This Time

It had been four years since she'd seen him, but there he was, looking exactly the same as before.

Sophisticated, superior, and arrogant.

Even if she hadn't looked at him, she would have known that sneering voice anywhere.

"Cho? Is that you?"

She steeled herself for some derogatory remark and faced him with all the dignity she could muster. "Yes, Malfoy, it's me. What are you doing here?"

He pulled a chair over from a neighboring table and sat down across from her. "What, am I not allowed to have a drink at a nice restaurant? Is it illegal now?"

She leveled him with her best glare. "No, but do you have to sit at my table?"

An annoying smirk crossed his face. "Your table? Last I checked, a man was able to sit wherever he pleased."

"Well, last I checked, this was my table and my restaurant and my choice to kick you out."

The shock on his face was worth the annoyance of having him so close. Well, almost worth it. He recovered too quickly for her to have full satisfaction of the moment.

"You own this restaurant? How pathetic."

She pushed back her chair and stood, her eyes blazing with anger. "Get out of my restaurant, Malfoy, and don't come back."

Cho locked the front door and flipped the sign to 'Closed'. She blew out the last of the candles and climbed the stairs to her flat above the restaurant. Throwing herself down on her bed, she closed her eyes and sighed.

How could a one-minute conversation drain her of all energy and completely ruin her day?

"You own this restaurant? How pathetic."

One snide remark from someone she didn't even like, and her whole day fell apart.

Why did it matter, anyway? It wasn't like Draco Malfoy knew anything about running a restaurant. It wasn't pathetic at all. She worked hard and made a fair amount of money. Her food was good and her customers were appreciative.

Cho Chang was happy with her life.

She had started her restaurant right after graduation with the little bit of money she'd saved. Her parents had helped out with a small loan, and after a year in business, she was able to pay them back and be completely self-sufficient.

She loved what she had made of herself. She had never felt ashamed of her accomplishments.

Until today.

"How pathetic."

"I am NOT pathetic!" she shouted to the empty room. She jumped off the bed and began to pace. "Why did I let him get to me like that? His opinion doesn't mean anything!"

But it did mean something, and she knew it.

"It shouldn't!" She was angry with herself over this stupid one-sided conversation. "It shouldn't mean a thing to me!"

So why does it?

She flopped back onto her bed and choked back tears. She couldn't deny it - she remembered it so clearly. It was her last year at Hogwarts, and she had been determined to make it a good one. She had finally made peace with Cedric's death, she had gotten over Harry, and she was ready to make a clean start. Unfortunately, she hadn't accounted for the fact that her heart would betray her.

She thought about how they'd met that first day of the new term. Sure, she'd known who he was before that - who didn't? - but they'd never really spoken until that day.

Not that it was under ideal circumstances - on the contrary. He'd knocked into her in the corridor and dumped all her books on the floor. She was already late for class, and having to stop and gather her belongings did not improve her mood. She remembered glaring at him, much like she had earlier today, but he had merely given her a long look, muttered an insincere apology, and stepped around her.

Arrogant and condescending - that was the Draco she remembered.

How had it happened, then? How had she fallen in love with him, of all people?

The thought disgusted her, even now. Apparently she hadn't been as over Cedric and Harry as she'd thought. It was the only reasonable explanation for why a girl like her would fall for a guy like Draco Malfoy without even having had a decent conversation with him.

But fall she did - and hard.

She remembered following him with her eyes whenever he was in sight. She had spent hours thinking about him, dreaming about him.

And he had noticed.

She'd been so mortified when he'd approached her in late October and informed her that he knew she was "stalking" him. She had been on the verge of slapping him hard across the face when he'd surprised her - and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before.

Looking back, Cho knew she probably should have slapped him anyway and made a run for it. What kind of guy just kisses a girl out of the blue like that?

She should have known. It should have been her first clue.

But no, she had chosen to disregard it. She had ignored the signs. She had jumped feet-first into a stupid, dysfunctional relationship, and her heart had taken a heavy blow.

By the time mid-November rolled around, Draco had begun to pull away from her. She could feel it - he had become bored with her. By Christmas break, it was over.

Her heart had been left in a million shattered pieces.

Cho rolled over onto her side and curled herself around a pillow, letting the angry tears fall freely.

She wasn't going to let Draco get to her. Not this time. Not ever.

