Late but Hoping (Ashley)

[Dierks Brooks]

Between going to class, keeping up with his work, studying, and then the Hogsmeade attack, Dierks hadn't even thought about the Yule Ball coming up. He wasn't sure how well he would be at dancing, but he did sort of wanted to go. In fact, his mother sent dress robes not too long ago. Dierks was unsure if he would even be going to the dance. He could always go alone, but that wouldn't be that much fun, seeing as he didn't really know too many people.

Dierks thought about asking Ashley, that is if she hadn't been asked already. He thought that she would probably would have a date already, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Would it? He walked down to the common room where he usually talked to her, if he didn't see her in the hall or class, hoping that maybe he would get a chance to talk to her.

[Ashley Lotti]

Ashley was sitting in the common room, staring out the window, which was completely normal for her. Ashley had gotten bored of studying, the test wasn't until next week anyway. She was looking at the lake and thinking about the attack. She wished she could have done more. Ashley sighed and turned toward the entrance. There was Dierks, looking around like he was looking for something. Ashley waved her hands to get his attention, "did you lose a book or a quill?" She asked.

[Dierks Brooks]

His attention was turned to noticing waving hands. "There you are," Dierks said with a smile. "I was hopin' I'd find you, and no, I didn't lose anything yet." He gave a small laugh. He wasn't sure how to bring up the dance casually, so he thought that he'd wait a few minutes before he would ask about it.

Dierks walked over to her and sat across from her. "Doin' anything interestin' while yer sittin' over here by the window?"

[Ashley Lotti]

"I always sit here," she said, smiling. "It's my favourite spot. I'm just attempting to do homeowork." She gestured lightly to the stack of books on her left. "Although I'm not doing a really good job on it..."

Ashley snapped her books shut and leaned back in her chair, too dense to realize that Dierks had probably been looking for her. Ash wasn't nessecarily the best at hints, but she could certainly read fast, if that made up for anything.

[Dierks Brooks]

Dierks made sure that he remembered that next time he was looking for her, to look here first. "I finished mine early," he said. "If you want I can help you." He figured that he could at least be nice.

"So, other than homework, have you been doin' anythin' special? Or plannin' anythin' special?" He was going to see if she had any kind of plans, or if she ever mentioned the dance. If she did, then he would bring up the fact that he wanted to ask her, that was of course if she was still available.

[Ashley Lotti]

"It's alright. If I don't want to, why would you? But thanks, it means a lot," she gave him a bright smile. "I'll just finish it up later tonight."

Ashley thought about his inquires, and shook her head. "I haven't been planning anything that comes to mind. All anyone talks about it the attack and the Yule Ball, so nothing new." She gave a small shrug. Everyone was talking about dates and such, and because Ashley didn't have one, she didn't care to join in.

[Dierks Brooks]

Ashley's bright smile and comment made Dierk's cheeks turn a light pink color.

"So I take it that you ain't joined in on talkin' 'bout the Yule Ball, or anythin' like that?" That could be good news. Maybe he had just a small bit of luck on his side. Dierks had heard a few girls talking animatedly about what they were wearing to the ball, and it seemed that Ashley didn't, unless she was just quiet.

Dierks decided to get to the point of the reason he was looking for her. "Ashley? Are you goin' with anybody to the ball," he asked a little shyly.

[Ashley Lotti]

Ashley loved listening to Dierks talk with his accent. Not a lot of people at Hogwarts had an accent.

"Nope, I haven't really talked to anyone about the ball. I didn't really think I was going to go," Ashley shrugged. She wasn't good at make up, because she really didn't feel the need to doll herself up everyday for classes. Someone who liked her should like her for her, not her face. That and she didn't think she could draw around her eyes without seriously maiming her eyesight.

Ashley looked at him, a little shocked, but trying to hide it. "I'm not going with anyone. Are you?"

[Dierks Brooks]

He thought the same thing about the dance. Dierks wasn't sure that he was going to go, but talking with Ashley helped him decide that he wanted to go. Now that he found out that she wasn't going with anyone, that made him want to smile however he hid it at the moment.

"Really," he asked. "I woulda thought that somebody woulda asked you to go." He rubbed he back of his neck a little nervously. "Nah, I ain't goin' with anyobody." Dierks gave a shrug. "But I'm thinkin' 'bout askin' somebody if she's willin' to change her mind 'bout goin'."

[Ashley Lotti]

"I guess not," Ashley shrugged. She was too busy putting her parchment away to even notice that he might have been talking about her. She just wasn't observant, and she just plain didn't expect Dierks to even think of her in this situation. "But I'm sure she'll change her mind. If not, I'll just slap her on the head. I bet tons of girls would fall over themselves for you to even think about them."

