The One to Keep

The stars sparkled brightly in the midnight sky over the roofs of Islington, London. Later that morning, Cho would be riding the Hogwarts Express. Ever the high achiever, she had spent every day since her trip to Diagon Alley reviewing her school books preparing herself for the semester. Or rather, she had been studying between daydreams of Oliver, and unexpectedly, Cedric. At the moment, she stood on the balcony gazing at the dark sky. Cho gazed up at the stars every night, but she never studied them, only lost herself in thought and awe. 'Amazing' she thought. The dark sky dusted with specs of diamond can mesmerize the most practical mind. It is unusual for Cho to dream and have her head in the clouds, but since Diagon Alley, she experienced and new caliber of emotion. Anxious, yet tired, she headed inside to sleep. She turned to her mirror.

"He can't resist you,'" the image said to her.

Cho shook her head in disagreement; her heart was hoping the mirror was speaking the truth. She just couldn't figure out who 'he' was. That night, Cho had great difficulty finding sleep. She could only toss and turn for hours until her eyelids got heavy and she could stay awake no more.

The next morning, Cho woke up well before her alarm. She was too excited to stay asleep. The clear sky she had seen the night before was now covered with clouds. A short time later, properly groomed and everything Cho needed for her school year packed, the Chang family headed to Kings Cross Station. It was 10:30 when they arrived on Platform 9 and ¾. For once, the Changs were on time. Cho said her goodbyes to her parents, boarded the Hogwart's Express, and seated herself in an empty compartment. She was soon followed by Ritchie, whose nose was stuck in a muggle science fiction novel. He made his way through obstacles, his eyes never leaving the page. He was followed by Jenna. She was tall with short brown hair layering over a friendly face in which people found comfort. Her social life was active, but she managed to properly balance her parties and studies. Jenna smiled at Cho and sat at her side. She looked at Ritchie with a raised brow. Ritchie als hadn't noticed Cho or Jenna's presence. She looked at her watch and noted they had five minutes before the train left for Hogwarts. Minutes passed before Cho broke the silence.

"Good book?" Cho asked Ritchie.

"Oh, Hello Cho and Jenna! Didn't see you guys step in," replied Ritchie, as he glanced at the two girls then brought his eyes firmly to the pages of his book.

Before Cho could reply, the book was snatched out of Ritchie's hand.

"Stop reading and talk to us!" said Jenna, smacking him with the book. "There is a time a place for reading . . .'Star Witch Space Continuum?' . . . How can you read such things?! These muggle books are just printed words, there's no life to them!" she rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Cho, not giving Ritchie a chance to reply. "You'll never guess!"

"What?" asked Cho eagerly, her curiosity piqued.

"I'm sure you know that Eliza has a huge crush on Roger? Well, in attempt to win him over she tried poison him!"

"Poison? Not entirely surprised coming from Eliza. Not the most effective strategy though. She does go to some odd extremes. Didn't she once turn your hair green, Cho?" inquired Ritchie.

"Yes, she did! I hate green!" expressed Cho, her mind recalling the memories.

Since Cho's first year, she had been bullied by Eliza. In a fit of jealousy, Eliza turned Cho's hair and fingernails green.

"Anyway, she offered Roger a sip from her water bottle. But, Roger knows better than to take offers from someone like Eliza. After all, that makes him a Ravenclaw," she continued. "He refused the bottle, but the bottle was snatched by very thirsty Nott. He chugged the entire thing. I am assuming the water was concentrated with Fermethyl, a liquid that taken in large quantities will reduce one's judgment. Symptoms showed up immediately; his voice is slurred and can't keep his hands of Eliza. He is saying she is the Amazon Goddess! He won't leave her alone. Imagine, Nott your faithful worshiper. That poor Amazon Goddess," Jenna teased. The trio giggled.

"That's a shame," added Cho, "Fermethyl can make you really sick. Surely Nott would have noticed the water wasn't pure."

"With how thick he can be? Fermethyl is very potent and its taste and smell are completely neutral. Very few people can't tell until it's too late! But it is a fabulous spirit!" said Jenna.

"You seem to be an expert on Fermethyl, Jenna," inquired Ritchie with a raised eyebrow.

"Tee-hee. You have no idea!" The girls giggled.

