Disclaimer: SHArice doesn't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Don't mind my last comment about losing encouragement. I was just suffering from post-grade updates depression in school. Please forgive me for not updating since…well…forever. I was involved in a lot of activities in and out of school functions. I wrote whenever I wasn't too tired. The plan was to post two chapters, but exhaustion and a writer's block took their tolls on me.

Okay, now that Harry and Cho are getting toward the tail-end of their societal acceptance dilemma, it's time for me to do the "Harry-and-Cho-date" universe some justice. I'm starting to piece together a list of a few songs for the story's Winter Ball, so if you've got any requests, please email me. Let's call it a small reward for steadfast reviewers.

Happy reading! Reviews are welcome.

ooooooo

The Melody of the Sphere

Chapter Eight: Finding Freedom Part I

"Where do you think you're going all dressed and dressed?" Ron asked when he spotted Harry tying his shoe laces at the end of his bed.

"Hogsmeade," Harry replied, smiling when he saw the remaining Weasley son look at him with a blank expression. He really was clueless sometimes.

"With who 'cause I know you wouldn't go out by yourself like that," he flicked his hand at his best friend. The green-eyed Gryffindor stood up and looked himself over. He was wearing jeans, a black dress shirt Hermione had transfigured for him which he wore un-tucked with the sleeves rolled midway up his forearms, and school dress shoes. The jeans once belonged to Dudley before they were thrown in his direction over the summer. With a little magic and help from Hermione, he was able to size them to fit his much slimmer waist.

Harry strolled over to his trunk, opened it, and let his practice snitch fly around Ron's head. "I'm going with Cho Chang," he said confidently.

"Wha – ?" Ron's jaw could have served as a fly-catcher. "When did you ask her?"

Harry jumped and caught the snitch in his thumb and index finger. "Last night."

"Oh, really?" The red-head picked up the comb Harry discarded after a battle to tame his hair. He pulled through his best friend's hair, giving it a hard yank near the end. "You never told me you and Cho were back on again."

The young Potter yelped a little at the sudden burst of pain erupting from his scalp. "How could I? You're never around anymore…ouch!"

Ron threw the comb on the bed and chuckled. "Sorry there, mate. Didn't think such short hair could have tangles."

Harry rubbed the back of his head. "Well you know I've always had issues with this," he said, pointing at his head.

"I suppose you want to know where I've been, hmm?" Ron asked, sitting Indian style on Harry's bed. The Weasley sighed. Harry took that as a sign he was tired and wanted to get something off his chest.

"Yeah," Harry said as he plopped down next to Ron, "Hermione and Ginny have been wondering where you were all the time."

"To be partially honest, I was getting help for class and homework from the professors."

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed them clean with his shirt tail before raising his eyebrows as he put them back on. "Partially?"

"Well…uh," Ron stuttered, obviously at a loss for words. Harry stole a glance at his watch – 8:37. He should be heading for the entrance hall to meet Cho. Ron caught his anxious gesture and continued his rambling, "I'vebeenlearningtodance."

"Come again…" Harry shook his head, leaning closer to his best friend.

Ron's eyes darted around the dormitory. He cupped his hand and whispered, "I've been learning to dance."

"DANCE!" Harry nearly fell off his bed.

"Sssh!" Ron looked around and breathed a sigh of relief, even if he already knew no one was around. "Even walls have ears, you know." However, the red-head found his friend who hadn't heard another word on his back, laughing like a madman.

"Dancing," he choked, "You…dancing!" Harry's face was growing a little redder with each passing second.

"Oh, shut up, Harry!" Ron nudged him farther away, shaking his head with a poorly suppressed smile.

A couple minutes later, the green-eyed boy pulled a hand through his hair and breathed deeply. He faced Ron and almost lost his composure again as the image of Ronald Weasley waltzing came to mind. Harry just pushed his glasses up on his nose. "So…why are you…uh…dancing?"

"No more laughing, all right." Harry nodded and checked his watch again – 8:40. "Well," Ron continued, "you remember how badly I was at the Yule Ball?"

"You weren't the only one."

Ron chuckled. "Anyway, I've been meaning to ask a girl to dance with me and – no, I am not saying who she is – I don't want her to think that I'm some kind of dumb klutz."

