There was no Quidditch practice today, Ron, Hermione and Harry were all hanging out in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was writing a letter to Dumbledore, requesting that she could invite Viktor Krum to the Yule Ball. Ron was talking to Harry about his plan to get Lavender Brown to go with him.
"She'll have to go with me after I give her a bouquet of siren flowers," said Ron, "no one can
resist siren flowers!"
He obviously was trying desperately to convince himself of this, and Hermione was too caught up in her letter to notice anything. She kept glancing down at the silver bracelet that Krum had sent her for her birthday. It was a wrap around mermaid, who occasionally waved and blew kisses. Ron kept biting his lips and rolling about on the couch.
"You don't think that she would have gone and asked Seamus Finnigan would you?" Ron asked nobody in particular. "They were partners in today's Herbology class!" He mumbled something else, and then counted something on his fingers.
Hermione got out a second sheet of parchment paper. And re-dipped her quill and scribbled out a very fervent sentence. She paused and then referenced a book.
Harry just sort of sat there and spaced. Why did everyone have to have love on their minds?
He began to feel a bit hot in the face. He shifted uncomfortably.
Trying to change the subject Harry said, "Now what would you all like for Christmas?"
No one was listening. Harry was breathing heavier, and his patience was growing thin. "I'm going to take a walk," Harry said suddenly, standing up and putting on his coat.
Hermione and Ron grunted slightly, and went on with what they were doing. Harry smoothed his hair back and walked out of the room. Snape exited his room just as Harry passed.
"Evening Potter," said Snape without looking.
"Good evening Professor Snape," Harry said cautiously. "Your room all better sir?"
Snape looked over at him with a look that Harry had never seen on his face, "Sparkling." Snape nodded at him and entered Dumbledore's office.
Harry shook his head and thought to himself, "has everyone gone mad around here?"
Peeves crept out of a grandfather clock and over to Harry. His wide mouth was twisted in suspicion. His beady eyes darted about the hall and he hovered in front of Harry, obviously trying out some sort of charades. Peeves put his hands on his hips and pouted like he was trying to decide something.
Harry watched in disapproval.
Peeves puckered his lips then looked around more.
Harry rolled his eyes, "I don't have time for your games Peeves." He brushed past the obnoxious ghost hastily. He continued on to a quiet room next to the library. The original use of the room was a mystery, but now it acted like a storage room. Boxes lay strewn here and there, and the smell of dust filled his nostrils. Harry lay down on the dusty couch to think.
"Finally some peace and quiet."
Harry looked about the room and accidentally fell asleep. He dreamt of dancers taking bows. It was the Yule ball. He saw himself dancing with a brown-haired girl, very pretty. Wait. No that was his father dancing. And the young girl must have been his mother. She smiled sweetly and said something that Harry couldn't hear to his father. The music was too loud to hear much. She looked down bashfully and looked back into his eyes. Harry could see that James had said, "Lily," but then his attention was taken away from her. Something had happened on the other side of the room. His mother screamed something, and his father gathered her close and hugged her tightly.
Harry woke up with a start. It was dark out. He looked to his side and he saw Peeves peer in the room and roll his eyes at Harry. Harry jumped off the couch and ran into the hall to find out how late it was. He ran straight into Professor McGonagall, who was quite surprised.
"Oh Harry! What are you doing out here?" she stammered, adjusting her glasses.
"I fell asleep in the storage room," Harry mumbled, embarrassed.
"Peeves had just recently warned me that someone was sneaking about Hogwarts," said the Professor with a light smile. "I assume that was you?"
"I guess," began Harry, "Peeves just passed by, but I wasn't sneaking about or anything."
"Well you should get back to your common room as soon as you can, it's about twenty minutes after curfew," she said, "I'll escort you if you like."
"Thanks, but I think I can manage," said Harry, "Goodnight Professor."
"G'night Harry."
Harry rushed back to Gryffindor as fast as his feet could carry him. He belted the password about 10 feet away from The Fat Lady, "BURGANDY FEET!" and he ran in just as the painting opened to the room. Ron was standing near the stairs leading up to their dorm, looking a bit worried.
"Where've ya been Harry?" he said, uncrossing his arms.
"I fell asleep in the room next to the library," said Harry.
"We noticed you were gone at dinner and we figured you were out visiting Hagrid or something."
They started walking up the stairs to their beds.
"Even Lavender noticed," said Ron, looking at Harry suspiciously.
"Oh. Is that so?" asked Harry, not really caring, as he climbed into his bed.
