Chapter 9
Two days later, Kelly sat curled up next to the fire reading a manuscript that made her look like a child's doll with a larger than usual book. The big thick hardback was entitled Women Politicians and the Media. Kelly was the only one in the entire room reading. All the Gryffindors were sprawled out a various intervals along the floor, playing chess, making card towers, or just lying around staring idly at the ceiling. The first week was over.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed in the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione sat on a couch near the dozing Ashleigh, the 'Three C's' playing exploding snap, Kelly, and two first year boys playing chess. Ron meandered over to torment Kelly.
"What's this?" asked Ron in an irritating voice, pulling the huge book out of the small girl's hands. Kelly rolled her eyes exasperatedly. Ron paged through the sheets. "Blah, blah, blah, blabbety blah ha ha. Well this is fascinating."
"Actually it is!" exclaimed Kelly passionately before launching into a full-fledged lecture that left even those across the room staring at her like she was nuts. Kelly was usually very mild mannered, not talking unless it improved the silence, and not many had seen her lose her ever-present unruffled calm. Those who had, and lived to tell the tale, well…
Ashleigh woke abruptly and started piling pillows on her head to block the noise. Harry muttered to Hermione, "I believe we've found Kelly's passion."
Ron slumped back into a chair as Kelly waved her arms about, constructing an outline of stats and studies with her colorful vocabulary. Ashleigh chucked a pillow at Kelly.
"Will somebody shut her up?" came the muffled protest from Ashleigh.
Mason Maranav, a first-year joker on good terms with Kelly playfully pushed her back into the cushions. "Whoa there, Feminista X! Take a breather."
Harry sat up. "Oh yeah, right. So, Ash, you gonna try out for the Junior Quidditch thing? Feminista X?"
"Yah," came the muffled answer from the blond pillow covered head.
"Yes," rectified Kelly crisply, recovering from being shoved and from her rant, "And I am too."
~~*~~*~~*~~
That night Ashleigh couldn't sleep. She tried to count sheep, but they turned rabid and raced off after jumping into expired sausage in her head. She wondered whether that was a bad sign. She decided to ask Kelly when she woke up. If she ever went to sleep, anyway.
Ashleigh's first week wasn't so bad. Hogwarts was just so interesting and complex, the classes were hard, and even on the first day, their homework came in such a load that everyone except the Baby Brain (what the Slytherins were calling Kelly, Hermione was just the Brain) was buried under parchment and quills and books.
Ashleigh sat up and looked around the dark room. Right next to the largest window was Kelly's bed, surrounded by neat stacks of books. On one side of Kelly was Cristy's bed, drawings, little china figurines, and blue tanktops around it. On the other side was Candy's mini tornado of clothes and makeup. Next to Ashleigh was a pristine bed with stuffed animals all over it. On the other side of her was Cassie's bed that was surrounded by photos of horses and boys and friends.
Very slowly Ashleigh levered herself out of bed. She crept across the floor, careful of the mess around her bed. Ashleigh jumped about a foot and her breathing raced when her foot came into contact with something on the floor.
"Owowowowowowowowowwww!" she hissed at the sharp pain.
Taking a deep breath, Ashleigh tiptoed downstairs to the common room. She didn't know why she was bothering to come downstairs, but she couldn't sleep and was bored.
Ashleigh stopped halfway down. A boy and a girl stood in the middle of the room, illuminated only by the light of the fire. One was black haired and the other had brown hair. Ashleigh stumbled, a hair clip falling out of her blond hair and tumbling down to clatter on the stone steps. The couple looked around worriedly as Ashleigh rushed upstairs and ducked into the closest door: Seventh Years.
She heard them walk upstairs and after waiting a moment, came out of the dark room and went downstairs again.
"What are you doing, Ashleigh?" asked a soft voice behind her. Ashleigh jumped again, and turned around to look at the small figure in a white nightgown just outside the portrait hole.
"God, Kelly! You should take Lee's advice and wear a bell!" grumbled Ashleigh, adding something about people making her jump because the world is against her.
Kelly smirked and climbed in lithely. "I said, what are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"You could, but I wouldn't tell you."
"What were you doing?"
"What about you?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"That's just what I plan on doing. Sleeping," Kelly walked past Ashleigh upstairs. Ashleigh threw up her hands and pledged herself to go out and purchase a book: How to Take Over the World, and if there wasn't one, to write it herself.
