3/1/2002

 

Hospital Wing

 

Typical hospital wing.  The matron here, Madame Pomfrey, can mend almost anything in an instant, though beds have been set up for prolonged stays.

 

 

Like most days lately, when she isn't practicing for the Quidditch matches, Cho is in the Hospital Wing or her classes. She hasn't been spending much time in her dorm, mainly to avoid the looks of her roommates over that unfortunate article. She stands at one of the many racks of potion components for remedies, writing down the amounts remaining for the daily inventory. Some components get used more than others, so they're the ones she needs to keep an eye on. Especially with winter ending, more and more illnesses seem to sprout up when seasons change.

 

On the plus side, it's not summer ending, which would mean even more illnesses than usual. ...Not that Pansy knows any of that. Storming into Hospital Wing, Pansy has a /very/ specific target for her wrath at the moment. Of course, stealth is... not her forte. "HOOOOOOO!" She calls the /second/ she spots poor Cho. No waiting to sneak up behind her and startle her--not that she could, with those steps. "Even Cedric's family knows you're a ho!" She cries out with her trademark Shriek. Uh-oh. "If Cedric were alive today, you know what he'd say?"

 

At the loud yell, Cho jumps slightly, the contents of one of the jars she's measuring spilling on the counter. That... that was completely uncalled for. Her expression is one of absolute shock, turning around to blink. Her mouth works for a moment, before she has to pull her hands back and start to try to get the ground dust off her hands. It's starting to burn. Ironic, healing potions that cause skin to break out when they aren't put together properly. She grabs a quick towel not far away and starts to wipe off her hands. "I-- I'm sure that Ms. Skeeter was-- exaggerating." Her voice is very soft when compared to the shrieker (and the hurt tone is apparent).

 

A freight train is very soft when compared to the shrieker. Pansy goes on, pug face twisting ever more into a malicious mask, heartlessly ignoring her pain. "He's say you're an unfaithful _HO_ who couldn't even wait 4 months here before she betrayed him! Three months, HO!" This is just too... convinient for her. All of this, stacked in front of her. "Cedric would have waited a year for you! Three years!" She can compliments someone for the sole purpose of bringing down someone else. "You know if you had died in his place, everyone would be happier!" And she'd be happier, which is the important thing. She's so worked up in her hyena-like frenzy it takes her until now to notice the burns. She doesn't do anything about that yet.

 

Now that has to be the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to her. And for someone who's been spending a lot of time with Draco Malfoy, that's saying something. Cho backs away from pug faced Slytherin, the towel dropping from her shaking fingers. "I--.. It's not..." her voice breaks. She takes a breath then continues, still soft, and slightly shakey, "It's not like that. I'm not... Draco's just a friend. It isn't... betrayal..." Is it? Would Cedric feel betrayed even if it wasn't just friendship?

 

Pansy snarls. "Of course he'd think so! You've kissed! You know you like him Ho!" Cho will never get called by her name again by Pansy, and that means the same for Pansy's gaggle of followers. It's very dehumanizing to get a name like that. "He feels betrayed, even his father feels betrayed. You've made everyone feel betrayed! Wherever you go, ho, people get hurt!" She's going waaaaaay off on a tangent now, but maybe Cho will believe it. "Ho Chang! Ho Chang! Ho Chang! She spreads her legs and bang bang bang!"

 

Oh, if what she said before was bad, that was just plain disgusting. Yes, yes, she's kissed Draco, but it's not like any of those really counted. The burns on Cho's hands are completely ignored, as if she totally forgot about them. She can't seem to come up with anything at all to say in response, mouth working soundlessly. If she was making a rational (and non-shrieky) arguement, she might be able to form a response, but the use of such disgusting imagry and name calling... just stops Cho's brain cold. Finally what she manages is (again, soft), "You're wrong." There's no leg spreading going on here! But the rest could be accurate, if one looked at it in certain ways.

