办不到

A Harry Potter fan fiction story by Gfyuwatr7

Author's Note: Thanks to all of you again for reviewing, faving, and following this story, it really helps to keep me writing.

Yes, I'm still alive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its ideas, characters, novels, films, or anything in between. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Ah, but if only…


Chapter 5

After Harry and Ron had finished changing into their dress robes, they left the dormitories into the common room, where they met up with Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, their fellow classmates and friends. All of them, especially Ron, looked quite self-conscious in their dress robes. Ron improved his somewhat by using a Severing Charm, cutting off the frills and lace, but now it looked quite frayed.

"I still can't work out you got one of the best-looking girls in the year, Ron," Dean muttered.

"Animal magnetism," Ron said gloomily, pulling away stray threads from his dress robes.

"Wait a tic, who're you going with, Harry?" Seamus asked. They had all just left the Gryffindor common room, and were heading down to the Great Hall, where the dance would be taking place. "You're not going by yourself, are you?"

"Er-you'll see," Harry stammered, not completely prepared for the question. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he was ready for this dance at all. In his scramble to ask Cho out, then preparing their lesson together, and continually attempting to work out the clue of the golden egg, he had completely forgotten that he didn't really know how to dance. Sure, he knew a bit, but he didn't think it would be enough for a whole night. I'll just have to wing it, Harry thought nervously.

Yes, for better or worse, this would be a night to remember.


"Marietta, stop worrying! You look fine!" Cho said exasperatedly. She and Marietta were right outside the doors of the Great Hall, waiting for their partners. It seemed as though the whole school was crowded around them that night, however. Many of the students had already moved into the Hall, but the teachers had asked the champions and their partners to wait outside. Cho wondered if Harry wasn't already there, looking for her.

"That's easy for you to say!" Marietta grumbled. "You look gorgeous!"

"Why thank you, Marietta," Cho replied sarcastically. In truth, she was actually quite nervous. She had never been to a dance before, as far as she could remember. Let alone with a boy, Cho thought ruefully. She hoped she looked gorgeous to Harry. As long as he thought so, she didn't care what anyone else thought. Speaking of which, is that him? Cho thought, panicking slightly as Harry appeared at the top of the staircase with his friends. As he stood there looking for her, she waved at him. He caught sight of her and froze slightly, but then he waved back and began to make his way towards her. As he did, Cho began to fidget nervously with the sleeves of her robes. She was wearing a set of white dress robes, a qípáo to be precise. It had a more European look to it, with a keyhole in the front, and with bell-shaped sleeves that reached past her hands. Her hair was done up into an elegant bun, with a few strands of hair falling to frame her face.

All of a sudden, Cho heard Marietta sighing with delight. She looked over her shoulder, and her stomach lurched again, though not in the same way as Harry's appearance had. Cedric Diggory had appeared, looking quite handsome, if a bit ill at ease. He was wearing an almost Victorian-style set of black dress robes, with what looked like a hood at the back. Cho wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that Cedric had more than just dancing planned for the night.

"Good evening, ladies," Cedric said smoothly, holding out his arm for Marietta to wrap hers around. She did so graciously, looking as though all her dreams were coming true. And for her sake, Cho really hoped so. Cedric continued, slightly derisively, "What a surprise, Cho. I didn't think you'd be coming."

"Well, Ced," she replied mockingly, using the nickname his friends used to call him by, "you thought wrong."

"So it would seem," Cedric said, raising his free hand in mock surrender. "Who's the lucky fellow?"

"Oh my God, Cedric, you wouldn't be believe it," Marietta said excitedly, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that he hadn't said a word to her since he arrived. "She's come with Harry Potter!"

"Potter?" Cedric asked, looking thoughtful. A moment later, he smiled slightly, genuinely for once. "He's a good guy, Cho. I'm glad you've come with him."

"Um, thanks," Cho mumbled, surprised at this sudden change in him. For a moment, he'd looked like his old self again.

"We'll see you later, Cho!" Marietta said cheerfully, as she not-so-subtly turned Cedric away from Cho, and began walking closer to the doors of the Great Hall. The moment was gone, and as Cedric moved away, his face became a mask of indifference once again.

