Gone Awry

Ash was miserable. What did she do to deserve this? She just came here and already she upset Ron enough that he and his friends didn't want to talk with her any more. A friend she just made, Daphne, hated her guts because she thought she had something with Blaise. Pansy was also starting to avoid her, siding with Daphne.

Was Blaise really behaving different towards her then others? Is he actually not the nice and funny person who sticks up for his friends, like she got to know him? Rawr! This was all too confusing.

After what Daphne had said to her last evening, Ash had laid in bed and had thought over everything that happened in the last couple of days.

How is it even possible to make an enemy in only such a short time. Was it even possible? She guessed it was. Its even possible to make your cousin/best friend into enemies in only that time, she silently thought to herself and felt a tear slip out of her eyes and run over her cheek.

Blaise was one of the most important people in her life right now. Next to her family, he was the only one that knows about her past. She could never stay away from him. But then she would loose Daphne and probably Pansy as friends.

She was turning in circles. She needed someone to talk and bitch around with... "Tracy!"

Hastily Ash jumped out of her bed on with she had been laying and ran over to Tracy's bed. Pulling a bit of the curtains Ash saw that she was sleeping. "Tracy," she whispered quietly, in order to not wake the other girls. "Tracy," she whispered again and shook the resting girl. "Tracy," she said again, this time a bit louder and with more force. The girl in front of her contracted and then moved her head to look at Ash.

"What?"

"Tracy, I'm sorry that I'm waking you but... I need to talk."

It took a while until Tracy had registered the words. With a yawn, Tracy sat up. "What time is it?" she asked sleepy and looked at Ash with half closed eyes.

"It's 03.57."

Tracy stared at her emotionless. Then turned around and put her head back on the pillow, pulling her blankets up to her shoulders in the same movement.

Ash looked at her hurt, "please Tracy!"

"Does it have to be now? Or can it wait until a reasonable time in the morning. Maybe at 7, during breakfast?"

"No I need to talk now. I'm sorry, I know it's not the best time. But... Please"

Tracy glared over her blanket at Ash, but sat up and hugged her blanket close to her body. "Alright. But lets go to the common room so we won't wake the others."

Ash's face lit up and immediately the girl stood up from her friends bed and went over to her own to grab her blanket.

Silently the girls went through their room and down the corridor, hoping to not wake anybody - person nor painting.

As they successfully made it into the common room they sat down on the couches in front of lake window - and furthest away from Salazar Slytherins portrait - tightening their blankets around their shoulders.

After a few minutes of just watching the seaweed sway from onside t the other, Tracy broke the silence, "so what did you want to talk about?"

Ash looked at the seaweed for few moments longer then sighed "... everything"

"Maybe you should have woken me earlier. Everything will take quite a bit of time."

"You know what I mean. I... Since I came here, so much happened I don't know what to do any more. And your the only person I can think of that I can talk to about everything..."

Tracy's face was lit in a fade green light from the window as Ash looked at her and saw her smile a little. "Alright, shoot" she urged happily.

Ash told her everything. The problems she had with Ron and his buddies since she was sorted into Slytherin. About Daphne and what she said about Blaise and her. As well as about Draco... his advances towards her and the butterflies she got when she saw him. The only thing she left out was her past.

Tracy didn't say one word throughout the whole time Ash talked. just nodded every now and then to show Ash that she was still awake and listening.

Once Ash finished silence fell over then again. Anxiously Ash glanced over at Tracy. Just talking about it and getting it out of her mind and into the air had already lifted some the burden on her shoulders, but Tracy's silence made her a bit uncomfortable.

All of a sudden Tracy took a deep breath, "Wow... if you consider that it's only been four days since the Hogwarts Express left London, its quite some 'adventure' you've already had here."

"Yeah, isn't it?"

"I don't know what I can say about the Griffindor part of the story, but I think you should listen to your Aunt. Just lead a normal life, at one point Weasley and the others will get used to you being an Slytherin. They just need a bit of time, I guess."

"I guess so. It still hurts though."

"I know. But Ron should know how you really are. If he really believes that only because your in Slytherin, you've got to be bad and a Death Eater its his own stupidity to blame," Ash smiled at Tracy gratefully. "Now with the other problems, I believe I can help you more."

"You shouldn't take Daphne to seriously. She has a new "mark" every two weeks. Hence, her Blaise obsession probably wont go very long. But still be careful. She isn't the smartest egg out of the box, but she has most of the Slytherin boys falling for her and they could cause you trouble.

"If you stick with me, I'll make sure you wont be hurt though.

"About Blaise. I don't think you'll have to worry about him making a move on you. I don't know why, but somehow you made him respect you. Since now his only real friends where Draco and I. But he never really respected us. He's normally an extremely arrogant person, who looks down at anyone and everything - although he doesn't say so.

"Normally he just disregards people when he doesn't have the same opinion on some topic. But with you, I'm unsure. Although he has many different opinions then you - for example on the muggle topic - he seems to really enjoy his time around you and not disregard you for you different opinions.

"When you just entered school and he saw you, he believed that you'd be an easy catch. Good looking and stupid, like all the other girls around him. Maybe it was that time when he talked to you outside the common room, during the party. I don't know what you told him, but I think that whatever it was, it surprised him and he started respecting you. I actually believe that you are the closest everyone ever was in becoming his friend - a true and real friend.

"He would never try anything on you. He doesn't believe in the concept of love or relationships - thanks to his wonderful mother. I believe being a good friend for you is the highest objective he has right now." Tracy smiled at Ash and Ash smiled back gratefully, hoping she was right.

"Now as for the Draco part. I'm unsure what to say. What Blaise said was correct. Draco's a womanizer. He views most women as targets and once he has them, they start to bore him. Pansy is the only one so far that caught his interest for longer then a fuck. But that's probably because she was already all over him before he really saw women and fish to be caught.

"But still something in the way Draco acts around you is a bit strange. Saving you a seat, asking you on a date. It could be a new trick to get to girls, or he really does see something in you. I have no idea. But f you like him... why not try it out?"

Ash looked at Tracy unsure. "I don't know. What about Pansy? Wouldn't she hate me, if I went on a date with him?"

"Who cares? Pansy hates everyone at one point of time. Most likely she doesn't like you already because of Daphne. So it doesn't really matter. Moreover, you've already got Blaise and me, who will stick up to you, no matter what. And I think Theodore also likes you more then those two skanks."

"But... But..."

"Alright. Let me say it like that. Get to know Draco a bit better, see what his intentions are and what he actually wants from you. You don't have to go on a date with him right away, keep him on the loose end. See if his interest stops or not after some time. And look what you believe you feel after a month or two. If you still feel the need to get closer to him, ignore Pansy and the others and just do it."

Ash stood up and went over to Tracy to hug her and thank her for the help. After this little talk Ash already felt way better and fully at ease for the first time she came to Hogwarts.