Author's Note This fic was first intended to be a short story but as I started writing I decided that there was more I wanted to elaborate on. So, instead, there will be a series of short chapters. I took elements from both the books and movies because I'm a big fan of both. This is my first fic so please don't be too harsh :)

Disclaimer Everything Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, so thank her!

Chapter I: Yule Ball Blues

Cedric Diggory was handsome, popular, kind, and brave. With those qualities Harry couldn't imagine why he had been surprised to discover that Cho Chang had accepted his invitation to the Yule Ball. Harry supposed that it was Cho who had surprised him most, not Cedric. Rumor had it that Cedric liked Cho but Harry was sure she didn't reciprocate his feelings. Harry had actually been daft enough to think that she liked him. He was so convinced of that theory that he had actually built up the courage to ask her to accompany him to the dance; a feat that ended only in embarrassment and a broken heart. Harry may have been able to compete against Cedric when dragons were involved, but when it came to dating, Cedric had the advantage.

So, Harry had spent the last couple of days before the Yule Ball lounging about and feeling sorry for himself. He attempted to place his concentration primarily on figuring out the clue for the next Triwizard task but visions of Cho clouded his mind.

"Cheer up, mate," Ron encouraged the night before the dance. "You're Harry Potter; you can get any girl you want!"

Harry smiled gratefully at his friend's attempts to cheer him up.

"Hell, if I was a girl I'd go with you!" Ron exclaimed, fluffing his pillow.

Harry stared at him for a moment. "Thanks Ron. That's really disturbing and nothing I wanted to know, but thanks."

The two boys laughed and each crawled into their four-poster beds.

"Well Ron, seeing as how you are a bloke and there's no chance for us," Harry released a joking sigh of disappointment. Ron sniggered. "Why didn't you ask Hermione?"

Ron groaned. "She's going with Vicky, remember?" He also muttered something that sounded like 'bloody git' under his breath. "Why didn't you ask Cho?"

"She's going with Cedric, remember?"

"Ah, that's right, 'Pretty boy' Cedric."

"I mean, I should have seen it coming, right?" Harry continued, "I mean, he's perfect! Good looking, tall, athletic, nice—"

"Wow Harry," Ron interrupted, "sounds like maybe you should forget about Cho and asked Cedric to the ball instead." Ron started chuckling as did Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan who had apparently been eaves dropping.

"That'd be something wouldn't it?" Seamus laughed. "I can see it now, "'The Boy Who Lived' now the 'Boy who likes Boys.'"

Everyone but Harry burst out laughing. Neville laughed so hard he fell out of bed.

"Shut up Seamus!" Harry retorted, throwing his pillow at him from across the room. "You guys know what I mean!"

"We're just foolin' with you, bloke," Seamus defended.

"Sorry 'bout that, Harry," Neville apologized as he brushed himself off and crawled back into bed.

"Bloody hell, Harry you know we're just pulling your leg-- nothing to go mental over." Ron knew though, that Harry's reaction had nothing to do with feeling offended and everything to do with Cedric taking the girl of his dreams to a once in a life-time event.

"I only meant that I can't compete with Cedric." Harry said, his voice nearly a whisper.

Ron sighed. "That's not true, Harry. You're every bit as good as he is and better. Diggory's just a bloody—"

"Besides," Harry intervened "he asked her first. It's fair."

"Well, why didn't you ask her sooner?" Ron persisted. "I mean, you knew you wanted to go with her as soon as McGonagall told us about the ball."

Harry turned onto his side and looked at Ron, seemingly considering how to respond. Then he grinned and said "The same reason you took so long to decide to ask Hermione."

Ron, recognizing defeat, nodded and said "good night, Harry."

"Good night, Ron," Harry said with satisfaction. "Oh and Seamus?" Harry called over to the other boys' four-poster.

"It's alright Harry. I accept your apology."

"Apology? Who said anything about an apology? I just want my pillow back."

A second later, Harry's pillow hit him square in the face.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note Please review and let me know what you think. I'd love to get some feedback with any suggestions, questions, complaints, and compliments o' course J Thanks!