"You like her a lot, don't you?" Harry inquired, looking at his friend's tired face. To go out of his way to learn how to dance was no ordinary task Ron would set himself to do if he didn't like someone that way. Ron nodded his head. "Is she worth it?"

Ron didn't look up, but answered quietly as he stood up, "I ask myself that every time I see her." He sighed and walked over to the door leading out to the common room. "I'll see you later, mate. Oh, you might want to take this with you." Ron tossed Harry's school newly wool-lined robe at him. "I heard it's going to be really cold out today, but no snow."

"Ron?" The taller boy stopped and turned around. "You remember that letter Hermione got at the start of the term from Crimson Regret?" Ron didn't say anything. "Is it you?"

Harry was left standing alone in the dormitory as Ron left. The Gryffindor Seeker remained rooted to the spot beside his bed as he contemplated Ron's answer, or, rather, lack thereof.

o o o o o o o

"Harry!" The green-eyed Gryffindor stopped and turned around. Running into the entrance hall was Hermione with a small stack of textbooks clutched protectively to her. Her arms looked like they were ready to break. Harry took her small burden upon himself as she caught her breath.

"Hey, Hermione…going to the library I presume?"

She rolled her shoulders and nodded. "I wanted to catch you…to ask if…you've seen…Ginny anywhere."

"She's supposed to be with Ron today," Harry answered, smiling at Hermione's short stream of curses. Flipping her hair back, she sighed and took back her books. "Is something the matter?" She looked up to face him and smiled.

Holding her books against her, the Gryffindor prefect smiled and replied, "No, just wanted to show her another letter from you-know-who."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Well…I don't trust this admirer of yours, but I do trust you not to get yourself into trouble."

She giggled. "Oh, stop it, Harry. You sound like an over-protective parent."

The young Seeker shook his head and chuckled before pulling Hermione into a brotherly hug. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out where I get it from." Hermione swatted at his nose, grinning from ear to ear.

Looking past Harry, the prefect spotted a certain Ravenclaw just beside the doors. Cho looked so nervous and so giddy at the same time, it made Hermione sigh and smile. She almost envied the two for finding someone special they could confide in. Facing her famous best friend, Hermione said, "I believe Cho's waiting for you." She nodded her head in Cho's direction and Harry followed her gaze.

"Wish me luck," he mumbled, checking himself over again. Hermione just shook her head, knowing full well that good fortune had already smiled upon him. Harry turned and trotted off toward Cho. Three strides later he turned around and went back to Hermione with a serious look on his face. "She may be the most important thing in my life now…" He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "…but you'll always be my best friend."

Hermione had to fight tears of joy as she watched Harry's messy top of hair recede into the masses of students making their way to Hogsmeade. "Thanks, Harry."

o o o o o o o

Shy brown eyes drank in the sight before them – tall, slender build resulting from hard work, a dragging walk supported by long legs, neat yet rugged attire, untidy tresses that she could have run her hands though all day, and enthralling bottle-green eyes that in the right light would shimmer blue.

"Hey," Harry greeted as he approached her, "Ready to go?"

Cho snapped out of her reverie. "Yeah…sure," she replied a bit breathlessly. He took a deep breath before plotting a path through the crowd. Cho knew everyone was watching their every move. A few cliques were speaking under hushed tones, staring at them without shame.

She saw Michael Corner near the doors leading out to the grounds. He conspicuously moved to block their path, his arms folded defiantly over his chest. Coming closer, Cho saw the arrogance and cruelty rise in his face. Although his smirk didn't come close to the one Malfoy sported, it came awfully close.

She wanted to hide. To run back into the castle and bury herself in the comforts of her House common room or dormitory would have been satisfactory. Before the fear could seize her heart, Cho felt a hand on the small of her back, giving a silent signal that she wasn't to be messed with. Looking up, she noticed Michael was staring down on her date.

"Hello Harry…Cho." Looking to Harry, she saw him set his jaw. She felt Harry's hand slip away to be replaced by his arm wrapping protectively around her waist.

"Morning," the Gryffindor Seeker curtly replied.

