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A Matter of Time	By : AdaraB Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 7796 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything in the Harry Potter universe. I own nothing and I make no profit off of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12 – Situations and Relations

Monday Morning

As Ashleigh entered the Great Hall, she once again marveled at the reflecting sky above her. This morning however, was not that of a beautiful sunrise, but a very dark storm that created somewhat spooky shadows on the walls. If there hadn’t been hundreds of floating candles placed just beneath the evaporating down pour, the hall would have been overcast in complete darkness. The light from the candles created a soft glow, a glow that would have been perfect for a romantic dinner between couples. It was not however perfect for hundreds of teens and pre-teens who were still trying to wake themselves up. She noticed several of the younger students from Hufflepuff dozing in their porridge.

With a smile she sat down at what was now considered her seat at the Slytherin table which was at the end across from Draco and to the left of Blaise. She had been informed by Draco that Blaise never usually sat next to the same girl two days in a row unless he was dating her. She could tell that Draco was annoyed that this was now the third day that he chose to sit beside her. She was just glad that Blaise had stopped being completely forward with her. He still hit on her, there was no doubt about that, but he was more subtle about it now.

“So where were you yesterday? I haven’t seen you since Saturday night.” Draco asked, with a raised eyebrow. He was extremely curious as to her whereabouts, hoping she hadn’t been with Potter

“I was in my room reading. I’m just about finished all of the first year books. The Goblin Wars are a bit tedious to get through though.” Ashleigh replied, spooning a heap of eggs and bacon onto her plate.

“You may want to get used to it.” Blaise said with a laugh. “That’s all Binns ever teaches.”

“So I have many hours of boring reading ahead of me, huh?”

“Looks like it. If you need any help with anything let me know, alright?”

“Thanks Draco, I’ll keep that in mind. Hermione also said she’d help me study so with the two of you helping me, I’ll be able to take over the positions of Head Boy and Girl. Although I may rethink wanting such a job considering I don’t have all the necessary parts.” She said with a cheeky grin.

Draco nearly spit out his pumpkin juice at that. He sobered immediately, thinking of how undignified that would have been and swallowed properly.

“That is disgusting.” He said with a shudder.

Ashleigh, trying to hold in her laughter when he nearly spewed his juice all over the table, busted out in laughter at his shudder. It was the funniest thing she had seen in a long while.

“What is so funny?” Draco demanded, quite put off by her laughing at him.

It took her a moment, several in fact, to regain her composure. When she did however, she sobered completely.

“I’m sorry Draco, it was just your face when you said that what I had said was disgusting. And mixed with that flawless shudder, well it was just priceless. I only said that to see who I could get a rise out of, but I can see you aren’t one to disappoint.” She said, her voice full of mirth.

“Well at least one good thing came of my almost embarrassment.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I got to show off my flawless shudder.” Draco replied, buffing his nails on his robes.

Ashleigh just laughed at his antics, glad that he could take a joke.

“Well, I’ve got to get going; I have to stop by the library before class. Are you going to stop by the common room tonight?” Draco asked as he stood up and collected his bag.

“Probably, depending what my schedule is like, I haven’t received it yet. But I will undoubtedly see you at some point today.”

“Alright, good luck with your classes.” Draco said as he walked away.

As soon as Draco was out of the door, Blaise decided it was time to make his move. Turning to Ashleigh, he studied her profile for a moment thinking of how good they would look together with their dark hair, her flawlessly pale skin and his tanned. He thought even her height at five feet six inches was perfect for him. Even if she wore heels, which he hoped she would since he thought heels were dead sexy, she would still be shorter than his six feet.

She had just finished eating her breakfast and was preparing to leave the table. Thinking fast, he put his right hand on top of hers, causing her to look at him, questioning him with her eyes.

At her glance, Blaise scooted closer to her slinging his left arm around her and leaned in.

“You know, you look extremely beautiful in this lighting.”

“Uh, thanks. Um, I need to get going; I’ve got studying to do.” Ashleigh lied, hoping he would take it at face value and let her go. She leaned back to put some distance between their faces.

