Fanfiction: Every Move is a Calculated Step
Title: Every Move is a Calculated Step
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Zacharias Smith and Cho Chang
Prompt: Drink/of the spectacular sort
Word Count: 862
Rating: PG
Summary: Matters with Cho Chang were taking a turn, and Zacharias decided everything’s better when talked over tankards of butterbeer.
Author’s Notes: Part five of Swan and Snark.
As he pulled the scarf from his face, he looked from table to table for any traces of the one who was supposed to be meeting him. Disappointed to note Cho Chang wasn’t present, Zacharias Smith sat down at an empty stool, removing his gloves and hat. He ordered two butterbeers, and made note to glance to the door every two minutes.
Time ticked by at a snail's pace. Harry Potter and his friends trampled in with that musty-haired Auror, barely keeping their voices just under loud whispers. The Boy Who Lived was being right cheeky with his lot, but Zacharias managed to keep his attention to the bottom of his tankard.
Cho Chang bundled tightly into an anorak and cloak, her face frigid and hair messed. Zacharias didn’t mind, she still looked pleasing as they awkwardly proceeded to greet each other. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, breathlessly. “I was speaking to Michael at Honeydukes. We really didn’t mean to lose the time.”
“Oh.” Smith’s fingers tensed, nails scraping the insides of his palms. “I ordered you a butterbeer. Probably cold by now, though.”
Her hands wrapped around the mug, and she gave thanks before taking a sip. “It’s still warm.” Cho sounded glad. Was it to clear any sort of guilt she should have felt for making him wait, Zacharias wondered. A few moments of painful silence passed, and Cho looked up at him with what almost seemed like reassurance. “Michael needed to meet Lisa Turpin at Madam Puddifoot’s.”
So she didn’t fancy the pants off Corner? “I heard the tea there’s terrible.”
“It’s actually very nice, but what’s really incredible is their coffee. You should try it; at least before deciding whether you think it’s terrible or not.” What she said had truth, but it still didn’t change the fact no bloke in his right mind would step foot in there.
Zacharias shrugged. “I suppose.”
The girl took another sip, but didn’t look to be enjoying the drink, as though her mind were sorting through too many thoughts at once. “I’m surprised they let us into Hogsmeade this year. With all that’s happened, all the security they’ve had to add. Hogwarts almost feels like some sort of prison.”
“It’s not exactly like the Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts, anyways,” he remarked, haughtily.
With an uncomfortable glance, Cho’s eyes peered around to Harry’s table as he and his friends stood to leave the Three Broomsticks. Zacharias, upon seeing this, set his tankard down on the table harder than necessary and asked, “So, what exactly made you change your mind?”
Her fingers fidgeted, tips tapping against the mug’s side. “I was actually hoping we could talk about...Well, you seemed so upset about summer Quidditch. I thought it would be rude to forget.” Perhaps he should have told her he had not attended the match over the holiday, how he’d barely left the house over the Death Eater scares. “I just had so much to handle then, I needed to get away from everything. You understand, don’t you?”
She had noticed him. “Yeah, well, Umbridge was a complete toad.” Not that Snape was all that much better.
A half-hearted laugh escaped Cho’s lips, but for a split second Zacharias wondered if it was forced. “I haven’t forgotten the day we talked after the game. Remember? At first I thought it was about Cedric....”
“Well, it was. At first, I mean.”
Zacharias let his smile wane as Cho frowned. In the manner of only a gesture, his confidence dropped as chill as the wind outside. “But you were just so...hostile to Harry during the D.A. meetings.”
“If he would have-,” he began.
“Zacharias, you still are, and I don’t know if it’s because of...he doesn’t really deserve....”
It wasn’t about hate, it wasn’t about Cho. More importantly, he didn’t want this day to be about Potter. The uncertainty of that mixed with Susan’s words ringing in his ears. “It would be less uncomfortable if you stopped talking about Harry. She notices, you know.”
Good Lord, leave it to girls to make everything so complicated. Bloody typical.
“Well, the D.A.’s disbanded. I haven’t even talked to Potter since then.” This was true, the only time Zacharias had actually paid any real attention to Harry was while watching at the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs, and even then it was solely for the benefit of preparing to commentate the upcoming match.
“Sometimes Duncan and Grant have a hard time being on the same field with each other.” He stared stupidly, and as she caught his expression Cho continued with a small smile. “It doesn’t mean I like either of them any less.”
Smith was uncertain if he’d heard exactly what he thought he’d heard, or if he was reading too much into her words. But when he moved to respond, a piercing scream came from outside the Three Broomsticks. Cho looked at him once, face distorted in both confusion and surprise. She immediately jumped from her stool and ran over to the door, leaving Zacharias looking dumbfounded in his seat for a few more minutes before he joined the growing group outside in the cold.
