Okay, part three is here. First, tho, a short correction from part
two. When Seamus waves his wand after the door closes, it should say a
'small explosion shook the common room.' I'll have to fire my proofreading
monkeys if they slip up like that again (glares at monkeys).
Since FFN doesn't like my italics, until I figure out how to do them (or one of you great reviewers tell me), I'm using these little star things to denote thoughts******.
On a third note, have you noticed that there are only about 15 people named in Gryffindor? If I'm not mistaken, there are about 1000 students in Hogwarts, divided to the four houses. Let's say that the majority (the average) go into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff - say 60%. 20% for Slytherin and Gryffindor each. That would make under 10% of the Gryffindor house named. Are there really about 180 bodies walking around never doing anything? Sorry for the little rant and all. That's just bugged me for a bit now.
Well, without further adieu,
Dinner was quite a bit more raucous than normal. The other classes were having their parties after the meal as well, so naturally, the children were all much more hyper than normal. The tables were all festively decorated in reds and greens, and the ceiling was enchanted to look like a snowy morning. Even neater, nearly giving Dennis a start, was the little white specks that floated down and then disappeared. It looked as if it were snowing in the Great Hall.
The majority of Gryffindor was there, only Harry, Ron, and Seamus and a few other stragglers had yet to show up. Hermione was getting a little anxious about Harry and Ron, since she'd not seen them in a bit. She was contemplating getting up and going to look for them herself when Seamus strolled over to the table. His hair was a little blackened and he had apparently wiped most but not all of something from his face.
"Seamus, you have a bit of, er, something right above your eye," she said as he sat near her.
"Oh, thanks," he said wiping again, trying not to look guilty and almost succeeding.
"Seamus Finnigan, what did you do?"
"Oh, that. It's nothing really, just, you know. Those bloody pigeons."
"What?" Hermione was about to start a typical barrage of questions when she saw Ron and Harry walk into the Great Hall. "Never mind."
If she would have been touching the table, she would have shaken all the silver off on to the floor she was so jittery. When the two finally reached the table, she shot off her chair and was in front of them quicker than lightning.
"Harry, is everything okay? You're alright?"
"Yes, Hermione, I'm fine. Just like I told Ron, I just had to think for a while. I didn't mean to worry anyone."
"Well, we were just concerned. That's all," Hermione said, sitting back down.
Ron jumped, and turned to face an extremely innocent looking Seamus.
"Hello, Ronnikins. Nice of you to join us tonight," Seamus called in a voice that sounded like a thirteen year old Irish boy impersonating Barry White.
"Finnegan, I swear to Merlin that if you pinch my bum one more time, you'll draw back a stump."
Laughing hysterically, Seamus turned back to the table. Ron sat down on the other side of Harry, putting a bit of space between the Irish lad and himself. Of course, the rest of the table that heard was laughing too, so Ron just shook his head.
"Ron, you didn't ask him, did you?" whispered Hermione into Ron's ear after she composed herself.
"No, I didn't. I nearly did, but I stopped. He'll tell me when he's ready."
Conversations died down as Dumbledore said a few words, like gobbleeflip and grundlemeer, and then the food appeared. It was delicious, and the students quickly gorged themselves on the red and green turkeys and other colored food. They were all eager to get back upstairs for the party.
"Now, listen everyone, listen," Dumbledore was standing again. "I know that you all are happy that the term is over, but all those who are going home tomorrow, remember, don't stay up too late tonight, because morning will come much sooner than you think. I know that you don't want to hear me talk anymore, so feel free to return to your rooms. Have a Happy Christmas." He spread his arms in a dismissing gesture and sat back down.
People began filing out of the great hall. Ron walked quite carefully around Seamus, covering his rear as he went. Seamus, of course, chased him like a hunting dog.
"So Harry, ready for the party?" Hermione asked.
"Sure am. I thought the dinner would never end."
"It sure is convenient that all the other nameless people in our house are going home tomorrow and are going to bed early isn't it?"
"It sure is. I've not met a one of them in my three years here, so I don't know if I want to hang out with them or not," Harry replied, thinking the same thoughts as the author of this story.
