Chapter 11
(A/N: This chapter may be longer than the others.)
Here they were. Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Maggie Black and Ashton and Lily Potter in the finest dress shop in Hogsmeade village. Well, maybe not finest but it was decent. They were in Gladrags wizardwear which was the only shop in Hogsmeade that sold dresses. Right now the group was looking for colors of dresses they liked. Ginny had worn several dresses before and decided that she looked the best in aqua blue. Hermione had an easy time deciding on which color looked best with her hair and complextion. She eventually decided that the dark blue suited her well. Maggie was just throwing on dresses left and right just for the fun of it. Though the ones she seemed to wear more often were the purple ones. With her dark brown hair it fits perfectly. Ashton still had no idea what color or even dress she would want. "MUM!" Ashton yelled as she frantically looked for a dress that would suit her.
"Yes, Ashton?" Lily called back to her daughter. She loved her daughter very much but she whined as much as James did! Lily kept searching through the dresses until she found a dress that was perfect for her daughter. This dress was a green colored dress that would make her daughter seem like an angel. It was a ball gown and from the waist down was ruffles. The dress was absolutely beautiful!
"MUUUUMMMM! Can I please go find dad, Harry, Eli, Ron, Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus! I am tired of dress shopping!" Ashton complained. She had always preferred to play quidditch or do something with the boys other than sit in the dorm and listen to Lavender, Ginny and Pavarti gossip.
"Fine! I will find you a dress!" Lily replied as she walked up to the counter to buy Ash's dress. Ashton bolted out of the shop as fast as she could to find the boys.
Ashton was running to the place she hadn't been to in a while but knew that the boys would be there. She was off to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. From Gladrags to WWW wasn't very far, especially if you were running. Ashton soon came to the door of the shop and whipped the door open and ran inside. She looked around to see that she couldn't find any of them. "You look like you were-" Started one.
"Being chased-" continued the other.
"By a Death Eater." The two people finished together.
"FRED! GEORGE! Oh it's so good to see you!" Ashton said as she hugged them both tightly, fore she hadn't seen them in a long time. "Have you seen my father or Harry or Ron or Remus or Sirius or Eli?" They nodded over to where the group of boys were standing looking in awe at the pygmy puffs and muggle magic tricks. She smiled at Fred and George and proceeded to walk over there planning to sneak up on them.
"You know, the guys I know would rather look at actual pranks other that little fluffly balls of fur." Ashton said with a smirk on her face.
"Hey Ashton." They all said in unison still staring at the things in front of them. Ash was gaping and them and was going to ask how they knew it was her but decided against it.
"Eli where are you going for the holidays?" Ashton asked hoping that he was staying at Hogwarts.
"Just planning to stay at Hogwarts this year. I really just want to avoid my family." He said with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Daddy? Can Eli stay with us for the holidays." Ashton asked directing the quesation to her father.
He mumbled a 'sure' and Ashton looked back at Eli. "So what do you say?" She asked with a twinge of hopefulness in her eyes.
"I'd love to." He said with a smile.
"Great now how about we leave these losers here and go get some butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks." Ashton said with a chuckle. He nodded eargerly before running out and yelling "Last one there is a flobberworm!" Ashton started running as fast as she could down the street and finally to the Three Broomsticks.
She found Eli sitting quietly at a table, drinking a butterbeer and had one sitting for her. She sat downacross from him taking the butterbeer out of his hand and started drinking it. He sat there gaping at her as she finished the rest of it. "What?" She finally asked pretending to be confused.
"What do you mean what? You drank my butterbeer!" He accused, taking the one that was suppose to be hers and drank half of it. "There now we are even!" He said triumphantly.
"That's just great isn't it Eli?" Ashton asked sarcastically. He nodded in agreement and took another sip of the butterbeer.
"Hey Ashton, I have another question for you." Eli said interuppting the awkward silence. Ash looked at him waiting fo him to continue. "Why did you invite me to stay at Potter Manor for the holidays? I mean, I could have stayed here--"
"--all by yourself. Nobody in Gryffindor ever stays for the holidays! Eli I am letting you stay at my house because I knew you didn't have anywhere to go. I wouldn't let just anyone come to my house during the holidays! You are my partner in crime, if you know what I mean by that. As Head Girl I will not allow you to stay at Hogwarts this year with the professors. Besides I have to get some stuff done and I can't do everything with Harry. Sure he's my brother--" The rest of her rambaling was cut of my Eli putting his hand over her mouth.
"Okay! All I needed was a simple explaination. Now, how 'bout we go to Honeydukes then go back up to the castle." He asked her quietly. She nodded and stood up from the table. She smiled Eli as he stood up and took his hand in hers. Both blushing, they walked hand in hand out of the Three Broomsticks and to Honeydukes.
In the shop they found Harry, Maggie, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, James, Lily, Remus and Sirius looking in awe at all the candy. Ashton, knowing exactly what she wanted walked over to the Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans and grabbed 3 boxes. She walked back to the group and grabbed 5 chocolate frogs and 2 sugar quills. The group gaped at all the candy she had grabbed.
"What, I love candy." Ash said confused on why everyone looked at her funny. Just as Ash finished checking out and paying, Draco walked up to the group. "Hey--" He was going to keep to talking but they heard a large 'BOOM' and a scream. They all looked frantically around the shop and ran outside, wands in hand. There stood Lucius Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback and several other Death eaters whom they didn't know the names of. Their wands were raised and Greyback looked about ready to attack anyone.
"Where is Eli Rocke?" Lucius questioned. Stunned, Eli walked to the front of the group. Suddenly all the Death Eaters appeared behind Harry, Ron, Hermione, Maggie, Ashton, Remus, Sirius, James and Lily, holding them back so they were unable to help.
"What do you want with me?" He asked through gritted teeth, with his wand still pointed at Lucius and Greyback.
"Well, we thought that we could use you. You are very powerful you know." Lucius said circling her. "However, the power you would have if you were let's say....a werewolf, would be so much stonger. Greyback, your turn." Greyback walked up to him and said
"Yes, powerful indeed. I can't wait to make you into a werewolf."
"Like hell!" Eli yelled as he sent a hex towards Greyback. He deflected it as if it was as easy as killing a mosquito.
"HOW DARE YOU!" He yelled. "You'll pay for that! Crucio!" Eli fell to the ground in pain, but bit his lip to try and not scream. "Eli!" He heard everyone yell. They all soon ripped away from their binds and started dueling with the death eaters. The pain soon stopped and Greyback knelt down next to him. "It's werewolf time." he said with an evil smile on his face.
"NO!" Ashton yelled as she finished dueling the death eater. She ran over to Eli and Fenrir and stunned Greyback and bound him with ropes. The death eaters were all soon stunned and bound and James, Lily, Remus and Sirius were escorting the students back to the castle. The death eaters sat there until Aurors arrived and were taken to the Ministry. Ashton was sitting next to Eli by a bush and they were eating the candy that she had bought. They were just trying ton relax and think about the upcoming ball.
