Late but Hoping (Ashley)

[Dierks Brooks]

Once Ashley started to climb the stairs, so did Dierks so that he could grab his cloak. He darted up the stairs, grabbed his cloak and ran back down as quick as he could. When he returned, he didn't see Ashley yet, but he was grinning the same grin he had on his face as he ran upstairs.

As she came down the steps, Dierks slowly toned down his grin. He put on his cloak. "Alright Ms. Lotti," Dierks said, "are you ready ter go?"

[Ashley Lotti]

"Of course I am, Mr. Brooks," she laughed, leading the way to the portrait hole and pushing it open. The Ravenclaw common room was an ohkay distance from the common room and she definately didn't mind walking with him. Her head was still reeling from the experience of being asked to the Yule Ball by none other then Dierks, so it was a little hard to come up with something decent to say. Instead, she blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

"How's life?"

[Dierks Brooks]

He followed her out of the portrait and started to walk toward the steps. "Life is good right now," he said with a slight nod. "After all, you didn't turn me down earlier." A light pink tone crept up into his cheeks, but he just brushed that fact off. "And school's goin' alright. Can't complain 'bout that."

Dierks put his hands in his pants pockets and turned his head to look at her. "What 'bout yers?"

[Ashley Lotti]

Ash's hair fell in her face as he mentioned ther previous conversation. She didn't want him to see her blush, almost embarassed about it. She hoped it was gone before shooting him a half- smile.

"Well, I'd have to agree. Minus the having to attend classes bit. I'd like to sleep in more." She was half joking. "Wonder what it'll be like when we just make our own desicions, you know?

[Dierks Brooks]

He laughed. "Sleep. I suppose that would be a good thin' to have more time fer. Although, I'd still get up early every mornin'." Dierks grinned. "And makin' our own decisions. We kinda do that now, but 'course it'll be different when we get outta here. My parents always told me that you should go with yer gut on most decisions."

Dierks gave a shrug. "I'm sure that you'll be fine when you get outta school."

[Ashley Lotti]

"You would?" Ashley pretended to be horrified. "I would love to sleep in, with my nice warm bed and just dream." Ashley gave a small laugh. She couldn't wait for break to do just that. "I guess we do make a lot of desicions by ourselves. It helps that our parents aren't breathing down our necks. Although, my gut doesn't usually make my desicions. I listen to my heart."

Ashley thought she sounded slightly ridiculous when she said that. But she shrugged it off. "What do you think you're gonna do with your life, Diere?"

[Dierks Brooks]

Dierks grinned. "I couldn't really sleep in. I'm used ta gettin' up early." He gave a shrug. "But stayin' in a nice warm bed is always nice to think 'bout." He listened as she spoke and nodded. "Listenin' to yer heart is usually a good thing, 'cause its whatcha really want."

What was he going to do with his life? "I dunno. I always wanted to be in one of them rodeos back in America. Those always looked like fun. 'Course I did ride a bull once, that was fun." Dierks grinned widely at her. "But as fer actually doin' somethin' else with my life, I always thought 'bout helpin' people some how. My mum works in the Ministry. Her job seems interestin', but I haven't fully decided. What 'bout you Ash? What do you wanna do?"

[Ashley Lotti]

Ashley listened quietly, and thought, "well, entertainment always helps people, right? Riding a bull may give a child confidence to do something he never thought he could. I mean, I don't think I could personally ride one, but knowing that you can, and did, makes me feel as if I could handle doing something maybe a little less epic."

"I think I want to be an auror, but I'm not eactly sure. I'd rather just write books all day in my nice comfy bed and travel everywhere to see as many things as I could before I died."

[Dierks Brooks]

"Entertainment does help people, but fer the rodeo, I'd hafta move back to America. I kinda like it here." Dierks smiled at her. "But ridin' a bull is easy, long as he don't throw you off. That hurts." He shook his head. The first time his father put him on one, he did get thrown off. Dierks was probably thirteen at the time.

"My mum is an auror." At the mentioning of writing books and traveling, Dierks smiled again. "Well, I'd buy yer books if you become a writer. 'Course you'll do good at whatever 'cause yer a smart and nice girl."

[Ashley Lotti]

"Maybe you could start one here, and be a multimillionaire? The first English cowboy!" Ashley laughed good naturedly. "I would certainly love to see something like that. I love to watch things I know are difficult. Especially when I can't do them. Being thrown off a bull isn't quite on my list of things to do." She made a small face, with major respect for Dierks. If he had said it had hurt, he must have had first hand experience.

"Really? Does she like it?" Ashley gave him another big smile. "And thanks! I'll have motivation to make them incredible if I know you're going to buy them." Hearing that she was a smart and nice girl made Ash feel warm on the inside. It was nice to be complimented.

[Dierks Brooks]

Dierks laughed. "I dunno," he said. "I'd hafta think 'bout that one." He would have minded being in the rodeo, but he wanted to do something else with his life. After all, he was a wizard and he wanted to use his magic for the good and not let it go to waste. "Well, maybe you could come ter America with me one day and we'll go see one. I think you'd like it."

Ashley's smiled were contagious. Dierks' light smile widened. "Yeah, she likes it. 'Course she don't really talk 'bout the details, but she likes it well enough. I think that's what I'm gonna do." There was a light tint on her cheeks, and that made Dierks' ears feel warm. "I'd be the first person in line ter get the books. Even if I hafta camp out."