"Be careful, Marietta," Cho whispered softly. "Don't get too attached to him."

As she turned away reluctantly from them, she began looking for Harry among the crowd. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. Cho began to panic once again, wondering if he had seen her talking to Cedric and had gotten the wrong idea, when suddenly he emerged from the crowd right in front of her. "Hey, Cho," he greeted her breathlessly, looking as though he'd struggled to reach her through the sea of students and teachers. He took in her appearance, looking quite red as he managed to say, "Wow, you look…beautiful!"

"Thanks, Harry," Cho replied shyly, her encounter with Cedric pushed to the back of her mind as she returned his compliment. "You look very handsome, yourself." For he did indeed, in a simple set of black (or were they a very dark green? she thought) dress robes, with a neat white dress shirt and matching bow tie underneath.

"Oh-erm-thanks," Harry stuttered, becoming an even deeper shade of red, if that were even possible. Cho giggled at his shyness.

"Potter, there you are!" Professor Mcgonagall said, approaching them quickly. "Are you and Miss Chang ready?"

"Ready, Professor?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"To dance," she replied impatiently. "It's traditional that the three champions, or in this case four, are the first to dance. Surely I told you that?"

Harry looked completely dumbfounded as he replied, "No."

"Oh, well, now you know," Professor Mcgonagall said, looking quite harried. It was going to be a busy night for everyone, it seemed. She looked over Harry's shoulder and saw someone she had been looking for, saying to them, "Oh, there you are!" and leaving Harry and Cho standing nervously near the entrance to the Great Hall.

"I don't know how to dance," Harry told Cho numbly. He looked quite perturbed by this turn of events.

"At all?" Cho said, surprised. "You've never practiced?"

"Well, a little, yeah," Harry replied, slightly defensively. "But I don't think it'll be enough for one whole night."

"Okay…" Cho said slowly, gathering her thoughts, trying to remember what little dancing experience she herself had. I suppose I can't complain, she thought ruefully. I don't know much more than he does. "Just…follow my lead, okay? We'll get through this."

"Sure, alright," Harry replied, not sounding too convinced.

"Come on, Harry," Cho teased. "Don't you trust me?"

"No, of course I do!" Harry said quickly. "I'm just nervous, that's all."

"I am too," Cho replied reassuringly. As she said this, they noticed that Professor Mcgonagall had gathered most of the champions and their partners together, instructing them to form a procession. As they hurried to their places, Harry, looking very self-conscious, offered his arm to Cho. She took it graciously, trying to put him at ease with a smile. It seemed to work.

While they waited, Cho glanced around briefly at the other champions. She noticed that all of them were there; Harry, of course, then Cedric with Marietta, and then there was Viktor Krum. He seemed to be the only one without a partner. I suppose that's who we're waiting for, Cho thought. She was surprised to see Roger Davies, the captain of her Quidditch team, with Fleur Delacour. Those two were perfect for each other, Cho thought, a bit unkindly. She had seen Fleur as rather stuck-up since the moment she arrived, and it had annoyed her to see so many of the boys drooling over her. Even boys from Ravenclaw, who should know better, were just as smitten with Fleur and the other Beauxbatons girls as the ones from other houses were.

Just then, she noticed Krum suddenly looking up at the staircase behind them, looking as though he were in a dream. She turned around, and was very surprised as Hermione Granger, one of Harry's friends, descended the staircase. What little Cho had seen of her, Hermione had always seemed average (in a good way, of course), but tonight she looked positively radiant. Her hair was sleek and shiny, tied up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. Her robes were a light pink color, not pasty at all, and they were made of a floaty material. She looked very nervous, but was smiling nonetheless.

"She's beautiful," Cho mumbled to herself.

"Who?" Harry asked distractedly. Cho turned him around, and when he caught sight of Hermione, he too looked very surprised.

"Hi, Harry!" Hermione said excitedly. She paused briefly on her way to Krum to extend her hand to Cho, saying, "It's really nice to meet you, Cho."

"Likewise," Cho said, looking nervously between her and Harry, who still looked quite dumbfounded. After shaking hands and smiling some more, Hermione joined Krum in the champion's procession. Cho wasn't sure if she should feel bad about feeling relieved that she had left. She's just Harry's friend, Cho thought determinedly. That's all they are, just friends. But she still felt a bit uncomfortable about the way Harry had looked at Hermione.

