[G.Hall] The end is near

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Warm, early morning sunlight filtered in through the window, waking the sleeping occupants of the bed. Or, well one of them anyway. Ash yawned as he stretched and slowy opened his eyes. Cris was still asleep so he climbed out of bed, bare feet hitting the cool, smooth, wooden floor. Ash grabbed his clothes out of his trunk and went to go take a shower. After he had shampooed, rinsed, and washed he stepped out in a cloud of steam. Wiping off the mirror, he dried his hair, straightened it, shaved, applied his make-up, and finally got dressed in a light grey pair of skinny jeans and a blue shirt, he left his hoodie off as it was starting to get a little warm.

Walking back in the dorm, he smiled to see Cris still asleep, and snoring! Laughing softly he shook his head and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a note by the bed explaining that he had gone to get an early breakfast and descended the stairs into the common room. Sitting on the couch he pulled on his socks and shoes and walked out of the common room towards the Great Hall.

Walking the corridors towards the Hall, Ash smiled to himself, he couldn't wait to graduate!

Entering the hall, he immediately made his way to the Claw table, giving a smile and friendly nod to the few blearry-eyed individuals who had too decided to take an early breakfast. Filling up his plate, and pouring himself some coffee, the raven-haired teen sat back and watched the students milling about the great hall.

[Ella Malfoy]

Ella sat quietly at the 'next to empty' Slytherin table. She loved the mornings, unlike most Slytherins. As she finished of her glass of milk, a movement caught her eye, as a ravenclaw boy walked in. He had raven hair, and a bright smile. Ella knew she had seen him before, maybe just around the halls, but something about him just caught her interest.

Without a second thought, Ella stood up, shifting her skinny jeans,before walking, over her keds. Ella knew some word of her going to talk to somebody that is in a house other than slytherin would make it's way around her house, malice growing with every pass between lips.
But somehow...she managed to overlook it, and block out all the prejudice teachings, recieved by her parents, she was taught as a child. It was silly how something as small as a house could tear people apart.

As she approached the boy at the ravenclaw table, a smile grew to her face as she sat down across from him.
"Morning" She greeted.
Maybe he wouldnt recognize her as the Malfoy she was.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash looked up as a voice greeted him. "Morning." he replied with a smile, to the Slytherin girl who had addressed him. She looked familiar somehow... he frowned slightly as he studied her features, white-blond hair, pale, aristocratic features, blue-grey eyes...could she be a Malfoy? "Would you happen to be a Malfoy by any chance?" he asked curiously, voicing his suspicions.

[Ella Malfoy]

As the boy asked her the question, she felt a lump form in her throat, but being who she was, she continued talking anyway. Although she was sure that a nervous, apologetic look came upon her face.

"Ella Malfoy" She said, holding out her hand to shake his, "Please...don't hate me"

Ella knew most people would know she was a Malfoy and look upon her with an image and opinion already made up for her. Some good, some bad.
Either way, their image was not exactly her.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash laughed, but it was a friendly laugh, not a mocking one. "Nice to meet you Ella. I'm Ashton, most people call me Ash though. And don't worry, one of my best friends is a Malfoy!"

[Ella Malfoy]

Ella let out a sigh in relief to herself and smiled politely back. She had to hold her question back of which Malfoy it was, it might sound nosey.

"It seems like I have seen you somewhere other than the halls...are you in one of my classes, perhaps? Or have I seen you outside of school?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly as she pondered this. She knew she had to have seen him other than school.
His face just seemed so...familiar.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash shrugged, "I dunno. To be honest, I'm more a class ditcher than a class attender! I know, a Ravenclaw ditching class? What has this world come to?" he said in mock horror, then he laughed. "No, really, I usually spend my time hanging out at the lake or in Hogsmeade, you might've seen me hanging around Maeve though. Speaking of which, I am gonna kill that girl next time I see her. She's supposed to be helping me with something and I haven't seen her in ages!"

[Ella Malfoy]

"Oh! Maeve, that's probably it" She nodded, thinking of her relative...though she wouldnt go into detail.

