Rating:
R
House:
Astronomy Tower
Ships:
Cho Chang/Harry Potter Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
Characters:
Harry Potter
Genres:
Romance Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire
Stats:
Published: 06/03/2002
Updated: 03/07/2003
Words: 68,481
Chapters: 10
Hits: 24,951

The One That Got Away

K.A. Malfoy

Story Summary:
At the bachelor party celebrating his upcoming wedding to Cho, Harry is made aware of Hermione’s enduring love for him.

Chapter 05

Posted:
09/18/2002
Hits:
1,924

Chapter 5: Some People Would Find You a Bit Strange

She stood in the middle of the room, tapping her slipper-covered foot on the floor. The glare in her eyes was already intense, but was made more so by the way the gleam of light from outside cascaded against her profile. Harry was busy taking off his coat and didn't notice the fierce look on her face - or perhaps Hermione's answer had made him oblivious to all by his own happiness.

"Where have you been?" Cho asked. Harry had his head lowered and didn't look up at her. She then stood by and watched in annoyance as he banged his palm on the watch, to make it stop beeping. "Stop," she said, and the blare from the instrument ceased.

Harry then proceeded to engage in various activities that included fumbling with his hair and shirt - all of them meaningless distractions that kept him from answering her question, she thought.

"I asked you a question," she said in an icy tone that would surely catch his attention.

"I went for a walk," he mentioned as nonchalantly as possible. "Over to where that restaurant you like so much is located." He then reached over and gently pulled up the nightgown strap that was slipping off her shoulder. "I just needed to get some fresh air."

"You could have gone to the gardens. You always liked walking around the fountains."

"I didn't want to get caught. I thought someone would see me. And since you made such a big deal about your parents not knowing I was here, I thought I shouldn't risk it."

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Do you know how frightened I was to wake up and discover you weren't here?"

Harry looked down at Cho's feet, the tapping had increased; her anger was now growing. He reached for her arm, his fingers just gliding against her skin. His future wife was known to keep a grudge and if Harry wanted things to go smoothly that day, he had to make up with her quickly. Not that he feared her standing him up at the altar; he just didn't want any hostility during the honeymoon.

"I would have woken you up," he started with his voice syrupy sweet and laced with as much regret as he could muster, "but you looked so beautiful asleep. And I thought I'd only be gone a short time."

Slowly, the hard look of discontent on her face waned. "But why did you go to Highlands? You know they're closed at this time of night. If you're still hungry, I can get the house-elves to make you something to eat."

"No," he said quickly, before he could fathom the severity of his statement, "I already ate at Hermione's." He then stopped for a moment, finally realizing too late what he had just said.

"What?" she asked, her voice a lot louder that she had intended. "Why would you go over there at this time of night?"

"I had to talk to her about something."

"And what matter of business, may I ask, could have forced you out of bed and made you go over to her flat?"

"Why are you getting so mad?" The look of alarm on her face had caused him to move a few steps away.

"Well, it's just that one minute you're telling me you needed some fresh air and the next minute I'm learning that you went over to Hermione's. This story just keeps getting more and more interesting."

"At first I did want some fresh air, but since I was in her neighborhood, I thought I'd talk to her as well." Harry dared to put his hands on her arms. When she did not push him away, he pulled her into an embrace He held her tightly in his arms, his fingers entangled in her black hair. He waited till her breathing had pacified then whispered in a breathy voice, "I know what I did sounds crazy, but I had to make sure that my second favorite girl would be there at the ceremony."

She closed her eyes as the heat of his body encircled her. "Who's your first favorite?"

He didn't need to say a word; just giving her a kiss was enough to answer her question.

Just as she was melting into the kiss, letting his gentle touch assuage her anger, he abruptly pulled away. Her eyes still half closed, that dreamy euphoria present in their depths, she didn't register what he was doing until she saw him put on his coat.

"I think I'll be off," he said as he raised his arms in the air and yawned loudly. "I'm really tired. I don't know how Seamus and the other guys can carry on like this night after night, I'm spent." He mentally calculated that since the wedding was not until the late afternoon, he could sneak in several hours of sleep.

"You can't leave now," she said once her senses had come back to her. "I thought we'd wake up together. Plus, I promised my friends you'd have breakfast with us." She grabbed his arm, her touch pleading with him to stay longer.