Draco slammed the front door of the manor and ignored the vase that crashed to the floor. He tossed his cloak on a chair and stormed up the stairs to his bedroom. He was in a towering rage and he didn't care. She had gotten to him again, and he'd let her do it.

In all honesty, he hadn't been expecting to see her. But there she was, looking the same as she had four years ago. The same silky hair and athletic body, but her eyes - her eyes were different.

They were peaceful. Angry, but peaceful.

And that bothered Draco to no end.

Why did she get to have peace and he didn't? How could she be so calm and collected while he was a complete mess inside?

She was still as beautiful as he remembered. Why had he let her go in the first place?

Because you're a bloody coward.

The truth hurt, but he couldn't disagree. He was a coward. He ran from his problems, just like he had been taught.

Fight the battle until you no longer have the advantage.

His father's voice resounded in his head. He'd been hearing it for so many years that it was a part of him, and it was useless to try to block it out.

That voice had been with him since the day he'd left for Hogwarts. It had been with him during every Quidditch match. It had been with him the day he walked away from Cho.

After a few weeks of dating her, Draco had lost the upper hand. He had fallen fast and hard until he was no longer in control of his emotions.

Fight the battle until you no longer have the advantage.

So he had run away. He'd left her without an explanation, just a craven, "This isn't working for me anymore." No reason, not even a gracious, "We can still be friends," or even, "It's not you, it's me." Nothing.

He was a coward, and the worst part of it was that he had never really gotten over her.

Too bad she'd apparently gotten over him.

Cho woke up late the next morning with a raging headache. Serves me right for getting all worked up over nothing. She forced herself to get out of bed and get dressed. Running a comb through her hair, she grabbed an apple and headed downstairs.

"'Morning, Cho!" her assistant called cheerfully.

Cho smiled and was about to reply when she saw him sitting at one of the front tables, a coffee cup in his hand and a smirk on his face.

She could feel her smile fading. I'm not ready for this. I don't want him to be here. But she knew she couldn't really kick him out of her restaurant - it wasn't like he was doing anything illegal or disturbing the peace.

He's disturbing my peace.

Cho shot him an icy glare before turning to her assistant. "How long has he been here?"

"Who?"

Cho sighed. "Him, Angela! Him!" She gestured angrily toward the culprit. "Draco Malfoy!"

Angela's eyes widened. "That's Draco Malfoy?" she asked in a stage whisper. "Oh, I knew he looked familiar!"

"Of course he looks familiar!" Cho retorted. "How long has he been here?"

"Since we opened - he was waiting outside the restaurant when I opened the door." Angela shook her head. "What's the big deal?"

Cho looked over her shoulder - he was still watching her. She turned back to Angela. "Do you remember when I told you about that guy I dated the year before I graduated?"

"That was Malfoy?" Angela gasped. "How did I not know this?"

Cho shrugged. "You graduated the year before I did - you weren't there when I dated him, and I guess I just forgot to mention it."

"Forgot to mention it? Cho, come on. How do you forget to tell your best friend that you dated Draco Malfoy and he broke your heart?"

"He didn't break my heart."

"Liar," Angela smirked. "He broke your heart and you're still not over him."

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Angela!" Cho sighed. "You're going to drive me mad! How do you always manage to figure out what I'm feeling before I tell you?"

Angela grinned. "I'm your best friend, that's how."

Cho brought her fingertips to her temples and closed her eyes. "I'm not ready to face him, Angie. Can you handle things down here for a while? Come and get me when he leaves."

Angela nodded. "Sure. You go run away and I'll hold down the fort."

Cho ignored the jab and smiled gratefully. "Thanks." Throwing one last look over her shoulder, she headed back upstairs.

Draco watched her go with a sharp pang of regret. Apparently she was still rather upset with him.

Fight the battle until you no longer have the advantage.

Well, not this time. This time he wasn't going to let her get away. This time he was going to fight the battle to the bitter end, even if he lost.

She couldn't avoid him any longer. He had eaten every meal at the restaurant for the past week, and Angela had covered for her every time. But now there just wasn't any point in hiding. He obviously wasn't going away, and she hated being so spineless.

Cho headed downstairs on Monday morning, and of course, there he was, coffee in hand and that annoying smirk waiting for her.

"He's back again," Angela whispered as Cho entered the restaurant. "Are you sure you're ready to face him?"

Cho shrugged. "Maybe not, but I can't hide in my flat forever." She took a deep breath. "It's now or never, I suppose." Straightening her shoulders, she marched over to Draco's table and glared down at him.

