Disclaimer: If you recognize it it belongs to JK Rowling
a/n: Enjoy!
February - March 1994
Ascella was awoken later that night by an urgent desire to relieve herself. She struggled out from under the covers shoving Harry's arm away and extricated herself from his bed hangings and she padded her way across the snore filled third year boys dormitory to their bathroom. She was just washing her hands in the sink, bleary eyed from it being the middle of the night when she heard a loud yell.
Her head shot up and she felt adrenaline course through her. The yelling was coming from the boys dormitory.
"Harry," she breathed, before rushing back to the dormitory. She promptly froze in the doorway though. There was a person - a man, she guessed based on their size - fleeing from what looked to be Ron's four post. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ron looking horrified, his hangings ripped down but her focus was on the dark space that outlined the retreating man.
"OY!" she shouted as fiercely as she could muster. The man started and turned at her outburst, freezing like a dog that's caught the scent of a rabbit, head caught to the side as he looked at her. She couldn't make out any of his features save for scraggly long black hair. That is she couldn't until he took a step toward her, his face catching the moonlight streaming in from the window near Dean Thomas's bed. The light highlighted sunken cheeks, sallow skin, and gray eyes - eyes so very much like her own. Sirius Black - her father - was standing not fifteen feet from her.
She stepped back, horrified, her hand going to the locket hanging around her neck. His eyes darted down at her abrupt movement, eyes fixing on the locket she clutched and - was that a ghost of a smile - before Ron yelled again, pointing a long finger at Black. The noise served to snap Black out of whatever revere he was in and with a swishing turn he was gone.
Ascella hardly knew what happened then. Just that she somehow stumbled back into the bathroom, her body trembling so much she could hardly stand. She'd seen him. For the first time in her life she had stood face to face with her father. He'd been not fifteen feet from her.
She sank to the floor, her knees bent, back against the stone wall, her bare feet on the cold tile floor and her hand still clutched tight around her locket.
The locket. She looked down at it. He'd smiled when he saw it. She recognized that look he'd worn - she'd seen herself make it before, a ghost of a smile, but no less a smile for its ghostliness.
Suddenly she felt like she'd been plunged into an ice bath as a sickening thought crossed her mind. What if her father had been the one to send her the locket? But no - he couldn't have - but then, who else could? She thought she was going to be sick as these thoughts raced around each other, whispering the truth of it to her conscience.
Ascella had assumed it was Ted or Meda that had sent it. It had never crossed her mind that her father might have sent it, though now she felt stupid for not thinking of it. The only question now was why would he have sent it? As far as she could tell it wasn't cursed - she had been wearing it for almost two months now with no adverse side affects.
It didn't make sense. None of it. She ripped the necklace from her throat and flung it across the bathroom a muted scream ripping from her. She couldn't do this anymore. It didn't make sense. And why hadn't she thought of it before? Of course it would be from Black - who else could have sent it - but why? Harry had said there was nothing but love in the locket and that whoever had sent it had sent it for that reason. But if that were true then her father had sent it to her because he loved her and that was something she could not rationalize.
The back of her throat felt raw and tight. She felt tears burning at her eyes. She dove her hands into her hair, fingers entwining between the strands as her head fell to her knees.
"Think Ascella, think," she hissed to herself. "Use that stupid Ravenclaw logic." But it didn't make sense. She couldn't reason it out in anyway that allowed her to accept that somehow her father could still love her and be as evil as he was. It was a paradox that couldn't be true.
She knew the facts. Sirius Black had betrayed Lily and James Potter to Voldemort. He'd then been tracked down by another of their friends, Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew had challenged him, cornered him, announced to a street of muggle witnesses that Sirius Black had betrayed Lily and James. Black had then blown up the street, killing Pettigrew and 12 muggles. And then he'd laughed. These were the facts. He was selfish. He was evil.
Ascella drove the heels of her palms into her eyes until she saw purple and black splotches in her vision, hot tears escaping the corners of her eyes. Those were the facts, she tried to tell herself even as she remembered other facts - things told to her in snippets and little moments over the years.