She didn't have time to think any more on this, as the doors to the Great Hall opened at that moment and their procession began to move forward. As they moved in, Cho could feel Harry begin to tense up, his breathing becoming a bit shorter. She noticed that she herself was doing the same. She squeezed his arm, trying to reassure him, and he responded by turning to her and smiling.

Looking around at the Great Hall, Cho couldn't help but feel amazed at how beautiful everything looked. The entire Hall seemed to be glowing a dazzling white and blue, it looked to be completely made of ice and snow. Speaking of snow, there was a very light frost falling from the enchanted ceiling, stopping and disappearing just above everyone's heads. There were also very large Christmas trees lining the walls of the Hall at regular intervals, and they were decorated with a large assortment of different colored baubles and trinkets. She also couldn't help noticing the rather large amount of mistletoe branches dangling from practically every archway in the room. Now, I wonder why that would be, Cho thought sarcastically. She really would have liked to have a word with whoever had come up with this brilliant idea.

As the champions and their partners walked onto the dancing floor, she noticed many of her friends giggling at her and Harry, giving them the thumbs-up and grinning like a bunch of loons. She tried to ignore them as she took her position with Harry on the dancing floor. She noticed that he was looking a bit lost as to where he should put his hands.

"Harry," Cho whispered, kindly but firmly, "put your hand on my waist."

"What?" Harry whispered back, looking quite panicky. He was avoiding her gaze, looking down at his shoes instead.

"Harry, look at me," she whispered gently. He did so, pleading silently with his eyes. "Follow my lead, okay? Remember what I said earlier. We'll be alright."

"Okay," Harry replied nervously. He carefully put his right hand on her waist, extending his left one to the side and taking Cho's right. She placed her other arm above Harry's. Just in time, the music began to play, a slow waltz. Cho began to subtly lead Harry in the steps, whispering the steps to him, "One, two, three, one, two... there you go, Harry!" He began to lead with more confidence, even as the tempo began to increase and he was required to perform more complex maneuvers. He managed to keep pace with the music, twirling Cho at the appropriate moments and even taking hold of her waist with both hands, hoisting her up briefly before setting her down again and continuing to dance.

He's doing really well, actually, Cho thought admiringly. She'd had her doubts, but he was proving to be quite good. Soon enough, the teachers began to join the champions on the dance floor, with a beaming Dumbledore and a surprisingly cheerful Mcgonagall taking the lead. Others, teachers and students alike, began following suit. Cho began to feel more at ease, and she could tell Harry was enjoying himself as well. He was looking her in the eye, taking her in. She began to feel her heart fluttering, and a blush, completely unrelated to dancing, formed on her cheeks. He really does look handsome, Cho thought in a daze, having trouble keeping her eyes locked on Harry's. And not just because of the dress robes, either. I think I really do like him.


Soon enough, the song came to an end, and the Great Hall erupted into cheers and clapping as the crowd dispersed and began to take their seats. The champions and their partners were directed towards the end of the Hall, usually reserved for the teachers. Tonight, however, there were many more seats, not just for the teachers, headmasters, and champions, but for others as well. Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, was there, looking quite jolly in his bright purple, star-spangled robes. Harry realized, however, that Mr. Crouch wasn't there. In his stead was Ron's prissy brother, Percy.

As they all approached the table, Percy looked pointedly at Harry and drew out the chair next to him. Harry began to walk towards him, when all of a sudden, Cho's grip on his arm tightened and she began steering them towards Cedric and Marietta.

"Harry, can we sit next Marietta? I wanted to keep an eye on her."

"Um, sure," Harry replied, feeling quite relieved that he wouldn't be forced to listen to Percy drone on about cauldron bottoms or any other sort of blather. He sent what he hoped was an apologetic shrug in Percy's direction, and he and Cho sat down next Marietta and Cedric. Harry and Cedric exchanged polite nods as their partners, seated between them and next to each other, began to engage in whispered conversation, both of them giggling like mad. Harry had never seen Cho act so girly before. She was feminine, of course, but she was a bit more reserved than other girls he knew. Tonight, however, she was pulling out all the stops, whispering into Marietta's ear, laughing under her breath and casting quick glances at him before turning away again to laugh some more.

