.. and it ain't no fairytale

placeholder: Oshlie moving in

2010-12-25T20:02:49Z

WHO: Ollie Wendell & Ashleigh Barton
WHAT: Moving into their new flat
WHERE: Their new flat in London
WHEN: June, 2006; About a week after leaving school
RATING: PG-13, I think.

Placeholder! About a week after heading home and telling Ashleigh's daddy about the baby, Ollie and Ash are moving into their new flat.

nofairytale @ 2010-12-25T14:48:00

2010-12-25T19:45:18Z

WHO: Jeremy Pitt & Dari Davison
WHAT: Jeremy gives in to temptation
WHEN: June 2006; a few days after graduation
WHERE: Dari's flat in London.
RATING: R. NSFW. There be sexytimes.

Jeremy appeared with a soft pop outside Dari's flat not terribly long after he had left it. As angry as he was, it was a miracle Jeremy managed to find his way here, but even though the flat itself was new, he felt like finding Dari would never be any trouble. Especially when he needed her like he did right now.

He was so worked up that he didn't even consider that she was likely still asleep, since that is how he'd left her. Apparently, he thought bitterly as he knocked on her door, it was okay if you needed it and he sure needed Dari right now and nothing was going to stop him from having her.

The knocking was heard vaguely in Dari's mind as she stirred on the couch where Jeremy had left her. She'd been dreaming, though it was all quite fuzzy, though he seemed to be in there somewhere. Maybe she still was dreaming, she thought, as she rose slowly from the couch to open the door.

As she open the door to see Jeremy standing there, she was sure she must be dreaming. He'd just been there and he'd gone home, she was sure, as she'd drifted off. And he.. was with Nic now. The days when he'd show up this late were gone, weren't they? At least for now.

The second Dari opened the door, Jeremy's lips were on hers. His held her head fimly in his hands, his fingers moving quickly into her hair as he pushed them past the doorway and kicked the door shut behind them.

The kiss was desperate and wanting, an attempt at both vengeance and solace for what Nic had done.

Dari blinked. As Jeremy said nothing, as he reached for her and she suddenly found hungry lips pressed to her, kissing her like.. Merlin, she hadn't been kissed like that in a long time.

In her dreamlike haze, it didn't even occur to her that he had a girlfriend and that they weren't supposed to be doing this. Surely she was still asleep and this was just a dream, right? Between that belief and how badly she'd wanted to do just this only a few hours earlier, she was in no state to stop him.

Her arms slid around his neck and she pressed herself to him, returning the kiss eagerly, pulling at him just as he pushed at her, moving them out of the doorway.

Jeremy lifted her into his arms, not taking his mouth from hers. He wanted her... no, he needed her and, in his opinion, they weren't progressing nearly fast enough. He stumbled slightly as he carried her to her room, more interested in what he was doing than where he was walking. Falling against the door frame, he straightened and continued his trek to the bed they'd made earlier that day. They'd pulled the sheets straight and for the next hour, he could only think about how great it would be to have her on it... to mess them up again. Now, there was nothing to stop him... he needed this... to be sure. Needing it, instead of just wanting it, made it okay.

He dropped them to the bed, allowing his hands to travel over her.

Dari wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her, pressing herself more firmly against him, still lost in his kiss. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt that this was a very vivid dream she must be having, but she was too wrapped up in him to care as she instinctively rolled her hips against him, deepening the kiss.

As they fell onto the bed and his hands began to wander, she let out a soft moan, her hands immediately pushing insistently at his shirt. She couldn't help notice that his hair was wet and he smelled as though he was fresh from a shower. She grinned at that notion, thinking he looked even sexier than usual.

Jeremy, instantly falling back into old habits, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor before kissing her deeply again.

"I need you," he mumbled, sliding his hand over one of her breasts. "Now," he commanded, stroking his other hand between her legs. He didn't expect her to turn him down, so he didn't want for an answer, he simply pressed his lips to hers in another hot kiss.

Dari's hands moved to his face, pulling him deeper into the kiss. She pulled at his lower lip as her hands moved into his hair and she couldn't help smiling against his lips.

"I need you so much," she murmured, not paying attention to her words, still feeling like this all must be a dream. She let out a gasping moan at the movement of his hands.

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered, gladly returning his kiss as her hands moved to tightly grip his shoulders.

For a fleeting moment, Jeremy reminded himself that Nic had only kissed the boy. Technically, he hadn't broken it off with her... and therefore, technically, he shouldn't be doing what he was doing. However, just as quickly as he reminded himself of those facts, he also reminded himself that she had 'needed' it... and that boy... man... whatever had touched his girlfriend in places that he, himself, had not been allowed to touch. It didn't matter how far he had gotten his hand in her knickers... it had still been there.

As he kissed her, he pushed his fingers against the jean material between her legs. Oh that was just not good enough. Opening the closure of her jeans with ease, he slipped his hand into her knickers, stroking a finger over the tender spot hidden between her folds.

Dari whimpered, thrusting against his hand as it slipped into her knickers, rubbing at that spot. All the stress of the day was quickly fading as she deepened the kiss, her hands grasping at him desperately. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was starting to realize this felt too real to be a dream, but at this point, she really didn't care. If Jeremy was suddenly willing, then, bloody hell, so was she!

Jeremy was suddenly very willing.

He was grateful that Dari didn't ask a bunch of questions. He didn't want to explain, he just wanted her; he needed to do all of the things he'd been thinking about doing since the second he'd began dating Nic.

He groaned as he pressed a finger into her. Bloody hell, it had been too long... way too long since he'd had his hands on Dari. "So hot," he mumbled, repeating that action.

Had it really only been a month or two? It felt like an eternity, suddenly, since she'd been with him like this. "Merlin, Jer," she moaned, writhing under his touch. She clung to him, clawing at his back as her mouth worked hungrily against him, moaning into this kiss, occasionally pulling away to whimper her name before once again pressing her lips firmly to his.

