This is chapter 16 and part two of the Icicle Ball. Okay, that's all I have to say. Oh, yeah, I don't own anything. Thank You!

Chapter 16

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"Are you serious? Well, when you look at it that way, don't you kind of see it coming? I wouldn't be too surprised if it was me. But why would she keep from you?" said Hermione thoughtfully. Ron and Harry had just finished telling her what they heard from the Staff Room. Harry finally had enough courage to speak about it as they headed down to the entrance hall. He figured he might as well talk about it since he had more difficult problems ahead. For example, finding Cho at the entrance hall and what she would look like.

"I don't know. Maybe she doesn't want me to know?" suggested Harry.

"I don't think so. But whatever it is, she has a good reason to keep it from you, Harry," said Ron. They finally arrived at the entrance hall. Harry told Ron and Hermione that he will see them later and went to look for Cho. The hall was packed with people waiting for the Ball to start and people trying to find their partners. After a few minutes, Harry spotted Cho waiting among her Ravenclaw friends. She never looked beautiful than that, thought Harry. She was wearing a dark red dressrobe. She right there! Harry thought. All right, calm down and slowly walk towards her. Cho spotted him and waved. She started to walk towards him. Harry gulped.

"Hi, I hope I didn't make you wait too long," he said. Why do I have to go red now?

"No, not at all. I wasn't waiting too long anyway," she replied.

"Well, shall we?" Harry said, giving her his arm. Cho smiled and held her arm. By that time, the doors of the Great Hall opened. People started filing in. The Great Hall looked splendid. It had the usual decorations of hollies and Christmas trees. It also had icicles going down from the ceiling, but they never melt. They looked like long crystals that are going down to the ground. Harry and Cho went in and looked for a place to sit. A voice called to them from across the Hall.

"Over here, Harry!" Harry turned around and saw Hermione, with Ron, calling him. They went over there and seated themselves on the big round table. The table was seated Seamus and Lavender, Dean and Parvati, and Neville and Ginny. Harry looked around the Hall and found Malfoy walking with Pansy Parkinson. They accompanied by Goyle and Crabbe, who didn't have partners, and were heading their way. Pansy spotted Hermione and looked at her with a sneer forming on her face. Malfoy also saw them and said,

"Well, well, Wealsey and the Mudblood. Weasley, couldn't find a better date? So you had to settle for a mudblood?" Ron started to get up when a voice spoke from behind them,

"What's going on here? Is something the matter?" It was Professor Sullivan. Harry saw that she was wearing plum colored dressrobe and she was with, Harry's eye widened, Snape.

"Apologize to Malfoy, Weasley, or I'll take fifty points off Gryffindor. Better yet, I will," snapped Snape. Ron was about to argue when Professor Sullivan said, "Now, Severus, I don't think there is any reason why you should take points off Mr. Weasley's head. Let's just give that a rest for the night." Professor Sullivan winked at the group and pulled Snape away from the table.

Dumbledore stood up from the long table at the head of the Hall and the students silenced. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's eat."

At once, everybody in the Hall picked up their menus and told their plates what they wanted. Immediately, their food appeared. While eating, Harry engaged Cho into a conversation about quidditch. He didn't seem to notice the other people around his table. When everyone was done eating, Dumbledore magicked the tables aside and conjured a platform and a dance floor. The band, The Charmed Ones, came out and started playing.

"Come on, Ron, let's dance," said Hermione eagerly. Before Ron could say another word, Hermione pulled him by the arm and headed towards the dance floor.

Harry looked at Cho and asked, "Would you like to dance?" Cho nodded. They both headed to the dance floor and started to dance. The song ended and a new song came on, but it was a slower one. They continued to dance but changed into a waltz.

"I have something to tell you," said Cho looking up at him. Harry looked at her and began to feel anxious. "I didn't actually want to come to this Ball. It reminded me too much of him."

Harry knew who she was talking about. Cedric Diggory. Cho continued, "And it's not that I don't want to come with you, Harry. To tell you the truth, nobody wanted to ask me to this Ball. You were the only one who did. And I'll really want to thank you for this. I feel much better to the fact that I'm trying to move on."

"It must be really hard to lose someone you really like," said Harry. "I don't really know what it feels like, my parents died when I was a baby."

"I know. He was really nice, you know. And I never blame you for his death. I never did. Like I said, it's just very hard."

They were silent for the rest of the song. When the song ended, they retreated and found Ron and Hermione.

"Hey," said Hermione. She looked a little flushed. Ron looked like he ran a marathon. "Do mind getting some butterbeers, Ron?"

"I'll go with you," said Harry, looking at Ron. Ron stood up and went with Harry to the table.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" asked Ron. Harry wondered what was going on as Ron pulled him out of the Hall and into the beautiful garden that was just outside the castle. He led Harry through series of pathways and found a clearing near a fountain. He started to talk when they heard a laugh just right next to them.

"Hmm…yes, those were the days," said Professor Sullivan. Ron and Harry looked at each other. Everyone was silent for a minute and then a different voice spoke. Only this time it was a male voice.

"Annie, do you ever think about marrying after those days?" asked a male voice that belonged to Snape. It didn't sound like his usual dangerous tone, but a nicer tone.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason."

"Well, I don't really think about those things. I'm far too busy for that right now."

"Oh, Annie, do ever think that you and I can be-you know-"

"A couple? Severus, I think we have talked about this before. I see nothing but friendship between us."

"I know, I know. But, Annie, if there was-do you think that you can love anyone else besides-you know."

"Severus, I do prefer for you to call him by his name."

"Well, yes, of course, anyway, do you think you can?"

"I don't know if I can. But I do believe that there's still hope-"

"You mean you still believe that he's innocent? Annie, I saw with my own eyes and I saw him-"

"I do believe you, Severus. But don't you think you should give him a chance to explain himself?"

"I don't believe this! I-you still love him, don't you?"

"Severus…"

"I don't believe this! Annie, for goodness sake, he has done you many wrong. You said so yourself that you cannot live with someone who is so irresponsible!"

"I know that, Severus. But I believe that one has a chance to explain oneself and as long as I see that there is some possible that this can be explained, I don't see why he shouldn't be given justice. And I know that he has done so many things in the past but I still love him. I don't know why either. I just do."

"Annie, I can't make you change your mind, can't I?"

"No, I'm sorry." There was a shuffle of footsteps that meant that someone has gotten up. "Severus, I know you will find someone out there for you. I mean I know what happened between you and Miranda. Severus, you have to let go. It's getting rather chilly here, isn't it? We better get inside before one of us gets the chills."

Harry and Ron stood there for a moment looking at each other. They headed back to the Hall to get the butterbeers to the girls. They had enjoyed the rest of the night dancing and laughing. Soon the night was over. Harry walked Cho to the entrance hall. Harry said good night to her. In return, Cho did something that made Harry blushed like he never blushed before. She kissed him right on the cheek and hugged him. Harry couldn't help but smile to himself while he was walking up to the tower and to his dormitory. If he wasn't so distracted with his own turnout that night, there was someone there with him that was blushing like he's never blushed before. And that person was Ron.

Okay, please leave a review. I also made Harry a little taller. I think that since he's getting older, he needs to get taller. Well, that's all. Thank you!