Ron looked as if he was considering saying more, by Harry simply said, "Goodnight Ron."
"Night Harry," said Ron, turning out the light.
"She'll have to go with me after I give her a bouquet of siren flowers," said Ron, "no one can
resist siren flowers!"
He obviously was trying desperately to convince himself of this, and Hermione was too caught up in her letter to notice anything. She kept glancing down at the silver bracelet that Krum had sent her for her birthday. It was a wrap around mermaid, who occasionally waved and blew kisses. Ron kept biting his lips and rolling about on the couch.
"You don't think that she would have gone and asked Seamus Finnigan would you?" Ron asked nobody in particular. "They were partners in today's Herbology class!" He mumbled something else, and then counted something on his fingers.
Hermione got out a second sheet of parchment paper. And re-dipped her quill and scribbled out a very fervent sentence. She paused and then referenced a book.
Harry just sort of sat there and spaced. Why did everyone have to have love on their minds?
He began to feel a bit hot in the face. He shifted uncomfortably.
Trying to change the subject Harry said, "Now what would you all like for Christmas?"
No one was listening. Harry was breathing heavier, and his patience was growing thin. "I'm going to take a walk," Harry said suddenly, standing up and putting on his coat.
Hermione and Ron grunted slightly, and went on with what they were doing. Harry smoothed his hair back and walked out of the room. Snape exited his room just as Harry passed.
"Evening Potter," said Snape without looking.
"Good evening Professor Snape," Harry said cautiously. "Your room all better sir?"
Snape looked over at him with a look that Harry had never seen on his face, "Sparkling." Snape nodded at him and entered Dumbledore's office.
Harry shook his head and thought to himself, "has everyone gone mad around here?"
Peeves crept out of a grandfather clock and over to Harry. His wide mouth was twisted in suspicion. His beady eyes darted about the hall and he hovered in front of Harry, obviously trying out some sort of charades. Peeves put his hands on his hips and pouted like he was trying to decide something.
Harry watched in disapproval.
Peeves puckered his lips then looked around more.
Harry rolled his eyes, "I don't have time for your games Peeves." He brushed past the obnoxious ghost hastily. He continued on to a quiet room next to the library. The original use of the room was a mystery, but now it acted like a storage room. Boxes lay strewn here and there, and the smell of dust filled his nostrils. Harry lay down on the dusty couch to think.
"Finally some peace and quiet."
Harry looked about the room and accidentally fell asleep. He dreamt of dancers taking bows. It was the Yule ball. He saw himself dancing with a brown-haired girl, very pretty. Wait. No that was his father dancing. And the young girl must have been his mother. She smiled sweetly and said something that Harry couldn't hear to his father. The music was too loud to hear much. She looked down bashfully and looked back into his eyes. Harry could see that James had said, "Lily," but then his attention was taken away from her. Something had happened on the other side of the room. His mother screamed something, and his father gathered her close and hugged her tightly.
Harry woke up with a start. It was dark out. He looked to his side and he saw Peeves peer in the room and roll his eyes at Harry. Harry jumped off the couch and ran into the hall to find out how late it was. He ran straight into Professor McGonagall, who was quite surprised.
"Oh Harry! What are you doing out here?" she stammered, adjusting her glasses.
"I fell asleep in the storage room," Harry mumbled, embarrassed.
"Peeves had just recently warned me that someone was sneaking about Hogwarts," said the Professor with a light smile. "I assume that was you?"
"I guess," began Harry, "Peeves just passed by, but I wasn't sneaking about or anything."
"Well you should get back to your common room as soon as you can, it's about twenty minutes after curfew," she said, "I'll escort you if you like."
"Thanks, but I think I can manage," said Harry, "Goodnight Professor."
"G'night Harry."
Harry rushed back to Gryffindor as fast as his feet could carry him. He belted the password about 10 feet away from The Fat Lady, "BURGANDY FEET!" and he ran in just as the painting opened to the room. Ron was standing near the stairs leading up to their dorm, looking a bit worried.
"Where've ya been Harry?" he said, uncrossing his arms.
"I fell asleep in the room next to the library," said Harry.
"We noticed you were gone at dinner and we figured you were out visiting Hagrid or something."
They started walking up the stairs to their beds.
"Even Lavender noticed," said Ron, looking at Harry suspiciously.
"Oh. Is that so?" asked Harry, not really caring, as he climbed into his bed.
Ron looked as if he was considering saying more, by Harry simply said, "Goodnight Ron."
"Night Harry," said Ron, turning out the light.