All But None

Ahlor. Desian Ahlor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the time line was a river

But it cracked and split in twain;

Half became my sanity,

but most became insane.

And the time line was a river

But it cracked and split in two;

And half became the within me

half the without you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WHAT?! Oh C'mon, Hooch! No way!" Ron's voice was faintly heard amongst the roar of the other Gryffindors, although seen because of the harshness of winter.

Harry had just received a penalty for a foul. All he did was… well, he rammed into the other seeker, but that was only because of a bludger sent in the wrong direction. Ron sat back down, flustered.

"Damn… git… poncing around like a-…" He murmured under his breath.

"Fond of Quidditch, are you?" A Scottish voice stirred his thoughts, as well his visualizations of throwing the Ravenclaw beater off a steep cliff onto some very sharp rocks.

"Uh- I-" He stumbled about, startled.

"Ahlor. Desian Ahlor." The shorter girl reached out her hand. Ron looked at her. She was in HufflePuff and the only reason he was so close to a HufflePuff was because all of the Gryffindor stands were filled. Even Hermione was forced off of them, but she was on the other side of the Gryffindor wooden bleachers, sitting with some of the Ravenclaw students themselves.

She was a very beautiful girl, even if a tad short, even Hermione was taller than her. Her hair was china black with deep colors of red and green wound so wildly throughout her hair, Ron got lost trying to find where one started and the other ended. Ron didn't remember seeing her anywhere, but, again, she was a HufflePuff, it seemed like her hair would pick her out like a sore thumb in any crowds, though. Her eyes shone a deep royal blue, like the ocean on a stormy day: harsh and rough, but beautiful.

"Uh- Ron. Ron um-Weasley," He reached out his hand about a second too late because the girl had already retracted hers. She had crossed her legs and placed her yellow scarf over her legs. It was after all, December, but only just.

She scooted in closer to Ron as he sat back in his seat on the wooden benches. They were hard as stone this time of year, almost frosted over, if not for slight warming charms that had to be spread along the whole stretch of bleachers.

The girl sighed and looked at Ron, flashing him a gorgeous smile that lit up her whole face and seemed to show off her eyes. For a moment he was caught there, gazing at her. She had a slight tan, even now, and it accented her hair.

"Are you going to answer my question or just act like a kneazle in the headlights?"

"I- uh… sorry, what was the question?" Ron had already forgotten, even though it was only a moment ago.

"I said, 'Fond of Quidditch, are you?"" She smiled again and Ron felt like if he tripped he could fall into her eyes as if they were a bottomless pit of bliss.

"Yes, very, actually. My favorite team's the Chudley Cannons."

"Oh? What about Harry? Big fan of his, too?" She asked, warming up to him in more than one way. Ron looked at her weird- didn't she know?

"I'm his best friend."

"That doesn't answer my question. Where's tha' girl? You know, brown tangly hair? Always around Harry? She's got a squeaky voice, too, like a squirrel." Ron couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, no, they're my friends, though, that's not funny."

"But you laughed," She pointed out. Ron gaped at her.

"I don't see why everyone likes him, anyway. I mean, so he didn't die once, well, he's got plenty of other chances, doesn't he? And he's not such a big hot shot anyway. It's not like he's cute or anything." It took a moment for Ron to realize she was talking about Harry.

"I-" Ron stumbled, forgetting his words. He was flabbergasted. He thought every girl in the school would just about keel over to be with Harry. Obviously not this one.

She was staring at the field, watching the captain of the Ravenclaw team fly this way and that, trying to block the quaffle from getting past him.

"I mean, sure, he's got that whole 'Don't-mess-with-me,-I'm-famous-thing going on, but, other than that? Eh…" She flipped her hand over, emphasizing the word 'eh'. She shrugged and looked at Ron, too see what he would say.

"Well, I mean… I thought everyone liked Harry? What's so wrong with him?" He asked, truly wanting to know.

"I dunno…" She began, not knowing where to begin. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"He's arrogant, self-centered, he doesn't care about anyone but himself, all he wants is glory, he never shuts up, his hair is way to wild, that scar- it just messes up his face, he's not that cute, and those stupid little glasses? Give me a break! Get some contacts, buddy!" Ron smiled as she waved her arm around her, showing enthusiasm. He was going to like this girl.

See, Ron was only in the bleachers for one reason. Harry. He had plenty of other reasons to not be there. He hadn't made the team, and Harry had. Ron was jealous at the time and his temper had gotten to him and he gave Harry a black eye. Which went nicely with his hair, he had thought at the time. But then Harry and Ron talked about it, and it wasn't that big of a deal. Ron could still be Harry's friend, and he could still watch him play, like he always did. It just wouldn't be him winning. It would be Harry.

"Hey, didn't you tryout for the Quidditch team?" Ron looked away from her at this.

"Yeah… I did."

***

Ron saw more and more of Desian throughout the next week, and less of Harry. Harry always had Quidditch practice, and he always went with the other players. Fred and George never seemed to be around, either.