 

What's this? A name calling session and he wasn't invited to take part? No bantering moments are complete unless Draco Malfoy is taking part or at least happens to be present. He comes from the Great Hall, probably just having finished dinner, reaching the Hospital Wing with his usual air of confidence, blonde hair slicked back, stormy eyes looking cold as per usual. Would you look at that? Bickering! He can hear it straight through the door! Ho Chang? Couldn't of thought of any better, himself, but still... The boy just stands there, stunned for a few minutes at the two female voices, one belonging to Pansy Parkinson, the other to Cho. He slips in in silence and seems to hesitate in order to listen without notice, one hand on the door while the other rests on the frame. Then... BANG. He's heard enough, fully bringing himself into the room and closing it rather loudly behind himself, not bothering to be respectful of those who may be resting within. "Enough!"

 

Pansy sneers at the Ravenclaw. "Why don't you go ask Cedric what he thinks?" Mental note: Deface the grave. Hopefully that will actually /stick./ Pansy's not the brightest flower in the garden, she's just named for one. "Ho Chang! Ho Chang! Ho Chang! She spreads her legs and bang! Bang! Ba--" That voice. It cuts her off midstream. (Of course, the player had to get one last round of that in before Draco cut her off.) Turning dramatically, the mask of her face changes from horrific cruelty to her normal horrific visage and her eyes fill with the kind of simpering puppy (pug?) love that shrieks her innermost thoughts. They're something along the lines of 'Kiss me!' Cho could grab a potion and smack her with it, she wouldn't notice she's so wrapped up in the bubbly love of Draco. Well, she'd notice being smacked, she just wouldn't notice Cho moving to do so.

 

Well, there's only one person lately who's been able to bring her to wanting to smack them, and unfortunately, it's not Pansy. Yet. One more round of Ho Chang and she might change her mind on that matter though. Cho jumps as the loud bang, the second time in the last few minutes startled so much that she would spill things if she had had anymore potion coponents in her hands. "Dra--draco.." She doesn't get a puppy love, 'Kiss me!' look on her face, but she does look somewhat grateful that he's stopped the shrieking hyena from saying anything more. Who would have thought it? Draco to the rescue. Or is he?

 

Draco's certainly no knight in shining armor. Cancel that. He's not a knight, either. Or the type to perform rescues, either. Just think of it this way, he has no reason to dislike or hate Cho, nor does he have any reason to dislike or hate Pansy, plus, she's also a Slytherin and was his date to the Yule Ball during fourth year. A smirk begins to crawl across his lips, curling one corner upwards. "Pansy." Must think of something quickly. "Professor Snape asked me to retrieve you. I heard you as I was passing by, looking for you..." That smirk now turns onto Cho, his stare just... icing over. "I'd understand completely if you'd want to stay here, however. Evening, Cho." The words just drip with poison. Lots and lots of poison.

 

Pansy is clearly torn. Snape or Ho? Snape's wrath and Ho's misery or fun with Snape and none with Ho? Pansy actually takes her eyes of Draco to contemplate the situation, staring at Cho for a moment before inwardly wilting. Which makes her shoot Cho a glare to promise more SUFFERING to come. Draco will take care of her. *.* She needs to get Draco away from her and overwhelm him with her feminine wiles. " Without looking at the Ho again, she turns to the Slytherin Sex Symbol and nods. "Okay. I'll see you soon Draco." She simpers, wide-eyed. And then, very slowly, she exits the room, basking in the glow of Malfoy's presence.

 

You know, Malfoy. I think she might like you. And for that to actually register with Cho under the distraction of the poisony voice and cold eyes, that's saying something. It takes a few moments, dark eyes following the pug faced girl as she leaves. It's almost as if she's making sure that the girl is gone before she risks speaking to the blonde Slytherin. "Evening, Draco." She says no thank you, because she's just going to try to pretend it never happened. She looks down at her hands, some angry red splotches on the fingers and palms, and she walks over to a nearby sink and starts to wash them off. The source of the slight burns is near the potion cabinet, a fine red powder was spilled there, before he ever arrived. It's a remedy component, but it causes skin to burn. The irony.