"So, you two are…together again, huh?" He waggled his finger at them.

"It's just a date, Michael," Cho retorted.

"A date implies going steady, which, in turn, suggests moving on from a past girlfriend…" he pedantically drawled out, "…or boyfriend."

"Corner…" Harry ground out through his teeth. Cho placed her hands on the arm that was around her waist, squeezing gently. The green-eyed sixth-year bit his tongue and stayed by her side.

"So you decided to go with Potter after all," Michael continued in his efforts to provoke the couple. "And here I thought you would have learned by now."

"Learned what?" Harry sneered.

Michael turned to face Harry, his eyes gleaming with mischief and narcissism. "That being around certain people might lead to fatal ends to those you love most."

Flashback

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"

It was getting hard to breath. His heart was pounding as he sprinted toward the dais, his breathing coming in labored gasps. The curtain – he had just fallen through…he would pull him back out again. Before he could reach behind the veil, Lupin's arms wrapped around his chest, holding him back. Let me go, Harry thought. You're keeping me from my god-father. I have to get to him!

"There's nothing you can do, Harry – "

"Get him, save him," Harry wailed as he fought to get out of the werewolf's vice. "He's only just gone through!"

"It's too late, Harry – "

"We can still reach him – "

"There's nothing you can do, Harry…nothing…he's gone."

"He hasn't gone!" Harry yelled and gained a new surge of strength as he fought his former professor with every bit of strength he had. "Sirius! SIRIUS!" Everything else blurred as his vision focused on the old curtain hanging from the ancient arch. Nothing mattered except getting Sirius back so he could hear him chuckle and shake his head before reentering the fight against the Death Eaters.

Lupin's voice was breaking as he fought his pupil. "He can't come back, Harry. He can't come back. He's de – "

"He is not dead!" Harry could feel himself losing stamina as Lupin dragged him away from the dais, angry at himself for being so weak and at Sirius for making him wait for him. "Sirius!"

End flashback

Crucio, Harry thought. Crucio. He wanted to hurt anyone who dared to remind him of that fated day when the most important person in his life vanished…fell beyond the veil. Looking at Michael Corner he knew his righteous anger wouldn't hurt him. But it would sure scare him, the Gryffindor concluded. Michael would know just how powerful the prophesized wizard was.

Before he could draw his wand, two carrot tops moved between Michael and him and Cho. "Hello, Michael," a female voice spoke, "It's been a while."

The other red-head standing in front of him held his companion back with a hand on her shoulder. Stepping forward he said, "I hope you don't mind, but the four of us really must get going."

"Morning, Ginny," Michael greeted, taking a step back as he regarded his ex-girlfriend.

"I overheard you talking about moving on from past girlfriends," Ginny loudly said, "and I was wondering just who the lucky girl is."

"It's none of your concern," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I suppose the four of us will be on our way, then," Ron said as he took Harry by the arm, bringing the pair past the narrowing eyes of Corner and his entourage.

"Have a nice day." Once her friends were a dozen feet or so out the castle, Ginny skipped off to join them. With an agitated bully behind them, the day was finally looking to be promising.

o o o o o o o

"Come on, Ron! There's a new shop I want to check out!"

"All right…all right. Hold your horses," her brother complained as he shooed her away for a brief moment with Harry and Cho. Facing The Boy Who Lived, Ron saw that Michael's words had really cut deep. Harry, who had never known his parents, had lost his most father-like figure not even a year ago in the Department of Mysteries. Now, after some recovery, the wound was once again ripped open.

Ron silently watched from afar as Harry took refuge under the covering of a nearby shop. He was placing the robe Ron had tossed to him earlier that morning on Cho. Looking at the pair, the red-head shook his head in disbelief. He felt so stupid for not having noticed his friend's apparent attraction to the girl and for not supporting the attraction.