She looked up and smiled, having accomplished putting everything in her bag. She was forgetful about the small things, and she didn't want to lose another quill. "Who you thinking of asking?"

[Dierks Brooks]

He let out a chuckle. Ashley was a good girl, even if she didn't really pick up on things. "I'm hopin' that she does change her mind, 'cause it would probably be fun." Dierks swallowed what nervousness he felt.

"To be honest, you know the girl prudy well," he said. A smile appeared and he looked directly at her. Ashley probably wouldn't catch on to what he was talking about, so Dierks decided to just ask out directly. "Ashley, would you go to the ball with me?"

[Ashley Lotti]

"Of course!" she nodded, smiling at him. Any girl was incredibley lucky to go with him.

Ashley's face was confused when he said she knew the girl well. She didn't know anyone too well. To be frank, Ash talked to Dierks a lot more then any girl. But her face turned into comeplete shock as he asked her. Despite her better judgement, she just blurted, "are you sure you want to go with ME?"

[Dierks Brooks]

Dierks nodded. He didn't understand why Ashley wasn't sure of herself. He wouldn't have asked her if he didn't want to go with her. "I'm positive that I wanna go with you, that is if you wanna with me." Dierks watched her for her reactions. That was one thing that he liked about her. Even her being unsure was something else that he liked, because she wasn't overly sure of herself at all, but yet she wasn't completely unsure of herself either.

[Ashley Lotti]

"Of course I want to go with you," Ashley gave him a small smile. "I told you before, no girl wouldn't want to go with you. Wait, did that make sense?" She asked, not sure if her double negatives lined up. "You know what I mean..."

Ashley may have looked a little confused, but on the inside, she was bouncing up and down like a child. She had a date to the Yule Ball, with someone she could talk to and have fun with! But at the moment, she held it in. SHe would definately be jumping up and down on her bed when she got to the dorms.

[Dierks Brooks]

He didn't bother hiding a huge grin that appeared on his face. Dierks laughed at her being confused. "Yeah, I know whatcha mean," he said. He continued to smile, and decided that he would probably want to tone down how big he was smiling.

"But quite honestly, yer the only one that I thought about askin'. Mainly 'cause I can talk to you without you gigglin' everytime I speak. Plus, I like talkin' to you. Maybe the dance will do us both some good."

[Ashley Lotti]

She let out a small sigh of relief, glad he understood. She shook her hair out of her face to try and relax a bit. It worked, if only for a short period of time.

"I like talking to you too," Ashley's smile stayed as small as she could handle it. "And I promise I won't become a giggling bimbo like the rest." She put her hand over her heart as if she were stating an honor. "I'm sure we'll have a great time."

She was throughly excited, although she wasn't quite sure what to do. Did she have to get him a dress or anything else?

[Dierks Brooks]

Once again, he let out a laugh. "I would never think of you like that, even if you did giggle." Dierks gave her a wink and relaxed, by sitting all the way back in his chair. He studied her again. The more he looked at her, the more pretty she got. His cheeks turned warm at the thought.

"So Ash, why don't we just go do somethin'? We ain't gotta stay in the common room. We could go outisde, or we could go grab supper."

[Ashley Lotti]

Ashley let a bigger smile appear on her face before looking down at her hands. She was a little shy for no reason whatsoever, and it was a little hard to think of something to say. Ash played with her hands until he suggested they go do something.

"That sounds great," she looked up, glad things seemed somewhat less awkward. "I'm up for anything. But a little food sounds good about now." She rubbed her stomach. "Didn't eat much for lunch. You hungry?"

[Dierks Brooks]

"Grab your cloak, and we'll go outside after supper," he said. Dierks brushed something off the knees of his jeans. "And I'm always hungry." He cracked a goofy like grin. "I'll meet you back here, after we grab our cloaks, then we can go down and eat. After that, we can go outside and walk or somethin'."

He stood up and offered her a hand. "That sound like a plan?"

[Ashley Lotti]

"That sounds good, I'll just go put up all my books," she grabbed the small mountain on the table. "Then my cloak, then here, check." She nodded. "It'll take me thirty seconds."

Ashley climbed the stairs, hoping to get a little bed jumping before she had to return to Dierks. She took the stairs as nicely as she could before running to her dormitory and jumping on the bed, droppping the books by her nightstand. Quickly, she grabbed her cloak and went abck down the stairs as gracefully as she could.