办不到
A Harry Potter fan fiction story by Gfyuwatr7
Authors Note: As per the request of my editor-in-chief, and of certain reviewers, this chapter will be super-long. You have been warned.
To Ndasuunye: Thanks for the review, I think you're the first to actually criticize me (finally!). I'm taking your advice, I just wanted to mention that there was a method to my madness. I have seen stories (not just HP Universe, but others as well) that are too fast paced, too lacking in suspense or build-up. On the other hand, I've also seen stories that have too much build-up or detail. I was trying to find a middle ground.
To all my readers, maybe it's time to at least partially reveal my plans for this story; this fic in particular will cover all of the Goblet of Fire. I won't rewrite it ad verbatim (obviously), but I will include some of the more important events. Too often, I see stories that just gloss over the things that happen in between tasks or huge events. I am writing this story so that Cho can be more involved, and not just along for the ride. Let me know in your reviews what you all think. All criticism is welcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters, ideas, films, novels, or anything in between. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling. If I did own it, I wouldn't be writing this story.
Chapter 4
Harry was sitting in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, holding the golden egg he had won in the First Task in his arms, staring at it intently. Harry had accomplished his mission, to ask Cho Chang to the Yule Ball; now he had to figure out the clue inside the egg. "I suppose I can't put this off any longer," Harry muttered to himself glumly. He looked over every surface of it, trying to see if there were any instructions, any sort of clue for the next task. I wish I could ask Sirius about this, he thought.
He was interrupted, however, by a commotion behind him, near the entrance of the common room. Ron, who looked as though he'd seen a ghost, was being helped to one of the couches around the fireplace by Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, and by some of the other girls in Gryffindor. They set him down, whispering words of comfort and reassurance to him. It didn't seem to be working.
"What's happened to you?" Harry asked in alarm. He walked over to them, kneeling down next to Ron. He'd only seen that expression on Ron's face a few times, when their lives were in mortal danger.
"He just asked Fleur Delacour out." Ginny answered, a concerned but also slightly amused look on her face.
"You what?" Harry asked incredulously. "What did she say?"
"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron managed to gasp, not answering the question at first. "What was I playing at? There were people-all around-I've gone mad-everyone watching!" He stopped babbling, visibly trying to compose himself. He continued, in a much lower voice, "There she was, walking by-you know how I like it when they walk…" Harry nodded in agreement, remembering very well the Beauxbatons students' dramatic (and enticing, for some) entrance, and Ron's reaction to them. "Couldn't help it," Ron continued, his voice turning almost into a squeak. "It just sort of slipped out…"
"Actually, he sort of screamed at her, it was a bit frightening." Ginny interrupted.
"What did you do then?" Harry asked.
"What else?" Ron answered, his voice returning to normal, but still quite shaky. "I ran for it! I'm not cut out for this, Harry. I don't know what got into me…" As Ron began mumbling to himself in despair, Harry realized that he needed to get Ron back on his feet. He needed to galvanize him, help him remember that he wasn't alone.
So Harry, seized with a sudden (and slightly terrifying) surge of adrenaline, grabbed Ron roughly by the collar of his coat, lifted him to his feet and almost yelled at him, "It doesn't mean anything, Ron! It doesn't mean a thing!"
"Harry, what are you-!?" Hermione, who had just walked in, had a shocked look on her face.
Ron turned toward her, supplicating silently with his eyes. Harry, undeterred, said, "Ron, look at me." Ron turned to him again, confused by his actions.
"Ron, so what if she didn't say anything? If she rejected you? That's her loss! She doesn't know you like I do. Like we do," Harry said, gesturing at all those around him. Everyone nodded in agreement. "There are loads of great girls here, you don't have to look far." Harry let go of Ron's sweater, instead putting a hand on his shoulder. He continued quietly, "We're all here for you, mate. We're going to get through this together. So don't worry about it, all right?"
"…You're right," Ron answered at last, a determined look on his face. "You're right, Harry. It doesn't mean a bloody thing!" He grasped Harry's hand and pulled him into a rough hug.
"Not a bloody thing." Harry agreed. They let go of each other.
Turning to Hermione, Ron asked, in a manner much different from earlier, "Hermione, would you like to the ball with me?"
"Ron, really, I would, but… but I was telling you the truth earlier. I'm already going with someone," Hermione answered, looking extremely apologetic. "I'm really sorry."
