Through Fire and Ice:
Fifth Year
Chapter One:
The train station was packed as I wandered through the crowds of King's Cross station, I could already see the barrier between Platform 9 and Platform 10, my gateway to Platform 9 and ¾. Glancing at my watch I was happy to see that I had a little over forty- five minutes to get to where I wanted to be on the Train. Draco had told me to meet him in our usual compartment towards the middle of the train away from the Gryffindors. Readjusting my grip on the trolley I glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then casually walked towards the brick wall and through the barrier.
Familiar sights and sounds greeted me on the other side, laughter, chatter, the same sounds as in the regular station but in front of me lay the Hogwarts Express, gleaming in the sunlight streaming down on the black and red paint. Families were clustered everywhere, I glanced around searching for classmates that I hadn't seen over the past few months as I headed for the train. I spotted several clusters of Gryffindors who turned up their noses in disgust when I walked by, but other than that most of the students still on the platform were First years who had just gotten to the train early.
"Zambini!" Glancing up I spotted Pansy Parkinson sticking her head out the window a few compartments down, "you coming or what?" she teased waving at me.
"Hey Pansy, how was your summer?" I called making my way towards her.
"The usual, didn't do much. Spent lots of time at the Malfoy's with Mum," she replied as I stopped by the window she was looking out of.
"Sounds like an amazing summer," I laughed picking up my trunk and setting it on the just inside the door to get on the train. Peanut, my brown and white barn owl, hooted frustrated at being left on the trolley by himself. I turned around grabbed his cage and kicked the trolley away from the train as I stepped through the doors.
Pansy had dragged my trunk into the compartment and was sitting by the window reading Witch Weekly. I lifted up the trunk and placed it on the rack overhead giving us more room while setting Peanuts cage on the end of my seat. Draco still wasn't here but that didn't surprise me considering that he always seemed to just barely make the train. I sat down opposite of pansy stretching my legs out on the seat and closing my eyes.
I always felt so at ease whenever I got on the train, something about going back to Hogwarts always made me feel better. It had been a hectic summer with the Dark Lord back, not a ton of attacks but definitely more than we were used to. The Order was flailing about trying to figure out what he was up to and who he was working with but to no avail, our main goal was not to freak out Draco so maybe he wouldn't be so worked up this year. Pansy and I had written but never said where we were if we weren't with him; the Order didn't want him to know what was going on. Not yet at least, he was still torn up about Cedric Diggory's death. He still swore to his story that Harry Potter did it that was where we were a bit shaky. Why on earth would Potter kill someone? Sure he was a pain in the butt but he wasn't a killer everyone knew that.
There were theories of course that Potter was working with the Dark Lord but nothing was confirmed. He and his two cronies seemed to just be regular people, but in Draco's mind that was more than enough reason to worry.
The compartment door slid open and I glanced up to see Draco standing in front of us, he was thinner than usual and his face was a mixed expression of anger and betrayal. Pansy looked at Draco and then and me and back to him before closing her magazine and standing up.
"Draco…are you ok?" she asked taking a tentative step towards him.
"Don't come near me. Either of you," he hissed a little venomously.
"What's going on, mate?" I asked standing up next to Pansy. Draco swung his trunk up next to mine and stepped into the compartment slamming the door behind him and pulling the curtain.
"Muffilato," he whispered, "How long have you known?"
"Known what?" Pansy asked stepping closer to me, nervousness rolling off her like water rolls off a stone.
"Known what?" Draco mimicked, "You know perfectly well what. What the bloody hell is the Order? Is that where you were all summer Blaise? Working with the order to help stop the Dark Lord? That won't do anything, nothing will change!" he yelled.
"Mate, come on. You're overreacting," I said sitting down again.
"Overreacting! How am I overreacting? Is it because I didn't get one clear letter on what you were up to this summer. Or what my girlfriend and my best friend were doing together for over a month. Is that overreacting?" Draco hissed.
"Yeah, it is. You're acting like a little kid and frankly I'm not gonna tell you anything until you calm down. So sit down and shut up or calm down. Got it?" I replied motion to Pansy to sit which she did. Draco glared at me but sat down, Pansy pulled out her magazine and started reading again. Pulling out my wand I aim it at the compartment door.
"Sonorus," I muttered allowing the noise from outside world to come back in, I flicked up the shade and went back to staring out the window. The whistle blew and I glanced at my watch ten-fifty, I closed my eyes again and tried to ignore the penetrating gaze that I could feel on my face from Draco.
