Chapter 3 –Misunderstandings

On Christmas Eve, Harry trudged through the thick snow to the quidditch pitch.

'I know it's freezing and I know it's nearly Christmas,' Oliver Wood said to the team, 'but let's make this practice count.'

They all took the skies. As Harry soared upwards on his firebolt, his thoughts and anger about Cho and Malfoy were left on the ground. There was nothing like quidditch for clearing his head.

As Katie, Angelina and Alicia tried to score through the hoops Wood was protecting, and Fred and George tried to knock them off their brooms, Harry flew high above, searching for the snitch.

After half an hour it began to get dark and Harry was almost giving up hope of catching sight of the tiny, golden ball. Then, quick as a flash, he saw it. He sped toward the goalposts; fingers outstretched and clasped his hand around the struggling snitch.

Someone from the stands cheered. Harry whipped around and saw Cho, sitting alone.

He flew over to her.

'What are you doing here?' He asked her coldly, 'no spectators allowed.'

'I came to see you,' she said.

'Well maybe I don't want to be seen,' he said, mounting his broom and preparing to fly off.

'Harry, wait,' she called, 'please. I don't understand why you're angry with me.'

'Hmmm, let me think, maybe because you messed me around and broke my heart!' He kicked the ground hard and flew away from her.

'Harry!' she yelled, 'Harry, go to the ball with me?'

He stopped abruptly.

'You think you're really special don't you? You think you can have any boy you want. Well you can't. I'm not sharing you with Draco Malfoy for anything!'

'Practice over!' Wood called.

Harry flew quickly away from Cho to join the rest of the team.

'What was all that about Harry?' asked George.

'Nothing,' said Harry, 'it doesn't matter.

'Girl troubles,' Fred laughed.

'Something like that,' said Harry, sadly.

The rest of the team slowly left to go back up to the castle. Harry stayed behind putting away the ball crate.

'Harry,' said a voice.

He turned around to see Cho standing in the doorway.

'Can I come in? It's starting to rain.'

'Do what you like.'

'I never meant to hurt you Harry,' she said.

'Of course you didn't. No one would have ever imagined that you agreeing to go to the ball with my enemy would hurt me.'

'You enemy?' she said looking confused, 'Harry, what are you talking about?'

'Oh don't play dumb, Cho. You're going to the ball with Draco Malfoy, I heard it straight from his mouth, everyone's talking about it!'

'Well maybe you shouldn't believe everything you hear. I'm not going with Malfoy.'

'Whatever,' he said, striding past her and out of the door.

The rain was pounding down heavily now and he was drenched within seconds. Cho ran after him.

'I hate Draco! Why would I go with him?'

Harry spun around

'You seemed pretty cosy with him that morning in the entrance hall.'

'Cosy? That was the day he asked me to go with him and I turned him down.'

'It didn't look like that to me. He touched your arm and you were laughing with him.'

'He asked me out and I laughed at him! Not with him! Harry you have to believe me.'

Cho was crying now, tears falling in rivers down her face, mingling with the rain.

'I only ever wanted to go with you.'

'So why is everyone saying that you're going with Malfoy?'

'He must have spread the rumour. You know that he'd do anything to hurt you.'

'I thought you were messing me around'

'Never'

Harry brushed Cho's tears away with his hand and took a step closer to her.

'So who are you going to the ball with?'

'No one'

'Cho, you're the best looking girl in school. Are you trying to tell me no one has asked you?'

'People have asked me, but I'd rather go alone than with anyone other than you.'

'In that case, with you go to the ball with me?'

'Yes' she said breathlessly.

Harry brushed her wet hair behind her ear and held her close to stop her shivering. He wrapped his cloak around her. He tilted her chin upwards and bent his head towards her face.

'You make me happier than I ever thought I could be,' he whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

He kissed her softly on the lips, rivers of rain running down both of their faces.