Magic Works || Cho
It was with quiet resignation that she’d taken the photograph of Cedric out of her wallet and transferred it into the pocket of her purse. It wasn’t that the wallet wouldn’t fit--of course it would, she’d gone ahead and used an extending charm on the bag so she could put whatever she wanted in there. It was more that tonight, she needed him to be as close to her as possible. If she wasn’t so worried that she’d sweat through and ruin it, she probably would have tucked it into her bra so she could have it against her skin right by her heart. The pocket in the back of the purse would have to do. She could almost feel it burning against her hip where the cross-body bag rested.
The decision to go to the concert had been a difficult one. Cho had gone back and forth over and over again, wanting to go but being too afraid of the rush of emotions she was sure to feel. She’d gone out of her way to avoid the Weird Sisters’ music ever since Cedric had died. The Yule Ball was one of the highlights of their relationship and it had hurt too much to hear the songs and remember that night, when he’d smiled at her and held her close and kissed her sweetly. Just months later she’d sobbed over his corpse.
Cho closed her eyes and snapped her purse shut, pushing all of those emotions down--further, even further down, where she wouldn’t have to feel them. Those feelings were what had gotten her in trouble in the first place, and for the first time in a very long time she felt the quiet hum of the desire to get high in her veins. No. She was better than that now--she’d promised her father, now, too. Cho had sworn to herself and to her father and to Cedric that she’d never use again. Still, it was going to take quite a lot of alcohol to get through this night. That, or some male attention. Maybe both.
She put on a deep blue silk skater dress with a short hem and thin straps, what cleavage she had on display. She liked the way the silk felt cool and fluid against her skin. Cho strapped her feet into high gold wedges and smoked out her eyes and painted her lips and curled her hair, waving her wand again and again until she looked dark and sultry and sexy enough to draw attention. This was what was going to get her through the night--the feeling of eyes on her, the men buying her enough drinks to keep her feeling good.
Still, just in case, Cho charmed her makeup to be waterproof. It made her angry to do it--she’d had a reputation in school for being a crybaby, for losing her cool at the smallest thing. That wasn’t who she wanted to be anymore, so the fact that she was preparing herself to cry tonight made her mad, but she didn’t want to risk messing up her makeup. Then everyone would know she was crying and that would be even worse.
Cho looked at herself in the mirror and steeled herself. It was going to be a long night, but she could get through this. She would.
