Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

The moment Fleur opened her mouth to speak, Harry felt a sudden jolt of surprise course through his body, nearly causing him to jump back. He never expected the Fleur to assist him in this unexpected way, but her voice had already drawn the curious gazes of Cedric and Cho. Harry wanted to reach out, grasp Fleur's arm, and gently pull her back before she could continue... but he hesitated.

In fact, he could have simply turned on his back and walked away from the unfolding scene, leaving Fleur's words hanging in the festive air of the Yule Ball. However, her words seemed to have struck a chord deep within Harry's racing heart. He remained rooted to the spot, his posture was awkward and uncertain, as he tried in vain to control the small flicker of anticipation that sparked to life inside his chest.

"You... you want to invite me to dance?" Cedric asked, his voice tinged with surprise and a touch of confusion. His eyes darted nervously to Cho Chang, his date for the evening. As he noticed the wariness and subtle rejection that appeared on Cho's facial features while she looked at Fleur, Cedric's heart skipped a beat. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I... I feel... um, a bit tired at the moment--"

But Fleur didn't seem to hear Cedric's refusal at all. She was very clear about who was in charge in this situation. With a faint smile at her lips, she spoke to the Ravenclaw girl, "This ball, much like the Triwizard Tournament itself, is meant to foster understanding and friendship between our three schools, is it not?"

Cho hesitated for a moment as her eyes flickered with uncertainty. She glanced at Cedric, taking in his innocent, slightly perplexed expression, and after a moment of internal pondering, she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"All right, Cedric. I'll be waiting for you downstairs--" With those words, she turned and prepared to walked from the stage, intending to have a drink and rest for a while.

Cedric, still confused from Cho's unexpected consensus, barely had time to process the situation before Fleur's hand was entangled with his own, gently yet firmly pulling him to the opposite side of the stage.

Witnessing this surprising turn of events, Harry's heart leapt into his throat, pounding wildly against his skin. Fleur had cleverly manipulated Cedric away from Cho, all to create a precious opportunity for him...

Indecision still troubled Harry's mind, holding him back, but suddenly, Fleur glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes were locking with his. In that fleeting moment, she fixed him with a stern, meaningful look that seemed to say, "Don't waste this chance."

That single look shattered the fragments of Harry's hesitation like a hammer striking glass. Without a second thought, he sprinted forward and he called out to Cho, who was about to walk off the stage.

"Hey, wait!" Harry's voice rang out, tinged with urgency and breathlessness as he raced up behind the disappearing figure of Cho Chang. His heart was pounding so frantically that he could feel its vibrations in his fingertips, momentarily causing the world to tilt and spin around him.

"What? Oh... Harry?" As Cho turned, her eyes widened in surprise as she realized it was none other than Harry Potter who had called out to her. A rosy blush appeared across her cheeks, and she fidgeted nervously with her hands, as though she had been anticipating this moment, yet still found herself caught off guard.

Cho was wearing a silvery floaty dress tonight. Her black hair flowed down her back, tied into an elegant bun which undoubtedly matched Cho's temperament very well.

As Harry appeared closer, he noticed the slight luster of sweat that sparkled at Cho's temples due to her earlier dance with Cedric. But even this did nothing to diminish her allure. In fact, as Harry approached, his heart was almost bursting from his chest, he caught the faintest whiff of a sweet, intoxicating fragrance that seemed to emanate from the girl that made his heart race even faster.

"Dance with me--" The words tumbled from Harry's lips in a breathless rush, as his mind did not even allow him to overthink in this situation. He knew that if he paused to consider what he was doing; he might lose his courage and flee.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Cho asked softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, her eyes were widening slightly with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

"Would you... would you like to dance with me?" Harry repeated, his face flushing a deep crimson that extended to the tips of his ears. Despite his nervousness, he stood his ground, determined not to let this precious opportunity slip through his fingers. To be honest, he was a little glad now that he had come to the banquet with Fleur.

"Oh!" Cho's hand fluttered to her heart, her breathing was growing slightly erratic as she realized that Fleur's seemingly innocent invitation to Cedric moments ago wasn't that simple.

If Cho said she hadn't felt Harry's silent gazes during PE class, she would only be deceiving herself. Girls are especially sensitive to this kind of gaze. She had long noticed that Harry looked at her a little too often... and with an enthusiasm in his eyes.

She had kept these observations to herself, originally dismissing them as her misperceptions. After all, beyond the silent glances, Harry had made no open attempts to approach her. And by the time she confirmed that the famous Harry Potter might secretly like her, another boy had already entered her heart.

By all logic and reason, Cho knew she should politely decline Harry's request. But in that moment, standing there before her, his vulnerability and sincerity were laid bare, and she found herself unable to reject him directly.

"All right," Cho breathed, her voice sounding almost inaudible above the music and chatter that filled the Hall.