 

"Seems that you have incurred the wrath of Pansy Parkinson. She didn't sound so hell-bent back at the table way back when." Draco muses outloud, his eyes following the femme fellow Slytherin out the door, smirk still firmly in place, hand reaching for the handle in order to close it after her. Such puppy-love gazes go without notice, the simpering tone winds up ignored. He truly is an emotionally retard. "But then again, with her, you never know when she'll strike." The young blonde Slytherin breaks away from his positioning by the entrance and moves across the room with a gliding, relaxed pace. His hands reach out, into the sink, attempting to retrieve hers from the water. "What happened?"

 

The water is mainly just to get the excess off, she can fix up the burns easily with a quick paste, but... Cho just continues to rinse as she nods slowly, "She just had more fuel, I guess..." She won't go into what all the girl said, he'd heard enough anyway, and she doesn't really want to involve him in this anyway if she can avoid it. Though she is grateful he intervined when he did. She would be mortified if Madam Pomfrey returned and heard all that. She allows her hands to be retrieved, but she doesn't over at him. "She startled me while I was measuring." She entered with a very loud shriek of 'HOOOOOOOOO!' that nearly knocked ten years off her life. The girl has some lungs.

 

She walked in and just screamed 'HOOOOOOOOOO!'? That's... some entrance. He probably could have come up with something much better and wounding, not to mention mature, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise. The tips of his fingers gently trace over the burns with a half-interest, half-concern... or something akin to that. "Fuel, indeed." Draco agrees softly, not bothering to glance at the girl, behaving more as though he were fascinated by the wounds. "She must have had a lot of fuel indeed to startle you, then start spouting off remarks like that." He'll give Pansy a few points for originality, though... not that the Slytherin mentions this outloud. "Don't think I came in here to save you or anything. I don't have anything against either one of you." Translation: 'I'm not playing favourites here'.

 

Oh, he missed the part where she shrieked how Cedric would have waited at least a year for her, if not three. Then proceeded to say that everyone would be happier if she'd died in his place. That was the cruelest thing anyone had ever said to her. The rest was just ridiculas disgusting fluff. Cho doesn't say anything as he examines the burns, still looking into the running water as if it's far more facinating than he is. Or perhaps she's avoiding looking at him for another reason. "I never said you did... I'm not asking you to say anything against your... fellow Slytherins." What is Pansy to him anyway? A friend?

 

He traces his fingertips one last time over the wounds before gently setting them back beneath the running water in order to wash the rest of the powder away. Pansy is... well... She's a fellow Slytherin, a follower, a minion, though not quite as dedicated as Crabbe and Goyle. Draco's never thought of the girl as much more than that, having not even spoken to her more than a few times despite how long they've been attending Hogwarts in the same house. "Fine. I was just mentioning it just in case you did."

 

Well, good thing she isn't a close friend, because Cho may have to think of something really whicked to do. Though... she probably won't. She's just not that type of person, after all. She continues to wash off her hands at one of the sinks in the Hospital Wing, the inventory she was doing abandoned. She finally looks up from the water to glance at him. "You did mention that I should tell you if any of the Slytherins gave me trouble. Did you think something like this would happen?" He says he's not trying to 'protect her' or anything, but he did say that, and he did interupt and send the /extremely cruel and nasty/ girl away...

 

Harry quitely slips into the Hospital Wing so as to not disturb any of the students that may be in here. He's not expecting to find Cho in here, let alone Draco. Since he woke up with one of the typical nightmares he gets, he's had a persistant headache that just will not go away. It was even interfering with his ability to practice Quidditch. He takes a glance around the room as he walks, looking for Pomfrey.

