Author's Note: I hope this chapter gets more interesting. Thanks to my best friends Renee and Jainah who read my story and actually loved it. Okay, I'm going to get on with this chapter now.

Disclaimer: Nothing but the idea of this story is mine. It all belongs to the great HP author JK Rowling, and the people at Warner Brothers.

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Chapter 2~ An Expensive Surprise

Draco walked down the staircases to the Great Hall for breakfast; Crabbe and Goyle were by his sides. His eyes were still drooping, and he wasn't 100% conscious yet. He didn't sleep well last night. He stayed up thinking about Cho and Harry. How the hell could Cho say yes? That was one of the few questions he asked himself while he laid on his bed staring up into the silver and green canopy over his head. Until now, Draco still couldn't believe it, and he was still annoyed and frustrated. He turned a corner and saw Cho standing just 25 feet away with a group of her friends. Draco stopped walking. Crabbe and Goyle did the same. Just then, someone bumped his shoulder.

"Hey! Watch it!" Draco scowled. He turned to look who bumped him. It was Harry with Ron and Hermione walking beside him.

" Oh, sorry Malfoy. Didn't see you there." Harry said. He didn't want to apologize, but did anyway.

"Don't say sorry Harry! He deserves getting bumped into!" Ron said this to Draco's face. Hermione giggled. Draco shot a dirty look at her.

"Shut up Weasley! I see you still can't afford new robes. Haven't you had those since you were a first year? Or did your mom make them and mess up?" Draco pointed to the clothes Ron was wearing. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. Ron turned bright red and was about to jump on Draco, but Harry held him back. "And you Potter." Draco continued. " Get new glasses. Even your mudblood friend can't fix them. Otherwise, you wouldn't e bumping into people!" Harry glared at Draco for a second, and then left with Ron and Hermione. Harry stopped by the group Cho was in. Draco watched. After a minute, the group started leaving to go to the Great Hall. Harry and Cho were walking hand in hand. Draco's blood rose and surged through his veins up to his brain. He was trying to hold his temper. Crabbe and Goyle shared scared expressions. Before Draco was about to scream with anger, he saw Cho look over her shoulder and smile at him. Draco calmed down and couldn't help but smile back. They shared that moment again like at dinner last night, but it only lasted a second. Then Cho disappeared as she turned a corner to enter the Great hall. Draco started walking again with Crabbe and Goyle following. But this time, he was fully awake, and not as angry and frustrated as before. When he, Crabbe and Goyle entered the Great Hall, they immediately went to the Slytherin table and sat down.

" Good morning students." Dumbeldore said while he stood up from his chair. "I have a few morning announcements to make. As you know, Christmas is only a few weeks away. You are welcome to stay here at Hogwarts if you do not want to return home to you families. This Saturday will be our annual Winter Yule Ball." Draco all of a sudden became interested. " It won't be held on Christmas like tradition and celebrate the champions chosen for the Goblet of Fire, because of last years' tragic incident. From now on, the Yule Ball will be held a week before you go home for Christmas. I'm also sorry to say that even though the Yule Ball held at a different time, the same rules still apply. Only the fourth years and above are allowed. The rest of you, you'll have your chances soon enough. In the meantime, just stay in your dormitories, or do whatever you wish. Just please follow the rules and stay out of trouble. That's all for now. Have a good day." As he sat down, the food appeared on the tables, and everyone started eating.

"Did you hear that? The Yule Balls' this Saturday!" Draco said excitedly. Out of all the school events, the Yule Ball was his second favorite. Quiditch was the one he loved most. Especially if he were playing in the game.

"So, Draco, who's the lucky girl this year?" Goyle asked even if he had an idea who it was.

"It's Pansy right? You took her last year, and it looked like you two had fun." Crabbe added. Draco's cheeks turned slightly red.

"For your information Crabbe, my father made me take Pansy remember?" Draco did like Pansy a little his whole life, but didn't want to admit it. "She's the only girl my father would absolutely love of me to marry later on. This year, I don't think I'll take Pansy to the Ball."

"Who'll you take?" Crabbe was excited, curious, and very eager to know. Pansy was the only girl he could think of that would be perfect with Draco.

"Yeah Draco, who?" Goyle felt the same way Crabbe did.

"You'll find out soon enough." Draco had a sly smile on his face, and he quickly glanced at the Gryffindor table where again Cho sat with Harry. Crabbe and Goyle was Draco's glance and they were puzzled. A Gryffindor? A Slytherin with a Gryffindor? Of course their thoughts were wrong.

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At about fifteen minutes through breakfast, a huge flock of owls entered the Great Hall through a little door in the roof, and swooped down towards the students. Packages and letter were flying everywhere.

"Post's here." Ron said even if it was so obvious.