Harry looked at the people remaining in the hall and saw someone that he needed to talk to. "Hermione, go on up, I'll be there in a minute or two."
"Uh, okay Harry, see you soon." Hermione started walking but spared a few parting glances back at Harry. She barely heard him mutter, "Neville, can I talk to you for a minute?" before she was too far away.
*Neville!!!! No, it couldn't be Neville, could it?* She thought as she headed up the stairs. *Well, he is cute. Whoever makes Harry happy*.
Back in the common room, the rest of the group arrived. Ginny was pouring cups of punch and egg nogg for everyone. The twins were talking to the quiddich girls (who do have names, but I don't feel like getting my books to find them) with Dean and Lee. Colin and Dennis were getting snacks, Parvati was behind them. Hermione was sitting near the tree with Seamus. Ron was sitting across from them, eyeing Seamus suspiciously. Harry and Neville walked in a short bit later. Neville looked a bit unsettled, Hermione noted, cementing her suspicions. Harry walked up to the dorms for a moment and returned and deftly slid another package under the tree while no one was looking.
Once Harry had gotten a cup of nogg, Seamus stood up and exclaimed
"Knolling Shona Dhuit everyone!!" everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared at the lad.
"What the bloody hell does that mean, Seamus?" Ron burst out after a few seconds of silence
"Well, Ronnikins, it means Happy Christmas."
"Oh, why didn't you say so then," Ron stammered and took a draught of his nogg and grimaced.
"I did, master Weasley," he replied, shooting a big grin at Ron.
"Right, right," Ron replied, getting up to get a refill.
Hermione glanced at the tree and noticed the stacks of presents. "Hey everyone, let's open presents now!" Everyone seemed quite agreeable to that. She played the part of Santa Klaus and passed the gifts out. Everyone had a few, so they just took turns opening them.
They went around the room once, and it came back to Ron. He picked up a soft and irregularly wrapped package. "It says 'from Dobby', he said "I wonder what it is."
Harry knew. Socks. He had a similar package in front of him, too. Ron unwrapped it, and pulled out two thick woolen socks. "Socks. Dobby gave me socks."
Seamus' face lit up like the Christmas tree he was seated next to. "Well, Ron, he probably gave them to you to replace the ones you have set aside for your 'midnight escapades'"
Ron's face went the deepest red imaginable. "I... Seamus you?.. I wait until everyone is asleep! I.. I" Ron takes another deep drink as the room once again erupts in laughter, Harry the hardest, Hermione a close second. Only Dennis, not quite sure what they're talking about isn't laughing.
((((just in case anyone missed that last comment, watch the front of American Pie))))
Ron gets up and gets yet another glass of egg nogg.
"Ron, how do you drink that stuff? It tastes bad," Hermione asks.
"Ah, it's not that bad," he says as he grimaces again. "this is a bit different than normal, though." On that, Seamus giggles most uncontrollably.
"Yeah, the punch is a bit odd too, but I like it," Hermione says. Seamus falls out of his chair laughing.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with him?" Ron asks, nearly missing his chair as he tries to sit back down. "I think he's a bit loony."
"Can't breathe!!" Seamus gets out between fits of laughter. He crawls back into his chair and wipes tears from his eyes.
They go back around the room, opening. Neville gets another Remembral so he can remember where the other one is. Harry also gets socks from Dobby. The turn comes back to Colin. He picks up a rather long, skinny package that doesn't anything written in the 'from' space of the tag. Only 'To Colin.'
"I wonder who this is from?" He asked, tearing the paper off. Inside there was a quill, a little bottle of ink, and two pieces of parchment. Colin picked up the two sheets. One was blank, the other had a little message in beautiful, flowing script. * 'the other one is for the autograph you've always wanted'* Colin read to himself.
"Well, who's it from, Colin," Dean asked as he pulled on his new sweater.
"I don't know. It doesn't say. Quite odd. Very nice quill, though." He looked around the room. "Dennis?"
"Not me Colin. You already opened mine."
"Oh, well."
