A/N: **Singing along to walkman** More than a woman, more than you'll ever...oh, hey ya. Here's the next chapter- enjoy! **Back to singing** I'll be, I'll be, more than a woman, more than you'll ever...
Disclaimer: Same old, same old.
Dedication: Whoever invented holidays! I'm on mine now!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Harry climbed through the portrait hole quite late after Quidditch training one Thursday night. The common room was not as full as it had been before he left, but still quite busy. Even so, he could spot Shannon sitting alone by the blazing fire, shuffling a deck of Exploding Snap cards. He went over and sat next to her, causing her to glance up.
"Hey ya, how was practice?" she asked with a small smile which he returned, putting his broom down beside him.
"OK, but it was freezing." He shook his head. "Probably got frostbite."
"Ah, that's what you get for being such a good Seeker." Shannon stated, an air of false wisdom in her voice as she began to deal the cards into two piles, one for herself and the other for Harry.
"I thought you were in detention for the incident with the Dungbombs in McGonagall's desk." he asked, taking up the cards but not looking at them yet.
"Yeah, but it was with Flitwick. He can never decide what to make me do." She lowered her voice conspiratorially, pushing her tinsel hairband back in place. "I was stuck writing lines again, but I used a Duplication Charm when he wasn't looking. Just don't tell Hermione." She frowned. "Where is she anyhow?"
"I think she said she and Ron were going to see Hagrid."
"Yeah, well that's their story." Shannon snorted as she finished dividing the cards and began to rearrange her pile. Harry shook his head in wonderment at her and she looked at him confusedly. "What?"
"Why is it you always think like that?"
"Like what?" She realised what he meant. "Oh right. Well, I blame my childhood. Living in pretty remote villages has probably affected my mind. Lack of fellow pranksters."
Harry laughed. "So, who're you going with to the Winter Dance? There's only a week now."
She pulled a face. "Myself, at the moment. Would you believe that I've only been asked once?"
"Who by?"
Shannon hesitated as she laid down her first card and dropped her voice, leaning over to whisper, "Dennis Creevey."
Harry laughed again. "You're kidding!" But when she leaned back and he saw her somewhat disappointed expression and her flushing cheeks, he realised she was serious and shut up.
"No, I'm telling the truth. Poor kid, I said I wasn't sure I was going and that maybe he should ask someone else. I felt terrible when I saw his face." She sighed, then her look brightened with a lop-sided grin. "But how many is it now that have asked you to go? Or did you loose count after the first twenty."
Harry rolled his eyes and put down his first card too. On the night that the Winter Dance had been announced upon, the stream of Harry's admirers/wannabe girlfriends had started flooding up to ask him out. He'd been asked by girls from almost all years, of all descriptions, and from all houses- even a furiously blushing Slytherin first-year who was desperately trying to ignore the catcalls tossed her way by her classmates. As Hermione had said about Viktor Krum before the Yule Ball the year before, they only wanted to go with him because he was famous. He severely doubted that he'd get a second glance off of any of them otherwise. And he hadn't even considered asking Cho Chang- that was one girl definitely off of his list.
"So? C'mon, Harry, who're you going with?" Shannon pressured, setting down a second card.
"You're not going to let this drop, are you?" Harry's tone was exasperated.
"Me, drop gossip this good? Not likely!" She paused, aghast. "Oh my god, I'm starting to sound like Parvati. Anyways, you should know by now that the only thing I drop is homework in favour of other, more fun, pursuits. Like finding out who you're going with to the Winter Dance."
Harry sighed. "Why do we even have to have these dances?"
"It's to keep the female population happy." Shannon looked knowing. "They have to have a dance every so often or they go crazy and smash things up. Like the entire school."
There was silence as they played on, both lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Harry sat up. "I've got it!"
"The formula of how to turn lead to gold?" Shannon giggled.
"No. Look, I need to go with somebody to the Dance, you need to go with somebody to the Dance. Maybe we could go together."
Shannon looked him in the eye bemusedly. "Harry, that means we'd be going on a date."
"Yeah." He sighed as her eyebrows arched again. "C'mon Shan, as a favour."
She shook her head, smiling. "Oh, alright then."
"Great." Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Shannon, you won't blow anything up, will you?"
She snorted, smile still intact. "Been there, done that."
She laid down her final card onto the pile, and the deck exploded. The singed pair blinked then laughed.
"It's a date." Shannon chuckled.
*****
Kinda short, but it stands better on its own. Next chapter should be up soon. **Glances around** I should be revising for my exams at the moment, but I prefer this. Ahem, anyways, I leave now to find chocolate!