"Whoa!" Cho cried. A small box shaped parcel almost hit her in the face. She blocked it just in time, and the parcel fell on her lap. Cho picked it up, and opened it. When the brown wrapping was off, it revealed a dark blue velvet case. She opened it and gasped. Right in front of her was the most beautiful ring she's ever seen! It was probably the most expensive she's ever seen too! The ring was different from all the others. Instead of it being perfectly round, it was slightly wavy. There were three heart- shaped diamonds on it. One big one in the middle, and two smaller ones. One on each side of the big one. The diamonds were a sky blue color, and shined so brightly that it almost blinded her.

"Bloody hell! Is that real?!" Ron couldn't take his eyes of the ring. He gawked in awe.

"Oh, it looks real alright!" Hermione said. She was also a bit jealous. By this time, everyone sitting near Cho was looking and talking about the ring.

"Oh thank you so much Harry!" Cho kissed Harry on the cheek. "This is so thoughtful of you! You didn't have to get me such a beautiful and expensive present! It's not even Christmas yet!" Cho hugged Harry and kissed him on the cheek again.

"But Cho, I didn't buy this." Harry said confused.

"What are you talking about? Of course you did! You don't need to joke with me Harry." Cho was a little surprised Harry said that.

"I'm serious Cho. I couldn't afford such a thing. Sorry." Now Harry wished he were the one who bought the ring.

"He's right you know." Hermione said. "This ring must've cost at least 10,000 galleons! Mind you, I said least. It could've cost a lot more than that."

"10,000 galleons?!" Ron choked and nearly fainted.

"Really Harry? You really didn't buy this?" Cho looked a little hurt. "Then who did?"

"Was there any card?" Harry asked. Cho looked around her area.

"Nope." She said.

"Look on the brown package wrapping. There must be a return address." Hermione suggested.

"One.one thousand galleons." Ron whispered still shocked at the price. Hermione rolled her eyes. Cho looked at the torn wrapping.

"No.No. Nothing." Cho said disappointed.

"Who do you think sent you this?" Harry asked.

" Well." Cho thought about all the possible people. "My parents couldn't afford this. Even if they did, they wouldn't just buy it and send it to me for no reason at all. Not even if it wee my birthday."

"What about one of the Professors?" Hermione asked.

" Oh no. No way! Why would any of the professors send me a ring.with hearts! That would be so embarrassing and well, disgusting! Can you think of a reason why they would send me this?" Cho said this with a twisted expression. She then closed the blue velvet case with the ring still inside, and tucked it in her robes. One possibility Hermione, Cho, and Harry (count Ron out. He was still shocked at the price) didn't think of is that a student could've bought the ring.

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Draco was watching Cho the whole time. He could tell she loved the ring.

"She liked it." Draco said under his breath.

"When are you going to tell us who you're taking to the Ball?" Goyle asked.

"We already know she's a Gryffindor."

"What?!" Draco cut Goyle off. "How dare you?! Me, go with a Gryffindor?! Never!"

"Sorry." Goyle said.

"Yeah, you better be. Huh, a Gryffindor." Draco snorted in disgust.

"But we saw you look over at the Gryffindor table when you said we'll find out soon enough who you're taking to the Ball." Crabbe explained and was scared Draco might get mad at him.

"Just because she's sitting at the Gryffindor table doesn't mean she's sitting at the Gryffindor table, doesn't mean she's a Gryffindor!" Draco scolded. He couldn't believe Crabbe and Goyle would actually think that!

"Huh?" Crabbe and Goyle said confused.

"Ugh. You two are so pathetic." Draco said. He always had to explain things to them. "The girl I want to take to the Ball is from another house. She's just sitting at the gryffindor table so she can be with her crackpot boyfriend. Is this going through your pea-sized brains?" Crabbe and Goyle nodded and looked over at the Gryffindor table to find a girl who was from a different house. They found her, and were surprised and shocked.

"But Draco," Goyle started. "The girl you want to take to the Ball is." He couldn't say it.

"Cho!" Crabbe blurted.

"Well thanks!" Goyle said sarcastically. "She's already with Harry thought. They'll probably go together.

"I think I already know!" Draco said between clenched teeth. "I'll find a way to go with her. If I can't, then I'll just.just."

"Just what?" Crabbe asked.

"I don't know yet." Draco finished. "I'll just find a way." He then saw Harry, Cho, Hermione, and the still shocked Ron get up and leave. "Come on, let's go."

"But we're not done eating yet!" Crabbe whined.

"We're leaving now. You had almost a whole hour to eat!" Draco shot back.

"You just want to leave because she left!" Goyle argued. He also wanted to stay and eat more.

"What was that Goyle?" Draco lifted his eyebrows and leaned closer to Goyle. "Say it a bit louder. I couldn't understand what you were saying with all that scrambled eggs in you mouth!" Goyle shook his head and stayed silent. "Fine! You guys can stay and stuff your faces. I'm letting you know now that both of you won't be getting fruitcakes form me this Christmas." Crabbe and Goyle's eyes grew wide, and they stood up. They always had fruitcake. "I thought so. Come on." Draco smirked. As he got up, he quietly said, "Works every time."

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Author's Note: So, how was it? There was more, but I decided to make that the next chapter. This was getting too long. Getting better yet? Please r/r!