He'd saved her from the McKinnon house where her mother had been killed. He'd brought her to live with Meda and Ted. He might even have come to visit and play with her as Meda had often hinted at - some of her words slipping in before Ascella had put her hands over her ears and started humming loudly to drown her out.
Ascella's eyes burned even more. How? How could someone capable of such evil acts love?
Then Ted's words from the summer came back to her. "Whatever Black became, there is and was never, any doubt that he loved you, Ascella." She still just couldn't see how.
He'd betrayed his best friends - in all likelihood he'd betrayed her mother too.
But, she thought then - a dizzying moment of realization and a little hope coursing through her - what if Black hadn't betrayed her mother, she thought. Maybe, just maybe that much wasn't true. She had assumed he must have but no one had ever told her such or been able to confirm it was her father. Really it could have been anyone that betrayed her mother and her family. Maybe he had a reason for the rest. Maybe Marlene's death had destroyed him, as Harry had suggested.
But no - it was just too much to comprehend and it didn't make sense with what she had always believed. She didn't want to think anymore. She stumbled out of the bathroom and took a long swig from the potion of dreamless sleep that she kept herself supplied with and fell into Harry's empty bed - no one had returned to the dormitory - and fell asleep. The next morning she stole Harry's invisibility cloak and snuck out before Harry could return to find her. She found most of Gryffindor house still in the Common Room and somehow managed to slip out only bumping into one or two first years and making them jump like they thought Sirius Black himself had touched them. Ascella might have found it funny if not for her dark mood.
She was sure Harry noticed the portrait hole open with no one there but he didn't make to try and follow her.
She found herself aimlessly wandering the castle with no care where her feet were taking her, simply enjoying the fact that no one could see her. It was with some surprise that when she became conscience of where she was mid- afternoon that she was outside of Lupin's office.
His door was open a crack and through it Ascella could see light spilling out, hear soft music playing, and smell hot chocolate.
Ascella only hesitated a moment before she slipped the cloak off, and stuffing it into her back pocket, she pushed the door the rest of the way open and entered Lupin's office.
Lupin only looked mildly surprised to see her. Mostly he looked delighted.
"Ascella!" he said brightly putting down the Sunday Prophet he had been reading a cup of hot chocolate in his hand as he sat relaxed behind his desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Ascella shrugged, pulling the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands and looking anywhere but at him.
"Well, do have a seat," Lupin said quieter, seeming to sense her mood. She sat. "Hot chocolate?" She nodded, her eyes still downcast.
Only when she had both her hands wrapped around her steaming mug and had taken a sip and cracked a small satisfied smile - it was by far the best hot chocolate she had ever had - did Lupin speak again.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in such a non condescending and kind way that Ascella knew she could say no and not only would he let her not speak but he wouldn't be hurt by it. As it was she had no intention of not talking about it when he asked that way. So she nodded - yes, she wanted to talk about it.
Ascella took a deep breath, looked up into her Professor's warm brown eyes and began speaking, her words tumbling out all at once.
"Is it possible to love someone even though you are a terrible person - like one of the worst kinds of persons?" she asked all in one breath. She spoke so fast she was surprised Lupin had even understood her. Understood her he must have though because he sat back as though really thinking about his answer.
"Well it depends I suppose. Most agree that Voldemort - well known to be the worst of the worst kinds of people in modern times - was incapable of loving. But," he mused, looking at her softly. "I don't suppose you are talking about Voldemort."
Ascella looked down at her mug of hot chocolate. She shook her head.
"No - only his greatest follower. Dear old dad. It's just - ," she said suddenly her face snapping up to Lupin's. "It's him I hear when the dementor's are near."
Lupin went pale.
"What do you mean?" he asked, a strangled quality to his voice.
And so Ascella explained - about how she first heard her mother's death and then that she heard a man's voice, an agonized man's voice, and how she felt in her very bones that it was her father.
"You kids are going to be the death of me," Lupin muttered when she finished, running a shaking hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry, Professor?" Ascella cocked her head to the side.
"You are right," he spoke louder. "I believe that it is your father you hear."
