The One to Keep

~ Mixed Parties, Mixed Drinks, & Mixed Feelings ~

by: Phaedra

Cedric felt as if he was walking on a cloud. 'A night with Cho,' he dreamed. Although he sadly realized that Cho only saw him as a friend, he chose to ignore that aspect and continue to dream. He strolled in the Hufflepuff common room with a goofy grin on his face. The older students were dressed sharply and hanging out before the event. Cedric did not notice that his friends were in a corner talking.

"Yo, Ced!" shouted Mark Tyrone, Cedric's Hispanic friend. "Forget about tonight, bro?" Mark asked referring to the mixer.

"Course, not," replied Cedric without wiping his silly grin off his face. "I'll be there. See you gals later." He headed to his single room, humming a romantic tune, to start preparing for the night.

"Did he practice Quidditch without the team?" asked Brian, fifth year beater. He was rather slow-witted.

"Cedric likes to play with his Snitches by himself sometimes," commented Mark.

"Wasn't alone tonight, Tyrone," said Dan, sixth year keeper as he flipped through the Quidditch schedule book. "According to Cedric's notebook, Ravenclaw had the pitch scheduled for this evening."

"Why would he practice with Ravenclaw?" asked Brian.

"You dim-wit!" scoffed Dan as he threw the book at Brian. "Who is on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team that would interest Cedric?"

"Sexy Rexy?" asked Brian. Dan rolled his eyes and Mark growled, punching Brian in the stomach.

"CHO CHANG, bro!" yelled Mark. "He must have headed out to the pitch to try and talk to her. That dawg!" The group burst into laughter except Brian. He was still rather confused.

"Cho? Nah, he wouldn't be stealing moves from her, would he? It's unlike him," said Brian.

"No, but MAKING a move on her is a different story," laughed Mark. Again the group except Brian hooted and hollered.

"Oh!" a light bulb finally turned on in Brian's head. "I get it now! Damn. Cho is a hot little thing. Isn't she a bit too much of a prude though? I mean, yes she is beautiful, but that's one hard nut to crack!"

"Bro, what do you mean?" asked Marko.

"She's hot!" panted Brain. "Who wouldn't want to get her in the sack?"

"Nah, Cedric's not after that," said Mark. "Bro's too innocent," he chuckled, "but, I doubt he'd say no if he had the opportunity. Besides, Cho got some hot friends for us, Bro."

Mark's comment created such an uproar with the teenage boys that Cedric could hear their hollering through his private Prefect room. 'Wonder what got them excited, probably thinking about the new Quidditch season,' naïve Cedric thought. He buttoned his shirt facing his mirror.

"Are you sure she likes you in bright yellow?" asked the magical mirror.

Cedric took a moment to stare at his reflection. His bright yellow shirt with black slacks made him feel like a Hufflepuff cheerleader. Although he was a devoted Hufflepuff and wore his colors with pride, he felt like wearing a cooler color, especially after Cho teased him in his bright yellow Quidditch robes. 'Nah,' thought to himself unbuttoning his shirt. He aced in front of his closet and wondered what shirt would make him look good. He stopped and leaned his muscular body on the closet door. His chest was perfectly sculptured and muscles rippled as he flexed. 'Now I know what girls mean when they have nothing to wear,' he thought. Cedric never took much concern with what he wore outside of his school uniform. However, he was trying to impress someone and wanted to look smashing. He flipped through green, plaid, paisley, Hawaiian, and finally grabbed a cobalt shirt. 'She likes blue. Bluish-gray is close enough,' he thought. He grabbed the shirt and dressed in front of the same mirror.

"Eyes like storm," it said.

Cedric looked down at the grayish tint of the shirt and looked at his face. The deep color made his gray eyes look arctic yet deep. Cedric normally wore warm colors of yellow, tan, and red however, the change in color tone suited him nicely. He looked like a storm.

"Heh," he said to his reflection. "Cool!"

~*~*~*~

Moments earlier, Cho entered her dorm room after a scrimmage play with Cedric. She walked in and saw Marie, Heather, Heidi, and Amy running around half dressed, hair in curlers, and wet nails. They obviously were preparing for the mixer. Frustrated, Cho pouted her lips and slammed the door behind her. The girls froze.

"YOU KNEW there was a social event and DID NOT TELL ME??" she yelled. The girls said nothing nor moved. "Well?" she pressed.

"Oh, Cho! Joey and his friends invited us to the House Mixer not too long ago. We wouldn't be allowed to go without an invite."

"What do you mean? We're fourth years. We should be able to go with or without an invite," said Cho.

"No. . ." said Marie, "fifth year. Fifth years and above get the code to enter the room. Fourth years have to be escorted, so you can imagine how great it is for us to go."