I really hope they're not just laughing at me, Harry thought cautiously. I thought I did pretty well out there. Trying to distract himself, he looked over her appearance once more. He couldn't help but ask himself how this had happened, that he'd been lucky enough to have Cho, the most beautiful girl in the whole school (in his honest opinion), as his partner to the Yule Ball. The way she smiled and laughed, her dress, her hair, and even her skin, they all seemed to glow brightly. She was so…radiant.

These thoughts were abruptly interrupted, however, by Cedric Diggory.

"Potter," Cedric called casually, "mind if I have a word?"

Harry, taken aback, replied, "Sure," and rose from his seat. As he did, Cho looked up from her conversation, looking worried.

"Everything alright, Harry?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry about it," Harry said. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure, alright," Cho replied, though she still looked worried. Harry smiled reassuringly at her, then began following Cedric through a back door in the Hall. Once the music and chatter had faded somewhat, Cedric turned to him, a serious look on his face.

"Harry, you notice anything strange tonight?" he asked.

"Not really," Harry replied slowly. "What's this all about, Cedric?"

"Look, something odd's been happening at Hogwarts this year, and I'm trying to figure out what," Cedric said impatiently, looking around as if he didn't want them to be overheard. "Your name coming out of the goblet, Crouch not being here, Karkaroff, they're all connected!"

"Hold on, Cedric," Harry began indignantly. "I didn't put my name in that cup, I thought you knew that!"

"Of course I know, Harry!" Cedric said, raising a hand to stop any more accusations. "That's what I mean. I know you didn't put your name in. Listen," he paused, looking around again furtively, "all I'm saying is, you need to be careful. I get the feeling these things aren't accidents. I just want you to keep an eye out, alright?"

He sounds just like Sirius, Harry thought. They seem to think I'm helpless. But why does Cedric care about all this? On the outside, he replied, "Yeah, I will."


"Where did they go?" Marietta asked suddenly, interrupting her conversation with Cho and looking around them. There were many students still dancing, and everyone else was eating. Cho looked at the crowd, trying to see if Harry was there, but she couldn't see anyone.

That's a little rude, she thought, slightly annoyed. Then again, I sort of left him with only Cedric to talk to. Guess I shouldn't complain. Just as she was thinking this, Harry and Cedric reappeared and took their seats next to them. Cedric looked as impassive as ever, but Harry looked slightly frustrated. "Is everything alright?" Cho asked tentatively, not knowing what had put him in this mood.

"Oh, yeah," Harry replied, a little too quickly. "Cedric and I were just talking."

"About what?" Cho asked curiously.

"Um," Harry replied, glancing warily at Cedric before saying, "just the tournament."

Cho wasn't fooled. She could tell Harry didn't want to talk about his conversation with Cedric. She let it go, but only because this wasn't the time nor the place for interrogation. I might ask later, she thought. But for now she would play along. "Alright, then," she replied. As silence fell between them, she knew she had to change the subject, without looking obvious. She turned to him, bringing to mind their dance, and smiled, saying, "I thought you said you couldn't dance, Harry. I thought you did really well."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what came over me," he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I couldn't have done it without your help, though. Imagine if I'd come by myself." They laughed, putting aside the strange moment with Cedric.

"You wouldn't have tried asking anyone else? I'm flattered," Cho teased.

"Well-that's-I-yeah," Harry mumbled, trying not to turn red. "I mean, there really isn't anyone else I'd have asked."

"Not even Hermione?" Cho asked playfully, but with purpose as well. She wanted to see how he'd react.

"What? No, not even," Harry laughed, genuinely surprised. "She's my friend. I can't even begin to imagine that."

See, what did I tell you? Cho's inner voice asked her. Out of my head, I'm busy! Cho replied angrily, and the Voice went silent. On the outside, she just laughed and said, "I know, Harry, I'm just teasing you."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "You told me earlier that you hadn't been planning on coming here tonight. Did you mean it?"

"Yeah, I did," Cho replied.

"So, why did you agree to come with me? Any special reason?"

