Maiden in ivory tower (Ashlyn)

[Damon Graas R5]

Damon turned his wrist to look at the watch as he finished a paragraph in the letter he was writing. He did like outdoors. He did like animals too. And learning or he wouldn’t be in Ravenclaw. But Care for Magical Creatures as Hogwarts had it thought was just a waste of time. Hagrid was too grubby, too clumsy, stuttery and fussy. And of course Damon knew all the he had said so far about manticores. Really, catching up on the letters he had to reply to was a far better way to spend his time. Casting a quick cooling charm on the parchment to cool the ink, preventing it from smudging, Damon placed the papers and his quill between covers. He never used a bag with a long strap over his shoulders like the rest of the students. The strap always ended up pressing painfully into his scar. Instead Damon used the covers. Closing them with a snap he glanced at his brothers, who had taken in positions on either side of him. Jared was laying on his back, his head propped up on his bag as he was lazily blowing a note or two on his harmonica now and then. No doubt working on a new song? Gabriel was leaning against a tree on his other side and clearly napping. Damon eyed his younger brother for a moment wondering if he could charm his mouth open and have him drooling, but decided against it. Would be bad for the family-dignity and himself as well by association.

Instead kicking Gabriel’s shin, effectively waking him up, and touching Jared’s shoulder, the Graas family present was up and ready to leave just as the saving bell, marking the end of the class rang loud and clear. Jared let out a victorious thriller or two on his harmonica as he jumped to his feet and the three brothers started making their way towards the castle, bantering lazily between each other, Gabriel blowing a kiss to a Hufflepuff, who blushed furiously and hurried by as her group of friends immediately surrounded her, all the while giggling. It was only when they were nearly at the castle doors, Gabriel drifting away towards the group of girls, that Jared discovered he had left his COMC book back at Hagrid’s hut. Seeing the pleading look in his brother’s eyes, who was itching to go and write down the tune he had thought of, Damon simply shrugged and assured Jared he’d fetch it. It was nice enough weather anyway, sunny and clear for once. Stretching his legs would only do him some good. He had no revising left to rush to anymore anyway. Handing his own covers to Jared, for them to be taken into the common room, Damon doubled back towards Hagrid's hut.

Getting the book quickly Damon had just started towards the castle again when he saw the familiar figure. Ashlyn. He had been intrigued after their run-in in the library and the following trek to the Hospital Wing, and had studied the background a bit. Learning that she had spent most of her time living with different relatives, which included quite a while with a famous uncle, Damon was now even more intrigued than before. Modifying his direction Damon sauntered closer to where Ashlyn was picking up books and papers on the ground with two younger boys – possibly third years – from Gryffindor helping her. “No visible signs of the broken wrist at least,” he stated calmly as he was near enough, bowing to pick up a parchment himself. Blinking curiously as the young Gryffindors shoved two books and a few parchments in his hands before taking off in nearly a sprint towards Hagrid’s hut – even though classes of the day were over for 4th and 5th years, didn’t mean younger students didn’t have one more before the end of the day – he wondered why they hadn’t just handed them to Ashlyn, instead of a probably complete stranger. One glance at Ashlyn’s glowering face explained a lot though.

Damon smirked at Ashlyn, not really bothered himself. “Arithmancy and Ancient Runes,” Damon read as he shifted the books in his hands to read the titles, “I have a feeling you weren’t a big fan of our poor professor Trelawney. I know it’s a lovely day, but I’m not sure your parchments and books need to get a tan. How’s the wrist?” Damon smirked calmly at Ashlyn, in no hurry to hand her parchments and books back at her, “And despite… how did you put it? Despite you not being the type of girl most guys aren’t generally interested in, you did seem to find two guys to help you out fairly quickly.”

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

Today had not been a good day for her, to say the least. Her breakfast had been ruined by an owl dive-bombing her and landing directly in her plate. The letter had proved to be from her parents and had resulted in her almost being late for Charms as she had spent several minutes simply glaring at it and wondering whether or not to set it on fire. Finally she decided that nothing the letter contained would be awful enough to merit a ceremonial burning therefore she had retreated up to Gryffindor Tower after lunch, feeling that she had put off reading the letter for as long as she reasonably could. At the moment though, Ashlyn firmly believed that she would have been smarter if she had proceeded with her original idea of burning the letter when it had first arrived. Her parents just didn’t have a clue, not a clue! What type of people shunted their only daughter aside not two months after she was born and bounced her from relative to relative for eleven years before leaving her to live by herself in a house filled with memories of a dead man and then requested her presence at the weekend to discuss the possibility of marriage with the son of one of their business partners? Her response had been simple, only three words. Not bloody likely. So why had she missed almost an entire lesson just to write that reply?

Missing Care of Magical Creatures would hardly do her any harm anyway, Ashlyn had thought simply. Maybe if Hagrid had been a half-way decent teacher she would have been concerned but as it was, Ashlyn was merely taking advantage of the good weather and venturing outside with plans of sitting by the lake. Not even her violin would be enough to soothe her ruffled temper and unhappy emotions right now. She was almost exactly the same every time she received a rare letter from her parents. This time though, it was somewhat worse than usual. Did they really think she would simply agree to marry a man she knew nothing about and had no interest in? For that matter, did they really think she would do anything they asked of her after the way they had treated her? From the moment she had signed the contract that declared her an unwilling Gryffindor but owner of James’ house, she had disowned them as her parents. All three of them had made their decisions and now her parents would have to deal with the consequences just as Ashlyn had.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of third years crashing into her as they raced each other, making her bag rip as one tumbled down with her. Ashlyn snarled at them furiously as she repaired her bag and knelt to start replacing her belongings inside. The two boys looked absolutely terrified as they rushed to help her. A terror which, Ashlyn thought smugly, they truly deserved to feel. Not just because they were male and therefore evil but because they had been foolish enough to rip her bag and make her books and parchments flutter to the ground when she was clearly in a bad mood and liable to kill them for it. A voice made her look upwards and Ashlyn stood quickly, wishing to snatch the parchment in alarm from Damon as she recognised it as the letter from her parents that she had been unable to locate after the fall. “Madam Pomfrey healed it in a few minutes. You might be disappointed to learn that I didn’t use the shampoo you liked the scent of when I washed my hair this morning though.”

“Cowards,” Ashlyn muttered to herself as she stared at the retreating Gryffindors with amusement. “They can’t even handle a girl who verbally swipes at them in a bad temper. Can I have my parchment and books back?” She asked, a hint of pleading showing through in her tone. “And no, I wasn’t fond of Trelawney at all. People use the idea of things being destined to happen as an excuse and I don’t approve of it at all.” Ashlyn rubbed her wrist unconsciously, remembering the sound of the bone breaking and the subsequent pain. “My wrist is fine. A lot better than it was. Hmm?” Ashlyn looked confused for a second before realisation dawned on her face. “Oh, those third years? They were clumsy enough to cause the accident so I made sure they helped me. A threat to castrate them seemed to be enough encouragement.”

[Damon Graas R5]

Damon tilted his head but chose not to comment. Mending bones wasn’t hard, so he had no doubt madam Pomfrey had had no problems. Smirking lazily at Ashlyn Damon smirked: “Shame. And the smell of your shampoo was one of the main attractions that made me come over and stop for a chat.” Holding the three books – 2 of them Ashlyn’s and Jared’s COMC book – and the pile of parchments in a slightly more comfortable position Damon opened the collar button of his dark-blue shirt. Then rolled up first the right sleeve, then the left on up to his elbows, obviously relaxing in the bright day. It had been overcast during his running-trek in the morning, but it had cleared up for the day, for which he was deeply grateful. Seeing the sun in this corner of the world seemed annoyingly rare.