"Wait a minute, Cedric said that fourth year students and above have access," argued Cho.

"He must be mistaken. Did he invite you?" asked Heidi.

"Well . . . yes . . . as a matter of fact," Cho said slowly.

The girls, knowing of Cedric's crush, squealed. They jumped around the room screaming at the fact that Cho had a date. Their shrieks mixed with giggles were so cacophonic that Cho could not decipher a single word.

"Well there you go!" giggled Marie. "You don't need us."

"What? Of course I do!" she protested. "Is this not a friendly outing?"

The girls giggled and screeched louder than before. Marie walked to Cho with a half-grin and placed her hand on Cho's shoulder.

"Well it's not like a ball. More like a casual get together for older students. Thirds and below are not allowed at all," she said. "Not many students talk about it either."

Cho suddenly realized that no one in her classes talked about this event until she reached this room. This is something that would have been the topic of interest at the dinner table, but no one spoke of the event.

"When did Joey ask you?" questioned Cho.

"After dinner, when you left for Quidditch practice. We hoped Roger was going to tell you about it," said Marie.

"No, he has a date," said Cho.

"Oh, we were going to tell you when you got back," said Heidi. "We would have made sure you were going to be there tonight. We can't have fun with our Cha-Cha. But you took so long with practice, we were afraid we wouldn't have caught you. Worst case scenario, we would have sent Dan or someone to retrieve you."

"We had doubt that Roger would think of saying something, but, that doesn't matter since Cedric invited you," said Marie excitedly as the other girls giggled.

"I guess," said Cho.

"This is going to be so much fun!" beamed Amy.

"Yeah, Marie, you boyfriend was thoughtful to invite us," said Heather.

"Thank me! I told him to invite you guys!" said Marie. "Besides, he just wants chicks for his buds."

"Fine with us!" said Heidi. The girls giggled in excitement.

"Cho get ready!" the girls said in unison.

"See you girls in a bit," Cho said to her friends and ran off to the bathroom.

"Oh, my gosh!" said Heidi as she watched Cho leave the room. "Cedric finally overcame his shyness."

"What about Oliver Wood? Thought she liked him?" asked Heather.

"I think Cedric is better for her," said Marie.

"Why is that?" pressed Heather.

"Well, Oliver is a great-looking guy but he doesn't strike me as boyfriend material," said Marie.

"What?" said Heidi. "I wouldn't mind a guy like that in my arms."

"Sure, he's good-looking, charming, and athletic," continued Marie as she powdered her face, "but, there are things may hinder a healthy relationship."

"Hmm . . . good looks, charm, great body . . ." listed Heidi. "Marie, I am confused. What could be a possible hindrance?"

"Well for one thing, Joey says that he is unhealthily obsessed with Quidditch," said Marie. "Imagine having your first date on the Pitch after he practiced."

"Cho plays Quidditch," said Heidi. "They have something in common."

"She's not fanatical like Oliver," said Marie. "Oliver is someone that would commit suicide over a loss. Remember when Ravenclaw beat Gryffindor two years ago? He didn't eat for weeks. If they started dating, and Cho beat him at Quidditch, he would break up with her for it."

"No way!" said Heather.

"Yes way!" said Marie. "I'm telling you. Oliver would not let a girl, even if she were perfect, come between him and his darling Quidditch. I swear he is after her to pacify an itch that Quidditch can't scratch."

"How is it that you know so much about Oliver?" asked Heidi. "I doubt that Joey told you about Oliver and his relationships."

"No, my 'Big Witch,' Jenna did," said Marie.

~*~*~

Cho sat in front of a vanity mirror in the bathroom dabbing a brush against her cheek. Her hair was set in curlers and smelled like coconut. She was excited. She hadn't had quality time with her friends since Diagon Alley, but even the ice cream meeting was only for a brief moment. Then she thought about the pictures she saw earlier today. The excitement of being with her friends turned into sadness as the image of Oliver hugging and kissing her good friends replayed in her head. She tried to shake the image out of her head and in doing so lost a curler. She bent down to pick up the curler and look back at her reflection. She saw something different. Her reflection stared back at her with confidence and pride. Cho suddenly felt that she deserved a young man that will treat her like a princess and give her affection and care beyond what she would hope for. She decided to forget about Oliver.

Cho grabbed her bathrobe and headed for the dorm room. 'I can never decide what to wear without Amy's suggestion.' However, her friends were no where in the dorm room. Thinking they must have congregated in the common room, she searched for Jolene. She knocked on her dorm room door. Jenna answered. She wore a delicate sun dress of dark pink that complimented her rosy cheeks and dark hair. Cho's heart sank, as the pictures replayed in her head. She couldn't forget about Oliver when she was face to face with his date, beautiful Jenna.