"I'm calm," he said, the underlying tone of frustration in his voice.
"Oh yea, nothing like bitter resentment and frustration to make me want to pour my soul out to you," I replied sarcasm dripping from my words like rain drops from a tree.
"You know Blaise-"
"Stop it! Stop it right now! God, listen to yourselves. Blaise, you've become just as paranoid as you know what. And Draco we are your best friends you know we wouldn't keep anything from you unless we absolutely had to. Now I'm gonna say this once so hear me well. There is nothing going on between me and Blaise. There never was and there never will be so long as you allow me to stay with you so stop trying to play that card," Pansy said exasperated, "I swear you two are worse than my brother and me." Draco stared at her shocked but I turned my attention back to the window facing the platform, the whistle went off again and slowly the train started to move. It sped up slowly till the scenery was flashing past my eyes and I could no longer focus on anything substantial.
Draco was sitting in silence while Pansy continued to read her tabloid. I stood up stretching my back and reached towards my trunk popping up the latches and digging around for something to read while the train traveled.
"I'm sorry," Draco whispered, I turned around book in hand and gave him a slight smile.
"It's ok mate. Tensions are high, just don't jump to conclusions and I'll try not to be so hard on you," I replied. I saw Pansy smile into her tabloid as I sat back down flipping open my book and starting to read.
About three hours passed without incident, Pansy and I had still avoided telling Draco about the Order. Now was not the time, when things settled down and we got back into the routine of school we would explain it to him but for now things were going to stay like they were. Draco had fallen asleep his head on Pansy's lap as she read, I decided I needed some air. I stood up and motioned to Pansy that I was going out, she nodded and I slipped out through the compartment door.
The compartment hallway was very empty considering how long we had been on the train. I knew we were almost to school so I planned to just walk the length of the train and then return to the compartment. I started towards the far end where the Gryffindors sat planning to turn around before I got all the way to the compartments.
Lost in thought I wandered the hallways waving at friends as I passed them in their compartments I had lost track of where I was when I realized I was in the Gryffindor area. I knew they wouldn't care unless I ran into Potter and his friends, then I would have a full fight at hand. I turned around and slammed into someone knocking them to the floor.
"I am so sorry," I said hastily bending down to help them pick up what they had dropped.
"Don't worry about it," a musical voice replied. I glanced up from the books I was picking up into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. They were as blue as the ocean and shone like a diamond. "No harm no foul."
"Still, I should have been watching where I was going," I replied standing up. She had long blonde hair with a random pink stripe that ran down the right side of her face. She was average height, but very slim, and had an amazing figure.
"You looked deep in thought," she said, breaking my trance at her beauty.
"More panic. Slytherin being in the Gryffindor area," I said with a half smile.
"Ah, I knew you looked familiar from classes but I didn't think you were in my house," the girl said adjusting the books she was carrying.
"I believe this is yours," I said holding out the book to her.
"Thanks," as she took it I glanced at the title.
"Stephen King fan huh?" I said, she blushed.
"My dad reads them a lot so I started one this summer his way of writing is impeccable," she said.
"I'm more of a Dean Koontz fan myself. But I will not deny that King has a way with words," I said.
"A Pureblood who reads muggle books, who are you?" She teased.
"Blaise Zambini. Pureblood by…blood I guess, but muggle by heart," I joked.
"Rosalie Hawthorne," She said holding out her hand to me and I shook it.
"Pleasure to meet you," I said.
"The pleasure is mine," She glanced down the hall hesitantly, "I'm not trying to be rude but I-"
"Rose! Hurry up!" I turned to see Potter glaring down the hall at us.
"Go…" Rose said disappointedly.
"Ah, Potter's got you on the leash," I said, with a slightly bitter edge.
"No, not exactly. More my best friend which drags me into it," she said.
"Well I'll let you get back then," I said starting to move past her.
"Hey Blaise?" she called.
"I know that I'm a Gryffindor and all but you seem…different than other Slytherins I know," she said.
"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied.
"It is. But maybe this is stupid but do you think you could loan me one of Koontz's books? I mean I've wanted to read him but never had the time." I smiled involuntarily, and glanced back at her.
"Definitely. When do you want it?" I asked.
"We must have a class together, being Fifth years and all. Just give it to me there," she smiled. Nodding I turned away again, "Nice meeting you," she called. Turning I smiled and waved back at her as she disappeared into a compartment.
Nice meeting you too. Maybe this year won't be so bad.