The Mists of Memory

Chapter 8 - Distances

"But—uh—Cho, I'm not asking you to marry me. I want to be your friend and help you get over what happened. I wasn't mature enough at the time, but I won't make the same mistake this time. You don't have to love me," he said.

She looked at him softly as he spoke and smiled at him for the first time in years—Harry felt an ache straight to his heart.

"I'd never do that to you. I could say yes, and I know that you'd try your best to be at my side and support me. But I can't forget Cedric with you. I thought you could help me many years ago, but I know the truth now. I'd only make you suffer, and I don't want to." She smiled at him as she finished eating her dinner with those chopsticks he'd never learned to use. "I knew him all my life; we grew up together. He was like a brother to me; when we went to Hogwarts, our relationship grew stronger, and we started dating. I thought he might've been the one for me." She stroked his cheek tenderly as she spoke and noticed the disappointed frown that wrinkled his forehead.

"But," he tried to retort, his throat aching in a knot he didn't know how to loosen. How could she do that to her life? She shushed him, putting a finger on his lips.

"Don't say anything. You know, I must say that I was flattered. I was happy when Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, the one who had fought You-Know-Who...had asked me to go to the Yule Ball with him. Harry Potter had a crush on me. Yes, the fact did stroke my ego a little. But I loved Cedric; it was a much, much stronger feeling than I could—or I ever can—feel for you. I realised it the following year; unfortunately, things haven't changed."

"What will you do, then? Will you mourn Cedric for the rest of your life?" he asked her, his fists clenched. Her words had hurt him, and she knew it because she stared at him with deep sadness for a long moment before replying.

"Of course not. My Uncle found me a job in New York; I shall leave in two weeks." She stroked his cheek softly. "I'll be fine, Harry. You deserve better than a girl who will always cry looking at you." She kissed him on the cheek she had stroked and left.

Harry returned to his hotel room. And cried.

When he concluded his mission and returned to England, he was invited to Ron and Hermione's wedding. After thinking a lot about what Cho had said to him, he decided not to drown himself in his misery and move on, even if his heart still ached at the thought.

At the wedding, he saw Ginny again. She had just finished Hogwarts and, not having seen her for a whole year, Harry couldn't help noticing how pretty she'd become.

*

When he arrived upstairs and saw her, all rational thoughts left his brain. She was leaning against the door of Draco's room, red in the face, eyes shining with fury, her breathing heavy and laboured.

'What happened? Are you all right, love?' he asked, rushing to her side. He'd believed what he said to Ron, that Malfoy wasn't harming her. But now he'd changed his mind...Could Malfoy really...? He'd never forgive himself or the blond wizard, if he'd harmed her in any way.

She glared at him, not that Harry could understand why. However, Ginny returned to her senses almost immediately; the shock left her, as did the annoying expression that her face had shown after hearing his words. Her glare softened and she beamed. Drawing near him sensually, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. Harry started with surprise.

Ginny ruffled his hair and brushed her lips on his skin up to under his chin, drawing a light path of kisses over his jaw until she reached his earlobe. A shiver ran down Harry's spine...how did she always know what to do with him?