"Hi Cho!" Jenna said cheerfully flashing a smile that pierced Cho's confidence. "Going out with the big girls, huh?"

"Uh. . ." Cho hesitated, "I was looking for Jolene."

"Oh," said Jenna. "She's not here. I don't know if she is going tonight. Anything I can help you with?"

"Um. . . No, that's all right."

Jenna was Cho's good friend, but it was painful to talk to her at the moment. It initiated thoughts of Oliver and pains in her stomach. However, Jenna simply smiled at Cho and grabbed her hand. Much to her discomfort, Jenna led her to the fourth year dressing room.

"C'mon little girl," Jenna pressed. "'Big Jen' will help you through your first House Mixer."

Cho didn't know what to think. She was thankful that a good friend was going to help her through her dilemma, but she wished being close to her would not be painful. Jenna took seconds to flip through Cho's closet before she pulled out one of her best dresses. It was a dark chocolate strapless wide-skirt dress with a cream magnolia on the left side.

"Here, you'll look fabulous in this! It goes well with your dark hair, olive skin, and big brown eyes," she held the dress to Cho. "And besides . . . you've already applied your make-up accordingly."

"Who are you going with?" Cho asked curtly before taking the dress.

"Oh. I'm going stag. Meeting some people I haven't mingled with in a while. House Mixers are friendly socials, not intended for snogging," smiled Jenna, "of course many of us do what is never intended." She giggled. "House mixers are the best, Cho. You'll see. Now get dressed. It's almost time to go. Meet you in the common room."

Cho accepted the dress and said her thank you to Jenna. Jenna smiled politely and walked to the common room. Cho heard the familiar hoots of Rex and the Ravenclaw Chasers upon her arrival. 'She is such a good friend. She deserves someone as great as Oliver. I was foolish to feel crazy for him. But if he is with Jenna, why did he try to kiss me last night? Is he unfaithful to her? Should I tell her? I didn't know about them when it happened. Surely Jenna will understand?' Cho thought as she dressed. She removed the curlers from her hair sending locks of waves down her back. She clipped a section of her hair which allowed curly tendrils to cascade down the side of her face. Cho was a vision of innocent beauty. The dark color of her dress complimented her olive-toned skin and raven hair. After applying finishing touches, she slowly walked to the Ravenclaw common room to meet her friends.

"Wow!" beamed Marie, "You look so pretty, Cho!"

"Yeah, I love the earth tones," said Amy.

"Thanks," replied Cho. "You guys look fabulous."

After the girls took a minute to shower each other in compliments, they exited the common room to meet their Hufflepuff escorts. Joey, Dan, Mark, and Brian were waiting for the girls at the end of the hall.

"Hey, babe! You look great," said Joey before he kissed Marie.

Amy and Heidi flashed smiles and fluttered their eyes at the other boys. The boys returned their smiles and mingled with the girls. The group started to walk to the staircase when Cho realized Cedric was missing.

"Wait! Where is Cedric?" panted Cho with a worried face.

Dan and Mark looked at each other then back at Cho.

"Bro's not going," Mark smirked. "Brian, take Cho."

Cho's face fell. She was looking forward to spending the evening with Cedric without practicing Quidditch or studying. Mark chuckled when Cho wasn't looking and earned an elbow to the ribs and a stern look from Jenna. Cho dragged behind the group, feeling less light than before. Then, she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders.

"C'mon Cho! Keep up!" said Brian as he held her tighter to her.

Cho rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated smile. Brian started babbling of how great House Mixers are and how cool she would look to be escorted by him. Cho wasn't paying any attention to Brain's chatter. Her concentration was focused on Joey and Marie's display of affection. She wished that she had someone that was as loving to her as Joey was to Marie. Then a hand met with hers.

"Ahem."

Brian turned around with a pale face. When he saw who grabbed Cho's hand, he retracted his arm from her shoulders and side-stepped five feet.

"Um . . ." Brain stammered. "I . . . er . . ."

He looked at the figure holding Cho's hand. His eyes punctured him like a bitter hurricane, freezing his senses. He ran fearfully to the front of the walking crowd to avoid anymore conversation. Cho turned around and saw herself linked to a handsome young man smiling at her. He was coolly dressed with deep colors that gave an arctic chill to his eyes.

"Cedric!" Cho smiled as he smiled back at her.

"Wow . . . You look amazing!" breathed Cedric with deep admiration.

"So do you," Cho replied feeling herself getting pink.

"BRO! What's going on?" yelled Mark to Cedric from the top of the stairs.

Cedric was still awestruck by Cho's beauty and refused to move. They looked at each other with admiration in their eyes. Together, they were like the wind and earth.

"BRO!" pressed Mark.