Jeremy pressed a second finger into her, curving them upward as he rubbed the heel of his hand over her clit. He continued to kiss her deeply, tasting her. He felt her moving under him and he realized how much he'd missed being truly wanted. He didn't need to get off... he needed to remember what it felt like to have a woman writhing under his touch (whether he came or not).

Yeah, Dari was definitely not dreaming. But did she really care at this point? She'd wanted him - needed him, in fact - all bloody day and now he was here and making her feel.. the way only he could, really, and there was no way she was stopping him to ask questions. She whimpered again at his touch, hands gripping at him a bit more tightly, nails digging into his skin.

"Fuck, I want you," she moaned, her hands moving down to his trousers, beginning to work at them. Those were definitely in the way and she wanted them off immediately.

Jeremy instantly began pushing her pants over her hips trying to get them out of his way. Losing patience with the whole mess, he pushed himself off of her, standing. With a few snatches at her pants, he'd pulled them off of her and tossed them over his shoulder. He dropped his own pants around his ankles and stepped out of them before leaning over her and pulling her shirt over her head and doing away with her bra.

He'd fully taken her request to heart, refusing to think of anything other than how bloody fucking good she was going to be. He lowered himself back over her, pulling her legs over his hips as he did. Kissing her deeply, he pressed himself into her groaning into her mouth. Bloody fuck... that, in itself, was good enough to make him cum right then. Not that he intend to give in and let her go that soon. He didn't want to cum until she was begging him for it.

Dari giggled at his obvious impatience, though she turned quite serious again as he came back over her, pushing himself into her. She returned the kiss with equal fervor, smiling against his lips as she pushed her fingers into his hair, her hips rising to meet his thrusts.

"Oh, Merlin, Jer," she moaned, amazed at how unbelievable it felt.

Jeremy pushed into her just as hard as he could, groaning and biting at her lips, pulling at her hips. "Oh fuck," he moaned running a set of fingers into her hair and pulling her mouth harder against his.

Dari's groans matched his as she clung to him, clawed at him. She kissed him deperately as her nails dug into his flesh.

"Good Merlin," she moaned, her hips rising to meet his every thrust.

"So fucking good."

"So.... hot...." he panted, not slowing or lightening his rhythm. He moved his hand from her hair to her shoulder as he pushed into her, grunting and moaning his pleasure. He lifted her chin with his thumb, leaned forward licking up her neck before kissing over the spots he knew she liked. He cursed under his breath, a stream of obscenities that didn't remotely fit together.

"Bloody... fuck," she gasped as his mouth trailed over just the most sensitive bits of flesh. She'd nearly forgotten how well he knew her, how well her knew just where to touch her.

"Merlin, Jer," she moaned, her hips rising to meet him more and more frantically as she clung to him, her nails nearly breaking skin and she attacked his neck with her mouth.

Jeremy increased his pace, matching every one of her frantic movements. "Fuck I've. Missed this." He didn't care if she clawed him to shreads, he pushed into her harder, groaning at almost every stroke. Kissing her, he nipped at her lips, pulling on her tongue when it entered his mouth.

"Merlin, yes," she moaned her agreement, amazed by just how badly she needed this, need him right now. This was exactly what she'd wanted, what she'd needed all day and the wanting then was making it all the better now. She kissed him hungrily, needfully, her hips rising to meet his again and again.

"Fuck, Jer, you feel so..." she trailed off, not that she needed to finish her sentence, having a difficult time forming words as her breathing became more and more ragged.

Jeremy filled her again and again. Leaning over, he kissed over each of her nipples, pulling hard on one and then the other. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last at this hard, frantic pace but bloody fuck if he wanted to stop. He'd given up on speaking, breathing was hard enough for the moment; however, the words played through his head... how perfect she felt, how tight, wet, hot... they were all them mixed in with the curses.

"Bloody fuck," she moaned, gasping at the sensations he was bringing about. Perhaps it had simply been too long or perhaps it was all the stress she'd been under, but she couldn't remember it ever having been quite this good.

"Fuck, you're good," she moaned, clinging and clawing at him a bit more and she buried her face in his neck, kissing and bitting and sucking at his flesh. She was bound to leave a mark, but at the moment she really didn't care.

Jeremy closed his eyes against the strong desire to lose himself in her right then. He wasn't ready for it to be over yet... he didn't want to finish... not yet.

He closed his eyes, trying not to think about the familiar tightening he felt, and he pushed into her just as hard and fast as he could manage, pulling at her hips as if her thrusts weren't quite enough.

He didn't care what she did to him... as long as it continued to feel this fucking good.

Dari swore again as she thrust against him a bit harder, her lips and teeth working at his neck, her nails digging a bit deeper.

"Oh, Merlin, bloody fucking..." she swore again. "So fucking good."

Jeremy continued to push into her, groaning at the feel of his impending release. He knew he was close but he didn't want to come... not yet. To him, it felt like they'd just started and he wasn't willing to be finished yet.

The way she was writing, moaning and cursing under him, didn't do anything to help his want -though quickly approaching need- to come. He leaned forward and captured her mouth with his as he pushed into her just as hard and fast as he could manage.

Dari clung to him as he pushed in and out of her, clawing almost desperately at him, kissing him with more passion and need than ever. She'd been wanting - needing - this all day and after hours of denying herself what she'd wanted so badly, finally giving in felt amazing.

"Merlin.. fu.. Jer," she groaned as she tightened reflexively around him.

Jeremy continued his ministrations, knowing that he was close... that it had been far too long since he'd had this from her. Her simplest movements, as always, made him want to lose himself and at the moment, he didn't see anything wrong with that. He pushed a hand between them, stroking her clit with small circular motions. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." he tried to tell her but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he pressed his lips back to hers groaning loudly as he tasted her.

