The One to Keep

~ Fragile Hold ~

Percy paced across the front of the conference room in front of the gathering of Hogwarts Prefects. Only moments remained before the monthly prefect meeting was to begin, but Percy could not wait. The ambitious Head Boy wanted to hold meetings with the Headmaster on a weekly basis. Of course, he only wanted meetings that frequently if Dumbledore wasn't too busy with important business as Percy knew he often was. The rest of the Prefects waited anxiously for Dumbledore to arrive and begin the meeting. They quietly found ways to amuse themselves until their Headmaster entered the room.

"Good evening, Prefects, Head Boy, and Head Girl!" he said with a twinkle in eye as he took a seat at the head of the table. Percy sat to Dumbledore's right, with the Head Girl across from him. "I hope everyone had a wonderful first month back?" The Prefects nodded. "Excellent!"

The Headmaster continued with a discussion of plans for security on the upcoming Hogsmeade outing, new patrol plans, and various other events the prefects had to worry about. Cedric could not bring himself to pay attention. In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to stay focused on classes and other activities. His mind was centered on Cho's relationship with Oliver. Throughout the month, he noticed that Cho floated on a cloud whenever the Gryffindor Keeper was nearby. Fortunately, he had never seen the two of them kiss. That scene of finality would have shattered his already fragile heart.

After the meeting, Cedric slowly walked to his common room. He hadn't had quality time, or for that matter, any time at all with Cho since her affair with Oliver began. He missed her. His ever so tenuous hold on their close friendship seemed to slip through his fingers. 'It's his fault. This is because he's in the picture.' Cedric looked up and realized he wasn't alone in the hallway. Two figures dressed in blue Quidditch robes headed towards him. 'Cho?' His heart started to beat faster. It was her, but she was walking with someone. 'Damn.' Roger clung to her elbow and spoke in her ear as they walked quickly by Cedric. Roger was obviously lecturing her about their Quidditch practice. Cedric's heart sank in his chest as he watched Cho walk away; she had never even noticed he was there. He could feel the woman he loved slipping through his fingers. He flexed his hand, trying to rid himself of the phantom sensations, but only succeeded in reminding himself how deeply he had fallen for her.

~*~*

Later that night, Cho lay on her back and stared up at the gold and scarlet lining in Oliver's Tent. She had long ago finished her Charms homework and was waiting impatiently for Oliver to break away from his desk to show her affection. However, Oliver continued to devote all his energies into his Quidditch playbook, ignoring the longing gaze of the girl on his bed. Cho blinked and rolled over on the futon to look up at Oliver. The dim candle-light shadowed his face as his jaw clenched at the many lines and dots of his play book. She took a moment just to observe the effect the candle had on outlining the features of his handsome face before she faked a cough in an attempt to catch his attention. It didn't work; Oliver simply ran his hand through his hair and exhaled sharply.

"Are you almost done?" she asked summoning all of her charm into her face, a tactic few could resist.

Oliver looked away from his book long enough to glance at her for a moment before returning his attention to the plays set out before him. He finished the page he had been working on, and bit his lower lip as he wrote one last comment in the margins. He released a loud sigh and closed his book. He then turned to Cho to see her propped up on his futon, her head resting on her hands and eyes staring at him with a longing that even the densest of men could see. He walked from his desk to her and welcomed her with a short kiss. Cho shivered. Even though the kiss had been completely without warmth, it still chilled her in a way that no wind ever had.

"Cold?" he asked as he wrapped her with a blanket.

"Thanks," she replied still giving him a longing gaze.

He rubbed her shoulders, kissed her again, and embraced her. Cho trembled in his strong arms. Oliver mistook the cause of her shivers being the cold October weather, and pulled her closer, holding her tightly. Oliver rolled onto his back and started slowly massaging Cho's elbows as his eyes suggested more playful moves. He gently, but quickly, pulled Cho onto him, resting her head on his chest. He lifted his head to meet her gaze. He smiled as she looked back at him, a look of total content on her face.

"Oliver?"

"Yes, doll?" he asked as he stoked the side of her face.

"Um . . . about this weekend . . . uh . . ." she stammered.

"What is it?"

"Well . . . um, are we going?" she managed to ask.

"Going where?" Oliver looked puzzled.

Cho looked at him, her face covered in shock. "Hogsmeade! It's the first Hogsmeade weekend!"