Cedric snapped out of his gaze and escorted a flushed-faced Cho to their friends. Being a gentleman, he motioned Cho to take the first step and followed after her. He noticed Cho's bouncing locks as he scurried up the stairs. He took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet smell of Cho's perfume. The sight of her beauty, the engaging scent of her perfume, and the sweet harmony of her voice sent Cedric's knees to breakdown. Yet he was strong. He simply slowed his pace to keep from falling as they rushed through twists and stairwells attempting to follow their friends. When Cho reached the top of the stair-flight, she turned to Cedric flipping her long curls.

"I'm lost," she cried and flashed him worried eyes.

"What?" Cedric puffed when he reached Cho.

"There were so many turns and stairs," said Cho as she pouted her lips, "I can't find the rest of the group!"

Cedric gave Cho a wistful look. She was looking intently at him with her big brown puppy eyes. Cedric smiled at Cho and pressed her nose as if it were a button.

"You're so cute when you worry," Cedric smirked. "Here."

Cedric took Cho's hand and led her several feet down the hall. His palm began to sweat from holding something so delicate. He let go of her hand, fearing she would notice his nervousness. Instead without thinking, his hand graced the curve of her lower back. She neither flinched nor recoiled from his touch. He had the strongest desire to pull her close to him with that arm and embrace her. They stopped in front of the fifth block on the wall where Cedric tapped it five times with his wand and said the password. The block moved and revealed a dark stair-case. Cedric motioned Cho to go first but she hesitated. The stairs looked as if they led to some place worse than the dungeons. She gave Cedric a worried look.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," reassured Cedric. "C'mon, I'm right behind you."

Cedric gave Cho a soft smile which seemed to calm her. She slowly stepped down three steps with Cedric behind her. She stopped and jumped when the stone slid shut, sealing them in the stair well. Inside it was pitch dark and very cold. Cho felt Cedric's hands brush from her shoulders down her arms. It startled her and started goose bumps to surface on her skin.

"Oh!" she panicked.

"Shhhh . . ." Cedric whispered with his breath grazing Cho's shoulders. "I'm right here. Just one step at a time."

Cedric's voice was so soothing to Cho that she suddenly forgot about the dark nature of the room and felt as if she were walking in a garden. He put one hand on her shoulder and wrapped the other around her waist. She closed her eyes and let Cedric guide her down the stairs. Cedric's cheek was so close to her face, that when she turned her head, her nose brushed his chin. They never had been this close together. When they reached the bottom of the stairs they faced a lit room filled with music and people talking.

"Well, here we are," Cedric sighed as he reluctantly elevated his head from Cho's side.

The room was square-shaped and decorated with the colors for each house. Even though the colors were mixed throughout the room, the overall effect was quite vibrant. The center of the room bore a marble fountain with a mosaic Hogwart's seal on the bottom. Each of the four corners held a drink counter, couches, and tables. The room had a contemporary style with odd shaped chairs, exotic lamps, and vaulted ceilings. There was music playing but the source could not be seen. Must be magic.

Cho looked around the room. The room was full of older students socializing and drinking Butterbeer. They laughed, joked, and flirted with each other. It was a casual environment, unlike tension experienced in formal occasions. Boys and girls mingled without feeling the pressure of a mixed environment. They found their friends in the West corner and headed in that direction, until they were interrupted.

"Hi Cedric!" A girl Cho didn't know bounced to Cedric and threw her arms around his neck. "I am so glad you're here."

The polite Cedric simply smiled and held the girls elbows. They talked for minutes before Cho separated from the couple to meet the rest of her friends. Cho normally never paid attention when girls flocked to her handsome friend, but for some reason felt irritated by the bubbly girl. From across the room, Cho glanced back at Cedric and found him surrounded by a fan club of energetic girls.

"Cho, where are you looking?" inquired Amy.

"Oh, nothing," said Cho.

Amy looked in the direction Cho was staring saw Cedric with his groupies. She shot Cho a curious look and wondered if she felt at all jealous. Cho tried to draw her attention away from Cedric to chat with the Hufflepuff boys and her Ravenclaw girl friends. Amy realized that Cho felt irritated that Cedric left her and engaged her in conversation. What a good friend. They talked about their usual topic when suddenly Cho felt a cold entity graze her bare back.

"Ahh," she screamed and turned to see Roger with a pair of chilled Butterbeer in his hands.

"What are you doing here?" pressed Roger. "You had a big day. Get some rest, little Seeker."

"I was invited, you prick!" said Cho as she playfully punched Roger's side.

"And who is the brave soul that volunteered a cranky brat tonight," Roger smirked as he handed Cho the Butterbeer.

Cho looked in Cedric's direction and saw more girls crowded around him. The bouncy girl that interrupted them held his arm tight.