Dari had already been so close, but as he reached down there and stroked against her. "Oh, fuuuuuck," she cried as she felt her muscles tighten convulsively around him, feeling almost as if she might pass out from sheer pleasure. She continued to move against him through her orgasm, unable to get quite enough, moaning his name loudly as she came.

Had it ever been this bloody good before? Perhaps it was having denied themselves for so long that made it feel so good now.

(and fade)

narrative/fic: DJ after the train

2010-12-25T19:21:03Z

WHO: Dari Davison and Jeremy Pitt
WHAT: Jeremy takes Dari home
WHEN: June 2006; starting the last day of school and ending a few days later
WHERE: Dari's parents' home in Kensington
RATING: Pretty much G. Jeremy's a good boy now.

It was a little depressing, coming home to an empty house, but Dari didn't know what else she could do. Jayden was off with other family, of course, but Dari didn't want to be there, either. Jayden was the darling of the family and as much as she didn't want to be here, she couldn't seem to make herself leave.

Rather than taking time to unpack, she left her trunk in her room and made her way back downstairs. The house felt so large, so quiet and she wrapped her arms around herself as she wandered kind of aimlessly toward the kitchen. She wasn't hungry, though, she realized, after checking the icebox and finding nothing that seemed appealing. Not that there was much food in the place, anyway.

After a few more moments, she found herself out back, just looking over the lake. She smiled faintly as her mind played over happier memories than the ones that existed inside the house. Lazy summer days spent with Jeremy under the large tree that grew a few feet away. Ice skating on the lake last Christmas. There was a sadness to her smile, though. Jeremy was such a large part of what made this home to her. It felt even more lonely being here without him.

It was better than being inside, though, and she settled herself on the ground underneath the tree, pulling her knees up to her chest. The sun would be setting soon, but she had a few moments of daylight left and it felt just a little better being out here in the fresh hair.

It took her a moment to notice when Jeremy slipped into the space beside her. She was lost in her thoughts, but then he took her hand in his and she looked over at him with a grateful smile.

"Hey," she greeted him softly. The smile didn't reach her eyes, but she tried anyway. She didn't know why, but a part of her didn't want him to know how sad she was. Maybe it was because she couldn't ask him to comfort her the way he used to.

"How are you doing?" he asked, concern showing in his eyes as he squeezed her hand. He didn't need to ask to know the answer, of course, but he wanted to let her know he was here for her.

"I'm all right," she lied automatically, which earned her a slight look. They were best friends. Jeremy knew her better than anyone. There was no way he was going to believe she was really all right.

"I'm.. I'm glad you're here," she admitted, leaning into him a little. Her head fell to his shoulder as his arm slipped around her shoulders to pull her close. "It's better when you're here." It felt like admitting too much. Seeing him with Nic hurt. She saw him almost every day, but she missed him so much it made her chest ache just thinking about it. As silly as it sounded, she didn't want to need him like that.

"I'll be here for as long as you need," he assured her. Jeremy hated seeing her like this. There weren't words for how much he hated it.

"How about forever?" she murmured, almost too quietly to be heard. "Does forever work for you?" A part of her wanted to turn her face to his and kiss him, but she didn't. She couldn't take having him push her away right now, no matter how good it would feel to have his lips on hers.

"As long as you need," he repeated, tightening the arm around her to pull her a little closer as his lips pressed to her forehead. He loved Dari. She was his best friend. Having a girlfriend didn't change that. It might limit just how he could be there for her, but it didn't mean he was going to leave her alone when she was feeling like this.

"You're coming home with me tonight," he informed her after a few more moments of comfortable silence. Dari tried to shake her head and protest, but he would hear none of it. He cut off every one of her objections before she finally gave in. "You're not taking no for an answer, are you?" she said, almost smiling. "Nope," he confirmed.

"Alright," she agreed finally, though she didn't make any moves to stand just yet. The sun was setting over the lake and she wasn't quite ready to leave, yet.

They sat there for awhile, until she was ready to go. "C'mon, pet, let's go home," he murmured, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he apparated them to his own parents' home in Chelsea.

---

Some time later she found himself standing in his bedroom after exchanging the necessary greetings with his family. It did feel better, being here. Jeremy's family felt like hers in so many ways. From the way Richard had pulled her into a warm, fatherly hug to the way Mari had fussed over her endlessly - it was hard to be lonely when you were surrounded by so much love.

"I'm going to shower... wanna help?" she teased Jeremy, feeling almost like her old self now. She knew he'd turn her down, but she couldn't help flirting with him.

Jeremy laughed and shook his head. "I'm going to go grab us some dessert," he told her and she nodded, grabbing the t-shirt and boxers she'd liberated from his dresser as she disappeared into the bathroom. "I want cake!" she called after him and he smiled, happy she seemed to be feeling better.

---

A few days later, she was smiling as they stood in the middle of her new flat. The movers had come and gone, there was leftover Chinese in the icebox. It already felt more like home than she house she'd grown up with.

There'd been a moment as they'd pulled the sheets neatly over her bed when their eyes had met and Dari's thoughts had drifted to how good it would be to fall onto the bed and muss it all up again. The moment passed, of course, and she smiled up at him, tugging at his hand as she pulled him toward the sofa. "Watch a movie with me?" she requested. Jeremy knew he should go, but even now, he found it difficult to tell her no and he nodded his head.

His thoughts drifted back to that bed they so carefully made as she leaned against him, but he managed to control himself. Moments later, Dari was fast asleep and he gently eased himself away from her, covering her with a blanket and pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before he turned to go.

oshlie on the train home

2010-12-24T22:44:18Z

WHO: Ollie Wendell and Ashleigh Barton
WHAT: Ollie & Ash on the train
WHERE: Hogwarts Express
WHEN: June 2006
RATING: G, probably.

It was probably an understatement to say that Ollie had been worried about Ashleigh a lot over the past month. He'd gotten her to eat and she even slept so long as he was able to hold her, but she still wasn't his normal Ashleigh. She was broken and she was stressed and he really didn't like it.