As Harry stared at the beautiful girl before him, his heart was sinking with each passing second of silence, a wave of embarrassment and disappointment crashed over him. Bracing himself for rejection, he began to turn away, ready to retreat into the shadows of the ball.

"I shouldn't have made such an unreasonable request. I'm sorry--"

Harry pursed his lips, ready to leave with a sense of loss.

"Don't--"

However, just as he was about to take a step, Cho suddenly came to her senses. She bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushed, looking very embarrassed, but still nodded slightly to Harry.

A wild, unrestrained joy surged through Harry's veins, chasing away the chill of rejection that had begun to settle in his heart. He stared at Cho, hardly daring to believe the reality of the moment, terrified that it might all be a cruel illusion, a trick of the light and his own desperate longing. Unable to contain himself, he blurted out, "Are you serious? Oh, no, I mean-- You're willing?"

This time Harry wouldn't mistake her meaning, because Cho nodded once more to him and her teeth sank into her lower lip as she murmured, "I'm willing, Harry--"

In that instant, Harry knew he had never heard a more beautiful phrase uttered in all his life. The simple words seemed to resonate with his very soul, filling him with a sense of happiness and contentment.

To the lively notes of music that flowed from the ice piano, beneath the shimmering golden light that bathed the Great Hall in its warm glow, Harry reached out and gently took Cho's hand in his own, marveling at the softness of her skin against his palm.

It was, without a doubt, the most wonderful sensation Harry had ever experienced. As their fingers intertwined, he felt all the pain, sorrow, and darkness in his life melt away, replaced by nothing but happiness that overflowed from his heart.

Harry even had the illusion that if he drew his wand and cast the Patronus Charm now, he could probably empty Azkaban with his power alone!

With one hand hovering just above Cho's waist, not quite daring to make contact, Harry clasped her other hand tightly, as though afraid she might slip away at any moment. He gazed deeply into her eyes, swallowing in every detail of her face. The way her long, dark lashes fluttered against her flushed cheeks, the delicate pink that tinged her skin, the curve of her scarlet lips... It all combined to stir an almost irrepressible desire within him, a longing to lean in and claim those lips with his own.

But reason still restrained this impulse. Harry knew he couldn't do this. If he really did, first Cedric would immediately rush over and punch him hard in the nose, and then his reputation would be ruined. Actually, if just these things could be exchanged for the chance to make this perfect moment last forever, Harry would sincerely be willing to gladly offer himself up as a sacrifice.

In the end, however, Harry resisted the temptation, not out of fear for his own well-being, but out of respect for Cho. He understood that to act on his desire would be a betrayal of her trust, a selfish act that would bring her pain and unhappiness. And that was something he could never bear to do.

Cho, sensing the intensity of Harry's gaze, shyly averted her eyes, focusing on a point just over his shoulder.

"I was going to invite you--"

Dumbledore and Madame Maxime, having just completed a dance that symbolized the friendship between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons were approached by an overly enthusiastic Hagrid. He eagerly swept Madame Maxime into his arms for the next dance. As they twirled past Harry and Cho, caught up in the excitement of the moment, Hagrid's shoulders accidentally collided with Harry's back, sending him stumbling forward.

Caught off guard by the sudden impact, Harry found himself plunging headfirst, his arms instinctively reached out to steady himself. In doing so, he inadvertently pulled Cho into a tight embrace, and their bodies were pressing together in a moment of unexpected intimacy.

"Mmph--" Cho's soft gasp of surprise was muffled against Harry's chest. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, neither of them moved, both aware of their closeness, and they could even feel each other's breath.

"--invite you to the ball together--" Harry managed to finish his sentence.

Even as he savored the feeling of Cho in his arms, Harry couldn't shake the prickling sensation of a murderous aura emanating from somewhere behind him. He knew, with a sinking certainty, that Cedric must have witnessed their embrace and would soon come marching over to defend his date.

The realization that their moment of short-lived happiness was about to come to an abrupt and potentially painful end filled Harry with a sense of despair. He understood that once Cho left his arms, she would likely never return, the brief connection they had shared was destined to fade into memory becoming a bittersweet "what might have been" that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Just thinking about it, Harry felt like his heart was being gripped by a cold hand. He even felt that his future life was pitch dark.

But before they parted, Harry knew he had to tell her the truth, the feelings that had been growing in his heart since the moment he first laid eyes on her. Drawing in a breath, he spoke rapidly, as the words tumbled from his lips in a desperate rush.

"I was going to invite you— But Diggory beat me to it... I... I actually--"

"I'm sorry, Harry--" Cho finally responded to Harry's gaze. She interrupted what Harry was about to say, staring into the green eyes where the flickering flames were gradually disappearing.

"I'm sorry--"

Cho repeated those words and the next second, she pushed away Harry's chest and left his embrace.

*******************************

For More Chapters; /FicFrenzy