"What are you still doing here?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Good morning to you too. Care to join me for some breakfast?"

"No, I would not care to join you. I would like for you to go away and leave me alone."

He grinned. "Now, now - is that the way to talk to one of your best customers?"

Oh, what I wouldn't give to grab my wand and hex him into next week. "You're not one of my best customers, Draco. You're one of my most annoying customers. What can I do to make you leave?"

"Have breakfast with me."

If she didn't know better, she could have sworn that she saw hope in his eyes.

She frowned. "Not on your life." She turned on her heel and walked away.

He was there again.

A week had gone by since she'd confronted him, and every day was the still the same. He would be waiting at the same table with the same smile. She would insult him, tell him to leave, and he would ask her to join him for breakfast. She would turn him down every time.

Lunch would come and the process would start all over again. The same with dinner. Today was no different.

"Do you take some sort of perverse pleasure in harassing me?"

Draco grinned. "How did you guess? Am I that transparent?"

Cho glared at him. "What can I do to make you go away?"

"Have breakfast with me."

Her usual response was on the tip of her tongue, but something stopped her. Maybe it really was hope she saw in his eyes. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have breakfast with him - just this once. Maybe it would actually make him go away.

"Fine."

He didn't look surprised, which annoyed her a great deal. He simply smiled, stood up, and pulled out a chair for her. "Milady."

She wanted to wipe that smug expression from his face. Instead, she sat down and waved one of the waitresses over. "Bring us two breakfast plates and a pot of fresh coffee, please." Cho saw Angela give her a questioning look from across the room, but she ignored it and turned back to Draco. "You never told me what you're doing here."

Draco took a long drink from his cup before answering. "I thought it was obvious."

"If it was obvious, I wouldn't be asking, would I?" Cho retorted angrily. "So just answer the question, Draco."

He paused, and the silence stretched out between them. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm here for you."

"For me?" she choked. "Are you mad?"

He laughed, and it sounded strange coming from him. "I must be. I keep coming back, don't I?"

Cho glared to hide the threatening smile. He was still as charming as ever, even when he was being completely infuriating. "Well, there's no need for you to come back tomorrow. I've agreed to have breakfast with you, and that's that."

He looked at her with those piercing blue eyes, sending her heart into unwelcome palpitations. "We'll see."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

Angela flopped down on Cho's sofa and rolled her eyes. "Well, what's happening with you and Draco?"

Cho sat down beside her friend. "Nothing is happening."

"I don't believe that for a minute. You've had breakfast with him every day for the past two weeks, and you're telling me that nothing is happening?"

"Yes," replied Cho, "That's what I'm telling you. We just talk, that's all."

"Just talk? How can you just talk with a man that gorgeous?"

Cho sighed. "Because I'm afraid of what will happen if we stop talking."

Draco smiled to himself. He was winning the battle. He knew she would give in soon.

The past two weeks had been amazing, even though the whole 'taking it slowly' thing went against everything he knew.

However, a good warrior always has a strategy, a battle plan, and Draco was a warrior of the heart.

Oh, for the love of... she's turned me into a complete sop.

Oddly enough, the thought didn't bother him that much. So what if he was turning into a sop? He didn't care. All he wanted was for Cho to give him a chance to explain. And if that meant taking things very slowly, so be it. He would continue to have breakfast with her, continue to charm her, continue to show her that he wasn't the same prat she knew in school, and eventually she would soften. Then he would tell her the truth about why he'd left her.

Three weeks later, Cho woke up with a smile on her face.

She was in love. Completely, utterly, irrevocably in love.

Six weeks ago, when Draco had first walked in to her restaurant, she would have gladly murdered him on the spot. But now... now she looked forward to their daily routine.

She would go downstairs around nine o'clock, he would be waiting at their table with a smile. They would eat breakfast, drink coffee, and talk. Just talk. About everything. They would reminisce about Hogwarts, talk about work, and discuss what had happened in the four years since they'd last seen each other.

Everything but the one thing they needed to talk about the most.

It was going so well, that Cho wasn't sure she wanted to ruin it by asking him why he'd left her. Instead, she took pleasure in their superficial conversations and ignored the nagging voice telling her to dig deeper.

She didn't know how much longer she could ignore it. Maybe she didn't have to. Maybe she could gather up the courage and ask him straight out.

