CHAPTER TWELVE
"Whew! It's good to be back here!" exclaimed Harry as he plopped down onto his four-poster.
"Yeah," said Ron timidly as he sat down on the bed next to Harry's.
"Hey... can I ask you something?" asked Harry nervously. Ron nodded and said, "Sure."
"Do you really love Hermione?"
"I beg your pardon?!"
"I asked you if you really love Hermione," repeated Harry. "You can just nod or shake your head."
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Ron. "Harry, I love Hermione with all my heart. And I'll love her until the end of time. I'll be true to her; I'll never make her cry. I'll dedicate myself solely to Hermione, Harry. I promise." Ron knew he was sounding so poetic and so stupid at the same time, but he didn't care. He wanted to prove to Harry that he would never, EVER hurt Hermione.
"Sounds like you'll do a lot better than I did," said Harry. Ron saw a look of self-blaming in his eyes.
"Don't blame yourself," said Ron comfortingly. "You did your best - you loved Hermione."
"But not like you did," said Harry abruptly.
"It doesn't matter," said Ron, shaking his head. "What matters is that you and Hermione were happy in each other's arms - even for a short while. But now Hermione's happy, and if you truly love her - even though only as a friend - you'll be happy for her as well."
"I AM," said Harry.
"Then what's bothering you?"
"Cho."
"What?"
"Cho," repeated Harry. "Cho Chang."
"What about her?"
"Ron... I... I think I've fallen for her..."
"That's great!" Ron beamed.
"But I don't know how the hell am I supposed to tell her. I really want her to know how I feel - I really do. But I don't think I can. Besides, I think she already has a boyfriend."
"Who?" asked Ron, raising an eyebrow.
"Cedric Diggory."
"Oh..." Ron smiled. "Well, let me tell you something. Cedric's not Cho's boyfriend anymore. They broke up a week ago."
"Oh," said Harry flatly.
"So that means you have a chance!"
"I dunno..." sighed Harry. "I... I mean... she's so beautiful, and she always hangs out with her friends... I can never get to talk to her alone."
"Hey, man," said Ron, patting Harry's shoulder, "we'll find a way. Love'll find a way."
* * *
"Ladies and gentlemen!" bellowed Dumbledore, standing up and clapping his hands thrice. "Your attention please!"
The clatter of knives and forks scraping against plates and the noisy chatter of the students came to an abrupt halt.
"Thank you," said Dumbledore, nodding slightly. "As all of you are aware, the month of love is fast approaching." With this statement, Harry noticed that most guys started whispering with each other and pointing to pretty girls, trying to be discreet, as girls started giggling. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, and at once, the noise stopped.
"Thank you," he said once more. "As I was saying, the month of love is fast approaching, and the staff and I have decided to come up with a Valentine's Day ball!"
Most people got to their feet and started to cheer and clap, but not Harry. He remained silent and unmoving in his seat.
"Settle down, settle down," said Dumbledore, chuckling quite heartily. "Yes, yes, we know that all of you are excited and will, for sure, participate in this ball. However, I do not want my students to get so wrapped up regarding the ball. I want you to, still, concentrate on your studies. The time is still tentative, but we are thinking of holding it from nine to eleven in the evening. The dare is fixed, of course - February 14.
"Thank you." Dumbledore took his seat.
"Did you hear that?" asked Ron excitedly. "We're gonna have a ball! A VALENTINE'S DAY ball!"
"The first time EVER in Hogwarts history," Hermione chimed in.
"Yeah, I heard," snapped. Harry. He didn't mean to sound like that, but he couldn't help it, not when he had Cho and his unrequited love for her on his mind.
"Harry," said Hermione soothingly, putting a hand over his, "you'll find the courage to tell Cho. I know you will."
"Yeah," said Ron, clapping a hand on Harry's back. "Just as I found my courage to tell my baby." He gave Hermione a wink.
"Right!" exclaimed Harry. Hermione and Ron's words of encouragement had taken effect. "I WILL tell her. Tomorrow night, I TELL CHO!"