Marie and Jolene entered the compartment and joined their friends. Marie was shorter than Jenna and Jolene. She had rosy cheeks and dark hair. Her face always expressed sincerity and innocence. Jolene was the tallest, next to Ritchie, and most serious of the group. She had a slender figure, long fingers, glasses, and long auburn hair.

"What happened to Nott?" asked Marie.

As Jenna retold her story, Ritchie reached for his novel and Cho looked at the compartment door. Once the train started moving at a constant speed, Cho rose from her chair and strolled down the long hall. She walked past open compartments filled with student of all years and houses. She wasn't looking for anything or anyone in particular, though she wouldn't have minded running into a certain someone. At the end of the hall she stopped in front of a closed compartment door, 'Prefects Only.' Too young for prefect, Cho turned around and headed back to her compartment.

"Cho!" The door opened with Cedric's head peeking into the hall.

"Oh, uh, sorry Cedric, I was just wandering," said Cho flustered. Cedric smiled.

"I was just going to wander around myself. Would you care to come with me?" asked Cedric. Cho nodded, smiling and followed him. "Shopping went well I assume."

"Yes," she sighed. He turned and looked down at her and saw her eyes staring at the floor.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh," she looked up, "nothing, I'm just really tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"I see, rather unlike you. I've always known you to be a morning person."

She yawned, and managed a faint giggle. "The summer holidays are meant for sleep. I was just beginning to get my sleep schedule back to normal."

"Liar. You've studied these past few days, haven't you?" he smirked. Cho flushed.

"Well . . ." At that moment she was grabbed by the elbow and pulled roughly into a nearby compartment.

"So sorry Cedric, Ravenclaw Quidditch business!" Roger said and shut the compartment door.

"Sit, Cho. Sorry to be rude, but I didn't have much luck finding you before the train left, I was . . . sidetracked."

The other Quidditch players suppressed a laugh.

"Shush!" he ordered his teammates.

Roger grabbed rolls of parchment from his carry-on bag and spread them on the center table.

"I have spent the whole summer devising Quidditch plays. This year is going to be a very hard year. First game: Hufflepuff. Cho, pay attention! The Seeker is the only player we have to worry about. Compared to Cedric, the other players are amateurs, but don't mean the rest of you can slack!" He turned to the parchment labeled 'Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw' and started scribbling. "If you three," he said as he pointed at his burly Chasers, "can score enough goals before the Seekers catch the snitch, it wouldn't matter who catches the snitch first. Besides, we need to score as many points as we can. Cho, please look over these plays. I have done some researching on Seeker moves and thought you can find these useful."

Cho graciously accepted the parchments but couldn't help wondering why Roger doubted her performance. The first match would not be for three months, yet Cho already felt like she was in a championship game.

After hours of lecturing about Quidditch plays, Cho said good-bye to the team and headed back to her original compartment. She found two more of her closest friends, Heidi and Amy in the compartment. Cho had been friends with Heidi and Amy since before Hogwarts.

"Thought you fell off the train," joked Heidi, giving Cho a hug.

"Missed you at Diagon Alley," Cho replied.

"We're smart, Cha Cha," said Amy with a hug, "we finished our shopping three weeks ago."

"Well, the rush was fun," said Cho, "I got to see a lot of the students I missed over the holidays."

"I'm a bit nervous about this year though," said Marie, "I heard the first three years are cake compared to the fourth and beyond."

"The hat wouldn't sort us in Ravenclaw if we couldn't handle the pressure," boasted Jenna. Ritchie's nose had not left his book since Cho left the compartment hours ago.

Cho looked around the room beaming. She admired all her close friends, and was thankful to have all of them. Ritchie was quiet, part muggle, and a bookworm. He may not be active in conversation but he was an excellent listener. He was always a shoulder to cry on and always had good advice to offer. Jolene was very intelligent and the oldest of the group. She was also the oldest child in her family and developed a sense of maturity beyond her years. Marie was an optimistic girl, same year as Cho. Her positive attitude drove herself and others to succeed. She was dating Joey, Cedric's friend from Hufflepuff, which is how Cho and Cedric met and became good friends. Jenna was the most fun person in the group and she held a deep level of pride. She was very friendly and was therefore constantly surrounded by people she loved. Heidi was a giggly girl and a bit absent-minded. No one would ever guess she was in Ravenclaw after speaking with her for five minutes. However, the Sorting Hat knew why she should be placed in Ravenclaw; she was excellent in Potions and Arithmancy. Amy was Cho's best friend and was truly one of a kind. Despite her sarcastic and often pessimistic attitude, she was fun-loving and was a loyal friend. Completely content with her company, Cho grabbed a blanket and pillow from the top shelf and took a nap in the corner next to the window. Ritchie, never closing his book, shut the compartment door to muffle the noise.

