Fate's Strings Part 4
Title: Fate's Strings, Part 4
Theme: #18 - the wrong words
Index: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
*
Sundays with Seekers was turning into quite a large group of friends. Mainly Hufflepuffs, but there were also some Gryffindors and a few Ravenclaws. It was nice, Cho thought, oblivious to the fact that many of the girls there often hounded Cedric with questions of a personal nature. She learned his favorite color (which surprisingly wasn't yellow), his favorite flower (he was manly enough to not shy away from that question), what he looks for in a friend, and what his all-time favorite birthday gift was. The questions went around the room, igniting friendly debates on what was more important (honesty or compassion) and soon, it felt as if everyone knew everything about each other. It was a refreshing change.
One sunny Friday afternoon, Cho -as expected- was in the library. She knew how to budget her time, and knew that even though she could have gone flying, she needed to finish her homework today to free the rest of the weekend for Hogsmeade and Sundays with Seekers. As she scribbled the ends to her essays, she realized she needed to double-check a fact on her Potions assignment. She stood from the table and hurried down the rows of books to find the answer.
Just as she turned the corner, she halted abruptly, her eyes widening at the sight of Roger and Marietta snogging behind the shelves. She turned away, blushing at the intrusion, hiding herself behind the end of the case.
"Oh, Roger." Marietta smiled sweetly. "It's like fate has pulled us together."
Roger chuckled softly into her hair. "A destined meeting."
"The first day I met you..." Marietta murmured against his chest. "I knew you were the one."
"I felt the same way." Roger smiled.
Cho bit her lip, willing back the sudden tears that sprung on her face. She ran from the stacks, not paying much attention to her steps, leaving her books behind. The library doors were heavy, but she pushed them open as if they were made of cardboard instead of oak. She hurried out, not caring where she was going... and ran straight into Cedric.
"Cho, are you all right?" Cedric asked, his face filled with concern. She stepped back from him, debating whether or not she should say anything.
"I... I'm fine." Her voice shook, and he didn't appear convinced.
"No, you're not." He said, taking a step towards her. "You're upset."
"I..."
"Cho, you know you can tell me anything." He looked so open, that Cho felt the words tumble from her lips before she could stop herself.
"I... just saw Roger... with Marietta." She said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I... didn't know... how serious... they were."
He nodded, though a crease formed between his eyebrows and a line pressed between his lips. She looked away, unsure if he was angry with her or with them... but she thought she could explain.
"I met Roger my first year... with Marietta." A wistful yet pained expression appeared on her face. "He was nice to both of us, friendly and warm... and I started to think... that it was fate that brought us together. That maybe... he'd realize it too."
A few tears trickled down her cheek, and she hugged herself, looking at him for understanding. "Isn't that silly of me? An analytical Ravenclaw who believes in fate... but fate can't be one-sided..."
Cedric took another step towards her, and she saw his robes inches away from her face. She felt him place his hands on her waist, and she looked up at him, surprised. His voice was serious. "I'll help you forget about him."
She felt dumbstruck, and broke away from him, running again. Her heart pounded in her ears, a flush in her cheeks. I'll help you forget about him? No... Cedric wasn't... that couldn't be right. He startled her. He didn't say... no, he didn't mean... it.
She ran to the entrance of the Ravenclaw tower. What? She looked distractedly around herself, and cringed. She realized she left her bag in the library. She gulped, hastily fishing her handkerchief out of her robes and wiping her face. She took a step away from the portrait, when Cedric came walking towards her, a book in his hand and her bag swung around his shoulder.
He handed her bag to her, his voice soft. "When you ran into me at Hogsmeade... I felt the same way you did when you first met Roger. That it was fated to happen. I thought... maybe you could feel the same way I did... that I do. I don't care if it's one-sided... because I don't think I could ever give up on you."
His smile was bittersweet as he passed her the book in his hand. "I've been holding onto this for a long time... I... would love it if you could give it to me someday."
With that, he walked away. She stared at his back, her eyes blinking at the shock of his words. She looked at the book. Quidditch: Through an Eagle's Eyes stared back at her. She hesitantly opened it to the first page, swallowing at her inscription. He had picked it up all those weeks ago. The realization left her standing stunned for a long time.