A big part of him wanted to punch that jackass of a Slytherin for doing this to her. The only thing stopping him was the thought that it would only upset her more. He focused his energies, instead, on taking care of her.

They'd met in the common room earlier, Ollie slipping an arm around her as they made their way to the leaving feat. There was no way around going, but he tried to keep her focus away from the Slytherin prat's table by whispering in her ear and holding her hand the whole time.

Now, they were getting settled on the train. Somehow, they'd managed a compartment to themselves and Ollie pulled her close against him as they sat down. His fingers threaded through her hair and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he questioned her softly. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but the point was really to get her talking. He couldn't reassure her if she didn't talk about it.

dari and simon on the train home

2010-12-24T22:37:36Z

WHO: Dari Davison and Simon Bailey
WHAT: Train ride home
WHEN: June 2006
WHERE: Hogwarts Express
RATING: So G. It's Simon.

For the first time she could remember, Dari wasn't remotely looking forward to leaving school. Sure, she was kind of excited about her internship and it had been a pretty rough year, especially the past few months, but she wasn't looking forward to anything else about the summer holidays.

Jeremy had a girlfriend. Her father was gone. Mum was in Azkaban. She'd be going home to an empty house that did nothing but remind her of everything she'd lost this year - Her parents, even Jeremy, in a way. Things were changing between them or maybe they'd already changed. Either way, she couldn't stand the thought of being there. She couldn't stand the thought of a summer without him there every single day, lazily kissing her under the shade of their tree and dragging her off for a swim in their lake.

The train ride wouldn't be the same, either. For the first time she could remember, she wouldn't be spending it curled up to Jeremy. There would be no long makeout session to pass the time. Even Ashleigh was going to be occupied. Dari didn't blame the girl, of course. She knew she needed Ollie right now. She just couldn't help feeling a little alone at the moment.

At least she found a compartment to herself. As much as she didn't want to be alone, she didn't much care to be around other people. If she was lucky, she could just curl up with a book and read until they arrived in London.

As soon as she was settled, she curled up on the bench, knees bent and her divination text open in her lap. Anyone looking in would have found it easy to tell she was unhappy, but the nice thing about being on your own was that you didn't have to fake a smile for anyone.

dari and ash talk

2010-12-24T21:58:14Z

WHO: Dari Davison and Ashleigh Barton
WHAT: Dari finally finds out what's up with Ash
WHEN: May 2006; Shortly after this
WHERE: Outside the Gryff common room
RATING: PG

Dari knew something was up with Ashleigh. Anyone who knew the girl would. They might not share any of the same lessons, since they were in different years, but Dari hadn't seen her friend in the halls or even at meals in several days and she was starting to worry a little, especially when she heard through the grapevine that Ed wasn't exactly behaving like himself, either. It didn't take much for her to connect the two. The question now was why hadn't Ashleigh told her if something had happened with Ed? It wasn't like them not to talk to one another. After all, Dari had been sharing nearly everything with the Gryffindor lately. It wasn't like she could really confide in Jeremy these days, not about everything that was bothering her, anyway.

She'd finally had enough of waiting for the girl to come to her, though. Enough was enough and she was going to find out what was going on if she had to find a way to break into Gryffindor. Fortunately, it didn't quite come to that. Dari managed to catch a glimpse through the portrait hole as a first year came through.

"Ashleigh Elizabeth Barton!" she called loudly, using the girl's full name for emphasis. "You get out here and talk to me RIGHT NOW!" Maybe that wasn't the best approach to take, but Dari was starting to get worried. She could just crawl through the portrait hole if it came to that, but Ashleigh's housemates probably wouldn't appreciate a Ravenclaw in their common room very much. Not that it would stop her, but it would probably be better if Ash would just come out instead.

ollie comforts ashleigh after the breakup

2010-12-24T19:10:16Z

WHO: Ollie & Ashleigh
WHAT: AU, Post Ashed Breakup
WHEN: End of 7th Year
WHERE: Gryff Dorms
RATING: PG-13

As insane as it sounded, Ashleigh hadn't really been out of her dorm in days. She still couldn't believe what had happened. She couldn't believe that she'd actually gone through with it. Whether she was asleep or awake, all she could think about was his face, the way the tears had fallen onto his cheeks, how he'd told her that there could never be anyone else.

The few times she considered going to him and telling him the truth, she heard her mother's voice. You're weak. You're selfish. He will end up hating you as much as I hate your father. She laid in her bed, curtains drawn, face buried in a pillow as she cried. Honestly, she wasn't interested in life. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep... she felt as if she couldn't move without him.

After her fourth day of not so much as leaving the dorm, she finally came down into the common room, planning to search for food. However, she lost the energy and desire as she reached the sofa in front of the fire place and she found herself thinking that she wasn't very hungry after all. Maybe later. She couldn't stand to bump into him... maybe she'd to tonight.

Ollie hadn't seen Ashleigh in days. That was honestly kind of odd and he couldn't help being a little worried. Or more than a little. If he could have figured out a way into the girl's dorms (and he'd seriously already gotten enough detentions from trying in the last 7 years), he would have marched up there and demanded she tell him what was wrong. He didn't think he'd acted like a git lately. He was pretty sure he'd managed to keep his feelings in check and not show just how much he hated that Slytherin prat she was dating.

He'd been trying to think of something -maybe he could owl her and beg forgiveness for whatever was causing her to avoid him?- when he came into the common room and saw his best friend just sitting there on the couch, looking.. complete lost.

"Ash?" he questioned, moving immediately for said couch and forgetting about anything he might have intended to do with his day. "Ashleigh, what's wrong?"

To be perfectly honest, Ashleigh hadn't even thought about Ollie during the last four days. It was hugely out of character for her to be so selfish but she'd been lost in misery, only able to think about Ed and how she lost him, how she'd never love anyone else. At the moment, making it through the pregnancy and raising a child were the least of her worries. Right now, she just had to learn how to breathe without him.

