Chapter 4
It was a particularly boring night as Ashley yawned; staring down at her Divination homework, hoping it would either explode or finish itself. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Ashley frowned down at it.
Why I even bothered to take Divination in N.E.W.T level, I don't know… Ashley shook her head in disapproval. As she rested her head on her desk and closed her eyes, ready to drift off peacefully… BANG!
Ashley bolted upright with a small shriek and fell backwards on her chair. Groaning in pain, Ashley got up and turned to glare at her inconsiderate intruder: Draco Malfoy.
Of course.
"What now Malfoy? Can't you see I'm busy?!" Ashley snapped.
"Dozing off?" He was highly amused.
Ashley glared at him. "What do you want?"
"Well, I just thought you'd like to know that your best friends are killing each other off down at the second floor corridor and making a hell of a lot of noise." Malfoy smirked, folding his arms across his chest casually.
OH CRAP. I knew I'd forgotten something. Ashley's eyes went wide. "Oh crap!"
"And from what I've heard, Filch will be parading that very same corridor in about twenty minutes which gives you that much time to stop your friends from landing themselves in detention. Or possibly worse."
"Oh good Merlin," Ashley groaned and quickly dashed past Malfoy and bolted down the staircase, out into the Slytherin common room. Malfoy watched after her, still highly amused.
That girl can run. He thought to himself as he slowly made his way to follow her.
Ashley sprinted as fast as her legs could go to the second floor corridor. She arrived, out of breathe and was just millimeters away from getting hit by one of Seth's spells when two strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her out of the way just in time.
Still panting, Ashley turned around surprised to find that it was actually Malfoy who had pulled her out of the way.
"M-Malfoy?" Ashley asked incredulously.
"What? Too hot to be true?" He smirked devilishly.
"You'd wish." Ashley scoffed as she felt Malfoy's arms loosen against her waist. In the corridor before them, Callie and Seth both had their wands drawn out, their robes disheveled and their hair messy and matted to their faces with sweat that glistened off their skin.
"Finite Incantatem!" Ashley yelled, her wand drawn out. She was still panting from her sprint. The duel had stopped and everyone turned to Ashley. Malfoy was right behind her, smirking whilst posing casually against the wall.
"Ashley!" Callie said, surprised. "W-what's wrong?" She asked, taking in Ashley's haggard appearance.
"Filch—coming—back to common room—now!" Ashley said through pants. Instantly, the audience, Seth, and Callie all scrambled about trying to get back to their common rooms.
Exasperated, Ashley leant against the wall and took deep breathes to calm her heart.
"A-Ash, aren't you coming?" Seth asked.
"No. You guys go ahead. I think if I take another step I might get cardiac arrest or something." Ashley waved her hand in a gesture that meant to prove to Seth that she was fine.
Seth nodded and gave Ashley a meaningful glance before following the crowd of Slytherins hurriedly scrambling down the stairs.
After Ashley had regained her breathing, she turned to look up at a certain smirking ferret.
"Hmm… No 'thank you'?" He cocked an eyebrow slowly as they both started making their way down the corridor.
"Thank—wait, why am I thanking you?"
"Because I just saved your friends' asses you retard."
"You are such a drama queen Malfoy."
"I am not!"
Ashley grinned cheekily up at him. "A drama queen with neon green hair…"
"Alright! That's it! Greyson, you are now officially in my debt." Malfoy said firmly.
"Wait—what? Why?! I didn't ask anything from you!"
"Yes, but I did something noble for you Greyson." Malfoy smirked.
"Hardly." Ashley scoffed.
"Oh I really am great." Malfoy smirked. "I'm hot, handsome, hot, smart, and now, noble."
"I'm afraid you left out egotistical, self-righteous, man-whore, retarded, superficial, self-conceited, and shallow." Ashley smiled sweetly up at him. "Oh yeah! And neon green."
Malfoy smirked and shoved Ashley playfully on the shoulder.
"Hey—!" Ashley grinned, shoving him back as she ran away from Malfoy before he could catch hold of her. She ran down the corridors, turning left and right until the feel of the cold night air greeted her. Ashley had run to the courtyard and Draco was still running after her.
After chasing each other around the fountain for several times, Ashley got dizzy and stopped to regain her balance when Malfoy snuck up behind her and she shrieked as she lost her balance and was sent hurdling into the fountain. Malfoy caught her a little too late and went along with her.
There were a few moments of silence until Ashley and Draco both burst into laughter.
"What is the meaning of all this?!" The demand of that terribly familiar voice struck both Ashley and Draco's hearts and rendered them speechless and silent. They both turned to see McGonagall walking briskly toward them, her unhappy expression obvious even in the dark.