The next morning, Kelly got up at her usual hour, regardless of having gone to sleep mere hours before. The lump that was Ashleigh covered her head with a pillow. This is not going to be a good day, thought Ashleigh.
First class was potions with the Slytherins. When Mason informed Ashleigh of this, she attempted to knock herself out with a piece of toast. The ten Gryffindors went to class, most of them walking as if they were walking to their death, which actually could be accurate.
Professor Snape was in a horrible mood, and no one was at their best, not even Kelly.
"Pop quiz," he growled as the students groaned.
Professor Snape stalked around the room, glaring at the students trying to remember how to make a shrinking potion.
Kelly and Ashleigh glanced at each other when the quiz was finished. Snape tested every one of their potions. Kelly and Ashleigh's potion exploded when Snape picked it up, causing Snape to break out in green and yellow spots that smelt strongly of petrol. He gave them both detention and took ten points from Gryffindor.
The Gryffindors lost twenty more points during that lesson, and two Slytherins and a Gryffindor had to go to the infirmary due to several other exploding potions.
During lunch the Gryffindors were particularly rowdy. Ashleigh looked around the table. Kelly was on the other side of the hall, she knew, talking to that Ravenclaw boy she was friends with.
Ashleigh was horribly bored, tired, and sick of schoolwork. All she wanted at that moment was to lie down and go to sleep right there on the table, but she knew if she did Fred and George would probably come over and put joke food on her plate or something.
Transfiguration was after lunch. As Ashleigh sat down next to Kelly she felt a very cold feeling sweep over her. She hadn't done her homework. She moaned and began banging her head on the desk. Professor McGonnagal gave her a stern look.
*Bang Bang Bang* "Oh, sorry am I still here?"
"Yes, Miss Weasley."
As Professor McGonnagal took attendance, Ashleigh slumped further and further down in her chair.
"Homework!" announced McGonnagal. Everyone handed his or her homework to her. Everyone, that is, except Ashleigh.
"Miss Weasley? You're homework?"
"Um- I- um- I mean- that is- um- I- um- Gred and Foarge- I mean Fred and George, they –um- set fire to it. Yes. They did. Mmm hmm," lied Ashleigh, nodding feverishly.
"I see," replied McGonnagall, giving a disbelieving stare to the unfortunate forgetful Ashleigh, "Five points from Gryffindor."
Ashleigh groaned and put her head down on the desk, only to bring it up abruptly because she had spilt her bottle of pumpkin juice. She wiped up the spill with a spare parchment, only to realize that it was her last piece.
Ashleigh sighed. Definatly not her day. Fortunately, It wasn't going to stay that way.
That afternoon the Junior Quidditch team postings were up and a mob of first and second years surrounded them in a mob.
"It's like tryouts for 'Les Misérables' last year," commented Kelly wryly.
"Whosawhatsit?"
"Never mind."
Gryffindor Ravenclaw Hufflepuff Slytherin
Captain- Harry Potter Amelia James Jamie Sims Draco Malfoy
Keeper- Ashleigh Weasley Kate Banks Mike Nomad Claude Ivan
Chaser- Cristine Vongsathorn Tyler Schaffer Lila Morgan David VanPetresberg
Chaser- Candy Bogasky Jacob Wright Shmo Camp Vladimir Malfoy
Chaser- Cassandra Mazzerelle Alexandra Amore Lee Mackintosh Mary Marsh
Beater- Samuel Zeeman Lexi Leman Simon Isles Goerg Shrub
Beater- Joshua Leman Christopher Grey Hallie Hayes Mone Key
Seeker- Kelly Granger Benjamin Cork Nathaniel Banes Zen Follows
Reserve- Edward Mice Kassidy Clark June Line Raphael Mosquito
Andrew Hampton Emily May Hartington Ulysses Fontaine Grant Fairfax
A/N Well. Stay tuned for Ashleigh's next chapter. Yep. Please review. I like reviews. I also hate homework, of which I have too much. I should go do it. I have a literature paper due Wednesday and a contrast essay due Friday, and a French test on Monday, and Social Studies- oh yeah, I just did that, anyway I have a lot of junk to do, and I should just stop typing and go do it but I really don't feel like it. So I guess I'll just keep going. And going and going and going and going. Dang, I'm the energizer bunny! Must- stop- must- stop… Ok, I guess I'll go get a snack and make Dad take me to DC because I left my corrected contrast essay somewhere in his building. Dangit. That's not good. Security takes hours. Must go. Review! Bye!
