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 09 - What Are You Going To Do Now?

Posted:
01/22/2003
Hits:
1,827


Chapter 9: What Are You Going To Do Now?

Harry slowly turned the doorknob. He then glanced over his shoulder at Cho; she was still leaning against the vanity, her face looking gloomy. He dropped his head for a second, thinking how only an hour ago, he was prepared to marry and spend what he hoped would be his entire life with her.

He closed his eyes and wondered if he would have been faithful during their marriage. "Yes," he told himself, thinking how had been able to keep away from the other woman in his life for all those years without any problems - of course there had been moments of uncertainty along the way, as when Hermione wore an article of clothing that excited him.

Surely in those two years he had been with Cho, he had ample opportunities to have a sexual tryst or two with Hermione; they could easily have slipped into one of the spare bedrooms in his mansion while Cho busied herself in the kitchen - supervising Dobby on the preparation of the meals. And during their last year at Hogwarts, when Cho was nowhere in sight, he and Hermione could have satisfied all their sexual cravings with passionate rendezvous in the Astronomy Tower or any one of the many abandoned classrooms in the school. He could have done many things with Ms. Granger during those times, but he was able to control himself.

However, the smug smile that was on his lips as he congratulated himself for being able to suppress his urges began to disappear when he thought of how he had recently started to lose his willpower; most recently after his stag party, when he stood with Hermione on the street corner, while her perfume enraptured his senses and pulled him closer to her. He was sure he would have kissed her; the kiss she gave him earlier had opened up the flood gates, forcing his desires to the surface and bringing back memories of that ill fated night when he lay her on the floor, his lips roaming her hot skin and traveling along the curves and hills of her body.

But the totality of his lust didn't completely surface until he was at her flat, with his chest pressed against her back as she stood in her kitchen washing that tiny cup repeatedly. It was true he had left her unexpectedly that night because he wanted to get back to Cho before the thrumming noise of his watch made his eardrums explode, but he had other reasons for disapparating without saying goodbye; more private reasons. Standing so close to her and being able to freely run his hands up and down her body without risk of getting caught by Cho was such a novel and thrilling experience, that it excited him, arousing his organs.

He had then apparated onto the street corner where he had encountered Seamus. Leaning against a building, he took deep breaths as he waited for his excitement, which was clearly visible from the front of his slacks, to wane.

But what if he had stayed, he pondered. He could easily have taken Hermione into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. However, he doubted he would have been able to wait until they reached her bed; since his appetite was quite high at that moment, he probably would have taken her right there in the kitchen. He then imagined taking off her clothes to reveal that taunt body underneath. His hands would then reach for areas of her body he had not had the pleasure of exploring for many years: her breasts and...other places.

The orgasm, he thought, would surely be explosive, as his craving for her had been building for all those years. He imagined their moans wafting through the small flat, awakening her two roommates and even forcing her cat to take notice. It had been a long time since he had heard those wails of ecstasy escape her mouth. A smile formed onto the corner of his lips as he imagined her cries echoing in his ears, while her fingernails clawed his back.

But Harry was quickly pulled back into the present, as he berated himself for having such erotic thoughts. He slowly opened the door, only wide enough to allow him to squeeze out, as he did not want anyone to witness Cho while she was still in that emotional state. But the moment he took a step outside the room and found himself surround by the group of people, he was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to walk back into the dressing room. In addition to Cho's mother, bridesmaids and surly house-elf - who glanced at him with large sad eyes, which looked as though she knew what he would announce to the crowd - was Cho's father.

Everyone stayed quiet, their eyes glued to him as they waited for him to explain what had been occurring in the room for the past hour. Mr. Chang took a step forward, the expression in his eyes matching that of Olga's. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. As those dark eyes stared back at him, Harry suddenly felt at ease; the other man always had an easy way about him that seemed to relax even the most frazzled of nerves. His wife, on the other hand, had a way of making people feel nervous.

Harry recalled the summer after his sixth year, when Cho had invited him to the manor to meet her parents for the first time. Sitting in their grand dining room, as their house-elves served them a ten-course meal - half of which he didn't eat nor could he pronounce - was daunting to say the least. But it did not compare to the round of questioning that flew from Mrs. Chang's mouth, as she inquired about his personal life. He had stayed quiet, lowering his head and twirling his duck liver around on his place, as he was unable and a little embarrassed to answer such direct questions. It was not until Mr. Chang took Harry into his study, that the young man was finally able to feel at ease; Cho's father never pressured him to talk, only preferring to smoke his pipe as Harry wandered the room, eyeing his massive collection of books.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us Harry?" Mr. Cho asked.