“Cowards?” Damon threw an amused glance over his shoulders towards the direction the third years had headed to, “I’d rather say that it was a show of a healthy amount of survival instinct. If only looks could kill…” And Ashlyn did seem to be in a bad mood. Damon briefly wondered why, but his own survival instincts told him not to ask either. “You do a lot more than just verbally swipe. I didn’t even have to hear it to know that. No, you cannot have your things back. If I gave them back you’d make a run for it and these pants are hardly made for physical exercise. Spending some time in my company would surely improve your character and do a favour to the mankind as it keeps you from going on a bloody manslaughter trip. They aren’t only your things anyway,” Damon pointed out lazily as he showed Jared’s COMC book to Ashlyn, automatically arranging the parchments he was holding into order according do their size.

“Trelawney had her uses. It was a free class you could pass and up your grades, if you needed that. No destiny? So for you it’s an ill-arranged world, where only chance controls men. I do doubt you’re religious too at this point,” Damon commented offhandedly, giving a slight nudge on Ashlyn’s back, “Walk with me. It’ll seem more logical than standing in one place. You can imagine that we’re heading back to the castle, if it’ll make you feel better.” And it would be more entertaining to soak in the little sun he could in company. Especially as it was as entertaining company as he was in currently.

“You already said your wrist was fine. I’m sure you rushed to play your violin the first moment you could,” Damon absently wondered with a stealthy smirk, just how made the girl had been at seeing the violin-case strap lengthened so that it would fit on his shoulder rather than hers, “Despite your couldn’t-care-less policy, I was intrigued enough to do some prying into your life. Young parents in business, a lot of siblings as regular for a pureblooded family. Lived with a quite famous uncle, who worked as a musician. Are the Ellison’s in Slytherin related somehow? Did you inherit any of you uncles playing-skill or are you merely fond of violin because your uncle was?”

Turning lazily in the general direction of the lake – he was holding Ashlyn’s thing so he might be spared from being shoved in just now and today – Damon threw an amused glance at the blonde girl: “Help is help. And those were males helping you, so you’ve proved your own words about not being girl enough to deserve attention and help wrong. Polite conversation usually goes both way. Here, let me help you some. I say something generally witty and amusing and present a little question like, oh, do you like cheese cookies?. You reply with an insult that I merrily ignore, comment on something equally witty or amusing and sooner or later you transform into a charming young lady like never seen before. I’d very much rather keep all my body-parts so you don’t have to worry about spending your time castrating me, thank you very much.”

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

“And here I thought you tolerated me because I was such a nice person,” was Ashlyn’s distracted reply as she sorted through the rest of her books and parchments, picky enough to make sure they were replaced in a similar order as they had been before her bag had ripped. After the lack of control she had over her own life, she had developed a tendency to make sure everything was in its proper place. Satisfied that everything was in order, except for the books and parchments Damon seemed content to hold onto, Ashlyn slung the bag back over her shoulder.

Ashlyn glanced at Damon sardonically, not bothering to hide her own amusement at his comment. She did have a particularly terrifying snarl, and she was quite proud of it when it worked to her advantage. There were, of course, times when it didn’t work but everyone had to improve something at some time. “If looks could kill, I wouldn’t be half as annoyed as I am now and there would be far fewer people populating Hogwarts.” Ashlyn shifted from foot to foot; agitated enough to offer a deal that would get her the parchments back quicker. “If I promise not to run away, can I have my stuff back? I’ll even try not to insult you, if you prefer.” He knew too much about her already due to her dizzy ramblings so she would much prefer to have her letter back in her own possession before her newest secret came to light.

“I do think that some things are controlled by fate, like when we die and when we’re born. But how we choose to live our lives and the choices and mistakes we make are entirely our own decision. And religion?” Ashlyn shook her head wryly. “Let’s not blame the gods for the ill-fortuned affairs of petty mortals. If there is a God, I’m sure we provide enough entertainment without him interfering and making things worse. I’m quite happy to take responsibility for my own decisions rather than resort to blaming a god or fate.” Did she differ from her parents in that view? Ashlyn wondered curiously. Did they prefer to let another, more important being take responsibility for mistakes that they had made? Maybe that was how they survived through the knowledge that they had abandoned their only child.

Walking was a pleasant, and sensible, enough idea that Ashlyn didn’t protest though she did send him a mild glare for the way he had nudged her. “The flute actually. Neither my violin nor my piano seemed appropriate for some reason so I retreated to Hogsmeade for a while. I have a small house there for when I need an instrument other than my violin. You researched me?” Ashlyn glared at him scathingly, her eyes cooling from the uninterested warmth to an icily outraged coldness. “You’re despicable, Damon Graas. My family was quite obviously something that I didn’t want anyone to know about and yet you still felt that you had the right to pry into my personal business? Forget being scum, you’ve just lowered yourself to a whole new level. Congratulations.”

“I hate you.” Ashlyn informed him, her mouth pressed into a disapproving, almost hurt scowl. For all that she disliked people, she had never actually hated anyone before. She had come close to hating her parents before coming to the conclusion that she didn’t care enough about them to hate them. But Damon...while she didn’t care about him, she had spilled parts of her story to him and taken a leap of faith by believing that he wouldn’t do anything about it. She had taken a chance on trusting someone and yet again she had proved that people weren’t worth the effort. And he had tried to tell her that men weren’t evil. Hah. In a series of smooth movements, Ashlyn slapped Damon hard, grabbed her parchments and books from his hands and turned to walk away in the opposite direction. For once, being right about soemthing didn't give her that pleased, almost smug, feeling.

[Damon Graas R5]

Damon observed how Ashlyn organized her stuff. Order, which was good. It meant that she knew for certain what was where and what she had. Damon liked being sure from where he could get something so he quietly approved. Predictable – bad on the other hand. Would let others find things in your note and stuff. Well, perhaps not that bad. Damon didn’t know by what Ashlyn organized her stuff into order, so it might still work. “If looks could kill you wouldn’t be annoyed as all, as someone would have killed you ages ago,” Damon argued with a shrug, shifting the items to rest against his side as he sauntered along next to Ashlyn, “I said you can’t. Being in some human company for a while will only do you good. You snarl at people more than unfriendly Slytherins. Not that Slytherins really snarl at me, to be honest. Too many siblings in the house and too long history with them.”

“Doesn’t mean I always want to make mistakes. And if, for example, someone from the brats I call family leaves something laying on the ground before a blind corner, it’s not my mistake if I step on it, slip, and crack my skull. Most things in life are relative,” Damon stated with an almost serene smile, “Flute? Multitalented little thing, aren’t you? A house in Hogsmeade? Just for musical instruments? And I thought dad was exclusive. Maybe I should invite myself over sometime. You’d get even more practice at being a pretty little hostess-thing while offering me tea. I do prefer iced tea though. Peach-flavoured. Green tea if I’m reduced to drinking the hot version of tea.”