"I'd love to stay, but I've got a lot of things to do in the morning. I have to make sure the tuxes get delivered on time. And I also have to pack for the honeymoon."

"Can't Dobby do all of that? You sure are paying him an awful lot to sit around and do nothing all day."

Harry looked away. "I'd rather do those things myself." Before she could make another protest, he placed his hand over her mouth and uttered, "Don't worry. I'll pay you a visit before the ceremony."

He gave her one last kiss and stepped back, before disapparating.

************************************************************************

Highlands was incredibly busy that Saturday morning. However, the large crowds of families were not the usual clienteles that normally frequented the trendy restaurant.

Located in a neighborhood heavily populated with bookstores, museums and learning centers, the restaurant was a usual hotbed for the young musicians, artists and intellectuals who lived in the nearby flats and townhouses. They would normally sit at the bar and sip mocha-this and that while discussing the decline of the wizarding world.

There was a great excitement in the air that morning, as the customers were all graced with the presence of the famous bride to be; whose wedding plans and dress had been discussed in great lengths in the papers. Although all were instructed by the restaurant managers to not approach or bother her, many customers could not help but take glimpses of the woman who in a few hours would be Mrs. Harry Potter.

In the back of the restaurant, sitting around a large table overlooking the lake was Cho and her nine bridesmaids. Dressed in tailored pink suits - except for Cho, who wore ivory - they were the epitome of class and elegance as they enjoyed their breakfast of grapefruit halves and tea, and discussed the upcoming nuptials.

The ten women all talked at once, discussing Cho's wedding dress and the house she will soon be sharing with Harry.

"I have great plans for improving the house," said Cho. "I want to build a waterfall at the entrance. And of course, there's always the matter of the decor." A twisted look appeared on her face as the thought of the furniture that was now occupying the mansion.

"Did Harry decorate it himself?" asked a woman at the far end of the table.

"No. Those duties fell upon Molly Weasley. She did an adequate job with the place, but the furnishings are a bit...common."

"Weasley? Is she related to that young man who's going to be the Cannons new chaser?"

Cho took a long time to answer, as if saying the man's name caused her some pain. "His name is Ron. Molly is his mother." She then shook her head. "I swear, out of the seven hundred people attending the wedding, half of them will be Weasleys."

One woman reached across the table and touched the future bride on the arm. "Did Harry pay you a visit last night?" She then sat back in her chair as she became absorbed in her own romantic notions. "Did you dine together by candlelight?"

"Actually we fought most of the time," said Cho.

The air was soon filled with a loud clatter, as nine teacups came crashing down on the table at once. "Fought?" asked the bridesmaids in unison.

An alarmed expression spread on Cho's face, as she looked around the restaurant at all the people who were now glancing at their table. "Will you guys keep it down? Rita Skeeter could be lurking about." She then lowered her voice. "Anyway, we didn't have a big fight. It was just some silly argument that got started when I found a let-" She stopped talking as she looked at the faces of her bridesmaids, some of whom were not known for their discretion. "It was nothing. Just pre-wedding jitters. Everything is fine now."

All at once, her bridesmaids exhaled loudly. Cho looked away, saying to herself over and over again that everything was resolved.

************************************************************************

In her flat, Hermione had bound out of bed. Although only able to manage a few hours of sleep during that eventful night, she awoke unusually refreshed with a renewed spirit. She walked to her closet and looked inside at the few garments that she had not yet packed. She pushed the jeans and shirts out of the way and grabbed the large white box that contained her gown.

She opened the box and pulled out the garment. It was just as she had last seen it: beautiful. The fabric had been painstakingly dyed several times to get it that perfect shade of periwinkle. Getting undressed, she put on the gown and the matching slippers. Strapless and adorned with beads about the bodice, the gown fit her like a glove.

The elegant sight that greeted her was a sharp contrast from the way she normally appeared: her wild hair topped on her head and a quill tucked behind her ear. As she observed her image in the mirror, she had to admit that the gown was more suitable for a ball, than a wedding; she was taken aback when Harry suggested she get it.

She had originally planned on getting a simple gown of light pink that didn't have any special embellishments; something like what Cho's bridesmaids would be wearing. But Harry told her she was not one of Cho's bridesmaids and should thus dress differently. "Plus, I want you to stand out from that nauseating sea of pink," he had added.