Harry opened his mouth to utter the statement that would devastate the crowd, when Mrs. Chang pushed her husband out of the way. "Of course there's nothing he wants to say." She shot her husband a stern glance, before turning her attention back to Harry, looking at him up and down. "There's no time for you to go home and change. I'll just have to send Olga to your place so she can get your suit from you servant. What's his name again?" Before Harry could respond, she swiveled her head to where the old house-elf was standing. "Olga," she said snapping her fingers in the air, "I want you to go to Potter Manor" (Harry immediately took a step back when he heard that his house had already been christened with a name) "and get Harry's tux."

The feisty house-elf looked up, her face suddenly flooding with alarm. The sadness disappeared from her eyes and was replaced with a glare Harry had become extremely familiar with. But Mrs. Chang paid no attention to Olga's apparent disdain of having to deal with Dobby, and continued talking. "And tell Harry's best man--" She turned to Harry just then. "His name is Ron, is it not?"

Harry nodded.

"The same one who brought those two girls to your house?" Her lip began to curl into a grimace. Her hand rose to her face, as she shook her head. "Let's just hope he's more appropriately dressed this time and conducts himself like a gentl--" She quickly looked to her left and right, throwing all of the bridesmaids a disgruntled glance. "And what are all of you standing around here for? You need to get to the gazebo immediately."

Before she could shoo everyone out of the room, Mr. Chang grabbed her arm and said, "Darling, I think Harry would like to say something to us."

All of the bridesmaids made their way back from the door, as they were curious to hear what he had to say; so they could spread the news to the entire town, Harry thought. He had been so preoccupied with watching Cho's mother bully everyone, that he had lost his train of thought and courage. He took a deep breath, as he watched Mrs. Chang cross her arms tightly against her chest, throwing him nervous smiles every so often and tapping her foot on the carpet - the same tapping her daughter did when she was irritated.

Harry reached behind him and felt for the doorknob with his fingers. Then without saying a word, he escaped back into Cho's dressing room.

Cho, who had now changed out of her gown, gasped when she saw him. "What are you doing back here?" she asked.

Harry retreated back to his chair, giving out a sigh when he felt that it was still warm. "I just couldn't do it. I couldn't get the words out of my mouth." His hand flittered to his forehead, as the throbbing intensified. "After I tell them the news, I'll have to go downstairs and tell all the guests and then go home and tell Ron and everyone else." He closed his eyes and let a moan escape his mouth. "I can't deal with this right now. It's too much."

"You don't have to tell them anything," Cho said as she sat on the arm of his chair, her fingers twirling around his hair. "I can go out there and announce the news to them."

Harry glanced up at her. "I don't want you to have to tell your own family. I'll do it."

"No, it's okay. If you tell them, they'll come in here and ask me more questions anyway." She got up and walked back to the corner of the room, where there laid a large box. "Most of the people who've already arrived for the ceremony are my aunts and uncles, so I can tell them as well."

She began to stuff her wedding dress into the box, before placing an anti-wrinkle spell on it. With her wand still in her hand, she walked around the room, twirling the instrument around her fingers. She then pointed the wand at his portrait, causing his image to disappear. The picture that took its place was one of her, dressed in her Ravenclaw Quidditch outfit.

"I've decided to give Quidditch another go," she said. "I'm sending the team's manager an owl later today." She turned around and faced Harry. "It will feel so good to be flying again. But I don't think I'll feel comfortable playing against you though. What am I saying? I don't even know if they'll take me--" She stopped talking as her gaze fell on the distant expression that was in Harry's eyes. Her fingers outstretched, she gently touched his face.

Harry almost jumped out of his seat when he felt her fingers gliding along his cheek. He had only been half listening to what she was saying, too consumed with the reaction he would get from the Weasleys, his godfather and others at his house when he told them the wedding was off. Dobby of course would be distraught, probably blaming himself for the cancellation, as he knew that Olga and Cho did not look fondly upon him. Dean, Harry guessed, would be ecstatic as he now had an opportunity to make a move on the newly single Cho.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Harry remained quiet for a moment, before talking. "Are you going to start dating Dean now that we're no longer getting married?"

"What? Is that what you were thinking about when I was talking to you just now?" She then pushed her hair out of her face and gave him a stern look. "You and I just broke up. Why do you think I would be so quick to start looking for another boyfriend?"

