A/N Thanks to those of you who have read and especially to those of you who have reviewed. Sorry this chapter is so short, but it seemed the natural break. The next chapter is longer, I promise.
Acquaintances and Allies
"She your girlfriend then?" Draco asked with a snobbish heir as they entered the Slytherin common room.
"God NO Man, are you mad?!" Jacien snapped, equally as upset as Ashlin by the separation. "She's like my sister, my best friend."
"She a pure blood then?" Draco continued his line of questioning, not really giving a damn if it offended, but equally as curious.
Jacien grinned. He wasn't stupid and his friend was pretty, even he knew that. "And would you be disappointed if I said no?"
Draco eyed the new addition to the 7th year carefully before his lips started to curl up into a smile. "Yes, I'd probably be very disappointed. What a waste."
"Well, rest assured, she is the product of very selective breeding," Jacien half laughed. "Although her old man is a piece of work."
Draco wondered exactly what Jacien had meant by that comment, but their current conversation was interrupted as Pansy and several other Slytherin girls entered the common room. Within 15 minutes, Draco was showing Jacien to the sleeping quarters upstairs.
"I need to talk to her," Jacien muttered as he groggily stumbled down the stairs oblivious to the fact Draco was draped across one of the more comfortable chairs in the common room.
"Gryffindor and Slytherin aren't exactly friends," Draco informed with an heir of disgust at the mere idea.
"Am I supposed to give a shit?" Jacien asked with a hint of anger and frustration starting to well in his voice. "She's my best friend, and if you think I'm going to go for the next ten months pretending she isn't, you've got another thing coming!"
Jacien flopped down on the couch adjacent, and looked to be in a trance like state. "Damn! Why isn't this working?!"
"What working?" Draco shot, startled by the sudden outburst.
Jacien looked around, noticing far too many people hovering in the common room to answer that question. Draco caught on and they left.
"We can talk to each other," Jacien said as they walked down the hall.
"Well no shit? You don't say?" Draco eyed him as if he were going mad.
"Don't be such a Brit all the damn time, Malfoy! Think outside the lines."
"You don't mean?" Draco asked, impressed.
"Yeah, I mean, but it's not working here."
Draco proceeded to inform his American friend of all the things that can and cannot take place inside Hogwarts.
They entered the great hall. Half the students were already there, including Ashlin. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table talking to her new housemates.
"Hey Stylers, come here," Jacien beaconed.
She smiled and got up, although painfully aware that her housemates weren't very happy about it. Much to her surprise, the blond boy didn't leave when she approached.
"Draco Malfoy, Ashlin Stylers," Jacien introduced. "How's the arm?"
"Fine. It finally quite bleeding completely and now looks like nothing happened. I just don't understand."
"But you're all right?"
"No, we're not in the same house," she pointed out matter-of-factly. "And by all accounts you are an arrogant, pompous pure blood that doesn't deserve to live."
"Well, you already knew that," Jacien mocked, acting hurt. They both laughed. "You trying out for the Quidditch team?"
"Of course! You?"
"Yeah, Malfoy here is the house seeker. But they only have one open chaser
position, so guess it's a good thing you got put in a different house."
"They would have put me on the team."
"And what makes you say that?" Montegue, Quidditch team captain who was standing nearby eavesdropping on the conversation said smugly, as if looking down his nose at her.
Emerald green eyes danced with glee. She was regal and poised, her blood lineage was being quite apparent. She had been brought up well.
"First off, sentences should never start with the word and. Secondly, because I am that good." She then returned her attention to Draco and Jacien. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Malfoy, and I will catch you later."