She was staring into the fire place, watching the flames bounce around when Ollie finally found her. At first, she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear him. She'd lost Ed. No, she'd pushed him away. He'd never kiss her or touch her - she'd never hear his softly spoken words of love again.

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the boy sitting beside her with a furrowed brow. "Oh... I'm..." She tried to think of a lie but, honestly, she was too exhausted, too defeated to bother. "I broke up with Ed," she told him, her eyes filling with tears as she said it. "It's... it's over."

She didn't move, she didn't shift in her seat at all, she simply sat there and looked at her best friend. It was stupid but a part of her was waiting for him to fix it... to fix her. She was broken, now, and she didn't know how to pick herself up again. Really, she didn't even want to.

Ollie had always expected he would want to throw a party when this day came. He'd never thought the Slytherin nearly good enough for his Ashleigh and he'd expected the boy would just screw it up one day, that Ash would come to her senses and things would be like they always were before.

He didn't, though. He couldn't be even remotely happy, not when the girl he loved more than anything was so obviously upset.

"Oh, honey..." He didn't know what to say or do, other than just pull her into his arms and hold her. He stroked his hands through her hair, rubbed her back, tried to reassure her it would be okay when he saw her tears and he instantly wanted to run out and punch the guy for being the cause.

"I'm so sorry, Ash," he mumbled, still holding her, trying to think of some thing amazing to say that would make it all okay. Unfortunately, nothing was coming. His best friend was about broken and he didn't know how to fix it. (Even if running out an killing a certain Slytherin seemed like a GREAT start.)

Regardless of Ollie's assumptions, Ed hadn't screwed this up. She had been the one to forget the charm. She was the one that had gotten pregnant. Ashleigh had been the one to ruin them... not Ed.

"I feel like I can't breathe, Ollie," she told him weakly as he pulled her close. "It hurts so much I don't really know if I want to breathe."

She buried her face in his chest as silent tears ran down her cheeks. After spending four days like this, she didn't even have the strength to properly cry.

It wasn't going to be okay. There weren't any magical words to fix this. Honestly, she felt as if she'd be broken forever without him but, at the same time, she knew that she'd made the right choice. It was better for her to hurt than for his future to be completely ruined... than for him to hate her in the years to come.

Seeing Ashleigh so upset kind of broke Ollie a little bit. He didn't know how to handle it, honestly. Sure, he'd been there for her when her mother had made her cry, but this was worse than all those times. He'd never seen her this heartbroken and it kind of killed him a little to see it now.

He brought a hand to her face, brushing gently at her tears while he whispered reassurances that it would be alright, the he was here and he wasn't going anywhere. He held her as close as he could manage, repeating the words over and over, just making sure she knew he wasn't going anywhere, that he was going to take care of her and make sure everything was alright.

A part of Ashleigh wanted to believe him when he said that everything was going to be alright. However, the larger part of her just knew that she'd never be happy again. How could she be? How could anything ever be alright again without him?

An outsider would've thought that she was completely overreacting. After all, she was only seventeen years old... what were the chances of her actually meeting the great love her life before she'd even finished school? She had, though, and she knew that she'd never love anyone the way that she loved Ed.

"It's not going to be alright," she told him with a shake of her head. "It wont be alright because..." She interrupted any protesting that he might be doing as she continued. "...Because I'm pregnant, Ollie."

She looked helplessly up at him as those last words left her mouth. "I'm going to... I've not even told Father, yet. I don't know what to do, Ollie. I..." she trailed off and shook her head. What was she going to do? Sure, she knew that her father would help her care for the child but that was hardly a silver lining for the cloud that had settled over her life.

She'd get over that jerk, eventually, Ollie figured. She just had to.. get this out of her system and maybe he'd have his chance to show her that he was really the guy for her. Not right now, of course, because that would just be rude, but.. he could be patient. He could wait. For her.

"You're going to let me take care of you, is what," he informed her, his hand under her chin, his thumb rubbing lightly at the tip of that chin. "I'll help you.. I'll be there.. every second, Ash. You're not going to go through this alone, I promise."

The news was a shock, but Ollie had pushed that and any of his own feelings away. Ash was the important one here - just being what she needed was the important thing.

Ashleigh wouldn't ever 'get over' Ed. She hoped that one day she'd learn to function without him but she'd never be over him. Ashleigh Barton would always love Edward McMillan... she wasn't capable of doing anything else.

"I... I can't do that, Ollie," she protested. "I don't want to steal your future any more than I wanted to steal his... that's why I..." she couldn't even say it.

She saw his face again, the way he looked when she told him that she didn't love him. She'd never know how she'd managed to say those words, how she'd managed to stay standing until he walked out of the room. Once the door had closed behind him, she'd collapsed to the floor and sobbed. She couldn't clearly remember making it back to her dorm but she knew that a part of her had been left in that room.

"You can't do that," she murmured softly. "I just have to... I don't know. I really don't know. I'm just... just make it stop hurting?" Tears rolled down her cheeks again. How was she going to do this without him?

She'd tear her own heart out of her chest if she thought that it'd make her stop hurting. It wouldn't, though. Every inch of her belonged to him... not just her heart.

"You can't stop me," Ollie told her firmly. Ollie didn't have some bright future lined up. He'd be lucky to achieve a single NEWT, the way his grades were. And he'd always loved Ashleigh. Always. There was no way he wasn't going to be there for her through this.

"Ash, nothing is more important to me than you," he assured her, still gently wiping at her tears. "I love you.. there's nothing I wouldn't do for you.. and you're crazy if you think there's anyway you are going to keep me from helping you through this. I might not know how, exactly, to fix things, but I can promise you. I'm not going anywhere. EVER."

He'd been so busy trying to reassure and comfort her that he didn't even know what he was saying.

