Running For It

[Kate Moore]

Kate threw all her items in her trunk and headed straight to the Hogwarts Express as fast as she could. Finally, she made it to the train, out of breath. She found an empty compartment and placed her trunk above her. Kate sighed and sunk down into her seat.

[nickel]

((Hope you don't mind me posting here. )

Asher made his way through the crowd of people at Platform 9 and ¾, another year at Hogwarts was about to beggin and he was once again able to escape that horrible place. Pulling his trunk through the door of the Hogwarts Express, Asher found that most of the compartments were now allready full or nearly full.

He continued to pull his trunk behind him, placing his spare hand into the pocket of his black sweater. Reaching the end of the train, Asher had opened a compartment that, at first glance, seemed to be empty. However with a second look, he noticed a girl who seemed to be about his age sitting in the compartment.

"Don't mind me sitting here do you?" he said as he pulled his trunk into compartment and placed it above the seat across from the girl. He had no intensions of leaving if she had asked him to, after all, the other compartments were all full or nearly full. Asher had never been one to like big groupes of people.

Sitting down, Asher leaned back, crossing his arms and looked out the window as the Hogwarts Express started to leave the station.

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[Kate Moore]

Kate glanced up as someone entered. "Oh, not at all. It maybe nice to have company on the long trip there," she said with a friendly smile. The boy seemed to be around her age. Kate grew quite, not sure if he was one to talk or not. She just rested her head against the wall of the train, trying to relax for the ride.

[nickel]

Asher looked over at the girl as she spoke. "Oh, not at all. It maybe nice to have company on the long trip there," she said. Maybe for you. he thought. Most people were the same. He could tell by her reply that she was either a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. And like everyone else in those houses, she wouldn't want anything to do with him when she found out he was a Slytherin. Something he he hated people for.

Keeping these comments to himself he decided to see how long it would take for her to hate him simply because of his house. "I'm Asher." he said, extending his hand for her to shake. This should be intersting. he thought.

[Kate Moore]

Kate glanced over to the book as he spoke. She looked down at his extended hand and then she reached out her own and shook his. "I'm Kate. Nice to meet you Asher," she said with a smile. "I haven't seen you around school I don't think. Are you new or anything?"

[nickel]

"I'm Kate. Nice to meet you Asher," Kate said as she accepted Asher's hand with a smile. "I haven't seen you around school I don't think. Are you new or anything?" Of course you haven't seen me, most people don't. he thought. "No, I've been here for four years, I'm starting my fifth." he said in a calm voice.

His faciel expression didn't give anything away to what he was thinking but it also didn't show much happiness either. He kept a slight smile as to not give anything away, however other then this small detail his features remained emotionless and apathetic, as always.

"What about you?" he asked as he uncrossed his arms and pulled out a small candy bar from his pocket.

[Kate Moore]

Kate felt kind of bad that she hadn't noticed him around school, but then again, she didn't really notice anyone, considering she always tried to busy herself. "I'm sorry. It's just, I don't really see a lot of people, even in my own house. I try to busy myself all the time," she apologized. "I've also been here for four years. I'm going into my fifth year."

[nickel]

Asher listened to Kate as she apologized for not having seen him before mentioning that she was also in her fifth year. It didn't really matter to him that she didn't notice, after all he hadn't noticed her either.

"You don't have to apologize, the school is pretty big." he said to reasure her as he broke a piece of his chocolate candy bar. "Want a piece?" Asher ofered, showing her the second half of the candy.

[Kate Moore]

"Hmm, sure why not," said Kate. "Thanks." Kate gave another friendly smile. "So Asher, what house are you in?"

[nickel]

"Hmm, sure why not," Kate said before thanking him with another friendly smile. "So Asher, what house are you in?" Just the question that could potentially change the entire atmosphere of the compartment and the conversation that was taking place.

Asher looked down at his part of the candy bar before eating it and looking back up towards Kate. "I'm in Slytherin." he said naturally as if this tiny fact would not change anything. Very slightly, he squinted his eyes, a smirk nearly curling on this lip. "And you?"

[Kate Moore]

Slytherin. The type of house didn't really matter to Kate. People were people, and he hadn't been mean to her, so there wasn't any sense in showing distaste, although, she didn't really have any distaste for anyone really. "Oh that's cool," she said, "I'm in Hufflepuff. You're not the type that going to run off or not talk to me anymore because of my house are you?"

[nickel]

"Oh that's cool," Kate said. This simple statement had taken him completly by surprise. With most people, as soon as he stated his house they would no longer want anything to do with him. "I'm in Hufflepuff." she continued. "You're not the type that going to run off or not talk to me anymore because of my house are you?" I guess that would be that normal thing to think for the other houses aswell. he thought. "No, I won't run off." Asher said with the first real smile he had made in quite some time.

