Fanfiction: Last Thing on My Mind
Title: Last Thing on My Mind
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Zacharias Smith and Cho Chang
Prompt: Taste/without warning
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG13
Summary: After that day, Zacharias Smith would know how it really felt to lose a chase.
Author’s Notes: Part seven of Swan and Snark.
The only good thing that could have been said about the match was that it didn’t last longer than half an hour. For that, the Hufflepuff team was thankful.
Unresolved tension between Zacharias Smith and Kenyon Cadwallader kept the Chasers from scoring, allowing Cho Chang opportunity to grab the Snitch and end the game with a two hundred and ten point difference. For Zacharias, who had wanted to win the match to ultimately lead Hufflepuff to the Cup, this was an overwhelming defeat to both his ego and expectations.
The Captain waited for him after he changed back into his black school robes, determined to keep morale despite her team being crushed. “You need to practise more,” Applebee said, trying to bear a small smile. “Don’t look at me like that, we all have bad days. I know you have O.W.L.s, but we need everyone to be tip-top against Gryffindor. So, be here next Thursday evening.”
Feeling humiliated over having performed so poorly on the field, and worn-out to the bone, Zacharias agreed without offense. As he treaded across the field, the bottom of his soles weighing like stones, he could hear Tamsin continue to talk with whichever teammate stepped out of the changing room. For Owen Cauldwell, a congratulations for an ace performance, while Sullivan Summerby instead faced extra practice and a, “Well, you’ll catch it next time, Sully.”
The Ravenclaws huddled outside their changing rooms, laughing and cheering on their victory. He could see Cho Chang being flaunted and praised, her teammates admiring her last plight to catch the Snitch. A pang of envy swept through him, and Zacharias felt conflicted on how he should even have responded to her success. He liked Cho, but her victory got in the way of his ambition for the Cup.
He didn’t know whether to congratulate her, or tell her to sod off for winning. The game should have been his.
As the students finally started to disband, Zacharias took the opportunity to step up and give Cho attention of his own.
“Hello, Zacharias,” she cheerfully said, upon seeing him. She had reason to be so pleased, Smith tried to keep telling himself. “That was a good game.”
“Of course it was. Your team won.”
She didn’t hear his mockery, as the gang of Ravenclaws cheered for Cho to follow them back to the castle for common room celebration. Zacharias watched her eyes shift between him and them, her hand hesitantly waving for them to go on without her. That’s right, Smith thought. They’d have to wait. “You played really well today.”
If that hadn’t sound forced, Zacharias Smith had bowtruckles living in his ears. “You heard Lovegood calling the game, didn’t you?” he asked, not wanting to keep the conversation anywhere near his incapability to hold the Quaffle during the match. “Can you believe they picked her to be the other commentator?”
“Yes, she did seem to have the hardest time paying attention.” This was an understatement. Luna Lovegood had trouble remembering the names of the team members in her own House.
Awkward silence followed, Cho fingering the strap of her rucksack distractedly and he contemplating what to say next. This shouldn’t have been as complicated as it was. No, this was stupid.
Zacharias Smith had enough of the pointless small talk, having his ears heat and palms sweat every time Cho Chang was close. He was tired of being reduced to the likes of a flushing first year. He was a boy of practicality, and all of the unstable feelings stirring in his gut left him too awkward and perturbed. He hated feeling like that, like he wasn’t in control of his own emotions.
Keeping his hands by his sides, he uncouthly leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Cho’s palms flattened against his chest, and at first he thought everything to be right until she pushed him roughly away. “What are you doing?” He didn’t expect her to look as upset as she did, stunned and eyes wide. Everything Zacharias thought he understood came crashing down to his feet.
He sneered. “What’s your problem? It’s just a kiss.”
“Just a....” Everything seemed to click and Cho shook her head, fretfully. Blood rushed to her cheeks as stumbled over her words. “Oh! Zacharias, no, you thought I....”
He couldn’t have felt more like a berk if the word was scribed across his forehead.
Zacharias always considered himself perceptive. How could he have possibly botched that up as he had? More importantly, how could she have acted like she did, lamenting how his company had been so appreciated while she was crying over her sneak friend? “Well, what exactly did you expect me to think, saying all bollocks about liking me and leading me on like you did? What are you playing at, Chang?”
The expression on her face changed from shock to exasperation as Cho took insult from his words. “I do like you. I thought maybe you might have had some feelings about me, but....” His hands tensed as she embarrassingly looked away. “I’m sorry, but I don’t-”
“Yeah, you’re certainly tactful, aren’t you?”
From the way her eyes widened, Zacharias knew he had just dropped a clanger. “You know, Cedric took a stand for you when others said how horrible you were, and I believed him. But you can be really full of yourself sometimes.” Fuming with anger, Cho turned away and walked briskly towards the Hogwarts castle.
He watched the girl’s back as she quickly disappeared into the background, back to her friends. He didn’t call her name out, or run after her. He instead took in the noise from Hogwarts students still filling the Quidditch stadium. The field was loud with absent-minded conversations about meaningless dribble, friends laughing over stupid things.
Yet, in a place full of so many people, including the rest of his teammates who tried to console each other over losing the game, Zacharias Smith felt more thrown off than ever.