Her face crumpled, even though she knew it was true - had known since she first heard the memory - she just didn't know how to rationalize it.
"What's bothering you Ascella?" Lupin kindly asked.
"It's just - it was so raw - the agony in his voice. I always assumed he was the one that betrayed my mother and her family but what if he didn't?"
"I - I don't know," Lupin croaked.
Ascella looked up then at her professor and was surprised at what she saw there. He looked so small and helpless - so different from his usual self.
"I'm sorry Professor - I should just go - " Ascella made to rise.
"No!" Lupin said coming back to himself. "It's okay - really," he smiled at her to reassure her. Ascella sat back down.
"It's just a paradox I can't make any sense of Professor."
"Believe me - I understand - more than you know. It's just the nature of life I am afraid. People are - complicated, rarely pure evil or pure good. So if you want to know my answer to your original question; yes, a person who is seen as evil can still be capable of loving someone, even if that person is Sirius Black."
Ascella swallowed past a large lump in her throat. Trying to compose herself she nodded in response, not trusting herself to speak.
Lupin seemed to understand - filling her cup with more hot chocolate and handing her a snickerdoodle biscuit.
Some time later she eventually left and was found soon after by Harry, the Marauder's Map clutched in his hand. He looked up at her, embarrassed at being caught.
Ascella gave him a half smile to show him she wasn't mad he'd been searching for her.
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," he sheepishly explained, clearing the map and stuffing it into a pocket.
"Not just looking for your invisibility cloak?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry laughed at her wry comment but he must have sensed her heart wasn't really in it because in the next instant he'd pulled her into a tight hug.
"I was so worried about you," he whispered into her hair.
Ascella buried her face into his shoulder - their height difference having shrunk some over the year.
"I saw him Harry," she said her voice muffled and weak.
She felt Harry tense before he squeezed her.
"I'm so sorry," he said fiercely. "I am just glad you are alright."
Eventually she pulled back from his embrace.
"How long have you been looking for me?" she asked.
"Well I saw the portrait hole open and assumed it was you but it reminded me I hadn't seen you since we went to bed last night so I went in search of you upstairs just in case. I found your locket in the bathroom," he withdrew the locket from his pocket and held it up to her. Ascella swallowed hard looking at it - the memory of why she'd thrown it away still fresh in her mind. "I thought the worst Ascella - that somehow Black had gotten you or something." Harry shook his head as if distressed just thinking of it. "So I went for the map and was relieved to find you just wandering alone. When I couldn't find the cloak I put two and two together and figured you wanted to be alone. I kept an eye on you though."
Ascella felt her heart warm at his words and she gave him a watery smile before throwing her arms around him again. She hardly knew what she would do without Harry nor how to show her gratitude aside from hugging him tightly. He patted her head, awkward this time and clearly embarrassed at her outpouring of emotion but he didn't back away.
"Thanks, Harry," Ascella finally said pulling back and swiping at her eyes to dry them.
"S'alright," he mumbled, cheeks faintly pink. Then he held up the locket a question in his eye as if to put it back on.
She surveyed the necklace critically, lips pursed in thought.
"Have I been acting strange in any way since Christmas?" she finally asked.
Harry lowered his hands, perplexed.
"No," he began slowly. "Not any stranger than usual at any rate," he added, with a grin.
"Oy," Ascella glared at him.
"Why do you ask?" Harry asked once he'd finished chuckling at her.
"It's just - he - Black, I mean - he looked at the necklace and smiled. I'm worried maybe he sent it to me."
"Oh," Harry said. Then his eyes widened as the full implication of what she was saying sunk in. "Oh," he said with greater emphasis. "You should get this looked at." Harry looked at the necklace, a dark look on his face, like it was about to explode in his hand.
Ascella sighed. "Come on, let's turn it over to McGonagall," she said and that's where they went.
About a week later when Ascella finally came out of the dark mood and self absorbed darkness she'd fallen into, it was to discover that Ron had been reveling in the fact that it had been his bunk, not Harry's, that had been attacked by Black. He was the center of attention and was loving it, telling anyone who would listen all about it. The way he was telling it now he'd barely made it out alive from the encounter.