"That's okay," Ron said gruffly. "Don't worry about it. I'll find someone."
As everyone began clearing away, Harry noticed that Parvati Patil was still standing near them, looking as though she wanted to say something.
"Parvati? Is something wrong?" Harry asked.
"What? No, nothing's wrong," she answered quickly. "I was just thinking…maybe my sister-you know, Padma-maybe she can go with you, Ron. If that's alright with you, of course."
"You're a lifesaver, Parvati," Ron said gratefully. "Let me know what she says, will you?" With that, he headed off to the boys' dormitory. Harry bade Hermione goodnight, and was about to follow Ron when Parvati stopped him.
"Harry, can I have word?" she asked, looking confident but still slightly shy.
"Sure, what's up?" Harry replied, although he thought he already knew.
"Are you going to the ball with anyone?" she asked. She looked quite red.
Harry hesitated, knowing what he had to say, but not knowing how to go about it. A few others had asked him out, but they were different; he had never met them before, as far as he could remember. Parvati, on the other hand, he had known since he'd begun attending Hogwarts. Granted, he didn't know her as well as Ron or Hermione, but he still considered her a friend. Having to refuse her was not going to be pleasant.
Seeing his hesitation, Parvati's face fell. "You've already got a date, haven't you?" she asked quietly.
"Parvati, I…" Harry said, not really knowing what he was going to say.
"It's okay, Harry," she said briskly, seemingly recovered from her extremely brief melancholy. "I figured you'd already asked someone. Luckily, I have a back-up plan." She looked out the window, gazing out at the Durmstrang ship docked on the lake. "There are plenty of fish in the sea…"
"Um, alright," Harry mumbled, not liking the mischievous glint in her eye as she said these things. "I'll just…head off to bed, shall I? G'night." Harry began walking backwards toward the boys' dormitory.
"Goodnight, Harry." Parvati said dreamily, waving her hand in his general direction, not taking her eyes off the Durmstrang ship as he turned around and walked up to the dormitory.
An hour and a half earlier…
"So? What did he want?" Marietta excitedly asked as she, Cho, and their friends walked away from Harry and towards the Great Hall for dinner. "Did he-,"
"Marietta," Cho replied in a threatening tone voice. "We'll talk about it later."
"Wow, you're going to the Yule Ball with Harry Potter!" Stephanie said with wonder, apparently having not heard what Cho just said. "It'll be so romantic…I wonder what he's like!"
"I said, we'll talk about it later!" Cho grumbled. I should've known this would happen, Cho thought. Why couldn't Harry have asked me out somewhere more private? Like the library, or maybe the Owlery? Would that have been so hard?
Present
"Alright, Cho," Marietta began, hands on her hips. "We all decided not to talk about this at dinner, because that dunderhead Roger Davies was there. But now you're going to tell us exactly what you and Harry were talking about." They had just returned to the Ravenclaw common room, having rushed through dinner to return.
Cho dragged a hand across her face in exasperation. "哎呀,真可气!" she muttered under her breath, before saying in English, "Look, I appreciate you all keeping quiet at dinner, but can't we save this for another time? It's been a long day…"
"No chance," Marietta said firmly. "Spill."
"All right, fine." Cho groaned, embarrassed. She told them everything about her and Harry's conversation, from his asking her out to the Yule Ball, to his offer of teaching her the Patronus Charm that weekend. When she had finished, they all sat back in stunned silence.
"Wow. Well, it's about time." Marietta finally said. She settled back comfortably on her armchair, a smug smile on her face. "Who would've thought the famous Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, fancied little old you, Cho."
"Look, it's not like that…" Cho sighed in exasperation. "I'm interested in learning the Patronus Charm, and he's willing to teach it to me. That's all."
"What about the ball, though?" Stephanie reminded her. "There's no excuse for that, you know. The only reason he'd ask you out would be because he likes you, right?"
"Right…" Cho agreed warily, feeling as though she were being lured into a trap. She knew where this line of thought was going.
"And if you said yes, then that means you must like him too, right?" Stephanie finished smugly.
"It's not… I mean…" Cho stuttered, turning slightly pink. "Okay, so what if I do? He's…nice! What's the big deal?"
"The big deal, Cho," Marietta said, still smiling slightly but also serious, "is that he's theHarry Potter. Ever notice how much trouble he gets into?"