Cho thought about it some, then said, "I just wanted to know you better. I mean, not to see if you were a prat or anything like that."

"Oh, I know you don't think that," Harry told her reassuringly. "It's refreshing to be with someone who doesn't think I strut about Hogwarts, acting like I own the place."

"I've never heard that one before," Cho said, looking amused. "Who said that?"

"Professor Snape," Harry deadpanned. Cho snorted into her food, which set Harry off as well. As they began to laugh harder, others around them began to notice them, and they asked themselves if those two had gone mad.

Elsewhere, Snape was gripped by an overwhelming need to sneeze.


As the evening wore on, Cho began to ask questions about Harry's life, such as how he first realized he was a wizard, his favourite subjects, and most importantly, what his favourite colour was. Harry, too, wanted to ask her questions about her life, but he wasn't sure how to ask. He didn't want to offend her with anything that was too personal. But then he realized that Cho was asking him questions that made him feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't feeling particularly offended about it. It was all a matter of perspective, he realized.

Cho had just finished asking him about his time at the Quidditch World Cup that summer, when all of a sudden Professor Flitwick raised his voice and began to call for the students' attention. It appeared that he was announcing their musical entertainment for the night. Harry didn't know how it happened, but Cho suddenly grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the crowd of students gathering around a stage that had been erected against a wall in the Great Hall. "Harry, come on!" she practically screamed. "They're about to start!"

"Who are?" Harry asked as they reached the edge of the crowd and tried to politely shove their way through. He never got an answer, as Cho had begun shouting with the crowd, and Flitwick had merely called them the 'band that needs no introduction'.

"All right, Hogwarts!" a man shouted, and the crowd went wild.

Who are they?! Harry thought exasperatedly.

The man, presumably the lead singer, continued, "Are you ready for some real music?!" The whole crowd screamed their assent. "Come on, I want to see your hands in the air!" Everyone raised their hands and began jumping up and down as the band began to play a fast beat. "You're looking good! We're going to teach you a brand new dance tonight!"

"I love their music!" Cho shouted, bouncing up and down with excitement. Harry, not knowing what else to do, did likewise. And he had to admit, the intro to their song was starting to get him pumped.

"Are you ready?!" the lead singer shouted. "ARE YOU READY?!" He launched into the first verse,

"Move your body like a hairy troll, learnin' to rock n' roll…"


The next hour was a blur for Cho. She remembered there was a lot of screaming and jumping and dancing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had this much fun. Harry was enjoying himself very much as well. Apparently, the answer to the Weird Sisters' repeated question was yes, Harry and Cho could, in fact, dance like hippogriffs. It wasn't so much dancing as it was jumping around and flailing their arms about. There was even a point where Harry spread out his arms as if they were wings and began to spin around. That move became very popular, so much so that others began to imitate it.

The song was over all too soon, but the night was still young. The Weird Sisters struck up another song, and then another and another. Harry and Cho kept dancing, seeming to never tire. Eventually, however, they did. They left the dance floor, looking for drinks, when something caught Harry's eye.

"Hold on a minute, Cho," Harry said, looking worried. She followed his line of sight and saw that Harry was looking at his friend Ron and his partner, Padma. They didn't seem to be having a good time at all.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Cho asked.

"It looks like it," Harry replied grimly. "Do you mind if we head over there for a bit?"

"Not at all, we should see what's happening," Cho said. Nodding, Harry led Cho through the mostly empty tables towards their friends. Once they arrived, they realized just how badly they were feeling. Ron barely even registered that Harry was there, and Padma was too busy shooting daggers at Ron with her eyes to even notice Cho's presence.

"You all right there, mate?" Harry asked nervously. Ron didn't answer. He seemed to be glaring at someone on the dance floor. Cho turned to look and saw Hermione and Krum still dancing.

Is he staring at them? Cho asked herself. She glanced at Padma, and after a moment sat down next to her. "Padma," Cho whispered, trying not to interrupt Harry's conversation, "is everything alright?"

"Does it look alright to you?" Padma snapped, arms and legs crossed and a scowl on her face. "I was so looking forward to tonight, and it's been ruined."

"What happened, did he say something to you?" Cho asked.

