the disappointed stares of her team members.

"What the hell was that?" snapped Hilda moodily, grabbing her by the arm.

Cho glanced at Hilda forlornly. "I'm sorry. I'm just not concentrating very well at the moment."

"At the moment?" said an angry voice from behind. "At the moment she says! You've got some nerve, Chang."

Cho turned around wearily. Roy Gilson stood before her furiously, red-faced, his broomstick quivering under his arm. "Do you know why you're even on this team?" he demanded.

Cho breathed sharply. "Yes. I..."
"Its because Diggory said you were fantastic. That you were a real find. That it would be a crime not to put you on this team. Our captain seemed to agree. I'll admit I had my doubts initially." His eyes flickered.

"Don't bring Cedric into this." Cho's voice had lowered to a scratchy whisper.

Roy's rage had left little room for sensitivity. "You were asleep out there! And you know what? It's hardly the first time! You've been getting worse every game! And I'm sick of working my butt off only to watch you put no effort in and throw it all away. You just gave the snitch to Renéduff- you may as well have gift wrapped it! You know how many points that things worth? You didn't even dive until Hilda started hollering at you."

Until Roy had mentioned Cedric, Cho had been surveying her disappointed team member through a rueful gaze. Now, however, she felt contemptuous. "Don't worry about me, Royal," she said sarcastically. She knew he hated being addressed by his full name. "I'll play better next time."

He gave her a disdainful look. "As far as I'm concerned, Chang, there shouldn't even be a next time," he said, with a cold tone of finality that stung her. She watched him

march away, meanwhile trying to control her tears of anger and disappointment. For those few moments she hated herself even more so than what had become usual.

"Don't worry about it," said Marietta gently, who had climbed over the stands to comfort her. "Was he having a go at you?"

Cho didn't reply. The question seemed far too obvious to deserve an answer.

"Why don't we get you a drink?" said Marietta, after a long silence.

Before Cho could reply Marietta produced a bottle of chilled Berryade. "Gooseberry," she said, beaming.

Cho forced a smile. "Thanks." She opened the bottle and took a big gulp. A bizarre expression crossed her face. "URGH!!" she spluttered. "What is in that? That's not normal Berryade!"

Marietta was turning the bottle around in her hand, with a worried look on her face. Suddenly, she laughed. "Ah. I think I have the answer to that one. New and improved- now with elderberry extract!" she said, reading the label aloud. She shook her head and shrugged. "It's an acquired taste, I guess. I like elderberries personally- there's a lovely sharp tang to them. But... Cho? What's wrong?"

"Elderberries," Cho gasped.

Marietta was staring at Cho with increasing concern. "Cho...you're turning green! Are you all right?"

Cho's breathing had become laboured. "I'm allergic to them," she croaked.

"I'm so sorry- I didn't know! Lets get you to the hospital wing," Marietta said worriedly.

"Hey...uh...are you guys coming tonight?"

Cho looked up. To her immense horror Harry Potter was standing in front of her, albeit somewhat shyly. His timing could not have been worse. "Hi..." she managed.

Marietta narrowed her eyes. "Cho's not feeling very..."

Cho jabbed her in the ribs to silence her. This was not an opportunity she could waste. "Yeah, sure we'll be there!" she said, forcing a smile. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Just asking." Harry seemed to be searching for a topic of conversation. "So...how did Quidditch go?"

Before Cho could answer, her stomach convulsed and she vomited violently, barely having time to turn away.

Marietta sighed. "As I was saying, lets get you to the hospital wing!" She put an arm around the sick, sobbing Cho and led her off the field, leaving Harry to watch them leave in wonder.

Madame Pomfrey had become very used to Cho's presence in the hospital wing.

"Back again, my dear? What's wrong now?"

"I bought Cho some Berryade," explained Marietta. "But I didn't realise that it had extract of elderberry. Cho's allergic to it- she threw up."

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "Oh, you poor dear. Very well, Ms Edgecombe, you can go back to class now. Cho will be fine."

Marietta nodded. "Thanks, Madame Pomfrey. See you later, Cho...I'll come and visit you later."

What Cho wanted desperately was time alone. But she never seemed to have it.

Nice one. That was very classy. A woman's voice now- sarcastic and horrid. Can't even get a guy like Harry. Honestly! He'd be eating out of the palm of your hand if you weren't such a halfwit.

Cho groaned. "Just leave me alone," she muttered. "Not now! I have to think..."

You've had enough time to think! Again, the male, pompous voice. You've had months. Well, you're not blowing it tonight. Wash the vomit off your face, you wretched girl, and stop wasting time.

"I told you I would!" Cho whispered angrily. "What bloody more do you want from me!"

We want you to stop acting like a prat!

Cho rolled over helplessly. "I need to get some rest. I'm tired- just go away."

Cedric...Cedric...Cedric...

Cho recognised the voice she had not heard for months. Her eyes filled with petrified tears. "Not again..."

Cedric...Cedric...Cedric...

The all too familiar drumbeat. The hollow, callous voice. The lights in the room dimmed.

Cho sat up, suddenly feeling the presence of something sinister.

Cedric...Cedric...Cedric...

The room had filled with an evil, unnatural darkness. To her horror, black tendrils, swirling into the room through the doorway, wrapped themselves around her wrists and ankles. Cedric entered the room.

The blood drained from Cho's face. "Cedric!" she gasped, unable to move, paralysed from fright.

It was a Cedric much changed. He wore a midnight cloak; dramatically contrasting the ivory pallor of his icy skin and stare. His expression was undoubtedly the coldest and cruellest that Cho had ever seen him wear.

