Coveting Thy Enemy

Chapter 10: Confession

By the third week of December, the students at Hogwart's were tired of the snow. It had snowed so much that winter that the castle looked as if an icy fortress was protecting it from intrusions. On the day of the Yule Ball, the last day of the term, the students were in high spirits despite the wintry weather. The members of Gryffindor were delighted to see the return of Cho Chang as Harry's date. Cho was a favorite of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike because of her quick wit and kindness. Harry was extremely happy to see her because he hadn't had a chance to talk to anyone, really talk to anyone, since she had graduated last year.

Cho stood beside him looking as beautiful as ever. Her dark hair was styled in a fashionable bob and she hadn't lost the tan she had acquired from her daily Quidditch practices over the summer. At first Harry had a hard time talking to her because he couldn't stop grinning in delight. To all the students at the ball, he looked like a smitten boyfriend, but Cho knew he was simply glad she was there. Rolling her eyes at Harry's sudden muteness, she pulled him out on the dance floor. They danced rather well together, not due to any type of skill or grace, but because they were accustomed to one another.

"So, Harry, have you given any thought to what I wrote to you about?" Cho asked. She knew that he would know what she was talking about.

"Erm, yea. Quite a bit, actually."

"Well?"

"I think you're right. Maybe we should 'break up'."

Cho sighed then. "So, you're not going to tell them you're gay?"

Harry pulled back from her slightly to look in her eyes. "No, I'm not. I'm just not ready yet. They're not ready yet."

"Okay, it's not for me to say when you tell your friends, but what about this guy you're crushing on?" she asked.

Harry reddened then, and his once perfect rhythm was lost as he fidgeted from foot to foot. "I'm not crushing anymore," he replied rather sternly.

Cho knew from the tone of his voice that he would refuse to discuss any more matters on that topic, so she looked around trying to think of another conversation piece. When her gaze lit on a pair of steely gray eyes, she said, "I see Malfoy is just as big of a git as he's always been. What did you do to tick him off? He's staring a hole in your back."

Harry became defensive then. "Nothing! I did nothing to that bastard!" The hairs on his head were actually bristling.

No, it can't be, thought Cho. Malfoy? She looked at the silver-haired boy then and tried to appraise him objectively. She had to admit, he was really handsome. He had grown quite tall, and he seemed pretty well built too, considering the width of his shoulders. It was hard to discern someone's physique when you only saw them in robes. All right, so Malfoy is extremely sexy, but he had the demeanor of a snake. Besides, he treated everyone who wasn't a Slytherin like they were dirt to be tread on by his extremely expensive shoes. Especially Harry. Cho looked up at Harry and caught him looking in the same direction she had just been gazing, which was hard, since he had to actually turn his neck. Well, that answers my question, she thought.

Harry looked over at Malfoy who was across the room dancing with his date, Pansy Parkinson. Looking at the two of them together, both blonde, both attractive, both Slytherins, he felt a jolt of jealousy hit him like an arrow to the heart. They looked so right together! He turned back to his own date and caught an indiscernible look in her eye. He gave her his best sheepish look and prayed she wouldn't ask any questions. She didn't

The ball was over well after midnight. Most of the students had gone back to their rooms already since they were returning home for Christmas the next morning. Harry walked Cho to the main entrance. She was going to Hogsmeade so she could Apparate to her own home to spend Christmas with her family.

"So," Harry said, "I guess this is goodbye." The goodbye had a double meaning to it since they had decided to break off their façade.

"Yes. You'll still write to me, won't you? We've always been the best of friends."

"Of course," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Have a Happy Christmas, Cho. Hedwig will bring your gift first thing in the morning."

"And Curmudgeon will bring yours. Happy Christmas, Harry," she said and turned to the door. But, her hand froze on the knob and she turned to him again. "Oh, and Harry, do be careful," she said with the same indiscernible look she had displayed earlier."

"Always," Harry replied. And she was gone. He turned and slowly walked down the corridor to get to the steps leading to the Gryffindor tower. When he passed an unused classroom, a pair of hands grabbed him by the robes, pulled him inside and flung him across the room into the far wall.