Damon’s eye-brows inched higher in surprise at the cold shower and the chilling glare he received from Ashlyn. You’d think a girl gave you bonus points for being interested and admitting it freely. But then again… Damon was yet to meet a girl who could follow and participate in his logic. But really, he didn’t go that far! His head snapped to the side as Ashlyn’s hand left a red imprint on his cheek and his eyes flashed dark. A sign that would have sent most of his siblings scurrying for cover. It was rare for Damon to loose his nerve – he usually reasoned everything into making sense for him – but when he did it was a sight to behold. Not if you were on the receiving end of his ire of course. Turning his head back slowly Damon scowled at the retreating back of Ashlyn. There was too much pride in him – there was too much pride in any Graas – to have let her walk away like that. Gracefully raising his wand Damon recited the words ”Petrificus Totallus!” Watching with a dark sneer on his lips he watched Ashlyn’s body tense. A quick swish and flick of his wand as well as a muttered ”Wingardium Leviosa” and the girl’s bod floated gently to the ground.

Damon walked over to the girl, regulating his breathing to cool his nerves some. It wasn’t like him to react like this to anything. But he did sincerely believe that Ashlyn had over-reacted as well. Fixing his trousers so that he wouldn’t strain the knee-parts Damon crouched next to Ashlyn’s head, only then meeting the girl’s own furious glare with his own angrily darkened eyes: “I thought I told you I wasn’t about to exercise in this outfit.” Damon regarded the girl silently, swallowing a few dark comments. “You hate me? Really now. I was unaware I couldn’t send a letter to my mother, in a post scriptum asking if and what she remembered and could tell me about the Swallows. I’m sure the teasing I’ll have to endure over asking about the girl will be worse then you knowing I heard a few basic details I could have learned from any newspaper. I wonder… was it that much of a secret you have a couple of aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews? Or that your parents deal with business? Or that you were related to a musician with the name of Ellison, who was quite famous. All deep dark family secrets, I’m sure. It wasn’t as if I pried into anything personal.”

Shifting his weight slightly, Damon reached over and pulled Ashlyn into a sitting position, knowing how much he himself would have hated looking up to someone in such a situation. She surely found it hard to swallow as well. Looking the girl squarely into her eyes Damon arched his eye-brows: “Or were they? Do beg your pardon? How about a few family secrets of my own then? Perhaps that my father was bitten by a werewolf 12 years ago and I see him go through the pain of it every single full moon.” And that went about Morgana even more so. It sliced his heart ever time he saw Morgana shifting back into human after full moon night and saw the traces of dried tears of his little sister’s cheeks. “That mom’s father spreads lies about the family, because once upon a time dad stopped him form hitting mom and kicked him in the Hogwarts lake? Or perhaps the tiny details that we have had to have heavy anti-apparation wards installed to guarantee Gabriel some privacy form fan-girls – do you think I don’t know the value and meaning of privacy after having seen that? Or the time when Leandra was kidnapped when she was 8 – if only for a day, before we recovered her – for not that good purposes and that her mind has blocked every single memory of the time before the day after she got back home and that she still awakes screaming in the night? I’m sure the facts your parents are wealthy enough to get by or that you had a famous uncle are earth-shattering next to that,” Damon nearly spat out, almost wondering why he was sharing all these secrets with Ashlyn. It wasn’t as if he needed her approval or even her friendship. They weren’t even friends. Yet some part of him wanted… he wasn’t even sure what he wanted from her – understanding and potential friendship perhaps? – but he stomped the wish out quickly.

“Finite Incantatum,” was muttered as he flicked his wand, even if Damon held onto Ashlyn’s shoulders for a moment longer as he simply look at her. “Not all shadows are darkness, some are simply gray,” he told her in a hoarse tone, almost wishing that she would understand something, he himself perhaps didn't. Standing he paused for a moment he half-turned and threw over his shoulder: “You took Jared’s CoMC book with your own. I’ll want it back at one point.” Taking two steps away from the place, Damon leaned his shoulder against an oak tree and closed his eyes. Crossing his arms across his chest, he let his head droop forward and simply stood, not even caring whether Ashlyn would hex him in retaliation or not. The anger and ire of being accused of snooping for private secrets had ran out of him with his words. And now he just felt worn…


((Sheesh. A long one. Sorry about that. That bit about Leandra shocked me too though.))

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

“I would’ve been killed the very second I was born,” Ashlyn agreed, a slight hint of bitterness showing through in her voice. She wasn’t quite sure when her parents had decided that they couldn’t stand to be around her but it had happened even before her first birthday as photos placed her at a relative’s house during that time – she wasn’t quite sure which one since she had stayed with so many. Ashlyn smiled secretively, laughing to herself quietly. The Sorting Hat had wanted to put her in Slytherin and had almost gone against her unwavering demand that she be a Gryffindor but, even as an eleven year old in an unfamiliar place, Ashlyn had been stubborn.

Ashlyn shrugged modestly, a light flush covering her cheeks. She wasn’t used to receiving positive comments from anyone which meant that she was generally easily embarrassed. Not that anyone had bothered to find that out by paying her a compliment. “I was taught well and by a man who had patience and faith in me,” she replied simply. Everyone had something that they were good at, even if they hadn’t discovered it yet. She had just discovered her talent a little earlier than most and she likely wouldn’t have discovered it at all if James hadn’t made her his protégée. “You can invite yourself over anytime. Just don’t expect to do anything but hover outside the door because you won’t get invited in. Only two people have ever entered and I’m one of them.”

How dare he! Ashlyn fumed silently as she walked away from him, angry tears brimming in her eyes though she kept her head high. Her family was the only thing in her past that she was ashamed of because it was proof – undeniable proof – that she had been unlovable right from the start. It was a touchy subject for her even on a good day but to bring them up after the letter she had received from them, demanding that she marry a complete stranger to help them out? Perhaps she had overreacted a little bit but it had certainly felt good to slap out at someone who had deserved some of the anger that had been building up inside her for almost a decade, ever since she had been abandoned yet again. Her body tensed suddenly and Ashlyn only had a moment to wonder what was happening before her body started floating. It seemed strange that she was actually glad to be in a body-bind since it stopped her from screaming when her body left the ground.

Walking over to someone was hardly exercise, Ashlyn thought towards him scathingly, the anger showing clearly in her eyes as she tried to glare at him. Her eyebrow rose mentally, compensating for her inability to move any of her body. That was all he had found out? Ashlyn almost felt ashamed but that emotion was shoved away rudely. She never felt ashamed for anything. You had to live for the day because who knew if tomorrow would even come and accept the consequences of your actions if it did. He still didn’t have the right to poke about in her personal business. She had told him one of the rules she lived by: don’t pry into my life and I won’t pry into yours. He had pried and she had reacted, as was her right. It had, however, been a mistake not to check what details he had discovered before allowing her initial instinct to take over.

He pulled her upright and a spark of surprise flickered in her eyes. Even under the body-bind, her eyes were still expressive. That surprise, and humility, only deepened when he started to bombard her with some of his own family secrets. For once, she didn’t particularly care if her emotions were more obvious than a flashing neon sign. The small spark of shame flickered into life once more. For all that she had said about taking responsibility for her own actions, Ashlyn truly wished that, just this once, she could believe in fate enough to blame this incident on destiny. But that would mean that Damon was going to be important in her life and Ashlyn couldn’t believe that either.

