Soon, it was only a week until the big ball.  Harry was definitely not looking forward to it.

"It's going to be awful Ron!  I can't go with ...well...her!" Harry said this during breakfast that morning, rather roughly as he pointed at Cho, who was sitting with the Ravenclaws admiring herself in a small compact mirror and applying lip gloss.  Ron snickered; Harry gave Ron a reprimanding look, for he found it no laughing manner.

"What are you laughing at Ron?  I'm sure you aren't excited by the fact that you are going with Hermione to the ball!" Ron seemed oddly interested in his potato salad as Harry, who didn't notice, jabbed his fork into a some scrambled eggs and sneered at Cho, whose lips were now bright red as she continued adding more lip gloss.

Then Valentine's Day came.  Whispers were quite apparent as students tried to concentrate on their Giant Venus Fly-Traps.  The students were delighted to leave class.  Hermione glided ahead of Harry and Ron.

"Hey!  Where are you going Hermione?" Ron questioned.

"To get ready," she blushed rather red as she turned to Ron and said this.  Then she followed Lavender and Parvati as they raced ahead of Dean and Seamus.  Ron looked at his watch and laughed nervously.

"Once again, I am unable to figure out why girls need four hours to get ready for a stupid ball."   Ron laughed nervously again and stared at Harry who had not joined in the laugh, "Why so glum again Harry?"

Harry sighed, " I dunno Ron.  I guess I have a lot to think about right now."  Harry didn't want to tell Ron about the beautiful girl of his dream.  He hadn't told anyone about her, even though she had been haunting his dreams for the past month.  Who was she?  Would he ever know?  It was all a confusing mess to Harry and he didn't know if he would ever figure it out.  On top of all that, he had to spend the whole night tonight with Cho which was the last thing he wanted to do.  He would eventually have to tell her about how he no longer had feelings for her, and he couldn't figure out how to tell her such a thing.  After all, even if he couldn't stand her Lockhart nature, he didn't want to hurt her.  He still wanted to be friends with her.  Yet how was he going to tell her such a thing?

"Earth to Harry!" Ron wailed for the sixth time.  Harry jumped from his thoughts and chuckled nervously at the puzzled Ron and giggling Fat Lady ahead of them.  He mumbled the new password "unicorn" and walked glumly into the common room to a site that shocked him.

Ginny was laughing nervously as Collin Creevey, hand in hand with her, finished a joke.  Harry grimaced as he and Ron stared; Ron was biting his lip and stifling laughter.

"Ginny?  What is going on?" Ron cracked.  Ginny and Collin just noticed them when Ron said this.  Ginny looked from Ron to Harry and blushed severely red.

"Oh hello Harry, Ron!!" Collin cried, "Ginny is going to the ball with me tonight!" He beamed.  Harry grimaced even more and felt himself go angry.  He stormed to the dorm without saying anything to his friends.

When Harry had been sitting for 10 minutes and had allowed himself to cool off, he started thinking.  Why had he been upset by Collin and Ginny?  They had every right to go to the ball together.  But then, why did Collin have to get all the lu--

"Harry, are you all right?"  Ron looked like he was once again trying to hold in a loud guffaw.

"Oh course I'm o.k.!  Why wouldn't I be Ron?" Harry snapped.

"Well, you seemed rather upset about the situation down there--"

"I was only upset by the looks of another happy couple and the fact that I have to go with Cho," Harry lied.

"Oh...ok Harry," Ron sighed.

Harry and Ron sat and talked about who was going with whom for an hour before Dean, Seamus, and Neville showed up.

"Only two more hours before the ball guys," Dean smirked, "We better get ready."

"Who are you going with?" Ron asked.

"I am going with Padma," Dean said rather proudly.

"Oh..." Ron looked slightly uncomfortable as he got his dress robes out of his trunk.  Harry knew that Ron felt slightly bad for what he had done to Padma last year.  Harry noticed Ron's new midnight blue dress robes.

