Chapter Three: First Date

         Harry had to admit, he was still as nervous as he had been in the beginning.  The day of the next show, he paid even less attention in History of Magic than usual, and didn't even notice when Professor Binns announced that he'd forgotten his notes, and floated through the chalkboard and out of the classroom.  The ordinarily quiet classroom immediately livened up, and talk of The Bachelor filled the air.  Feeling he might be sick, Harry took off for the nearest bathroom.

Ron didn't wake up when Professor Binns left, and he emitted a loud snore as Hermione turned to ask him where Harry'd gone.  Leaning back in her chair, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation that was taking place between the girls behind her.

"You're really lucky to be going out with him," a high-pitched voice was saying.  "He's so cute!"

Another voice chimed in, "Yeah, Ashley, you're one lucky witch.  Have you seen Harry move on that Quidditch field?  Wow.  I've got two words for him: Nice arse."

Hermione snickered quietly to herself, sorry Ron was missing this.  But then, she reasoned, if Ron were awake, he might see the expression of agreement on her face.

A third female voice spoke up.  "Oh, Carrie, are you telling me you actually watch those Quidditch games?  I mean, of course Harry's got a nice arse, but I prefer to check it out when he's not playing that icky… sport."

Hermione was kind of taken aback.  A witch who disliked Quidditch was definitely not going to click with Harry.

"I like sports!" Carrie said indignantly.

"Good for you.  I don't."

As Harry re-entered the classroom, so did Professor Binns, and the class sunk back into its usual coma.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry met up with everyone in the Entrance Hall.  He had no idea which girls were going to the library with him tonight, but they'd all been notified in advance by owl.  Harry's shoulders drooped a little when he saw that Cho wasn't among the five girls who appeared in the Entrance Hall. 

Bagman narrated their every step as they walked through the corridor to get to the library, but once they reached their destination, Bagman left, leaving Harry alone with the five witches, the Memory Capturer and Madam Pince, who was watching them contemptuously.  He turned to the girls.  "Okay," he said, "Let's look for a book."

All of them rushed off to different sections of the library except for a cute strawberry blonde girl.  Harry looked questioningly at her.  "Um, how come you're not looking for a book?" he asked.  She shrugged.  "Oh… uh, do you like reading?" Harry pressed on.

"Do you?" she asked him, smiling.

"Well… yeah, I guess.  It depends on what book I'm reading, really," he answered, scanning the bookshelves for the "Qs".  "Uh, what was your name again?"

"Ashley," she replied.  "So what types of books do you like reading?"

Harry grabbed a book off the shelf—Quidditch Through the Ages.  "These types of books."

Ashley lit up.  "Cool!  Me too.  What's your favorite team?"

"The Chudley Cannons," Harry said.  "You?"

"Me too!  Wow, we're going to get along great!" Ashley

exclaimed.

The other girls were gradually coming back toward Harry and Ashley, so he gestured for everyone to sit down at a large table.  "So, what did everyone get?" Harry asked.

Everyone held up their books for Harry to see.  Hannah had a book Harry was familiar with, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.  Jessica had Exploding Fluid and You while Ginny had The Life and Times of Priscilla McMurphy.  He noticed that Susan had no book at all.  "Where's your book?" Harry asked her.

Susan slumped down in her seat.  "I don't read," she muttered.

"Oh… you mean you can't read?" Harry guessed.

"Nah, I can," Susan corrected him.  "I just… don't."

Harry couldn't tell if she was shy, or what, so he struck up conversation with the other four witches.  He thought Jessica's book looked the most interesting.  "So, Jessica, why'd you get Exploding Fluid and You?"

Jessica's lips formed into a huge grin that made her look completely insane.  "I like fire," she said.  "And explosions."

Harry quickly tried to change the subject, as Jessica looked as if she might blow up the next item she saw.  "Wow, that's…"—he paused to cough—"weird, how 'bout you, Ginny?"

Ginny blushed heavily when Harry turned his attention to her.  "Well, I really like fashion and stuff, and Pricilla McMurphy created Sleekeasy hair potion and Cover Witch products, so I thought I'd like to read—"

A loud snort of laughter interrupted Ginny.  Everyone turned to find Ashley smirking.  "Judging by your outfit, you'd never guess that you're into fashion, Ginny."

Blushing even more, Ginny stuttered, "Um… well, I… I can't really afford—"

"You don't have to explain anything to her," Harry said suddenly.  He was glaring daggers at Ashley, who looked rather taken aback by Harry's statement.  "I think this date is over.  C'mon, Ginny."

Tears forming in her eyes, Ginny let Harry put his arm around her and lead her back to the common room. 

Ron jumped up immediately when Ginny and Harry entered.  "Ginny?  What's the matter, what happened?"

Harry handed the crying Ginny over to her brother as he explained about Ashley. 

"That snobby little wench!" Ron raged, clenching and unclenching his fists.  "Wait till I get a hold of her, Ginny, I don't care if she's a girl, I'm going to teach her to mess with my little sister!"

Hermione, who had been reading on the couch, walked over and led the sobbing Ginny over to where she'd been sitting.  Ron and Harry plunked into the chairs that were on either side of the couch.  "Gin, I'm sorry Ashley said that to you.  Try not to let it get to you too much, she isn't worth it," she said. 

Ginny nodded, but kept crying into her hands.  Hermione handed her a tissue as she asked, "What book did Ashley pick out, Harry?"

"She didn't pick out any book," Harry explained.  "She said she liked the book I picked out, Quidditch Through the Ages."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully.  "I see.  Um… did she happen to mention what her favorite Quidditch team was?"

"Yeah.  First she asked me what team I liked, and after I told her, she said she liked the Chudley Cannons too," he said.

Hermione chuckled.  "Did she now?"

"What's so funny?" said Ron, who still looked very angry.

"Well," Hermione said, smiling, "I just find it sort of amusing that Ashley likes Quidditch so much now, when just this afternoon in History of Magic, she was telling her friends how much she hates it."

Ginny sniffed and looked up at Hermione.  "She was?  Then why—"

"What it sounds like to me is that Ashley thinks she can get ahead in the game by agreeing with whatever Harry says.  And I'm not positive, but it doesn't look like she's earned any more points with Harry than Snape's added to Gryffindor, does it?" said Hermione.