"Uh . . . Joey. Marie's boyfriend invited us to go along. So, how is that I never heard about this room? Is this under the teacher's nose?" Cho flustered as she tried to change the subject.

"Nah! Teachers know about the room. It was here when they went to school at Hogwarts. Back in the day, Prefects felt that students were only connecting with those of their own houses and felt the school was divided. So in attempt to unite the school socially, they started this 'Mixer Room' where older students of all houses can come here and mingle," explained Roger.

"Is it unsupervised?" asked Cho as she observed the absence of teacher supervision.

"Well, it's in the hands of Head Boy and Head Girl," said Roger. "Of course, Dumbledore knows everything that happens in his castle. But we never had an incident where things got out of control."

"Oh," said Cho as she peered into her empty bottle. "This is great! I guess there's more surprises and fun as the years pass. Thanks for the drink by the way."

"Finished already? Well, find your sugar-daddy to get you another one, brat. That's all you're getting from me! See you, Cho," Roger said as he walked to her friends.

Cho's eyes followed Roger as he placed each arm around Heidi and Amy's waist. 'He's such a flirt!' she thought. She plopped on the couch in between Dan and Mark who welcomed her with tickles and another bottle of Butterbeer. Ever since Marie of Ravenclaw and Joey of Hufflepuff started dating, the two groups merged together into a friendly mix of blue and yellow. Her eyes continued to graze around the room. She finished her drink and excused herself from her friends to take a walk, hoping to find Cedric. Around the room, she noticed groups of people mingling with others of different houses. Even the Slytherins seemed to be friendly to their classmates of different houses. However, she could not find Cedric.

"Cho! Over here!" said a young man by the drink counter.

Cho turned and saw Drew waving at her. He was the only one in the room besides her that was not surrounded by a pack of students. She smiled and joined him at the drink counter.

"Didn't expect to see you here," said Drew as he handed her a glass of clear liquid. "Though I'm glad to see you!"

"Thanks, what is this drink?" asked Cho as she looked at a small glass in front of Drew and found it held the same liquid in her glass.

"Triple distilled H-two-O," he said talking a sip.

"Water," said Cho.

"Yes," said Drew. "I can't stand the flavor of Butterbeer."

Cho daintily sipped her water.

"No offense, Drew," said Cho, "but you don't strike me the type that would come to these things."

"None taken," he said. "You are right. I'm not a damn social butterfly, but I like to come and observe."

For moments, Drew and Cho talked about ironies and other in-depth topics. Drew was rather reserved and only opened himself to Cho whom he thought of the only person worthy of his friendship. From the other side of the room, Cho heard Eliza giggling and flirting obnoxiously with the Ravenclaw Chasers. Drew noticed this and took a deep sigh.

"Forgive me Cho," said Drew as he took one last sip of his water and rose from the stool, "I've got to spare someone disgracing the name of Slytherin."

Cho simply smiled and continued with her water. Drew continued over to the pack of Ravenclaw Chasers in attempt to relieve Eliza from causing trouble. The burly players looked like they could break Drew with a flick of a finger. Nevertheless, Drew casually confronted them and excused Eliza from the group who had a pouted look on her face. Cho smiled to herself and played listlessly with her curls. She sat on her stood and talked briefly with acquaintances that walked by, caught up in conversation, and hugged those she rarely saw. Again, she was alone at the counter. She took the final sip of her drink when she realized she is going solitaire for the rest of the night.

"I thought you were busy tonight," said a voice that startled her and caused her to nearly sputter.

"What? Oh it's you!" Cho said curtly.

"Yes, it's me," said Oliver looking sullen at Cho, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Yes," he said as he put his hand around her shoulders. "Something is wrong. Tell me."

She looked at him. His eyes glued into hers and made her spine shiver. He kept staring at her so intently she wanted to look away but their eyes connected like a strong magnet. Every second he looked at her the more her chest hurt. She wanted to like him and be with him but couldn't help thinking about his relationship with Jenna. Cho found little strength to draw her eyes away from him, but he touched her chin and turned her face to his.

"Please tell me, you can trust me," Oliver said softly.

"Can I?" Cho responded.

"Yes," Oliver spoke as he brushed the side of her cheek. "Do you want to walk with me?"

"I can't . . . I'm," Cho said before she finally found Cedric. He shared a drink with the bouncy girl clutching his arm. "Thirsty! Let's get a drink to go shall we?"

Oliver smiled and ordered two drinks. The house elf handed him a Butterbeer and a bottle of pale white liquid. Someone walking by accidentally bumped Cho in the back.

"Oh, excuse me Cho." It was Jenna. "Oliver, I won't be able to tutor you in Muggle Studies tomorrow morning. Do you want to push it to the afternoon? At this state, I won't be able to get up early," she giggled profusely holding the same type of drink Oliver ordered. It must be a stronger version of Butterbeer considering her sloshiness.