"Punch anyone?" Hermione asked as she got up and headed to the table. A few 'me's' answered her. "I'll take an egg nogg," Ron called. She brought back a handful of cups.
Ron was on his eighth cup of nogg and his head was spinning like a child's top. He also felt quite randy. He hadn't felt like this since, well, about midnight yesterday. He had grown a little quiet while the others finished opening their gifts. *"Stop looking at Seamus, Ron*" he tried to tell himself. *"You're not gay, remember?"* "Shut up, head," he said aloud, causing everyone to look his way. He gave them a never mind gesture and went back to his drink. *"you know, he does look cute over there, and it has been almost an ENTIRE day, so."* "Oh, fine then, you win, head." This caused them all to look at him again.
"Ron, are you okay over there?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a bit odd at the moment."
*"Just do it, you bloody coward. You know you want to. Just look at him. Grrrr, tiger."*
Feeling it a bit more now, Ron sat back in the chair and looked directly at Seamus. "You're looking quite fine this evening. Either that, or someone spiked the egg nogg."
"Well, Ron, the answer to both is yes. Yes, I am looking quite fine tonight, and yes, I did spike the egg nogg."
"Seamus!! You spiked the egg nogg?" Hermione asked.
"Of course, you think that in three years I've not got that rum spell to work? And besides, how else could we get little Ronnikins to admit his feelings. Oh, and Fred, you two owe me ten pounds."
"You bet on me?" Ron exclaimed. "And you only bet 10?"
"Well, Ron, George and I have had suspicions now for a while. We weren't about to go and loose all our money, now were we George?"
"Absolutely not."
Ron looks like he is a bit mad, mostly at only being worth ten pounds, but instead of saying anything about it, he got up and went over and sat down between Hermione and Seamus.
They all talked for a bit, about everything and anything. Quiddich, that git Malfoy, anything. Everyone was getting a bit tired, some of it from the time now being after 1 am, the rest from the spiked punch. Dean had already headed up to the bedrooms, and Ron was halfway asleep with his head on Seamus' shoulder. Harry was standing behind the couch with Ron, Seamus and Hermione on it, talking to the three of them. Colin stood up and headed for the table.
"One more for me and then I think I'm going to turn in." He glanced towards the quartet by the couch and walked over to the table.
Harry glanced over at Neville and mouthed the words 'now' to him. Neville casually pulled his wand out and muttered 'wingardium leviosa' and waived his wand at a sprig of mistletoe, moving it over the punch table. Harry was over there faster than Filch and casually said to Colin, "Did you like my present?"
"The quill? It was from you? I love it. But Harry, I didn't get you anything."
"Yes you did. Look up."
Colin glanced up and noticed the mistletoe hanging above him.
"You got me the best present that I wouldn't admit I wanted."
"Did.. Did Seamus tell you then?"
"Yes, he did. You aren't mad at him are you?"
"Not mad, a bit embarrassed maybe, but not mad."
"That's good, then. Oh, Colin, I forgot to give you the other part of your present."
"There's more?"
"Yeah, just a bit more." With that, Harry leaned in and gave him the softest and sweetest kiss you could imagine. More tender than should be allowed and finer than the best wine. When they parted a good twenty seconds later, the found the rest of the room staring at them. Colin was mortified and began shaking a bit. Harry put his arm around him and pulled him tighter.
"Good show, Harry," Seamus said.
Hermione looked a bit surprised. She was sure it was Neville. A big grin spread across her face, though. "Happy Christmas Harry," she said.
"Yeah, Harry, Rolling Sunny Donut," Ron said.
"That's 'Knolling Shona Dhuit', Ron, get it right now." Seamus replied.
"That's what I said."
"Well, I never saw that coming, did you, Fred?" George asked.
"Nope, who was it we bet on again? Was it Harry and Malfoy, George?"
"Yes 'twas."
"Oh yeah, like that would EVER happen," Harry said, pulling Colin a bit closer still. Colin looked up into those green eyes and smiled and hugged Harry back.
On that note, the last page is turned and the book is shut. Happy Christmas.