"I'm sure you're point is right around the corner, but if you could please make haste…" Cho replied, trying to be sarcastic but knowing exactly where her friend was going with this train of thought.
"My point is, you're planning on having a study session and a date together." Marietta said, undeterred by Cho's tone of voice. "It may not seem like much, but I've noticed the way he looks at you. I think he might have more than just friendship on his mind. And if he does, where does that put you?"
Cho didn't answer at first, thinking through Marietta's words. She has a point, she thought. Does Harry want to be more than friends? Obviously, but then that leaves me. What do I feel about him? As she thought about it, she realized that she held him in high regard. Besides being the Boy Who Lived, he was a great Seeker, not to mention that he seemed to be quite talented at defensive spells. But what impressed her the most was his apparent lack of ego. She'd never seen him act out simply for attention; every time he ended up in the hospital wing for the past three years, the staff had always tried to keep things quiet. Unsuccessfully, of course.
And then there were his looks. Her mother had always taught her that what was inside a person, their personality, was more important than outward appearances. But Cho wasn't blind, either. She had noticed Cedric (at first), and if she had to be honest, she'd noticed Harry, as well. While he wasn't exactly muscular, in the traditional sense, he was still attractive. And then there were his eyes…
"…Cho? You alright? You've got a funny look," Stephanie said, looking worried.
"Hmm? What? Oh…I should go," Cho said abruptly, trying to rise from her seat on the couch. Her friends, of course, weren't going to let her get away that easily. They grabbed her by the arms and yanked her back down, none too gently, either.
"Cho, wait!" Marietta huffed. "Weren't you listening to a word I said?"
"Yes, I heard you very well, thank you," Cho replied coolly. "And I think I've got date with Harry Potter on Christmas Eve. Also, the holidays are still a ways off, so we have classes in the morning. I suggest we all go to bed now. Goodnight." Cho untangled herself from her friends and walked away toward the girls' dormitory.
"That girl really needs to sort out her priorities…" Stephanie muttered, while everyone else dispersed. It was at that moment that Roger Davies, Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, arrived from dinner. He spotted Marietta, and, not seeing the look on her face, walked over to her.
"Marietta, you seen Cho around? I wanted to ask her something. You know, about the dance and stuff." Roger said, a confident smile on his face.
It withered somewhat, however, when Marietta answered, in an odd tone of voice, "You're too late, Roger. She's gone." She got up and left for the dormitories, leaving a confused Roger behind.
The next day…
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the Great Hall having breakfast, when Ron, glancing over at the Ravenclaw table, caught Cho Chang staring at Harry before noticing she'd been caught and turning away hurriedly.
"Oi, mate, looks like you've got another admirer," Ron told Harry, smirking. Harry, a drink in his hand, turned around in his seat. He had been taking a sip from his pumpkin juice. He was just in time to catch Cho's glance and wave, and he waved back in response. When he turned back to his friends, they saw to their amusement that he had spilled the pumpkin juice he'd had in his mouth over his front. It hadn't been the first time, either. He'd done much the same thing on the day they all found out about the Yule Ball from Professor McGonagall.
"So, Harry," Hermione said, a knowing smile on her face. "I forgot to ask, but have you asked someone out yet?"
"What?" Harry choked out, spilling more of his juice. "I mean, yeah, I did." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Whoa, Harry!" Ron exclaimed. A few of the students seated nearby threw them curious glances. He frowned at them, and once they'd turned back to their plates, he continued in a lower voice, "That's brilliant! Who's the lucky lady?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said, in a condescending sort of way. "He asked Cho!"
"You mean Cho Chang?" Ron asked, suddenly looking doubtful. "But she's the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, isn't she? Won't that be a bit…I don't know, awkward?"
"Hadn't thought of that, actually," Harry said ruefully. To be honest, whenever Harry thought about Cho, his thoughts seemed to become quite unfocused. "It won't be a problem, though," he continued firmly. "Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition."
"Well, if you say so…" Ron replied, still unsure. He retreated behind his breakfast, casting nervous glances between Harry and Cho.
"Actually, there's something else…" Harry began. He stopped, not sure whether he should tell them about his private lessons with Cho that weekend. "I'm going to teach her the Patronus Charm this weekend."
"Whoa, really?" Ron asked, surprised but looking proud as well. "Good on you, Harry!"