He looked over his shoulder to see his sister pacing a ten-foot path along the sidewalk, pouting impatiently as she waited for him. Sighing and seeing his breath form an icy cloud in front of him, Ron left the two Seekers and trotted over to his only sister. Daring to put his faith in Cho, he gave in to the idea of them being together.

o o o o o o o

Shrugging his coat on to protect himself from the biting winds, Harry kept his eyes cast to the ground. December was setting in, but Mother Nature seemed to be postponing snow until the right moment, making the air crisp and the atmosphere cheery. Bringing his gaze up a bit more, he looked at his date and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. Cho had on a lovely ensemble – loose-fitting black pants, a rich brown blouse, a wool cream-colored cardigan, and designer boots to match. The colors brought greater attention to her already warm chocolate eyes. Harry lost himself in their depth, allowing himself to drown in her.

"Beautiful," he whispered as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Did you say something, Harry?"

He shook his head, "No." Looking over at the two disappearing red-heads, he smiled a silent gesture of thanks. Once he got the point, Ron always knew what to do. And right then, he knew Harry and Cho needed time to see if their feelings were genuine. Returning his focus to the Ravenclaw he tugged at her arm. "C'mon…let's get some breakfast."

The pair walked through the crowded street toward the Three Broomsticks, trying to ignore the voyeuristic desires to see him and Cho break under spiteful glares. As they approached the busy tavern, Cho suddenly hoped that nothing would go wrong. They had hardly managed ten minutes in Madam Puddifoot's.

A sudden rush of warmth encircled them as they walked into the hustle and bustle of the Three Broomsticks. She exhaled deeply when Harry took her hand to lead her to a booth in the back near the crackling fire. A large and busty woman with wisps of hair falling from her hastily-made bun came over and asked, "An' what'll ye dears be havin'?"

"Short stack, please," Harry ordered, and pointing at Cho, "and some French toast." The large tavern waitress jotted down their orders with two quick strokes of her quill.

"Drinks?"

"Two butterbeers," Cho answered. It would be foolish not to have a round of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. As the woman left, Harry removed his coat and began rubbing his hands fervently together. The table they sat at was a little secluded being that they wanted some privacy. Propping his elbow on the table, his chin resting on his upturned palm, Cho watched as he aimlessly drummed his fingers.

"What's on your mind?" Harry asked, noticing her constant fidgeting.

"Nothing in particular." You're such a liar, Cho thought. All you've been thinking about is Hermione Granger and Harry. Cho had seen the two talking sweetly with each other in the entrance hall. A small flare of jealousy hit as she replayed the scene.

After some light chit chat about Ginny Weasley, Hermione had eyed Cho watching them and a sly smile pulled at the corners of the Gryffindor's mouth. The green-eyed wizard, just before walking completely away, kissed her! Under the table, Cho's hands balled into fists. It made her seethe even more remembering how Hermione had grown misty eyed. She does love him, the Chinese girl thought. She loves him enough to sacrifice her happiness for his.

"Here ya go, dears." Cho's small frown receded into a thin line as the woman placed identical mugs of butterbeer on the table. "Drink up," she urged, "It's gonna be mighty chilly today."

"Thank you," Harry replied when the waitress took her leave.

Cho sipped the foam that was threatening to spill over the lip. The rich taste flowed through her parched mouth and down her dry throat like a cool salve over a burn.

"Good?" She looked up from her drink and noticed Harry's enticing lop-sided grin.

"Yes," she tersely answered. It was that same smile he wore when she was pinned beneath him the night before. Looking at it now, Cho wanted to slap him. Before she could contemplate her words, the hot-headed Ravenclaw asked, "Will you be meeting anyone today?"

Harry furrowed his brows at her icy tone, "Maybe when we get back to the castle…?"

"So when are we leaving?" she asked as the waitress returned with their food. She noticed the young couple's tension and left without another word.

"I was thinking maybe after dinner or something," he said, wincing as Cho cut through her French toast with violent slices of her knife. "Are you okay, Cho?"

She stabbed at her newly cut piece. "Just hungry."

What did I do now? Harry wondered. Was it wrong to bring her to the Three Broomsticks? Should I have tried again at Madam Puddifoot's? He wanted to avoid places that might remind her of Cedric or anything associated to their rough beginnings. But maybe Cedric wasn't the problem. Who else would have enough influence to turn Cho so bitter? Michael Corner? No…then who?

"You're not eating," she stated, snapping Harry out of his investigation.

Picking up his fork and knife, he set to work cutting his stack of pancakes. "Sorry…just thinking."