Bright future or not, Ashleigh did not want someone tying them self to her. This entire... mess was her mistake. No one else should have to pay for it. Ollie shouldn't have to. Ed shouldn't have to. No one other than herself...

She couldn't do anything other than look at him as he spoke. A part of her knew that he truly meant what he was saying... even if she didn't realize exactly just how he meant it.

She relaxed into his chest, not because she was calming but because she was exhausted. "I don't know how to be a mother. I don't... I'm not going to know how to do this. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be married. I was... it was supposed to be planned. I wasn't supposed to be like my mother."

She stared blankly off into space as she spoke. This is not how her life was supposed to end. She was supposed to marry Ed... have children... live happily ever after... Ashleigh wasn't supposed to end up knocked up during her last year of school and so miserably heart broken she couldn't even move.

"You're not, Ash, you could never be your mother," Ollie countered, shaking his head at her. He pulled his fingers gently through her hair, willing her to know it was all going to be alright.

"I know you're scared.. you should be, this is.. it's big, but you couldn't be her if you tried.. and I'm not going to let you do this alone, alright? I'm going to.. I'll be there. We'll find a nice flat and.. we'll do this together, Ash."

Ollie didn't care that this child wasn't his. He didn't are that she'd never love him the way he loved her. He was going to take care of her and her child as if it was her own.

Ashleigh could only shake her head in protest. She was exactly like her mother. Even if she never turned into the bitter woman that had raised her, their situations were suddenly eerily similar. They'd both gotten pregnant during their seventh year at Hogwarts and they'd both lost the greatest love of their life.

This wasn't scary... it was terrifying. She didn't know how to be a mother. She didn't even know how to cook. "I can't do this," she murmured quietly. "I'm not cut out for it."

Somewhere through the haze, she heard his soft reassurances and she looked up at him as if confused. "You can't do that, Ollie," she told him softly. "You're supposed to.. you're supposed to start your own family. I.. I can't take that from you. You're supposed to fall in love, get married, and have children." He was supposed to have all the things she had wanted.

It was stupid but Ashleigh didn't get it. She didn't understand that he loved her as more than a friend. In her mind, he was offering to give up his entire future just so that she wasn't alone. Really, what girl in their right mind would want to start a relationship with a guy who seemingly had a wife and child? He might not have been very career oriented but she couldn't take away his chance at having his own family... and he couldn't deny wanting that.

"You can, Ash.. I promise you can." Ollie knew she could do it. She was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for and there was no way he was letting her go through this alone. It might not seem like it now, but it would work out.

When she insisted that he couldn't ruin his own future for her, he said the first thing that came to mind, without actually thinking of what he was admitting.

"There's only one girl I've ever wanted that kind of things with, Ashleigh, and she's sitting right here."

It was the truth, but he hadn't meant to say it like this or at this moment. He hadn't planned it at all, but he definitely didn't think this was a good time to tell her how he felt. He just was really focused on comforting and reassuring her now and he'd kind of forgotten to watch what he was saying.

He was probably right. It would work out. At some point, she'd pull herself together and she'd make an amazing mother. Right now, though, it felt as if the entire world was crashing down around her shoulders and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Ashleigh's eyes had been locked with his as she tried to convince him that he couldn't give up everything just to help her through her mistake and her eyes were still on his when he tried to reassure her yet again.

"Ollie, I..." she couldn't process what he was saying. It was all too much. Her brain wouldn't wrap around it. He couldn't feel that way about her... she was in love with Ed and she'd just broke it off... Ollie couldn't feel that way about her. "Ollie... I..."

She bit her bottom lip, then, and before she thought about what she was doing, she'd shifted a little and pressed her lips softly to his.

It wasn't a kiss that said she wanted the same things with him. It was a kiss that said she was thankful... and as soon as she pulled out of that kiss, the actual words would be voiced as well.

Ollie wasn't thinking about the reason for the kiss. He was first busy mentally kicking himself for saying what he had and then.. then there were lips. Ashleigh!lips. All Ollie could think about in that moment was how many years he'd dreamed of kissing this girl.

His hand slipped into her hair as he returned it, his lips moving softly against hers at first, but then he couldn't resist deepening it a little bit, running his tongue lightly over her lower lip as his hands tugged her a bit closer.

It was probably wrong, but the moment her lips touched his, Ollie forgot about everything else - everything but how badly he'd wanted this for as long as he could remember.

Ashleigh was certain that her heart had never ached like this before. She wasn't a stranger to emotional pain but nothing had ever hurt like this... her mother hadn't even managed to break her as badly as breaking up with Ed did.

Honestly, she didn't know what had come over her when she had kissed Ollie. She wasn't over Ed. He'd just been saying that he loved her and swearing that he'd stand beside her through this and it had just... seemed right.

Before she realized what was happening, his arms tightened around her and he deepened the kiss. Something inside of her screamed that she should stop, that she wasn't kissing Ed, but she lost herself in the embrace.

Her lips parted slightly as his tongue moved softly over her bottom lip and she pushed her own tongue forward so that it could brush against his.

She was sure to regret it later but, for now, the physical contact between them seemed to lessen the pain.

Ollie was sure to come to his senses soon or he was at least sure to remember himself enough to to let thing go beyond this - kissing her. Kissing Ashleigh was like coming home, though. For all he'd been with other girls, they couldn't even compare to how it felt to do this with her.

His hand was in her hair a he let out a soft groan as her tongue grazed his. Ollie was in Heaven and he didnt even care st the moment if this wasn't anything but solace for her. It felt too brilliant to care and, honestly, he'd happily let her use him if this could help her forget for a moment, help her feel better.

His lips kept moving against hers, keeping up the kiss, but not pushing for more. He'd happily sit here and kiss her all night if he could. Though, he also had a mind to get her up to his room and hold her all night, too. He just wasn't about to stop kissing her long enough to suggest it right this instant.

Ashleigh's heart didn't ache so much when his lips were pressed to hers and she clung to that feeling with both hands.

