AN/ Here you go then peeps! All those waiting for Part five of my G/H story be patient, my laptops expected to make a full recovery and will be back with us tomorrow.

Sorry if it's taking me a long time to update - Neville Chamberlain and the policy of appeasement in the Second World War is keeping me busy…don't ask - unless you're a masochist.

So with further ado, and without gilding the lily I present to you…

~*~*~ Chapter Twenty One ~*~*~

Questions and Answers

That night, two conversations were being held on the same topic in the girls and boys dormitory. Catalina and Hermione were sat cross-legged on one of the large four poster beds talking about the upcoming Yule Ball.

'Are you going to ask Ron?' Catalina asked Hermione out of blue.

'What? – I don't – No!' spluttered Hermione going red.

'Aw knock it off Hermione, you're not fooling me! I've seen the way you look at Ron, and the way Ron looks at you for that matter' said Catalina, with a small playful grin on her face.

Hermione looked outraged for a few seconds, tying to think of some kind of retaliation, but then sensed the futility of it all and let her shoulders sag.

'Is it that obvious?' asked Hermione, face turning scarlet.

*

'Are you going to ask Hermione to the Ball?' Harry asked Ron as he lay on his bed.

'What?' asked Ron indignantly, sitting upright looking at his friend incredulously.

'Ron, I can read you like a book' said Harry, thinking more along the lines of Catalina can read you like a book.

Ron stared at his friends for a few moments, gauging his reaction.

'Maybe' said Ron, face turning scarlet red.

'Well' said Harry offhandedly, 'if you don't get there first, I'm sure she could end up going with Neville or something'

'What!? No way, she wouldn't...Would she?' asked Ron uncertainly, while Harry was left to laugh silently to himself at his friends look of jealousy on his face.

*

'Well since you've succeeded in completely embarrassing me, I think its only fair that you get turn' said Hermione grinning evilly, 'Has Harry asked you yet?'

'What? No, of course not, were just friends' said Catalina, who hadn't expected the question.

'Would you go with him if he asked you though?' pressed Hermione, enjoying seeing Catalina go red.

'Maybe' Catalina mumbled.

'Well you'll be waiting for a long time. Harry's OK when it comes to Dragons or facing you-know-who, but when it comes to asking a girl to a dance, he falls to pieces' laughed Hermione.

Catalina must have looked a little bit crestfallen by the news, because Hermione leaned forward and patted her sympathetically on the hand.

'I know he wants to ask you. You two have shared something special, how many people can say the person they liked was willing to die for them? And nearly did?' Hermione said seriously.

*

Harry was still sitting on Ron's bed, silently laughing as his friend listed the reasons why Hermione would never go to the Ball with Neville. Harry and Catalina had decided it was their duty to their friends to get Ron and Hermione together, and Harry could feel a certain amount of amusement coming off of Catalina, but a few seconds ago her mood had practically dive-bombed into sadness. He was wondering what the situation was in the girl's dormitory that had caused such a swing in emotions, but suddenly interrupted by Ron waving his hand in front of his eyes.

'What?' asked Harry, looking at Ron frowning.

'I said, You're going to ask Catalina right?' said Ron rolling his eyes at his friend's blank expression.

'I don't know' admitted Harry, deciding to not even bother with pretending like Ron had.

'So your thinking about it then?' asked Ron, excited at the fact he caught Harry out and that he was causing his friend to squirm uncomfortably.

'Well yeah' Harry admitted running his fingers through his hair absentmindedly, 'But what if she says no?'

'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' shrugged Ron.

'Since when did you turn into the philosopher?" muttered Harry quietly.

*

The next morning everyone that was going home for Christmas boarded the Hogwarts Express, which wasn't that many because most students wanted to go to the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve. Harry had decided that evening as he lay in bed that he would ask Catalina to go to the Ball with him - just as friends though he promised. The only problem was that he couldn't pick up the courage to actually ask her, and Catalina was in such a despondent mood by the afternoon, that even Ron and Hermione noticed it.

'Let's go outside or something?' suggested Ron, sick of being cooped up in the Gryffindor common room all morning.

'Sure' said Harry, pulling Hermione and Catalina out of the comfort of warm common room.

They all walked out onto the Hogwarts grounds, the powdery white snow clinging to the hems of the robes. Harry knew for a fact Ron was going to ask Hermione to the Ball today, he had practically forced his friend to do so. Harry looked across the landscape thoughtfully, trying to decide whether to ask Catalina today as well, to get it over and done with. Suddenly something cold and wet hit him in the neck, and trickled down his spine.

'Snowball fight!' shouted Ron, as he aimed another at Harry's face.

Harry quickly ducked using his Quidditch reflexes, and scooped handfuls of the frozen snow. At fierce battle of the snowballs quickly ensued, and alliances were soon made. Ron and Hermione ere currently hiding behind a mound of snow, sniggering as they heard Harry curse as another of Hermione's charmed snowballed pelted him in the head.

'No fair! You're cheating! I demand a fight the muggle way' shouted Harry to his hidden friends.

