Harry Potter One Shots

Smile

"Cho's such a beautiful name," Cedric sighed, staring at the sunlight-dappled floor of the Hufflepuff common room.

"Yes," Jodie said with a smirk, not looking up from where she was teasing a baby Venomous Tentacula. Cedric watched for a moment as it crept its tiny scarlet tentacles up Jodie's long brown arm before she batted it away with a giggle.

"It is though," he continued after a second, ignoring her eyeroll. "Cho. Cho. Choooo."

"It's not going to sound so nice if you keep saying it," Jodie muttered, stepping away from the reaching tentacles of the Venomous Tentacula.

The many legged plant sat in its pot on the heavy wooden table reserved for the many plants that lived in the Hufflepuff common room. Pretty much every Hufflepuff student had their own plant - some more than others - and the table was laden with leaves, stalks and petals. Many interesting sounds came from the magical plants that took up the majority of the table, but there was a cluster of ordinary plants in one corner. Cedric had his own Wiggentree, still small enough to be kept in a pot, and a few scattered dittany plants lost amongst the jungle.

"I think I'll grow some daphnes and call them Cho. What do you think? I reckon she's a daphne sort of girl," Cedric mused.

"Well I think she's a Cho sort of girl, but whatever," Jodie said with a cheeky grin, flopping onto the couch beside him. "Move over, you."

Cedric shuffled along and threw an arm across Jodie's shoulders.

"Have I been talking about Cho too much?"

Jodie laughed and reached up to squeeze his hand.

"Just a bit."

Cedric blushed.

"Sorry, it's just that we've got a date this afternoon."

"Yeah, I think you told me. A few times actually. Maybe... 47? I wasn't counting or anything."

Cedric pulled a face and ruffled her hair. Jodie had dark brown hair that was like chocolate against her coffee coloured skin, and it tickled Cedric's neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. Jodie had been his best friend since he could remember. They had known each other since third year, but Cedric had always been slightly intimidated by her boisterous personality and sharp tongue. It was only when they had both been chosen as Hufflepuff prefects that he had really got to know her. Now, a year later, he loved her to pieces. Jodie's enthusiasm and sarcasm balanced out his maturity and kindness - she would more likely stand up for him than he would for himself - and he couldn't imagine not having her as a friend.

"Ced?" Jodie said quietly, leaning back to look him in the eye. "If this thing with Cho lasts.... you know... we'll still be friends, right? I mean, you'll still have time for me, won't you?"

Cedric ruffled her hair again, earning a grunt of annoyance and a slap, and pulled Jodie in for a tight hug.

"I'll always have time for you."

***

Cho twisted her body uncomfortably as she stood before the mirror, trying to see the back of the sheer black dress she was wearing. She stumbled on the small blue heels she was wearing, a splash of colour against her otherwise dark outfit and also a nod to the fact she was in Ravenclaw, and grabbed at the arm of Melissa, her best friend, who didn't look impressed.

"They're barely an inch high, Cho, how are you going to walk in them if you can't even stand?" Mel said, one of her pencilled in eyebrows raised skeptically.

"Maybe I should just wear the boots." Cho bit her lip and glanced over at the tall suede boots leaning against the wardrobe.

"Nah, Cedric's tall as; you'll look like a goblin next to him."