So enthralled was she with her own image that she couldn't resist in twirling around in front of the mirror.

"You look gorgeous," came a voice from behind her. Hermione turned around to find Penelope standing in the doorway, an amused smile on her face.

A red flush crossed Hermione's cheeks when she thought of how silly her actions must have appeared, as though she were a small child playing dress up in her mother's clothes. "You really think so?" she asked sheepishly. "You don't think it's too much?"

"No, it's perfect." Penelope walked to where the younger woman was standing and knelt down to pick up the shawl that was still in the box. She gently draped it over her friend's shoulders. She then leaned close to Hermione's ear and whispered, "Harry must really like you a lot to have bought it for you." She gently elbowed Hermione on the back and gave her a knowing look.

Hermione stopped twirling and remained still. She then turned around to face the woman now sitting on her bed. "Don't say stuff like that. I can't think about that right now."

"You'll get over it," said Penelope as she played with one of Hermione's pillows. "After a few weeks of teaching, you'll look back and say, 'What was I thinking?'"

The former Ravenclaw then fell back onto the bed. "Remember how you used to joke around and talk about stealing him away from Cho?" She placed her hand over her mouth as she began to laugh. After a few minutes, she sat up and shot Hermione a glance. "How come you weren't laughing? I was just messing around."

Hermione looked down as she began to finger the beaded tassels on the shawl. "I did try to do something like that," she muttered in a low whisper.

"Sure you did," Penelope replied under her breath. "You would never do something like that. And plus, you were only kidding." She waited for Hermione to confirm her statement, but the other young woman remained quiet. Penelope finally raised her head. "What exactly did you do?"

"I wrote him a note saying he and I should explore what could have happened and slipped it into his coat pocket." She paused and examined the other woman's face to see if she was being judged, she wasn't. "But I took it out at the last moment."

She walked over to the bed and sat down next to Penelope. "Do you think I'm a bad person for doing that?"

"No. But I'm glad you didn't do it. It would have caused so much grief for everyone. First, you would have put Harry in an awkward position. And think how Cho would have reacted." Penelope lifted her hand to Hermione's head and twirled her strands of hair around her finger. "I know you love him, but he's still getting married to Cho. And regardless of what you or I may think, he seems madly in love with her."

"I know," Hermione uttered. She was quiet for a few moments, and then... "Do you like her? Cho."

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know her. We didn't socialize with one another at school. But from what I've heard and seen, she seems like a nice person."

"So, she's good for Harry right?"

Penelope wrapped her arm around the other woman's shoulders. "Yes, she's perfect for him. I watched their interactions at the party last weekend and I've never seen a couple that was sweeter to one another."

Her hand ran up and down Hermione's arm as she tried to soothe her. "Harry is marrying someone whom he loves and will treat him well. That alone should make you a feel a little better. And besides," she paused long enough so she could make her way off the bed, "if you ever get lonely, there's always Ron."

Hermione lifted a pillow and threw it at her, but missed.

"Why don't you change out of that gown so we can get some food," said Penelope. Her hand shot down to her stomach. "I'm starving."

Hermione got up from the bed and began to take off the gown. "Where's Hanna? I thought she was going with us."

"She's preparing for school. We'll probably meet up with her at the wedding."

Hermione's second roommate Hanna was also a teacher, but she dealt with younger students. She had recently gotten a job at the Charter House Preparatory School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for students aged five through ten. The term would be starting shortly, so Hannah was spending a great deal of time rushing to different stores to put together materials for her Showing First Signs of Magic class.

************************************************************************

At the restaurant, which was only a few blocks away from their flat, the two women were surprised to find the place packed with people. After waiting thirty minutes, they were finally escorted to a small table near the front.

Penelope looked across the room as she jealously eyed the patrons at the back. "That's not fair," she said in mock anger, "they get a nice view of the lake and all we get to look at is Bromwell's Bookstore."

As they waited for their food of eggs and kippers, Penelope asked, "How was the stag party? I talked to poor Perce this morning and he said he had a miserable time. He said his brothers were picking on him the entire night; he couldn't take more than a couple of hours."