"Hey Ron, where did you get those new ones?" Harry lied.  He, of course, knew that Fred and George had used some of the money Harry had given them last year to buy them.

"Oh!  I found them hanging outside my window one day when I went to go close it.  Isn't that weird?"

"Very..." Harry stifled laughter as he pulled out his green robes.

The boys had a blast talking about their dates as they put on their robes and experimented with some hair gel that Dean had brought from home.

"It makes you look rather nice Ron!" Harry complimented Ron after he had put some in his hair; and actually it did make him look nice.

"This is sticky!" Ron commented, "Wizard hair gel isn't sticky.  Harry, you should try some."

"Why bother?  It wouldn't do anything to my hair.  Besides, I don't have somebody to impress tonight."  Ron blushed at this, and went to go and finish getting ready.

Soon, all five boys were ready to go down and meet their dates.  Neville was so nervous as he jumped up and down.

"Just be yourself, just be yourself..." he kept whispering over and over.  Harry chuckled and followed him and Ron out the door of the dorm to go and meet Hermione in the common room.

Hermione was there.  Harry gawked at her stunning beauty.  She definitely was growing up.  She was much prettier than she had been at the Yule ball; somehow, she had straightened her hair, which was long and ended in wispy ringlets.  And, Harry noticed that for the first time, she was wearing makeup.

"Hermione!  You look nice," Harry chimed.

"Thanks Harry!  You do too.  The hair is a straightening spell.  It will only last for to..." but Hermione was not looking at Harry, she was staring behind him.  Harry turned around and saw Ron, whose ears were bright red and was gawking at Hermione in awe.  Harry was astonished to see that Hermione was gawking at Ron too.  Harry looked at Ron and saw how much older he looked in his handsome robes and gelled-up bangs.  Harry felt rather awkward between them and stepped back to let Ron take Hermione's hand, despite her hesitation.

"Hermione, you're beautiful," Ron sighed.

"Thank you.  You look nice too Ron," she whispered.  Harry felt rather awkward and led the way out to the halls to go meet Cho.  And soon enough, there she was.  And was she a sight.  She wore crimson robes and had her hair up in a stylish bun.  Harry couldn't help but blush and forget about his troubles with her for the minute.

      "Harry--" Cho said.

      "Wow, Cho.  You look nice," Harry sighed.

      "Isn't it beautiful?" Harry was immediately reminded of his situation and looked away, to behold a sight quite pleasing to his eyes.  Ginny was walking hand in hand with Collin.  She didn't look very pleased to be though.  She wore gold robes and strands of hair made a crown of braids around her head.  She noticed Harry staring and as she and Collin passed by, she stared back at Harry longingly.  Harry was interrupted when Cho, who was going on about who knew what, grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him into the Great Hall.  

      The Great Hall was full of red, pink, and white.  Harry found it quite sickening.  He looked around and saw that all the teachers were there.  It was the first time he had seen Dumbledore since his encounter with the Order of Phoenix.  He looked very tired; Harry didn't blame him.  Cho dragged Harry onto the dance floor, still talking, and put her arms around Harry's neck.  Harry placed his arms around her waist as he looked at all the students dancing.  Ron and Hermione refused to make eye contact while their crimson faces searched the room for anything else to stare at.  Parvati looked slightly peeved as Neville continually apologized for stepping on her feet.  Lavender and Seamus were dancing; of course they had gone together since they had been going out for a year now (Lavender had reminded the whole class on Wednesday in Charms).  Dean and Padma were near by.  Ginny and Collin were not even dancing.  Harry noticed Collin seemed mad about something and when he looked at Ginny, he saw she was staring at him.  He blushed and moved to the rest of the crowd.  Angelina was looking beautiful as she laughed over something Fred had told her.  Harry couldn't find George.

"Earth to Harry?"  Harry heard Cho say in his ear.

"Wha?" Harry said absent-mindedly.

"What are you doing?  Didn't you hear me ask you if my hair looks all right?"

"Sorry, I must have not been paying attention," Harry scathed.