Harry glanced away, ashamed at himself for asking her such an inappropriate question. He would have said he was sorry, but she began talking almost immediately. "I don't know," she said, her tone becoming soft once more. "He was really nice to me. But I don't want to think about that right now. I'm not ready for anyone else at this moment. I still have to get over you first." There was a long pause and then, "Are you thinking about getting together with--" She stopped talking, as she already knew the answer to the question. "If you guys do get together, please keep it quiet. News of our breakup is already going to be plastered on the front pages of all the newspapers. I just don't think I can handle reading about you and Hermione dating. So just keep it to yourselves for a couple of months. Allow me some time to grieve before you make anything public."

Without looking up, Harry reached for her hand, feeling along her legs until he met her fingers. He wished he had something else to say to her at that moment, but he stayed quiet, allowing the gentle caresses of his fingers against her skin to communicate what he couldn't. He glanced up at her then, looking into her eyes, when he heard Mr. Chang's voice.

"Hello," said Cho's father, his voice sounding uncomfortable - Harry guessed Mrs. Chang had pressured him to say something. "Are you guys okay in there? Some people out here are worried about you."

Cho walked to the door. "I guess they have to know sooner or later," she said. She then stepped out of the room and faced the crowd.

Harry could have gone home then, as everything was now finalized between them, but he continued to sit in his chair and waited until she was done telling everyone the news. He leaned forward, straining to hear what she was saying. He could hear the faint sound of her voice as it wafted from the other side of the door. Then there was a long silence. He guessed the crowd was digesting the announcement. But the silence went on for far too long, arousing his curiosity and causing him to get up from his chair and walk to the door. But before he had a chance to press his ear against it, he heard a loud rumble from the other side.

He quickly opened the door, witnessing how everyone was now crowded around Mr. Chang, who was holding his wife's limp body in his arms. Cho glanced at him and made a face. "My mum fainted," she said. "She likes to be dramatic."

Mr. Chang placed his wife on the bed, taking out a small vial from his pocket and holding it under her nose.

Harry leaned close to Cho's ear and asked, "Is she going to be all right?"

"She'll be fine. But I probably won't hear the last of it." Cho draped an arm around his shoulder and whispered, "Why don't you go home? I can handle everything here."

"Are you sure? I can stick around if you want." Harry pulled back so he could get a good look at her eyes and make sure she wasn't still angry with him. "If you need help telling everyon--"

"Don't worry about it. I've got everything under control." She turned around to look at her mother, who was stirring on the bed, mumbling incoherently. She faced Harry once more. "I'll just send out an owl to all the other guests letting them know the wedding is off."

Before he left, Harry wrapped his arms around Cho's waist and pulled her into a hug. "I know you're going to make the team," he uttered. "I look forward to seeing you out on the pitch."

~*~*~

Harry did not go back home, but apparated in the Chang family's garden. He looked up at the clear sky and witnessed a cloud of small owls gliding through the air on their way to tell all the guests that the wedding was called off. He lowered his head and continued down the long cobble walkway. He was about to head to the manor's grand ballroom and take a glimpse of what his reception would have looked like, when a billow of smoke coming from behind a tree caught his attention. Just then, a man dressed in black walked out from where he was hiding. Harry squinted at the figure. Although the man's face was half obscured by his long black hair, Harry could still make out who he was.

"Professor," he called out.

The cigarette fell out of the man's mouth as he swiveled his head towards Harry. The two watched one another in silence for a long time. Harry would have said more, but he was too overcome with surprise that his former professor had actually come to his wedding. But just as he opened his mouth to utter some gratitude on behalf of his godfather, the man disapparated.

Harry shook his head, wondering why Snape was hiding behind a tree. But he suddenly looked up in alarm, as he imagined his old professor being up to no good. Perhaps he was just there to curse everyone, he thought, thinking that something of that nature was not beneath the surly man, who remained cold towards him even during his graduation ceremony.

~*~*~

Harry apparated at Potter Manor, but near the lake; he was too nervous to step into the house and have to re-tell the whole story of why he and Cho broke if off. But he knew he would eventually have to say something, and paced around on the lawn thinking of an excuse. "We both decided that we're too young to get married," he said, as he rehearsed what he would say to his guests.

He walked up to the window of the kitchen and observed the people inside. He surveyed the living room, finding all of the Weasleys sitting on the sofas. They all seemed so happy, as they laughed and talked to one another. Everyone was dressed in his or her best dress robes, looking impeccable - they had no doubt used the advance the Cannons had given Ron to buy the new clothes. He then watched as Molly began to yell at the twins, her finger pointed at their hats, which displayed a flashing advertisement for their shop.