Instead of letting her go though, he held on to her tighter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What’s going on over there?” Harry asked, more to himself than to his friends.

“What?” Ron asked.

“Over at the Slytherin table. Looks like Zabini is making a move on Ashleigh. He waited until Draco left though. I’ve been keeping my eye on her since we haven’t seen her since Saturday; I was wondering if she’s sick.”

Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked over to the end of the Slytherin table where Ashleigh sat facing them. Zabini had just put his arm around her and was now scooting closer to her. Ashleigh looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“I’m going over to see if she needs help.” Harry said, not taking his eyes off of Ashleigh’s offender.

“I’m coming with you mate.” Ron was up and out of his seat in a second, always ready at a moment’s notice to defend a friend against a slimy Slytherin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Stay with me a little longer, I never get to talk to you since Draco is always clinging to you.” Blaise said with a sneer.

“I deserve your attention as well.” He demanded, tightening his grip on her hand causing her to wince in pain.

“Look, I appreciate your compliment and all, but I’m just not attracted to you. Now take your hands off of me!” She bit out, trying her best to remain calm.

She was so mad she nearly screamed that last part. Deciding it would be best if she didn’t alert the entire school to her predicament, most of the Slytherin's were already staring, she settled for a deep menacing tone.

“Is he giving you a problem Ashleigh?”

Ashleigh turned around to find Harry and Ron standing behind her. She gave them a grateful look as she felt Blaise let go of her.

“We were just having a private conversation, so sod off!” Blaise just about roared with anger at the fact that Potter and Weasley had come to her rescue. This was his time with her.

“Blaise, this conversation is over and there won’t be another one like it. I suggest you get used to that fact and find some other girl to sit next to from now on.” She said as she got up from the table and walked over to the Gryffindor table with Ron and Harry.

“Oh, yes there will be another time, many more times. I’ll make you realize just how much you want me.” Blaise said as she walked away.

The trio never heard the threat that came out of his mouth just as they never saw the one in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked. She and Ginny had been watching the confrontation from their table.

“I’m fine; Blaise got a bit carried away. It seems his crush is a bit more serious than I thought. I never thought he would have gone that far though.”

“Slytherin’s aren’t always the most sensitive people. Zabini especially isn’t used to hearing the word no from a girl. You need to watch your back. It seems that this is a bit more than a passing fancy for him, I’ve never seen him that aggressive before.” Harry said, looking a bit worried.

“I never thought I’d say this, but you should talk to Draco. He’ll probably know how to keep Zabini in line. But just to be sure, carry your wand with you at all times in case he tries something with you.”

“That’s all good and well Harry, but I don’t see how my wand will help me.”

“Of course it will help.”

“No Harry it won’t, she doesn’t know any spells yet.” Ginny said reminding Harry that Ashleigh hadn’t had any training as a witch yet.

“Oh, yeah, right.” Harry said, with a sheepish grin.

“Miss Grey.” A silky voice said.

At this address, Ashleigh turned and found Professor Snape standing behind her. Quickly, she stood up and addressed him as formally as he did her.

“Not sitting with your fellow Slytherins, why ever not?” He asked, clearly thinking the worst of her.

“Blaise was getting a bit frisky; I thought I could use some new scenery.” She told him in an almost insolent manner.

Snape looked at her with his mouth in a tight line. He knew Zabini fancied himself a ladies’ man, but he also knew that this girl, with a mouth like a thorn, would not take his advances lightly. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the happenings between the two.

“Your time table.” He said, handing her a piece of parchment. “How far are you into your studies?”

“I’m almost finished the first year books. I’ve only got a couple of chapters from the History of Magic book to finish.”

Snape raised an eyebrow at her proclamation. He was secretly impressed that she had gotten that much reading done in one day. Miss Granger would have to watch her step if she wanted to continue being known as the know-it-all of the school. He of course would never call one of his Slytherins that, even if they did require the term. He supposed he would just have to wait until their private tutoring session to see how much information she retained with that photographic memory of hers.