Despite everything, Ashlyn still had a sliver of pride that made her wait until Damon had turned away before allowing her hands to cover her face tiredly. “Oh Merlin, I’m just messing everything up lately,” Ashlyn whispered to herself softly, unconsciously echoing the words her unknown cousin had said to a different Graas child. It only took another moment for her to stand up, a bit stiffly due to the charm she had been under, and shuffle over to Damon. His brother’s book was placed on the floor in front of him and Ashlyn dropped down next to it, kneeling with her head bowed. It was a humiliating gesture, one that placed her head far below Damon’s and therefore offered him far more power over him than she was comfortable with and, though some part of her was disgusted for lowering herself in such a way, the little voice that never seemed to shut up when she was around Damon told her that it was the only thing she could do. Any pureblood would recognise the feeling behind the gesture – apology, humility and an offer to suffer at his feet if he so chose – which meant that she would be suffering a lot of ill-natured teasing if a Gryffindor walked by and recognised her; prideful, cold Ashlyn admitting that she was lower than someone else? “My parents never wanted me so I was bounced around from relative to relative since I was born. I told you once that I was pushed down the stairs but what I didn’t tell you was that it was three of my cousins who had pushed me because they found it funny to bully me. I push everyone away because everyone I learn to love leaves without even saying goodbye. I was forced to become a Gryffindor because my parents wouldn’t accept their daughter being anything else, even if I didn’t live with them or talk to them. And now they want me to marry a complete stranger just to benefit themselves.” Ashlyn spoke softly, part of her wishing that he wouldn’t hear her, and only paused when she had to force her tears to not fall as she shared things she had once promised to keep to herself because telling them would make her weak and unloved in other people's eyes.

[Damon Graas R5]

Whereas closing his eyes blocked out the rest of the world – in a relative sense. But it didn’t block out memories nor thoughts. Even if Damon generally tended to prefer his ability to think. He hadn’t planned to tell her all that many secrets. Even if most of them weren’t that deeply hidden. Their father was a werewolf, there were rumours in Italy caused by mom’s father, Gabriel was famous and they had anti-apparition wards… supposedly, if someone was that interested even Leandra being kidnapped could be founds in old newspapers. The fact that she still had nightmares and didn’t remember earlier memories was more of a stunning piece of news. And Ashlyn’s eyes had been alive as she absorbed the information Damon told him, shockingly enough out of free will, which had been quite interest-sparking until Damon firmly stomped the emotion out. Well, he had been a fool perhaps. Trusting people too lightly, like Leandra used to do. Well, he would learn his lesson from it.

He heard the quiet shuffle of clothes and feet on the ground and tensed slightly. He had already decided not to bother should Ashlyn hex her. But he hadn’t considered that she might walk over to slap her! Not that he would defend himself against that either – except for a nasty smirk – but the prospect of being bodily attacked wasn’t very charming anyway. When he attack sounded and instead a soft whispers carried up to his ears Damons eyes snapped open. He saw Jared’s book on the ground before him… and he saw Ashlyn kneeling, but it took a few moments before the situation, what it stood for, registered in his mind, so that he nearly missed the point of Ashlyn’s words. “Don’t lower yourself,” Damon muttered as he reached down and pulled Ashlyn to her feet and in a half-hug. Her gesture had it… well, old and not really even used anymore. But he didn’t doubt it’s sincerity, so Damon couldn’t help but feel his heart soften. Besides, having seen the fury in her eyes while under the body-bind and the surprise when Damon brought her to a sitting position… He doubted that kneeling like that had been easy to stomach for the proud girl, even if it, possibly, did do her some good.

Bowing quickly Damon picked up Jared’s book, before squeezing Ashlyn’s shoulder and dropping an almost absent-minded kiss to her temple. They just stood there, in the shade of an old oak tree, Damon’s arm lightly wrapped around Ashlyn’s shoulder. Damon stared out to the Hogwarts lake where the giant squid was doing it sown form of water aerobics as he slowly started speaking: “When you’re born, it’s not your parents who see you first, but the person delivering you, so you would have survived that first glance too. But some people are too young, when they have a kid, some just unsuited for it. That doesn’t mean that it’s your fault, or that you can’t take the experiences with people you got while living with relatives, and turn them into being beneficial for you later on in your life.”

Damon breathed out slowly through his mouth, having to forcefully uncoil his fingers from the fist. Odd. He usually didn’t get a protective instinct inside himself broke out, unless it was about his sisters. Though Ashlyn had been 6 – just a mere kid. Maybe that played a part as well. “Are those cousins attenting Hogwarts?” Damon asked slowly, in a far too bland tone for it to be natural. But, accidents really did require only some planning. With the help of his family, if needed, it would be no problem at all to teach them some simple facts of life. People you bullied did grow up. “And I can tell you now already that I won’t say good bye, even at the end of this meeting when we head towards our separate common rooms. Good bye is too bleak and final, and it’s far easier and far better in my opinion, which is far from humble, to rather leave without saying good bye and leave the chance for the next meeting up, in the air,” Damon said slowly as he started walking, hoping that it would clear his head from the whirl Ashlyn’s kneeling and then her words had thrown him into.

“I’m good at planning and scheming. Manipulating events and things to go my way. There’s much of Slytherin in me. I’m not good at comforting people – which is why I won’t even try. And I’m hardly what you could call… nice. But I’m good at solving problems,” Damon pondered lazily. It wasn’t an unique situation. Arranged marriages happened, rarely, but they did, especially so amongst the purebloods of the world and country. Often to preserve the purity of blood and to promote connections. Some people even didn’t mind. A lot of purebloods were told to keep their bloodlines simple. Damon himself was also proud of his linage. He wouldn’t mind a half-blood, or at some cases even a muggle-born, but if given a choice, he would probably prefer a pureblood wife himself one day. Not everyone who entered into an arranged marriage had the situation with their parents as Ashlyn did.

“Not to be nosy, but a piece of advice? Being told no gets most people’s backs up. And unless you have extra-ordinary grandparents, I do believe your parents might have quite some characters themselves to have given birth to you,” even while he was still feeling a bit shaky, Damon threw a slightly amused glance at the girl finally, “It might be easier for everyone – including you, if you didn’t’ give a straight-forward no. Just tempt your parents. Arranged marriages are often to promote blood purity or business. Tempt with having your eye on someone richer, more influential, more pureblooded, more of whatever your parents saw in the guy. Would evade the temper tantrums, screaming, and flying saucers – or hexes. And you might enjoy having such a tantalizing power. Rationally it’s not even lying. You might have your eye on someone. Seeing people is easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to marry them,” the rational part of Damon’s mind pointed out. Looking pensively at Ashlyn Damon nodded at her slowly: “It’s up to you what you do however. And while it’s nice enough today too, I did prefer the shampoo you used the first time we met.”

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

Her uncle, though few people knew it, had developed an interest in the older pureblood traditions and gestures during the years he had stepped back from his fame. He had only meant to have a few months away from his fans but then Ashlyn had landed into his life with all the pain of a repeatedly kicked puppy in her eyes, making his sabbatical last longer than planned. Music hadn’t been all that he had he had taught her to appreciate. Ashlyn was equally as knowledgeable about pureblood customs as her uncle had been though today was the first time she had used her knowledge for something more than charming the older associates her uncle had done business with occasionally.

It was just a pity that none of the other gesture she knew of would have been suitable, Ashlyn thought bleakly. Her current position was uncomfortably vulnerable and she had to fight the urge to fidget while waiting for his decision. There had only been one other gesture that might have suited the situation but it was more often used amongst couples though it wasn’t exactly romantic in nature. Time had simply adapted it to a different purpose. The hug Damon pulled her into was odd, or maybe it was just her. Hugs had been fleeting and short even when she had been with her uncle. James had never really been the affectionate, cuddly type. “You took a while figuring out what I was doing,” Ashlyn admonished playfully, a small pout flickering into existence. Her defence mechanisms had most definitely lost any effect that they might have had on Damon after she had put herself at his mercy so it was simpler not to even bother. Forcing herself to be wary all the time was both tiring and complicated. “You really should look over the old gestures. They might be useful one day.”