Seeing them gathered together reminded him of all the Sunday dinners at the Burrow, half of which he had missed over the past couple of weeks because of his former fiancée. An invitation to join the family was always given to Cho, as Mrs. Weasley was anxious to get better acquainted with the woman; but Cho always refused, forcing Harry to make up some lame excuse to explain her absence. Ron would always sit on the edge of the large backyard table, his mouth full of ham and snort to himself whenever he heard Harry explain to his family how Cho was not feeling well that day.

Harry's attention was then drawn to the corner of the room, where Percy sat with Penelope. He watched the couple as they sneaked quick kisses when no one was looking in their direction. Seeing Penelope at his house, Harry's eyes darted around the room in search of the woman's roommate, hoping to see her in that dazzling blue dress. Although he caught a glimpse of Hannah sitting near the stairs, there was no sign of Hermione anywhere in the house.

He took a step backwards when he saw a small owl fly towards the house and drop a letter from its beak into the fireplace. The letter fell into the lap of Arthur Weasley. Harry walked away then, not wanting to see their reaction, or the disappointment that would probably be on their faces when Mr. Weasley read the letter to everyone.

He continued walking around the garden, stepping on some flowers in the process. He made his way to the bench where he and his godfather had once sat, when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Harry closed his eyes, thinking he didn't want to turn around and find himself facing one of the Weasleys, as he was in no mood to explain things anymore. "I just want to be left alone right now," he said, without glancing over his shoulder. "Maybe some time later, I'll tell you guys what really happened. But right now, I don't feel much like talking."

"If that's what you want," said Arthur, "I'll leave you alone."

Harry listened to the man's footsteps as the walked away. But he turned around and chased after him, grabbing his arm and preventing him from heading back to the house. "I'm sorry about that," Harry said. "It's just that it's very hard for me to talk about it right now."

"That's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I just came over here to see if you were all right."

A look of alarm now spread on Harry's face, as he glanced back at the house. "So everyone knows I'm here?" He then closed his eyes and imagined the whole family running out to him, surround him as they all took turns asking him questions, with the twins throwing in their sarcastic comments of "Tell us the truth Harry. You couldn't stand her, now could you?"

"No," said Arthur. "I'm the only one who saw you through the window. The rest of them are still in there re-reading the announcement."

Harry dropped his head. "I don't even want to know what they could be saying right now. The twins are probably in there making jokes about the whole thing."

"Why would you think that? No one's judging you. And no one is making any jokes. We weren't ever talking about why you guys called off the marriage. We were all wondering where you could be and the state you were probably in. That's why I wanted to come out here and see you."

"I'm sorry." Harry then began to kick the small pebbles near his feet. "I know none of you would ever laugh at my misfortune. I'm just a little stressed right--" He snapped his head towards Arthur, his eyes widening. "Does Sirius know? I don't remember seeing him when I looked through the window."

"I'm not sure. He's still looking around his new house. But I think he's probably heard the news by now because I saw an owl drop a letter in one of his chimneys as well." He turned his head towards the guesthouse. "That's a nice thing you're doing there for him--hey, did you know he could walk?" But he didn't wait for Harry's answer and began to talk once more. "What am I saying? Of course you knew."

"What did Ron say about the whole thing?" Harry held his breath, as he was more than a little terrified to hear his friend's take on the cancellation. Surely Ron must have had some insight on what was going on between him and Hermione all those years, since he was the one that brought up the subject the night before.

"I'm not sure. He went back to his place a while ago to get ready. Neville went with him too."

Harry began to take nervous glances towards the house, wondering if he should head back there with Mr. Weasley. It would be rude, he thought, of him not to at least say 'hello' to the family members. Detecting the terrified expression that was looming in Harry's eyes, Arthur said, "You don't have to go in there. I'll just tell everyone you need some time to yourself. They'll understand." He then began to make his way to the house.

As Harry watched him tread back to the large doors where Mrs. Weasley was now standing, he decided he couldn't spend the rest of the day walking around in the garden. His gaze traveled to the guesthouse where his godfather was at that moment. The urge to run to the house and confide in the other man was great, but he held back; he didn't want to burden Sirius with his problems.

He began to make his way to the front of the house, to get away from the prying eyes of the Weasley clan, whose faces were now pressed against various windows, as they all tried to get a glimpse at him. With his head lowered, he passed the beautifully maintained bushes, when he heard some giggling at his right. Harry looked up to see Percy and Penelope kissing at the front steps. He stopped walking and stared at them, his eyes narrowed as he mentally cursed them for flaunting their happiness.

"They should be looking for me," Harry said to himself, "and wondering if I'm okay." But he soon realized they had a right to be happy. He wanted to turn around and give them their privacy, but he couldn't look away. He continued to watch their lips move against one another, giving them want he imagined was pure sensual enjoyment. He wished he could enjoy the same kind of passion with a certain elusive young woman who didn't even bother to show up.