"He hasn't said a word to me since he saw Granger and Krum," Padma replied heavily. "He hasn't stopped glaring at them since they arrived. I don't know what his problem is, and I don't care either." It was at that moment that Hermione arrived and sat down on an empty seat nearby, looking slightly pink in the face from dancing.

"Hi," Harry said. Ron didn't say anything.

"It's a bit hot, isn't it?" Hermione said breathlessly, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks. Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Harry replied enthusiastically. "What do you think, Cho?"

"Well," Cho began hesitantly, but was immediately interrupted by Ron.

"Viktor?" Ron said, giving Hermione a withering look. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's got your wand in a knot?" she said.

"If you don't know," said Ron scathingly, "I'm not going to tell you."

Everyone was staring at him incredulously. Cho didn't know Ron personally, but she was quite sure that he wouldn't be Harry's friend if he normally acted this way. She glanced at Harry, who looked very uncomfortable with this turn of events. Ron continued, stating that Krum was the enemy, and that he was merely using Hermione as a way to get close to Harry, or to get help for the tournament. He also mentioned something called spew, but she wasn't what that was. But Cho had the feeling that he was just making excuses, to cover up the true reasons behind his anger. He must have asked her out, and she turned him down, Cho thought. It seemed quite obvious. She glanced at Harry, and she realized that whether or not Ron secretly fancied Hermione was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

"Ron," Harry began quietly, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum-," and was promptly interrupted by him.

"Why don't you go and find Vicky, he'll be wondering where you are," Ron said sulkily.

"Don't call him Vicky!"

Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her leave with what looked like regret.

"Are you going to ask me to dance at all?" Padma asked pointedly at Ron. Cho was surprised Padma was still even there, after the whole scene.

"No."

"Fine," she snapped, getting up and leaving for another table full of Durmstrang boys. As Cho looked again, she saw Padma's sister already there, relishing in their attention.

"Vare is Herm-own-ninny?" someone asked. Looking up, they saw Krum standing there with two butterbeers in hand.

"No idea," Ron said mulishly. "Lost her, have you?"

Krum was beginning to look surly. "Vell, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks," he said, and he walked off.

After he left, silence fell over them. Cho didn't want to say anything to upset Harry or Ron, but she'd come with Harry to dance with him and to have a proper conversation without being interrupted. Just as she was about to say something, Ron broke the silence.

"Damn, why is he coming over here?" Ron hissed, looking at the dance floor. As they looked, they saw a red-haired individual walking purposefully towards them. Cho assumed that was who he meant.

He did look a bit like a prat.

"Go on, Harry," Ron continued glumly. "You and Cho have a good time. Don't mind me."

"Ron…" Harry began, only to be interrupted again.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have blown up like that," Ron said. He looked genuinely regretful. "You two came to have a good time, and you still can." He glanced at his brother's quickly advancing form and said, "I'll keep him busy."

Harry, a small smile forming on his face, formed a mock salute. "It's been a pleasure knowing you, Mr. Weasley."

"Likewise, Mr. Potter," he replied, also smiling despite his circumstances. As they got up to leave, Cho said, "Bye, Ron." He nodded back in reply. Walking away towards the drink stand, they heard Percy say, quite pompously,

"Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?"


"I'm really sorry about that, back there," Harry said quietly. He and Cho were walking around the snow covered courtyard and a drink in their hands. Cho turned to him and gently took his hand, squeezing it lightly.

"You don't have to apologize, Harry," Cho replied. "I don't think you could've seen that coming."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Harry said, though he still felt guilty. "They used to hate each other, did you know that?"

"They did?" Cho asked, surprised. "I've always seen you three together. It wasn't always like that?"

"Not at first, no," Harry said, thinking back to that day and smiling at the memory of it. "In our first year, she came into our compartment on the train, and she showed him up in a little contest. She fixed my glasses, and he tried to turn his rat yellow. It didn't work, and she acted quite superior about it."

"Then how did you become friends with her?" Cho asked.

"Let's just say, we have a mountain troll to thank for our friendship," Harry said, trying to be mysterious. Cho wasn't having that, of course.

"Come on!" she pleaded, taking his hand with both of hers and pouting. "Tell me the whole story!"

