It happens at the beginning of third year, unexpectedly and problematically so, when Cho realizes she holds a blooming plethora of feelings for Cedric Diggory close to her heart. She watches as he steps off the train and onto the platform, dressed in his Hufflepuff robes. He's gotten noticeably taller over the summer, and his once slicked back hair is replaced with soft tufts of light brown, hanging as fringe around his head and shining in the lamppost light. She's taken by surprise at how handsome she thinks he's become.
As more students begin to exit their compartments, the platform becomes increasingly busy with bustling bodies, and Cho finds herself gripping Crookeshanks closer to her chest as she leans up on her toes, trying to catch glimpses of him over her friends' shoulders. She almost trips over her feet— twice— and mumbles apologies to her friends when she accidentally stumbles into their backs. They both only manage to give her incredulous looks before they turn back around and continue walking down the station. Everyone is walking, she notices, everyone except for him.
She's getting closer to Cedric now, and she thinks that maybe she'll wave to him when she walks by, soft and discreet so that no one will notice except for the boy it's intended for. But then, just as she raises her hand, Cedric turns to face the train, extending his arm and Cho watches as another set of hands grasp at it delicately before you hop out of the cart and into his awaiting arms.
Cho has surpassed you and Cedric now. She's looking behind her and over her shoulder as she continues to walk forward without regard for her surroundings. She sees Cedric smile and hears him laugh, probably for the first time since she's known him and the thought makes her little heart ache because it's not with her. When you detach yourself from his body, you take his hand in yours and begin to pull him down the path. She accidentally makes eye contact with you, and you send her an awkward flutter of fingers that causes her cheeks to flush red in embarrassment when she realizes she forgot to put her hand down.
Cedric takes notice of your movement and looks ahead to see who it was for, and when his eyes lock on Cho's, he gives her the notorious scowl he reserves just for her before he looks away and leans down to whisper something in your ear.
You have all of his attention now, and as all the students make their way to the school of witchcraft and wizardry, Cho watches as Cedric Diggory walks himself to Hogwarts with you on his arm.
—
Currently, Cho is present in Care of Magical Creatures with other Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's alike, and normally, she would enjoy entertaining Hagrid and his whimsical fantasies of exploring new creatures, only Cedric is on the ground and Buckbeak is in the air and "Hagrid, he needs to be taken to the hospital!"
It's later that evening, well beyond curfew when she tucks herself out of bed quietly and slips out of her sleeping quarters unnoticed. Making her way out of the common room is easier, no one in their right mind would be awake at this hour, and maybe that's saying something considering she's on her way to visit Cedric in the hospital wing right now. The castle is eerily quiet and the sound of her feet pattering down the steps and through the corridors follows her wherever she goes. She can only imagine how scared he must be, all alone with a broken arm in the dark of the castle.
If she keeps him company throughout the night, he'll have no choice but to realize that she isn't so terrible after all. She just has to make him her friend first, then the rest will come easier.
Cho is almost there now, only a few more steps and then all she has to do is turn into the room and she'll be right there with him. However, fate does not appear to be on her side because just as she is about to brush past the wall and walk under the arch, she hears a pair of hushed whispers and the unmistakable sound of Cedric's laugh that she has recently come to love. She halts her steps immediately and peers around the stone to find Cedric sat up in his cot, pajamas adorning his frame and a white cast on his arm.
And right next to him is you, curled up in a visitor's chair by his side as you giggle softly at something he says. She watches you closely, sees the feathered quill in your hand as you sign your name into his cast, and look up at him with giddiness all over your face. She doesn't fail to notice the way Cedric looks back at you with the exact same expression.
That evening, Cho watches as Cedric Diggory whispers the night away with you by his side.
—
Frosted color ceilings and shimmering crystal lights decorate the Great Hall on the night of the Yule Ball. Cho is standing at the top of the stairs, wrapped up in a white long, tight dress, that shows her curves very well. Everyone is looking at her, and she puts on a pretty smile because for once in her life, that's exactly how she feels; simply and unapologetically pretty.
As she walks down the steps, the train of her dress trails behind her, and she can't stop herself from searching the foyer for a head of light-brown hair amidst the sea of students gaping at her appearance.
She knows Harry is waiting for her, and she almost feels guilty knowing that when she takes his hand, she'll be dreaming of dancing with somebody else.
When she sees Cedric, her heart stutters in her chest, but then she realizes he isn't even looking at her, and he probably never was. Instead, his grey eyes are glued to you in the way that they always are, raking up your figure as a proud smirk graces his features. You're wearing a pretty dress, Hufflepuff yellow, and much simpler than Cho's because you don't need anything extravagant to look pretty, you're already perfect and Cedric is completely taken with you.
He guides you to the ballroom, hands brushing against your waist and shy smiles interchanged. Hundreds of witches and wizards surround you both, yet in all this time, Cedric only sees you.