It was at breakfast as he retold the story for the umpteenth time that Ascella watched with distaste.
"Must he make a spectacle of it? He is aware its my bloody insane father he's talking about, right?" she said to Harry, eyes still glaring across the table towards where Ron was sitting.
Harry shrugged his shoulder's in sympathy for her.
"Whatever," Ascella finally said, rising unable to take it anymore. "I'm eating at Ravenclaw."
Unfortunately eating at Ranvelclaw meant she was that much closer to Malfoy who didn't miss the opportunity to send a snide comment her way. She sent a bat-bogey hex at him. Wiping the smug look off his face was worth every one of the week of detentions she received from Flitwick. She almost felt bad for her Head of House - she highly doubted he had ever had a student more troublesome than her in his house. Now Minnie? No, she was used to Gryffindor's being troublesome - Gryffindor's were just sort of known for it.
"You alright?" Terry asked her when she sat down next to him afterwards.
"As alright as I'll ever be," she responded with, grabbing some toast and proceeding to butter it. "Why do you ask?"
Terry shifted in his seat as if thinking about whether or not he should answer. Deciding, he finally replied.
"It's just this is the first I've seen you actually talk to anyone, even Harry, since last Saturday."
Ascella put down her toast. Suddenly she wasn't so hungry anymore.
"Well can't stay moody forever," she said, sounding very much like she thought one could.
"Sorry," Terry mumbled. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"Nah - it's whatever," she tried to pass it off. "Look I'm going to catch up with Kevin and Aaron for History of Magic," she said spotting them rising to leave the Great Hall. Without waiting for a response she pushed through the crowd and caught up with the other two boys.
"Fancy skiving?" she asked them in the Entrance Hall. The two boys glanced at the other, grinned and turning back to her they nodded. None of them ever fancied going to History of Magic - Kevin just fell asleep and Aaron just lost money.
But it turned out they didn't exactly know where to go when skiving. The weather was still too bleak and wet for them to go wander about the grounds so that only left them places within the castle. They couldn't go to the library - they'd be caught for sure. Their common room would be equally as suspicious and they couldn't exactly go all the way to Hogsmeade, Ascella not wanting to betray Harry's trust about the passages into and out of the school. An empty classroom would work but really that was asking for trouble as well. In the end they decided to make for the Astronomy Tower, thinking it would be a good place to chat for the hour of their lesson.
It was as they were making their way along a rarely used fifth floor corridor - laughing and joking with each other, feeling light and liberated at their daring to skive a lesson even if it was only History of Magic - that they were waylaid by a prefect. Ascella groaned. It was Cedric Diggory. Why was she seeing so much of this particular prefect?
He strode up to the three third years, looking between the three of them, suspicion in his eyes.
"And what would you three be up to?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Kevin has the stomach bug," Ascella replied thinking quickly. She subtly elbowed Kevin in the stomach to make him look pained and bent over for good measure too. "And I have cramps." Cramps?, she thought horrified. She hadn't really just said that, had she? Apparently she had though, if the way Aaron was trying not to laugh was any indication. "And Aaron is escorting us to the Hospital Wing."
"Right," said Diggory looking hardly convinced though more than a little amused too. "Then why are you on the 5th floor?"
"Er -" Ascella looked to her companions for help. They just shrugged at her.
"We got lost?" Ascella hedged. Diggory just stared at her while she looked at him hopefully. Finally, he cracked a smile.
"Black," he sighed shaking his head. "You really are something else."
Ascella wasn't sure what he meant by that but she hoped it was good and this it meant they'd get away with getting caught skiving. Usually when she broke the rules with Harry they had the Invisibility Cloak and/or the Maruader's Map and were easily able to navigate without getting caught.
"Look, just get to your lesson and I won't report you," Diggory finally said, uncrossing his arms.
"Right! Thanks, Diggory! You're one of the good ones, you are," Ascella cut off the questions she saw burning in her friends eyes at why Diggory would let them off. She ushered her friends off in the opposite direction and sent Diggory a grateful smile over her shoulder. He smiled back and then they were around a corner and out of sight.