The hug had been strange enough but the kiss earned an utterly confused look from her. She felt too comfortable, even with Damon’s arm around her shoulders, to try and look into the gesture and find any underlying meaning. It would just result in another argument and it wasn’t worth it. Damon started speaking again and Ashlyn sighed wearily, tilting her head back on his shoulder to meet his eyes before she responded. “My parents aren’t suited to each other at all from what little I’ve learnt about them over the years. They make great business partners and maybe if they had married other people they would have been decent parents. My experiences?” Ashlyn raised an eyebrow bitterly. “My experiences with family made me into the person I am today; cold, angry and alone. How can that be beneficial in any way?”

“One went to Durmstrang and the other two graduated from Hogwarts two years ago,” Ashlyn answered after a moment’s thought. She always tried to keep tabs on where the relatives who had mistreated her were, simply so that she could avoid them easier. In their presence, Ashlyn became little better than the young kid they had tormented and teased. Impulsively, Ashlyn turned to kiss Damon’s cheek lightly. “You were protective and it’s cute,” was the only explanation she offered. No one else had ever shown her even a flicker of protectiveness, maybe because she hadn’t told anyone before, but it made her smile warmly. “Sometimes goodbyes are needed to prevent the feeling of being abandoned, as ridiculous as that feeling is when you know that sometimes leaving can’t be helped.” Ashlyn said simply, refusing to elaborate any further. For all that she was slowly learning to trust and like Damon, some things were just too painful to share yet.

“I’d call you nice. Rather like a cuddly plushie, in fact.” Ashlyn grinned impishly, not entirely sure how serious she was. Not good at comforting people? Ashlyn had to cast her mind back to their first meeting before accepting that as a possible truth. He had teased her, shared one of his own experiences and joked with her to keep the pain from overtaking her senses, he had even let her lean on him for support but no actual comfort had been offered. It was a wonder she hadn’t just burst out crying on his shoulder really.

Ashlyn rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably, her cheeks flushing lightly with unease. “That might be a bit too late since I already owled them back with a pretty clear answer of ‘no’. Possibly, the only way I might have been able to make it clearer is if I went to them myself and screamed it at them with a flashing sign in my hands. But honestly, do I really seem like someone who would marry an idiot just to satisfy people I don’t even like? He’s the pureblood son of rich business people, but that’s all he has in his favour. Plus, he’s a male. It’s hard enough to deal with them every day without marrying one.” Ashlyn folded her arms unhappily, the full extent of how much her parents didn’t know her finally sinking in. If they had had a good relationship then Ashlyn might have married the guy without kicking up too much of a fuss because she was eager to please people she loved. Of course, she probably would have been a bit different if her parents loved her. “I’ll make sure to use that shampoo every time we meet if you warn me in advance,” she assured him dryly. It wouldn’t be hard since that shampoo was one of her favourite scents so she did tend to use it often already.

[Damon Graas R5]

Damon shrugged a shoulder a bit self-consciously. It had taken a moment before it had registered in his mind, what exactly Ashlyn was doing. He was a bit bothered about it himself too, but it wasn’t a daily occurrence to have someone kneeling before him. “Do beg your pardon, but my mini-army doesn’t generally offer me maiden sacrifices. Shame really. Perhaps I should demand some,” Damon grumbled good-naturedly, even as he lowered his head in silent acceptance of the fact that Ashlyn was right and had a point. It was only fair that he gave credit where credit was due and Ashlyn had successfully proved her point. Even if admitting it pained him a little bit.

“Whether they’re suited for each other is something only they can decide on. Partnership of sorts is basis and if they themselves are happy with it, then that’s all there has to be,” Damon correct Ashlyn softly as he presented his own viewpoint, which seemed a bit more diplomatical as Ashlyns. Though he had had loving parents and wasn’t familiar with Ashlyn’s parents either. Who knew, perhaps he would have agreed with Ashlyn were the situation a bit different in that way. “Your experiences with your relatives – relatives don’t necessarily mean family – have shown you different people, how to handle them. Common sense says that it taught you to observe and evaluate people. Useful skills in my opinion. You are reserved, picky in who you associate with, and distanced,” Damon rephrased the adjectives Ashlyn had used about herself.

And then all that was left for Damon to do was the tan he wore and the subconscious ability not to blush that he seemed to have. Really, what possessed the girl to kiss him! Only on the cheek but considering the freeze in his mental abilities Damon could only wonder what would have happened in the case of a full-fledged kiss. This was surprising. But then again just a few minutes earlier he had been anticipating a slap or a hex, not a kiss on the cheek. Really, what possessed the girl to kiss him! And he was repeating his thoughts. Oi vei. Concentrating on the more business-like topic, where he currently felt more secure, Damon threw a hopefully patient looking lance at Ashlyn: “Durmstrang and Hogwarts graduates. Am I going to learn their names for future references?” Because thanks to the extensive letter-correspondence Damon’s arm reached far enough as well. And if his didn’t… the arm of someone else would. The matter of an accident just required a little bit of planning.

Damon peered at Ashlyn thoughtfully. But enough of secrets had been unearthed already. Or maybe he was just paranoid and saw extra meanings at places where they weren’t. Instead Damon gave an exasperated sigh: “Protective and cute plushie. Certainly. Girls and little children will drop the pink kittens with bows you were so fond of and kick puppies out of the way in their rush to get to me and coo over me. Such a charming possibility. Maybe I should make a career out of it?” Damon lazily wrapped a strand of Ashlyn’s hair around his index finger and tugged on it before letting it pounce back to it’s place. “And nice too. I’m afraid you’re in the minority to think that. And the majority is right in thinking otherwise.”

Damon chuckled at the mental image of Ashlyn in an cheerleading outfit, changing no to marriage alongside with a flashy dance. Even if his survival instinct took over before he could suggest such an option to Ashlyn. “No’s are usually conditioned. You can always refuse, but I’d suggest in tempting your parents with someone. Much easier to get out of the marriage-problem and it would give you an edge over the situation.” Throwing his head back Damon laughed at Ashlyn. “I’m male and you deal with me. We tend to have a quite volatile association-friendship-think, but you deal with me. Not that we’re going to be marrying,” Damon hurried to point out with a wicked grin, ignoring the rich pureblood kid part. That kid – whoever Ashlyn’s parents had picked out – wasn’t the only rich pureblood in the world. Even he himself could qualify into that description, but he probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Ashlyn, seeing how easily he seemed to have agreed to the arranged marriage. Presuming he even knew yet and Ashlyn wasn’t expected to start by seducing him.

“Do that. You have the main gist of my time-table I believe. Plus some extra-curriculum activities. I’ll keep you up to date if needed,” Damon gave a brief regal nod at Ashlyn as he bowed to pick up a too perfectly flat stone to not throw it. A sharp flick of his wrist sent the stone skimming at a low angle as the stone skipped 5 times before sinking under the water while barely making any ripples. Allowing himself a small self-satisfied smirk Damon threw an other absent-minded glance at Ashlyn, "No, I don't see you entering into an arranged marriage. I'd feel sorry for the poor guy. Perhaps I should send a wedding-bouquet that would at the smae be suitable to be used for a funeral once you get your wand - or a big kitchen knife - and get close to the fellow."

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

“I’m hardly a maiden sacrifice. Unless you have plans for me that I’m not aware of yet.” Ashlyn paused for a moment before lowering her eyes shyly, suddenly aware of how flirtatious that comment could have sounded if it had come from anyone else. ‘How awkward,’ her little voice commented cheerfully. ‘Would now be a bad time to suggest kissing him senseless so he forgets to tease you about it?’ Oh, that just doesn’t help at all, Ashlyn snapped back mentally, her cheeks colouring slightly. It was starting to annoy her that her emotions jumped from one to another around Damon. If she wasn’t laughing then she was yelling or almost crying or having a little voice inform her about the possibilities of kissing him.