Percy turned around and nearly took a step backwards when he saw him staring at them. "We didn't think anyone was around," he said. He lowered his head, as his cheeks became enflamed. Penelope brought her hand to her temples, hiding the expression on her face.

Harry looked away, as he was suddenly enveloped with embarrassment for his voyeurism. When he had composed himself, he glanced up at the couple, his eyes darting from Percy's face to Penelope's and back again. He could tell by the pained expressions on their faces that they were both uncertain as to what to say to him. He then saw the curly haired young woman nudge her boyfriend with her elbow, prompting him to speak.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, breaking the awkwardness that had grown between them.

Harry couldn't bring himself to utter a word and simply nodded.

Percy then glanced down at his girlfriend, their eyes communicating to one another. After some deliberation, he turned back to Harry. "Do you mind if we take a walk around your property for a while?"

"Sure," Harry managed to say. His eyes then stayed fixed on them as they made their way to the orchard, which was ripe and fragrant with fruit. He then observed the way they held each other's hand, their bodies pressed close together as they walked. He and Cho had been that happy once, he thought. His hand then trickled to the inside of his coat pocket, as he pulled out the hotel reservations that lay within. He ran after the couple, reaching them before they got too far. "I want you to have this," he said, handing the reservations to Percy, "since Cho and I have no need for it anymore."

He watched as Percy and Penelope both looked down at the slip of paper with awe in their eyes.

"The hotel is very nice," he continued. "There's a great view of the ocean from every window and the service is just spectacular." The Wyndham Hotel in Barbados was indeed a wonderful place; everything from the sounds of the crashing waves that billowed into the rooms, bidding good morning to young and old lovers alike as they awoke from a night of passion, to the sensual massage seminars was conducive to love making and any other hormonally driven activity imaginable.

"Everything is taken care of," said Harry, "so you guys don't have to pay for anything. You can even go on a shopping trip if you want. The hotel has a large boutique on the fifth floor."

Harry's gaze darted to Penelope, whose eyes were lit up. But it was the austere grimace spreading on Percy's face that caught his attention. "I don't think we can accept this," Percy said. "I know this trip much have cost you a fortune, and with my salary..." He looked down at his shoes for a moment. "There's no way I could repay you, even with my raise."

Harry could understand Percy being uncomfortable with the issue of money; although he was now promoted to a supervisor position at work, he was still not paid a lot. And it bothered him somewhat that his three younger brothers made a far better living than he.

"You don't have to pay me back," Harry said, carefully choosing his words so he would not offend the proud man. "I just figured you and Penelope could use a break, since you guys have been working so hard in the Ministry. Your father tells me your department has managed twice as much work as last quarter."

"Yes," said Percy, as he began to rub his chin. "We've been working harder now that I'm in charge." He glanced down at Penelope and smiled. "Perhaps we do need the break." He reached out his hand and gave Harry a firm handshake. Penelope was less formal with her thanks and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Harry began to walk away, feeling somewhat happier with himself, when he heard Penelope call out his name. "Just thought you might like to know that Hermione is still at home," she said. "She's not leaving until tonight."

~*~*~

Harry appeared in the hallway of his friend's building. He approached the door and was about to knock, but doubted anyone would be home at that moment. But as he began to walk away, he heard some voices coming from the other end of the door. He rang the doorbell.

"Harry," said Neville. "What on earth are you doing here?" He then moved out of the way and let the green-eyed man into the penthouse flat. "They probably sent you over to see why Ron and I are still not ready. I'm sorry, but we're running a little late. He's been in that bathroom getting ready for over an hour now. He refuses to get out of there until he's completely done."

Harry walked into Ron's living room, looking around the place. He had only been to his friend's home when there was little to no furniture in the flat, except for the bed, of course. But now the flat was completely furnished with a black leather couch and chairs. The carpet was a thick and wooly white, with black and white checkered rugs under the glass topped dining room and coffee table. The place had the sophistication that Ron had always wanted and often tried a little too hard to portray to the public.

Harry and the rest of the Weasley family had frowned upon Ron getting the large, one bedroom flat, advising him to spend his money on something less pretentious and pricey. But the redhead had been determined on getting the 125th floor penthouse. He even went to great lengths to find a designer to help him decorate the place, surely in an attempt to impress his snooty neighbors, who were all old-money types like the Chang family.