The night hasn't even begun, but for Cho, it's already over.
As the ball ravishes on and her date is none the wiser, Cho watches with a heavy heart as Cedric Diggory touches you tenderly underneath the fallen snow.
—
In fifth year, Cho makes prefect for Ravenclaw House. She's making her way through the castle on her nightly rounds, catching misbehaving students and enforcing the rules. She's by herself, walking through quiet and dimly lit corridors, and she loves every minute of it.
As she approaches the kitchens, she briefly wonders if Cedric happens to be close by. She knows he's a prefect too, and maybe if she finds him she can convince him to let them do rounds together.
Just as she begins to feel the chill of the air through the openings of her robes, she hears a pair of students running down the hall across from her, accompanied by the sound of their laughs, one of which she is all too familiar with by now.
Cho may have thought the kitchen corridor was cold before, but as Cedric turns around the corner and of course, you just so happen to pop up behind him, she feels herself freeze into place because good Godric she just had to ask for this to happen.
Both you and Cedric follow Cho's movements, halting in your steps immediately once you see her, and she tries not to flinch when she sees you reach for Cedric's hand.
His hair is slightly messy, tie undone around his neck and you're both sporting a pair of overly pink and swollen lips. Cho's body starts to heat up, flushing all over in embarrassment and she's positive she's about to completely combust when Cedric asks,
"What do you want, Cho?"
Cho tries to make herself look completely indifferent, even though the voice inside her head is screaming at her to run.
"You should both be in bed right now" she replies, and she even manages to straighten her back, trying to come across as intimidating.
Cedric only looks at her as if she's completely lost her mind. "Bloody hell, Cho! Have you finally gone mental? I'm a prefect, I'm supposed to be out of bed after curfew."
"Y/N's not" she says almost immediately, and the only thing the voice inside her head is saying now is 'WHY did you say that? Whywhywhywhy—'
He raises a brow at that, and begins to stalk towards her, tugging you with him by your joined hands. "Not that it's any of your concern, but Y/N has my permission to be out of bed after hours, now if you'll be ever so kind as to excuse us, we have more exciting things to attend to."
For the first time, Cho finally shifts her gaze to you, and as you clutch on to Cedric's arm, she notes that you actually look rather nervous.
She looks back at Cedric, crossing her arms over her chest before she responds "And what exactly does that entail, may I ask?"
By the way Cedric's lips curve into a smirk and your face burns brighter than the Hogwarts express, she thinks she already has her answer.
He brushes past her shoulder, pulling you with him down the length of the hall until you arrive at the portrait hole. As he whispers the password and the door swings open, he shoots Cho a look before adding, "Wouldn't you like to know, Cho."
And then Cho watches as Cedric Diggory excitedly pulls you both into the Hufflepuff common room.
—
The very next day, Cho sits at her desk in the Transfiguration classroom, three minutes before first period begins. All the seats are filled out except for yours and Cedric's, and Chp has a sickly feeling bubbling in her stomach because she knows exactly why.
When you both finally show up, you arrive together with bashful smiles and a clearly visible need to touch. As you split apart from each other and head towards your respective seats, all the other Hufflepuff's begin to fill the room with cheers and squeals.
Cedric sits down, right between Jay and Damon, but not before they both manage to give him a pat on the back, shaking his shoulders and laughing hysterically as they congratulate him on becoming a man. Cedric only rolls his eyes, but he can't seem to wipe the knowing smile off his face when he's looking at you.
And you're looking right back at him, biting your lip and returning a shy smile as all the girls surround you, whispering excitedly as they bombard you with their curious questions.
"How was it?"
"Was Cedric good?"
"Did it hurt?"
"Tell us everything."
And really, Cho shouldn't be listening. This is a private conversation between you and your friends about your first intimate encounter with your boyfriend. It's rude and volatile, but she convinces herself that even if she tried to block out the noise, your friends are just being too loud and she'd be able to hear everything anyway.
She leans forward until she's sitting on the edge of her seat, scribbling random lines onto her parchment as she attempts to look like she isn't actually eavesdropping on a conversation she'll soon find out she absolutely did not want to listen to.
The girls around you are staring with expectant looks on their faces, practically vibrating on the spot with eagerness. You look at your hands when you cave, and a soft blush resonates on the tops of your cheeks. "It was really good. Like really. Unimaginably so, honestly."
Hannah squeals loudly, jumping up and down right next to you. "Tell us more!"
You look up then, grinning so brightly like you're about to share the best news of your life, and quite possibly the worst of Hermione's.
"He told me he loved me."
Fuck.
She really, really shouldn't have listened. Why did she do that? Why didn't she stop you two last night? This is her fault, she let this happen. Nonononono—
Her inner monologue is cut off by the shrieks from your friends, and Cho is left wondering why on earth Professor McGonagall chose to be late today of all bloody days in the school year.