"Oh, forgot." He shrugged.

"How can you forget? Are you too wrapped up in your playbook to remember to take your girl out?"

Oliver's face twisted in anger. He didn't like the way Cho had phrased her statement. 'How could she think Quidditch should ever be second to a trip to Hogsmeade? Hogsmeade will come around again, and it's the same every time. But every Quidditch game goes on my record, I have to prepare! She knows this!" He abruptly pushed Cho off his chest and stood over her, glaring at her.

"Listen, Cho!" he scolded. "My career is on the line. I HAVE to train if I want to be a first round pick in the Quidditch draft! I am not throwing everything away to take a silly girl on stupid outings!"

Cho's world stopped. She looked up at Oliver, trembling His eyes were cold and pierced her straight to her soul. Her eyes began to water, and tears slowly streamed down her cheek. Oliver's stare softened quickly as he realized the effect he was having on her. He hadn't meant to be so rough.

"Hey... babe!" he whispered as he knelt down to her eye level. "I'm so sorry! It's just that . . . I'm feeling a lot of tension right now. I didn't mean it."

Cho sniffled as she studied his face. Believing he was being sincere, she forced a small smile to break, and shifted to make room for him on the futon. Oliver lay next to her and wrapped his arms around her as she continued to weep.

"Shh . . . It's ok . . . I'm so sorry," he continued to plead. "We'll go. We can have dinner and butterbeer. I'll buy you some of that overpriced candy!" he paused to wipe away her tears. "Would you like that?"

She sniffed and nodded. Oliver looked for, and found, forgiveness in her eyes. He kissed her passionately, hoping to smooth over all her troubles and take away all her worries along with her breath.

Oliver moved his lips down to from her mouth, kissed her chin, and stopped. "Do you have your Ravenclaw scarf?" he asked, running his finger along her collar.

"Why, of course. Why do you ask?"

He didn't answer with words. Instead, he looked into her eyes for a moment, letting her see the desire that burned in them before he moved his lips to her neck. Cho's nerves electrified. Her eyes went wide before losing focus in a blissful trance. Her breathing intensified as Oliver continued to overload her nerves exploring her body with his kisses.

~*~*~

The next morning, Cho walked swiftly through the castle reading and re-reading a letter that Guinevere had delivered as soon as she had risen from bed.

'My dearest friend,

It has been some time since we have had a chance to speak with each other. I understand that you must be busy with classes and Quidditch practices, although I never find you in the library or the pitch. I miss talking to you, and I miss your company. I would be honored if you joined me for lunch in what used to be our usual spot.

~Cedric

A letter from one of her closest friends seemed very odd. He could have easily just asked her. 'Why a letter?' She heaved a sigh and set the letter in her robes. She livened up her pace toward the lake's shore to find Cedric, adjusting her scarf as she walked. Oliver had not been kidding when he implied she would need the scarf. His passionate kisses left her something that she needed to hide. A large discolored spot from his enthused kissing decorated her neck. She stepped on the grass and saw Cedric waiting for her on a bench under a small patch of trees. This was where they always went to have heart-to-heart talks, deep discussions, or just a place to relax together away from the chaos of the castle. He looked up and smiled at her.

"I took the liberty of packing a lunch," he said, indicating a small basket.

"Oh! Thanks, I forgot about food!"

They enjoyed a quaint meal by the lakeside talking about Quidditch, classes, house relations, and other common topics. It may have been mostly small talk, but Cedric cherished every word that emerged from Cho's lips. He would have much preferred to talk about what was clouding his heart, but at the moment, he was happy just having her there. For nearly a month, his mind had been infested with thoughts of Cho and Oliver. He wondered if Oliver was enough of a bastard to lure Cho in an empty classroom and rob her of her innocence. The very thought sickened him. What was worse was that at this point, he was wondering if Cho would actually accept such an invitation. He knew Oliver had Cho wrapped around his finger, he just did not know how tightly. He had seen Cho sneaking around the halls late at night heading for the Ravenclaw dorms during his patrol shift. In his mind, a debate had been waged over his options. He could have done his duty and stopped her, but he hadn't. He did not want the first words he had managed to speak to her in weeks be "Five points from Ravenclaw." 'Now, the question is, was that the only rule she broke, being out late? Or had she been breaking the school rules against physical affection?' Cedric pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, and refocused on Cho's conversation about the weather.

