Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides Ashlina and the plot.

A/N- The first picture is how I imagined Ashlina's face to look like, and the second is her from a distance. If you have a picture that you think fits her, please message me to let me know or post a review with a link to the page.

~Ashlina~

Without dance I cannot feel my soul, hear my heart, or see my dreams.
-Nahara-

Chapter 2: A Most Beautiful Form of Movement

"I'm going to hold you to that," I said, smirking at her. She merely smirked back and arched her eyebrow more.

"Really? We'll see. Come." She started walking towards the hallway on the right. I followed, transfixed by the fluid swaying motion of her hips. The rest of my summer was definitely going to be interesting…

~Ashlina~

I led him through the hallway, completely aware of the fact that he was ogling my ass. It made me slightly uncomfortable, but yet it was still amusing. I smirked; it wasn't as if he could see me. I contemplated calling him out, weighing the good and bad of both options.

"Tsk, tsk James, such a perverse little boy."

"Oh really? What did I do now?"

I spun around, still smirking. "Is a certain part of my body really an object of such fascination to you?" I smiled at him, putting just enough condescending into the smile to outweigh the sugary-sweetness. He opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off. "How about a business proposition? I am tired of this witty banter, as fun as it might be. I stop attacking your pride and wounding your dignity, and you stop making up double entendres and trying things you should not be. Deal?"

He gave me a little smile. "Deal."

"Good. Now we can actually begin the tour." I led him through the typical rooms; kitchen, bathrooms, living room, parlor, dining room, ballroom, etc. He politely marveled at each, commenting on the architectural beauty and charm of the place. "Well," I said, "that was just the beginning. Now I can start showing you the places that I actually like." With that, I led him into the sunroom. It was painted in a soft, creamy gold and plush white couches were arranged around coffee tables of glass and white marble. The carpet was the same pristine white as the couches, and the ceiling and walls of the room were made of glass, separated only by the large French doors. Sheer, ivory colored chiffon-like curtains that were edged in white lace draped across the door. Bouquets of lightest pink carnations and roses, white lilies and orchids, and butter-y yellow or champagne colored tulips and daffodils were scattered tastefully around the room in white vases of ceramic and wicker while rose petals in all three shades were scattered around each bouquet. The whole room had a feeling of light and freedom.

"Wow," he whispered, "this is beautiful."

"I know," I responded, "it's so relaxing eating breakfast in here or watching the sunrise." He walked around the room, marveling in the various textures of plush carpet, leather couches, cool ceramic, and the smoothness of a rose petal. "Ready to move on?" I asked, a soft smile playing around my lips. He nodded, and followed after me as I led him to my ballet studio. Each of the four sides of the room was covered in a single mirror, letting you move around without your reflection being broken. A double barre in simple wood was mounted a few inches away from the wall on three sides of the studio, with the first barre three feet off the ground and the second four inches about that. A small nook tucked away on the left side of the studio housed my movable barres and sound equipment. The floor was covered in a continuous sheet of gleaming white vinyl.

I waved my hand, pointing it at the CD player, and music began to play. I began to dance, not listening to the music, but letting it flow through me, letting it tell my body what to do. It became a part of me, as I started with a simple glissade assemblé combination that led me into a side entrance double pirouette and a tour jeté. Still in the arabesque that finished my tour jeté, I brought my leg into retiré and extended it out so my foot was level with my waist as I rose onto relevé. I stayed there for a moment, tilting my head toward my arm that was extended outward in second position. Then, I dropped my right leg that was raised into a tendu à la seconde, and brought my leg around in a demi rond de jambe to first position and executed a frontal grande battement with my left leg, then swung it back down and up again into attitude derriére as I rose onto relevé once again. I turned a full circle while my body appeared perfectly still (something I had learned recently), then stopped as the music paused. As the musicians went through a run that slowly increased in speed, I matched their pace to my turns, starting with piqués, and switching to chaînés as the run progressed, and as the section increased in energy, I started adding leaps and turns and culminating with fouetté en tournant into a grande jeté as the section ended. I waved my hand once more, the music stopped, and I heard clapping.

"That was… amazing. I've never seen anything like it before, it was just… so free and graceful and poetic."

I simply replied, "Ballet is the most beautiful form of movement." I studied him; his expression was filled with a sort of quiet respect and admiration, and something else that was unreadable. He murmured something under his breath. Curious, I asked him, "What was that?"

He murmured again, so quietly that it was just barely distinguishable even in the silence, "Lily is a dancer, too. A ballerina. My ballerina." I was curious, but didn't press as it didn't seem to be a topic he wanted to discuss. I wondered who this Lily was. He said my, so maybe she was his girlfriend. Then, I remembered the expression in his face that seemed almost sad, so I ruled his girlfriend out. Maybe she was his ex-girlfriend, I thought, that would explain the unwillingness he expressed.

A short awkward silence passed, and then I tried to break the tension. "Come on," I said, "I still have more to show you." He followed me silently, still with that unreadable expression, as I led him up six flights of stairs. We twisted and turned through various corridors, until I led him through a narrow hallway. We stopped in front of a small oak double door. I opened the door, and led him out onto the balcony as his jaw dropped in amazement. I let him take it in, the beauty of the view. I whispered to him quietly, not wanting to ruin this moment, "This is my favorite view, especially at sunrise and sunset. I'll have to show you some time." He nodded, and continued to stare at the view. I wasn't even sure he heard me.

After a good fifteen minutes of watching, I gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Come on" I said, "There's a lot more that I want to show you, but one more room that you need to see." I led him back down all the flights of stairs, through the hallway, and stopped right where we had begun: in front of the staircase. I spun around, making eye contact with him as directly as I could.

"I have to explain to you something. This is something that I haven't shown anyone. I know I haven't been here that long, but I personally planned and designed every aspect of this house and had it reviewed by a number of people, all who I have known for years and trust with my life. Never for a moment did I even consider showing them this room, and it was not a last minute edition. This room was the very first thing that I planned. Do not expect to understand how it works, but don't worry, there is nothing that will harm you in here if you are the kind of person that I take you to be."

Then, with a wave of my wand I blindfolded him.

A/N- Sorry about the long wait and how short the chapter is, I kinda got stuck . Anyways, the next chapter will be meeting James parents, the rest of the summer, and a very brief appearance of the other Marauders and some of my own characters at the end of the chapter. Chapter 3 will be them starting at Hogwarts.

I also have this up on , so if you want to message me there, that's fine. From now on, I will be putting up another photo, typically about dance and a quote that goes along with the chapter. Thanks for the support!

Love,

literate_dancer