"No problem, Jenna. I don't plan to get up early tomorrow either," he gave Cho the Butterbeer and a smile, "Noon sound good? Maybe one?"

"Two, I'm gonna neeh mah sleep. Bye Oliver," sloshed Jenna as she turned to Cho. "Aren't Mixers fabulous Cha!"

Cho watched Jenna stroll to Mark where he welcomed her with a big kiss and hug. Cho had a confused face before she realized that Jenna and Oliver must only be friends. She thought of their picture. Thinking back, she remembered that Oliver and Jenna never kissed passionately. He kissed her as friends do.

"I didn't know you and Jenna were good friends," pried Cho to make sure her thoughts were in order.

"Sort of, she was always a good study buddy," said Oliver taking a sip of his drink. "The fact she doesn't understand Quidditch annoys me, though."

"Oh," Cho tried to hold in her smile. She suddenly felt as if she was floating in the room.

"C'mon, I want to show you something," Oliver said and grabbed Cho to lead her out of the room.

~*~*

Meanwhile on Cedric's side of the room, he was enjoying sharing drinks with old friends. Melissa, the bouncy girl that greeted him earlier, was still clinging to his arm. Cedric was always polite to his friends and admirers and therefore did not tell the girl to retreat. Although, he wished Cho was the one clinging to his arm. He had been thinking about Cho non-stop since Melissa interrupted them. Ever since, he was greeted with a hoard of old friends, class mates, and acquaintances he hadn't spoken with all summer. It's not in Cedric's nature to be rude, so he held a decent conversation with those that approached him. They occupied his time and prevented him from returning to Cho. He looked around the room and could not place her. 'Where is she?' He subtly jerked his arm to rid of Melissa when he realized Cho was missing. Believing that he got full knowledge of all his friends' summer adventures, Cedric eagerly roamed around for Cho.

"Hey Jenna, have you seen Cho," Cedric asked as he rejoined his friends.

"Yes!" Jenna promptly responded and giggled.

"Well, do you know where she is?" he pressed.

"No!" Jenna laughed.

"Bro, we haven't seen her since she went to the drink counter," Mark said with his arm around a slushy Jenna as she sipped a pink drink.

Cedric turned his head to each drink counter and could not find Cho. He looked again around the room to see if she was with another crowd, but was unsuccessful in finding her. 'Maybe she's in the bathroom,' he thought. Hoping he was right about his whereabouts, Cedric sat on a chair with his hands clutching the sides.

~*~*

"Oliver, where are we going?" Cho asked as they descended on a very long staircase outside the castle.

"You'll see," said Oliver as he tightened his hold on her hand.

Cho began to feel tired. The stairs seemed to descend for a mile. She felt the cold air on her bare skin which caused her to shiver. Her shaking intensified until Oliver realized that she was cold, but he continued to lead her down the stairs until they reached their destination. At the bottom was a small boat house and dock on the lake. The moon reflected on the waters and gave it a silver shimmer.

"Come here," said Oliver as he wrapped his arms around her.

He held her for minutes in attempt to keep her warm. Cho felt the affection of his warm body, but continued to shiver. She would not stop shaking. Realizing that his hug was not effective, Oliver then took off his white shirt, wrapped it around Cho, and rubbed her shoulders.

"Won't you be cold?" asked Cho.

"I have an undershirt," Oliver said in a shaky voice.

"Thank you," Cho whispered as she held him tighter.

Cho began to feel Oliver's warmth permeate in her body and relieve her shivers. Oliver continued to rub her back and shoulders to stimulate warmth. After moments of holding each other, Cho began to feel her body heat elevate. She felt as if he gave her a fever holding her.

"Do you want to go on the lake? I'll keep you warm," said Oliver as he looked at the silver lining on the water.

"Mmmm. . . hmm," mumbled Cho with her eyes closed as he grasped Oliver tighter.

~*~*

"Heidi, can you please go to the washroom and check on Cho? If she is even there," said a worried Cedric.

"Of course," said Heidi and walked to the washroom where a dozen girls lined up to use the facilities.

Cedric antagonized himself from the thought of not being with Cho. Twenty minutes have passed since he plopped on the chair. Fingernail marks etched the velvet fabric of the chair's arm as a symbol of Cedric's concern. He ran his hands through the sides of his head.

"Why did I leave her," Cedric asked himself aloud.

"Bro, what do you mean?" wondered Mark.

Cedric released a loud sigh. "Some old friends greeted me as Cho and I walked in here. I thought she would find you guys and wait for me."

"She did find us . . . and the drink counter," Jenna giggled.

"Bro, I don't know!" said Mark. "Should have held on to her. Now someone grabbed her!"