"It is a beautiful day to be out here for lunch," he said, agreeing with her, "but it's not that cold. What's with the scarf?"

Cedric's voice had been teasing her as he playfully tugged on the scarf. His tugs pulled it loose, and sent the wool fabric rippling off her neck and down to the ground. He looked at what she was hiding and was overcome with the sudden urge to track down Oliver and knock him out. It seemed to Cedric that his nightmare had come true. He was looking at the effect of some very zealous kissing. A mark that branded Cho as belonging to Oliver. Cho yelped and quickly covered her mark in shame. She darted her eyes away from Cedric's.

"You know, Cha-Cha," Cedric started as he folded her bronze and blue scarf and offered it back to her, "those markings don't show much respect from him."

Cho was humiliated by his comment, even though she knew he was not trying to insult her. 'Why am I ashamed? Why am I hiding evidence that a boy loves me? Cedric is my friend, he should understand... but why does this embarrass me?' She took the scarf back and wrapped it around her neck. The silence had become an awkward one, broken only by the sound of Cedric's shoes shifting in the dirt.

"I guess I got carried away," she said softly without looking at him.

"No, Cho, HE got carried away." Cedric turned to her waiting for a reply. He was met with more silence. He touched her chin with his finger and tried to look in her eyes, but she continued to look down and away from him. She felt too disgraced to try to match his gaze. "Did you guys . . . " he started to ask, but could not find an appropriate way to finish the question.

Cho finally looked in Cedric's eyes, and saw the fear in them. 'Why is he afraid? Does he really think I let Oliver have his way with me completely?' She was shocked, shocked that Cedric, her good friend, and someone she looked up to, would ask her such a personal question. What did it matter to him?

"No, Cedric." Cho responded coldly. "We didn't." She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry to pry." Cedric tried not to release a sigh of relief. He feared that would send the wrong message to her. Knowing that Oliver had not yet ravaged her raised his spirits, but only a little.

Cho looked at him and couldn't help but to smile. Cedric looked down at the ground, this time he was the one who was ashamed. She placed his hand on top of hers as she waited for him to meet her eyes. He lightly grasped her offered hand and looked up, into her eyes. Her eyes softened his look, and took away the worry shown on his face.

"Why do you ask?" she whispered leaning in closer still holding his hand.

For once, Cedric wanted to throw his noble qualities aside and give her the passionate kiss he was keeping bottled up. "I care about you Cho. I don't want to see you hurt," Cedric whispered. Her lips were so close, it wouldn't have taken much. He wanted to risk everything for that one kiss, but he felt his bravery fail him.

Cho studied his face and flung her arms around his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Cedric . . ."

Cedric's senses were shocked for a moment by that little phrase. 'Cho? Do you mean it? Have you finally realized what you mean to me?'

". . . You're like a big brother to me."

'Damn.' Cedric closed his eyes tightly, trying to hide the pain that had just erupted in them. He let a guise of false content slide over his features, while inside his heart split in two at the words 'big brother.' Those words continued to ring through his head. Nevertheless, Cedric swallowed his pain and broke their embrace. He forced a half-smile at Cho, and she returned it in kind, though hers was a sign of only friendship.

"Ah, I got to go," Cho said looking at her watch. "Thanks Cedric! We should do this more often." She gathered her belongings and waved him good-bye.

The lump in Cedric throat was too big to allow him to speak. 'Again, Cho? Meet me here to tell me you love me... as a big brother? Why do you play with me? Do you realize how much my heart breaks when you are with him? He treats you like his toy, branding your fair skin with his mark, and God knows what else he's done. Could you possibly love him? Or is it the status of a Quidditch Captain that attracts you? I'm a Quidditch Captain, too! And a Prefect! Above all I'm honest and I love you! Why not me? Because I'm in the "Friends Zone." Cho, are you so blinded by our friendship to look beyond a see a wonderful future we can have?'

Cedric eventually broke out of his thoughts and headed for his next class. Hopefully, his friends could cheer him up.

~*~*~

It was Hogsmeade weekend when Oliver looked up at an elaborately carved archway full of colorful dragons, lotuses, and many other symbols. With Cho linked at his arm, they stood outside a Chinese restaurant in Hogsmeade. Cho looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Pearl of the Orient?" Oliver asked with a raised brow. He had never had Chinese food before and was quite afraid. "What the hell is that hanging in the window?!" Oliver flinched when he saw rows of red roasted whole duck hanging from hooks.