'OK you asked for it!' shouted Ron standing up and throwing a huge snowball he had been making at Harry.

Harry bent over double wheezing as the air was knocked out of him and Catalina, also slightly breathless, soon retaliated on her allies' behalf. Soon the four were soaked to the skin, and dithering with the cold but they carried on, Harry was determined to wreak his revenge.

Ron and Hermione, however had the advantage over Harry and Catalina, who were still slightly sore and had to run into the edge of the forest to escape the storm of snow that was upon them. Harry quickly pulled Catalina behind Hagrid's cabin, peering round the corner for Ron, breathing heavily.

'I think we've lost them!' said Harry happily through chattering teeth.

'Oh no we didn't, here they come!' said Catalina pointing down around the other end of the cabin where Ron and Hermione were fast approaching, eyes sweeping across the landscape.

'Down here' whispered Harry, pulling Catalina behind a pile of frozen logs by Hagrid's cabin door.

Catalina squeezed into the small space behind the damp logs watching Ron and Hermione move closer. 'Come out, come out wherever you are!' said Hermione in a singsong voice.

Catalina tried to contain her laughter, and let out a small giggle, which Hermione heard and started to stalk closer. Harry clapped a hand over Catalina's face to keep her quiet, which just made her laugh even harder.

'Sshhh' said Harry, lips quivering with suppressed laughter, 'They'll hear us!'

But it seemed Hermione and Ron didn't hear them, because they walked right past Harry and Catalina's hiding place. After a few minutes Harry took his hand away from Catalina, and she peered around the logs.

It's now or never thought Harry, as Catalina sat back down, he took a deep breath:

'Catalina, Do you want to – ?' started Harry, but whatever he was going to ask was interrupted by a shriek from Catalina.

'Agghhh!' she shouted as she leapt up from her hiding place, shaking the mountain of snow from her jet-black hair.

Ron and Hermione were stood in front of them, roaring with laughter, as Catalina tried to shake the snow out from the back of her robes. Soon all three of them were rolling on the floor, and gales of laughter followed the glaring Catalina all the way up to the castle.

Catalina stormed ahead, pretending to be angry with Ron, but Harry could tell she wasn't really. They were just about to walk up the steps to the Entrance Hall, when Catalina suddenly stopped and pushed Ron into a nearby snowdrift.

'Now were equal!' she said sweetly, before running up the stairs away from Ron, who chased after her.

Hermione and Harry laughed and walked more slowly, up the stairs and back to the common room. They followed the trail of melted snow back to the common room, when Hermione turned to him, as if desperate to tell him something.

'Ron asked me to the ball' she blurted out turned red.

'Took him long enough didn't it?' laughed Harry as they walked into the common room.

'You knew?' she said incredulously.

'Course' said Harry nonchalantly.

'Are you going to ask Catalina? Because if you don't she might go with someone else' said Hermione slyly, inwardly laughing at Harry's paling face.

*

It was the day before the Yule Ball and Harry still hadn't asked Catalina, who was walking around the castle with a thundercloud over her head. Harry could tell she was upset, and depressed but he didn't know what about. Hermione and Ron had disappeared to the library a few minutes ago with a conspirational wink, and had left Harry alone with Catalina.

'You're upset' Harry stated bluntly.

'No, I'm bored' said Catalina angrily, staring at the fire.

Harry looked at Catalina, trying to understand what was wrong with her. All week long he'd been interrupted every time he'd try to ask Catalina The Question, and he decided to take the opportunity Ron and Hermione had given them, to swallow his nerves and do It.

'Er Catalina? Do you want to – ?' he started, before he was interrupted.

'Catalina? Can I borrow your charms book?' asked Lavender Brown desperately, 'I need to find a charm to sort out my hair for tomorrow night!'

'Sure it's in my trunk' said Catalina, who turned to look at Harry, who was shaking with silent laughter.

'What?' she asked indignantly.

'Nothing…every single time' he muttered said to himself, laughing at his own bad luck, someone was trying to tell him something.

Suddenly Harry jumped up, and grabbed Catalina's wrists.

'Up! Up!' he said pulling Catalina to her feet, 'Get your broom, were going flying!'

Catalina couldn't be bothered to object, and quickly got her broom. The walked down to the frozen Quidditch pitch, brooms over their shoulders and shivering against the cold. They both mounted their brooms and pushed off the ground, racing each other around the pitch. Harry practised the Wronski Feint on Catalina, who always pulled out of the dive first.

'Catalina!' Harry yelled across the pitch, 'Get over here!'

Catalina glided over to where Harry was hovering, 50 feet above the ground with a nervous grin on his face.

'Right listen up. I've been trying to ask you this all week, and every single time someone's been butting in, but I think I'm safe here don't you?' he said eyeing the empty stadium.

Catalina held her breath.

'Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?' said Harry quickly, flinching as he waited for her answer.

There was a long pause as Catalina regarded him critically, and Harry felt as if someone had winded him, she was going to say no, he knew it.

'Sure' she said finally, grinning evilly.

'You!' said Harry, chasing after Catalina who was laughing uncontrollably.