--
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: Taste/without warning
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG13
Summary: After that day, Zacharias Smith would know how it really felt to lose a chase.
Author’s Notes: Part seven of Swan and Snark.
The only good thing that could have been said about the match was that it didn’t last longer than half an hour. For that, the Hufflepuff team was thankful.
Unresolved tension between Zacharias Smith and Kenyon Cadwallader kept the Chasers from scoring, allowing Cho Chang opportunity to grab the Snitch and end the game with a two hundred and ten point difference. For Zacharias, who had wanted to win the match to ultimately lead Hufflepuff to the Cup, this was an overwhelming defeat to both his ego and expectations.
The Captain waited for him after he changed back into his black school robes, determined to keep morale despite her team being crushed. “You need to practise more,” Applebee said, trying to bear a small smile. “Don’t look at me like that, we all have bad days. I know you have O.W.L.s, but we need everyone to be tip-top against Gryffindor. So, be here next Thursday evening.”
Feeling humiliated over having performed so poorly on the field, and worn-out to the bone, Zacharias agreed without offense. As he treaded across the field, the bottom of his soles weighing like stones, he could hear Tamsin continue to talk with whichever teammate stepped out of the changing room. For Owen Cauldwell, a congratulations for an ace performance, while Sullivan Summerby instead faced extra practice and a, “Well, you’ll catch it next time, Sully.”
The Ravenclaws huddled outside their changing rooms, laughing and cheering on their victory. He could see Cho Chang being flaunted and praised, her teammates admiring her last plight to catch the Snitch. A pang of envy swept through him, and Zacharias felt conflicted on how he should even have responded to her success. He liked Cho, but her victory got in the way of his ambition for the Cup.
He didn’t know whether to congratulate her, or tell her to sod off for winning. The game should have been his.
As the students finally started to disband, Zacharias took the opportunity to step up and give Cho attention of his own.
“Hello, Zacharias,” she cheerfully said, upon seeing him. She had reason to be so pleased, Smith tried to keep telling himself. “That was a good game.”
“Of course it was. Your team won.”
She didn’t hear his mockery, as the gang of Ravenclaws cheered for Cho to follow them back to the castle for common room celebration. Zacharias watched her eyes shift between him and them, her hand hesitantly waving for them to go on without her. That’s right, Smith thought. They’d have to wait. “You played really well today.”
If that hadn’t sound forced, Zacharias Smith had bowtruckles living in his ears. “You heard Lovegood calling the game, didn’t you?” he asked, not wanting to keep the conversation anywhere near his incapability to hold the Quaffle during the match. “Can you believe they picked her to be the other commentator?”
“Yes, she did seem to have the hardest time paying attention.” This was an understatement. Luna Lovegood had trouble remembering the names of the team members in her own House.
Awkward silence followed, Cho fingering the strap of her rucksack distractedly and he contemplating what to say next. This shouldn’t have been as complicated as it was. No, this was stupid.
Zacharias Smith had enough of the pointless small talk, having his ears heat and palms sweat every time Cho Chang was close. He was tired of being reduced to the likes of a flushing first year. He was a boy of practicality, and all of the unstable feelings stirring in his gut left him too awkward and perturbed. He hated feeling like that, like he wasn’t in control of his own emotions.
Keeping his hands by his sides, he uncouthly leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Cho’s palms flattened against his chest, and at first he thought everything to be right until she pushed him roughly away. “What are you doing?” He didn’t expect her to look as upset as she did, stunned and eyes wide. Everything Zacharias thought he understood came crashing down to his feet.
He sneered. “What’s your problem? It’s just a kiss.”
“Just a....” Everything seemed to click and Cho shook her head, fretfully. Blood rushed to her cheeks as stumbled over her words. “Oh! Zacharias, no, you thought I....”
He couldn’t have felt more like a berk if the word was scribed across his forehead.
Zacharias always considered himself perceptive. How could he have possibly botched that up as he had? More importantly, how could she have acted like she did, lamenting how his company had been so appreciated while she was crying over her sneak friend? “Well, what exactly did you expect me to think, saying all bollocks about liking me and leading me on like you did? What are you playing at, Chang?”
The expression on her face changed from shock to exasperation as Cho took insult from his words. “I do like you. I thought maybe you might have had some feelings about me, but....” His hands tensed as she embarrassingly looked away. “I’m sorry, but I don’t-”
“Yeah, you’re certainly tactful, aren’t you?”
From the way her eyes widened, Zacharias knew he had just dropped a clanger. “You know, Cedric took a stand for you when others said how horrible you were, and I believed him. But you can be really full of yourself sometimes.” Fuming with anger, Cho turned away and walked briskly towards the Hogwarts castle.
He watched the girl’s back as she quickly disappeared into the background, back to her friends. He didn’t call her name out, or run after her. He instead took in the noise from Hogwarts students still filling the Quidditch stadium. The field was loud with absent-minded conversations about meaningless dribble, friends laughing over stupid things.
Yet, in a place full of so many people, including the rest of his teammates who tried to console each other over losing the game, Zacharias Smith felt more thrown off than ever.
--
I apologize for any Americanisms and grammatical errors. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.