Tonight may just become the greatest night of Harry's life. It it wasn't for the fact that he was so nervous, his stomach felt like a prize fighter's speed bag.

Looking into the mirror for the umpteenth time, he smoothed non-existent wrinkles in the bottle green dress robes, and tried in vain to do the same to his hair. Why, oh why did he throw out that comb Hermione had gotten for him? Oh, right. Because it was a comb.

The sounds of boys rushing to get ready were all around him. Ron was staring disgustingly at the lace on his outfit, whereas Neville's head was trying to come out through his sleeve.

Making a last ditch effort, Ron had asked the best looking girls he could find if they had a date yet. In the end, a rather displeased Padma Patil finally agreed to him, although, judging from the kinds looks she kept throwing Harry, it wasn't for Ron's sake. When a snickering Dean pointed this out, Ron merely shrugged saying "At least her nose is dead center."

After untangling Neville from the clutches of his robe and helping Ron shear the lace off of his cuffs, Harry grabbed the present he had gotten for Cho. It wasn't much just a simple white lily that Harry had transfigured himself.

The boys stood in silence, perfectly ready for the night, on the outside at least. Long seconds passed before they realized that none of them were moving. Laughing nervously, Neville stammered "W-well, I'll just g-go then." He was taking with a very reluctant Ginny Weasley but she'd had no choice. Being a 3rd year, the only way she could go was as someone's date and Neville had been her only option.

But Harry stepped out and walked down the stairs. What did he have to be nervous for? He should be fine, for now at least. His date would not be meeting him in the common room. In fact, he seriously doubted she would know where it was, being in Ravenclaw. They'd be pairing up outside of the Great Hall.

"OY!" George yelled up to the dorms when Harry arrived alone at the foot of the stairs "You lot better find your bollocks soon! It's-mmph mmph mmph!"

"Nice one," said Harry approvingly as Fred roared with merriment; Angelina had her hand clapped over her date's mouth, preventing him for further scarring any other First Years.

While the couple tussled, the rest of them trickled down, Ron at the front, shame-faced in his shabby robes, then Dean who was followed closely by Seamus and Neville. Dean's robes were a deep burgundy, Seamus' a blue that matched his piercing eyes, whereas Neville's were plain black, though of a high quality. Neville tripped on the last step, which sent him barreling into Fred.

Letting out a shout, George disentangled himself from Angelina and helped his brother subdue Neville. After he was tied up with blankets and tossed to the corner of the room, the twins turned on each other.

After a few minutes of furious wrestling, they'd reached a stalemate. They had each other in matching head locks, and could hardly breathe for laughing.

Suddenly noticing the twin's attire, Harry let out a great snort of laughter. Fred was resplendent in gleaming purple robes, holding a top hat in one hand and a shiny black cane in another. George, going for a more traditional look perhaps, wore something along the lines of what Harry imagined Ron's old-fashioned robes had looked like new. Ruffles stuck out from his chest a good six inches, with similar ones completely obscuring his hands. Instead of bearing robes of a somber color like most of them (Fred excluded), George's robes were a startling orange with electric blue highlights, similar to Moody's eye. He finished his fantastic look with a Robin Hood-esque cap that had a feather which matched the highlights on his robes.

Capping off the entire ensemble, silver W's were monogrammed onto their backs.

Angelina and Katie, who were dressed more conventionally in dresses, looked somewhere between wanting to murder the twins on the spot and lapsing into hysterical laughter.

Katie leaned forward to whisper in the other Chaser's ear, and Harry caught the words 'payback' and 'broom.' He smiled secretively, whatever the twins were going to get, it would come out of nowhere, perhaps even fall out of the sky, so to speak.

Sweating slightly, the two Weasley's used cleaning charms to sort themselves (and Neville, who they apologized to with a 'We were scared for our families mate') out.

"Mate," Ron nudged him several minutes later, "It's time to go. You've got to be there early, remember?"

Suddenly the butterflies that had disappeared during the twins' antics were back, and it felt like they had brought a few eagles (and maybe even a couple of dragons) with them.