"Peaking Duck," informed Cho. Oliver looked at Cho with a dropped jaw. "Please! You'll like it!" Cho begged and flashed him the look that always managed to melt him.

He looked down at his doll and smiled. 'She's such a cute kid,' he thought. He succumbed to her. After all, he was a brave Gryffindor and fear of the unknown shouldn't keep him from eating. They walked into the exotically ornamented dining room. Cho broke off and rushed to a tall older man who rose from his table.

"DADDY!" Cho ran to her father and threw her arms around him. Oliver froze.

'Daddy? Daddy!' He couldn't move. Oliver was not prepared at all to meet the father of the girl he was snogging in his spare time. He stood there with a pale face until Cho rushed back to him and pulled him over to her father by the arm.

"C'mon, Oliver!" she beamed as she tried to pull Oliver to the table. He resisted.

"You didn't say ANYTHING about your Dad being here!" he scoffed under his breath.

"Oh. I'm so sorry! I just got the owl this morning. He's here on business."

'Great. Absolutely great.' When the couple reached the table, Oliver managed a forced smile.

"It's great to finally meet you, son!" he said as he firmly shook Oliver's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you sir," Oliver responded and accepted his handshake. 'Son?'

"Have a seat," Jae gestured. "I took the liberty to order a bit of everything from the menu. Like Chinese food?"

"Uh . . ." Oliver stammered. "I . . . I don't know sir. Never tried it."

"Really? Why not?" Jae's tone hoarsened. Oliver looked at the table and shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Daddy, Oliver is the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain!" she tried to change the subject.

"Gryffindor, eh?" he said noticing the emblem on Oliver's robes. "Heard your house hasn't landed the cup in some time. How long as it been? Seven years? Why is that?"

"DADDY!" gasped Cho.

Luckily they were interrupted with the Asian Salad for an appetizer. Oliver looked puzzled at the Lo Mien and tofu with his cabbage. His confusion only grew when he realized there were no utensils by his plate, only two small wands. He picked up a stick with each hand and used them as shovels in attempt to feed himself, but only managed to fling lettuce everywhere. Jae released a tolerating sigh and motioned for the waiter. He spoke to him in rapid Mandarin while pointing at the Scottish boy. The waiter nodded and returned with a fork for Oliver. Oliver forced a polite smile and graciously accepted the utensil.

"I'm sorry sir," Oliver tried to plead. "I've never experienced an exotic culture before." Cho dropped her chopsticks on her plate and flashed wide eyes at Oliver.

"Exotic?" huffed Jae.

"I . . . mean . . . different," he hesitated.

"Different you say?"

"Different from haggis and plaid kilts, sir!" Oliver expressed with a strong Scottish accent, flaring his heritage and gave Cho's father a stern look.

Jae looked back at him with a raised brow and spoke irritably to Cho in Mandarin. She spoke back to him in the same language but with a softer more beseeching tone. Jae tried to lighten his attitude toward Oliver at his daughter's request and started with a fake smile. The rest of the dinner wasn't so bad. Jae spoke to his daughter about wizard politics and other controversial topics. Occasionally he'd turn to Oliver for his opinion. Unfortunately for Oliver, his Quidditch skills could not help him here. Jae did not express agreement with any of Oliver's uneducated answers. The main course definitely proved to be Oliver's undoing. The fried rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, and Sweet and Sour meats didn't bother him at all, but Jae had insisted on ordering a Chinese delicacy: cold-style jellyfish and cucumber. Oliver turned green at the sight of wet slimy pieces over a bed of cucumber cuts. Jae glared at the boy as if he dared him to reject Cho's favorite dish.

'Just leave! You've had enough of this! She's not worth this torture!' Despite his thoughts, Oliver's parents instilled table etiquette in their son for him to resist the parts of his mind that demanded he escape now. He bravely picked up a piece of jellyfish with his fork, believing the thing was still alive, and slowly put it in his mouth. He felt like he chewed it for hours before it finally slid down his throat.

"It's not bad at all," he forced a grin and noticed Jae crack a faint smile of approval. It really wasn't bad. Sweet yet slimy, just very tough.

Cho placed her hand on Oliver's wrist under the table and gave him a heart-warming smile. It made him feel more comfortable, even in this situation. They were then presented with a tray of Fortune Cookies.