* * *
`Dearest Cho,
I was just wondering... if you aren't doing anything tonight, I mean, studying or anything... would you care to go out of the castle and meet me my the lake at 10:00? I really have to tell you something very important.
Please just meet me there. If in ten minutes' time you aren't there, I'll know you won't be coming.
I'd really appreciate it if you'd grant my request.
Harry
P.S. Please don't bring anyone else with you. I want you to go alone.'
"There!" Harry exclaimed as he sealed the envelope.
"What? Is it ready?" asked Hermione eagerly.
"Yup," said Harry. "Parvati?"
"Yeah, what?" answered a voice from the far end of the common room.
"Would you take this to Padma?" said Harry, waving the envelope. "She's in Ravenclaw, right?"
"Yeah," said Parvati, walking towards Harry and snatching the envelope from his grip.
"Cho Chang, huh?" said Parvati, reading the name scribbled on the envelope. "She's s fifth year, did you know?" She looked up to see Harry nodding.
"And she's pretty too," she added.
"We know," said Ron and Harry at the same time. Hermione shot Ron a playful glare.
"But my Hermione's a lot prettier than Cho," added Ron quickly, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"Ooh... you two are so sweet!" cooed Parvati. "Well, I'd better get this to Padma already. Good luck, Harry," she said, winking at him. Harry felt his cheeks turning pink.
"Lavender?" called Parvati. "C'mon, let's go to Padma." Together, the two girls walked out of the common room.
A/N: Whew! Finally! I'm done with this chapter! Obviously, this was inspired by the `love is in the air: it's Valentine's Day!' thingy. Actually, this was supposed to be ready BEFORE Feb. 14, but unfortunately, I had a lot of other things on my mind.
Anyway, I think this fic's almost done. I'm working on chapter 13 already. Hopefully before March this is finished.
I hope you guys won't get mad at me for being so lazy in writing. I just have a lot of other things to do. Please continue to read and review my work. Belated happy Valentine's Day to all!
"Whew! It's good to be back here!" exclaimed Harry as he plopped down onto his four-poster.
"Yeah," said Ron timidly as he sat down on the bed next to Harry's.
"Hey... can I ask you something?" asked Harry nervously. Ron nodded and said, "Sure."
"Do you really love Hermione?"
"I beg your pardon?!"
"I asked you if you really love Hermione," repeated Harry. "You can just nod or shake your head."
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Ron. "Harry, I love Hermione with all my heart. And I'll love her until the end of time. I'll be true to her; I'll never make her cry. I'll dedicate myself solely to Hermione, Harry. I promise." Ron knew he was sounding so poetic and so stupid at the same time, but he didn't care. He wanted to prove to Harry that he would never, EVER hurt Hermione.
"Sounds like you'll do a lot better than I did," said Harry. Ron saw a look of self-blaming in his eyes.
"Don't blame yourself," said Ron comfortingly. "You did your best - you loved Hermione."
"But not like you did," said Harry abruptly.
"It doesn't matter," said Ron, shaking his head. "What matters is that you and Hermione were happy in each other's arms - even for a short while. But now Hermione's happy, and if you truly love her - even though only as a friend - you'll be happy for her as well."
"I AM," said Harry.
"Then what's bothering you?"
"Cho."
"What?"
"Cho," repeated Harry. "Cho Chang."
"What about her?"
"Ron... I... I think I've fallen for her..."
"That's great!" Ron beamed.
"But I don't know how the hell am I supposed to tell her. I really want her to know how I feel - I really do. But I don't think I can. Besides, I think she already has a boyfriend."
"Who?" asked Ron, raising an eyebrow.
"Cedric Diggory."
"Oh..." Ron smiled. "Well, let me tell you something. Cedric's not Cho's boyfriend anymore. They broke up a week ago."
"Oh," said Harry flatly.
"So that means you have a chance!"
"I dunno..." sighed Harry. "I... I mean... she's so beautiful, and she always hangs out with her friends... I can never get to talk to her alone."
