.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,i.was.sitting.about.a.foot.and.a.half.away.with.a.pretty.blonde.girl..They.were.holding.hands..The.sight.made.Harry.feel.uncomfort‐..able,.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.compete..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.hoverig.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.coming.from.the.table.next.door.and.cast.wildly.around.for.something.else.to.sy..
.Er….listen,.d.you.want.to.come.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.come.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,.