Her Favourite Song

"You have to respect Dobby," Ron said as he entered the Room of Requirement, followed by Harry, Hermione, Fred and George, a few minutes before their DA meeting was supposed to begin. This time the room has provided an additional table, loaded with all kinds of snacks. "This room is ruddy brilliant!"

"So, Harry, what will you be teaching us today? I heard there was a jinx that when aimed properly causes a guy's -a guy's, head, to shrink," Fred finished rather uncomfortably, since Ginny entered the room, talking politely to Colin Creevey and followed by several other fourth and third years. Hermione tried to give Fred a disapproving look even though she was smiling.

Ten minutes later there were fifteen more people in the room. They were beginning to get restless, looking at Harry every now and then, expecting him to start the meeting. But Harry just stood by the table, trying to decide which color of Bertie Bott's candy was the safest.

"Well, aren't we going to start?" a third year said impatiently.

"Harry will start when he's ready!" Colin Creevey squeaked.

Harry stopped gazing at the candy, and turned to face all the other students. "I'm just waiting, for, er, Dobby. He needs to bring me something."

No one seemed particularly convinced by that explanation. Hermione stood up and approached Harry quietly.

"I don't thing she's gonna come," she said softly.

Harry never thought Hermione could read minds before.

"But I don't understand why. I mean... Does everything remind her of Cedric?"

"She doesn't need stuff to remind her. Cedric is the only thing she thinks about. Cedric and you that is."

Harry looked very surprised by this bit of information.

"How do you...?"

"Well, you see, I have eyes and common sense and when I combine them I reach conclusions. Which, by the way, have been validated."

Even though Harry was a bit offended by Hermione's superior-know-it-all answer, he couldn't help but smiling. Harry wanted to hear more, but this wasn't the time. After the meeting... But in order for the meeting to end, it has to begin so...

"Hello everybody! Today we are going to work on the Patronus charm..."

*****

Harry left the Room of Requirement, with a grin on his face. He was about to find out about Cho. At least he will have some clue regarding what's going on in that mind of hers.

"Harry!"

Harry Potter, the boy who faced Lord Voldemort four times and survived, froze in his place. It was Cho's voice.

"Hi, Cho."

Harry turned around slowly. And there she stood. Cho Chang. She wasn't wearing her regular robes but muggle clothes - a T shirt and Levi's. They complemented her. Harry found out, for about the nineteenth time, that Cho Chang was a very pretty girl.

"Ignore the clothes. I was just trying them out. We're having a costume party at the common room in a week. Come as muggles."

Is this what she came to talk to me about? Harry thought angrily. "Oh," was the only reply he could think of.

"Could we step into the room for a second?"

"I guess."

Cho opened the door to the Room of Requirement, and they entered. This time, the room was completely different. It was lit with a dim red light. A fireplace was burning. There was quiet, soothing music in the room, coming from no apparent source. And there was a big comfortable sofa in the middle of the room. Cho immediately felt her face burning with embarrassment. Any moment now, she was sure, Harry was going to realize the room adjusted itself to Cho's requirements.

"Anyway," Cho said brightly, trying to get past the awkward moment, "I'm sorry I didn't come today."

"Well, we began working on making a Patronus," Harry said. This was going nowhere.

"That's important! I can't believe I missed -"

"And why did you?" it came out a bit angrier than Harry intended. Cho seemed surprised.

"I'm not quite sure."

"Was it because of Cedric?"

"In a way, I guess..."

Neither of them thought this was going well. Harry didn't care anymore.

"You know, Cho? I really... Well, I really liked you," Harry noticed he used the past tense. Judging by the slightly alarmed look on Cho's face, Harry figured she noticed it too. "Since my third year here. I really wanted to go to the Yule Ball with you. I really wanted just to... be with you."

Harry saw Cho's usually miserable face lighten up a bit. For a moment she almost seemed happy. However, you could fry an egg on Harry cheeks...

"It seemed fun, you know? We would laugh and be happy..." Harry wasn't sure if he should go on. He was telling stuff he never told anyone, not even Ron.

"But you don't want to hang around with a crybaby? I understand. No one does..." It didn't sound as if she was accusing him, yet he felt he hurt her.

"Cho..."

"I really like you Harry. And I really wanted to go the Yule Ball with you. But you didn't ask. I began to think you never will. I figured you were going to go with Hermione Granger..."