Well, that concludes my first story. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope for loads of reviews. Please please please. I guess that is it. I'll get to work on my next couple of stories now, quite a bit darker than this one.
Since FFN doesn't like my italics, until I figure out how to do them (or one of you great reviewers tell me), I'm using these little star things to denote thoughts******.
On a third note, have you noticed that there are only about 15 people named in Gryffindor? If I'm not mistaken, there are about 1000 students in Hogwarts, divided to the four houses. Let's say that the majority (the average) go into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff - say 60%. 20% for Slytherin and Gryffindor each. That would make under 10% of the Gryffindor house named. Are there really about 180 bodies walking around never doing anything? Sorry for the little rant and all. That's just bugged me for a bit now.
Well, without further adieu,
Dinner was quite a bit more raucous than normal. The other classes were having their parties after the meal as well, so naturally, the children were all much more hyper than normal. The tables were all festively decorated in reds and greens, and the ceiling was enchanted to look like a snowy morning. Even neater, nearly giving Dennis a start, was the little white specks that floated down and then disappeared. It looked as if it were snowing in the Great Hall.
The majority of Gryffindor was there, only Harry, Ron, and Seamus and a few other stragglers had yet to show up. Hermione was getting a little anxious about Harry and Ron, since she'd not seen them in a bit. She was contemplating getting up and going to look for them herself when Seamus strolled over to the table. His hair was a little blackened and he had apparently wiped most but not all of something from his face.
"Seamus, you have a bit of, er, something right above your eye," she said as he sat near her.
"Oh, thanks," he said wiping again, trying not to look guilty and almost succeeding.
"Seamus Finnigan, what did you do?"
"Oh, that. It's nothing really, just, you know. Those bloody pigeons."
"What?" Hermione was about to start a typical barrage of questions when she saw Ron and Harry walk into the Great Hall. "Never mind."
If she would have been touching the table, she would have shaken all the silver off on to the floor she was so jittery. When the two finally reached the table, she shot off her chair and was in front of them quicker than lightning.
"Harry, is everything okay? You're alright?"
"Yes, Hermione, I'm fine. Just like I told Ron, I just had to think for a while. I didn't mean to worry anyone."
"Well, we were just concerned. That's all," Hermione said, sitting back down.
Ron jumped, and turned to face an extremely innocent looking Seamus.
"Hello, Ronnikins. Nice of you to join us tonight," Seamus called in a voice that sounded like a thirteen year old Irish boy impersonating Barry White.
"Finnegan, I swear to Merlin that if you pinch my bum one more time, you'll draw back a stump."
Laughing hysterically, Seamus turned back to the table. Ron sat down on the other side of Harry, putting a bit of space between the Irish lad and himself. Of course, the rest of the table that heard was laughing too, so Ron just shook his head.
"Ron, you didn't ask him, did you?" whispered Hermione into Ron's ear after she composed herself.
"No, I didn't. I nearly did, but I stopped. He'll tell me when he's ready."
Conversations died down as Dumbledore said a few words, like gobbleeflip and grundlemeer, and then the food appeared. It was delicious, and the students quickly gorged themselves on the red and green turkeys and other colored food. They were all eager to get back upstairs for the party.
"Now, listen everyone, listen," Dumbledore was standing again. "I know that you all are happy that the term is over, but all those who are going home tomorrow, remember, don't stay up too late tonight, because morning will come much sooner than you think. I know that you don't want to hear me talk anymore, so feel free to return to your rooms. Have a Happy Christmas." He spread his arms in a dismissing gesture and sat back down.
People began filing out of the great hall. Ron walked quite carefully around Seamus, covering his rear as he went. Seamus, of course, chased him like a hunting dog.
"So Harry, ready for the party?" Hermione asked.
"Sure am. I thought the dinner would never end."
"It sure is convenient that all the other nameless people in our house are going home tomorrow and are going to bed early isn't it?"
"It sure is. I've not met a one of them in my three years here, so I don't know if I want to hang out with them or not," Harry replied, thinking the same thoughts as the author of this story.
Harry looked at the people remaining in the hall and saw someone that he needed to talk to. "Hermione, go on up, I'll be there in a minute or two."