"Good for you, Harry," Hermione said, smiling. But Harry noticed that now she seemed worried.
"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"It's nothing, really. I just think… I think you should be careful," Hermione replied carefully. "She's in her fifth year, so that means she knows more spells than we do. Or more than you two, at least," she said smugly. She continued in a more serious tone, "What I'm trying to say, Harry, is that you shouldn't be surprised or offended if she knows more than you do. I just don't want you to be caught off guard."
"I…I hadn't thought of that, either," Harry mumbled. He'd been so caught up in everything that had happened in the last few days to remember that Cho was a year older than him. "Thanks, Hermione. I'll keep it in mind."
"Don't mention it," Hermione replied, sitting back more comfortably on her seat. She seemed to have relaxed somewhat. "So, where are you two going to practice?"
"…Ah."
Cho was climbing the stairs towards the Ravenclaw Tower when she noticed Cedric walking down a corridor. He was about to turn a corner when Cho called out to him.
"Cedric!"
He jumped slightly at the volume and tone of Cho's voice. He turned around, surprise written on his face as he said, "Cho! I didn't see-,"
"Cedric, I think you have some explaining to do," she interrupted coolly, folding her arms over her chest in defiance. "About a friend of mine, Marietta. Maybe you know her? Curly red hair, has freckles?"
"What's this about?" He paused, a look of recognition passing across his face. "Oh, her! I remember her. She's your friend, right? How is she?"
"Oh, she's doing fine, considering you turned her down in the most immature and hurtful way possible, but besides that, she's fine," Cho replied sarcastically.
Cedric paused, looking slightly offended and surprised by her tone of voice. He recovered, trying to put on a charming smile for her, the one that used to make her heart flutter. "Cho," he said, in a cajoling sort of way. "I'm not into dances or any of that sort of thing, you know me better than that."
"Do I?" Cho asked quietly. The way he was treating this whole situation, as if it were all a joke, was making her stomach churn with disgust at her old friend. "I don't think I even know you anymore, Cedric. You've changed, and not in a good way."
Cedric stopped smiling. Instead he looked tired and weary. "What do you want from me, Cho? I'm sorry if I hurt your friend, I was just…" he stopped, an odd look on his face. "She just caught me at a bad time. Look, I'll apologize to her, if it makes you feel better."
"I just want her to feel better," Cho replied gently. She paused, waiting to see if he wanted to say anything more. When he remained silent, she said, "If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me."
"I appreciate it, but I'll be fine," he said roughly. "I'll see you around." He walked off, his footsteps going at a faster pace once he had turned the corner and was out of sight.
I really don't know him anymore, do I? Cho thought sadly.
Saturday
In the end, Harry managed to convince Professor Moody to allow him and Cho to use the Defense classroom for their practice session. He would be in his office at the back, literally keeping his magical eye on them to make sure they didn't accidently hurt each other or break something. It had been quite uncomfortable asking for permission the day before, because as soon as Harry had asked, Moody had stared at him for a whole minute without blinking before finally agreeing.
Harry had decided not to wear anything terribly fancy, as technically this wasn't a date. However, he did try to make himself a bit more presentable by trying to comb his rebellious hair (it didn't work) and by wearing slightly neater clothing than he usually did.
Heading down to breakfast a little later than usual, Harry managed to spot Cho sitting by herself at one side of the Ravenclaw table. He wasn't sure if he should join her there, but as soon as he entered the Great Hall, she looked up at him, smiled, and beckoned him over. Slightly uncomfortable with some of the looks he received from the other Ravenclaws who were seated further off, he sat down next to her.
"Hey," Cho said, smiling. Harry noticed that she seemed to have adopted his strategy: she was dressed neatly, but not overly formal. A simple white skirt, striped blouse and black cardigan made her look quite pretty in his opinion. She was also wearing her hair up in a bun, at least partially. The rest hung down her shoulders.
"Hey," Harry replied, thankful that he had refocused his attention in time to reply. "Ready for today?" He wasn't sure why he was asking, but he felt that he couldn't leave their conversation with just hey.
"I hope I'm ready," she replied, looking hopeful. "I've never tried anything as advanced as the Patronus Charm. Where will we be practicing?"
"The Defense classroom. That's where I learned it. Don't worry, I got Professor Moody's permission first," he said reassuringly, noticing the brief look of alarm on Cho's face at the mention of the scarred professor. "He'll be in his office, though, keeping an eye on us. Is that alright with you?"