“I don’t know if my parents have ever been happy. It might seem foolish but part of me rather hopes that they have. I can’t even bring myself to hate them so why not wish them happiness?” She wasn’t quite the bitter, angry child she tried to be but a lot of the time she was close enough to that image that it didn’t bother her. Now then, what could she call the little voice? Calling it the little voice all the time was tiresome and Ashlyn had the irritating feeling that it wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. She thought for a moment before coming to a decision. The voice would now be called the Killer of Innocent Affection. Kia, for short. ‘I rather resent the Killer part - you do realise I’m part of you, right? – but I quite like the name. It’s pretty.’

Damon seemed ever so slightly stunned by the kiss, a fact which amused Ashlyn greatly until ‘Kia’ stepped in with a merry comment. ‘Imagine what he’d look like if you’d kissed him properly!’ Ashlyn flushed instantly, quite determinedly not looking at Damon. Killer of innocent affection indeed! “Pollux went to Durmstrang; Pollux Tierney. Castor graduated five years ago and Leda graduated the year after. And yes, before you ask, their mother is quite interested in Greek mythology as you can probably guess.” Ashlyn bit her lip thoughtfully, hesitating for a few moments before making her request. “If they’re going to be hurt in any way...could I be there for some of it?” Ashlyn asked timidly. It wasn’t a very Gryffindor-like thing to ask but, while she wasn’t strong enough to face them while dealing out her own retribution, she would probably stay calm long enough to watch some of it. She wouldn’t enjoy it but some things just needed to be done and facing her childhood tormentors was one of them.

“You would make a better career out of being the dark and forbidding demon Damon than becoming a plushie. Call me selfish if you must but I don’t like sharing my plushies.” Don’t even say a word, Ashlyn snarled at the voice mentally, not willing to suffer through another laughing comment on her and Damon. “You’ve never been...well, you’ve rarely been mean...Fine. You’ve been nice to me. Sometimes.” Unperturbed, the irrepressible Kia still chipped in with another statement. ‘So you want to cuddle him like a plushie?’ “I’m going insane,” Ashlyn informed Damon resignedly, letting her head drop against his shoulder as an outward sign that she was giving up in her fight against crazy voices.

“Right. Because I have so many people to tempt them with.” Ashlyn answered sarcastically. “You might not have noticed but not many guys are willing to pretend a date a girl just to stop her from being forced into an arranged marriage. And I’m not the easiest person to get along with, according to my dorm-mates and relatives. Not even you would be stupid enough to agree to such a thing.” Ashlyn regarded him for a second, enjoying the sound of his laughter, before grinning. “I don’t think of you as a male; hadn’t you noticed the lack of castration efforts aimed toward you?” It was only a few seconds later that her vivid imagination sprung into action, making her eyes widen fractionally before she eyed him warily. “Not that I don’t think you’re very masculine and dashing and...and charming and...don’t kiss me!” Ashlyn blurted defensively after successfully talking herself into embarrassed confusion.

Ashlyn watched the stone skip across the lake idly before suddenly whirling to face Damon, her eyes curious. “Did you say that there were Ellisons in Slytherin?” She demanded urgently, both curious and frightful as she waited to hear his answer. There was always the possibility of it merely being a coincidence but the chance that they truly were related to her made her tug at her hair fretfully. After Castor and Leda had graduated she had grown lax in watching out for her relatives because they were the only cousins she had met who had bullied her so fervently.

[Damon Graas R5]

Maiden sacrifice. Damon thought fleetingly of Jean d’Arc and that burning on the stake, but the other, more exotic images that popped to mind were in some ways far more intriguing. A lazy smirk slowly spread over Damon’s lips as he peered towards Ashlyn: “Plans? And what exactly should I do with you then, hmm?” Seeing the girl lowering her eyes and blushing only added an enjoyable side to the teasing as Damon taunted mildly: “Oh, blushing? You must have some plans then it seems. Do I dare to ask which?” Damon listened wordlessly. He didn’t care about Ashlyn’s parents. Even less now that he knew what the family was like inside. But they were Ashlyn’s parents so despite everything else for her they were important. It was understandable that she didn’t despise them, so Damon remained silent, as he wasn’t supposed to share the sentiment. Even if he couldn’t help but wonder if he would be as forgiving in a similar situation.

“Pollux, Castor, Leda Tierney,” Damon mused to himself, saving the names into the infobank in his mind. He faintly even recalled some figure without a face that had once asked Gabriel out, which might have been Leda and was shot down without mercy. Might not have been her though. “Think Leda Tierney, or someone named similar, was hired on trial period to aunt Dana’s book-store.” He’d have to ask. If it was Leda, she probably wasn’t going to pass the trial period. He’d have to listen around for all of them. Damon merely blinked at Ashlyn. For her to see? Tricky. If they relatives saw her and recognized her presence at their more misfortunate days, they might me more careful. But he’d think. “Who says something is going to happen to them? I do wonder, however, if I’ll get an other slap if admit I’m going to ask a few quiet question to see what they do to occupy themselves nowadays?” Damon questioned lightly. It was too early to make plans without any background information.

“I thought you said in the library that I’m not nearly dark enough to be demon Damon? Now I can make a career out of it? Make up your mind, woman! You’re toying with my potential future career here!” Damon exaggerated in mock-rage, as he looked at Ashlyn, “You don’t like to share your plushies. Well… let the plushie part be as it is. But am I yours?” Damon threw a playful glance at Ashlyn. He didn’t even have to tease. She did it perfectly well with her own words. “I’ve been nice? Sometimes?” Damon chuckled, “Well. Maybe, sometimes, I’ll take that as a compliment then. And you aren’t going insane. You are. But I don’t mind you anyway.” Damon patted Ashlyn’s back companionably as she rested her head on his shoulder, with a certain note of familiarity. The alarming part about that was that Damon discovered that he didn’t even mind it.

Well, finding a guy might present a problem, but well. It was the only idea he had right now. He had never been tempted into a marriage before. Rister or Gabriel were and at their cases it was enough if dad frowned to stop those schemes from random people and, yes, even from relatives. “The majority of the more interesting people aren’t easy to get along with,” Damon muttered absent-mindedly as he pondered over Ashlyn’s words. Would he agree to a charade date? Possibly not. At least it wasn’t the most attractive idea, Damon attempted to himself with a slight grimace. If he dated someone he preferred to do so on his own conditions. Or at the very least on clear terms. “It wouldn’t be the most thrilling idea ever, no. But as long as no hopeful mother- or father-in-laws would appear at my door-step and there isn’t any press-coverage I could probably live with the knowledge someone says they have their eye on me in such an occasion. Having an eye on isn’t exactly promising anything,” Damon rationalized ponderingly, before shrugging lightly.

Not considered a male? Damon scowled towards Ashlyn. He might not be a heartbreaker like his older brother or his model-of-a-brother. That didn’t mean he didn’t like girls or never spent any time in their company! The don’t kiss me comment form Ashlyn loosened his scowl a bit in amusement, but didn’t make it disappear completely: “Kiss you? Why, if you think I’m not male enough to be castrated – not that I ever plan to have something like that happen – then maybe I should, how do the photographers put it? drop my drawers and let you have a live study?” And then she changed the topic already. At least she hadn’t pressed her nails in his arm, Damon noted with some content. “There are. In… third year I believe, so you should be safe enough. I can ask Leandra… bugger. I can ask if Morgana knows something more I suppose. Brother and sister as I recall.”