Harry and his best friend walked quickly, the menagerie in his intestines seeming to become more restless with every step.

He found himself checking his collar every half second and constantly running his hand through his hair. The posters for the Ball seemed abnormally bright and gaudy, jumping out at him.

Every now and then they would pass others, some looking just as nervous as Harry, whereas others looked downright bored. The bored ones, Harry couldn't help but notice, were the ones without dates.

Sounds of nervous talking and giggling girls grew steadily louder, until they found themselves at the entrance to the Great Hall.

It was still relatively empty, the Ball didn't start for another good half an hour, but people had arrived early to gossip or compare dresses. Ron, spotting Padma, excused himself with a mutter.

Harry barely noticed, as his eyes searched, coming to rest on the one that truly mattered.

Cho Chang, his date, stood not 10 steps from him in a dress that looked like a silvery waterfall on her body. It was extremely pretty, but the girl in it outshone the whole thing by a long shot. Her almond eyes glowed with happiness as she gracefully walked towards him.

He offered her the flower as she stopped in front of him, and she immediately brought it up to her nose to smell.

"You look handsome," she said nervously.

"And you look beautiful," he responded, unsure of where his courage came from.

She looked directly into his eyes for the first time that night, and smiled as all the awkwardness dissolved into the crisp air.

"Ready to dance?" she asked him teasingly, while she tucked the flower into a breast pocket on Harry's robes.

He winked, surprising her "I've been practicing."

She giggled, "Not with another girl I hope."

"No, it was actually Neville. He's a great snogger to," replied Harry mock-defensively.

Cho laughed loudly at this, causing several people to turn their heads to her. More than a few guys sighed wistfully.

While they talked, the rest of the school drifted in. Victor Krum was on the arm of a pretty girl wearing a periwinkle dress. Fleur came in behind him with garments of pale blue silk, her hand on the elbow of Roger Davies.

"Poor Roger," whispered Cho. Harry looked at her skeptically, "He's so thick, he can hardly string a sentence together to begin with. Imagine how he'll be with Fleur..." she tutted disapprovingly while Harry laughed silently next to her.

"What happened to all those Ravenclaw brains?" questioned Harry.

"One to many bludgers to the head." she responded knowledgeably. He strained to keep himself from laughing.

The rest of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students filtered in after their champions. Durmstrangs were dressed in dark colored robes with plenty of browns, blacks and reds. Several were trimmed with the furs of different animals. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the French students were dressed in thin robes of high quality materials; namely silks. The colors were all very surreal, with light forest greens, sea blues and soft lavenders.

Cedric too came in auburn robes, with a rather ditzy looking brunette in pale pink. "Marrietta?" said Cho in shocked recognition. The girl grinned at Cho, but Cedric shot Harry a jealous glance before whisking his date into the Great Hall.

"Ah, sorry about that" said Cho apologetically, catching the look "he's been after me for a while now but... I like someone else." She smiled sweetly at Harry, and he couldn't help but smile in return.

Still talking, they entered the Great Hall to find everyone but the Champions and their dates on the side. Harry gulped, his throat suddenly very dry. Practicing alone in you room was one thing, but dancing with a girl who made you tongue tied just with her eyes in front of hundreds of people was another entirely.

A simple wooden stage was set up directly in front of the head tables, raised a few feet off the floor and the House Tables appeared to have been pushed back to make room for dancing. After a cursory glance however, he noticed that the House Tables were gone altogether, to make room for many small, round, white tables.

Outside of the entrance to the castle, an enchanted garden lay. Twisted pathways of bushes, with scatterings of benches in between, the whole thing lit with the gentle light of fluttering fairies. Flowers of all kinds bloomed, lining the pathways of white stone. At the center of it, there was a magnificient fountain where several swans coasted around in the clear water.

Just then, the band entered, and many people cheered or applauded. The Weird Sisters were... well, weird. Their robes were artfully ripped, if ripping can be artful, and they seemed to possess an awful lot of hair.

Harry found himself wondering if the only reason they could stand to have torn robes during winter was due to having such absurd amounts of bodily fur, or if all of it just simply couldn't fit. He whispered his theories to Cho, who giggled and hit him playfully on the arm.