"They were a bit brutal," Hermione said as she remembered the harsh jokes the twins and Ron had cracked about their brother's conservatism. A pained look crossed her face as she recalled how Percy had walked out of the restaurant early in the night, only to have Harry run after him and convince him to rejoin the group.

"He can be a bit stuffy," Penelope admitted. "But there's more to him than people know. He also has a saucy side."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"No, it's true," urged Penelope. "We're always sneaking around at work." Penelope worked in the Committee On Experimental Charms at the Ministry of Magic, just down the hall from Percy's department. "So, when the manager's lounge is empty, we always take the opportunity to have our lunch there. Except there's no food involved." A sly smile spread on her face. "Percy's a nibbler and this," she said pointing to her neck, "is his favorite thing to eat."

Hermione looked down as she began to laugh at the proud smile on her friend's face. "That was more information than I really needed to-oh no." She jumped up from the table as her glass of orange juice spilled onto her jeans.

She and Penelope did their best to clean up the majority of the spill, but there still remained a large blotch on her clothes. Hermione then trotted away in search of more napkins.

************************************************************************

"Harry's such a fine catch," uttered one of Cho's friends, the only person at the table who was born to Muggle parents. "You're so lucky. He's going to be the star of the team and you'll be his glamorous wife. You guys will be like Posh and Becks," added the woman, referring the to ex-Spice Girl and her footballer husband.

Cho narrowed her eyes. "What's a poshing becks?" Before the other woman could answer her question, Cho had already lost interest. She reached into the metal jar in front of her for another packet of sugar for her umpteenth cup of tea, but her fingers came into contact with nothing. "I can't drink tea without a little sweetness."

She got up from her seat and walked to the utensil cart near the front of the restaurant. She looked around the cart and decided that she also needed another spoon as well - she had seen a streak on her other teaspoon. When she reached over to grab the utensil, she bumped into another person. "Pardon me," both ladies said in unison. Cho turned and found herself facing Hermione.

There was a long silence as both women stared at one another. After what seemed like ages, Hermione muttered, "Hi."

Cho said nothing. Then her eyes drifted down to Hermione's pants, eyeing the stain. She then met Hermione's gaze again, nodded politely and then walked away.

Hermione stood where she was, tightly clutching the napkins in her hands as she watched Cho venture back to her table. She stain on her pants was getting worse as she now looked as though she had wet herself. She glanced around to make sure that no one was looking at her, and then uttered a spell that would get rid of the wetness. Although magic was not allowed at the restaurant - the owner wanted it to resemble a typical Muggle establishment - Hermione didn't want to walk around in wet jeans.

Cho got back to her friends and sat down.

"Who's that girl you were talking to?" asked a woman in a squeaky voice. "She looks oddly familiar."

All of the other bridesmaids at the table had now turned around in their chairs so they could look at the two women at the other end of the room.

"Will you guys stop staring?" Cho snapped. "And I wasn't talking to her."

The rest of the women returned their attention back to their food, a dejected look on their faces as though an angry parent had just reprimanded them.

"Anyway," Cho continued, "she's Harry's friend. The one I was telling you guys about. She's going to be his best...whatever."

"Which one?" asked the maid of honor. "The big-haired girl or the other one?"

"The first one," replied Cho.

"She's really going to go through with it? When you first told me about it, I thought it was a joke. I can't believe she would actually agree to something like that. It just doesn't seem right."

All the other women nodded in a collective agreement.

"I think it's sweet," said a curly haired blonde, who unlike most at the table had not grown up in the upper echelons of society. "She must really mean a lot to him." She dreamily gazed out the window. But the sincere smile on her face was bashed when nine pairs of eyes shot her a stern look. She lowered her head and went back to her breakfast, not speaking again for the duration of the conversation.

"Anyway," said the maid of honor, "will she be wearing a tux like Harry and Ron?"

Everyone at the table chuckled.

Cho took a long sip of her tea and placed the cup gently down on the table. All the other women watched her in anticipation, as they awaited her answer. Cho sat back in her chair and cleared her throat. "She's not wearing a tux. She's wearing a gown; the one that arrived at Harry's house."

