It's been two weeks since Ash had talked to Tracy and nothing had changed.
Daphne was still angry at Ash and glared at her every given second - it surprised Ash for a second, but even while Daphne was asleep she seemed to be glaring at her. Yet she didn't actually do anything, Ash guessed her glaring was the most ingenious thing Daphne could think of.
But she still needed to be careful. Twice already, some guys had come up to her, trying to scare her off but Tracy of Blaise were always there to stop them.
Her relationship with Blaise also strengthened. He really was an awesome guy. She loved talking to him. She could tell him everything and nothing at all, they were always cracking jokes and slowly became inseparable. Blaise was starting to become her best friend - together with Tracy.
Tracy was an Angel. Always being there for her when anything seemed to be happening, always being there for her to talk to and always having a good advise on her lips. But slowly Ash could see why she is a Slytherin.
Tracy would do anything to fulfil her goals. Her major goal in life was to become a star reporter like Rita Skeeter. Her ruthless researching skills were top notch already. This girl knew everything there is to know about this school. Name it, she knew it. It was as if she had bugged the whole school.
Her minor goals, such as an A in her next homework assignment, she pursued by... similar means. Using the information she had to pressure another student into doing their best work of all times for her, or 'convincing' her teacher that she deserved a better grade...
Ash was happy/thankful that Tracy decided that she could be useful in future and therefore became friends with her.
Ron and Harry still didn't want to talk to her after she ditched them in Transformations. But Hermione started to understand that Ash was a Slytherin and just shrugged it off. They wouldn't become best friends or anything similar, but they talked. It was a start.
Ginny acted the most normal around her. She didn't have as bad Slytherin experiences and therefore found her brothers behaviour quite idiotic. Ash was thankful. They were family and it hurt her that part of her family didn't accept her any more.
As for the little confusion with Draco... that turned into big confusion. There was something about him that pulled her towards him. The way he spoke, the way he looked at her, his smirk - it all seemed to have an flavour to it that she just couldn't resist.
And yet something stopped her from giving in to it. She knew exactly what it was, but didn't want to admit it. She stuck to her story that it wouldn't work because Pansy was her friend, it would shatter the small rest-bond she still shared with Ron or it that it was probably just a game for Draco anyway and that she wouldn't be one of his conquers.
But in reality she knew that she didn't really mind that. Who cares what Pansy thinks of her? She wasn't her friend. There was no real bond between her and Ron any more. He hadn't even acknowledged her existence in the last two weeks. And if it where just a game for Draco... well, all right she would have to admit that that would actually hurt her, but at least the confusion would be over. Ash hated being confused.
The real reason why she wouldn't let herself give into the feeling or even go on a date with Draco was because she was scared shitless. Not of losing a friend, not of breaking ties, not of being used... but losing herself again. Her past had taught her that her feelings are traitors and the whole situation reminded her too much of the past, too much of Patrick... she wasn't ready to let herself go like that again...
"Her glare is slowly starting to annoy me," Ash huffed sitting next to Blaise, pouting.
"Just ignore her, she's nothing to bother about."
"Oh, but you don't have to be on the same room as her at night! You don't see that she actually continues glaring while she's sound asleep." Ash looked at him with a crazed expression which made Blaise laugh.
"Sure she does."
"You don't believe me! Ask Tracy, she'll tell you its true!"
Blaise glanced over at Tracy, whom just nodded her head. "Alright, alright. I believe you. What do you plan to do about it?"
Ash opened her mouth to speak but shut it again looking away. All of a sudden her head snapped up again. "How about you go on a date with her. Then she knows that we're not dating and she won't have a reason to glare at me any more!" Ash beamed.
"No."
"Why not?!" despair in her voice.
"You're not really asking that, are you?"
Ash pouted again. "No," she slurred unconvincing.
"Ash."
"No, I'm not serious. I just meant that it wouldn't be that much of an horror. Just go on a date and then dump her. What's the biggy?" she rambled.
"Ash!" Blaise's tone becoming more warning.
Ash gave an frustrated sigh. "It's just the glare... it's slowly driving me insane!"
"It's alright, I understand," Blaise said and added, "but I will not even think about going on a date with her," when he saw Ash's eyes light up in hope.
"How about I blackmail her for you?" Tracy asked, "I know a lot of stuff about her that I'm sure would make her stop glaring at you."
"No, I already told you I wouldn't do that. It's immoral."
"But trying to make your best friend date her just to make her stop glaring at you isn't?"
"Um... No?"
"Hypocrite."