*
To Part 5
Theme: #18 - the wrong words
Index: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
*
Sundays with Seekers was turning into quite a large group of friends. Mainly Hufflepuffs, but there were also some Gryffindors and a few Ravenclaws. It was nice, Cho thought, oblivious to the fact that many of the girls there often hounded Cedric with questions of a personal nature. She learned his favorite color (which surprisingly wasn't yellow), his favorite flower (he was manly enough to not shy away from that question), what he looks for in a friend, and what his all-time favorite birthday gift was. The questions went around the room, igniting friendly debates on what was more important (honesty or compassion) and soon, it felt as if everyone knew everything about each other. It was a refreshing change.
One sunny Friday afternoon, Cho -as expected- was in the library. She knew how to budget her time, and knew that even though she could have gone flying, she needed to finish her homework today to free the rest of the weekend for Hogsmeade and Sundays with Seekers. As she scribbled the ends to her essays, she realized she needed to double-check a fact on her Potions assignment. She stood from the table and hurried down the rows of books to find the answer.
Just as she turned the corner, she halted abruptly, her eyes widening at the sight of Roger and Marietta snogging behind the shelves. She turned away, blushing at the intrusion, hiding herself behind the end of the case.
"Oh, Roger." Marietta smiled sweetly. "It's like fate has pulled us together."
Roger chuckled softly into her hair. "A destined meeting."
"The first day I met you..." Marietta murmured against his chest. "I knew you were the one."
"I felt the same way." Roger smiled.
Cho bit her lip, willing back the sudden tears that sprung on her face. She ran from the stacks, not paying much attention to her steps, leaving her books behind. The library doors were heavy, but she pushed them open as if they were made of cardboard instead of oak. She hurried out, not caring where she was going... and ran straight into Cedric.
"Cho, are you all right?" Cedric asked, his face filled with concern. She stepped back from him, debating whether or not she should say anything.
"I... I'm fine." Her voice shook, and he didn't appear convinced.
"No, you're not." He said, taking a step towards her. "You're upset."
"I..."
"Cho, you know you can tell me anything." He looked so open, that Cho felt the words tumble from her lips before she could stop herself.
"I... just saw Roger... with Marietta." She said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I... didn't know... how serious... they were."
He nodded, though a crease formed between his eyebrows and a line pressed between his lips. She looked away, unsure if he was angry with her or with them... but she thought she could explain.
"I met Roger my first year... with Marietta." A wistful yet pained expression appeared on her face. "He was nice to both of us, friendly and warm... and I started to think... that it was fate that brought us together. That maybe... he'd realize it too."
A few tears trickled down her cheek, and she hugged herself, looking at him for understanding. "Isn't that silly of me? An analytical Ravenclaw who believes in fate... but fate can't be one-sided..."
Cedric took another step towards her, and she saw his robes inches away from her face. She felt him place his hands on her waist, and she looked up at him, surprised. His voice was serious. "I'll help you forget about him."
She felt dumbstruck, and broke away from him, running again. Her heart pounded in her ears, a flush in her cheeks. I'll help you forget about him? No... Cedric wasn't... that couldn't be right. He startled her. He didn't say... no, he didn't mean... it.
She ran to the entrance of the Ravenclaw tower. What? She looked distractedly around herself, and cringed. She realized she left her bag in the library. She gulped, hastily fishing her handkerchief out of her robes and wiping her face. She took a step away from the portrait, when Cedric came walking towards her, a book in his hand and her bag swung around his shoulder.
He handed her bag to her, his voice soft. "When you ran into me at Hogsmeade... I felt the same way you did when you first met Roger. That it was fated to happen. I thought... maybe you could feel the same way I did... that I do. I don't care if it's one-sided... because I don't think I could ever give up on you."
His smile was bittersweet as he passed her the book in his hand. "I've been holding onto this for a long time... I... would love it if you could give it to me someday."
With that, he walked away. She stared at his back, her eyes blinking at the shock of his words. She looked at the book. Quidditch: Through an Eagle's Eyes stared back at her. She hesitantly opened it to the first page, swallowing at her inscription. He had picked it up all those weeks ago. The realization left her standing stunned for a long time.
*
To Part 5