 

While Cho looks to him, Draco's looking off towards the door where Pansy Parkinson made her exit only moments before. "Yes, but you don't have to tell me that a Slytherin was giving you some problems since I saw it myself. I'm not really surprised that it was Pansy, in all honesty, especially after that little remark at the table." He glances back to Cho with a bit of a smirk, though hardly as severe as the one he wore when first entering. "I'll speak with her about it. That is..." The smirk turns a bit more mocking. "After she figures out that I was lying and Professor Snape didn't want her to report to him at all." ^o^ Ohohoho. Because his back's probably facing Harry, he completely misses Potter's entrance, more wrapped up with an egotistical moment. He's so witty! He's so brilliant! ^o^

 

"You lied?" Cho says with a blink, almost for a second forgetting that she's rinsing off her hands. He actually lied to a Slytherin in order to stop their fight? That's actually... kind of nice. Sure, he didn't defend her, or make Pansy choke on her words, but still, he /did/ effectively break it up. And by lying, he's risking the wrath of the simpering shrieking pug. "I... thank you." She says with a smile, "You don't have to talk to her though. I'm sure it'll blow over eventually..." Well, she hopes it will. She certainly wouldn't want Pansy Parkinson yelling those things all over the school again... It was bad enough /Draco/ had to hear them. She'd be mortified if a Professor or even most the other students did...

 

Harry is so glad your back is to him because as soon as he spots the Slytherin, he about faces for the door and pauses a moment. Cho, don't be surprised that Draco lied. But his head is killing him. He turns back around and heads over and stops within a safe distance. "Ah.. sorry for interrupting Cho, but I was wondering if I could get something for a headache?" He'd stop and chat, asking how you're doing after that article, but not with Draco here.

 

He opens his mouth to reply, but stops at the sound of a new voice filling the room. You know... Things had been going so smoothly until you decided to make an entrance, Potter. He doesn't even bother to turn around, the pupils in the depths of his ice blue narrowing significantly in order to display his annoyance and irritation at the disgusting new presence. Draco just... doesn't even bother. There's been so much bottling up over the past few weeks that he's been dying to say but couldn't until his father managed to get a good hold on his 'innocence'. Now that Lucius has obtained it... fear, but not today. After Pansy's little session with Cho, he really doesn't feel like upsetting the other girl more this evening.

 

That's almost nice. Another good deed today, Draco? The world shudders at the very idea! The end must be near. Cho turns off the water and starts to dry off her hands as Harry speaks to her. She blinks and silently chides herself for not noticing him first and says, "Of course, Harry. Just give me a minute. Excuse me, Draco." She offers a warm smile, first to the Gryffindor, than to the blonde. She'll pretend none of this happened for as long as she can manage it, even if at least one person in this wing knows what happened. She walks over to the potion cabinet, ignoring the still stinging burns on her hands from the powder that's split there and works around it to get the potion ready. "Have they posted the first matches yet?" She asks, trying to carry on some form of a conversation. The question could be answered by either, they're both Captains, though likely she's talking to Harry.

 

Harry is so glad to see you feel the same way as he does. Thank you for not starting anything in front of Cho. He can at least say that much for you odd level of tact. And heeeey, his presence is not disgusting! He's rather pleasant unless provoked. Hrmph.  The smile is returned before he follows after Cho. He then shakes his head, "Not yet. I'm still just glad to have my broom back." Glancing down to watch the girl mixing up the remedy he notices the burns on her hands, "Here, need me to help with those bottles? What happened to your hands?"

 

Him? Feeling the same way Potter does? Certainly not. That's insulting. The exchange is watched with a look of disgust, mostly for Harry with a wee bit saved also for Cho just because she happens to be helping the insufferable git. Finally, the Boy-Who-Lived pops a question that shouldn't be asked, sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong. Hiss. "It's none of your business, Potter." Comes right out of Draco's mouth probably before Cho can even have a chance to respond for herself. Little does the blonde Slytherin realize at that moment how bad it makes him seem. x.@; With his luck, Potter will suspect him of hurting the Ravenclaw. Potter, you never were a good detective. ;P

 

Yes, that probably wasn't the wisest thing to ever pop out of your mouth, young Malfoy. Cho looks over at him for a moment before returning to Harry, and low and behold, she completely ignores the 'what' of the question. "I'll be fine. I'll put something on them in a few minutes." Probably not good for Draco. But to be honest, she really doesn't want to have to say that she got startled by a shrieking pug calling her a nasty name and spilled a powder that shouldn't touch skin all over her hands. Especially not to Harry. She's glad that Draco happened to wander in first, though she would have rathered no one wander in at all... She does let him help, however, asking him to pass her two of the bottles who's contents make the headache remedy.