--
I apologize for any Americanisms and grammatical errors. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Zacharias Smith and Cho Chang
Prompt: Drink/of the spectacular sort
Word Count: 862
Rating: PG
Summary: Matters with Cho Chang were taking a turn, and Zacharias decided everything’s better when talked over tankards of butterbeer.
Author’s Notes: Part five of Swan and Snark.
As he pulled the scarf from his face, he looked from table to table for any traces of the one who was supposed to be meeting him. Disappointed to note Cho Chang wasn’t present, Zacharias Smith sat down at an empty stool, removing his gloves and hat. He ordered two butterbeers, and made note to glance to the door every two minutes.
Time ticked by at a snail's pace. Harry Potter and his friends trampled in with that musty-haired Auror, barely keeping their voices just under loud whispers. The Boy Who Lived was being right cheeky with his lot, but Zacharias managed to keep his attention to the bottom of his tankard.
Cho Chang bundled tightly into an anorak and cloak, her face frigid and hair messed. Zacharias didn’t mind, she still looked pleasing as they awkwardly proceeded to greet each other. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, breathlessly. “I was speaking to Michael at Honeydukes. We really didn’t mean to lose the time.”
“Oh.” Smith’s fingers tensed, nails scraping the insides of his palms. “I ordered you a butterbeer. Probably cold by now, though.”
Her hands wrapped around the mug, and she gave thanks before taking a sip. “It’s still warm.” Cho sounded glad. Was it to clear any sort of guilt she should have felt for making him wait, Zacharias wondered. A few moments of painful silence passed, and Cho looked up at him with what almost seemed like reassurance. “Michael needed to meet Lisa Turpin at Madam Puddifoot’s.”
So she didn’t fancy the pants off Corner? “I heard the tea there’s terrible.”
“It’s actually very nice, but what’s really incredible is their coffee. You should try it; at least before deciding whether you think it’s terrible or not.” What she said had truth, but it still didn’t change the fact no bloke in his right mind would step foot in there.
Zacharias shrugged. “I suppose.”
The girl took another sip, but didn’t look to be enjoying the drink, as though her mind were sorting through too many thoughts at once. “I’m surprised they let us into Hogsmeade this year. With all that’s happened, all the security they’ve had to add. Hogwarts almost feels like some sort of prison.”
“It’s not exactly like the Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts, anyways,” he remarked, haughtily.
With an uncomfortable glance, Cho’s eyes peered around to Harry’s table as he and his friends stood to leave the Three Broomsticks. Zacharias, upon seeing this, set his tankard down on the table harder than necessary and asked, “So, what exactly made you change your mind?”
Her fingers fidgeted, tips tapping against the mug’s side. “I was actually hoping we could talk about...Well, you seemed so upset about summer Quidditch. I thought it would be rude to forget.” Perhaps he should have told her he had not attended the match over the holiday, how he’d barely left the house over the Death Eater scares. “I just had so much to handle then, I needed to get away from everything. You understand, don’t you?”
She had noticed him. “Yeah, well, Umbridge was a complete toad.” Not that Snape was all that much better.
A half-hearted laugh escaped Cho’s lips, but for a split second Zacharias wondered if it was forced. “I haven’t forgotten the day we talked after the game. Remember? At first I thought it was about Cedric....”
“Well, it was. At first, I mean.”
Zacharias let his smile wane as Cho frowned. In the manner of only a gesture, his confidence dropped as chill as the wind outside. “But you were just so...hostile to Harry during the D.A. meetings.”
“If he would have-,” he began.
“Zacharias, you still are, and I don’t know if it’s because of...he doesn’t really deserve....”
It wasn’t about hate, it wasn’t about Cho. More importantly, he didn’t want this day to be about Potter. The uncertainty of that mixed with Susan’s words ringing in his ears. “It would be less uncomfortable if you stopped talking about Harry. She notices, you know.”
Good Lord, leave it to girls to make everything so complicated. Bloody typical.
“Well, the D.A.’s disbanded. I haven’t even talked to Potter since then.” This was true, the only time Zacharias had actually paid any real attention to Harry was while watching at the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs, and even then it was solely for the benefit of preparing to commentate the upcoming match.
“Sometimes Duncan and Grant have a hard time being on the same field with each other.” He stared stupidly, and as she caught his expression Cho continued with a small smile. “It doesn’t mean I like either of them any less.”
Smith was uncertain if he’d heard exactly what he thought he’d heard, or if he was reading too much into her words. But when he moved to respond, a piercing scream came from outside the Three Broomsticks. Cho looked at him once, face distorted in both confusion and surprise. She immediately jumped from her stool and ran over to the door, leaving Zacharias looking dumbfounded in his seat for a few more minutes before he joined the growing group outside in the cold.
--
I apologize for any Americanisms and grammatical errors. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.