"You first Oliver," offered Jae. "It's a tradition where . . . "

Jae paused when Oliver stuffed the whole Fortune Cookie in his mouth, paper and all. His mind screamed in relief at the idea of eating something that looked as harmless as a cookie.

"I like it," said Oliver after swallowing. 'Except it's a bit stale and papery.' Jae smirked at Oliver and crumbled his Fortune Cookie revealing the paper inside. He lifted the paper to his eyes.

"Tolerance is a gift to the understanding." Jae read.

Oliver flushed red. 'Cho, why didn't you stop me?' He could only think of that piece of paper swimming in his stomach along with the jellyfish. Nevertheless, he graciously smiled at her father who was busy chuckling at Oliver's stupidity. Jae tried to suppress a laugh when he signed the pay slip as Cho tried to ease Oliver's distress. Jae rose from the table and shook Oliver's hand, still smiling about the cookie incident.

"This was interesting, son," Jae smiled. "I trust you will uphold the morals Cho's mother and I raised her with." 'Even if I did want to leap over the table and impale you on my chopsticks, you uneducated, uncultured twit.'

Oliver smiled back and nodded. 'Morals? If only you knew Mr. Chang. If you had any idea, you wouldn't let her leave with me, would you?'

Oliver smiled, satisfied in thinking that he had just impressed Cho's father, and was still willing to have a lot of fun with Cho during her visits to his tent. He watched her father say his good byes to Cho and exit the building. Oliver released a frustrated sigh and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He slumped back down in his chair and shook his head. Cho rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry Oliver," pleaded Cho. "If I had any idea . . . I wouldn't have . . . I'm sorry."

Oliver looked around him to see if Jae was watching. He turned to Cho and studied her face. There were those begging eyes again. He couldn't stay mad at her. He flashed a big smile.

"Why do I put up with you?" he said to her and kissed her softly. 'Can't I even kiss a girl without having to meet her father?'

~*~*~*

After the Halloween feast, Cedric and his friends decided to spend a friendly evening in the Hogwarts Mixer room. The relaxed company of his friends temporarily lifted his emotions from the gutter where his thoughts of Cho constantly drove them. The older students had planned a Halloween social just like the first mixer. Cedric hadn't invited Cho this time, but that did not stop him from looking over the room hoping to see her. The room was rather empty at the moment; half of the population was Cedric's friends.

"Forget about her, bro!" Mark ordered Cedric as he handed him a yellow drink in a small glass.

"What's this?" asked Cedric as he sniffed the drink and pulled back after the scent had hit him like a rogue Bludger.

"Tequila, bro! The solution to half of life's problems!" Mark said and handed Cedric a lime slice. "You need to chill like a mexicano, bro!"

"I don't know," said Cedric smelling the drink again. "It smells like . . ." Cedric took a baby sip and made a disgusted face.

"No, hombre, you don't sip tequila! You slam it! Take the shot and bite the lime before you have a chance to taste it! Cheers!"

Mark and Cedric clicked their glasses, took the shot, and bit the lime. Mark beamed as his friend cringed at strong taste.

"No te preocupes socio, pronto crecevas unas bolas y has chicas estavan sobre ti. Como un niño gordo comiendo dulces!"

Cedric, not knowing a word of Spanish, simply grinned at his Hispanic friend. Mark refilled both shot glasses as more of Cedric's friends joined them.

"Take another one with the team, mate!" said Dan refilling his glass.

Again, Cedric tasted the sting of the strong Mexican liquor followed by the acerbic lime.

"Ahhh!" Cedric screamed pinching the bridge of his nose. "How can you take this?"

"Cojones the size of grapefruits, Bro!" hooted Mark.

"Oy, got the Cuban browns Mark?" asked Dan.

"Right here bro," said Mark as he handed a cigar to each of his teammates, but paused at Cedric. "Captain?"

Cedric gave Mark a raised brow, but was too affected by the drinks to exercise his Prefect power and nobility. The rest of the team paused to look at their Captain waiting for approval. Cedric flashed them an intoxicated grin.

"A little backy's not going to stop this team from kicking Gryffindor's arse this season!" slurred Cedric.

