Gone Awry

Tracy watched her broken hearted friend sit on the compartment bench and read a book that she had just pulled out of her

Draco had an affair with Pansy, huh?Tracy asked herself mentally, not quite believing it. Sure, if Ash told her this, it must be true... but Draco loved Ash. She had never seen him this happy before. Not when he was single, not when he flirted and sneaked away other girls every night and definitely not when he was with Pansy last year.

"I don't get it," she said out loud making the other people in her compartment turn their heads to face her. "Why would he do it? I don't get it."

Ash looked up at her with a confused face, then shrugged, "I have no idea why. But personally I'm already over the stage that I want to know why he did it."

Tracy gave her a small smile and silence began to dominate the compartment once again. This time Tracy used the quiet to observe her friends closer.

Ash was still staring at her book, but she wasn't reading it. Her eyes stayed fixed on one place, she never turned the page - however many minutes may have gone by - and Tracy could see from her tense shoulders that she was think hard.

Plotting, Tracy guessed silently and turned her attention to Blaise.

He was sitting next to Ash - about a meter in between their bodies - staring out of the window with a sad face. However, he wasn't looking at the scenery that swept past them. He was looking at Ash.

His body turned towards her in a 2° angle, his face harboured in his hand, his eyes planted on her reflection in the window.

He told her his feelings and she rejected him, she observed, feeling sorry for her friends.

Next she turned to look at Chase. He was the outsider in the little group. A bit like the Gryffindor's that Ash always brought along to play with.

He was hard to decipher. One year younger then the rest of them, he had the greatest potential of becoming the new 'Prince of Slytherin' once Draco was out of the picture. Many people already called him 'Crown Prince' due to that fact.

Before that year, Tracy had never really noticed him. He had been a nobody. But as soon Ash came and became his 'big sister' as he liked to call her, his reputation shot into the air and suddenly he was the most popular guy in his grade.

Is that all that binds him to her? The fear of loosing his status once again if he cuts the ties? Tracy asked herself but then shook her head. No. He may be the type of calculating parasite, but he's in this for real, she decided as she saw his calculating eyes sweep over Ash and a shimmer of pity settle in them at her sight.

Again Tracy turned to look at Ash. "Ash. What is the plan?"

Ash looked up at Tracy with a small sad smile. "I have no idea," she said laughing ironically and shaking her head in in confusion. "I have absolutely no idea," she repeated and scrunched up her face. "I'll be right back," she added before jumping up and calmly walking out of the compartment door.

When the door closed behind her, Tracy looked at Blaise confused. "Where do you think she's going?"

Blaise looked at the door with a shrug, "I guess she wants to be alone for a while."

"Do you think she'll ever turn back to herself?" Chase asked softly.

Tracy and Blaise looked at Chase, before looking at the floor in silence. Finally Blaise broke the silence. "I'm sure she will be back to normal... as soon as she is satisfied that Draco feels the same pain as her..."

"And when will that be?" Chase asked frustrated - he's been seeing the melodramatic Ash for over an week now.

"As soon as I found him and used the Cruciatus Curse on him?" Ash stated when she re-entered the compartment, surprising them all.

"You want to what?" Tracy asked shocked.

"I was joking. Patrick beat me to that one," she said sitting down again and running her hands over her face.

Sighing she looked up at the other three again. "I'm sorry for all the trouble you had to go through with me the past week," she said looking intendedly at Blaise and Chase. "I won't be such a pain once we're back in school."

"Your... Your no pain," Blaise tried to argue, but was only met with an unconvinced gaze.

"Thanks for the try, but I'm annoying even myself right now," she answered and violently shook her head.

Tracy shook her head, "Your really not a pain, but your not yourself right now. We miss the happy-go-lucky Ash we know and love."

Ash smiled at Tracy fondly. "Thank you."

"No problem, just tell us if there's anything we could do to help you, alright?"

"Of course!"

"Alright, then how about you tell me all about that idiotic idea of racing at the Annual Broom Race!" Tracy cried with wide daring eyes that made the whole compartment laugh.

All of a sudden a loud voice boomed through the corridors, making Ash and the other jump a bit. "We will arrive in Hogwarts in thirty minutes, please be sure to be ready by then."

Grinning Ash looked at her friends, "We're home!"