“I suggest you be on time as well as prepared for your sessions. I will not tolerate tardiness or forgetfulness.”

“Yes Professor.” She said with a subdued tone.

Snape gave the group of Gryffindors a disgusted look, nodded to Ashleigh, and then walked away.

Turning back to the group, Ashleigh asked “Is he always this pleasant?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sir, can I talk to you?”

Harry had hurried away from his friends who were heading off for Charms in the opposite direction, trying to catch up with Dumbledore. Ashleigh had already gone down to her rooms in the dungeons to do some more reading.

“Of course you may. Whatever do you need my boy?”

“Well, Ashleigh and I, we kind of had the same idea about something. Um, we want to see if we’re related somehow. I mean, we really do look alike and I feel, I don’t know, some kind of pull toward her. Is there some way we can do a test to see if we’re related?”

“It just so happens there is. I had a feeling that you and Miss Grey would come to me for the answer to that particular question, so I had Professor Snape boil up a Blood Relations potion. It will be ready by the end of the day, so if you and Miss Grey will meet me in my office after dinner, we shall see if you are indeed related or not.” Dumbledore said, giving Harry a look of knowing over his half moon glasses.

“Thank you, sir.” Harry said excitedly.

“Now hurry off, I don’t want to hear from Professor Flitwick that you were late to class, seeing as you still have five minutes to get there.” He said.

Harry nodded and turned, heading for class.

He entered the room with a bounce in his step and a grin on his face. As he sat down next to Ron, he proceeded to excitedly tell his two best friends that by the end of the day, he may have a family once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Miss Grey, thank you for joining us.”

As Ashleigh entered the Headmasters office, she could see that Harry was already seated in one of the wing backed chairs. He was nervous, she could tell as his feet were tapping the floor in an un-synced rhythm.

“Good evening Headmaster. Hey Harry.” She said with a smile as Harry patted the chair next to him.

She sat and was the picture of calm, the Slytherin in her taking hold of the moment, pushing the nervousness she felt down to where it couldn’t be seen by others.

“Now, for this test, I simply need just a drop of blood from each of you. So if you would, please hold out your right hand.” Dumbledore asked them, they obliged.

Once again Dumbledore made a tiny incision with his wand, although this time it was not on her finger but on the Life Line of her hand. He repeated this procedure on Harry and instructed them to turn their hands over the potion at the same time so that their blood would mix with the potion at the same time.

Before Dumbledore had mentioned the potion, Ashleigh hadn’t even noticed it sitting on his desk. She supposed that was due to it being perfectly clear. She thought it looked like a glass of water. Although now it looked slightly pink with hers and Harry’s blood being diluted though it.

After the deed was done, Dumbledore healed their hands.

The potion started to turn blue, a very light blue that was barely there at all.

“Excuse me a moment, I need to contact Severus.”

Harry and Ashleigh looked at each other in confusion as the Headmaster flooed Snape. He sounded as if he didn’t know how to read the potion.

With a flash of green fire, Snape was there in an instant, picking up the clear glass beaker that held the light blue potion.

“It seems that Mr. Potter and Miss Grey are indeed related through a distant relative. That is why the color is so pale. It would seem that you are cousins on your father’s side Potter.” He said with an unfortunate tone to his voice.

“Really?” Harry and Ashleigh said in unison.

“Yes, my sympathies Miss Grey.”

“I don’t see that as a bad thing at all, Professor. I know you two don’t get along that well, but I happen to get along with him fine. I can’t believe we’re cousins!” She said turning to Harry.

“Harry?” She asked him, confused as to why he was so quiet. He looked as if he was about to cry.

Harry looked at the girl calling to him; he just knew that they were family, from the first time he saw her he knew it. Getting up from his seated position, he enclosed her in a hug. He couldn’t believe he had a family again. Now he just had to figure out how to not get her killed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Reviews are welcome!
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A Matter of Time