Unconsciously, she shifted closer and deepened the kiss a little more. The hand that she'd rested against his chest to brace herself moved so that she could slip a little further into his lap.

Just a few more moments of peace and she was sure to come to her senses. A few more seconds and she would put an end to this. If only she could feel like she wasn't dying for a little while longer.

A very small part of Ollie felt guilty, like he might be taking advantage of her right now, but something about the way she seemed to be almost clinging to him, something about the emotions behind it made him feel like it was okay - or maybe that's just what he told himself so he wouldn't feel so guilty.

He shifted to support her a little better when she shifted into his lap and even if it was wrong, Ollie couldn't help really, really enjoying this. He'd dreamed of kissing Ashleigh for far too long to not enjoy doing it now and he couldn't help smiling a little against her lips.

He was definitely more than happy to keep up the kissing for as long as she needed to - as long as she would let him.

Ollie most definitely wasn't taking advantage of her. Ashleigh had been the one to initiate the kiss and she had been the one to deepen it. If anything, she was taking advantage of him.

An innocent kiss of thanks had turned into much more. It was an escape, a way for her to forget her problems, a way for her to feel alive again.

It took a while for her to come to her senses and when she did, she backed out of the kiss slowly. She brushed one more, gentle kiss over his lips before resting her head against his chest again.

She thought briefly of apologizing but decided against it.

Ashleigh was so exhausted that she could hardly think straight but it felt good to be near him and she didn't want to leave that in order to go back up to her bed.

"Thanks, Ollie," she mumbled after a moment.

"Anytime, Ash," he replied quietly, his hand moving gently through her hair as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Ollie loved Ashleigh and... there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, especiaaly something he'd wanted to do for years anyway.

He sat there for a few moments, just holding her before he spoke again. "Have you eaten?" he asked, his tone full of love and worry. "Or slept?" He knew her well enough to suspect it had been awhile since she'd done either and now that he was here, it was his job to take care of these things.

"Yeah... a few days ago."

Ashleigh didn't move as she spoke, she didn't even look up at him.

It was no secret that she hadn't been sleeping well for months but that had only gotten worse since she'd broken up with Ed. Sleep was absolutely impossible without him and, now, she couldn't even find solace in their classroom.

Food felt pointless. She didn't want to eat, most of the time she didn't even want to breathe. She felt broken without him.

Ashleigh should have known that Ollie would never accept an answer like that but, at the moment, she simply didn't have the strength to come up with a good lie. She hadn't slept or eaten for days... but he'd probably would have known that whether she told the truth or not.

Ollie had suspected as much. He was glad to hear her being truthful, especially when he was pretty sure he would have known if she'd lied to him. He liked to know that he knew her well enough for that.

"I know you probably don't want to, but you need to do both," he pushed gently, slipping his free hand into hers and giving a gentle squeeze. "I've got some things in my room, nicked from the kitchens, if you don't feel up to the Great Hall.."

"No!" she protested just a little too adamantly. "Not.. not the Great Hall. I'll eat and I'll try to sleep but I wont go there."

Ashleigh couldn't face him. She couldn't see him. If she did, she'd lose her resolve... she'd crumble to her knees, explain everything, and beg him to forgive her and she couldn't be that selfish. She just had to... she had to avoid him for the rest of the year.

Calming a little, she looked down at the hand that was wrapped around hers. "I just can't see him, Ollie," she explained. "It's too hard. He... I... I can't."

Which is why she hadn't been going to class. If her eyes locked with his, she wouldn't be able to do this. Not to mention, she had to look completely and utterly horrible. She didn't want him to see her this way.

Ollie nodded as soon as she started to speak. He figured she might not want to face the Great Hall right now and he didn't really blame her for that.

"Shhh, it's okay.. you don't have to.." he pulled her back into his arms when she started to sound upset again. "We can go upstairs, okay?" he assured her, pulling back again to let his hand slip back into hers. "We'll get you to food and some rest.. I promise it'll be okay."

Ashleigh nodded her head but she couldn't find it in herself to believe the words he was saying. Without Ed, nothing would ever be okay and, regardless of how silly that sounded, she believed it from the bottom of her heart.

"Okay," she agreed as she finally found the energy to push herself off of the sofa.

She had to eat. She had to sleep. If she couldn't find the will to do these things for herself, she had to force herself to remember the child growing inside of her. Whether she was used to the idea or not, it needed her to do these things in order for it to survive.

Once she was standing she looked back at him. It had been a while since she and Ollie had shared a bed but maybe she'd actually be able to get some sleep if he was holding her.

That's what Ollie was here for, to make sure she took care of herself. The baby just made it more important, but he'd have insisted she do this, anyway.

"C'mon," he prodded softly, helping her up from the couch, smiling gently at her. "I'm pretty sure I've got some cookies up there and we'll make sure you actually get some sleep after we get you fed, okay?"

He slipped an arm around her and started to walk her towards the stairs. The sooner they got up there, the sooner he could take care of her.

Ashleigh didn't really want to move but she slipped her fingers into his and allowed him to pull her away from the sofa. Once his arm had slipped around her shoulders, she leaned into him and mumbled an obedient, "Okay."

Cookies were her favorite food but, at the moment, they couldn't even tempt her. Honestly, the thought of consuming food made her stomach churn. However, the thought of not sleeping alone was enough to make her agree.

"Thanks, Ollie," she murmured softly as they made their way up the stairs.

"Anytime, Ash," he returned softly, pulling her close as he led her up to the boys' dorms. He let them into his room once they got up there, pulling her over to his bed.

"Cookies or sleep?" he asked as he said on the bed, tugging her with him. He'd be fine with letting her do either, so long as one of those two things happened.

As stated, Ashleigh and Ollie had shared a bed on more than one occasion but it had been months since they'd had the opportunity. She would deny that she'd stopped such activities because she'd had a boyfriend but that was exactly what had happened. As soon as things had turned serious between she and Ed, she'd felt almost guilty for sleeping next to Ollie. It was truly innocent but a part of her had been sure that Ed wouldn't have approved and, really, she had always been a little afraid of making him angry with her.

