The Snowman Contest
Author: Light Spinner
Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS or HP.
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After the battle with the First the Scoobies had briefly scattered, but had always made sure to get together for the holidays. They'd also started a couple traditions. The 'mini-slayers' and new watchers did a Secret Santa-thing every year, and the Scoobies had a snowman contest. After awhile it became known as The Annual Snowman Museum, which of course went down whenever the sun decided it would.
Dawn gazed at the beautiful England snow with longing. A few months earlier a man named Albus Dumbledore had contacted the new Watchers' Council about help in some magical war. The gang was currently in England to help with it however they could. But Dawn was wondering if they'd have the competition, or if it would be tossed aside because of world peril, but she wasn't going to bring it up. She was worried the gang might start treating her like a kid again if she did. That wasn't something she was going to let happen. Her ears perked when she heard Willow bring it up.
"I don't know, Will," Buffy replied. "What about all these people. They're including us in the holidays this year. Should we really do something that could exclude them?" They were currently in the Order of the Phoenix's HQ. That seemed like a pretty pretentious title to Dawn. After all, it actually had nothing to do with a phoenix.
"Well, we usually do teams of two. So why don't we have one Scoob and one wizard team ups," suggested Xander. Looking at his redheaded best friend, he added, "Willow would count as Scoob, not a witch." The conversation continued, with them hashing out the details. After that Buffy quickly snagged Remus for her partner, and went to talk to some of the older witches and wizards about judging the contest.
Noticing a tall, studious looking redhead, Dawn slinked over. "Hey," she greeted. "I'm Dawn Summers, and you are?"
"Percy Weasley," he answered, with carefully hidden confusion.
"Well, Percy, what do you do?" They continued small talking for a while, getting to know each other and relax to a point when Percy asked why she'd gone over to see him. Then she remembered the contest, which had slipped from her mind during the course of their conversation. "Okay, buttering you up's apparently not going to well," she joked. "Actually, I'd just about forgot that I was going to ask you to be my partner for the snowman contest. I want to win, and I think you could help, so please?" He looked slightly bemused at the prospect.
So she pouted.
And he gave in.
"All right, I'll do it," he answered. Then, because it was a contest, questioned, "Do you have any ideas on how to theme our snowperson?"
They talked for over an hour before deciding what they were going to do. And they were going to do it regardless of knowing it would freak people out. Or in Dawn's case, because they knew it would. The next morning they got up and to work so early that Xander and Tonks were the only others out there. Xander always took these competitions seriously. Well, not necessarily the contest, but the idea of everyone working and, more importantly, having fun.
Dawn and Percy were having a ball. They were talking the entire time that they worked, except for when snowball fights broke out between the teams, and when they took breaks they talked some more.
A few days later the judging took place and finally everyone was able to see the snowpeople, most of which's identities had been kept under heavy guard. The judges were Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley, and Giles, who had decided to sit out that year. They went through looking at the Marilyn Manson made by Faith and Ron, the robot made by Tonks and Xander. Willow and a forced Professor Snape had made the Wicked Witch, while Buffy and Remus had made The Terminator. The list just went on. Right above Percy and Dawn, who were last, on the list was Andrew who had made an array of snowhats. Only one charm was put on them by his partner, Hermione, and that was that they wouldn't melt.
Finally Dawn and Percy revealed their creation. Neither Dumbledore nor Mr. Weasley seemed to know what to think. Arthur was tied between feeling as though he should be appalled and wanting to laugh. And Giles was laughing, despite himself.
"Gotta say, Dawn. You guys made a killer creation right there," commented Faith.
"Isn't it," the younger brunette replied.
They had made a snowman of Voldemort.
"Oh, Harry," Percy called out. "After the winners are picked, you can kill it if you want." Harry glared at him, before bursting into laughter.