Thanks for all the reviews ! I'm getting better now. Sorry for the long wait.
Here have some peanut-butter sandwhich!
Dancing With The Enemy
The next day brought more homework for the trio. They had to do an essay about Horklumps for Care of Magical Creatures, practice the Vanishing Spell for Transfiguration, do a foot long essay about the Draught of Peace for Potions and an essay about giant wars for History of Magic.
"Horklumps...come...from...Scandinavia...but...is...now...widespread...throughout...Northern...Europe..." said Ron as he wrote the words on a piece of parchment. "I never thought writing could be this tiring."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She closed her books and placed them in her schoolbag.
"It...resembles...a..fleshy...pinkish...mushroom -- Where are you going Hermione?"
"Well, unlike you two, I already finished all my homework."
Harry scratched his head. "Can you check this for me, Mione?" he said as he handed her his essay.
Hermione took and read it. "Harry, Horklumps spread sinewy tentacles not earthworms! It eats earthworms! Did you even read your Fantastic Beasts & Where To Fine Them ? Page 21?"
Harry half-nodded-half-shook his head. "Uhm...I read a little."
"Well, let's leave it. I'm hungry." said Ron, closing his book and stuffing it roughly into his schoolbag.
Harry agreed and the trio climbed through the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione could hear Ron's stomach grumbling and exchanged grossed looks. They almost reached the Great Hall doors when Cho Chang stepped in front of Harry.
"Hi, Harry." she said.
"Uh...Hi, Cho." said Harry.
"You know what? I think Ronald will faint if he doesn't eat now. We'll go." said Hermione as she grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him to the Gryffindor table.
Cho watched them go. "So, you know...uh...the ball is next Saturday."
"Uh...yeah. I s'pose you have a date then?"
"No. Not really, no."
"Uh..."
There was an awkward silence before Harry realized what she wanted him to do. "So, uh...doyouwanttogotothemasqueradeballwithme?"
Cho furrowed her eyebrows. "Wha-?"
"Do-you-want-to-go-to-the-Masquerade-Ball-with-me?"
A big smile was plastered on her face. "Yes. Sure."
"Good. Perfect. I'll see there, then."
"Okay."
They looked at each other for awhile, not knowing what to say.
"Well, see you." said Cho.
"Right."
They stared at each other in silence again, waiting for the other person to go first. Harry expected Cho to leave first but Cho expected Harry to leave first. After a few minutes, Harry finally decided to go first.
"I better go. Ron and Mione are waiting."
"Okay."
Harry hurriedly ran to the Gryffindor Table and sat between Ron and Hermione, a big smile plastered on his face.
"Are you alright, mate?" asked Ron.
"Yeah. Perfect. Spectacular. Wonderful. Splendid. Life is just great, isn't it?"
Hermione and Ron exchanged confused looks and looked at Harry.
"Harry," Hermione started "are you alright? You seem a bit..."
"I'm perfect!" Harry said laughingly. "I asked Cho to the ball and she said yes."
"Oh..." Hermione and Ron said at the same time.
"Well, bad luck for Lavender." said Hermione.
Once everyone had arrived at the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood up and made his way to the front. He scanned everyone and nodded his head to himself.
"As you all know, the Masquerade Ball is just six days from now." he said "I hope that you all don't have any dates yet."
"He hopes we don't have any dates yet?" asked Seamus.
"Because if you did," Dumbledore continued "I will be very sorry."
Students started whispering to the person in front or beside them.
"We all know the meaning of inter-house unity. And because of that, I will choose your dates to the Masquerade Ball. Whoever gets to go with a person in their own house, I might say you are unlucky."
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long parchment in her hands. She gave it to Dumbledore who adjusted his spectacles while students were talking and whispering and some even crying.
"He can't choose our dates!" a girl from Hufflepuff shouted.
"SILENCE!" Dumbledore roared. He then proceeded by saying aloud names of girls and boys that will be going together. Some students were happy and some weren't.
"-- Ron Weasley with Angelina Johnson..."
"WHAT?!" Angelina screamed.
Ron was not at all angry nor sad. He was happy because he did not have a date before and Dumbledore saved him the trouble of finding one.
"--Neville Longbottom with Ginny Weasley, Cho Chang with Dean Thomas..."
Harry balled his hands into fists. He had just asked Cho and now he can't go with her. It was outrageas. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table where Cho gave him an apologetic look. Harry shrugged and turned back.
"--Gregory Goyle with Parvati Patil..."
Parvati screamed and cried. All the girls felt sorry for her.
"I...can't...believe...I'm...going...with...that...ape!" she cried.
"--Padma Patil with Ernie Macmillan, Harry Potter with Lavender Brown..."
Lavender smiled brightly and looked at Harry who burried his face in his hand. Ron gave him a pat on the back. "Tough luck, mate."
"--and lastly, Draco Malfoy with Hermione Granger."
"WHAT!" Hermione and Pansy both screamed.
Pansy, who was to be going with Montague, gave Hermione an icy glare. Draco balled his hands into fists and resisted the urge to punch something.
Hermione burried her face in her hands whilst Ron and Harry gave her a pat on the back. She couldn't believe this. She was going with Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy; her worst enemy. The one who said: "The last time The Chamber of secrets was opened a Mudblood died. So it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time. As for me... I hope it's Granger." during their second year.
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