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reakfast； and there was a slight frostiness in the way they said goodbye to each other shortly afterwards。 Ron departed for the Quidditch pitch and Harry； after attempting to flatten his hair while staring at his reflection in the back of a teaspoon； proceeded alone to the Entrance Hall to meet Cho； feeling very apprehensive and wondering what on earth they were going to talk about。
She was waiting for him a little to the side of the oak front doors； looking very pretty with her hair tied back in a long pony…tail。 Harry's feet seemed to be too big for his body as he walked towards her and he was suddenly horribly aware of his arms and how stupid they must look swinging at his sides。
'Hi；' said Cho slightly breathlessly。
'Hi；' said Harry。
They stared at each other for a moment； then Harry said； 'Well … er … shall we go； then？'
'Oh … yes：'
They joined the queue of people being signed out by Filch； occasionally catching each other's eye and grinning shiftily； but not talking to each other。 Harry was relieved when they reached the fresh air； finding it easier to walk along in silence than just stand about looking awkward。 It was a fresh； breezy sort of a day and as they passed the Quidditch stadium Harry glimpsed Ron and
Ginny skimming along over the stands and felt a horrible pang that he was not up there with them。
'You really miss it； don't you？' said Cho。
He looked round and saw her watching him。
'Yeah；' sighed Harry。 'I do。'
'Remember the first time we played against each other； in the third year？' she asked him。
'Yeah；' said Harry； grinning。 'You kept blocking me。'
'And Wood told you not to be a gentleman and knock me off my broom if you had to；' said Cho； smiling reminiscently。 'I heard he got taken on by Pride of Portree； is that right？'
'Nah； it was Puddlemere United； I saw him at the World Cup last year。'
'Oh； I saw you there； too； remember？ We were on the same campsite。 It was really good； wasn't it？'
The subject of the Quidditch World Cup carried them all the way down the drive and out through the gates。 Harry could hardly believe how easy it was to talk to her … no more difficult； in fact； than talking to Ron and Hermione … and he was just starting to feel confident and cheerful when a large gang of Slytherin girls passed them； including Pansy Parkinson。
'Potter and Chang！' screeched Pansy； to a chorus of snide giggles。 'Urgh； Chang； I don't think much of your taste： at least Diggory was good…looking！'
The girls sped up； talking and shrieking in a pointed fashion with many exaggerated glances back at Harry and Cho； leaving an embarrassed silence in their wake。 Harry could think of nothing else to say about Quidditch； and Cho； slightly flushed； was watching her feet。
'So： where d'you want to go？' Harry asked as they entered Hogsmeade。 The High Street was full of students ambling up and down； peering into the shop windows and messing about together on the pavements。
'Oh： I don't mind；' said Cho； shrugging。 'Urn： shall we just have a look in the shops or something？'
They wandered towards Dervish and Banges。 A large poster had been stuck up in the window and a few Hogsmeaders were looking at it。 They moved aside when Harry and Cho approached and Harry found himself staring once more at the pictures of the ten escaped Death Eaters。 The poster； 'By Order of the Ministry of Magic'； offered a thousand…Galleon reward to any witch or wizard with information leading to the recapture of any of the convicts pictured。
Tt's funny； isn't it；' said Cho in a low voice； gazing up at the pictures of the Death Eaters； 'remember when that Sirius Black escaped； and there were Dementors all over Hogsmeade looking for him？ And now ten Death Eaters are on the loose and there are no Dementors anywhere：'
'Yeah；' said Harry； tearing his eyes away from Bellatrix Lestrange's face to glance up and down the High Street。 'Yeah； that is weird。'
He wasn't sorry that there were no Dementors nearby； but now he came to think of it； their absence was highly significant。 They had not only let the Death Eaters escape； they weren't bothering to look for them： it looked as though they really were outside Ministry control now。
The ten escaped Death Eaters were staring out of every shop window he and Cho passed。 It started to rain as they passed Scrivenshaft's； cold； heavy drops of water kept hitting Harry's face and the back of his neck。
'Urn： d'you want to get a coffee？' said Cho tentatively； as the rain began to fall more heavily。
'Yeah； all right；' said Harry； looking around。 'Where？'
'Oh； there's a really nice place just up here； haven't you ever been to Madam Puddifoot's？' she said brightly； leading him up a side road and into a small teashop that Harry had never noticed before。 It was a cramped； steamy little place where everything seemed to have been decorated with frills or bows。 Harry was reminded unpleasantly of Umbridge's office。
'Cute； isn't it？' said Cho happily。
'Er： yeah；' said Harry untruthfully。
'Look； she's decorated it for Valentine's Day！' said Cho； indicating a number of golden cherubs that were hovering over each of the small； circular tables； occasionally throwing pink confetti over the occupants。
'Aaah：'
They sat down at the last remaining table； which was over by the steamy window。 Roger Davies； the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain； was sitting about a foot and a half away with a pretty blonde girl。 They were holding hands。 The sight made Harry feel unfortable； particularly when； looking around the teashop； he saw that it was full of nothing but couples； all of them holding hands。 Perhaps Cho would expect him to hold her hand。
'What can I get you； m'dears？' said Madam Puddifoot； a very stout woman with a shiny black bun； squeezing between their table and Roger Davies's with great difficulty。 '
Two coffees； please；' said Cho。
In the time it took for their coffees to arrive； Roger Davies and his girlfriend had started kissing over their sugar bowl。 Harry wished they wouldn't； he felt that Davies was setting a standard with which Cho would soon expect him to pete。 He felt his face growing hot and tried staring out of the window； but it was so steamed up he couldn't see the street outside。 To postpone the moment when he would have to look at Cho； he stared up at the ceiling as though examining the paintwork and received a handful of confetti in the face from their hovering cherub。
After a few more painful minutes； Cho mentioned Umbridge。 Harry seized on the subject with relief and they passed a few happy moments abusing her； but the subject had already been so thoroughly canvassed during DA meetings it did not last very long。 Silence fell again。 Harry was very conscious of the slurping noises ing from the table next door and cast wildly around for something else to say。
'Er： listen； d'you want to e with me to the Three Broomsticks at lunchtime？ I'm meeting Hermione Granger there。'
Cho raised her eyebrows。
'You're meeting Hermione Granger？ Today？'
'Yeah。 Well； she asked me to； so I thought I would。 D'you want to e with me？ She said it wouldn't matter if you did。'
'Oh： well： that was nice of her。'
But Cho did not sound as though she thought it was nice at all。 On the contrary； her tone was cold and all of a sudden she looked rather forbidding。
A few more minutes passed in total silence； Harry drinking his coffee so fast that he would soon need a fresh cup。 Beside them；
Roger Davies and his girlfriend seemed glued together at the lips。
Cho's hand was lying on the table beside her coffee and Harry was feeling a mounting pressure to take hold of it。 Just do it； he told himself； as a fount of mingled panic and excitement surged up inside his chest； just reach out and grab it。 Amazing； how much more difficult it was to extend his arm twelve inches and touch her hand than it was to snatch a speeding Snitch from midair：
But just as he moved his hand forwards； Cho took hers off the table。 She was now watching Roger Davies kissing his girlfriend with a mildly interested express