[Ashley Lotti]

"Really?" Ash's face light up, and she jumped to the side in excitement. "America? I've never been there! I'd love to be able to hang out with you at a rodeo! I bet we'd have tons of fun! I could see a real bull! And watch people ride them! That would make my life!" She spun in a circle. America and with Dierks at the same time? Who wouldn't want that?

"An auror?" Ash studied his face, pretending to contemplate if he could do it, although she had no doubt in her midn that he couldn't. "I think you'd do really well. I'd make sure to hide behind you if I was in danger. I'd feel safest behind someone I know can do the job then someone who I'm not familiar with."

"You'd camp out?" her eyes were sparkling. "All the good authors have people who camp out. You'd make me look like a true professional!

[Dierks Brooks]

"Maybe we could go this summer or somethin'. I'm sure that my parents won't mind. 'Course they'll probably hafta talk ter yers, but I'm sure they'd work it out."

This time, it was Dierks who blushed lightly. "Thank you. My idea of you bein' safe would be somewhere other than where danger was. I'd get you outta there prudy fast, then I'd come back ter check on you afterword, but let's just hope it never comes ter that."

"Yeah I would camp out. You'd be a professional writer and I'd want ta have the first one. Then I'd find you and get you ter sign it fer me."

[Ashley Lotti]

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind!" Ashley was buzzing. Being invited somewhere with Dierks was like a dream come true, and she couldn't stop smiling, although that seemed to be the case whenever he was around. "Would you really let me come with you?"

"I don't think I could let you be there alone. It's hard to concentrate when someone you," Ashley paused, thinking of how to finish the phrase. She rephrased it, "one of your friends is in danger. I wouldn't like the idea of you being there all alone. Well, maybe with back up. I just don't like the idea of you being in a situation where you could hurt yourself."

"I'd probably send you a transcript! You'd be the first I'd let read it, before my own editor. Then you could tell me if I need to tweak anything. I trust your opinions."

[Dierks Brooks]

"'Course I'd let you come with me! Why wouldn't I?" Dierks gave her a wink. Ashley was the person that he found that he always went to just to talk. There were a few other people he talked to, but sometimes those conversations just fizzled out. With Ashley, something else always came up and they would talk about it, plus seeing her smile made Dierks' ears feel warm.

"It would be harder fer me knowin' that yer there, 'less 'course you were fightin' beside me. I'd still be worried 'bout you though."

He laughed when she said she trusted his opinions. "Well I'm honored that you trust my opinions. 'Course I'd tell you my opinion on it. So, I'll be waitin' on that best seller."

[Ashley Lotti]

"I don't know," Ash admitted. "It just seemed too good to be true!" She spun around again, stumbling before righting herself. That was natural, she was a somewhat klutz. "Think of all the interesting scenes I could witness! Would you even teach me how to ride a horse? ALthough, I could see why you wouldn't. I might scare it, or vice versa..."

"I'd be fighting right next to you," Ash insisted. "Or right behind you, so no one one could surprise us. We'd have each other's backs."

"I'll even dedicate it to you. I just need to come up with a plot and characters."

[Dierks Brooks]

"Yer probably my closest friend, so I wouldn't mind you goin' back to the states with me sometime." Dierks made sure that Ashley didn't fall, then he started to laugh. It wouldn't have been nice of him if she would have actually fell and he laughed at her. "As fer ridin' a horse, it ain't that hard. You just gotta hold on."

Having each other's backs made Dierks smile. "Good," he said. "That's what friends are fer. And I would have yer back even if we weren't fightin'."

His smile widened. "You'd really dedicate the book ter me?" Dierks was a little surprised. "That would be nice. We could be characters in yer book. As fer plot, I dunno."

[Ashley Lotti]

"I could say the same, Mr. Brooks," Ashley mumbled, still a little embarrased from tripping. "But I think that if you teach me, I'll be fine. I mean, you've been doing it for a while now, right? So I trust you implicitly." She ended it with a nod. Ashley had no doubt in her mind that she would trust Dierks more then anyone to let her get a horse.

"Of course! I have your back anytime! If you ever need anything, I'm always just sitting there, doing my homework. Everyone needs a little action in their lives."

Ashley started to think, "well, yes. If the characters were us, then I'd even name it after you. And then we would go on all sorts of different andventures, maybe even back in the United States! And ride some horses, and fight some bulls. Maybe fight some dragons. Who knows?"

[Dierks Brooks]

"That would be interestin' I think," he said with a laugh. "It could be 'bout all kinds of things. Maybe it could be a series of books! In each book we go out and do somethin' different!"

In all honesty, Dierks couldn't remember where they were headed exactly. He had gotten distracted and it had slipped his mind where they were going. He continued to walk however, and headed toward the stairs. "I think that you would enjoy the States. There's a lot of stuff I think you would like."

[Ashley Lotti]

"You read my mind!" Ashley exclaimed. She could already see all the different things that Dierks and herself could do. "What kind of things should we do? Find a pirate's treasure? Or solve some long lost mysteries? Rescue children? There's a billion things we could do!" Ashley was excited again, adventures were her thing. She even had a partner in crime, now!

Ashley hadn't given any thought to where they were going, and forgot that they were headed any where in particular. She was just going where her feet seemed to carry her, and that was good enough for her subconscience. "What do you think I would like to do then, Mr. Brooks?"