But something held her back. Maybe it was the girl in her. Whatever it was, Cho wanted him to make the first move. She wanted him to be the one to tell her his reasons, and tell her of his own accord.

Maybe today would be the day. She smiled to herself as she climbed out of bed and got dressed. Yes, today would be the day. She could feel it.

He wasn't there. It was nine o'clock and he wasn't there.

Cho felt the smile slide from her face. Maybe he's just running late. That's not a crime.

She grabbed a pot of coffee and a cup and sat down at their table. He'll be here soon.

Soon never came. Two cups of coffee and three muffins later, he still wasn't there.

She checked her watch. Ten fifteen. This was more than just running late. She had to face the facts.

He had left her again.

"There has to be a reason, Cho."

"There is a reason, Angela! He got tired of me again and ran away, just like last time."

Angela frowned. "I don't believe it. I saw the way he looked at you, Cho. He was definitely not tired of you."

Cho slammed her cup down on the kitchen counter. She had been slamming things all day, taking out her anger and frustration on whatever inanimate objects she could find. "Yes, Angela. He was tired of me. He did what he wanted and then ran away when things got difficult. And I was stupid enough to let him! I was stupid enough to believe that this time would be different!"

"But this time was different."

Cho spun around and glared at her friend. "No, it wasn't."

Angela gave her a hard look. "I just can't believe that he would do this."

"I can."

"No," Angela retorted. "I saw you two, Cho. I saw how much in love he was. Men may try to mask their feelings, but they can't mask their eyes. He's in love with you, and you're in love with him. I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt."

Cho shook her head and felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I can't. Not anymore. I'm giving up on him, once and for all."

Ten days. Ten long, agonizing days.

Draco had never hated his job as much as he hated it now. He used to welcome the long trips the Ministry would send him on - anything to get away from the manor, from his own thoughts. But this time was different. This time there was Cho.

He hadn't even had a chance to tell her where he was going. He'd been leaving his house and on his way to see her when the owl arrived carrying an urgent message from the Minister. It was a top secret mission, the culmination of his work for the past four months. He couldn't turn it down. He'd left immediately.

Now, ten days later, Draco was finished, but his success was empty. He had done what he'd come to do, and now he just wanted to go home. He had to find Cho and explain.

He had a bad feeling that she wasn't going to forgive him very easily.

Cho was sitting in the restaurant kitchen, poring over the accounts. It seemed like she would make a good profit this year. Business had been going well lately - the money she had spent on advertising was definitely paying off.

"Hello."

She jerked her head around and glared at the unexpected intruder. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be back here."

"Angela let me in."

Cho made a mental note to murder Angela later and then turned back to her work. "Get out, Draco," she said coldly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

His casual tone infuriated her, and she pushed back her chair. Standing to her full height and squaring her shoulders, she let him have it. "I said, get out! You're not welcome here, Malfoy, so just wipe that bloody smirk off your face, or I'll do it for you!"

This seemed to give him pause. "Cho, please. Just let me explain."

"No!" she shouted. "I won't listen to your stupid excuses! I don't want to hear what you have to say! I thought you had changed, but I was wrong! You're still just an arrogant, self-absorbed jerk who doesn't care about anyone but himself! Get out of my kitchen and get out of my life!"

She pushed past him, and he grabbed her arm. "Cho - "

The palm of her hand connected with his jaw. "Don't ever touch me again."

She left him standing there alone.

"How dare you interfere like that, Angela?"

Angela crossed her arms over her chest. "Cho, you need to let him explain!"

"No! He doesn't deserve that! And I can't handle having my heart broken again!"

"Well, it's too late for that, isn't it?" Angela snapped. "Your heart has been broken, and it's entirely possible that he could fix it again!"

"I'm not willing to take that chance!" Cho shouted, tears streaming down her face. "I just can't do it, Angela! I can't!"

"You're running away just like he did, Cho. And you're ruining you life."

Draco couldn't believe it. His plan had completely backfired. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He had even given her his most charming smile, and she had still turned away, determined to spurn his attempts.

Fight the battle until you no longer have the advantage.

Well, he definitely didn't have the advantage anymore - she had ripped it away from him in one fell swoop. She had stripped him of all dignity and pride. His usual tactics would not work this time. He needed a new plan.

Unfortunately, the only thing left to do was beg.

Cho had successfully ignored him for three days now. For three days he had come to the restaurant and begged her for a chance to explain. For three days she had walked away from him.