"Douche."
"What the -?"
"Your a douche because you wont do it."
"Would you do it?"
"Sure I would."
"OK, Draco's been mean to me for a while now. Go date him"
"That's not the same! and Lair! He hasn't been mean to you in any way."
"How would you know?"
"Because you would have told me sooner. As would have Tracy."
"OK, true... but if Draco would be mean to me and you supposedly help by going on a date with him, would you?"
"Um... probably." Ash said unsure.
"Alright. Go on a date with Draco and I will go on a date with Daphne."
"You are so not my friend," Ash glared and Blaise just smirked. "Alright. No dating. I have to think of something else."
While Blaise and Tracy just continued talking, silence surrounded Ash while she tried to think of a way to make Daphne stop with that annoying glare. Suddenly her head snapped up again. "Guy's I'll see you later, I have to go any write a letter." Ash told the others absent-mindedly while she ran into her room and started writing a small letter and a long list of requests to her cousins Fred and George...
Once she sent of the letter, she knew that it wouldn't take long before she got her cousins reply. She didn't know how they felt about her being in Slytherin, but they could never say no to her when one of her request letters flew into their shop - they love pranks too much.
She could never say that she was as good as those two pranksters, but she wasn't all to bad either.
Giddily she went back to the Slytherin common room, excited about tomorrows delivery.
When morning finally came, Ash couldn't help but stare up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. She didn't want to wait a minute longer for the items she requested to come. She had been so excited that she hardly caught any sleep and had been wide awake at 5.30 in the morning. Much to the displeasure of Tracy, whom Ash had woken right away. Quietly the two of them had gotten ready for school and then sneaked out of their dorm room. Their next stop had been Blaise's room, which gave them more trouble then anticipated because they first had to get the pictures to shut up, then sneak into his room and figure out which of the sleeping bodies on the beds belonged to him.
When they finally found him they had to wake him up quietly, in order to not wake anyone else in the room. At first Blaise was startled seeing the two girls leaning over him, but swiftly took in the scene and groaned, knowing what he had to do next. Annoyed he had gotten out of his bed and gotten his clothes while the two girls lay back down on his bed, cuddling into the blankets.
Once he had been ready to go the he and the girls sneaked out of the room and laughed, seeing the mute pictures cursing at them. Briskly they had left the boys corridor and went out to the common room.
Since then they had wandered the halls and now they where sitting at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, eating their early breakfast.
Aggravatingly slowly the Hogwarts Students filled into the Hall.
"Where are the owls?" Ash asked annoyed.
"They'll come, don't worry." Tracy told her again.
"But its taking them so long."
"Well, it wouldn't seem so long, if you'd have slept." Blaise told her grudgingly, he still wasn't very happy about being woken at 6 in the morning.
"What time do they usually come?"
"Well, seeing as it is Saturday, the day where we can usually sleep longer. The owls normally come at 9.30 o'clock," Blaise spat.
"And what time is it now?"
"30 minutes since you asked the last time: 7.30." Tracy stated.
"OK," Ash said.
"You know, today is an Hogsmead day, you could have just bought it at Zonko's."
"Nope, he doesn't have all the things I need and also, I'm in hope of getting it for free." Her friends eyes her sceptical but let it slip.
Two hours later the Great Hall was buzzing with life and the owls screeched as they made their way through the ceiling windows and down to the waiting students. Ash was shivering with excitement as she watched one owl after the other fly into the Hall. But she couldn't see Snowball anywhere. Errol swooped down and brought her an letter from Molly, the owls from the Daily Prophet and the Deutsche Flügel came and delivered their packages. But Schneeball, nor the twins owls were in sight when all the other owls finished their job and had already left the Hall.
Disappointed the strawberry blond haired girl hung her head, while she felt Blaise and Tracy exchange a knowing look and Blaise's hand started stroking her back.
Did the twins hate her like Ron did? Just because she was a Slytherin? It wasn't fair. What did she ever do to them to deserve this? Nothing. Nothing at all. All she did was being sorted into an different house than them, where her cousins really that stupid? Did they really believe that a house could change a person so much? Those little-
While Ash fell into a silence that varied from disappointment to frustration and anger, a small owl screech could be heard in the distance.
Gently Blaise shook Ash's shoulder making her look up. Then he pointed towards the ceiling where five fully packed owls raced into the Hall. One of them being Schneeball.