Everything to the marble bar that was littered with martini glasses told visitors that a globe trotting young man lived in the place. The only traces of Ron's true personality could be seen in the boxes of takeaway containers that were in the corner of the room and the large silver pole that hung from the ceiling to the floor. Harry closed his eyes, as he remembered the night of Ron's house warming party, when most of the Cannons players were gathered around that pole, their eyes glued to the blonde, who did tricks on the instrument that defined gravity.

The hooting and hollering that most of the men made when the young lady sat in Harry's lap, swiveling her hips against his body still echoed in his mind. That had been an embarrassing episode for him to say the least. He had to later take a shower in Ron's bathroom to get the girl's body glitter off his skin before he went back home to his fiancée.

Harry glanced at the balcony that held terrific views of the city below. He remembered sitting out there on lounge chairs with Ron the night he had purchased the flat. Everything had been clear cut then, as Harry had his life planned out so perfectly: he would be marrying Cho and he and Hermione would continue to be friends. But now everything had gone pear-shaped as he no longer had Cho and his friendship with Hermione was in question due to that afternoon's upsetting discussion with her.

"I'll tell Ron that you're here," said Neville, "and that he should hurry up."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said casually, as he sat down on the couch. Being at Ron's place put him at ease, as he never felt he had to pretend to be anything other than himself. He would often escape his own house and run to the flat on days he wanted to get away from Cho and the chaos of planning the wedding of the century. A smile crept to his lips, as he thought back to the night he and Ron had their chat.

Their bellies filled with the lamp kebabs they had devoured earlier, the two men lay on the floor, talking about their future. Ron had truly opened up to him then, sharing how he had hopes of getting married one day and having a family of his own. The news didn't take Harry by surprise as he already knew that family was a big part of Ron's life, despite the public persona of him being a devout bachelor. Ron went on to disclose how he wanted to marry one of the girls who worked in The Witches' Brew. He had apparently fallen for a bar-maid; the same young woman he would usually spend the entire night talking to instead of getting lap dances.

"Why shouldn't I tell Ron to hurry up?" Neville asked.

"Because the wedding's off. Cho and I decided we didn't want to get married anymore."

Neville stood in the middle of the room, staring down at Harry with some astonishment. He then sat in the chair next to the other man. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself before he could utter a word.

Soon, both men's head swiveled to the hallway, as they heard a loud rustling. Then Ron walked into the room wearing a long velvety patchwork cloak, and a bright blue suit, with a blue fedora styled hat pulled down on one side of his face. "How do I look?" he asked, twirling around in the middle of the room.

Harry narrowed his brows as the multitude of bright colors whizzed before him, overwhelming his senses. He then looked away in horror when he saw the ivory cane that Ron held in his hand.

Ron suddenly stopped in mid-twirl and glanced at his friend. "Harry, what are you doing here? You probably couldn't wait to see my outfit, huh?" He then moved closer to the seated young man, to give him a closer view of the colorful prism that was his attire. "Go ahead," Ron said, leaning close to Harry, "touch my cloak. It's real mink."

Harry hid his smile the best he could and reached out his hand to touch the animal skin.

"Isn't that the softest thing you've ever touched?" asked Ron.

Harry nodded his head. However, he had touched fur before, as Cho owned a closet full of mink coats of varying lengths. A very memorable sexual experience between them involved one of the coats. They had spent the first night together at Harry's mansion on the living room floor near the roaring fireplace, making love under one of her coats.

"It was made by some world famous fashion designer," continued Ron, as he glanced down at his outfit, looking pleased with himself.

"You look good," said Harry. Although he had to admit that his friend looked a mess, he couldn't bring himself to burst the happiness that was so apparent on the other man's face. He then began to laugh, as he imagined the expression everyone else at the wedding would have had on his or her face when Ron showed up.

Neville sat in silence, his hands blocking his face. After a few minutes, he finally muttered, "It suits you."

"So," said Ron, "are we going to leave together?"

Harry shook his head. "No. We're not going anywhere because there is no wedding. We cancelled it."

"Cancelled it? That's a joke right?" Just then a letter flew in from underneath the front door and hit Ron on the face. He picked up the envelope and read the slip of paper that was inside. "We regret to inform you that the wedding between Ms. Cho Jane Chang and Mr. Harry James Potter has been cancelled irrevocably." He then put the letter on the table and glanced at Harry. But he didn't say another word.

Ron walked to his bar and straddled on of the stools. He took out a glass from the overhead cabinet and poured himself a drink. "So, what happened with you guys?" he asked. "I thought you were the quintessential loving couple."

Something in his voice made Harry cringe, as he wondered if the other man was being sarcastic. But Ron's eyes loomed with genuine curiosity, which prompted him to speak. "We decided to call it quits because..." Harry hesitated as he glanced over at Neville, who was now leaning forward in his chair to hear the news. "We decided we were too young."