"Er…" Words completely evaded both Draco and Ashley.
"Explain yourselves! Now!" McGonagall barked, hands on her hips as she stood just directly in front of them.
"Well…" Ashley bit her lower lip.
"We were doing our prefect duties Professor, but my comb fell into the fountain. And Ashley was just helping me look for it."
"You see, it was Draco's last comb. And professor, he can get very irksome without it." Ashley explained gravely. "And seeing as we share the prefect dormitories and such…"
"And this explains why you both are soaked?" Professor McGonagall asked through pursed lips.
"Yes," Ashley and Draco both nodded in feigned earnest.
"That is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard!" Professor McGonagall snapped tartly. "Why didn't any of you just use your wands??" She demanded.
Draco and Ashley both looked at each other and exchanged helpless glances. It was the second time that night that words had evaded them both.
"Very well," Professor McGonagall sighed. "It's late. You are both cleaning the mess you are about to make upon entering the castle. Consider it as your detention." Professor McGonagall said briskly.
"Now get out of that fountain Mr. Malfoy, before you turn the water green!" Professor McGonagall barked as she turned and walked back into the castle.
Ashley burst out laughing as she stumbled out of the fountain. She didn't even notice how cold it was until they were halfway through the courtyard.
"Bloody hell Malfoy, a comb was the best excuse you could think of?"
"I was under pressure!" Draco sniffed defensively.
"Oh honestly! McGonagall must be under the impression that the best Slytherin has got to offer hasn't even enough wit to figure out to use their wands before diving into a bloody fountain in search of a comb."
"In all fairness, it was short notice!"
Ashley snorted and they both fell silent as they made their way down the corridor. Nothing except the splashes of their wet shoes against the marble floors and the cleaning spell Ashley had muttered before they entered the castle working its magic made any sound.
"You know, I think the neon green hair is starting to complement my clothing and my hot body." Draco mused.
"Now you just brought vain to a whole new level." Ashley chortled.
******
It was awfully late at night when the sixth and seventh years had been awakened by their prefects and told to go down to the Great Hall for a meeting with Dumbledore.
"What do you reckon the old cretin wants so late in the evening?" Seth yawned as he, Callie, and Ashley entered the Great Hall. The four long tables were still present along with the benches and the students sat at their house's respective long table.
"Who knows?" Callie yawned back, slumping down onto the bench, her head resting on the table.
"Ugh! I can't believe we're having this stupid meeting!" Pansy Parkinson came shrieking with Millicent Bulstrode at her side, nodding in agreement. "Doesn't anybody get that I need to have at least ten hours of sleep?! It's a requirement so I can keep myself in shape and be beautiful!" Pansy slumped down on the bench, fixing her hair.
"You'll take a bath in the bloody morning anyway, Parkinson." Seth snapped.
Pansy glared at Seth before turning away. A few seconds later, Dumbledore appeared by the altar dressed in his night robes. His blue eyes were twinkling as he took in the sight before him.
The sixth and seventh years slumped by the tables, all tired and grumpy from being woken up.
"I apologize terribly for waking you all at such an hour," Dumbledore began in a loud voice that Ashley was nearly sent toppling off her seat. Professors Snape and McGonagall had appeared behind him whilst Professors Flitwick and Sprout stood by the oak doors to the Great Hall.
"But as I've mentioned in the start-of-term feast, there are a few new activities lined up for the sixth and seventh years and now, I am delighted to announce that we are having our first; Salsa Night. It was inspired by Professors McGonagall and Snape over the summer, one of my personal favorites." Dumbledore added cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling some more behind his half-moon spectacles.
At the mention of Salsa Night, all of the students had been jerked wide awake. Dumbledore had everyone's attention now.
"It will be held on the thirtieth of September, Saturday, at seven in the evening right here, in the Great Hall. The responsibility of preparing will be handed over to the prefects of each house and a few hand-picked students accompanied by the supervision of your Heads of House.
"This activity is strictly mandatory and for sixth and seventh years only though if you like, you can bring students from other levels as dates. All sixth and seventh year students are to report to Professor McGonagall's office every Saturday morning for salsa lessons. Mandatory as well." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly once again. "And now that I believe I've said all I wanted to say, you can all go back to your beds now. Have a good night to you all!"
With that dismissal, the Great Hall erupted into murmurs as the students got off their seats and started heading back to their dorms, all looking well and wide awake now.
"Somehow, the vision of Snape and McGonagall getting down and doing the salsa just doesn't comfort me." Seth shook his head, his eyes wide.
