CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"The date is settled, and also the time," Dumbledore was saying. Harry was
too preoccupied with staring at Cho to listen.
"Did you hear that, Harry?" asked Hermione excitedly, pulling Harry out of his reverie.
"Huh?" asked Harry, dazed. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
Ron followed Harry's gaze and saw he was looking at Cho. He shook his head unbelievingly. "Hey man, we know Cho's pretty," he said. "But you gotta be more attentive! Your attention span is dwindling, you know."
"Sorry. So, what were you saying, Hermione?"
"I asked you if you heard what Professor Dumbledore said," began Hermione, "but now I'm pretty sure you didn't."
"Um. yeah. I didn't," admitted Harry. "Could you. uh. repeat it for me?"
"The Valentine's Day ball is, of course, on Valentine's Day, February 14, from eight to twelve in the evening."
"You mean midnight," Lavender interjected. "Anyway, speaking of the ball, have either of you two found dates?" she asked, turning to Ron and Harry.
"Of course!" exclaimed Ron. "Hermione's my date," he declared proudly.
"Says who?" huffed Hermione playfully. "You haven't even asked me yet."
"Well, that can be arranged." Ron shrugged, wiggling his eyebrows. He took Hermione's hand in his own.
"Will you go to the ball with me?"
"Uh. I'll think about it," said Hermione teasingly. She furrowed her brow in mock concentration. "OK, I'll go to the ball with you."
"Yes!" Ron almost jumped out of his seat.
"OK, quit with the lovey-dovey stuff already," interrupted Lavender. "How 'bout you, Harry? You already have a date, don't you?"
"I'm not planning to go to that ball," Harry retorted.
"What?!" exclaimed Lavender, Hermione and Ron in unison.
"I said, I'm not going to the ball," repeated Harry.
"Why?" asked Lavender.
"Because," said Harry with an icy tone, "I don't feel like it.
And with one last gulp of his pumpkin juice, he strode off toward the Gryffindor Tower, leaving his companions bewildered.
"What is wrong with him?" asked Lavender.
"Dunno," shrugged Ron. "Bad mood, I guess."
"Or maybe," started Hermione, "a certain someone shouldn't have opened her big mouth and started asking everyone whether or not they had dates for the ball." She and Lavender exchanged cold glares.
"C'mon let's follow him," said Ron, grabbing Hermione's hand and heading for the Gryffindor Tower.
?????
"Are you sure you won't be coming?" asked Hermione as she sat down on the couch next Harry's and Ron's. Harry nodded.
"Absolutely sure?" asked Ron.
"Yes," declared Harry. "Now will you two quit bugging me about that ball?!"
"But what if Cho decides to come and say yes to you on the night of the ball?" asked Ron.
Harry started to reconsider the situation. Ron had a point. Maybe, just maybe, Cho would answer yes to him on the night of the ball, as Ron had said. After all, it is Valentine's night that night, he reasoned out with himself. Besides, it would be romantic if she did say yes to me on that night. Girls like to be romantic and sweet, after all.
"All right," he finally said after a few moments of solemn thinking. "I'm going to that ball."
?????
Meanwhile, back in the Ravenclaw dormitory. "Are you OK, Cho?" asked Liz.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Cho.
"So," began Charlotte, "when are you going to say yes to Harry?"
"Charlotte!" Liz scolded.
"No, it's OK," said Cho, smiling.
"What d'you mean 'it's OK'?" asked Liz. "And why the heck are you smiling?"
"Because," said Cho, "I've finally decided as to when I'm going to answer Harry."
"Oh really?" squealed Charlotte. "Spill! When?"
"On Valentine's night."
"Excuse me?" said Liz. "Did you say, 'night'?" Cho nodded.
"You don't mean to tell me. no. you're crazy!"
"She is not crazy, girl!" said Charlotte. "Yes, she is going to answer Harry on the night of the ball!"
"Did you hear that, Harry?" asked Hermione excitedly, pulling Harry out of his reverie.
"Huh?" asked Harry, dazed. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
Ron followed Harry's gaze and saw he was looking at Cho. He shook his head unbelievingly. "Hey man, we know Cho's pretty," he said. "But you gotta be more attentive! Your attention span is dwindling, you know."
"Sorry. So, what were you saying, Hermione?"
"I asked you if you heard what Professor Dumbledore said," began Hermione, "but now I'm pretty sure you didn't."
"Um. yeah. I didn't," admitted Harry. "Could you. uh. repeat it for me?"
"The Valentine's Day ball is, of course, on Valentine's Day, February 14, from eight to twelve in the evening."
"You mean midnight," Lavender interjected. "Anyway, speaking of the ball, have either of you two found dates?" she asked, turning to Ron and Harry.
"Of course!" exclaimed Ron. "Hermione's my date," he declared proudly.
"Says who?" huffed Hermione playfully. "You haven't even asked me yet."
"Well, that can be arranged." Ron shrugged, wiggling his eyebrows. He took Hermione's hand in his own.
"Will you go to the ball with me?"
"Uh. I'll think about it," said Hermione teasingly. She furrowed her brow in mock concentration. "OK, I'll go to the ball with you."
"Yes!" Ron almost jumped out of his seat.
"OK, quit with the lovey-dovey stuff already," interrupted Lavender. "How 'bout you, Harry? You already have a date, don't you?"
"I'm not planning to go to that ball," Harry retorted.
"What?!" exclaimed Lavender, Hermione and Ron in unison.
"I said, I'm not going to the ball," repeated Harry.
"Why?" asked Lavender.
"Because," said Harry with an icy tone, "I don't feel like it.
And with one last gulp of his pumpkin juice, he strode off toward the Gryffindor Tower, leaving his companions bewildered.
"What is wrong with him?" asked Lavender.
"Dunno," shrugged Ron. "Bad mood, I guess."
"Or maybe," started Hermione, "a certain someone shouldn't have opened her big mouth and started asking everyone whether or not they had dates for the ball." She and Lavender exchanged cold glares.
"C'mon let's follow him," said Ron, grabbing Hermione's hand and heading for the Gryffindor Tower.
?????
"Are you sure you won't be coming?" asked Hermione as she sat down on the couch next Harry's and Ron's. Harry nodded.
"Absolutely sure?" asked Ron.
"Yes," declared Harry. "Now will you two quit bugging me about that ball?!"
"But what if Cho decides to come and say yes to you on the night of the ball?" asked Ron.
Harry started to reconsider the situation. Ron had a point. Maybe, just maybe, Cho would answer yes to him on the night of the ball, as Ron had said. After all, it is Valentine's night that night, he reasoned out with himself. Besides, it would be romantic if she did say yes to me on that night. Girls like to be romantic and sweet, after all.
"All right," he finally said after a few moments of solemn thinking. "I'm going to that ball."
?????
Meanwhile, back in the Ravenclaw dormitory. "Are you OK, Cho?" asked Liz.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Cho.
"So," began Charlotte, "when are you going to say yes to Harry?"
"Charlotte!" Liz scolded.
"No, it's OK," said Cho, smiling.
"What d'you mean 'it's OK'?" asked Liz. "And why the heck are you smiling?"
"Because," said Cho, "I've finally decided as to when I'm going to answer Harry."
"Oh really?" squealed Charlotte. "Spill! When?"
"On Valentine's night."
"Excuse me?" said Liz. "Did you say, 'night'?" Cho nodded.
"You don't mean to tell me. no. you're crazy!"
"She is not crazy, girl!" said Charlotte. "Yes, she is going to answer Harry on the night of the ball!"