Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Cedric Diggory x Cho Chang
Theme set: Delta
Rating: PG / PG-13
A/N: The story takes place in Cho's third year, Cedric's fourth year. I figured he might've been a seeker already (as I thought that it wouldn't make sense for him to be a brand new seeker AND be made captain in his fifth year, when usually being promoted to captain means the player was already part of the team beforehand.)
Dedicated to:
iateaburgerrrrr for being a fan and volunteering to beta-read (you might regret volunteering ;)...
#01 - Air
It is during Hufflepuff's team practice when Cho first notices Cedric, his lanky frame looking sleek and agile as he flies through the air looking for the elusive snitch.
#02 - Apples
Before she tries out for her own quidditch team, Cho secretly practices by throwing apples and catching them while on her broom, and she doesn't appreciate Cedric eating the said apples in jest when he finds her outside.
#03 - Beginning
At the age of thirteen, Cho just thinks of Cedric as her friend, quieter and more serious than Roger, more considerate than Terrence, but a friend nonetheless.
#04 - Bugs
When Cedric teaches her a charm to keep the bugs out of her face while flying, she thanks him with a hug and doesn't realize the effect of her actions.
#05 - Coffee
She finds it easy to tease Cedric, saying coffee doesn't stunt his growth but gives him growth spurts instead.
#06 - Dark
He teases her back, spooking her by jumping out from behind the dark columns in the corridors.
#07 - Despair
When seeker results are announced and she finds she has only been selected as a possible "reserve" for her third year, she cries on his shoulder as insecurities spill from her mouth.
#08 - Doors
He tells her, as wise men have said before, that when a door closes, another one opens.
#09 - Drink
She sniffs, playfully slaps him in the arm, and tells him instead of giving her a fortune cookie thought, he should buy her some hot chocolate to make her feel better.
#10 - Duty
He grins, says because that's his duty as a friend, he'll take her to Hogsmeade and buy her that hot chocolate and a bag of chocolate frogs to boot.
#11 - Earth
It is this when Cho learns to appreciate Cedric, for he is like the Earth to her Air - a strong anchor to her flit of emotion and intellect.
#12 - End
She is not sure when the line of friendship ended and when one of love began, but she still convinces herself that she could love him as a friend (especially when she doesn't believe he'd ever feel the same way about her).
#13 - Fall
After seeing many players fall during games and thus, naturally expecting it as a risk of quidditch, what surprises her are his attempts to catch her.
#14 - Fire
During a particular practice, she notices a fire in his eyes that she has never seen before and dismisses it as part adrenaline.
#15 - Flexible
He teaches her that her broom can be as flexible as she is, responding to her thoughts and directions with precise turns and dips.
#16 - Flying
Although flying gives her a sense of freedom, a cherished private feeling she loves, she doesn't mind sharing the sky with him.
#17 - Food
In Muggle Studies, she asks him where does the phrase, "food for thought," come from and what does it exactly mean.
#18 - Foot
He says it makes as much sense as, "putting your foot in your mouth," when both are physically literally impossible - or at least, incredibly difficult - to do.
#19 - Grave
They try to keep grave and serious expressions on their face when Madam Pince tells them no talking is allowed in the library.
#20 - Green
When they see Goyle stuffing his green robes with food, Cedric points out that maybe "food for thought" is equivalent to "a penny for your thoughts" except that if no one has money, they can use food to trade.
#21 - Head
She tilts her head at the idea, and figures that makes as much sense as equating "putting your foot in your mouth" with saying something that makes you uncomfortable.
#22 - Hollow
After he walks her back to her common room and leaves, she can't help feeling a hollowness inside as she begins to miss him.
#23 - Honor
At the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff quidditch match, Michael preaches to her about honor and loyalty to their house, but she still keeps both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff flags in her hands.
#24 - Hope
Secretly, she hopes that her Ravenclaw team wins, but that Cedric catches the snitch, for a score of 200 to 180 or something like that.
#25 - Light
The light in her eyes disappear when she sees Cedric catch a bludger broadside.
#26 - Lost
She feels lost in the swarm of Hufflepuffs in the hospital wing, as they hover over Cedric offering love and support.
#27 - Metal
The wood and metal instruments feel cool to her fingertips as she grazes them, wondering what sort of healing magic Madam Pomfrey performed.
#28 - New
When he tells her in his warm and reassuring voice that he is as good as new, she breathes a sigh of relief.
#29 - Old
It is then when he asks her if she'd like to go flying with him next weekend, if she could keep up with an old man such as himself, and she laughs at their year-and-a-half age difference.
#30 - Peace
The weekend is calm and peaceful, a perfect day for flying, as they weave through the sky like a pair of swallows.
#31 - Poison
The only thing that poisoned the perfect afternoon was the cut through the forest, where Cedric swerved to avoid a buck and tripped on a twisted branch.
#32 - Pretty
Cho doesn't realize how pretty she looks as she stutters an apology, saying that she must jinx his life with her presence.
#33 - Rain
A light rain begins to fall as he picks himself up and envelopes her under his robes, providing shelter from the drizzle.
#34 - Regret
His voice is quiet and sincere when he tells her that he doesn't regret meeting her, and that she is not a jinx.
#35 - Roses
As they huddle close, they watch the gentle rain drop onto the wild roses in their path.
#36 - Secret
After the rain has stopped and they fly back to the castle, Cho promises to keep the secret to herself, to not tell him how she feels.
#37 - Snakes
The first time she surprises him is the time she doesn't jump in fear at the snake in the Dueling Club.
#38 - Snow
The second time she surprises him is the time she refuses to make snow angels in the field beside Hogsmeade.
#39 - Solid
The third time she surprises him is the time she gives solid reasoning to why she supports the Tutshill Tornadoes, and it isn't 'just because'.
#40 - Spring
He turns around and surprises her instead on the first day of Spring, when he asks if she wants company on her next outing to Hogsmeade.
#41 - Stable
She is a bit confused by the question, thinking to herself that their friendship is stable enough that he shouldn't have needed to ask and instead could have just tagged along.
#42 - Strange
She also finds it strange that when she mentions the outing to her friends, they all tell her that they either can't go because they're swamped with homework or that they'll meet her there.
#43 - Summer
As they walk down the path to Hogsmeade, he asks her what her plans are for summer vacation.
#44 - Taboo
Before she can answer, she is surprised at the looks she receives from fellow students, as if it is taboo for a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff to be walking together in public.
#45 - Ugly
Even Marcus Flint scoffs in an ugly manner, telling Cedric that she is Roger's quidditch spy and only wants to discover all of his secrets.
#46 - War
Before Cedric and Marcus go to war, Cho pulls him aside and tells him to ignore the crazed mutterings of the Slytherin captain.
#47 - Water
They navigate through the crowd like water in a brook, leaving Marcus behind like a bad memory.
#48 - Welcome
Madam Puddifoot's welcomes them, and Cho is surprised to see all the couples gathered there.
#49 - Winter
When Cedric's friends start to chide him about his 'date', Cedric turns wintry cold and stalks off with Cho in tow.
#50 - Wood
She stops him at the wooded glen, asks him what's wrong, and feels herself blush as he starts to reveal his feelings.