The remainder of the meal passed in silence. After another round of butterbeer (Cho had chugged down her pint before bringing it down with a resonating slam), Harry took out his small satchel of coins intent on paying. Leaving a few Galleons on the table and a sickle as a tip, he put his robe on and offered Cho a hand up.

She looked up skeptically at him. His hand seemed so large. C'mon girl, she thought. You don't know fore sure what's going on between them. Besides, you've been acting like a total witch…I mean wretch this whole time. Placing her hand in his, Harry watched the conflicting emotions swirl over her features.

Outside, back in the crisp air, Harry held fast to her hand. Standing a little to the side of the Three Broomstick's entrance, he pulled the older girl against him, surprising her. Cho rested her hands on his upper arms, feeling his cloak encircle them, warming her. "Harry?"

"Cho," he whispered, "why are you so cold?"

"I'm not," she denied.

Harry put his cheek against her ear. It was cold. "Yes, you are," he replied, "and I don't mean just the way you're shivering."

"What're you talking about?" Cho asked, pushing slightly away to see his face.

"Hermione has nothing to do with us right now." Cho almost gasped. "Hermione is and will always remain one of my best friends – nothing more or anything less. She is not the most important person in my life."

"But…but this morning…you and her…you – "

"Kissed her?" Harry prompted. Cho nodded. Harry smirked. "She's like a sister to me, Cho. I kissed her like this…" he said placing a chaste kiss near Cho's mouth. Harry saw her eyes shine with some form of understanding, but the cloud of doubt still hung over her head.

Slipping his hands on her waist, Harry pulled her closer. His eyes were half-closed as she let her eyelids drop and her breathing stopped in anticipation. As he spoke, Cho felt the feather-like brushes of his breath, driving her senses wild. "…not like this."

Harry. Only one thing ran through Cho's mind. The blissful content she felt as he claimed her lips with his own brought a whole new meaning to passion. It no longer meant just the desire to do things with zealous diligence. It was a raw emotion feeding off the contact of skin on skin. The kiss was sweet, slow, yet intense and antagonizing. Cho loved everything about it – how the knot in her chest burst into millions of elements – hope, happiness, yearning, the way it became so much harder to breathe or think, the enticing path his hand made up her arm on its way to play in her hair, and the leisure his fingertips took in drawing indecipherable shapes on her hip. Harry.

Everything seemed to have led up to that moment. The gods had been cruel before to condemn them to be apart, but now, after what seemed like a dozen lifetimes, they had defied the heavens and found each other. A promise left undone for ages was being fulfilled.

He found it hard to control his trembling, especially when her lips followed his as he slowly broke their kiss. Opening his eyes, Harry noticed she still had hers closed. Cho's eyes fluttered slowly open as he caressed her cheek and whispered, "Damn me to hell or lift me up to heaven…I'd fight anything that threatened us."

Harry cupped her face in his hands. She placed her own over his trying to steady her heart. "You don't know…you don't know how you make me feel. Tell me we'll feel this way every day. Tell me that all this is real."

Holding her chin in his hand, the young man ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "After every kiss and you open your eyes to meet mine, you'll know that this is real."

o o o o o o o

Trojan Beauty. The shop stuck out like a muggle amongst wizards with its white marble columns and carvings of the all too familiar gods and goddesses of the ancient world. Unlike the traditional English shops to its left and right, the Trojan Beauty was drawing a fairly large crowd of mostly Hogwarts fourth-years and up. It was a boutique with styles ranging from men's togas to sixteenth century gowns to modern pastel-colored sundresses.

Ron groaned. This was the new store Ginny had wanted to check out. Why his mother wanted him and Ginny to bond he would never understand. Walking cautiously along the aisles and aisles of clothing, the Gryffindor Keeper tried to find his way toward a section with men's apparel. If he was going to spend another two hours in there, he might as well try and find something to compliment the burgundy dress robes the Order had sent him.

Pushing and endless number of hangers across racks, Ron sighed and moved on to the next aisle. This one was decked with 9th century boots on one side and a rainbow of tunics the on the other. He took a deep breath and readied himself to conquer.