"You hear that guys! Two shots and I already have him loose enough to take home for a night of action!" Mark hollered.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch team hooted and hollered even more obscene phrases that would have flared Cedric's innocent cheeks any other night. But not tonight. Shot after shot, Cedric slowly forgot about his brooding for Cho and enjoyed being obnoxious and loud with his friends. Their good times came to an abrupt end when Penelope Clearwater entered the room. She looked at the Hufflepuff boys with no surprise on her face. Instead, she ran a finger across her throat as if she were warning them.

"Uh . . . oh!" said Cedric extinguishing his cigar. "Big Head alert!" The team followed suit and sat up strait like perfect young boys.

"THIS PARTY IS OVER!" Percy stormed in the room with a bright red face to match his hair. "EVERYONE TO THE GREAT HALL, NOW! WE WILL ALL BE SLEEPING THERE TONIGHT!"

"What's going on?" Cedric demanded.

"Did you not hear me Diggory?" scolded Percy. "Everyone is sleeping in the Great Hall! Prefects, lead your houses!"

"PERCY! What is going on!?" Cedric pressed, but Percy scoffed at him and stormed off with the few Gryffindors following him. A hand grabbed Cedric's shoulder. He turned to see Percy's girlfriend, her face pale and frightened.

"Sirius Black attacked the Gryffindor Tower. We think they were looking for Harry Potter." explained Penelope. "Dumbledore requested that all students sleep in the Great Hall for added security. We Prefects have a big job tonight Cedric."

Cedric's stomach lurched on top of the effects he was already feeling from the tequila. 'Sirius, the mad murderer, loose in Hogwarts? But how?'

"Penelope!" The Ravenclaw prefect looked over at Cedric, eyes questioning him. "Please, take care of Cho."

Penelope flashed Cedric a reassuring smile and quickly turned back to her group. This did little to take away Cedric's worries. He knew that Sirius had no motivation to single out Cho Chang, but Cedric didn't like to take chances when it concerned Cho's safety. He made his way back to his group and rounded up the Hufflepuff stragglers. The entire time, his mind was elsewhere. He spoke a silent prayer to whoever would listen. 'Please, take care of her. Take care of my love.'

~*~*~

Moments later, the Great Hall was filled with incessant chatter of the entire school. Some were irritated, some were scared, and some were excited.

"This is so fun! It's like a giant sleep-over!" exclaimed Heidi.

She was surrounded by the rest of their Ravenclaw friends including some of the boys from Hufflepuff. Scared, some of the Ravenclaw girls were staying close to the boys for comfort and the effects they had as security blankets.

"Are you mad, woman! There is a bloody murderer in the castle!" shrieked Roger.

"If you are going to let something as small as this affect you, Roger, tell me how are you going to win the Quidditch Cup for Ravenclaw?" scoffed Jolene. "Do you not always tell your teammates 'No fear?'"

Roger blushed at his cowardice as the rest of the group looked at Jolene with a dropped jaw. They knew she was a die-hard Quidditch fan, but she sounded like an obsessed Captain. Cho, on the other hand, sat near the group, but her mind was elsewhere. She hugged her knees and thought about Oliver. She wondered why he wasn't here to comfort her like Mark and Joey did with Jenna and Marie. She feared that her father had scared him away. She looked over to a pack of Gryffindors and saw him with a somewhat fearful look on his face.

'He's probably worried. It was his house that was attacked after all. That's it! He is being a good Captain and looking after his Seeker, Harry. Roger and Cedric would have done the same with their teammates. Cedric...' Cho looked up at the Prefects standing guard. There was Cedric, still sloshed from the drinks, staggering across the end of the Great Hall and occasionally leaning on the pillars for support. His head beaded with sweat and seemed like he was going to be sick. 'Oh my! He's really scared!' she assumed.

After the room had settled and everyone was ordered to sleep, Cho noticed Cedric wander to the kitchens. Feeling hungry herself, Cho decided to follow when the other Prefects weren't looking. She tickled the pear that revealed the passageway to the kitchen and climbed through the porthole. In the far corner, she saw Cedric in the far counter drinking water strait from the pitcher. She approached him.

"Hey!"

"OH!" Cedric jumped and spilled a little water on himself. "Eh. . .why aren't you asleep Miss Chang?"

"I . . . I don't know." She took a seat next to him and watched him gush down the pitcher of water. "A bit thirsty there?"

"Water can't quench this thirst I have for you, Miss Chang," Cedric spoke lightly under his breath and gave Cho a look filled with lust. Thankfully, Cho hadn't caught that.