"Uh, okay Harry, see you soon." Hermione started walking but spared a few parting glances back at Harry. She barely heard him mutter, "Neville, can I talk to you for a minute?" before she was too far away.
*Neville!!!! No, it couldn't be Neville, could it?* She thought as she headed up the stairs. *Well, he is cute. Whoever makes Harry happy*.
Back in the common room, the rest of the group arrived. Ginny was pouring cups of punch and egg nogg for everyone. The twins were talking to the quiddich girls (who do have names, but I don't feel like getting my books to find them) with Dean and Lee. Colin and Dennis were getting snacks, Parvati was behind them. Hermione was sitting near the tree with Seamus. Ron was sitting across from them, eyeing Seamus suspiciously. Harry and Neville walked in a short bit later. Neville looked a bit unsettled, Hermione noted, cementing her suspicions. Harry walked up to the dorms for a moment and returned and deftly slid another package under the tree while no one was looking.
Once Harry had gotten a cup of nogg, Seamus stood up and exclaimed
"Knolling Shona Dhuit everyone!!" everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared at the lad.
"What the bloody hell does that mean, Seamus?" Ron burst out after a few seconds of silence
"Well, Ronnikins, it means Happy Christmas."
"Oh, why didn't you say so then," Ron stammered and took a draught of his nogg and grimaced.
"I did, master Weasley," he replied, shooting a big grin at Ron.
"Right, right," Ron replied, getting up to get a refill.
Hermione glanced at the tree and noticed the stacks of presents. "Hey everyone, let's open presents now!" Everyone seemed quite agreeable to that. She played the part of Santa Klaus and passed the gifts out. Everyone had a few, so they just took turns opening them.
They went around the room once, and it came back to Ron. He picked up a soft and irregularly wrapped package. "It says 'from Dobby', he said "I wonder what it is."
Harry knew. Socks. He had a similar package in front of him, too. Ron unwrapped it, and pulled out two thick woolen socks. "Socks. Dobby gave me socks."
Seamus' face lit up like the Christmas tree he was seated next to. "Well, Ron, he probably gave them to you to replace the ones you have set aside for your 'midnight escapades'"
Ron's face went the deepest red imaginable. "I... Seamus you?.. I wait until everyone is asleep! I.. I" Ron takes another deep drink as the room once again erupts in laughter, Harry the hardest, Hermione a close second. Only Dennis, not quite sure what they're talking about isn't laughing.
((((just in case anyone missed that last comment, watch the front of American Pie))))
Ron gets up and gets yet another glass of egg nogg.
"Ron, how do you drink that stuff? It tastes bad," Hermione asks.
"Ah, it's not that bad," he says as he grimaces again. "this is a bit different than normal, though." On that, Seamus giggles most uncontrollably.
"Yeah, the punch is a bit odd too, but I like it," Hermione says. Seamus falls out of his chair laughing.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with him?" Ron asks, nearly missing his chair as he tries to sit back down. "I think he's a bit loony."
"Can't breathe!!" Seamus gets out between fits of laughter. He crawls back into his chair and wipes tears from his eyes.
They go back around the room, opening. Neville gets another Remembral so he can remember where the other one is. Harry also gets socks from Dobby. The turn comes back to Colin. He picks up a rather long, skinny package that doesn't anything written in the 'from' space of the tag. Only 'To Colin.'
"I wonder who this is from?" He asked, tearing the paper off. Inside there was a quill, a little bottle of ink, and two pieces of parchment. Colin picked up the two sheets. One was blank, the other had a little message in beautiful, flowing script. * 'the other one is for the autograph you've always wanted'* Colin read to himself.
"Well, who's it from, Colin," Dean asked as he pulled on his new sweater.
"I don't know. It doesn't say. Quite odd. Very nice quill, though." He looked around the room. "Dennis?"
"Not me Colin. You already opened mine."
"Oh, well."
"Punch anyone?" Hermione asked as she got up and headed to the table. A few 'me's' answered her. "I'll take an egg nogg," Ron called. She brought back a handful of cups.
