Love comes in the strangest ways....

Ashley was walking down the streets of Diagon Alley, walking from shop to shop not really buying anything. All her so called friends where busy or with other friends. So she was bored and out looking around with a pocket full of money. She looked to the sky for a second while her blue and black striped shirt and black skirt fluttered with the wind. She looked down at the ground then continued walking, hearing her fake wooden high heeled flip flops scrap the ground as she walked.

Ahead of her was a shop called Florish and Blotts. She hadn't really been in it, but she knew that alot of kids went there. So she sat on a bench in front of it watching all the kids having fun and looking at things. She would have given almost anything to be just like those other kids. She didn't know why all the other boys and girls didn't like her. She acted like them, or atleast she thought. Went to the same school, even had the same classes as some. But still she was treated like an outsider.

Anti was walking down the street, while Varod slept. Smiling to himself, he remembered how tired the guy had been, First hanging with Aurora, then the bunker with Sammy...they put the deed to a house down and V went straight to sleep. His black cargo pants were slightly ruffled, making them look baggy. The black tee shirt and black sneakers, combined with his silver hair and red eyes, made him look positively emo.

As he sat down on a bench outside Flourish and Blotts, he couldn't help but notice the pretty girl next to him.

"Hia," he said, smiling at her.

Not many things scared Ashley, but she was stairing at the kids in the store so closely that she didn't even hear someone come and sit next to her. She jumped then fell off the bench like a stupid first year. "Oh my god you...." Ashley said but just couldn't get the scared part out. Living with all guys it was hard for her to admit things. She stood back up and sat back down on the bench. "Um...hi." She said to him noticing his almost perfect emo apperance. She smiled at him then looked down at the ground. Two seconds later a couple of boys came out of the store quickly hiting her elbow with the door. "Owch." She said holding her elbow. The boys turned around and laughed then turned back around and continued walking.

Anti stood up.

"You two!" he shouted angrily. The two boys stopped and turned. They laughed at his appearance, but the look on his face shut them up. "What did she do to you?"

"She uh...she doesn't fit in!" one said, trying to think of something.

In an instant, Anti had both of them by their throats.

"If you ever disrespect her ever again I will rip your heads off and feed you're lower half to a crocodile!"

With a flick of his wrists, the two boys were on the ground in a heap, groaning. He sat back down next to the girl.

"I'm Anti, what's your name?"

At first she wanted to run into a corner and cry. But as she heard the guy beside her defending her she had to look up and see why. What she saw scared her alittle bit, but then she realized that he was doing this for her. But what would make any guy want to do something like that for her? It wasn't like she was gorgous or anything. Maybe he just doesn't like guys disrespecting a girl. She smiled at him as he sat back down. His name confused her, how can anyone be called Anti? "Um...Ashley, Ashley Paul. I'm sorry but Anti? Is that a nickname?" Ashley asked him with confusion on her face. She really wasn't trying to be rude she was just confused.

Anti scratched his head. Explaining that would take all day.

"Okay, long story short: I am a guy's split personality and that's why I look so weird," he began. "So he called me Anti and it stuck. Been my name ever since."

A grin played across his face.

"My name's weird? Your name's Ashley PAUL, how is that not weird?" he asked playfully, pushing her lightly.

"So, do I get to go on a date with you? You know, I did just handle that for you...just kidding. Seriously, you wanna go out?"

Ashley staired at him like he was crazy. But when he said that he wanted to go out with her, she thought that that was more crazy then the split personality thing. She blinked twice then started laughing. "Wait a minute.....You....want to go out with.....me?" Ashley said pausing for his answer. What guy in there right mind would want to go out with a horribly ugly girl like her. He must be crazy, but what chance did she have at another guy asking her out. So she looked at the ground for a second then looked back up at him. "Ok...sure....why not." She said looking back at the ground.

"Of course I do, you're nice," Anti said with a grin. "Sweet! How about now? I've got a lot of money to blow."

The night before he had done the vigilantying thing last night while Varod was napping. A grin played across his face. It had been a wizard criminal with lots and lots of wizard money on him.

"Where do you wanna go? We could buy some brooms and head to a different place if you wanted."

It was odd how he seemed to like her. He had only just meet her and it wasn't like she was very pretty. But it would be nice to get to know someone, and who knows maybe something good will happen between them. She smiled, then looked back up at him. "Um....sure, I guess. But where would we go? We only just meet and all so it should be somewhere populated. I don't know you yet." Ashley said smiling and looking back down at the ground. She had no idea why she was acting so different. Usually when it came to most guys she would try them like she was one of the guys. Haveing somemany brothers made it easy to understand them. It was girls that she didn't understand, including herself.

Anti shrugged.

"I understand that," he said chuckling. "We could go and grab a butterbeer somewhere? Or I could take you to..hm...where could we go? Where do you like to hang out on most days?"

Fanning himself, he added "hot isn't it?"

Slowly, Anti slipped his hand into her's.