All of a sudden, the lights dimmed. Harry, blushing slightly, took one of Cho's hands in his own, while the other wrapped around her waist. Cho looked into his emerald eyes, and, as the music started to play and they began to waltz, she forgot about everyone else. It was just her and Harry in the room, dancing together, and he pulled her closer while she laid her head on his shoulder. After all that practice, Harry found the whole thing surprisingly easy. He could never get used to how she felt in his arms however, and was starting to think that it would be quite alright with him if this dance continued forever.

They spun effortlessly, not noticing that other couples eventually joined the four champions on the dance floor.

All too soon, the song had ended, and Harry led Cho off, their arms still wrapped comfortingly around each other as they sat down next to a brooding Ron.

"What's up mate?" said Harry, while he and Cho snuggled into a more comfortable position.

"Hermione," grunted Ron ill-temperedly.

"I didn't see her yet" replied Harry reflectively. Where was she?

"Sure you have. She's with Krum." the hostility in Ron's voice spiked when he said the name.

Shocked, Harry and Cho turned to look at the pretty girl dancing with the Quidditch star, and sure enough it was Hermione. He hadn't recognized her with flat, slightly wavy hair instead of the normally bushy do. She was laughing and smiling, her hand never leaving the arm of Durmstrang's champion.

"She looks good" said Cho conversationally, simultaneously sneaking a look at Harry's reaction.

He turned to Cho and smiled, not fooled for a second "But you look better." She pulled him closer, very pleased with his response.

"Hey," Harry told Ron, remembering something "Where'd Padma go? I saw her with you a little while ago."

He pointed in a vague direction, never taking his eyes off of Victor and Hermione. Following Ron's finger, Harry found Parvati's sister dancing with a few guys from Beauxbatons.

Harry and Cho were deep in conversation, when Ron said, with a very ugly look on his face "Why're you over here?"

They looked over, and saw Hermione, who paused for a second at his aggression. "Cause you're my friends," she said, surprised.

"Well you've got a funny way of showing it," replied Ron, while Harry and Cho watched silently.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione crossly, beginning to get worked up.

"It doesn't mean anything-" began Harry, but Ron cut him off with a sharp hand gesture.

"Haven't seen you the whole night! You been off consorting with Durmstrang the whole time."

"Consorting? Consorting! He happens to be my date Ronald."

"Well then maybe you should get back to him! Precious Victor," he spat.

"Fine then! I will," and she stormed off, leaving Ron in an even darker mood than before.

"Er," said Harry, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "We'll just..." he looked pleadingly at Cho. "Go for a walk," she finished for him.

Ron gave a brief nod as he continued to glare in Hermione's direction, while Harry and Cho walked towards the gardens.

They sat down together on an ornate stone bench, hidden from view by clumps of bushes. "Having fun?" asked Harry.

"Loads," she said back, smiling at him brightly. Then, "Look, there's a fairy!"

Harry chucked at her excitement, but stopped when he saw the look she was giving him. "Were you laughing at me Harry Potter?" she said in a dangerous voice.

"N-no," he stammered in panic at the look on her face. She continued to look at him for severely half a second more before bursting out into laughter. "Got you," she smiled mischievously and she laid her hand on top of his. He rotated his palm upwards, and interlocked fingers with her.

They sat there for a while, simply enjoying each other's company.

"You know Harry" said Cho simply "I really like you," she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I like you too Cho," he responded with a smile, giving her hand a little squeeze.

Her answering look gave him confidence, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I was wondering," he continued "if you'd like to... Be my girlfriend?"

He turned away, anxious for her response. When he looked back, she was grinning like mad. "I'd love that," she whispered softly.

"Really?" he asked, throat dry "Well that's... Brilliant. Alright then."

She was still smiling at him, but she started leaning forward, her grin fading.

Like a magnet, Harry's body was drawn towards her as well, their faces getting nearer and nearer. Their eyes began to close, and then-

Their lips touched. Words couldn't describe the feelings coursing through Cho as his soft lips molded to hers. Harry was likewise stunned, feeling as though he could float.