"What is wrong with you Harry?" Cho scathed back.

"Cho," Harry felt the anger come, "Do you even know me?  Do you even like me?"

Cho giggled, "Of course I like you Harry.  You the cutest boy in the school."  Harry blushed slightly and for a moment forgot why he was mad at Cho.  No one had ever told him that! The music kept playing as Cho closed her eyes and drew closer to Harry.  She touched her lips to Harry; Harry felt no sparks.  He pulled away, "Looks don't matter that much.  I need some time to think, Cho.  Sorry,"  Harry ran off very upset.  He went out into the garden and immediately felt sorry that he had probably hurt Cho's feelings.

      Harry sat down on a bench and put his face into his hands.  Why was he resisting the most beautiful girl in school?  The girl he had had a crush on since 3rd year?  He couldn't figure it out.

      It was at least 15 minutes before Harry heard voices.  He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione coming out of the Great Hall.  Harry panicked as he looked for an escape so he didn't have to encounter them.  He looked at the first escape route and was shocked to see Cho walking close to George and talking to him in her flirtatious way.  George looked delighted.  Harry looked at his other escape route and panicked even more to see his last chance for escape was blocked by Ginny, who was walking by herself.  Harry couldn't run into either of them.  He darted into nearby bushes.  
      
      Harry scraped and pushed his way through the shrubs, trying desperately to get away from the dance.  When he figured he was far enough away, he emerged from the bushes and briskly walked for the nearest entrance to the castle.  He glanced back at Hermione and Ron, afraid of what he was going to see.  He second glanced when he saw Hermione on her feet storming at Ron.  Harry, too intrigued by Hermione's anger as she stormed back to the castle and left Ron on a bench by himself, did not see the person ahead of him and collided into the person.

      "Oh...sorry," Harry mumbled as he groped for his glasses and put them on.  It wasn't until his sight came into focus and he was recovered from the fall on his feet that he saw who he had run into.  Ginny was still on the floor and staring at Harry in an unidentifiable way.  Harry panicked.

      "Ginny, are you ok?" He scratched the back of his head to try and hide his embarrassment and quickly  put out his hand to help her up, "Sorry about that.  Is something wrong Ginny?  Are you o.k.?"

      Ginny got up by herself and ran off without looking back at Harry.  Harry's hand still extended, he tried to comprehend what had just happened.  

      As Harry made his way into the castle and through the almost empty halls, away from the jubilant noise of the Great Halls, he decided that he was through with girls for the rest of the year.  He had been to an event that everyone had been looking forward to, he had gotten his first kiss, yet he still had had a horrible, horrible time.  He stepped into the common room and treaded straight for the dorm.  Despite the fact that the Valentine's Day Ball still had 2 long hours to go, Harry slipped on his pajamas and went to bed.

      The rest of the week was just as bad.  For some reason, Hermione was no longer on speaking terms with Ron.  Harry walked in on them once in the heat of an argument.

      "It was not necessary, and not wanted Ron," Hermione bellowed.

      "I'm sorry....I....wasn't.....I wasn't thinking!" Ron quailed at Hermione, which would have been humorous any other time, due to the fact that Ron was at least a half a head taller than Hermione; now Harry was just in shock from the anger around his two friends.

      "Well I did not want to--oh, hi Harry.  Come on Harry.  Let's go somewhere else,"

      "Um, actually Hermione, I was just going to ask Ron if he wanted to work on our Divination homework," Harry remarked truthfully.  Hermione looked hurt as she walked away without a word, her nose high in the air.

      "What was that all about Ron?" Harry asked.

      "Did you figure out question four yet, Harry?  I can't seem to get it," Ron sounded very flustered and depressed, but Harry decided maybe it wasn't the best time to question him.  He ignored the troubled look on his friend's face and started on question four.

Disclaimer-  The characters, setting, etc. belong to the most talented writer in the world (JK Rowling), yet the plot was developed, with inspiration from the greatest writer in the world, by yours truly ;o)