**Leaves to search the house for chocolaty goodness**
**Returns half an hour later, chocolate smeared around mouth**
Huh? You still here? Oh yeah, please review, next chapter up soon! ;-D
Disclaimer: Same old, same old.
Dedication: Whoever invented holidays! I'm on mine now!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Harry climbed through the portrait hole quite late after Quidditch training one Thursday night. The common room was not as full as it had been before he left, but still quite busy. Even so, he could spot Shannon sitting alone by the blazing fire, shuffling a deck of Exploding Snap cards. He went over and sat next to her, causing her to glance up.
"Hey ya, how was practice?" she asked with a small smile which he returned, putting his broom down beside him.
"OK, but it was freezing." He shook his head. "Probably got frostbite."
"Ah, that's what you get for being such a good Seeker." Shannon stated, an air of false wisdom in her voice as she began to deal the cards into two piles, one for herself and the other for Harry.
"I thought you were in detention for the incident with the Dungbombs in McGonagall's desk." he asked, taking up the cards but not looking at them yet.
"Yeah, but it was with Flitwick. He can never decide what to make me do." She lowered her voice conspiratorially, pushing her tinsel hairband back in place. "I was stuck writing lines again, but I used a Duplication Charm when he wasn't looking. Just don't tell Hermione." She frowned. "Where is she anyhow?"
"I think she said she and Ron were going to see Hagrid."
"Yeah, well that's their story." Shannon snorted as she finished dividing the cards and began to rearrange her pile. Harry shook his head in wonderment at her and she looked at him confusedly. "What?"
"Why is it you always think like that?"
"Like what?" She realised what he meant. "Oh right. Well, I blame my childhood. Living in pretty remote villages has probably affected my mind. Lack of fellow pranksters."
Harry laughed. "So, who're you going with to the Winter Dance? There's only a week now."
She pulled a face. "Myself, at the moment. Would you believe that I've only been asked once?"
"Who by?"
Shannon hesitated as she laid down her first card and dropped her voice, leaning over to whisper, "Dennis Creevey."
Harry laughed again. "You're kidding!" But when she leaned back and he saw her somewhat disappointed expression and her flushing cheeks, he realised she was serious and shut up.
"No, I'm telling the truth. Poor kid, I said I wasn't sure I was going and that maybe he should ask someone else. I felt terrible when I saw his face." She sighed, then her look brightened with a lop-sided grin. "But how many is it now that have asked you to go? Or did you loose count after the first twenty."
Harry rolled his eyes and put down his first card too. On the night that the Winter Dance had been announced upon, the stream of Harry's admirers/wannabe girlfriends had started flooding up to ask him out. He'd been asked by girls from almost all years, of all descriptions, and from all houses- even a furiously blushing Slytherin first-year who was desperately trying to ignore the catcalls tossed her way by her classmates. As Hermione had said about Viktor Krum before the Yule Ball the year before, they only wanted to go with him because he was famous. He severely doubted that he'd get a second glance off of any of them otherwise. And he hadn't even considered asking Cho Chang- that was one girl definitely off of his list.
"So? C'mon, Harry, who're you going with?" Shannon pressured, setting down a second card.
"You're not going to let this drop, are you?" Harry's tone was exasperated.
"Me, drop gossip this good? Not likely!" She paused, aghast. "Oh my god, I'm starting to sound like Parvati. Anyways, you should know by now that the only thing I drop is homework in favour of other, more fun, pursuits. Like finding out who you're going with to the Winter Dance."
Harry sighed. "Why do we even have to have these dances?"
"It's to keep the female population happy." Shannon looked knowing. "They have to have a dance every so often or they go crazy and smash things up. Like the entire school."
There was silence as they played on, both lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Harry sat up. "I've got it!"
"The formula of how to turn lead to gold?" Shannon giggled.
"No. Look, I need to go with somebody to the Dance, you need to go with somebody to the Dance. Maybe we could go together."
Shannon looked him in the eye bemusedly. "Harry, that means we'd be going on a date."
"Yeah." He sighed as her eyebrows arched again. "C'mon Shan, as a favour."
She shook her head, smiling. "Oh, alright then."
"Great." Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Shannon, you won't blow anything up, will you?"
She snorted, smile still intact. "Been there, done that."
She laid down her final card onto the pile, and the deck exploded. The singed pair blinked then laughed.
"It's a date." Shannon chuckled.
*****
Kinda short, but it stands better on its own. Next chapter should be up soon. **Glances around** I should be revising for my exams at the moment, but I prefer this. Ahem, anyways, I leave now to find chocolate!
**Leaves to search the house for chocolaty goodness**
**Returns half an hour later, chocolate smeared around mouth**
Huh? You still here? Oh yeah, please review, next chapter up soon! ;-D