They pulled away, smiling nervously, then drew together again. More passion was in this kiss, Harry put his hand on the small of her back to draw her closer, and she hugged him around the waist. They continued to kiss, while he brought his other hand to the back of her head, running it through her long black hair. She smelled good, thought the small part of his brain that was still able to function normally. It was something floral, bringing to mind fields during spring.

However as the kiss deepened, all thoughts left him.

Her lips parted and her tongue sought his own, Harry opened his mouth granting her entry and their tongues. Neither of them were sure how much they passed, sitting on the bench, but frankly, neither of them cared. After several eternities, the split apart, breathing heavily.

"Well," she finally said when she was able to breathe normally, "that was... some first kiss. Good job Harry." He laughed appreciatively, and wrapped both his arms around her.

She leaned against him, feeling hard muscles behind her. "Mmm, you're warm," she told him as she snuggled in.

"So are you," he kissed the top of her head. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, having nothing to do with the chilly weather. Harry burrowed his face in her hair, breathing deeply. It was a wonderful smell, soft and fragrant, and it took every ounce of his will power to stop himself from taking huge gasps of air to wolf down every bit of it.

They stayed that way for a long while, neither speaking nor moving, just enjoying each other and their company while giggling fairies flitted by.

All good things must end though, and the Ball did exactly that. Holding hands, Harry and Cho slowly walked into the Great Hall, just in time to witness the shouting match between Ron and Hermione.

"YOU'RE FRATERNIZING WITH THE ENEMY, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

"RON HE'S MY DATE AS I'VE TOLD YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN."

"HE'S A BLOODY DURMSTRANG!"

"LIKE YOU CARE! WE ALL SEE YOU GOING AFTER FLEUR, AND SHE'S IN BEAUXBATONS!"

"THAT'S DIFFERENT!"

"HOW?!" Hermione screeched.

"It just IS!"

"Ronald I'm NOT going to put up with your prejudices!" she screamed at him, sounding close to tears.

"My prejudices?! At least I'm LOYAL!"

"Loyal?! Loyal to who?!"

"Harry!"

"What does this have to do with Harry?!"

"You're telling Victor what we're going to do!"

"I am not!"

"Yes you-" but Ron never got to finish, as Hermione strode forward and slapped him straight across the face before running back to the Gryffindor Tower, crying.

Silently, Ron turned around, and with slow, deliberate steps, walked out in the same direction while the entire school stared at him.

Harry looked at Cho, his eyes wide, and she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It'll be alright Harry. From what you tell me, they row all the time, but deep down, they're meant for each other." Harry nodded knowing that eventually, all would be well. Their friendship had survived worse things. He was surprised at her immediate analysis of Ron and Hermione's relationship though. It had taken him a great deal of time and thought to figure out what took Cho only seconds.

He supposed girls just had the knack for that sort of thing.

They walked out of the Great Hall again, still talking earnestly about anything and everything.

"Well Harry," said Cho at the foot of the stairs "I had a great time tonight."

"So did I."

"I wish it didn't have to end but..." she broke off with a sigh that Harry reciprocated.

"Good night Harry." He kissed her softly, "Night Cho."

He walked away, holding her hand for as long as possible. She waved before he was out of sight, and could hardly resist screaming with happiness. She had pictured what a perfect night could have been, and, aside from Ron and Hermione's fight, this had surpassed it in every single way.

She went to sleep, feeling as though their were no wrongs in her life. She, Cho Chang, had been Harry Potter's date, kissed him, and was now his girlfriend.

And Harry, as he lay down for bed, he felt exactly the same.

Author's Note: Thanks for everyone who reviewed! The more you review, the quicker I update. Sorry guys, but that's just how it goes. I apologize for all the fluff. I couldn't help it :D. Next Chapter will be the Second Task. If you want updates, feel free to look at my profile, it'll tell you where I am with the chapters. Thanks for sticking with me!- sasansan

P.S. - if you notice, I often go back to update and change chapters. I changed this one already, adding about 800 words. See? Your reviews tell me where to go. None of my chapters are the originals, but they're better thanks to you guys.