Then all five of those owls landed in front of Ash, even she was surprised. "Alright... I know that I did not order that much..." she said quietly, while taking a letter from Snowballs beak addressed to her. Slowly she opened it and read:
Dear cute little cousin of ours,
We heard about Ron from Ginny. We always knew he was an stupid git, although we hoped he'd improve when he gets older... Our hopes have died now.
Anyway, we are in hope that he is the one who engaged your wrath and therefore happily present you with our newest products and everything else that you had on your little list of requests. Although we still don't quite get your little obsession with some of these items...
And for the case it isn't him that will have to face your wrath, we included a bit more, begging of you that you wont let him get away with his shit.
Love you to bits,
your favourite cousins,
George and Fred
Ash was near to tears when she read the letter, her smile tearing he face in two.
She was forced out of her bliss when one of the owls hooted in annoyance and Ash looked up to notice that she still hadn't rid them of their burdens. Swiftly she untied the packages from their legs.
"Ash, is it your birthday or something?" she heard a voice ask from next to her, while she beamed at the boxes in front of her. Surprised she turned to see Draco leaning against the table, watching her.
She smiled at him, "No, its just a little delayed congratulations-on-making-Slytherin-gift from my cousins," she laughed.
"Ah alright," Draco started then 'cassually" tried to change the topic. "So are you going to Hogsmead today?"
"Well, I think we were planning on it," she turned to look at Tracy and Blaise in reassurance, they nodded.
"Ah, I see. Mind if I join you?"
"No, not at all." Ash smiled at him, too happy to let any doubts cross her mind. "How about you meet us at in the common room at 12?"
"Sure can do," he smiled at her, as Ash and the other two scooped up the packages and letters and started hurrying towards the girl's room, hoping they'd find it empty, so they could look at what her cousins sent her.
"They send me everything they have in their shop, right?" Ash gasped as the three of them were sitting in the bathroom staring at the prank products in front of them.
There were:
* 2x Anti Gravity Hats
* 30x Belch Powder
* 2x Bombtastic Bomb
* 20x Bulbadox powder - was on her list
* 30x Canary Cream
* A set of Creepy Crawlies
* 10x Decoy Detonators - 1 was on her list
* 20x Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks
* 30x Dungbomb
* 1x Electric Shock Shake
* 5x Ever-Bashing Boomerang -was on her list
* 2x Fanged Flyer
* 4x Frog Spawn Soap
* 6x Headless Hats
* 1x Jack-in-the-box
* 6x Nose-Biting Teacup
* 15x Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder - was on her list although only 2x
* 3x Portable Swamp -was on her ist
* 5x Punching telescope
* 1x Screaming Yo-yo
* 2x Self-Propelling Custard Pie -was on her list
* 3x Shield Hat, Gloves and Cloaks (with a little note saying "Be safe")
* 20 sets of Skiving Snackbox - 2 were on her list
each including * 50x Fainting Fancies
* 50x Fever Fudge
* 50x Nosebleed Nougat
* 50x Puking Pastilles
Added was also a little note saying "They sell well"
* 20x Stink Pellets
* 10x Trick wand - was on her list
* 1x U-No-Poo
Next to that where the items that even Fred and George didn't always understand the genius off - Muggle Prank Items.
They included:
* 10x Itch Powder
* 5x Bald Head Wigs
* 10x Chinese Finger traps
* 20x Fake pimples and Warts
* 5x Woopsie Coushins
* 1x Funny Talking Weighing Scale
* 25x Blacksoap
* 1x two headed quarter
* 3x Mystic Smoke tubes
* 100x Spider creamer
* 50x Blood Capsules
* 2x Shock Gum
* 15x Stinky Sweat Spray
* 10x Barf Spray
* 50x Garlic Candy
* 10x Jumping Candy
* 50x Hot Candy
* 50x Fart Candy
* 50x Black Mouth Candy
"What do you plan on doing with all of this?" Tracy asked stunned.
"We're gonna play a few pranks on Daphne and Ronnywonny."
"Ronnywonny?" Blaise snickered. "Sounds fun, but what do you need the Muggle stuff for?"
"Don't tell me you don't see the genius in those either?" Ash cried. "Well, OK not even George and Fred always see it." Ash shook her disappointed in them all. "Sure, without magic their a bit sad, but if you even add just a dust of magic..." Ash grinned wickedly. "But don't worry my loves, you will see the genius in just a few days. Monday night Operation 'Give them something to glare about' starts... But before that, Draco is waiting for us in the common room, lets get going!" Ash grinned and jumped up from her former sitting position on the floor. Quickly she scooped up the Prank Items on the floor and ran to her trunk to store them away safely.