~*~*

Meanwhile, Cedric sat quietly by the window in the Prefects compartment located down the long hall. The storm was intensifying and sky grew darker. He ran his fingers along the back of his neck and shifted his eyes to the boy in front of him. The boy had dark features, tan skinned, dark shoulder-length hair, and cold black eyes. His attention was focused on a leather covered notebook in which he wrote.

"Hi, I'm Cedric. This would be my first year as prefect."

There was a long pause.

"Bravo, would you like a medal?" he sarcastically replied without taking his eyes off the book.

"Uh. . ." stammered Cedric.

With a loud sigh, the boy shut his book and held out his hand. "Drew Thornborough, Slytherin sixth year."

"Nice to meet you," Cedric shook his hand. "Hufflepuff. So . . . what made you accept the Prefect job?"

"You see, Cedric," Drew said with a heavy distaste stressed in every syllable of Cedric's name, "being a prefect allows me to indulge my less-than-humane tendencies every once in a while without causing enough trouble to get myself locked up. Let me guess. You took the job to prove to the world that you are noble . . . honest . . . hardworking?"

Cedric looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "well, yes, as a matter of fact. And to have my own room." Cedric grinned.

Drew snickered to himself. He was feeling rather pleasant today and did not feel like mocking the last comment. Instead he smirked at the pretty boy and turned back to his notebook. Accepting a failed attempt to make a new friend, Cedric excused himself and headed down the long hall. A few compartments down he saw his Hufflepuff friends and joined them.

"Well, well. Look who stepped down from Mt. Olympus and come to mingle with the mortals," joked Mark.

"Sorry guys, thought I'd get better acquainted with my fellow prefects."

"Well, good to have you back down to earth, bro," said Dan, sixth year Hufflepuff Keeper. Most of Cedric's best comrades were Quidditch players, though they all earned their spot.

"So, my faithful mortals," said Cedric, "are we ready for a great year of Quidditch?"

"If our Seeker can keep his eyes focused on the snitch. Especially during the Ravenclaw match," said Brian, fifth year Beater.

"What are you talking about? Cho? Nah, we're just friends, Brian."

"Cho?" asked Brian, "who said anything about Cho?" Cedric's face went fierce red. "Ravenclaw's got chasers the size of Godzilla. A bludger would seem like a fly to them."

"Ah, well," Cedric flustered, "don't underestimate the girl! Roger wouldn't pick her for looks."

"A girl! Exactly! She'll be a pushover," boasted Brian.

"Now, now, Brian," said Joey, "let's not upset the captain. He has a crush on the girl."

"No way!" said Brian with a sly grin.

"MMMMYeah," said Mark stuffing his face with chocolate frogs, "bro's been gushing over her since last spring."

Cedric only got redder. He stood up.

"NO, NO, NO!!" he barked. His denials only set off fits of laughter among his friends. "Cho and I are just friends. Just friends. I don't want to do anything to ruin that."

"So you do fancy her! You just admit it," said Dan.

"Shush, we're being loud. Besides, could you blame me?" Cedric finally admitted.

At this point, his friends beamed with hoots and hollers. The noise echoed down the hall and into Cho's compartment. She woke up as the shouting intensified.

"What the darn?" Ritchie said and opened the door and poke his head out in the hall. The girls followed suit.

"Sounds like the Hufflepuff gang," said Jenna, "I'll go say something to them."

Jenna hurried out the compartment and walked into Cedric's.

"JENNA!" they heard as the boys screamed their welcomes.

"She's just looking for a reason to flirt!" said Marie, "I'm going to see Joey."

Marie followed after Jenna into the Hufflepuff's compartment.

"I want to go too!" Amy and Heidi said in unison.

They both ran to the overcrowded compartment.

Jolene stood up, "Wash room." She left Ritchie and Cho.

"Well looks like it's just you and I," Ritchie winked playfully at Cho. Cho smiled.

"Sorry Rich. I'm still half asleep. I had a dream where. . ."

"Um . . . Excuse me, Cho," Cedric said standing by the open compartment door, "Uh, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, have a seat," she said.