She hesitated slightly before finally lowering herself onto the bed beside him. Was she going to be like this forever? Years from now would she still have to remind herself that she no longer belonged to Ed?

"Sleep," she decided. "I promise that I'll eat if I can only get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep."

A large part of her still wanted to run to their empty classroom every time something bothered her. That was one habit she was going to have a hard time breaking.

Ollie nodded and crawled into the bed, sliding over to make room for her, pulling her into his arm as soon as she followed.

He pressed kisses to her cheeks and forehead, stroked his fingers through her hair, basically tried to do whatever he could to comfort her and help her to relax.

As soon as Ashleigh had slipped into his side, she closed her eyes and began willing herself to sleep. Something inside of her said that she just needed a few hours of sleep but something else told her that that wouldn't even help.

She couldn't stop herself from sighing softly when his lips began brushing softly over her forehead and cheeks. She'd never admit to doing it but, with her eyes closed like this, she could pretend that the arms wrapped around her belonged to Ed.

It took several moments but, after a bit, she found herself drifting off to sleep. "I love you," she murmured, still lost in her imaginary world where she was still able to curl up next to Ed when she was upset.

"I love you, Ash," Ollie whispered the words back. He hadn't though about her words not being directed at him. He knew she didn't mean them the way he did, but she was his best friend - he expected she did love him in some way, even if it wasn't how he wanted her to.

He fell silent, then, wanting her to actually get to sleep. They could talk later, after she'd rested for awhile. Right now, he getting some rest was the most important thing.

Oh, hey, look, it's a timeline...

2010-12-24T18:40:29Z

2005-2006 -

More or less NP canon. Ashed get together. Dari and Jeremy fool around until he gets serious with Nic. She leaves, they go back to normal until Nic comes back. ~~Simon worships Dari from afar.~~ Timeline for Ashed/Ollie goes AU when Ashleigh discovers she's pregnant and breaks up with Ed out of a desire to not ruin his future. She tells Ollie and Dari the truth and shortly after graduation, Ollie and Ashleigh get a flat together in London where they will raise her son when he arrives. DJ timeline goes AU when Dari does NOT get knocked up.

The train ride home is a lonely one for Dari without Jeremy or Ash to keep her company. Jeremy is occupied with Nic and Ashleigh is getting some much needed cuddles from Ollie. She gets a little company in the form of Simon, though, completely unaware that Jeremy has come looking for her in the meantime.

2006-2007 -

Dari returns to Hogwarts without her two best friends, still dealing with losing her father and her feelings for Jeremy. She got herself a flat in London near Ashleigh and Ollie's over the summer and spent the summer focusing on her internship at the Ministry, seeing Jeremy when she could, but not nearly often enough and stopping by frequently to spend time with Ashleigh and help her get ready for the baby.

Simon takes advantage of a chance to spend more time with Dari, who he has always cared for. Dari welcomes the company and while she tries to keep things casual the pair grows closer. Meanwhile, Ash and Ollie continue preparing for the baby while Ed buries himself in work, focusing on Auror training. Jeremy and Nic grow even closer, their relationship growing more serious and she spends more and more nights at his flat. Sometime during the year, though, Nic ends things with Jeremy (or vice versa?) and he finds himself looking forward to seeing Dari over holidays more than ever.... At least, until she comes off the Hogwarts Express holding Simon's hand.

Realizing just how deep his feelings for Dari run, Jeremy does a bit of traveling upon his father's suggestion that he get away for awhile. He takes off to see the world AKA to lose himself in alcohol and random girls. Missing her best friend terribly, especially when he won't return her letters, Dari finds herself growing even closer to Simon.

In the spring of 2007, Ashleigh gives birth to a beautiful baby boy who she names Bran after his father. Ollie takes to Bran like he's his own and it's about a month or two after the boy's birth when he and Ashleigh make love for the first time. A few weeks later, Ashleigh tells him that she's fallen in love with him.

Meanwhile, Jeremy has bumped into Kaylea at a pub in Ireland. He's instantly smitten with her innocence and beauty and it doesn't take him long to charm her into his bed. He spends a little more time in Ireland than planned, but eventually moves on to the next stop in his travels, promising to write, but he never does.

Dari graduates from Hogwarts and is offered a job in the Unspeakables office, which she happily takes. Training begins in September, a few weeks away, and she settles in for a lazy summer of visiting Ash and Bran and spending time with Simon. She still misses Jeremy like mad, she's still writing him almost every day, even if half of her letters never get sent, but Simon and Ashleigh offer her a good distraction and she tries not to dwell while simultaneously wishing he'd come home or at least write her.

When Kaylea ends up pregnant and almost disowned by her very old-fashioned Muggle family, she spends the next few months tracking Jeremy down. It takes her some time, but she finally locates him. Or, rather, his parents. Richard is pissed, of course, and immediately sends Jeremy a Howler demanding he come home. Jeremy, terrified of what could cause his father to send him a Howler goes to Dari, hoping for either answers or moral support. Dari readily accompanies him to the Pitt residence where they both learn of Kaylea's condition. Later, Jeremy takes Kaylea back to his flat and gets her settled in. Once she's settled, he meets up with Dari for a night out so they can have some fun and blow off some steam after a stressful day.

And this is where our story leaves off or rather where it picks up... Jeremy has moved Kaylea temporarily into his flat until they can find a larger place, Dari is trying desperately not to let Simon see just how much her heart is breaking over Jeremy fathering someone else's child, Ashleigh and Ollie are nearly delirious with happiness... but what will happen when Ashleigh unexpectedly bumps into Ed while she's out with Bran? Will Dari and Jeremy really be able to keep their hands off of one another now that he's expecting a child with someone else?

There are no happy endings here.