"So..you're a class ditcher..." Ella pondered aloud. "Not what I expected, but I like it" Ella smiled.
She had ditched classes herself...but she still keeps up on her work, otherwise her father would make a fuss. And nobody wanted that.
"I just sweet talk my way through things.." Ella laughed.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash laughed, "I don't think my teacher's even notice. I do go to class ocassionally, but only if I manage to drag Cris along with me."

[Ella Malfoy]

Ella smiled to Ashton, thinking about the boy she had just met.
She thought he and Chris went well with each other.

She remembered back to the day when she had her first relationship...she was 12, and his name was Josh Makkon, her cousins best friend. It lasted about...2 weeks. She hasnt had much of one since...she wondered what it would be like to have somebody truly love and care about her...

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash smiled back, "What are you thinking about?" he asked, noticing that Ella's mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment.

[Ella Malfoy]

Ella snapped from her daze as Ash asked her a question.
"huh? oh! umm.." She stammered for a moment, regaining her composure, she daydreamed alot, and snapping out of it she must have always looked like a fool.
"Well...I dont know, just wondering...how it must feel like for you. To, ya know, really have somebody to care about, and for them to re about you...To be honest, I haven't ever really had that kind of thing" Ella shrugged, feeling her cheeks warm as they must have been turning a bit red.
She was admitting something like that to somebody she hadn't spoken to up until now.

Feeling a need to change the subject, Ella spoke again.
"So, how long have you and Chris been together? I mean, is it serious?" Ella asked, while changing the subject she also really wanted to know. So many rumors circled the school it was hard to know what to believe.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash laughed as Ella jerked herself out of a daydream. "Alright now, head out of the clouds!" he teased. He listened as she asked what it was like being with Cris. "It's pretty nice. Well, more than nice, it's great. Cris is a really great guy. Sweet, funny, smart, charming. It's great that I have someone to talk to, and go to if I need help with something." he replied with a smile.

He frowned slightly, "Must suck that you don't have anyone." he said sympathetically. Then Ella asked how if they were serious, and his grin, if possible, grew even wider. " We've been together almost a year, and yeah, we are. We're getting married in August." he said, showing her his ring.

((there's a picture of the ring in the What's New thread by the lake also in Lakeside Talk))

[Cairo Blackwell]

As Cairo entered the Great Hall for some early breakfast--hoping to avoid the gaggle of Snakes who had chained her to the dungeon walls yesterday morning--she paused, catching sight of the exact same group she was attempting to keep away from. They sneered at her, and the chorus of 'Blood traitor' and 'Claw-lover' started up again. Rolling her eyes, exasperated that they would keep this up, the Slytherin sat down a ways from them, hoping to just ignore everything and have a nice breakfast. "Just ignore them." She muttered to herself, grinding her teeth as an apple slice flew her way, smacking into her arm and bouncing on to the floor. Shooting them with a glare, her already-wide eyes nearly bulged when a muffin, sticky with syrup, smashed against her cheek, holding fast. "Ugh." She moaned, standing up, unable to eat there. Moving away from her table she instead walked over to Ella and Ashton, standing there more or less infront of them (syrupy muffin still on her cheek) as she said, "Mind if I sit with you?" in a glum tone.

It wasn't her fault she preferred hanging with Claws, they were just nicer and more suited to her personality, rather than Slytherins. They were so.. Snotty, sometimes. And since the only person she knew at school, being rather new, was Brandon, another new student no where in sight, who else was she to sit with? Alone, to be pegged with more food? She thought not!

If they said yes she would sit down, prying the muffin from her cheek and grimacing as the sickly sweet smell hung around her head. Sweeping a finger up to wipe the syrup away, she brought it to her mouth as if to lick it then paused, thinking otherwise. Who knows what they might have done to it? Shaking her head she wiped it off on a clean nearby napkin, angling herself somewhat to include her in the conversation. "Uh.. Hi." She greeted them bluntly, offering a sheepish smile. "Sorry for invading your breakfast, I just couldn't sit with.. Yeah. I'm Cairo."

[Ella Malfoy]

"Thats amazing!" Ella said, adoring the ring and his fortune for having a wonderful partner.

As she smiled about the marriage, she spotted an odd sight...Slytherins picking on another Slytherin...
was that the new girl? Ella wondered.
As the girl took a seat by them she introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ella Malfoy" Ella said, smiling to the girl.