Halfway down the length of boots, the red-head looked up to see a familiar lightning-bolt scar. "What are you doing here, Harry?"

His best friend sighed. "Cho wanted to look for a dress, so I thought I'd see what else they had."

"So you're going to the ball together, right?" Ron inquired, crouching down to look at a pair of black boots that were on sale. "Since she's looking for a dress and all that."

"Well…uh…I haven't technically asked her yet."

"What!" Ron stood up and lowered his voice after noticing glances that were thrown their way. "You mean to tell me that you haven't asked her to be your date for the ball?"

"Um, yes?" Harry replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh come on, Harry. What are you waiting for?" Harry said nothing, so the red-head continued, waving his arms around in a dramatic gesture. "When I saw you two in the entrance hall this morning, you looked like you were trying to memorize each other! I mean you just stood there and stared at each other. The looks on your faces were practically screaming I'm in love or something!"

"Really?"

Ron took Harry by his shoulders and whispered, "Ask Cho. She won't say no again, okay?"

Green eyes widened. Did everyone feel his paranoia vibe? Ever since the prospect of asking Cho to another ball had presented itself, he had immediately thought back to the day she promised herself to Cedric. The memory still gave him second thoughts, but after hearing Cho's doubts about him, Harry knew it was only fair to reassure her that he wouldn't bail out on her.

"Harry?" He looked up, focusing on Ron's serious face. "I was never one to give good advice, but try to understand. Something tells me this just might last. My heart is telling me that she just might be the one."

o o o o o o o

A couple hours later, both boys were waiting outside by the shop's display window with their purchases – two pairs of black boots, amounting to seven galleons a pair. Ginny came out first and laughed hysterically at the thought of Ron shopping before waving goodbye to the Gryffindor Seeker.

Harry smiled, watching the siblings bicker as they walked away. Ron and Ginny, although sometimes appearing to be insensitive and ignorant, were the best to have as friends when loyalty was demanded.

Looking around, Harry spotted two shapes racing across the hills outside of Hogsmeade. Curiosity got the better of him as the young man raced down a dirt road to catch up to the figures.

"A little slow, aren't you?" a familiar male voice joked. Approaching the dark figures, outlined by the sunlight, Harry stopped in his tracks.

"You let me win," a feminine voice retorted. Harry immediately recognized the exotic voice. Belle? If it was her, then the person beside her had to be…

Turning his steed around, a man with long black hair and two different colored eyes faced the woman. "But you know you're the only one who could ever beat me."

"That's what I love about you, Garrett." Running around to get a better view, Harry's eyes jumped out of their sockets at seeing the songstress.

Garrett jumped off his black stallion and held out his hand for Belle to take. She dismounted her chestnut horse and slid into his embrace. Giving him a slow, tender kiss, Harry turned away, embarrassed for watching a second too long. He turned around when he heard Garrett speak. "I'm so lucky to have met you, Belle."

Belle smiled and rested her cheek on his chest. "Guess what? I wrote a new song."

Lifting her chin so he could see her, Garrett said, "Oh, really? Can I hear it?" Pulling away from him, the songstress took out a piece of parchment from a bag on her saddle. "When are you going to put it in a sphere?" the man asked, reaching out for the lyrics.

She jumped out of his reach, wagging her finger side to side. "Ah ah…you only get to hear a part of it."

Garrett groaned.

Belle giggled and Harry felt his mouth form a small frown at the noise. She walked over to Garrett and hugged him. "Don't worry, love. I'd never let you just hear a part of any of my songs."

He smiled at her reassurance. "You have it memorized, no?" Belle nodded. "Can I put it with the rest of our stuff?" Harry watched with amazement as Garrett transfigured a nearby sapling into a chest. He bent over to open it, but Belle stopped him.

"No, I want to hang on to it for a while longer…just to see if it needs any more revisions before I put it in a sphere."

Garrett nodded his understanding and turned the chest back into the sapling. "Do you think anyone will ever find it?"

The young woman shook her head. "I don't think so. No one would intentionally go looking for a sprout to transfigure into its original form – a chest full of old junk."

ooooooo

Author's Note: Thank you Hotaru, Yashiro, and Ayu!