He was driving her mad. Couldn't he figure out that she didn't want to talk to him? She didn't want to hear what he had to say!

However, she had to admit that she was intrigued. As Angela so infuriatingly loved to remind her, why would he go to so much trouble if he didn't have a good reason?

Her traitorous heart urged her to let him explain, just once... but her logical mind told her to get away from him as fast as possible. He was trouble. He would just break her heart again, and she didn't think she could handle another heartbreak.

"Cho?"

With a shriek, Cho spun around and faced the intruder. "What are you doing, Draco?" she shouted, her hand clutching her chest. "How did you get into my house?"

"Apparated."

"Get out! Get out of my house!"

"No. Not until you give me a chance to explain. Five minutes, Cho! That's all I'm asking for!"

Cho fought valiantly to hold back her tears. "Get out, Draco," she whispered.

"Come on, Cho!" His frustration was evident. "What would it hurt to give me five minutes? Just let me explain, and then I'll be out of your life forever. I promise."

Oh, go on. Give him his precious five minutes and then kick him out of your house. Cho sighed. "Fine. Five minutes. That's it. Then you're gone."

Now that he had her permission to explain, Draco didn't know where to begin. His heart was in his throat, and he felt like he would faint. Instead, he took Cho's hands and led her over to the sofa. She didn't pull away, and he took that as a good sign. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

Her eyes were expressionless, and he forced himself to continue. "When we first got together at school, I just wanted to be with you because you were so beautiful. You were a trophy to show off to all my friends. It was like a competition - whoever had the most beautiful girlfriend was the winner of our stupid little game."

He could feel her shutting down her emotions. "But after a few weeks of being with you, I started to feel. I started to fall in love with you, and then I never fell out of love."

"Then why did you leave me?"

She regretting asking it the moment it was out of her mouth. She didn't want to hear this. It was too hard, too painful. But she couldn't take it back now. And she had agreed to let him explain.

He was talking again. "I left because I was a bloody coward, Cho. I was afraid of what I was feeling. I wasn't in control anymore, and I couldn't handle it."

"You couldn't handle it? Good gods, Draco!" She could feel her anger rising. "You didn't even give me a good reason! I believe your exact words were, 'This isn't working for me anymore.' How pathetic could you be? You could have at least told me the truth!"

"I know! I should have. But I was sixteen, Cho - and I was an absolute idiot! I didn't know what to do with my feelings, so I ran away from them. I was completely spineless, and I'm sorry." His eyes were pleading with her. "I'm so sorry."

She forced herself to look away from him, or else she knew she would cave in. "I loved you, Draco, and you treated me like rubbish."

"I know. I don't have any excuse for it, just an apology. I can only ask you to forgive me."

Cho closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know if I can."

Draco forced the words around the lump in his throat. "I know I hurt you, Cho. But when I found you again, I thought that I finally had a chance to make it up to you, to set things right. But I messed up again. I left you again, without explanation."

He saw her chin quiver, but she still wouldn't look at him. "But this time was different, Cho."

She finally looked up. "How?" she breathed.

"This time I had a good reason, Cho." He smiled. "The Ministry sent me to Albania. I didn't have time to talk to you before I left, and I couldn't send any communication while I was there."

She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not. He was awfully convincing... oh, hang it all. How could she refuse him anything when he was looking at her like that?

He wasn't finished. "I wasn't afraid this time, Cho. I wasn't afraid of what I was feeling."

Her heart was racing. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? "And what were you feeling, Draco?"

There it was - that charming grin of his again. She'd be a puddle on the floor any second now.

"I love you, Cho."

She put a shaky hand to her face and cried.

He had expected her to cry, but not like this. For the love of Merlin, she was like a bloody garden hose.

"Cho? Cho, please. Please stop crying."

That didn't work. She cried harder, if that were even possible.

"Cho, I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I... I'll just go." He stood and grabbed his cloak. "I'm sorry, Cho."

He was leaving. No. No.

"No!" She jumped up and grabbed his hand. "No, please don't go." She gave him a watery smile. "Don't go."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you, too." She threw herself into his arms and savored the feeling of his heartbeat against her cheek. "I love you, Draco."

Pure joy shone from his eyes, and as he lowered his lips to hers, he whispered again, "I'm sorry."

She smiled against his lips. "I forgive you. Just don't leave me again."

"I promise."