They went back and school went back to normal. Dumbledore was searching for the person who had threatened me but he wasn't that successful. Whoever it was, was good at covering their tracks. Every now and then Sirius and I would lock eyes from across a room but I would quickly look away. I didn't want any more trouble with Amber. I was getting sick and tired of her lately. She always kept close to me, never letting me out of her sight. Drew had shown me where the Ravenclaw common room and dorms were in case I needed him. He had also given me a mirror. All I had to do was whisper his name in it and then he would appear, if he was around it. Evidently he had traded his autographed Eric Devlin poster for them. He loved Eric Devlin, I would just have to get it back.
"Hey." I heard a whisper behind me. I was in the common room getting ready for Muggle Studies. It was Sirius, he was being seductive.
"Hi." I said stuffing my book inside my bag. I didn't want to like him, at all.
"Ditch muggle studies with me." He said. I looked at him like he was crazy.
"I cant ditch Muggle Studies." I said.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Well, because for one, my brother is in the class and he will notice that both you and I aren't in class. He'll kill you, he already hates you." I said.
"I always was more of a ladies man." He said shrugging. I rolled my eyes and I saw Amber approach.
"Hi guys." She said. He straightened up immediately.
"Hey." I said.
"What were you guys talking about?" She asked.
"He was asking to see our homework in muggle studies." I said.
"Oh, is that all?" She asked him.
"Yeah, I haven't had much time to do all my homework and I blew off that classes homework." He said looking for James. He obviously didn't like her at all.
"Well, you can ditch with me." She said putting her arms around him and looking up.
"Actually, I cant. Dumbledore has been keeping a keen eye on me. Too many truancies." Sirius said and James saved him by dragging him away.
"Do you really like him?" I asked her. She looked at me as if I had just spoken another language.
"Of course I do." She said.
"A bit of advice, let him breath. Give him space. In Cali, we always make the men chase us. Make em beg like dogs." I said. She looked as if she was thinking about it when she was leaving. If she gave him more space then I could move in, inch by inch. After a morning of muggle studies, Drew and I went to the library to finish an essay that was due in Charms. Drew seemed to be acting weird and he wouldn't make eye contact with me at all.
"Ok Whats up with you?" I asked him. He shrugged as if he didn't know what I was talking about.
"Oh, come on, are you mad that I didn't answer last night?" I asked.
"I knew you were ignoring me." He said.
"I wasn't ignoring you I was tired. It was midnight for Christ's Sake." I said, and besides I was also writing a letter to Sirius, we had been writing notes to each other ever since that night of the dare. But I didn't want him knowing that.
"Well, I wasn't mad about that." Drew said.
"What are you mad about?" I asked him quietly.
"Some thing just doesn't add up." He said.
"Add up to what?" I asked deeply confused.
"Why were they killed? What did any9one have against them? They were nice people." He said.
"Lily was telling me about this new guy in the papers, Lord Voldermort, and he has these followers called 'death eaters'. I think they did it, but I don't know why." I told him all about the tattoo I had seen on one guys arm and how it was called the Dark all about the muggles and muggle born witches.
"But they aren't muggles or muggle born. We're pure bloods." He pointed out.
"I know. Maybe mom and dad defied him somehow." I suggested.
"All the way from America?" Drew asked.
"I don't know." I said giving up.
"We need to find out more about this guy." Drew said.
"We could talk to Dumbledore." I suggested.
"No way, I don't really trust him. I mean, he still hasn't found out who had threatened you." He was right, there was no real evidence that suggested we could trust him.
"The only people we can afford to trust are each other." He said defiantly. We dropped that subject soon after and went back to our work. So much work.
"Man, here they load you up with homework, I've never had so much homework in my life." I said. Drew laughed sympathetically.
"I know but we have to do it all." He said.
"It all just feels so weird. I mean they don't have GPA's or honor roll. Nothing like when we are used to." I said. Drew was suddenly quiet.
"Do you like Sirius?" He asked suddenly.
"I think he's a cool guy. Why?" I asked.
"I don't know. Ash, I don't think its such a good idea to go after him." He said.
"Since when have you ever cared about who I should or shouldn't date?"
"Since Sirius came along. He's a bad influence. He's just like Tray." He said.
"TRAY! You're comparing him to Tray!" I yelled,I was furious. Tray was an old boyfriend who I had liked a lot and he had cheated on me with at least ten girls before I caught him with the Quidditch captain. I had hated her the entire year and when I found them at Tray's house doing more than kissing, I broke it off with Tray and they immediately hooked up. He was the main reason why I had such trouble trusting people. The last I heard she was pregnant, and I got some sick satisfaction out of that.
"How dare you even bring up hois name?" I yelled. The librarian rustled over to us and escorted us out.
"Come back when you can stop yelling." She said. I walked off without Drew, heading toward my dorm.
"Ashleigh, come on. He doesn't remind you of him at all? … Ash, I didn't mean it in such a bad way…. Please, I just don't want you to get hurt." He said finally. I stopped and turned to face him.
"I can take care of myself. I'm not five anymore, you don't have to treat me like I am going to break at the slightest tremble." I said. His face seemed to soften a little.
"I only keep treating you like that because I cant let you break. You're the strongest person I know and if you break, I break." He said. I had always thought that he was the strongest one.
"You're stronger than you think. I turn to you for everything. Without you, I would be a constant mess." I said.
"Ok, I'll stop meddling but that doesn't mean that I am going to like what you are doing." He said.
"And I'll be more careful." I said.
"It's a deal." He said and we pinkie swore. We decided that going back to our dorms was best. So I ventured into the common room, not many people were there. Just James and Remus, and a few third years that I recognized from my muggle studies class.
"Hey." I said sitting next to them. James got closer to me.
"Do you think she likes me? I think so, things are getting easier between us. Thanks to you and Sirius." James said rambling on.
"Me and Sirius?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, since he likes you and you like him and you guys have been hanging out even if evil Amber is there. Lily has hung out with us, making it easier between us. But I don't want to ask her out and then get rejected."
"I don't know what she will say if you ask her out." I said honestly.