"No, no," Cedric contradicted. "There's Prefects everywhere. They would have noticed something wrong. Do you think she got tired and went back to her dorm?"

"Possibly," said Mark.

"But she doesn't know the way," panicked Cedric. "What is taking Heidi so long?"

Cedric relinquished his chair and made his way through the crowd to the girls' washroom. He was met by Heidi halfway there.

"I'm sorry, Ced," said Heidi. "She's not there! I asked around and no one seen her since she was at the drink table."

Cedric went pale. The thought of Cho roaming around Hogwarts alone at this hour was enough to make him sick. He excused himself from his friends and rushed out of the room. He roamed endlessly through the castle. He ran through the halls and secret passageways breaking into sweat from fear and exhaustion. He poked his head in every class room and searched between the bookcases in the library, even looking in the restricted section. He opened the door to the study room and heard pages ruffling. Someone was there. 'Please be Cho!' he hoped. Frantically, he dashed to the sound of scribbling quill and turning pages. Sadly, he found Jolene in the corner studying.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Jolene noticing Cedric's stress.

Cedric sat across Jolene and buried his face in his hands. He was on the verge of crying but fought hard against the tears in Jolene's presence. He sorted his feelings to speak with Jolene. He did not want to tell her that Cho was missing but Jolene was her 'Big Witch' and had a right to know.

"I can't find Cho," he said slowly looking at his shoes.

"What? She's not in the Mixer room?" Jolene asked and Cedric shook his head.

"I was talking to a few people and when I turned around, she was gone!" panicked Cedric.

"Well, don't worry Ced," assured Jolene. "She would not have wandered off by herself."

"She was not in the room!" repeated Cedric in a shaky voice.

"Perhaps Penelope walked her back. Cho did have a long day," said Jolene.

Cedric remembered Cho's accident and intense Quidditch practice. He realized that she must have been too tired to stay at the Mixer for long. However, he was not absolutely certain of Cho's whereabouts and remained worried. He said good-bye to Jolene and wandered lethargically down the hallways. From a distance, he saw Penelope Clearwater and Percy Weasley heading towards him.

"Hey, Penelope?" asked Cedric as he ran towards her receiving a stern look from Percy, "Uh . . . could I speak with you for a moment in private?"

"If this has anything to do with Prefect business . . . which it should be, Diggory . . . then as Head Boy, I should also be present!" scoffed Percy in a pompous tone making sure his Head Boy badge was visible.

"Don't be jealous Percy. I'll be only a minute," giggled Penelope while Percy pouted. "What's on your mind Cedric?" she asked as they walked several feet.

"I was wondering if you brought Cho back to the dormitories earlier. I couldn't find her in the room," said Cedric.

"Hmm . . . no, sorry," replied Penelope. "I didn't even know she went tonight. Let me check if she is safely in the dorm."

"Thank you so much, Penelope," Cedric said as he followed Penelope to the Ravenclaw room.

Percy pushed between the two and placed his arm around his girlfriend reminding Cedric she is his. Cedric was too worried about Cho to be offended by Percy's attitude.

~*~*

The rowboat lay on the smooth surface of the lake. Inside, Oliver held Cho in his arms as they stared at the sky. He was so warm and comforting that Cho felt herself getting drowsy. The rhythm of Oliver's heart was like a lullaby to her. She held him tighter and felt his hands grace from the curve of her back and up her spine. She shivered not from the cold, but rather from the tingling sensation from his touch. Oliver ran his fingers along her collar bone and caressed her cheek with his thumb and gave her an intense look that excited her senses. However, another sense overpowered the effect of Oliver's touch and look. Cho backed off. She felt scared. She barely knew Oliver and feared about his intentions.

"What's wrong," asked Oliver as his hand moved from her face to her shoulder. He still gave her a deep stare.

"Oliver . . . we barely know each other," she confessed as she managed to break away from his gaze. "I guess . . . I don't know. . . I'm a bit scared. That's all."

"Cho, I want to know you!" panted Oliver. "I've noticed you in the halls last spring. You amaze me. You're beautiful," he kissed her hand, "you're intelligent," another kiss, "sweet," a kiss on the wrist, "you're perfect!"

Oliver took both of Cho's hands and placed them around his neck. He then cupped her face in his hands and gently pressed his lips on hers. Cho was in shock. She couldn't breath. She never imagined her first kiss would be so passionate and romantic. The cold air could not faze Cho since the heat from Oliver's lips sent her body on fire. He ran his fingers through her hair as the passion in his kiss intensified. Cho could melt with every move of his lips. She couldn't stand the pleasure much more. She had to breathe. She recoiled and took a deep breath allowing the cold air to rush in her lungs. Oliver glided his fingers along the side of her face and looked at her wanting more.

"Wow," Cho gasped and Oliver smiled.