Ron turned his head to the side and snorted.

Harry then sank back into the plush sofa and remained quiet for several minutes. A looming hush grew over the three men, only interrupted occasionally by Ron taking loud slurps of his drink. There was more Harry wanted to say right then about his ordeal with Cho, but didn't want to draw Neville into his private affairs. He knew the other man was trustworthy and was not one to spread rumors, but he felt uncomfortable revealing too much about his life to others.

But Neville was an intuitive man, who could often sense when he had outworn his welcome. "I think I'll get going," he said as he got up from his chair and picked up his jacket. "Padma should have heard the news by now. I think she's probably over at my house, waiting for me to take her out to dinner."

"By the way," Ron called out, "thanks for cleaning up. The place looks really nice."

Neville made a face and headed out the door, so he could disapparate in the hall.

"You made him clean your place?" Harry asked.

"I didn't make him do anything. He volunteered." Ron got off of the stool and began walking around the spotless room, probably inspecting the job that his servant had done with a pleased grin on his face. "He's really good at this stuff. And he didn't even use magic to straighten things up either. My mum would have like to have him live at our place when I was growing up. Would have saved her a lot of time picking up after us."

"Why don't you just get a cleaner? You can afford that now."

"I know I can afford it, but I want to save my money for some important things."

Harry sat up. That was the first time his friend had ever used the word 'save' in his presence. Ever since his contract deal with the Cannons, Ron had been a frequent visitor to all the shops in Hogsmeade, and running up tabs in all the taverns and men's clubs. Harry at one point thought his friend would spend all his money before the Quidditch season even started, especially when he would go into pubs and buy all the customers a round of drinks.

"I have something big in the works," Ron continued. He brought the glass to his lips again and took a long sip, all the while glancing at Harry with a cheeky expression glowing in his eyes.

Harry watched in annoyance as Ron began to smack his lips loudly. "Will you get on with it?"

"Well, I'm saving up to buy my mum and dad a new place. I've spent far too much money on myself and need to show them a little gratitude for all the support they've given me over the years."

"That's really nice of you."

"Yeah, yeah." Ron sat down on the floor. "Now let's get back to the serious stuff. Why did you and Cho break it off?"

Harry relaxed into the sofa and placed his hands behind his head. "She found out about me and Hermione."

Ron, who was staring up at the ceiling admiring the crystals on his new chandelier, suddenly raised his head. "Found out about you and Hermione?" He then grew quiet, his eyes growing wide. "Were you guys having an affair or something?"

"No. We never had an affair." Harry lowered his head, as he thought how he was now going to reveal the information to his friend for the first time ever. "I don't want you to get upset about what I'm about to tell you." He watched as Ron sat up on his elbows, giving him a hard look. The other man then got up from the floor, and sat down in a chair.

Harry waited a minute before he began talking, as Ron seemed preoccupied with his outfit; he took great care in positioning his hat on his head and appeared to get sensual pleasure in running his hands up and down his fur coat. Harry allowed his friend this indulgence, knowing that he had lived a life of deprivation for far too long, as he had to sit back and watch others like Draco Malfoy flaunt their riches.

Several years before, Ron had caught a glimpse of the large piles of gold galleons that littered Harry's vault, when the pair had gone to Gringotts to collect money for school supplies. Harry still remembered the expression of surprise and disappointment that rang out in Ron's face as he eyed the goldmine, and the way his friend jealously watched as he bought new robes and books while Molly purchased tattered and worn out supplies for him and his sister.

"A couple years ago," Harry began when Ron had finally settled himself into the chair and was giving him his full attention, "Hermione and I had...." He paused and looked down at his hands. "We had an encounter."

"An encounter? What's that supposed to mean?"

"We had sex," Harry mumbled.

"What?" Ron bolted from his chair and sat next to Harry on the couch. "When did this happen?"

"It was during the fifth year. And it was only a one-time thing. We didn't say anything to you because we thought it would make you feel weird and change the dynamics of the group."

Another reason Harry wanted to keep their liaison a secret was he assumed Ron had feelings for Hermione and thought the news would crush him. He had long noticed that their bickering with one another was laced with a lot of sexual tension, mostly on Ron's part. And his suspicions about Ron's feelings for Hermione were accurate, as he asked her out before the end of their sixth year.

"I always sensed something between you guys," said Ron, "but I could never put my finger on it. You guys never really joked around with one another during out last years of school like before. It was weird."

Harry observed Ron's face, trying to detect from the expression in his eyes if he was upset to hear the information. At first he saw nothing but deep concentration in his brown eyes, but soon Ron curled his lips into a grimace.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. A little. I would never have gotten together with her if I had known you guys slept together."