 

Yes, that probably wasn't the wisest thing to ever pop out of your mouth, young Malfoy. Cho looks over at him for a moment before returning to Harry, and low and behold, she completely ignores the 'what' of the question. "I'll be fine. I'll put something on them in a few minutes." Probably not good for Draco. But to be honest, she really doesn't want to have to say that she got startled by a shrieking pug calling her a nasty name and spilled a powder that shouldn't touch skin all over her hands. Especially not to Harry. She's glad that Draco happened to wander in first, though she would have rathered no one wander in at all... She does let him help, however, asking him to pass her two of the bottles who's contents make the headache remedy.

 

Harry is a good detective! You just make yourself look incredibly guilty over things, like now. "I wasn't asking you, I was asking Cho." And see, there, he was talking to her, and she chose not to answer, so yes.. well it's none of his business, but it was Cho's place to answer him. He frowns a bit down at her hands before glowering at Draco. "... Alright then." He then hands over the requested bottles to Cho, even opening them for her.

 

Ugh. This is making his stomach churn. Harry receives a damn nasty look for that one, Draco storing the rest of the poison away in the back of his mind as fuel to use for later when he has the opportunity to insult, offend, etc. etc. young Potter. "Whatever you say, Potter." He replies, sounding catty and, yet, hardly interested. "Perhaps you should think first before you go about sticking your nose in other people's affairs." And that's all he has to say to you, git. "Do try and be more careful, Cho." Draco immitates Pansy's simpering tone for a moment before smirking and turning away to the door. "As I have matters to discuss with Pansy, I'll maybe speak with you later." Then again, maybe not... Whatever. The Slytherin just leaves. If he hangs around any longer, then it's likely one of the boys, or even both, will end up with a detention of sorts.

 

While the Ravenclaw doesn't say anything at all to restrain the tones of either of the boys, Cho does sigh a bit as she continues to put the remedy together for Harry. It isn't until Draco starts to move towards the door that she speaks again, opening her mouth as if to ask him to wait. But what she ends up saying instead is, "Later, Draco." She does want to talk to him, but she knows that stopping him will likely only end up causeing the two boys to yell at each other, and she doesn't want that. If there was any hope of them getting along... well, it isn't going to happen, so she'll just be happy they have enough respect to remain somewhat decent when in her presense. And besides, he might have only stopped in because he heard Pansy's yelling while he passed by. Or did he come to visit her? A question she'll never have answered as she returns to the potion.

 

Harry returns that nasty look with another of his own. Not wanting to start a fight, he keeps his mouth shut and glances down to help Cho as much as possible. You just go away and think of the day you can safely retaliate against him. He's not too sure as to what to make of that little simpering tone, but he knows he doesn't like it. You little git.. He ought to hex you. But if you hold your horses, he'll be gone from the room in a few moments. Then again maybe not. Oh jeez, Cho, don't make him feel guilty for interrupting.. ".. Sorry about that.." Looks like you're not having a good week at all.

 

Oh, she isn't going to give you a guilt trip over it. It's not as if you interupted for the sole purpose of driving the other boy out of the room. "It's all right. You know Draco." The moment he gets the low end of the stick, he bails. That's just who he is, as far as she's noticed. Cho continues to brew the potion, then finally gets it all ready and has to let it sit the appropriate amount of time so she says, "There's a couple pairs of gloves over in the cabinet as well as a couple small brushes. Could you grab them for me? I want to clean up this powder before Madam Pomfrey gets back..." And she doesn't want it laying around where it can burn unsuspecting people.

 

Harry nods, "Yeah.. I do know.." No, he honestly did not know Draco was in here and driving him away was not on his list of priorities. "Sure Cho." He heads over to the cabinet as instructed and gets you the requested items. "Would you like for me to help?" He almost wants to ask how you're holding up after the article, but it's... well.. a touchy topic. Maybe it's better not discussed.