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

‘Told you that you should’ve kissed him,’ Kia muttered sullenly. Ashlyn shrugged the mental comment off and smiled slyly, feeling bold all of a sudden. It felt strange to not have to remember to push away the occasional urges to do or say something that didn’t fit in with the way people saw her. “I don’t think you would enjoy hearing about the plans I have in mind. What was it that you said about yourself on the way to the Hospital Wing – you’re a Ravenclaw who stays inside with your books all day? I might be a little bit too adventurous for you.”

“A bookstore.” Ashlyn raised an eyebrow somewhat doubtfully. Even as a young girl, Leda had been more interested in boys than books and from what little Ashlyn had allowed herself to hear about the older girl when she was still in Hogwarts, she hadn’t changed much. “It’s a possibility that it might be her, I suppose. Working at your aunt’s bookstore doesn’t seem like something she’d do but I can think of one reason why she might. Not to inflate your ego, but you might have realised that for some reason girls seem to think that you and your brothers are attractive. She’ll be working there in the hopes of meeting one of you.” Leda had never been the smartest of the three siblings so Ashlyn would bet her violin that it had been Castor or Pollux to suggest the idea of working there to her. Probably Pollux since Castor tended to be more protective of his sister, if she remembered correctly. “I’m not stupid, Damon. You’re not asking after them just so that you can invite them over for tea. But Castor works in the Ministry now, as Leda was so kind as to inform me before she graduated. Pollux is involved with my parent’s business dealings. Feel free to sabotage them in any way possible.”

“Actually, it was in the corridors. You were too busy snarling at me to discuss your future career when we were in the library.” Ashlyn corrected idly before blinking at him in borderline alarm. “Merlin! You really don’t know much about the older gestures, do you?” She paused for a second, debating with herself, before shaking her head quietly. “Never mind. It’s of little importance.” Bloody wonderful. Ashlyn frowned unhappily. There had been a condition to that particular gesture that Ashlyn hadn’t remembered about until after kneeling and it had been far too late to back out by then. She had offered him her loyalty – fealty, as it had been termed when the gesture was still popular, though mostly among knights and their lords – and he had accepted. He had told her not to lower herself though, which was worth looking into to see what effect it had on the small swirl of magic she had invoked. She cursed silently, realising that she would have to wait until summer since all the books were in her uncle’s private library. Ashlyn had been rash and impulsive and now she would have to deal with the consequences. If only Damon had been older than her, Ashlyn thought wistfully. That would have freed her from having to play her parent’s games.

“I’m not pretending to date you!” Ashlyn snapped hastily. Even if he did think she was interesting, she wasn’t going to date anyone and that included Damon. “Even if we were both willing, it’s hardly fair to you,” she pointed out reasonably. “I get out of an arranged marriage but all you would get is the doubtful pleasure of my very not charming company. And as much as I love spending time in my company, very few others enjoy the experience even if they escape with all body parts intact.” Oh really, Ashlyn thought exasperatedly. Damon was starting to make her believe she really did threaten to maim everyone who came within five feet of her. The worst she ever did was threaten to throw someone over the staircases. They had only been a few floors up; the boy would have survived.

Oh, apparently she had offended him, Ashlyn noted calmly. Note to self: if she ever wanted to annoy a male and she didn’t have much time, be sure to tell them that she doesn’t consider them to even be a male. “That would be wonderful but can you wait until I have a camera with me? I’m sure there are some girls somewhere who would pay for such photos. Leda might be one of them if you’re unlucky.” When had she stopped insulting him and started joking with him and trusting him? If rumours about this started going around Hogwarts then her reputation and her ‘touch me and die’ glare would be ruined. People might start to think that she would actually tolerate them. And then she would have even more fun earning her reputation back, insult by insult. “No, it’s fine. I can find out about them myself if I ever feel the need to, even if one of them is male.”

[Damon Graas R5]

Damon observed and mentally noted down the grin settling on Ashlyn’s face, which, most likely, would be best titled as the-cat-who-got-the-cream-and-fled-without-a-whipping. “After seeing that smile I’m not so sure I do anymore,” Damon muttered with a lazy grin towards Ashlyn as he considered his options, “I am a bookworm. It’s a wonder you’ve kept me outside of the school for so long. I already feel as if I’m poisoned by all the air that is not carrying the smell of dust and old leather as well as the uncertainties outside the library. I’m feeling so weak.” With a fluid movement Damon wrapped both of his arms around Ashlyn’s waist, and bending his knees freely managed to lean his head on Ashlyn’s shoulder so that he was looking upwards at her with wide eyes and his lower lip stuck out in a full-fledged pout as he repeated: “So weak. Hold me?”

“Yes. My aunt inherited a couple and has only increased the scope of the stores,” Damon muttered distractedly as he raised his head from Ashlyn’s shoulder and straightened to his full height again, “And I might be very easily mistaken. I didn’t get that interested in names, I just remember some Greek-named pureblood Dana was dubious about. And no matter what, if you don’t adore books, you won’t be working in the store for long. She does tend to hire a lot of Ravenclaws, after they graduate and during summer vacation as well.” Damon didn’t respond to the hint the girl might be there in order to meet them. Others had tried it before and failed miserably. If you didn’t love books, you didn’t work in Dana’s stores for long. Besides, none of them was a fool, even if not all of them were in Ravenclaw. Someone chasing after money, social position, or mere bragging rights would not find a partner for themselves among any of Damon’s siblings. Nor Damon himself either. A Graas loved once and loved for life. Even if Damon had to suddenly suppress a shiver running down his back as he thought those words.

Damon threw a mild look at Ashlyn as he tilted his head, before taking a look around. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the vicinity, but one never knew: “But the bookworm as I was, I might not be able to protect myself. Maybe I was asking the names to know who to avoid in the future?” Ministry. Hum. Tricky. But perhaps doable if he used his connection in Italy and France to have it go off through ambassadors. Would depend on the department. Busines should be easily enough handable. And check Leda, Damon made mental notes as he slowly nodded at Ashlyn: “I’m not saying nor promising anything. But I’ll look into what I can see or hear.”

“I don’t snarl. It’s too plebeian. I intimidate with a facial expression that does not express fondness,” Damon correct with a haughty tone as he raised his chin cockily, “And as you said they’re old gestures. Old, because well… no one uses them anymore. So why should I know them.” Damon sulked for a moment. He was a Ravenclaw enough to not enjoy being reminded of things he didn’t know. “People never never mind if you tell them to. Something about the gesture I should know?”
“I said you can use my name, in the limit of common sense, if such a thing exists in this kind of matter. Not that I’m going to take you out on a date,” Damon flicked Ashlyn’s nose merrily with a grin, “There’s a clear difference. But I suppose you have to figure out what you do then. I have to admit that I’ve never been attempt to be matched up ”

“Pictures? No thanks, I’ll leave that to Gabriel, even if he is yet to pose nude. And Leda? I thought you wanted to get rid of me? If I get stuck with your relative and end up in an arranged marriage of my own – you’d have to tolerate my presence far more,” Damon pointed out rationally as he tilted his head, “Besides I thought you considered me your life-sized teddy-bear and therefore didn’t like sharing me?” Damon considered his options. If one of the Ellisons was a girl he wouldn’t send Gabriel to ask. Rister? Might know something. Despite his slacking attitude he was quite knowledgable. Morgana might know as well, as she was quite social as well. “I can see if Rister or Morgana know something, but I can’t promise much. Never conversed with the Ellisons myself before,” Damon stated with a light shrug.