[Kate Moore]

As Kate worry disappeared, a smile spread across her face. "Good," she replied. "I had someone to just walk away from me, cause I said I was in Hufflepuff," she said with a slight frown. "We're not that bad are we?"

[nickel]

"Good," Kate said as a smile spread across her face. "I had someone to just walk away from me, cause I said I was in Hufflepuff," she continued, a frown quickly replacing the smile that had once been there. "We're not that bad are we?" she asked.

"I don't think so." Asher said as to chear her up, he didn't really like dealing with people's emotions. "The only people from the other houses I don't like are the ones who don't give a d*mn to find out who the person behind the house is." he said as he kicked his legs up so that he was now lying on the entire seat, his head leaning against the wall. "Everyone is too scared to take a chance." he said in barely a whisper, not sure if Kate had heard him

[Kate Moore]

"Well, thanks," said Kate. "Some people are just too stupid, and some just think to highly of themselves to get to know anyone from any other house. Why they're like that is beyond me." Kate gave a slight shrug.

Everyone is too scared to take a chance. "Not everyone," she whispered. "Just most. I'm taking a chance at trying to talk and get to know you, aren't I? And you're taking a chance at talking back."

[nickel]

"Well, thanks," Kate said. "Some people are just too stupid, and some just think to highly of themselves to get to know anyone from any other house. Why they're like that is beyond me." She continued with a shrug. "Their like that because its what they've always known. Every house is taught something different from the students who came before them." Asher said as he turned his head and looked towards the ceiling of the compartment. "Like how Slytherin's are all categorized as evil... No matter how different some are." Asher continued, disgust in his voice at how people were too scared of change to give a d*mn.

"Not everyone," Kate whispered back at his words. "Just most. I'm taking a chance at trying to talk and get to know you, aren't I? And you're taking a chance at talking back." Asher turned his head in surprise towards Kate and watched her for a moment. It was true. In his little attempt at fun he had taken a chance and spoke to someone a Slytherin normaly would not speack to. A smile played on his lips. "Yeah, I guess your right." he said, pausing for a moment. "How come you took the chance?" Asher asked, curious as to why she would speak to him when so many others had insulted him or simply ignored his preasance.

[Kate Moore]

"I don't like to listen to other people's judgments that much. I tend to like to find out for my own. You never know, you could find a friend in those that the ones before you put down," she said. "I don't think all Slytherins are. Sure, some like to act like it, but not all are."

She listened as he continued. "Well, everyone deserves a chance don't they? No matter who they are."

[nickel]

"Well, everyone deserves a chance don't they? No matter who they are." A chance. Asher thought as he looked back towards the ceiling. It was something so small and insignificant and yet something he had never been priveledged enough to obtain. It was also something he never bothered to give. Everyone was the same to him. Everyone was either selfish with an ego that made them think they were better then the scum below them. Or they were too afraid of what others would think of them and what they would do if they reached out to someone everyone in their group deemed unworthy. And yet here he was. Asher Hyde, a Slytherin, speaking with Kate, a Hufflepuff. Surely this was something that would be unheard of by others. And yet, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin had been friends, had they not? They did after all help found a school that stood the test of time and change.

Not everyone deserves a chance. Asher said as he placed his hands behind his head. Some do and others don't. But everyone is afraid to find out. They don't want to be wrong and get hurt because they trusted someone they shouldn't have. he continued, still looking towards the ceiling. If you don't take a chance, you'll never get hurt.

[Kate Moore]

Kate looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "Where's the fun in that," asked Kate. "Everyone must feel hurt sometime or another, it's how you learn from your mistakes. You make a mistake, learn from it, and move on. Of course, as you said, people are afraid. If someone doesn't take a chance, they might not find something that they need to find to make their life completely happy." She gave a sigh. "I'm not afraid to take a chance. I rather be wrong about someone than not even taking a chance and finding out that person may have been a good friend."

[nickel]

Asher turned his head once more towards Kate as she spoke. "I'm not afraid to take a chance. I rather be wrong about someone than not even taking a chance and finding out that person may have been a good friend." She said. He thought about this for a moment. After his father had left and his mothers suicide, he had never truly trusted anyone. If no one got close, he would never get hurt like his mother had. Sure, maybe he would find a friend in Kate, but he knew that he would never truly be close to someone. No one would get through the barrier he had constructed for himself over the years.

Asher swung his legs off the compartments seat so that he was now sitting as he had been when he first arrived. "Some people would just rather not know. Some times its better that way." he said thoughtfully, still thinking of how it had ended for his mother. "Not that this is one of those times." Asher continued quickly to reasure Kate. "We'll just have to wait and see.