They ended up back in the boys dormitory in Ravenclaw where they began playing Exploding Snap. It was as they were playing that Aaron asked her why Cedric Diggory seemed so familiar with her.
"Oh," Ascella replied distractedly, her focus mostly on the game and beating Kevin. "We met at a Quidditch Party." Both boys looked up sharply at her. "What?" she asked, looking up at them.
"A Quidditch Party?!" Aaron half asked - half exclaimed, while Kevin shook his head at her.
"You didn't tell us you'd gone to one of those!" Aaron accused.
"What's the big deal?" Ascella asked putting her cards down the game forgotten.
"What's the big deal," Aaron said disbelieving, shaking his head at her.
"They are only like some of the coolest, most exclusive parties thrown at this school," Kevin explained. "Only Quidditch players are invited and they are only allowed one guest. People always want the invite."
"Oh," Ascella shrugged. "It wasn't really that big of a deal. It was fun sure -" But Aaron cut her off by rolling his eyes, though he did so fondly.
"Not that big of a deal. Of course Ascella would say that," Aaron said more to Kevin than Ascella. Ascella narrowed her eyes at him before shoving him off Kevin's bed where they'd been playing their game. Kevin fell into Ascella laughing. Ascella felt herself color at the contact but she didn't push him away. Aaron popped up laughing and Kevin moved away to give his friend a hand up.
"You have to invite one of us to the next one," Aaron said rejoining them on the bed. Kevin nodded eagerly. Ascella hadn't really thought about going to one again - she'd had other things on her mind - but the thought of inviting Kevin suddenly made her think she'd just have to, any opportunity to have some time away from Aaron. He hadn't exactly made any moves on her but they had always been hanging out when Aaron was also present. At any rate Ascella made a mental note to ask Cho when the next Quidditch Party was.
"I'll think about it," she teased instead of giving the boys a straight answer even though she already knew she'd be asking Kevin.
The topic then turned to the previous Hogsmeade visit. Ascella hadn't gone - she'd still been too upset - and they rehashed it for her. At dinner she asked Harry about his trip. He'd offered to stay behind with her but she'd told him she'd be fine. He told her then what had happened, about going to Hogsmeade under the Invisibility Cloak, throwing mud at Malfoy and his cronies (she actually laughed at that - the first time she could remember laughing in a long time), then his cloak slipping and running back only to be caught by Snape.
"Merlin Harry," Ascella had interrupted him then. "How are you not expelled?"
"Beats me. It's a right miracle," he agreed before explaining about Snape trying to read the map.
"It wrote what?" she choked on her laughter.
"'Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.'" Harry recited from memory. "Then 'Mr. prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.'"
"No..." Ascella breathed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She wanted to meet these mysterious Marauder's.
"I know," Harry said nodding. "It would have been hilarious if the situation hadn't been so dire."
"What did the other two Marauder's say?" she prompted him to go on.
"'Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor.' and finally 'Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.'" Harry finished with a twinkle in his eye.
"Merlin. These guys are hilarious." Harry nodded in agreement. "What did Snape do?" she asked.
"Weirdly enough he called for Lupin."
"Weird."
"Yeah he seemed to think that it clearly had dark magic or something. But then he said something like that maybe I got it straight from the source or something."
"Like from one of the Marauder's? Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot or Prongs?" Ascella asked, her brow furrowed. "why would Snape ask Lupin that?"
"No idea. I thought it was strange too. Any way Lupin stuck up for me and told Snape it was clearly just a Zonko's product. A magical bit of parchment that was designed to insult anyone who tried to read it."
"I knew he was the coolest Professor we've ever had!"
"Agreed. Except he did take the map away from me," Harry admitted sheepishly. Ascella's face fell.
"Aw, why don't you go and ruin all my hopes and dreams while you're at it, why don't you?" Ascella bemoaned. Harry's only response was to roll his eyes at her.
"Anyway - that wasn't the weirdest part," he continued on. "He knew it was a map."
"No!" Ascella exclaimed, her hand going to cover her mouth in her surprise. "But how?"
"No idea," Harry said. "He reamed me pretty good about having something like this though. Seemed to think it would be a risk if Black got a hold of it."