"Well," Harry began, feeling quite proud of himself on making Cho beg, "…it was in our first year, on Halloween night…"

He went on to recount the events of that day, pausing every now and then to allow Cho time to process his story and to answer any questions she had. Naturally, she had many.

"Wait, you stuck your wand up its nose?" she asked, out of breath from laughing.

"Yeah, it was disgusting," Harry said, smiling. He screwed up his face and imitated himself in his first year, "Ugh, troll bogeys!" They both burst out laughing.

"And then?" Cho asked.

"She took the blame for the whole thing," Harry replied. "All the teachers burst in on us, and Hermione told them that she'd gone looking for the troll. And since then we've been friends."

"Wow," Cho said admiringly. They walked on in comfortable silence, Cho processing everything Harry had told her, and Harry enjoying the warmth of Cho's hand in his. Then, Cho said something he wasn't expecting, "You're family must be proud of you."

"Um, not really," Harry mumbled, starting to feel uncomfortable. This was a subject he wasn't so keen to discuss.

"What do you mean?" Cho asked, beginning to notice his discomfort. They stopped walking.

"It's… hard to explain," Harry said tersely. He had let go of her hand. "You haven't heard the rumours?"

"I thought that's all they were, just rumours," Cho replied. She looked surprised at his sudden change of demeanour. "I stopped listening to them altogether."

"Oh," Harry said, slightly gladdened by what she said. "Well, I think it's pretty safe for you to believe pretty much everything you hear about the Dursleys."

"That bad?" Cho asked.

"Pretty much," Harry replied heavily. He sat down on a bench nearby, with Cho following suit. "It's not something I like to talk about. Maybe another time?"

"Sure," Cho said. She paused, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "So, there'll be 'another time', huh?"

"Um, yeah, of course," Harry said, surprised by how she turned the conversation around. The way she smiled, so mischievously, was really growing on him. "Yeah, definitely."

"Good," she replied softly. "You know, Harry, you're not at all what everyone says you are."

"Really?" Harry asked nervously, noticing how Cho had started leaning towards him ever so slightly. "How do you figure?"

"You don't like drawing attention to yourself," she replied. "You're very humble. I just gave you an opportunity to show off, to rag on about how horrible your life is, but you didn't take it."

"Oh," Harry said again, surprised by how blunt she was. She's definitely not what I expected, Harry thought. "I…hadn't thought of it that way."

"See?" Cho said, smiling even more. "Humble." She looked up, and Harry, following her gaze, realized with a jolt that they had been sitting underneath a mistletoe the entire time. "Mistletoe," Cho mumbled, looking back at Harry and staring intently into his eyes. He tried to look back, but caught himself glancing at her lips.

They both began leaning toward each other…


Meanwhile…

Ron had finally managed to escape from Percy after collecting all the useful information he had on Mr. Crouch. Pretending to want another drink (which wasn't entirely a lie), Ron left the table and slipped out into the entrance hall. Seeing the front doors open into the courtyard, he stepped outside. Fairy lights were twinkling all around him, and the paths were lined with rose bushes and romantic statues. Looking around, Ron noticed that there quite a few people out and about the courtyard. After some searching, Ron caught sight of Harry and Cho sitting on a bench, not too far from him.

As he watched, he saw them begin to lean toward each other. Ron looked away, not wanting to watch them, but at the same time, he felt quite proud of Harry. "Good on you, mate," Ron said quietly, and began walking down a different path.

Wanting to avoid everyone in general, Ron began to follow a path that seemed to lead toward a solitary fountain. He was interrupted, however, by a familiar and unpleasant voice.

"…don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff's voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though he didn't want them to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it-"

"Then flee," Snape's voice said curtly. "Flee-I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

As he paused, he saw Snape and Karkaroff walking on a different path. Snape was blasting apart bushes that were hiding students and taking points from them. Suddenly, Ron realized that their path would lead them straight to where Harry and Cho were. Gathering his courage, Ron went out of his way to intercept them.

"And what are you doing, Weasley?" Snape said, catching sight of Ron on the path ahead. Karkaroff, Ron saw, looked slightly discomposed to see him there. He began to nervously stroke his goatee.

"I'm walking," Ron told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?"

"Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past him, walking on a path that wouldn't lead them to Harry and Cho. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape, and Ron continued to walk toward the fountain.