"It's no problem," Cho replied, looking relieved. "Actually, I think it's a good idea to have a teacher nearby, just in case something goes wrong. But I'm sure I'll be in good hands with you, Harry," she teased.
"Of course, Cho," Harry said, quite serious and not noticing that she had been teasing him. "If things get out of hand, we can stop right away."
"Um, sure," Cho replied. She looked a bit nervous, as though not sure whether to say something on her mind. "Harry, do you mind if the Patronus Charm isn't the only thing we practice today? I was thinking, since you've been busy with this tournament, maybe you haven't had time to practice other spells." She stopped, blushing slightly before continuing, "Not that I'm saying you're bad, or anything like that, but you know…"
"Sure, we can do that," Harry agreed, glad that Hermione had warned him earlier about this turn of events. He liked Cho very much, but if Hermione hadn't warned him and Cho had brought this up, he was sure he wouldn't have reacted this well. "I don't mind at all."
"太好了!" Cho replied enthusiastically, before turning red and saying, "I mean, that's great, Harry! Sorry I said that just now, it just slipped out."
"No worries," Harry said reassuringly. "Was that in Mandarin? What you just said?"
"Yeah, it was," Cho said, looking pleased that he'd known. "It means 'that's great', roughly." She glanced briefly outside, looking surprised. "Harry, do you have the time? I think it's about to be midday by now."
"Yeah, I think it is," Harry replied, glancing briefly at the giant hourglass in the Great Hall. "Let's just finish our breakfast and we can head over there."
They sat in comfortable silence as they ate their breakfast. Once they were done, they got up, gathering their things before leaving the Great Hall and heading for the Defense classroom.
"I'll be back there," Moody growled, limping towards his office. "Let me know if you need anything."
"Of course, Professor," Harry replied quickly. As soon as Moody closed the door to his office behind him, Harry turned around, smiling nervously. Cho noticed that he seemed to be fidgeting slightly.
"So…," they both began. They laughed nervously at each other. Why are we so nervous? This isn't a date…I think, Cho thought. He's just going to teach me a spell, and then I might teach him a few. There shouldn't be any reason to be nervous…
"Are you ready to begin, Cho?" Harry asked politely, becoming a bit more serious.
"Of course, let's get started," Cho replied, turning serious as well. The butterflies that had started gathering in her stomach disappeared, though not completely. She knew that this was going to be serious lesson.
"Okay, so judging by what you've told me, you already know the theory behind the Patonus Charm, right?" Harry asked. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
"Sure. The Patronus Charm is a spell that is used to repel Dementors. It's supposed to be a guardian of sorts, a projection of your most positive feelings and memories. Generally, the happier the memory you use to conjure the Patronus, the stronger it will be. Of course, this is also one of the most difficult spells to master. Even highly trained witches and wizards have trouble conjuring an intangible Patronus. Those who manage even that are considered to be extremely gifted," Cho paused, smiling knowingly at Harry before finishing, "Does that cover it?"
"Yeah, I think you've got it," Harry replied, looking quite red. It seemed that he caught Cho's implication that he was gifted. He took out his wand, motioning to Cho not to take hers out yet. He demonstrated the wand movement, a circular motion. "The wand movement behind this spell is actually quite simple; the real trick is choosing the memory to use as the template. To make even a small Patronus, the memory has to be a truly happy one. It can't just be, for example, the first time you rode a broom. Believe me, I tried," Harry said ruefully, smiling fondly at the memory of it.
"Oh, that's too bad," Cho said glumly. "I was just thinking about that."
Sometime later…
In the end, Cho wasn't able to conjure a fully tangible Patronus, managing only a fragile wisp of smoke from the tip of her wand. She was undeterred, however, and was determined to master the spell, no matter how long it took. Harry admired her tenacity.
Afterwards, Cho began introducing him to more advanced magic, particularly working on his Charms and Transfiguration work. She began to teach Harry the Vanishing spell, and also helped him to perfect the Summoning Charm ("It was almost perfect, Harry. Your broom just should've reached you a bit faster, that's all."). Learning these spells made Harry begin to believe he might not only keep up with his schoolwork, but perhaps even surpass this year's curriculum. I might even stand a chance against the others in the tournament, Harry thought. He knew the other champions had the advantage of more experience, but maybe with Cho's help, he might just surprise them.