"Why not? You're mad because I slept with her first?"

Ron swiftly moved to the other end of the couch. "No, I'm not mad because you had sex with her before I did." He wrapped his coat completely around his body and stayed quiet for a long time. "Just for you information," he began again in a small voice, "Hermione and I never had sex. We came pretty close to it on many occasions, but never did anything. Every time we started kissing, I could tell she wasn't really into it. And we spent most of our time arguing anyway."

Harry continued to stare at him, not able to believe - but nonetheless relieved - to hear the news. He surely thought they had slept together, as he sometimes witnessed them kissing in the common room, when they thought no one else was looking. He had never been comfortable with the idea of his friends dating, although he always put up a happy front when around them. That she was dating again made Harry feel as though Hermione had completely gotten over him, had forgotten their night together. But deep down, he guessed he felt some jealousy over Ron for having captured her heart.

"If you had told me," said Ron, "I would have known right away what was bothering her during our relationship. It wasn't until she started talking about you every five minutes that I realized she was in love with you. Plus whenever she got mad at me, she always say 'I should have wound up with Harry.'" He then turned to Harry, giving him a hard look. "Cho found out you still love her, or did she catch you guys doing something?"

"She found out we had feelings for one another. Plus, she saw things during our relationship that made her guess something had happened between Hermione and me." He sighed loudly and slouched down on the sofa. "I always thought I could move on and live a happy life with Cho, but I guess I couldn't." He turned his head to the side and glanced at Ron. "You're probably happy we're not getting married. I know you didn't really care for her."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know how I feel about her. I mean, at first I liked her because she seemed like the kind of girl I always envisioned you going out with: pretty, smart, rich. But once I got to know her, I began to feel differently about her." He then got up and went back to the bar to pour himself another drink. "I didn't grow fonder of her as I got to know her. She always had a way of looking at me that made me feel like....shit. And the smile that she always gave me, I knew it wasn't genuine. Sorta like when Draco used to smile at me at school. And the way she was always controlling you."

Harry slowly pinned his arms to his chest, his face growing tense as he continued to hear his friend list Cho's faults and all the wrongs he witnessed in their relationship. Although Ron was not telling him something he did not already know for himself, if felt awkward to hear them from another person; it only reinforced his belief that he had chosen the wrong girl. Plus, it still hurt him to hear such harshness uttered about someone he still had feelings for.

Ron stopped talking and dropped his head, as he swirled his drink around in his glass. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "I probably shouldn't have said all those things about her." He walked back to the couch and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder until the other man's arms fell back to his sides.

They both remained quiet for some time, until Harry finally asked, "Do you think I'm a fool for getting engaged to her?"

Ron waited a long while before answering. "No." He opened his mouth to say more, but hesitated. He finally put his glass on the table and glanced at his friend. "I don't want to say this, but...." He took another sip of his drink, which Harry assumed was giving him the courage he needed to continue. "I'm kinda glad," Ron continued, "you guys didn't go through with the ceremony." He scooted closer to his friend on the couch and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was fearing that I wouldn't be able to see you anymore after you got married."

"What are you talking about? We'd see each other out on the pitch nearly everyday."

"I know that. But I feared we wouldn't be able to socialize or go out and have a drink with one another on our time offs. I was so worried you'd ignore me after games or practices and just run back home to Cho."

Harry wanted so much to reassure Ron and himself that he would never have abandoned their friendship, but he could do no more than glance down at his hands. Remembering all the things Cho had said about the other man and his out of control behavior, Harry knew she would not have approved of them seeing one another. Although he clearly had a mind of his own and could be quite insistent on doing things his own way, he also tried to avoid conflict at all times; he wanted to have a peaceful family environment, like the one he never received from his own blood relatives. His time, he assumed, would mostly be spend with Oliver Wood or any of the other players on the Cannons that Cho approved of.

"You don't have to worry about that now," said Harry. "I'm not going to let anyone else try to keep us apart anymore."

Ron gave him a little smile and then looked straight ahead of him again. "What are you going to do now?"

Harry slumped back on the sofa, sinking into the folds of the leather material. "I don't know. I guess I could go home, but your mother will probably still be there. I'm sure she'll be waiting up for me, just to make sure I'm all right."

"You're more than welcomed to stay here if you want."

"Thanks." Harry's head began to pound, as he thought of all the people he needed to see before the end of the day - a certain curly haired young woman in particular. But he found it hard to get up from that sofa. His day had been hectic and he needed some rest before he paid a visit to another person.