What's got Karkaroff all worried? Ron wondered.

He reached the fountain, which had large statue of a reindeer on top of it. As he approached it, Ron realized that someone was there. Two large outlines were visible beyond the sparkling jets of water from the fountain. Just as he was about to turn and walk away, he heard one of them speak,

"Momen' I saw yeh, I knew."

Ron froze. It was Hagrid.


Midnight

The Yule Ball at last came to an end, with the Weird Sisters playing their final song. Harry and Cho had spent the night dancing, talking, and just enjoying each other's company. They allowed themselves to forget the stress and the worries of their day to day lives, and simply had as much fun as they could.

As they walked towards the Ravenclaw Tower, Harry began to feel nervous once again. He remembered their moment under the mistletoe very vividly (he'd probably dream about it), but he wasn't sure if Cho wanted to do it again. Just wing it, Harry thought nervously as they arrived, too quickly in his opinion. Cho faced him, taking both of his hands into hers, and smiled expectantly.

"Well, Harry," she said breathlessly. "I had a wonderful time tonight. I hope you feel the same." She looked down at her feet shyly, trying to cover her blush.

"Yeah, I did too," Harry replied earnestly. Gently, he raised Cho's chin with his fingers, meeting her eyes. He looked into them (Her eyes are so beautiful), then leaned forward. As Cho did the same, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers gently. Her lips were incredibly soft. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, while he put his hands on her waist. They stayed that way for what seemed like a very long time, deepening their kiss.

"How long are two going to stay out here?" a voice asked them. They separated, looking up in surprise. Standing there were Cedric and Marietta, looking quite amused.

"Hey, don't mind us," Marietta teased, walking around them toward the staircase. "Goodnight, Cedric," she said dreamily.

"Goodnight, Marietta, my sweet," Cedric replied, just as dreamily as she had. They all heard her sigh contentedly as she climbed the staircase and disappeared.

"Um, goodnight, Cho," Harry said softly, feeling nervous but elated at the same time. "See you soon?"

"Definitely," Cho replied, smiling shyly. She took his hand and squeezed it softly, before making her way up the staircase herself. Before she disappeared, she took one last glance over her shoulder at him, smiling and waving her fingers in farewell. Soon, she was gone as well.

"Had a good time, I suppose?" Cedric asked. Harry, who had been entranced by Cho the entire time, jolted as if he had woken from a dream. He had almost forgotten that Cedric was there.

"Yeah, it was…great," Harry replied, at a loss for words to describe how he felt. He was almost completely sure this was the best night of his life.

"Good, that's good," Cedric said, almost to himself. As Harry began coming to his senses again, he realized that the smiling Cedric who had sweet-talked Marietta earlier was gone. In his place was the more serious individual he had seen of late. "Tell me, Harry, have you figured out the clue from the egg yet?"

"Not yet," Harry replied warily. "Why?"

"Listen," Cedric said quietly, looking around much as he had earlier done. "Take your egg into one of the bathrooms-better yet, take it to the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor. Just…mull things over in the hot water."

"Cedric, are you feeling alright?" Harry asked nervously. He was beginning to think Cedric was joking.

"Yeah, spectacular," Cedric replied tersely. "Why?"

"It's nothing," Harry said quickly. "I'll keep it in mind."

"Good," Cedric said again. "I'll see you around," and just like that, he turned around and walked away.


Step aside, Wormtail, so I can give our guest a proper greeting!

In the Gryffindor dormitory, Harry emerged from his nightmare, sweating and breathing heavily. Not that dream again! Harry thought exasperatedly. They keep happening! What's wrong with me?!


2nd AN: I would just like to reiterate, yes, I'm still alive.

The moment has arrived, the change has occurred. What will happen next?

As you can see, like Ron did in this chapter, sometimes other characters will take the lead in certain parts. I will be focusing mostly on Harry and Cho, but I'm just letting you guys know that this will happen sometimes.

I'd just like to thank you all again for your support. It does keep me motivated. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update this story again, but I assure you that I will not abandon it. In the meantime, keep flying and stay shiny.

Disclaimer: I don't own either Harry Potter or Firefly. Just throwing that out there.