Suddenly, something hit the rowboat that sent them furiously rocking. Cho yelped and flung her body to Oliver's for protection. Water splashed into the boat and dampened the couple. He held her tightly to soothe her.

"What was that?" gasped Cho.

"I don't know," Oliver responded. "The Giant Squid?"

"Oh," Cho shuddered as she clutched hard on Oliver.

"Hey," reassured Oliver. "It's all right. I'm here."

Cho held him tighter with her eyes shut. Oliver released a faint chuckle and lifted his face to look in her eyes. He smiled and kissed her softly. In that faint moment, Cho lost all fear and concern. She felt as she floated listlessly across the lake with every movement of his lips. He pulled back to look at her. Cho had a dreamy gaze on her damp face.

"It's getting late. Ready to go?" asked Oliver as he ruffled his hair spraying a bit of water.

"Yeah," Cho sighed dreamily still affected by his kiss. Sadly, she accepted the end of her evening.

~*~*~

Cedric paced anxiously in front of the Ravenclaw common room waiting for Penelope to return with good news. Percy leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and stared at Cedric. He released a loud grunt and puffed out his chest.

"This highly irresponsible, Diggory!" he puffed. "Especially for a Prefect!"

Cedric tried to ignore those harsh words, but they cut through him like a knife. He blamed himself for Cho's disappearance. He wished he held Cho's hand when they entered the room. He would have never let it go. He only hoped that Penelope will return and say that Cho is sound asleep. 'If she is no where in the castle or in her dorm, then she must be outside,' he feared. Cedric shuddered of the thought of Cho wandering on the grounds at this hour with the Dementors lurking about. They were awful creatures that thrived on the happiness of the living, thus nearly sucking out their soul.

"I'm sorry Cedric," said Penelope with a quiver in her voice. "I looked in all the everywhere in the tower. She's not here. You don't think she is . . ."

Cedric's heart plunged to his knees. She was outside. Cedric ran like a shot down the halls. Percy and Penelope called after him, but he ignored their requests. All he could picture in his head was Cho withering at the feet of those awful Dementors. He already felt the fatigue affecting his body from his earlier rush, but pushed his body to full capacity. He reached the Entrance Hall and saw the door crack open. 'Could it be?' he hoped. He slowed his tracks and saw a wave of chocolate brown. Cho entered the room. Overcome with relief and happiness, Cedric caught Cho off-guard and embraced her in his arms.

"CHO! Oh, Cho, I'm so sorry," he cried. "I will never leave you like that again!"

He held her so tightly, he felt as if his tired arms could break. He took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. Something was not right. He noticed her coconut perfume was overpowered by a woodsy outdoor smell. Her hair was also damp, but most of all she wore a white button up shirt she didn't wear before. It was a shirt that belonged to a young man. He looked up at the doorway and saw that young man missing his shirt. Oliver glared at Cedric with cold harsh eyes. Their eyes pierced into each other as if they were sending visual daggers. Cedric released Cho without taking his eyes off Oliver.

"Is this your idea of being charming, Wood?" Cedric snapped. "Leading a young girl out in the middle of the night with Dementors lurking about! Was her safety any concern to you? What are you playing at?"

Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing after realizing the meaning behind Cedric's argument. Cedric's words made Oliver thought himself as selfish. He forgot about the awful creatures lurking the grounds. Oliver was the impulsive type and normally performed actions without thinking about the consequences, a common Gryffindor trait. Although he realized Cedric had good argument, his Gryffindor qualities surfaced.

"I would have protected her Diggory," scoffed Oliver. "I would NOT have left her side."

Cedric pouted his lip and looked to his feet. Oliver's words were like knives to his heart. He felt that he failed Cho and would never forgive himself for it. He looked at Cho with soft eyes and back to Oliver with hard eyes. He noticed they were both splashed with water and concluded that they were on the lake together. He was so hurt and frustrated beyond normal, but his dignity kept him under control. He made a half smile and placed his hand on Cho's shoulder in a friendly matter.

"Good night Miss Chang," he sighed. "I'm glad you're safe."

Ignoring Oliver, Cedric dragged himself passed the couple and headed to the Hufflepuff common room. Before he took the first stair, he turned around to look at Cho once more. She was looking at him with her puppy eyes that began to water. She smiled at him before Oliver grasped her arm and dragged her out of his sight. Cedric stood there alone after watching the girl that warmed his heart slip through his fingers. He took a moment to sit on the stair in solitude. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep sigh. As much as his heart ached, the thought of Cho safe in the castle kept his system from failing. Cedric sat on the stair for several minutes thinking about the day's events. Every aspect of his day revolved around Cho. She was all that was on his mind. He worried about her. He cared for her. He was amused by her. Cedric suddenly focused his feelings. He loves her.