Everyone drew in a breath as they all remembered Cho telling them about the beautiful gown she had found at Harry's home. One fateful evening, Cho had gone to the mansion when she discovered a large bowed box sitting on the dining room table. She and Harry had had an argument the previous day and she assumed he was trying to make up with her.

Her eyes had lit up when she saw the sparkling gown, causing her to think of ways in which she would reward her fiance that night for his exquisite taste. However, she was stunned to discover that the gown was not meant for her.

"Hermione should never have accepted that gown," declared the maid of honor. "It's much too extravagant for her to wear. No one should be more dressed up than the bride. That's just rude." All the other women nodded in agreement - although they all wished that Cho had picked bridesmaids gowns for them that were more ornate; however, none of them would admit that to her face.

Cho didn't say anything, just continued sipping her tea. When she looked past one of her bridesmaid's shoulder, her eyes met with Hermione's. Both women's gazes locked for a moment, and then simultaneously they both looked away.

"We have to get going," said the maid of honor as she looked down at her watch. "We all have hair appointments in an hour." She and the other eight women gathered their belongings and prepared to leave.

"Don't forget to arrive at my house at two o'clock for the pictures," said Cho.

Just as most of the women were heading towards the door, one bridesmaid stayed behind and tapped Cho on the shoulder.

"I can come over and help you get dressed," suggested the dejected curly haired blonde, as she attempted to make amends for her earlier approval of Harry choosing Hermione to be his best girl.

Cho shot her a hard look. "Emma is already doing that," she said, referring to her maid of honor. "So, I have no need for your services."

The bride to be was then left facing Hermione, as the other women were no longer there to block her view. As she peered across the room, she noticed that Hermione was also sitting by herself at the table.

************************************************************************

Hermione looked down as she stirred her coffee, wondering if it was safe for her to look up. Cho had been staring at her for a few minutes, a hard unblinking stare that unnerved her, forcing her to lower her head. She wondered why she bothered to stay at the restaurant instead of going back to the flat with Penelope; she guessed it was curiosity about the other woman that forced her to remain in her seat. When she looked up once more, she saw Cho walking towards her table, carrying a cup in her hand.

Cho stopped right in front of her. "Can I sit with you? My friends have all abandoned me."

"Sure," Hermione muttered in a weak voice. She watched as the other woman put her drink down on the table and took the seat across from her. When Cho smiled at her, Hermione forced her lips into a tight grin.

The two women had never been alone before, and it was now becoming a daunting task for Hermione, as she didn't know what to say. She looked down into her lap, as she was suddenly growing shy of the other woman. Something about the way Cho walked, and held herself and even her manner of speaking intimidated her.

During social events and gatherings, Cho had always been cordial, but Hermione had sensed some indifference on the other woman's behalf. At the previous week's party at Harry's home, Hermione had hoped to steal some time away with the hostess for a chat, but something in Cho's eyes told her to keep her distance. There was always something in those eyes that communicated so much, even when her face stayed expressionless and placid.

As Cho looked out the window, she had a strange look on her face, as if concentrating on something. Hermione tried to see what was outside that was of such great interest, but only saw pedestrians walking by. Perhaps she was thinking of how wonderful a life she had, thought Hermione.

While the other woman was distracted, Hermione took the opportunity to look her over. Her eyes washed over Cho's creamy smooth skin, her beautiful almond shaped eyes and her silky black hair, which was up in a twist. She then looked at the other woman's ensemble; she had long admired Cho's sense of style, secretively that is.

Hermione's hands went to her shirt as she tried to straighten out the creases, wishing she had taken more time to get dressed and hadn't worn her old jeans and t-shirt.

She had become so engrossed in the other woman's attire that she didn't realize that Cho had stopped looking out the window and was now staring back at her.

"Did your dress arrive safely at your place?" ask Cho, half startling Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Yes it did." Hermione then tried to think of something to say to the other woman. "Congratulations," she finally said. "I never got a chance to say that to you during the party."

As Hermione sat back in her chair, a strange awe filled her; that was the most they had ever said to one another during all of their years of being acquaintances. During school, they had not socialized with one another, as they both had different friends and were in separate houses. Even when Cho and Harry first started dating, Hermione was never in the picture much, as the couple always congregated with Cho's Ravenclaw friends.

"I can't wait to go to the wedding," Hermione said excitedly, after gaining enough courage to continue talking. "I heard Harry has a surprise in store for everyone."