Ron was on his eighth cup of nogg and his head was spinning like a child's top. He also felt quite randy. He hadn't felt like this since, well, about midnight yesterday. He had grown a little quiet while the others finished opening their gifts. *"Stop looking at Seamus, Ron*" he tried to tell himself. *"You're not gay, remember?"* "Shut up, head," he said aloud, causing everyone to look his way. He gave them a never mind gesture and went back to his drink. *"you know, he does look cute over there, and it has been almost an ENTIRE day, so."* "Oh, fine then, you win, head." This caused them all to look at him again.
"Ron, are you okay over there?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a bit odd at the moment."
*"Just do it, you bloody coward. You know you want to. Just look at him. Grrrr, tiger."*
Feeling it a bit more now, Ron sat back in the chair and looked directly at Seamus. "You're looking quite fine this evening. Either that, or someone spiked the egg nogg."
"Well, Ron, the answer to both is yes. Yes, I am looking quite fine tonight, and yes, I did spike the egg nogg."
"Seamus!! You spiked the egg nogg?" Hermione asked.
"Of course, you think that in three years I've not got that rum spell to work? And besides, how else could we get little Ronnikins to admit his feelings. Oh, and Fred, you two owe me ten pounds."
"You bet on me?" Ron exclaimed. "And you only bet 10?"
"Well, Ron, George and I have had suspicions now for a while. We weren't about to go and loose all our money, now were we George?"
"Absolutely not."
Ron looks like he is a bit mad, mostly at only being worth ten pounds, but instead of saying anything about it, he got up and went over and sat down between Hermione and Seamus.
They all talked for a bit, about everything and anything. Quiddich, that git Malfoy, anything. Everyone was getting a bit tired, some of it from the time now being after 1 am, the rest from the spiked punch. Dean had already headed up to the bedrooms, and Ron was halfway asleep with his head on Seamus' shoulder. Harry was standing behind the couch with Ron, Seamus and Hermione on it, talking to the three of them. Colin stood up and headed for the table.
"One more for me and then I think I'm going to turn in." He glanced towards the quartet by the couch and walked over to the table.
Harry glanced over at Neville and mouthed the words 'now' to him. Neville casually pulled his wand out and muttered 'wingardium leviosa' and waived his wand at a sprig of mistletoe, moving it over the punch table. Harry was over there faster than Filch and casually said to Colin, "Did you like my present?"
"The quill? It was from you? I love it. But Harry, I didn't get you anything."
"Yes you did. Look up."
Colin glanced up and noticed the mistletoe hanging above him.
"You got me the best present that I wouldn't admit I wanted."
"Did.. Did Seamus tell you then?"
"Yes, he did. You aren't mad at him are you?"
"Not mad, a bit embarrassed maybe, but not mad."
"That's good, then. Oh, Colin, I forgot to give you the other part of your present."
"There's more?"
"Yeah, just a bit more." With that, Harry leaned in and gave him the softest and sweetest kiss you could imagine. More tender than should be allowed and finer than the best wine. When they parted a good twenty seconds later, the found the rest of the room staring at them. Colin was mortified and began shaking a bit. Harry put his arm around him and pulled him tighter.
"Good show, Harry," Seamus said.
Hermione looked a bit surprised. She was sure it was Neville. A big grin spread across her face, though. "Happy Christmas Harry," she said.
"Yeah, Harry, Rolling Sunny Donut," Ron said.
"That's 'Knolling Shona Dhuit', Ron, get it right now." Seamus replied.
"That's what I said."
"Well, I never saw that coming, did you, Fred?" George asked.
"Nope, who was it we bet on again? Was it Harry and Malfoy, George?"
"Yes 'twas."
"Oh yeah, like that would EVER happen," Harry said, pulling Colin a bit closer still. Colin looked up into those green eyes and smiled and hugged Harry back.
On that note, the last page is turned and the book is shut. Happy Christmas.
Well, that concludes my first story. I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope for loads of reviews. Please please please. I guess that is it. I'll get to work on my next couple of stories now, quite a bit darker than this one.