She spends the rest of her time crying in the bathroom because that day, Cho watches as Cedric Diggory falls irrevocably in love with you.
—
When Cho is seventeen and patrolling the corridors in her sixth year, it happens again, but it's much much worse than ever before.
She's in the kitchens again, however, she's learned to be much more alert and aware of all exits if she ever happens upon you and Cedric a second time. She's been lucky this year, but it only takes one occurrence to completely shatter her heart once again.
Just as she's about to call it a night and start heading towards the Ravenclaw common room, a muffled moan echoes throughout the corridor and sends a bullet straight through her heart. She doesn't even have to look, she knows exactly what's going on right around the corner and the sound of her heart splitting into two is practically audible.
Cho takes a deep breath, walking forward and peeking around the wall.
She regrets it immediately.
Cedric has your back pressed up against a pillar and your legs wrapped around his waist. You're both panting, warm breath intermixing, and Cho can make out the vague thrusting of Cedric's hips as your whole body shakes against the stone after every stroke.
His head is buried in your neck, kissing and sucking the tender skin, and your eyes are closed, mouth gaping open and letting out soft moans every time his hips meet yours.
"Does that feel good?" He asks, but his voice is deep and cocky because he already knows he's making you feel good.
You're too blissed out to realize though, and you tilt your head back, exposing more of your neck before you let out a breathy "uh-huh."
That only encourages Cedric further, and he lets out a groan before he starts thrusting faster, evoking a sharp cry from your throat.
"You're such a good girl" he whispers. "Such a good girl for me, letting me take you out here in the open where— oh fuck—anyone can see. Anyone can see how absolutely wrecked you are because of me."
And then you start whimpering, face screwed up completely in pleasure as he brings you closer to the edge with his words.
"No one else can make you feel this good" Cedric slows down a bit, pulling his head out of your neck to look at you. "No, only I can because you're mine, isn't that right sweet girl?"
"Please Cedric, please I'm so close" you beg, and you do it so prettily he almost gives in to you right then and there.
You let out a squeal, and Cho can only imagine what he must be doing with his hand beneath your skirt. "Say it. Say that you're mine"
"Oh god oh god, I'm yours. Please Cedric, I'm all yours."
He kisses you then, all tongue and teeth before you gasp and your legs start shaking.
"Cedric, I'm gonna—"
"That's it. Just let go. Be a good girl and let go for me" he says, and his thrusts are getting sloppy, but he hits you right there and then you're screaming and coming undone beneath him.
Cho thinks Draco finishes with you, releasing a loud grunt before his hips still and he leans up to press a soft, much deserved kiss to your lips. She thinks she can hear him whisper praise and sweet nothings into the pores of your skin, thinks she hears him say "I love you" in a way that's only intended for you to hear.
She wants to pretend that he's saying it to her instead, wants to run away into her room and scream into her pillow. She wants nothing more than to just be you because she watches as Cedric Diggory makes love to you in the castle when he thinks no one is looking.
—
They say the world isn't split into good people and death eaters, but that's exactly what it feels like when Hogwarts is nothing more than crushed stone and fallen rubble littering the grounds where Cho, along with the rest of the students, stand on one side of the war.
Ashes are falling like snow and Ginny is screaming and children are crying because "Harry Potter is dead."
The dark lord stands before her, cloaked, dangerous, and asking them all to switch to his side.
She hears a voice, hard and raspy calling out to Cedric and beckoning him over. Cho looks at him, eyes pleading with him not to go and she watches as he just stands there, shaking his head gently.
It happens again, a different voice this time, softer and safer as the woman it belongs to reaches out her hand for him. "Cedric, come."
And that's when he starts walking, ashamed and frightened with tears in his eyes.
But then you grab his hand, pulling him back and you tell him simply "Stay."
It's only one word, four little letters, but it's coming from you and it changes absolutely everything because Cho watches as Cedric Diggory changes the fate of the war by choosing to stand with you.
—
Four years later, you're dressed in flowing white silk, embedded with delicate lace and sparkling underneath the twinkling lights. Cedric stands across from you, wearing a light grey suit, polished shoes, and a watery smile.
The flowers are beautiful, and the venue is beautiful, and you look beautiful, but all Cho can think of is how she really shouldn't be here. She doesn't even realize she's crying until Harry pulls out his handkerchief and holds it out for her to take. It's embarrassing really, but she takes it gratefully and begins to wipe away all of her tears.
She looks back up at you and Cedric, so in love and so happy with each other.
She's faced with the heartbreaking realization once again that Cedric loves you, and he'll only ever love you for the rest of his life.
He makes a promise to you that day, to love and to hold you, to cherish and protect and to love you and all that you are for as long as you both shall live.
Cedric Diggory gives you all of what he is.
And Cho can do nothing but watch.