"He says it's going to be spectacular," Cho replied. "But he won't tell me what it is." The woman then glanced out the window once more. "How was the stag party?" she asked after a long pause.

"It was okay," murmured Hermione. She then creased her brows as she wondered how Cho knew about her presence at the previous night's celebration.

Cho must have read her thoughts because she responded, "Harry told me."

Hermione wondered if Cho was angry at her for attending the party, but nothing on the other woman's face communicated any displeasure.

"I heard Ron entertained everyone with a dance," said the future Mrs. Potter.

"He did." Hermione was about to say more, but hesitated - she didn't know if Cho was just making idle chit chat, or whether she really wanted to know more about the goings on at the previous night's party. But the welcoming smile on Cho's face told her she was interested. "It was a bit embarrassing though. I think he got up on the tables twice and even led everyone into some sort of dance he called 'The Weasley Shuffle.'"

A toothy grin spread on Hermione's face as she recalled the origins of the dance. "I think he started it in school. He always did it after every Quidditch match." She looked up at Cho. "Did you go to many of the matches--" She stopped talking when she remembered that Cho was seeker for Ravenclaw, up until her last year at school. "I'm sorry," Hermione said quickly.

Cho managed a smile. "It's okay. And I am well acquainted with that dance of his."

Although they both enjoyed talking about Ron's shenanigans, Hermione did not feel at ease in the other woman's presence; there seemed to be an unspoken tension radiating in the space between them.

"I would have gone to the stag party myself," Cho began, "but I thought it would be an inappropriate place for a lady. It wouldn't seem right for me to be there with all those lads, interrupting their fun."

Cho brought her cup to her mouth and took another sip. She was able to see the distraught look on Hermione's face. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that. Of course it's a lot different for you since you've spent a large part of your life with Harry and Ron. Harry is always telling me how the three of you spent every summer at the Weasley estate."

Hermione lowered her head as a smile crept onto her face at the thought of the Burrow being referred to as an estate.

"You must be an incredibly strong person," continued Cho, "to sit there all night and listen to their crude talk and whatnot. I could never handle that."

Cho continued looking at Hermione, noticing how the other woman did not return her gaze. She picked up her drink, but seeing that the cup was empty, she pushed it away. "Of course some people would find you a bit strange, but to each his own."

Hermione, who had recently found a great interest in her scrambled eggs, looked up for the first time in a few minutes and stared at the other woman. "What did you mean by that?" she asked slowly.

Cho alternated from looking down at her hands to meeting the other woman's eyes and back again. "Never mind, I shouldn't have said anything at all. Just ignore me."

Hermione sat back in her chair. "I want to know what people are saying."

"It's just that...some people think you're a strange one for always wanting to hang around all the lads."

"Ron, Harry and I have been going friends since we were eleven years old. They are like my family and I feel comfortable around them."

"That's what I've always said," declared Cho, "but they never listen to me. They say you're always hanging around Harry for different reasons." She looked down at her perfectly manicured hands. "You should forgive me for bringing it up. I've been talking all morning with my bridesmaids and they always feel a need to tell me all the latest gossip."

Hermione held her breath for a moment and sank low in her chair. "So, I'm the hot topic people are gossiping about?"

"Not you per se, just your actions. I guess people are not used to seeing a woman like you. They all think that you're a pretty peculiar person."

"What other reasons do people think I've been hanging with Ron and Harry?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

Cho waited a moment before answering - her nails had somehow fascinated to a great extent. "Well, I've heard talk that you're around Harry all the time because you're pining after him."

Hermione sat up straight in her chair. Her heart was suddenly now pounding against her chest. Normally she would never care what people thought of her, but this revelation deeply concerned her; especially since it involved the future husband of the woman sitting across from her. "Why would I be pining over him?" She bit down on her lip when she noticed that there was some tentativeness in her voice.

"I'd rather not say," stated Cho, as he eyes darted from Hermione to the window. "I don't want to upset you."

Hermione shook her head. "I won't get upset."

Cho carefully examined the other woman's appearance and then continued. "Word has it that you're jealous of me, jealous that I got Harry. You had him all to yourself for all those years, but never got an opportunity to get together with him."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "What?" she nearly shouted. Several customers from nearby tables turned to look at her.