A very speechless Cedric sat across from Cho, next to Ritchie. Cho looked like a peaceful dream. Her raven hair was casually tossed over her shoulders giving her a playful and inviting look. Cedric and Cho looked at Ritchie.

"All right, I'll go. Probably wouldn't hurt to go to the wash room anyway," said Ritchie as he headed out the door.

"What's on your mind, Cedric?" said Cho.

"Well, Jenna said that we were making a bit of noise and woke you up . . . um. . . I just wanted to apologize. I know how tired you must have been."

"Oh!" Cho giggled, "is that all? You didn't have to apologize. I overslept anyway. . ."

"Still!" he interrupted, "it was rude. I shou . . . we should have been more considerate."

He got up and sat beside Cho. He looked deep in her eyes. 'Just ask her,' he thought to himself. Her eyes were mesmerizing and captivating, leaving him at a loss for words. His heart was beating terribly fast. He couldn't breath. Gazing deeper in her eyes, he leaned in closer. Their lips were centimeters away, and she hadn't backed away at all. He sighed.

"Listen," he pulled up and looked away, "I would like you to scrimmage with me, practice Snitch Seeking. That is, if you want to. . ." He looked back at her. Looking back in her eyes, he felt as if air was being sucked out of his lungs.

"Oh," she blinked, "that would be great. Unless, you're out to steal my moves," she smirked. Cedric laughed.

"Only Cho Chang can possess those bewitching moves," he kissed her on the cheek and whispered a goodbye.

Walking down the long hall, his lips still tingling, Cedric thought to himself. 'I kissed her cheek! What on earth possessed me to do such a thing? She must think I'm a big doofus.'

Back at the compartment Cho placed a hand on the spot where Cedric kissed her. 'He's never done anything like that before' she thought to herself. 'He seems to be very friendly lately.'

Jolene entered the compartment disrupting Cho's thoughts. "Silly Weasly twins," she flustered, "they performed a reversal charm on the toilet seat. Took me forever to get the seat down."

Ritchie came back in the room with his arms full of Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"The train will be arriving soon," said Ritchie, dressed in his school robe. He placed the goodies on the center table. "I'll step outside while you girls change." He shut the door.

"I saw Cedric coming from the compartment," Jolene said, "what'd he have to say?"

"Oh, just to apologize for the noise," she said.

Concerned with Jolene knowing she'd be practicing with a Hufflepuff, she didn't mention the scrimmage invitation. Jolene trusted Cedric with her life, was the same year as Cedric, and they often worked together. However, Jolene was a devoted Quidditch fan and often discouraged her friends from speaking to players in other houses. That this year was expected to be full of competition only added to her devotion. She was too frail to play Quidditch herself so she lived vicariously through Cho's talents. Cho didn't mind the overprotection; Jolene was Cho's "Big Witch" during her first year. The Ravenclaw girls have a tradition where older students are assigned to be a mentor, or "Big Witch," to the new students. The "Big Witch" is someone for the "Little Witch" to turn to for guidance or company, and Cho and Jolene relationship hadn't ended after the first year.

"I see," she said as she and Cho finished changing.

When the girls finished dressing, Cho grabbed a handful of beans as Jolene retrieved Ritchie. The rest of the girls were several meters down the hall.

"Should we tell Cho?" asked Jenna, "I'm not sure if I can keep a secret like this."

"Hmm. She would like to know. However, I think it would be better if she figured it out on her own," said Amy, "these things have a way of sorting themselves out if they were meant to be. Besides, leave it a surprise."

"What if it scares her?" asked Marie, "people do get traumatized. Read it in Muggle Studies."

"Hey girls! Have fun with the jocks?" said Ritchie as he stuck his head into the hall.

"Wouldn't you like to know," snapped Heidi.

The girls settled into the compartment and waited for the train to arrive to Hogwarts. The remainder of the ride was mostly silent.

~*~*

Following the sorting ceremony at Hogwarts, everyone feasted on a fine meal at their respective tables with their new members. Cho was sitting next to a first year girl named Maureen Martinez. She was a very pretty south-east Asian girl who slightly resembled Cho. She was expressing her nervousness about starting in a new school, especially one so unique. Cho smiled at the girl, telling her there was nothing to worry about. The girl continued to worry about Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and especially Flying. Cho, only half listening, turned around and saw Cedric from the Hufflepuff table. He looked at her and smiled, she returned the smile. Behind Cedric, on the Gryffindor table was Oliver who was looking at Cho. Cho suddenly felt her face flare and she turned around before Oliver could notice. Cedric and Oliver both smiled to themselves, very amused, and very hopeful.

