Author's Note: I don't own anything but Ashley. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. Please don't sue a single mom with no help form her lousy ex.

Ashley Snape's Secret

Chapter 10

As the students were getting ready for the impromptu party, Ashley was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She didn't want to go to the party and was ignoring the commotion of the girls around her, even though Lavender and Pavarti were chirping away like crazy.

"Ash, are you okay?" Hermione asked as she sat down beside her friend. "You're awfully quiet." Hermione was suddenly interrupted by three quick knocks on the dorm room door.

Lavender opened the door and Ashley heard her ask, "What do you want, Ron?"

"I need to speak with Hermione, Lavender," Ron said.

Hermione left Ashley's side and replaced Lavender at the door. She held a quick and quiet conversation with Ron. Ashley saw Hermione making jerky gestures with her hands as she motioned for Ashley to join her at the door.

"What is it, "Mione? I just want to read," Ashley said quietly.

"Seamus wants to know if you would like to go to the dance with him," Ron told her. "I just asked 'Mione and Harry asked Ginny."

After giving it some thought, Ashley answered, "Tell him that I will go with him."

Ron left with his good news and the other two girls were in a tizzy. Pavarti pressed Hermione into a vanity chair while Lavender pulled Ashley to the showers. Lavender told Ashley that she had the perfect robes for her to wear. It took the four girls the complete four hours to get ready for the dance. Hermione's hair didn't want to cooperate with Pavarti.

They all descended the stairs after meeting up with Ginny in the hallway. The boys were waiting in the common room for them. Ron's mouth hung open when he saw Hermione appear in a deep rose robe with her hair in a French twist. Harry was equally astonished when he saw Ginny in the royal blue robes her twin brothers got for her.

But the most astonished teenage boy there was Seamus. He saw Ashley appear in a robe made of the finest cream colored silk imaginable. Her hair was in a sleek bun on the top of her head with a small tiara for decoration. He didn't think he looked good enough to partner up with her.

They all made their way down to the Great Hall, Seamus chattering with Ashley when they all caught sight of the hall. The professors had outdone themselves in decorating. The students looked over to the round tables with eight chairs that were grouped together in place of their usual house tables.

They all grabbed a table and sat down. There were two extra seats at their table that were taken by Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor chaser. Fred kept shooting glares at Ashley when Professor Snape walked in with a blonde hair woman dressed in deep violet robes. Everyone in the hall all gasped and gaped at the couple. The woman was a virtual Venus and had all the males awestruck.

"Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first annual Halloween Ball. I hope you all will enjoy yourselves on this impromptu occasion. I only ask that the first, second, and third years head to their dorms at 10:30 pm while the older students head up at midnight," Professor Dumbledore announced. "Now, have fun."

At this, the tables all were loaded with food. Everyone ate with gusto. They were all eating and joking with one another as they went through each course. Ashley kept glancing up at her uncle and the woman who was with him. She has never seen her before.

After dinner, the teachers magically moved the tables to the side to make a dance floor. The students were all impressed and excited as music started to play from invisible speakers. The floor was pointedly empty until Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall started to dance.

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There. Another chapter. I got a major writer's block and couldn't get a move on with this story. I hope you all appreciate this. For all you shippers out there, this will be Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny. I'm not sure who to pair Ashley up with yet, so give me suggestions.