Even Hermione had left. She was hanging around Cho Chang, now. She was beginning to look a whole lot prettier and a whole lot more popular, thanks to Cho and her friends. He almost never saw her, except in classes, but that was only when she was gibbering away with Lavendar over some shade of purple.

Desian was a year older than him, so she wasn't in any of his double classes, but he saw her more than he saw Harry. They saw each other in the hallways and ate together in the Great Hall and walked each other to their classes. It felt as if Harry was ignoring him more and more these days. But Harry wasn't partners with him as much as he used to be, pairing off with Seamus a lot because they had both made the team.

Ron always ended up with Neville or Dean.

Meanwhile, he couldn't stop thinking about Desian. Her beautiful, shoulder-blade length hair, bouncing as she walked, the light hitting her streaks. Her eyes changed, he found out. They weren't always navy blue. That was only when she was happy. When she was angry or mad, they turned completely black, melding in with the pupil. When she felt sad or down, they were a lighter blue, and when she was uncomfortable- which rarely happened- they were a greenish color. He thought she was beautiful.

One day, he was walking back to the Gryffindor common room from a very delusional hour of Professor Trelawney's bickering over Harry's death. He rubbed his temples, thinking, 'Why does he get all the attention? He didn't even do anything. Lucky son of a-'

"Oi! Ron!" Desian's voice entered his head and made him turn to see her chasing after him. She was wearing a scarlet sweater underneath her black school robes, and of course her robes were untied, against school rules, showing off her black plaited skirt and nice legs, as well.

"Hey, Desian." She caught up to him, carrying a red book in her right arm and a quill in the other. She was slightly out of breath and had to catch it before she could speak.

"…Hi. I just came from Herbology, stupid plant bit me-" She revealed a growing red and purple-ish spot on her forearm.

"Ouch," Ron grimaced.

"Yeah, What I said." She smiled and kept walking with him to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Um, shouldn't you be going to the HufflePuff common room?" Ron asked.

"No, I'll just go with you to the Gryffindor one, unless you don't want me to," She smiled that brilliant smile of hers and held her book against her chest. Ron had yet to figure out what it was called.

"No- I just…"

"Don't know the password? I do. It's um... oh yeah, cherries jubilee!"

"How do you know that?" Ron asked, astounded.

"I know a lot, and I can teach some of it to you, too."

"I never thought HufflePuff were this outgoing - or bad," Ron said slowly. "You're not exactly a normal HufflePuff, are you?"

Desian whipped her hair back and laughed. "Who said I was a HufflePuff in the first place?"

Ron stared, mouth gaping," But you - how can you not - what's going -"

Desian placed her forefinger over Ron's mouth to stop the babbling and smiled that smile Ron couldn't stop thinking about, "I do go to this school, true, but what if-," Desian's blue eyes flashed, "what if I don't belong in a House? I choose to be in HufflePuff for the moment because that's where the Sorting Hat "put" me. But I was shown the way to real glory and power. I'm not part of just one house; I live in all of them"

"All of them?" Ron echoed. Desian nodded.

"Cherries Jubilee," Desian mumbled, still looking at Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, dearie." The fat lady responded as she swung forward, allowing the teenagers in.

"Uh-" Ron stuttered, as he found he was doing more and more often around her.

"Come on," Desian took his hand and pulled him inside and plopped down on the couch, opening her book as she did so.

She smacked her gum and asked, "Right. Well, are you going to sit or stand there like a troll all day?"

Ron sat down next to her as Seamus walked through the portrait hole. He walked up the steps into the Common Room and stopped when he saw Desian.

"Uh, Ron- who's this? Mind introducing me to your… lady-friend?"

"Actually, Yes, Seamus, I do." Seamus looked hurt and Ron rolled his eyes.

'Rotten do-gooder…" he mumbled, then added, "Desian, Seamus, Seamus, Desian."

"Nice to meet you," Seamus took a step forward and reached out his hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure- bye now," She replied without looking up. Seamus backed away, confused. Usually no one turned his blonde self down. This was an odd feeling for him. He climbed the steps to the dormitories, shaking his head as he went.

"I want you to meet some of my friends, for a change," Desian said, lifting her head.

"Like?" He asked as he kicked his feet up on the wooden table in front of the dead fire.

"I dunno, whoever's in the Common Room? Come on, it's boring in here," and with that she stood. Ron followed suit.

"I don't think-" Hermione wouldn't approve of this sort of action, going into other people's Common Rooms…

"Oh, come on!" She took his hand and went out the portrait hole, passing a wide-eyed Harry as he went. He decided he didn't care what Hermione would approve of.

***

"Snakesfang." Desian murmured, and the

"I don't know why we're doing this."

"Why not?"

"Because you haven't told me why," he replied.

"No- why not is the reason, Ron."

"Oh- knew that." She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, maybe there are actual people that matter in here." They walked into the green common room and Ron was reminded of two years ago, when he came in here in a different body, a larger body. Luckily, neither Crabbe nor Goyle were in the room now, but that was surprising because Draco Malfoy was. He thought Crabbe and Goyle were on a special order to follow Malfoy around and look like bumbling idiot. The latter wasn't very hard for them, though.