 

Well, from you, it wouldn't be that bad. Cho would know you aren't asking to be cruel, or bringing it up to hurt her, and that makes a big difference in how she takes things. Unlike certain people who took the fuel given in the article and used it to light up a huge fire with no purpose other than to hurt. "Sure," she smiles at the offered help, and says, "Just be careful. This stuff goes in some rather potent remedies. You've already seen what it can do to skin." There's the what of 'what' happened before, though she isn't going to say how unless he asks.

 

Harry aaahs as he pulls on a pair of gloves and brings you your pair and the requested brushes. He doesn't hand them over just yet, "On second thought, you take care of your hands, and give me instructions on how to handle this powder?" He'll get it cleaned up, your hands don't look like they're ready for too much more abuse tonight. If Draco wasn't disgusted before, he would be by this display of assistance.

 

Good thing he isn't here anymore than, hmm? Cho pauses for a moment, looking over the powder before she nods and lets him keep the gloves. "All right. Just put on the gloves and sweep the powder into a empty container. It can't be used now, not for remedies, but I can return it to Professor Snape and he might be able to use it in class still." She waits until he showsthat he understands some what of he's supposed to do, then she walks to a different remedy cabinet and starts to put this smelly paste on each of the burns.

 

Harry nods and puts the spare gloves aside. An empty container is procured which he uses to sweep the powder into. "If it burns hands, just what in the world is it used to cure?" Or does he not want to know? He already doesn't want to know what was in practically all of the medications forced down his throat the past few years here. He keeps his eyes down on sweeping up the powder so as to not get distracted.

 

Cho can't help but smile as she answers, glancing over her shoulder, "Skele-Grow." She is speaking the truth, but she can't help but laugh. That's the reason she was doing inventory. Madam Pomfrey doesn't want to have Quidditch get started without a large stock of the best remedies for injuries that might be percured. No, Madam Pomfrey is not happy about the return of the Quidditch practices. "It's used in a few others, but it's a bone-strengthener. You don't want to swallow it in the pure form though." It'd do to your throat and stomach what it did to her hands. It needs the other components.

 

Harry stops sweeping and STARES at you, ".... No wonder that stuff burned going down. I can't believe I had to drink THAT." Yeah, it would need to be mixed in other things, but still! He shakes his head and goes back to sweeping it up, making a grotesque face. "Ugh!" Joy.. he's going to make doubly sure he doesn't lose any more bones. The first person to try removing his bones again is going to get it. u.u He glances down to make sure all the powder has been swept up, "This stuff didn't get anywhere else did it?" He's not seeing any.. but he could just be blind.

 

"Yeah, sorry." She says, though she wasn't the one who gave him a deboning, so she hardly has to be sorry over it. The fact that she's still smiling shows that she doesn't take it too seriously. "Just on me, but I got most of it rinsed off," Cho answers the question, finishing with the paste on her hands. It feels better immediately, but it will take a while to fully heal. If only she could practice healing charms! "You might check the floor though." She walks back over, slick looking paste on each one of the red splotches.

 

Harry glances at your hands before looking back up at your face. "You've got nothing to be sorry over." It was one of many unpleasant experiences he's had in his life. Luckily it was taken care of and Lockhart got what was coming to him in the end. ".. Sure.." He looks away to crouch down and check the floor. "... not to bring up an unpleasant subject but.. I saw the paper the other day.. I'm really sorry about that." Mr. Diggory was always ... a little bit of a jerk that Harry saw. Not that he isn't sympathetic to him losing his son. "Just ignore what Rita wrote. I'm sure she provoked them somehow and just used what sounded the worst and embellished. She's going to get what she deserves eventually."