Harry was about to say something, but Cho wore a painful expression. She had an urgent look on her face. Harry understood that he should let her finish.

"And I fell in love with Cedric."

At this Harry felt immense discomfort and resentment, but managed to keep quiet.

"And that complicated things a bit. That was before they got really complicated."

There was a short pause. Tears streamed silently down Cho's face. They gave each other a moment to decide whether they wanted to continue or not. Harry was terrified. He didn't want to talk with Cho about Cedric. As a matter of fact, it was around double dating with Snape and Umbridge on his to-do list. No one liked hearing the girl they fancied talk about her exceptionally handsome ex boyfriend. The fact that Harry had inadvertently caused Cedric's death just made the whole thing more painful. Harry was afraid of saying the wrong thing when they reached the heavy issues. Yet he wanted to stay there, with her.

"Look Cho, Cedric is dead. I know it hurts, but -"

Cho snorted. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I know he's dead! I'm not in denial or anything. But no one understands what it was like..." Cho was crying know. She barely controlled her voice.

"I saw my boyfriend dead, in the hands of, of -" Cho paused. She was trying to find the right term. "Well - yours. And, well, you meant something to me. You still do."

Harry smiled.

"I'm not exactly sure why," she continued, "we weren't friends or anything. I know it's not the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing. That means nothing to me."

Harry wondered if Cho knew how much that sentence meant to him.

Cho lowered her head. A couple of seconds later, she lifted it, a look of sudden realization on her face.

"I really shouldn't be dumping all this on you. I should go," Cho said as she got up and walked quickly to the door. Harry got up also

"Wait! Cho! I want to be dumped!"

Harry had only a second to regret his phrasing because then Cho answered.

"No you don't."

"You're right. I don't feel comfortable talking with you about Cedric. But I know it makes you feel better," Harry took a step towards her, surprised by his newfound confidence.

"Still, Harry. You're not the one who has to listen to all this. I think I'll just go to one of mom's mediwizards..." Cho reached the door and was about to leave.

"Cho, you know that if you leave now, we probably won't manage to finish this conversation."

Cho nodded, her eyes full of tears.

"You're right. I don't know you very well. So? Cho, don't go."

Harry took a step towards her. Cho took her hand of the doorknob.

"It's horrible what happened. And we can't just forget it. Believe me, I tried. But we can't dwell on it either," Cho nodded fervently, as Harry continued to move towards her.

Harry bit his lip. Ever since he arrived at Hogwarts, his fate, his fame, his scar, caused him nothing but grief. He fought with Ron because of it, there were millions of unflattering rumors and newspaper articles about him, Dementors brought him to his knees and his life was almost always in danger. Cho wasn't a part of that world - she was pure that way. He hadn't fought with her side by side like he did with Ron and Hermione, she didn't know about the Order of the Phoenix and their relationship had nothing to do with Harry's past. Cho wasn't a part of the "Harry-The-Boy-Who-Lived" world. As long as they didn't talk about Cedric. Harry remembered that a few seconds ago, Cho was by the door. He decided he wasn't going to let her go, even if it meant sending his two separate worlds crashing into each other. Harry braced himself - he was about to relive the most horrible night of his life.

"Do you, do you want to know what happened?"

Cho smiled. "I already know. I wanted to know but couldn't ask you, so I asked Hermione."

Harry was relieved.

"But thanks for offering," Cho said as she moved closer to Harry.

There was less than a foot between them. The unnoticeable mellow tune the room produced changed into a slow song. The room also raised the volume.

"I love this song," she whispered.

Harry strained his ears, listening to the song.

"Never heard it before."

Harry saw hesitation in Cho's face. He wasn't sure what to do himself.

What, they were just going to dance now? Then it occurred to Harry that he also hesitated before asking Cho the Yule Ball. He decided not to make the same mistake twice.

Harry put his right arm around Cho's waist. Cho placed her head on Harry's chest so naturally, one could think she does it everyday. She wrapped her left arm around Harry's neck. They held hands with their other arms. A couple of minutes later the song ended and they looked at each other. Cho put her hand on Harry's cheek. Then she flattened his fringe so that it would cover his forehead completely. The music continued. Harry and Cho embraced and continued dancing. They stood there, in each other arms, for at least another hour.