He was sprawled out on the couch, his feet propped up on the stone table in front of the dead fire. Very much in the same position Ron was in the Gryffindor Common Room, only, Malfoy had a book- the same book Desian had.

"Desian! Let's go-" He whispered harshly in her ear he caught her arm. She looked back at him.

"Why?" She asked, quite unsure why he'd want to leave, especially now.

"Because- he's in here, come on-"

"Ron? Oh, please. Come on," She dragged him the rest of the way inside and flung both of them on a couch opposite Draco. He looked up and smiled at her then his face expression soured when he saw Ron.

"Why's he in here?" He asked Desian, who was busying herself in her book again.

"I brought him, is that okay with you, Draco?" She looked up at the end of her sentence and smiled at him. Draco sneered.

"I don't see why," He told her.

"And that's my problem?" She returned to her book and Ron decided just to stay quiet.

"Well, can't he leave?"

"No, he's here. With me... Ron stays here," She replied, not looking up again.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Ron demanded, somewhat plaintively.

Desian and Malfoy both whirled on him. "No!" they said in unison.

Ron leaned back in his seat. "Right," he said. "Just checking."

"I'm not saying you don't have to go with him," Draco returned back to Desian.

"But you're thinking that, aren't you? Just like I'm not saying I want to push you off a high cliff. But I'm thinking it," She countered. Draco looked startled, a new expression for Ron to see. He was always so collected around everyone else.

Then, oddly, he began to laugh. So did Desian. Ron found this situation very awkward as he didn't know what was so funny, and he had never seen Draco smile a smile that wasn't a malicious grin or a sneer before.

"Did I-" Ron began, but he was cut off as Desian stood and so did Draco, and they hugged in the middle of the room. Ron was astounded. Hugging? Including Malfoy? No way. Their laughing subsided and Desian turned back to Ron, then went to sit down on the couch. Draco sat next to her and Ron very reluctantly joined them. He stayed on the farthest side from Draco as he could possibly get. They chatted for a while, forgetting Ron was there, and then Malfoy looked up and saw Ron, his face undistractingly bored.

"So. What is with Weasley?" Draco asked, jerking his head towards Ron.

"He's cool. Back off. I'm bored, let's do something," Desian changed the subject quickly.

"Like?"

"I dunno. Ron?" His name being called brought him back to reality. He was back in the Slytherin common room.

"Uh… I dunno. How about we slip out of here and terrorize muggle-borns with evil curses in their beds?" Ron joked sarcastically.

"Don't be silly," Desian waved him off, "we can't be using evil curses on them, we'd have to use something else, like… drunk curses."

"Or go-through-other-people's-stuff curses," Malfoy added. Ron looked at them. They were kidding, right?

Desian turned to Draco, "Got anything like an invisibility cloak?"

"No, my father took it from me. He said he needed it for something, I forget what. He said he'd send me a new falcon in exchange for it." Desian nodded and reached out to pull Ron closer to her. He almost fell on top of her and ended up leaning his head on her shoulder. He still didn't want to be this close to a Malfoy. He hated him.

"But Potter does. Potter's got everything. Ugh, it's repulsive," Draco balked. Ok, maybe Ron didn't hate him that much.

"I know, sickening," Desian added.

"Right. Well," Ron added to the conversation, "Guess that means we can't do that, then."

"No, it doesn't. Draco- don't you have some sort of spell we can use? Invisibility spell?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

"Of course, my good maid. I'll just go and fetch it- it's written down in my room somewhere," He told her as he hopped from his position and raced up the steps. Ron shook his head. Draco- racing? This was all very new to him.

"Anyway." Desian turned to him. Ron dropped his head back until it hit the back of the couch and closed his eyes. It was quiet for a moment.

He only opened them when he felt a slight kiss brush his lips. He looked at Desian, but she was wrapped deeply into that book of hers. Ron shook his head. Was it his own imagination? Was he-

"Found it! It's Lacuna," he called.

"Alright. Let's go," Desian smiled her perfect smile that lit up her face. Ron couldn't help but be pulled out of the Common Room as Draco murmured 'lacuna' under his breath to all of them and they shimmered into nothing, blending with the background.

A/N:

Recources:

1) Desian Ahlor- Um, well, I gave Brian the word color and the word Jessica and we came up with this.

2) ... Ron stays here," She replied, not looking up again.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Ron demanded, somewhat plaintively.

Desian and Malfoy both whirled on him. "No!" they said in unison.

Ron leaned back in his seat. "Right," he said. "Just checking."

-From Draco Veritas by Cassandra Claire

3) Lacuna: Means a hole, empty space; pond, pool; deficiency, loss in Latin.

NEXT CHAPTER:



Ron, Desian and Draco disperse along the corridors, almost get caught, Ron almost kills Draco. Harry starts to wonder. Ron blows Harry off, and Hermione forgets them both. (Oh, and Ron gets more evil)