"But only if Black knew how to use it," Ascella cut in.
"Maybe he does. Lupin clearly knew what it was and we know he knew Black."
Ascella fell silent. Harry had a point. It was still a bummer that the map had gotten taken away, even if it was almost worth it considering the comments it had written out to Snape.
"Say, where are Ron and Hermione?" Ascella asked, looking up from her soup to realize their other two friends weren't around and hadn't been around all dinner period. She knew they were still fighting but for them both to be missing from the meal was strange, especially Ron.
"They grabbed sandwiches to go and are in the library researching to help Hagrid in Buckbeak's case against the Ministry," said Harry.
"Wait - together?"
"Oh yeah - they made up on Saturday after the Hogsmeade visit."
"Hmm - you really miss a lot when you are busy ignoring everyone," Ascella mused.
"Yeah you were a bit moody. It scared me a bit," Harry admitted. "You seemed like you were in a dark place." Ascella grimaced.
"I was," she said, her head dropping at the admission. "Still am a bit."
Harry bumped his shoulder with hers.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked. She shook her head.
"I don't even know what to say."
"Well - when you do - or even if you never do - I'm always here for you."
She smiled.
"I know."
"Also don't ever get moody with me. 'Cause that would not be ace." Ascella might have taken offense at his comment but he said it with a genuine grin and so she wasn't. He was just trying to lighten the mood and redirect the tension to make her feel better and for that she was appreciative of it.
"Cheers, Potter," she said with a smile, her first genuine one in a long time.
February soon faded into March and the weather finally took a break on them. Walking back from Quidditch practice (just because the Ravenclaw season had ended so early didn't mean they weren't going to keep up with practice) Ascella asked Cho about the next Quidditch party.
"Oh it's the 25th. Friday before the Easter holidays begin. Are you coming?" she asked with a hop of excitement and hopeful smile.
"I was thinking about it," she grinned in response, curious at the older girls excitement.
"Yay!" she said. "Going to convince Harry to come to?" she asked trying to sound like she didn't care what the response was. Ascella could only grin slyly at her.
"Ooooo-ooooh," she whistled. "If I didn't know any better I'd almost think you'd rather have Harry there than me."
Cho's cheeks flushed.
"Oh shut it," she mumbled. Ascella laughed.
"Don't worry. As long as you promise to be there I will make sure Harry comes."
Cho rolled her eyes but Ascella could tell she looked pleased nonetheless.
Harry was less pleased the night of the party as he frantically tried to find something to wear - his clothes thrown about his dorm room.
"You can't bring Kevin," he was saying now, voice muffled, his head stuck in his trunk.
"And why not?" Ascella replied from her perch on his bed.
"I need you to distract Diggory again." Ascella rolled her eyes.
"Really, Harry?" she asked. "You can't just trust that it went well last time and that Cho is into you?"
Harry pulled his head out of his trunk a pair of hideous socks in his hands - they must have been a pair of hand me downs from his cousin.
"No. I can't Ascella," he briskly replied.
"And why not?" she asked. "I've told you she specifically asked if you would be there."
Harry stood his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of a reply, the hideous socks still in his hand.
"I - I - I don't know," he finally admitted, his shoulder's sagging in defeat.
Ascella slid her way off his bed and walking up to him she placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye.
"Harry," she began, her voice leveled at him in such a way that didn't broker room for debate. "Cho is into you. You won't need me to be a distraction again. Come on - who could really compete with The Boy Who Lived!" Harry still didn't look convinced.
"Alright," she added seeing her words weren't having the desired effect, "if I have to I'll distract Diggory - Kevin there or not - but Kevin is coming. Deal?" Harry brightened considerably at her words.
"Deal," he said.
"Good. Now hand me those socks so I can burn them before you accidentally wear them."
And just as Ascella had anticipated there was no need for her to play distraction so that Harry and Cho could talk. Cho was the first to greet her, Harry and Kevin when they walked in and not a moment later was she pulling Harry away to go get drinks and chat. What Ascella hadn't anticipated was Kevin leaving her almost a moment later to go chat up Hufflepuff Megan Jones. How she had managed to snag an invite to the party Ascella had no idea. And so Ascella was now sipping on the spiked punch, standing by the table it was on and glowering across the room at the cozy twosome.