 

There is a very slight flinch as you bring up the subject, but it fades quickly. So much so that you likely wouldn't have noticed even if you had been looking at her, instead of the floor. "You don't have to be sorry," Cho says softly, moving to look at the floor as well. There probably is a little powder, but not much. She doesn't have gloves, so she offers no assistance. "She didn't print anything that everyone else wasn't thinking already anyway..." Is that what she really thinks? Well, yes. That's why her 'friends' avoided eye contact with her after the article, and why Pansy so venomously responded. Skeeter didn't print anything that wasn't already there inside most people's head. She just had the cruelity to put it in writen word. Not saying it was entirely accurate though...

 

Harry finds the powder that's on the floor and gets it cleaned up. "Yeah, but I still am." And hopefully before you can interject there, he hastily adds, "I know none of it is my fault.. but I still feel responsible as I was indirectly the reason for this.. I know she didn't print what people weren't already thinking, but still. She didn't have to go and pester the Diggory's and bring up bad memories. I don't think they're handling the situation any easier than they did last year.. I know I'm not." And he wasn't even close to the guy! ".. besides.. Cedric would probably understand anyway. You've got to move on.. Dumbledore told me once it's not good to dwell on things. He's right. I spent the whole summer ... nevermind, I've got this cleaned up for you.." He straightens up and sets the container and brush on the table.

 

Even though the subject is hardly something to smile about, by the time he straightens, Cho is smiling lightly. Those were things that she needed to hear /someone/ say. And none of her 'friends' were saying them, not even her mother was saying them in the letters. And it wasn't as if /Draco/ would have said that. "Thank you." she says first, making sure that she says that before she delves back into the sad topic. "It really isn't your fault though. I know my saying that doesn't help anything... but it isn't." While she doesn't know the whole story, she does believe that it's no one's fault in the matter, except perhaps the person who killed him. "I do hope that you at least know that I haven't forgotten Cedric. He meant more to me than what... that article suggested."

 

Harry is glad that you needed to hear those words. Sheesh, your own mother should have said as much. ".. No need to thank me. I know he did." He saw your face during the leaving feast. "I know it's not my fault, I still feel responsible, but there's no sense in me arguing over that repeatedly." And he must be taking leave of his senses or something as he moves to put an arm around you to give a hug. (Being careful of your hands too.)

 

That is completely strange. Cho doesn't have anything against hugs at all, but the only person she's hugged lately... well... not much of a hugger. She blinks as your arm slides around her, then she closes her eyes and leans against you. Sometimes it's just nice to be close to someone else, even if not for very long. Her own arms half-way move around you as well, though not completely, because while it won't hurt her hands much, she doesn't want to get the slick paste all over your robes. Hopefully you won't mind if she stays like this for a little while, not saying anything else right away.

 

Harry blinks in surprise at his own bold move. Gaaaah, what's come over him? Not that he's complaining, no, he doesn't mind at all, but he's still surprised over his actions. He's usually too reserved and err emotionally stunted somewhat. Ergh. He's going to blame this on uhm.. patterns of irrational teenaged behavior. Yeah. I mean, well, not that he's making excuses as he likes you well enough, he just normally doesn't have the nerve to do anything about it.

 

Ah, a funning thing, nerve. It's so easy to face an enemy that killed your parents, or fly into a hale, but oh no, can't handle one small, little girl. Cho continues to stay like that for a few moments, then she pulls away and says, as if nothing at all was odd with what they were doing, "You're remedy should be ready now." She offers a small smile, then backs moves towards the counter where the remedy was waiting. She doesn't take it though, due again, to the slick paste still on her hands. While the hug was odd, as long as she believes it was nothing more than comfort offered after a rather harsh topic, she won't need to suffer any mental lock ups.

 

Erhm, no, he can't actually. But you looked like you needed a hug and .. well.. err.. So Harry did. Err, hey you aren't accusing him of any funny business are you? He's not like Malfoy! He's still looking a bit surprised at himself as he nods and pulls off the gloves, disposing of them in a nearby receptacle. He follows after you and picks up the remedy himself, taking it. He'll be so glad if he never has to look at another headache remedy again. Grimacing at the taste before answering, "Thanks.. I feel bad about constantly having to come up here for one of these."