"I'm sorry?" pressed Cho.

"Aren't you hungry?" said Cedric in attempt to change the subject. He handed her a bowl of meatballs.

Cho accepted and speared one with a toothpick. Normally, Cedric wouldn't think anything of Cho opening her lips for a saucy meatball, but tonight he wasn't quite himself. Cedric's mind was wandering into areas of itself he usually stayed away from out of decency and respect. Watching Cho slowly raise a saucy meatball towards her open mouth enticed him in ways he'd never thought of before. She let it rest in her mouth for a moment, letting her taste buds wallow in the burst of flavor. She swallowed slowly, savoring the taste. Cedric's pulse quickened and his palms became damp with sweat as Cho looked over and met his ravenous gaze. Without thinking, Cedric slid the back of his fingers along Cho's cheek and ran them through her hair while looking at her with desire. He leaned in closer to her lips.

"So why are you really here?" he asked in a throaty voice.

"Um . . . I . . . I . . . was . . ." Cho stammered her reply; she was unaccustomed to Cedric being so forward with her.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, darling?" he asked with his voice thick and nearly slurred from his current state of mind.

His foot dragged Cho's chair closer to his own. Once she was within reach, he wrapped a strong arm around her and stood, pulling her forcefully to his chest. He leaned his head towards hers and brought their lips close together, barely brushing them together for the briefest of moments. Cho's nerves were electrified. The sudden charm of Cedric sent her heart beating in a mad frenzy. She felt light headed, not believing what was happening.

"Cedric . . . what are you doing?" she panted.

Cedric pulled back and looked into Cho's eyes again, this time seeing a little more clearly. He saw fear, not desire. He wanted to kiss her, more than he wanted anything else at that moment. But not like this. Not when she was scared. Even his hazed mind couldn't bear the thought of scaring her like that. He looked at the girl he loved and realized that it was him she was scared of.

"Yes, Cedric," huffed a deep voice from the shadows. "What ARE you doing?"

Cedric and Cho both looked up as they heard footsteps from the shadows. Oliver stepped forward, and locked his stony gaze on Cedric. Cedric slowly let go of Cho, and got up. His eyes narrowed and met Oliver's gaze. Cedric knew that Cho and Oliver were now a couple and he had just been caught holding Oliver's girl. Cedric's mind quickly cleared as he realized what he was staring at. He was staring at the boy that was taking advantage of the girl he loved. The boy that hadn't seen fit to visit her in the hospital. The boy that had not even tried to comfort her during this troubling night. A war had just broken out between Oliver and Cedric, and Cedric was determined not to give any ground. Cho looked apologetically at Oliver, but his gaze remained focused on Cedric. She slowly made her way to Oliver, but he would not shift his piercing eyes from the Hufflepuff. Slowly and fearfully, she left through the exit behind him.

"WELL?!" Oliver yelled. "Are you going to answer me or just stand there like a duffer?!"

Cedric remained silent, crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on Oliver. 'What does she see in this apathetic twit? Doesn't she see that he only shows concern for her when I do? Doesn't she realize . . . realize that I'm right here in front of her?'

"What the hell are you doing with my GIRL, Diggory!?" Oliver yelled with such volume, Cedric was certain Oliver had woken a few students in the Great Hall.

Cedric cleared his throat and rummaged for an ounce of voice. "I'm showering your WOMAN," Cedric stressed that word, "with more care than you ever will in your life, Wood." His reply was as icy as his glare. 'How can he dare call her a girl? She is so much more."

With that last comment, Cedric squared his shoulders and turned on one heel, leaving through the door opposite from Oliver. He could only hope that one day Cho would leave Oliver in much the same way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~*Phaedra Note*~

What did Mark say to Cedric?
No te preocupes socio, pronto crecevas unas bolas y has chicas estavan sobre ti. Como un niño gordo comiendo dulces. or . . .
Don't worry man. Pretty soon you'll grow some balls and the ladies will be all over you like a fat kid on candy.

Further Disclaimer: I do not promote sex, drinking, smoking, nor midnight eating! Sorry if I offended anyone.

Slips of the quill may lead you to think things the author did not intend. FYI story only goes second base . . . what is second base again? Just snogging right?

P.S. The Fortune Cookie scene really did happen with a friend of mine!