As they walked towards the Ravenclaw Tower, Cho was explaining some of the theory behind Inanimatus Conjuration to him. They had just arrived at the staircase for the Ravenclaw Tower, when suddenly Cho's friend, Marietta, came running around the corner. Spotting Cho, she squealed in delight and ran straight at her, hugging her tightly enough to make Cho short of breath. Having not noticed Harry, Marietta, letting go Cho long enough to let her breathe, told her, "Guess what, Cho? Guess what? Cedric asked me to the ball!"
"Wait, what?!" Cho yelled, slightly harshly. "I mean, Marietta, when did this happen?" Cho was trying to look interested and supportive, but Harry could tell she was very uncomfortable with this turn of events.
"Well," Marietta began dramatically, "I was leaving the library about fifteen minutes ago, and he bumped into me! I noticed it was him, and I was so embarrassed, but he stopped me and he apologized!" Marietta paused for breath and then continued, "And then he asked me out! I still can't believe it." She was practically squealing for joy now.
"Well, Marietta," Cho began nervously, "let's go inside and…we'll talk some more about it, how does that sound?"
"Sure," Marietta hummed happily. She walked up the stairs, seemingly floating, and disappeared from view. Cho turned to Harry apprehensively, biting her lip nervously.
"Um…sorry about that," Cho mumbled sheepishly. "She's …always been like that way."
"Oh, that's alright," Harry said quickly. "It's good that's she's got a date, isn't it?"
"Well, I hope so," Cho muttered, a strange look flashing across her face briefly before disappearing. She looked up at him, smiling shyly and turning a little red. "I, um, I really appreciate you teaching me that spell, Harry. And for letting me teach you some as well. I hope they weren't too hard for you?"
"Not at all," Harry replied earnestly. "Well…maybe a little," he teased. Cho laughed, seemingly distracted from her earlier worries.
"Good to know," Cho said, still smiling. "See you at the ball?"
"Yeah, definitely," Harry replied breathlessly. "I'll see you there." As he said this, he began slowly walking backwards, and Cho began doing the same. They waved one last time before losing sight of each other, and finally they turned around and walked away.
Christmas Eve night
"Bloody hell!" Ron muttered, looking at himself in disgust in the mirror. He adjusted himself this way and that, but no matter what angle he turned himself, he never looked good. "Bloody hell!" he muttered again, trying to make the lace sleeves of his hideous dress robes look a little less noticeable. As Harry walked into the dormitory, Ron mumbled, "Bloody…" once again, before noticing him. As soon as he did, he blanched and asked indignantly, "What are those?!"
Harry paused in the doorway, helplessly glancing and gesturing at his dress robes as Ron asked the same question again. "My dress robes," Harry answered defensively.
"Well, they're alright!" Ron practically yelled. He quieted down some as he continued, "No lace, no dodgy little collar…"
Harry, trying to calm Ron down, tried a conciliatory approach. "Well, I expect yours are more traditional-," he was interrupted, however, by Ron's strangled repetition of the word.
"Traditional?! They're ancient! I look like my Great-Aunt Tessie!" He paused, smelling his robes suspiciously. "Smell like my Great-Aunt Tessie!" he groaned. He turned once more to the mirror, with Harry joining him. As they stood there, Ron told Harry something that summed up what he was feeling at that moment, a feeling that he would not survive the night. Those words were,
"Murder me, Harry."
2nd AN: Thanks again for reading this horrendously long chapter, I'll try to keep it at a more manageable level (unless no one wants me to). It took a while for a few reasons. One: I've never written anything this long before. Two: I've managed to get a job. This also means that I won't be able to update as often as I would like to. I hope you all can understand this.
But fear not, dear readers; I don't plan on abandoning this story or any of my future ones. I hope to continue writing on this site for a long, long time. Thank you all for reviews, faves, follows, and all that good stuff. As always, all criticism is welcome.
I plan to have the Yule Ball be all in one chapter, the next one. Once that's done, I'll try to move things along a little faster.
To chaosrin: Just a little side note here, there is a reason behind Cedric's douche-baggery, although this chapter probably won't help with that. And don't worry about the dwarf-joke thing, it's just a reference to the Artemis Fowl novel series.
Thanks again to all, and take care.