[Ashlyn Swallow G5]

Heh. Ashlyn grinned cheerfully. Oh yeah, she was good. A sly smile and a vague comment from her had stopped the teasing before it even really began. Which was a good thing since, while Ashlyn didn’t actually hate being teased, she did hate the way she blushed when she was teased. “You’re ridiculously dramatic for a bookworm. Aren’t you meant to be all serious and intelligent?” She had tensed a bit, more out of habit than discomfort, when Damon hugged her around the waist but it had been easier than usual to relax after the initial instinct of tensing. Impulsively, Ashlyn curled the fingers of her left hand through his hair and tugged his head up, taking care to be gentle. “Don’t ruin my touch me and die attitude with your clinginess, Damon.”

“Leda is a good actress when she has to be,” Ashlyn lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. How else could she have convinced her mother that, yes, she and her brothers and Ashlyn were all friends and any bruises or cuts on Ashlyn were simply the result of playing a bit too roughly sometimes? Ashlyn’s aunt had been a nice enough person, just a bit clueless and naive when it came to her children. When Castor had gotten bored of watching his siblings bully her, he had simply requested that Ashlyn be moved to the next relative because they weren’t getting along anymore. It had nearly sickened her to realise that she was grateful to him for that.

“You can defend yourself,” Ashlyn asserted quietly. “You forget that I’ve seen you in class almost every day since first year.” Ah, Damon was showing one of the usual annoying qualities that she had come to expect from boys but, interestingly enough, it didn’t bother her as much as usual. Maybe because she felt sure that he wasn’t being serious but rather trying to partially cover up whatever he was planning. That was fine too. He was going to check into things and then let her know. It was enough. Perhaps not forever, but for now, it was enough.

“You snarl.” Ashlyn stated bluntly. It didn’t matter how it was phrased, it was still the same thing. A snarl. “You should know them because they are an important part of our heritage. Without them, things wouldn’t be the way they are now. Certain families wouldn’t have the alliances they do. My uncle used to say that, without our traditions and gestures, there would be no point in differentiating between us and the muggle-borns because we would all be the same but I never really agreed with that, even if I do think they are important.” Ashlyn swatted at Damon irritably when he flicked her nose, still pondering over his question. Discretion was best until she had her resources next to her, she decided slowly. “No, there’s nothing you need to know right now. Nothing truly important.”

Ashlyn shook her head laughingly, her eyes bright. “No, getting you married to Leda would mean I wouldn’t see you at all so it’s a perfect solution. Not only would I prefer to never have to talk to her again if possible but she hates everything about me and has done since I set foot in her mother’s house. And I don’t hug you so you can’t be my teddy-bear therefore you’ll simply have to marry Leda. It’s quite logical.” Did she even want to know about the Ellisons? She had never met them so maybe it was better to keep it that way. Ashlyn had had rather a lot of experience with her relatives and she had only met one whom she had actually grown to love and trust. Somehow that didn’t bode well for the few she hadn’t met, in her mind.

[Damon Graas R5]

“Ridiculously? You wound me. Being the bookworm that I am, I reside in the library, thereby having no real experience with social side of life. My way of acting becomes from love-novels. Wicked Witch… erhm…,” Damon paused and squinted his eyes towards the horizon as he attempted to recall the title of the last chick flick Leandra had read. She really was far too fond of romantic gentlemen. Perhaps he should have a talk with her about it. “Wicked Witch Wyominga?” Damon offered weakly to Ashlyn with a quite clueless glance. The book titles always started with the same letters. Silly, as the idea was far too old to sell anymore. And well, he couldn’t really recall what sort of a silly title the book had anyway. Besides, by the teasing going on – and their conversations about sports to keep fit while heading to the Hospital Wing – he doubted Ashlyn believed it anyway.

Damon tensed slightly as Ashlyn wrapped her fingers in his hair. All Graas children had learned during wild romps in the nearby forests to their home-castle that a neck was fragile. The head was a power point. And it never did good to let someone gain that advantage. But as Ashlyn gently tugged Damon let h is head follow as he looked calmly at Ashlyn. “Ah, but I’m sure my glare would be more effective. I get to practice on Slytherins daily after all. My brothers are among the more arrogant crowd.” Damon smirked lazily as he mused over a memory: “And I do admit that after having a head-on collision with a fully grown and, in better shape than most, werewolves and being on the receiving end of that glare and snarl… the scowls of most Gryffindors – or even Slytherins really – seem pale in comparison.” Especially as their father, however loving and caring for them – wasn’t really known for his easy-going and light character. Especially so as even the ill-tempered human way of thinking disappeared during full moon. The Wolfsbane potion kept him from harming anyone, especially not his family. But during full moon transformation his father didn’t entirely think as a human either.

“There have been good actresses before,” was the only comment Damon gave. He doubted that any of them had any plan of marrying someone with a character like Leda. They were all wary – at least all his brothers were – of girls, due to being chased too much. Some of Gabriel’s more shining fangirls examples were enough to make anyone shudder. “Just because I know a spell, doesn’t mean I can cast it in a stressful situation,” Damon pointed out, even if he hid a smile. He as good at spells. Where Rister preferred Transifguration, Gabriel charms, and Jared DADA, even if his favourites were Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Damon was good in all of them. He was good with a wand in general. Rister’s spells were powered by raw strength and adaptability to the situation. Jared was quick and creative, more than once gaining the upper hand by a twist he added to the spell himself or even by changing the pronunciation slightly. Gabriel had passion, arrogance. Then Damon? He powered his spells on pure rationality. Never too strong, never too weak, just the correct amount. And it worked for him. Of course numerous hours of practice weekly did pay off too.

“Snarling is far too plebeian,” Damon grumbled quietly. Perhaps he should toss the girl in the lake for such an accusation. It wouldn’t be easy and he’d have to time it to gain the element of surprise. Unless of course he would just pick the girl up and carry her – kicking and screaming – to the lake. Of course, he would have to consider whether he cared to get his own clothes soaked at the same time as it was very doubtful he would escape with a dry skin. Looking at the lake contemplating Damon pondered over it, not letting the fact Ashlyn could probably easily read his thoughts bother him. “Your uncle seems to have been both talent and smart,” Damon admitted as he listened to Ashlyn’s explanation about the old gestures, “Purity of blood does have some importance. A lot has been bread into us that muggle-borns lacks. Perhaps such lacking could be considered as inadequacy, much in the same way a child wouldn’t always measure up to an adult. Perhaps there should be a class Magical Studies or Pureblooded stories that would help non-purebloods to acquire all that knowledge we know without having specially learned it?”

“Or you’re just wanting to send me back to the library to start refreshing my mind about old gestures? Touché, girl, touché,” Damon commented as he threw a pensive glance at Ashlyn, “Nothing I need to know now? Does it mean there’s something I need to know of it later on? I can imagine in Medieval Times a squire kneeling like that before the knight. Or a landlord before a king, waiting to be knighted? You make it seem as for more important for being nothing important. I have no plan to marry your cousin.” Damon frowned slightly. He was arrogant too. And not someone who would let his wife rule, while he sat in his study with a newspaper and a glass of firewhiskey. He wanted a partnership one day. “And naturally you presume my word over who’d be an invited guest and who not in our home wouldn’t count for zilch,” he commented before letting the subject drop with an other considering glance at the Hogwarts lake.