It was there that Cedric Diggory found her.
"Doing alright, Black?" he asked, a smile on his face, clearly not deterred from talking to her by the dark look on her face.
"Oh just dandy," she replied barely glancing up at him. She was too busy watching Jones throw her head back laughing at something Kevin had said, her hand resting on his arm before they made for the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the room. It was then that she got an idea. She looked up at Diggory then, her eye surveying him critically, traveling up and down his body and finally resting on his face. Cho had used the word dreamy to describe him all those months ago and she supposed he was rather attractive. In any case he'd do nicely for her plan.
Diggory, who hadn't failed to notice her checking him out, was looking at her now with a raised eyebrow. He opened his mouth to say something to her but she beat him to it
"Want to dance?"
Smiling Diggory nodded and Ascella dragged him across the dance floor to a spot where they couldn't be missed by Kevin and Jones. They started dancing then, Ascella moving her hips and running her hands through her long blond waves and above her head, her entire focus on Kevin. Later she would almost be grateful for the distraction as it kept her from realizing this was the first time she'd ever danced with a boy before - let alone a 16 year old boy - and so she had no time to get embarrassed and worry if she was doing it right.
As it was she only flinched slightly when Diggory put his hands on her sides at the middle of her torso, his long fingers pressing gently into her sides and leaving warmth radiating out from where he touched her.
"So," Diggory said, pulling her close so he could speak into her ear. "Who are we making jealous?"
Ascella jumped back and looked up at him - she hadn't thought she'd been that obvious. Diggory merely looked down at her a soft look in his eye. He didn't look angry at least - more disappointed? Was that the right word? She thought it must be - it wasn't like it was hurt or anything crazy like that. Still she opened her mouth to defend herself. "I - no, no one - "
"Ascella. It's fine," he cut her off, looking resigned now. "But I do think I should know so I can do my best to help out."
For the second time Dioggory had thrown her off.
"You want to help?" she asked. Neither of them were dancing anymore but his hands were still on her sides.
"Why not," Diggory shrugged, his eyes avoiding hers.
"Welll okay," she finally conceded. "It's that one - the Asian dancing with that stuffy Hufflepuff." Diggory followed her eyes and found the dancing couple. He eyed up Kevin before he nodded, his face unreadable and they started dancing again.
But it seemed it was to be no avail for no matter what they did or tried, not only did Kevin not seem to be jealous at all he didn't even seem to notice. Finally Ascella gave a sigh of defeat and she and Diggory made for the drinks table where George Weasley handed them both shots of Firewhiskey. Ascella downed hers in one swallow while Diggory nursed his.
"For what it's worth," Diggory began when they'd moved off to a quieter corner of the room. "I think it's crazy that he doesn't notice you like that." Ascella pouted, still watching Kevin and Jones. Then she sighed and turned to face Diggory fully for the first time all evening, her back to the dance floor.
"Why're you so nice?" she asked with a small smile on her face.
Diggory shrugged.
"It's just who I am."
"Well - don't ever change Diggory," she smiled at him. He smiled back.
"Call me Cedric," he said. And for the third time Ascella was caught off guard by the Hufflepuff prefect.
"I - okay," she stuttered. "Cedric it is."
Ascella hardly knew what was going on but she had little time to think on it as a very drunk Fred Weasley saw her then and grabbing her arm he pulled her out onto the dance floor. She spent the rest of the party ignoring Kevin and dancing energetically with most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and just generally enjoying herself. If she caught Dig - no Cedric - watching her more than a few times with an unreadable look in his eye, though she thought it was happy, then she didn't let herself read too much into it, after all it wasn't as if he could like her or anything. No, someone as nice as him didn't deserve a Black.
a/n: Well, what did you think? Ascella finally met her father, a boy may be crushing on her (even if it isn't the one she wants), and she's started to maybe realize that her dad might not be all bad. Yay! :)