"Thank you, Seth, now I'll never get back to sleep." Ashley grumbled.
Callie shuddered. "Ohmygosh, I just tried to imagine it." Callie shuddered again.
Ashley resisted the urge to vomit at the thought. "Good night Ash," Callie yawned as she and Seth turned down the corner to the dungeons.
"Night," Ashley called over her shoulder tiredly as she and the other prefects made their way to the prefects common room.
When finally Ashley was tucked in bed, ready to forget the image of her Potions professor salsa-ing with her Transfiguration professor, the adjoining door flew open and Ashley was once again jerked wide awake.
"Bloody hell! Greyson, have you seen my comb?!" Draco barged into the room like a tornado in search of his comb.
"Bloody hell, don't you know how to knock?!" Ashley shot back, sitting upright and growling as Draco turned on the lights. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and Ashley figured it was the time of night where he stood in front of his mirror and complimented himself.
"Ugh, why don't you go talk to your mirror and look for your comb in the morning?" Ashley growled, diving back under her duvet and pulling it over her head to escape the light.
"Ha, ha, funny Greyson." Malfoy growled.
No sooner had she pulled the duvet over her had it been pulled off of her by none other than Draco himself. Ashley glared up at Malfoy, hoping he would explode. To her utter chagrin, he stood perfectly still and intact.
"Greyson, give me back my comb!" He demanded indignantly.
"I don't have your bloody comb, so piss off!" Ashley snapped, snatching her duvet from Draco's hands.
"Aren't you charming…" Malfoy mumbled sarcastically.
"Your comb isn't my problem, Malfoy."
"It will be if you don't get some sleep tonight due to my ransacking your dorm for my comb."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Help me look for my comb and the sooner we can both go to sleep and be happy."
"Oh alright!" Ashley sighed exasperated as she got off her bed and pushed Malfoy back into his dorm. "Couldn't you have bothered yourself with buying a second comb?" Ashley yawned as she looked at Malfoy's dorm, so different from hers. Her belongings were scattered about her room whilst Malfoy's had been organized and neatly arranged.
"I didn't know you were so organized." Ashley chuckled as she opened drawers in search of Malfoy's comb.
"It keeps me from losing my things." Malfoy said huffily.
"Oh yes, that explains why you just lost your comb." Ashley smiled sweetly up at Malfoy who glared down at her. She tried to stifle her laughter as the neon green dye looked even brighter when paired with his glaring stormy gray eyes.
"I misplaced it, Greyson. There is a difference." Malfoy snapped.
"Sure there is," Ashley rolled her eyes and stood. About half an hour later, they were halfway through Malfoy's belongings and Ashley had slumped on Malfoy's bed, hugging the pillow to her chest and closing her eyes.
"Oi, Greyson! You lazy ass!" Malfoy smacked Ashley with another pillow.
"Piss off Malfoy." Ashley said her voice muffled by the pillow. "Go check the bloody bathroom. I'm tired."
Draco grumbled something incoherent and stalked off to the bathroom. "I FOUND IT, GREYSON!" Malfoy called out moments later. Ashley jumped up, startled, and fell off the bed and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. Malfoy appeared by the threshold moments later, grinning and holding up his comb.
Ashley could only glare at him. "I can't believe you made me waste thirty bloody minutes looking for your comb and this whole time it was in the bathroom. Do you think at all?"
Ashley got off from the floor and plopped back onto Malfoy's bed.
"You can leave now, Greyson." Malfoy said as stood in front of the mirror and started combing his neon green hair.
Not bad Draco, not bad at all. Malfoy thought to himself, smirking and trying out several other expressions to see how he would look like.
"I said you could leave now, Greyson, I found my comb and I'm in no mood tonight." Malfoy called over his shoulder, a little louder this time as he smirked. He knew that comment would probably rile Ashley up. But she said nothing. Malfoy frowned and walked over to Ashley's side.
Ashley was sound asleep and she looked every bit as angelic as the night he had checked in on her after their detention. She had to be most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life and he'd be damned to hell and back if he ever slipped up and let himself admit it.
Draco sighed, put the comb down on his bedside table and turned the lights off. He made his way over to the bed and lay down, waiting for sleep to come. But it didn't.
The thought of having Ashley so close to him, in his bed, hugging his pillow, it made him wide awake and unable to sleep. In fact, he felt a tightening in his boxers and cursed.
Maybe I should get her out of my system, Malfoy thought to himself. She's the only girl I haven't shagged in this place…that would probably explain it. Malfoy smiled to himself, proud of his logical reasoning.