Gone Awry

The next day, her friends haven't just yet forgiven Ash. Every time they saw her they couldn't resist shaking their head at her in disappointment. How could she have not told them about her birthday?

However, something that they definitely would never forgive was what Pansy did to Ash. They could still see her shaking and crying form in front of them when they looked at her now, stuffing her face with food and listening to her surroundings and the tables conversations.

How did they know it was Pansy? Well, it was kind off obvious when they had come into the common room the other night and Pansy was boasting it to Daphne, who had looked a bit uncomfortable in their presence. Furthermore, Ash had told them about seeing Pansy grin at her when she noticed the plants erupting from her ears.

Yet, the teachers couldn't do anything. Pansy said that she didn't do it - and Veritaserum was forbidden.

Nonetheless, they knew Ash. You couldn't hurt Ash and think that you could get away with it. No. Ash was a fighter, a prankster, a absolute genius when it comes to revenge...

Ash was quiet when she joined her friends at breakfast the next morning. Only mumbling a small "Morning," before falling quiet again and starring at her food. She didn't even pick up the fork to pretend that she was eating something.

"Ash? Are you alright?" Tracy asked carefully when she saw her depressed friend.

Her blond head shot up. "Yeah, don't worry about me," she murmured and went back to starring at her waffles.

Concerned her friends moved their heads together. "She's lying," Tracy stated and glanced at the blond lifeless girl next to her, who had decided to finally eat the waffles before they turned cold(er).

"Well, it's not like we'd be jumping around and laughing when it would have happened to us," Blaise said tightening his lips.

"But, I've never seen her this... this lifeless," Tracy sighed and looked at her friends concerned.

"I know what you mean, but think about it like this. She just went through one of the greatest shocks in her life." Draco told her, "I think she just needs a bit of time... that's all."

"I guess..."

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the trio heard a voice say beside them, and saw Ginny hugging her cousin from behind.

"I'm alright, what about you?"

"Better, now that I see you plant-less," Ginny joked quietly and Ash's lips twitched an inch. But soon she fell silent again and her emotionless expression masked her face once again.

All of a sudden her head turned to look at the red haired girl that was still standing next to her. "You know what day today is?" she asked.

Ginny looked at her confused. "Yeah, its the 8th"

"8th of what?"

"8th of December. Why ar- Oh bloody Merlin! I'm so sorry! The game and the plants and everything. I totally forgot!" Ginny gasped when she remembered the 7th. "Happy Birthday!" she called and hugged her cousin tightly.

Again Ash's lips twitched, but nothing more. Her lips twitched and then she went back to her food and continued eating her waffles - ignoring Ginny for the rest of her short lived stay at the Slytherin table.

When Ginny wanted to leave, Tracy touched her hand, stood up and silently followed Ginny to the table.

"What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you. I've never seen Ash like this and its starting to scare me," Ginny glanced back at her silent cousin.

"I've seen her like that once before. She's brooding."

"Brooding?"

Ginny nodded and left Tracy standing alone. When Tracy went back to the table, she was surprised that she didn't see Ron nor Harry or Hermione come over to congratulate their family and friend, although she noticed that Granger had moved to stand up, but was stopped by Ginny. Probably telling them that it was useless, she was brooding.

Brooding. Tracy was unsure if that was better then what she had thought. It definitely wasn't a good sign for Pansy, who was currently laughing into her fists because she thought that she had hurt Ash. But she wished that Ash would include her and Blaise into the brooding process. She didn't like her silent friend and already missed the happy-go-lucky attitude she normally had.

"She's brooding," Tracy told the two boys when she sat down in her seat once again.

"Brooding?"

"Brooding."

The tree fell silent and watched their preoccupied friend.

The people around them had already vanished from the Great Hall, leaving the three of them alone in the way to big room.

"Ash, we should go," Blaise told her and helped her stand up, taking her by the hand and pulling her with them, when she didn't respond.

Draco had given up waiting for Ash to awake from her thinking state, a few hours ago and had gone with Crabbe and Goyle to the common room.

Together the three of them went to the Astronomy tower, where Tracy and Blaise sat down in silence and looked at the landscape, while Ash kept brooding.

"Do you think she can hear us?" Blaise asked after a while and lay down on his back, starring at the statue-like girl. The only thing that told them that she was indeed no statue was her gentle breathing and the hair that swayed in the wind.

"I think so."

"How long do you think she will stay like this?"

Tracy shrugged. "A while."

Blaise yawned and looked out of the tower again. "It's like having a statue as friend," he stated after few minutes passed in silence again.

"I know... But I bet after this, we'll be witnesses to one of the greatest vengeance pranks there ever was." Tracy grinned and glanced at her dark skinned friend. He looked back at her and grinned as well.

At that exact same moment, Ash's head snapped up. "Eureka! I've got it!"