"Hey, man," said Ron, patting Harry's shoulder, "we'll find a way. Love'll find a way."
* * *
"Ladies and gentlemen!" bellowed Dumbledore, standing up and clapping his hands thrice. "Your attention please!"
The clatter of knives and forks scraping against plates and the noisy chatter of the students came to an abrupt halt.
"Thank you," said Dumbledore, nodding slightly. "As all of you are aware, the month of love is fast approaching." With this statement, Harry noticed that most guys started whispering with each other and pointing to pretty girls, trying to be discreet, as girls started giggling. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, and at once, the noise stopped.
"Thank you," he said once more. "As I was saying, the month of love is fast approaching, and the staff and I have decided to come up with a Valentine's Day ball!"
Most people got to their feet and started to cheer and clap, but not Harry. He remained silent and unmoving in his seat.
"Settle down, settle down," said Dumbledore, chuckling quite heartily. "Yes, yes, we know that all of you are excited and will, for sure, participate in this ball. However, I do not want my students to get so wrapped up regarding the ball. I want you to, still, concentrate on your studies. The time is still tentative, but we are thinking of holding it from nine to eleven in the evening. The dare is fixed, of course - February 14.
"Thank you." Dumbledore took his seat.
"Did you hear that?" asked Ron excitedly. "We're gonna have a ball! A VALENTINE'S DAY ball!"
"The first time EVER in Hogwarts history," Hermione chimed in.
"Yeah, I heard," snapped. Harry. He didn't mean to sound like that, but he couldn't help it, not when he had Cho and his unrequited love for her on his mind.
"Harry," said Hermione soothingly, putting a hand over his, "you'll find the courage to tell Cho. I know you will."
"Yeah," said Ron, clapping a hand on Harry's back. "Just as I found my courage to tell my baby." He gave Hermione a wink.
"Right!" exclaimed Harry. Hermione and Ron's words of encouragement had taken effect. "I WILL tell her. Tomorrow night, I TELL CHO!"
* * *
`Dearest Cho,
I was just wondering... if you aren't doing anything tonight, I mean, studying or anything... would you care to go out of the castle and meet me my the lake at 10:00? I really have to tell you something very important.
Please just meet me there. If in ten minutes' time you aren't there, I'll know you won't be coming.
I'd really appreciate it if you'd grant my request.
Harry
P.S. Please don't bring anyone else with you. I want you to go alone.'
"There!" Harry exclaimed as he sealed the envelope.
"What? Is it ready?" asked Hermione eagerly.
"Yup," said Harry. "Parvati?"
"Yeah, what?" answered a voice from the far end of the common room.
"Would you take this to Padma?" said Harry, waving the envelope. "She's in Ravenclaw, right?"
"Yeah," said Parvati, walking towards Harry and snatching the envelope from his grip.
"Cho Chang, huh?" said Parvati, reading the name scribbled on the envelope. "She's s fifth year, did you know?" She looked up to see Harry nodding.
"And she's pretty too," she added.
"We know," said Ron and Harry at the same time. Hermione shot Ron a playful glare.
"But my Hermione's a lot prettier than Cho," added Ron quickly, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"Ooh... you two are so sweet!" cooed Parvati. "Well, I'd better get this to Padma already. Good luck, Harry," she said, winking at him. Harry felt his cheeks turning pink.
"Lavender?" called Parvati. "C'mon, let's go to Padma." Together, the two girls walked out of the common room.
A/N: Whew! Finally! I'm done with this chapter! Obviously, this was inspired by the `love is in the air: it's Valentine's Day!' thingy. Actually, this was supposed to be ready BEFORE Feb. 14, but unfortunately, I had a lot of other things on my mind.
Anyway, I think this fic's almost done. I'm working on chapter 13 already. Hopefully before March this is finished.
I hope you guys won't get mad at me for being so lazy in writing. I just have a lot of other things to do. Please continue to read and review my work. Belated happy Valentine's Day to all!