Her dumbfounded expression seemed to amuse him. "What's the matter, Cho? Don't you love me anymore?"

"You're not the boy I fell in love with. I don't know who the hell you are!" Cho snapped, disgusted, unable to stop the tears sliding down her cheeks. "Leave me alone!"

Cedric pretended to look hurt. He placed an icy hand on her cheek, one that chilled her to the core. "But I am, Cho, I am! You still love me, even though I'm evil."

The tendrils tightened. Cho was rendered helpless. "Ce-dric!" she moaned. "What happened to you?"

This question seemed to aggravate him. "The question is, what happened to you? You used to be fun. Good looking. Now you're snivelling and pathetic!" he spat. "After all these months you're not even with Harry yet."

His words should have hurt her; but Cho was beyond the pain. A question that had been burning in her mind suddenly forced its way out. "What's the big deal? Why on earth would you want me to date Harry?"

Cedric's bluish lips curved into a smile. He leaned forward, his lips brushing against her ear. "Because he's a part of me now. We've been joined through the...circumstances of my death. Don't you remember? The Cedric before death?"

He stepped back. Before Cho's very eyes, the Cedric before her began to change. The colour returned to his lips and cheeks. His eyes; moments ago, dark and cruel, brightened and regained their life. A powerful light flooded the room.

Cho gaped in disbelief. Cedric lunged at her and began to kiss her passionately.

The tendrils released their grip, and before Cho knew what she was doing she was kissing Cedric back, holding his body as close as she could to hers. How she had missed the feel of his lips upon hers! "Cedric!" she sobbed ecstatically, as she withdrew for breath. To her shock and horror, Harry's face grinned back at her.

"Cho! CHO! What is it?"

Madame Pomfrey was staring into Cho's face. "You fell asleep, dear! Are you all right? Merciful goodness- you nearly screamed the place down! How is your stomach?"

Cho struggled for breath. Her pulse was still pounding relentlessly. "Better," she said thickly. "I think...I think I'll go to dinner."

Madame Pomfrey forced a vial of sour, lemon flavoured liquid down her throat. "That should stop the nausea. Stay away from elderberries!"

Get out of the hospital wing, Cho said to herself. It's the source of the worst of your worst nightmares! Cho didn't even stop to ask herself why. She already knew. It was where she first met Cedric, where she first became drawn to his honesty, integrity and sense of humour.

Its not going to stop, you know. Not until you have Harry. That's when it ends- that's when the nightmare will be over.

As Cho entered the Great Hall, Marietta rushed over to her and grabbed her arm. "Are you all right? Maybe we shouldn't go to that meeting tonight."

Cho tore away from Marietta's grip. "Absolutely," she said stonily. "Like I said to Harry- wouldn't miss it for the world.

***

Another lesson of shameless flirting. Cho watched Harry straighten a pile of cushions and suddenly she hated herself more than she ever had in her entire life.

Harry had clearly heard her begin to cry. "What's up?" he asked weakly.

"I'm - sorry," she said finally. She thought of an excuse. "I suppose... its just...learning all this stuff...it just makes me...wonder whether...if he'd known it all... he'd still be alive."

Don't chicken out now. Brilliant plan- much better than I'd have thought you could come up with. Stay with it- keep the pity think going. He'll leap at it...

"He was really good at it," Harry was saying. "Or he could have never got to the middle of that maze. But if Voldemort really wants to kill you, you don't stand a chance."

Cho hiccoughed. "You survived it when you were just a baby," she said quietly.

GOOD! Keep it coming, Chang, keep it coming.

Cedric...Cedric...Cedric!! The voices were taunting. You don't want another dose of that, do you?

She didn't even hear his reply- but her desperation for sanity, for peace of mind... "Oh, don't go!" she said quickly- a little too quickly. She sniffled. "I'm really sorry to get all upset like this... I didn't mean to..."

Cedric...Cedric...Cedric...

Cho blubbered, desperately complementing his teaching ability, anything- all the while inching closer to him via forces that she felt were utterly beyond her control.

The saving grace came. Someone had conveniently hung mistletoe over where they were standing.

"Mistletoe," she said plainly, pointing above them.

Harry appeared flustered. He began to stammer some nonsense about Nargles.

Say it...Say it...tell him that you love him.

I DON'T LOVE HIM! Her own mind cried back.

Maybe not. But you'll learn to. And then you'll be happy again...happier than you ever were with Cedric...don't you remember what Cedric told you? He and Harry are connected...

"I really like you, Harry," she said finally.

Without waiting for a light of encouragement in Harry's eyes, Cho kissed him. Tentatively at first- but when she realised that this was her chance to be happy again...sane again...whole again... her kisses became more forceful. While she kissed him she cried- cried because she wanted desperately to love him but felt that the breathless feeling Cedric used to give her when they had kissed was painfully missing when she kissed Harry.

Cho noted that the voices that had been plaguing her were correct- Harry was responding to her kisses very quickly and eagerly. At this her mentality changed. Look, she told herself. Look how much he cares for you.

Finally! You're almost there, Cho. You don't know what you're thinking- of course you love him! Look how much he cares for you...

You don't need Cedric anymore...you're already head over heels, aren't you? AREN'T YOU? Tell yourself...tell yourself...you know its true...

I'm head over heels, said Cho stubbornly to herself as they kissed. I'm helplessly falling for Harry.

Cho almost believed it. She almost giggled in hysteria as she watched him leave, his eyes still filled with dreamy wonder. If he had any idea, any at all, what was really going through her mind...

What Cho did not know was that someone had seen her kiss Harry. Someone who themselves had a weakness for him. And that someone would attempt to get the entire DA into trouble for the jealousy and anger that they felt.