 

Funny business? Hardly. Stuff like that wouldn't cause her brain to freeze up. It's the idea of... well... other things that cause that unfortunate side effect. Cho watches as he drinks, smiling lightly at the grimace. If there was something she could do about the taste, she would, but alas, she doesn't want to alter remedies for fear of losing the effect, or causing something else to occur. "It's all right. You'd be surprised how often some people come in with silly things. I think Gladys Thomas, a Ravenclaw first year, has come in five times just the last three days for her stubbed her toe, which Madam Pomfrey had already healed, but she still insists it's broken. I think she just wants to get out of taking flying lessons now that brooms are allowed again." Besides, his headaches are hardly trival. She knows that. She doesn't know /how/ big they are, but she knows they must hurt a lot.

 

Harry understands completely about not wanting to tamper with remedies. It's not to be done. Maybe Miss Thomas is trying to get attention and milk an injury for all it's worth. "Really? Maybe the expert fliers in Ravenclaw could help her out of any fears she has of flying?" He grins, feeling like a prat for the obvious compliment, but hey..

 

Perhaps she is, and it seems that Cho at least has been giving her some of the attention that she desired, because she never kicked the girl out and always checked over her toe again to make sure that nothing was wrong. She knew there wasn't, but that wasn't why she did it. "Expert fliers, hmm?" she says with a grin, looking towards the door as if expecting the girl to be sneaking back in going, 'Chooooooo, my toe's hurting again.' Instead, there's nothing, and her eyes return to you, "I suppose I could ask one of the team to take her out." Is this her attempt at being modest?

 

Harry puts his hands on his hips and looks at you, "Yes, expert fliers, I was meaning you. But if you'd rather someone else show her..." Not that he's volunteering. That would be fraternizing with the enemy. Wait.. we've already done that. Erp. Oh well. "You're an excellent flier, otherwise you wouldn't have made Seeker."

 

Cho can't help but chuckle softly, shaking her head. "I know, I know." She knows she isn't a bad flier, but she does think that the remainder of the Ravenclaw team is also quite good. "I'm starting to wonder if that's why she keeps showing up when I'm in here..." It would make sense, as the girl often brings up the subject of how terrifying flying looks. "I guess you probably have a lot of first years asking you how to fly, don't you, Harry?" She could imagine a little pack of eleven year old Gryffindors following you around asking to learn how to fly from the amazing Harry Potter. But oh, wouldn't Professor Lockhart have just eaten that right up. And Draco probably would have made some interesting comments.

 

Harry laughs, "Yeah, all of the Quidditch team members are good." Yes, Malfoy can fly and well, he just can't catch the snitch to save his life. "Well.. err.. not as many as you think..." Now who's being modest? To be truthful, the lot of them seem to be in awe or frightened of him. Too many people listening to bad publicity. Ugh.. Lockhart would just eat that up...

 

Poor Harry. It must be difficult to have people form opinions about you before they ever meet you. Admitedly, even Cho was guilty of this, but what else would one expect from a Wizard raised child, honestly? Everyone grew up with stories about 'The Harry Potter' and how he stopped You-Know-Who. And his years at Hogwarts, no matter the bad publicity, haven't helped his name fall into the background any. "I'm sure. I'm just glad that flying can be done again at all." Especially now. Flying came back just in time for that blasted article.

 

It's something Harry is getting steadily used to. The preformed opinions don't bother him as much as they used to. "I'm glad too. Do you want to practice after your hands are healed up? Maybe tomorrow?" It'll help take your mind off that article. We can smack a bludger around or something with a little challenge to it.

 

"Maybe tomorrow, sure. I still need to finish up the inventory today," Cho says, looking down at her hands and fingering one of the burns for a moment. Whatever she seems to feel, she nods and goes over to the sink and rinses the stuff off. She doesn't want to walk around with the substance on her skin, after all. The burns aren't completely healed, but they're close enough.

 

Harry nods his head, "I'll go on and let you get back to the inventory. Thanks again for the headache remedy." It would be nice if the headaches would stop coming altogether tho. "I'll see you later then." He offers a grin before turning and walking out of the hospital wing.