Cho was unflustered by Hermione's sudden outburst, as she remained still, her face and body language communicating calmness. Once Hermione had gotten over the embarrassment of being stared at by strangers, the future Mrs. Potter began to talk once more.

"But I don't think any of that," Cho said casually. "I don't think you're pining over anyone. You've got far too much going on in your life to be lusting after someone else's fiance." She reached across the table and grabbed Hermione's hand in a reassuring manner.

Hermione looked down at that hand as it grazed her skin. She wanted to pull away from the other woman's touch, but she couldn't move.

Cho then snapped her finger at one of the waitresses who was walking by. "Can I have some more tea?" She looked over at the woman sitting across from her. "Would you like anything else Hermione?" Not getting any response from the other woman, she waved her hand in Hermione's face. "Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head.

Handed a new cup of tea, Cho poured cream into her drink. "Even though I don't believe any of the talk about you, it doesn't mean it's not hurtful for me to hear. I mean, how would you like to be in my shoes, having to listen to rumors that another woman is in love with your fiance? I already have a lot of stress on my plate, I don't need any other added pressures."

After emptying three packets of sugar into her tea, Cho brought the cup to her lips; it was too hot. "Plus, things will get worse once he and I are married."

"How do you mean?" Hermione dared to ask.

"It just won't look right for you as a single woman to be seen out on the town with a married man." Cho watched as Hermione lowered her head, trying to hide the discomfort that was now developing on her face. "I of course would love it if you guys were together all the time. I'm glad he has you in his life. You're such a sensible and good influence on him." She flashed Hermione a warm smile.

Hermione pulled back when she saw Cho smiling at her. That was the same smile the former Ravenclaw often gave Ron.

"It was fine for you guys to hang out together when Harry and I were dating," Cho went on, "but things have now changed. It's going to look weird if there's three people in our marriage."

Hermione folded her hands tightly in her hands. "I'll try to keep my distance from him once you guys are married, which won't be hard since I'll be at Hogwarts."

"Hermione, don't stop your contact with Harry just because of other people's talk."

"No," Hermione said, trying to control the crackling in her voice. "You're right, it'll look bad for me to be around a married man." She closed her eyes tightly, to control the swelling of emotions that was taking place, as she didn't want to lose control in front of Cho.

"But, I hope all the talk doesn't discourage you from attending the wedding. I know that Harry went to great lengths to try to get you there."

"Are you sure? I know that it had to be weird for you to hear about him making me his best man."

Cho hesitated for a moment. "At first I was a little confused by it all. But later on, it really sunk in. Now, I think it's sweet." She began to trace her finger around the rim of her cup and gave Hermione a bold stare. "But..."

Hermione was just about to bring her cup of coffee to her lips, but paused.

"Harry and I were talking last night," Cho went on, "and we decided it would be best if you didn't stand by his side after all."

Hermione planked the cup down hard onto the table. "But he was over at my flat telling me how much he wanted me there."

"I know. But after a lot of talk, we decided that it would be best it you weren't his best...whatever you call it. It's nothing personal, it's just that your gown doesn't fit the color scheme of the wedding. All the other women will be wearing pink, and your blue dress just won't blend in."

Hermione's heart was now beating fast as Cho's words washed over her. She stared at the other woman, her teeth clenching as she eyed how Harry's fiance showed no emotion when saying those words.

"Why didn't Harry come over here and tell me that himself?" Hermione asked.

"Well, he was a little tired. He's been running around all night long doing this and that. He just couldn't bring himself to do it."

"Fine," Hermione said in a low whisper.

"But you can still come to the wedding if you like. It would be a shame for you not to show off your new gown. It's such a beautiful garment and I don't think it should be locked away in the closet. Plus, I know that Harry went to great lengths to have it specially made just for you."

"No, it's okay." Hermione opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped as she stared into the other woman's eyes. Something flickered in Cho's dark pupils that told her all she needed to know.

Hermione slowly got up from her seat. She reached into her bag to pull out some money to pay for the meal, when the other woman held up her hand. "Don't worry about it honey," said Cho, "I've got it."

As Hermione made her way out of the restaurant, Cho sat back in her seat and brought her tea to her lips once more; it was the perfect temperature.