After dinner, the Ravenclaws headed up three flights of stairs, left around the statue of Isis, and down one half flight to the common room. Cho was lagging towards the end of the lines, studying the paintings as she walked. The rest of her house was at the bottom of the final flight of stairs when Cho lagged around the statue. When Cho reached the stairs she attempted to make the first step down before a stranger grabbed her on the waist.

"Hold on," said a husky voice.

Cho looked up and saw the boy she had been thinking about all week. He had his eyes fixed on the staircase as they started to move. Jolene looked up at Cho before the stairs blocked her view. Oliver waited for the Gryffindors to pass by before turning to Cho. His hazel eyes fixed on her deep brown eyes that twinkled from a nearby torch. She tried to breathe a deep sigh but found herself unable to relax.

"Uh . . . Can I talk with you . . . would you walk with me?" he asked with a strong Scottish accent.

"Um . . ." Cho thought about her father's advice.

"Well, if you don't want to, I understand," he replied shifting his Gryffindor robes.

"No," Cho answered without thinking, "not for long though. It's past curfew."

Oliver led Cho outside to the cloisters. It was still raining outside but they were protected by the cloister roof. He stole several glances of her as they walked. He stopped walking, and turned Cho towards him. Cho looked up at his eyes. The dying torches dimmed the lighting in the cloisters while the gushes of wind ruffled Oliver's sandy hair. They both were lost in each other's gaze for a moment before he regained the courage to speak.

"I wanted to speak with you alone. Thought it would be best here."

Cho looked up at him eager to hear what he had to say.

"I noticed you in the halls last spring and again in Diagon Alley, and I wanted to find. . ." he started.

"Excuse me!" called a distant voice. "Why aren't you in your dormitories?" The stranger approached the couple. "It is past curfew and I would not like to punish. . ."

It was Cedric. He looked from Oliver to Cho and then back to Oliver with a raised brow. The dim light to his left was strong enough to illuminate his Prefect badge.

"Sorry, Diggory," Oliver pleaded. "We were just talking," he added with an irritated tone. Cedric glared at him with a cold stern look.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" He turned to Cho, "and five from Ravenclaw." Cho took a deep breath and looked at her feet. "Oliver I trust you can find the Gryffindor common room without help? I will escort Cho to the staircase."

His tone was cold making the once chilly wind now feels like a blast of fire. Cedric placed his right arm on Cho's right shoulder and led her past Oliver. She was too embarrassed to turn around and catch one last glance. Oliver on the other hand watched her leave until she was out of sight. Once Oliver was no longer visible, Cedric removed his hand from her shoulder but continued to look forward without saying a word. He stopped at the bottom of the staircase and asked her to do the same. He held out his wand and performed a paging charm to contact Penelope Clearwater, Ravenclaw's Prefect. He informed her that Cho was left behind and was not present to hear the new password to gain entrance to the common room. He had still maintained his Hufflepuff honesty, without getting Cho into further trouble. After he finished the conversation he turned to Cho.

"I hate to sound like the parent in this situation," he said softly, "but it is storming outside and the Dementors are lurking the grounds. I. . . I didn't want you to get to close to one."

She looked up and nodded at him.

"I'm sorry. I'll be careful. Bye," she whispered and hurried up the three flights.

She rushed around the statue and down the stairs to the portrait hole to her common room. Moments later the Knight statue shifted to open the port hole, but she did not find Penelope on the other side as expected. 'She must have told the knight to expect me.' She rushed through the common room and up the stairs to her dorm room. She did not notice Jolene in the corner studying. Jolene watched her "Little Witch" escape to her room. She shook her head and continued her reading.

Cho opened the door softly in attempt to not wake her roommates. They appeared to be asleep. She performed her night-time duties and tiptoed to her bed. She looked at the other beds in the room making sure she hadn't woken anyone before she climbed into her own bed. She closed the curtains and covered herself in the blankets. She tossed and turned for hours. She couldn't help thinking about the today's events. She wondered why Cedric kissed her on the cheek. She wondered what Oliver was going to tell her. She wondered if she upset Cedric tonight. 'This is going to be an interesting year,' were here last thoughts before sleep overcame her.