Dealings in the dark night
Hermione Granger shivered and drew her cloak tighter around herself. She sighed, watching her breath frost in the frigid air. Gazing out the window beside her she watched the rain hammer the forsaken landscape around her shelter, wishing she was anywhere but here. It was nearly Christmas, she should be with Ron and Ginny at the burrow. But instead she sat in a falling down house, waiting. She glanced down at Harry who lay curled up and asleep at her side. He shouldn't be here, he had already done so much for the Wizarding world, and yet here he was, freezing and tired, on yet another mission for the order.
Hermione sighed. She knew they were needed, their informant refused to work with the adults from the order, or any of the Weasley's. But she just wished it could have been at a different time, a warmer and drier time. She shivered again, and glanced back down at Harry. His face was pale with cold and his lips tinged in blue. She felt his cloak, which he used as a blanket, and realized the heat charm on it had long since worn off. She cast another on it, making a mental reminder to cast it again in a few hours. She watched with satisfaction as colour flowed into his face, the blue fading away.
A movement from across the room drew her attention, and she glanced up at her and Harry's partner in this mission. Blaise Zabini had come forward, with information about the location of a Death Eater. He informed the Order that he could lead them to Mr. Nott, a high ranking Death Eater. He had only two requests, one was that he went with the team to bring in Nott. The second was that the team was composed of Harry and Hermione and did not include any Weasley's. The Order had agreed, and so that was how Hermione found herself in the freezing cold, in a broken down, abandoned shack, two weeks before Christmas.
Getting to her feet she picked her way across the rubble strewn floor to Zabini's side, sitting next to him silently. He said nothing, continuing to stare out at the frozen landscape, as was his job for the next two hours.
"You should be asleep." He murmured suddenly.
"I know. But it is hard to sleep when it is so cold." She did not look at him, her eyes scanning the landscape for potential threats.
He nodded and flicked his wand. Suddenly a wall of heat rushed over her, wrapping her in its comforting embrace.
"What spell is that?" She questioned, observing the invisible bubble of heat that they now resided in.
"It is an enlarged version of the BubbleHead charm, only instead of keeping in oxygen it has been altered to keep in heat." His Italian lit sent shivers down her spine, which she fought to hide. His voice had always affected her, even when they were in school.
"I see. That's rather ingenious." She allowed, quietly.
"Thank you."
They sat in silence again, eyes scanning constantly for any sign of threat. An ice infested wind forced its way in the window, ripping through the bubble of heat. Hermione shuddered uncontrollably and Blaise glanced at her with concern. She was thin, after a year on the run, and susceptible to cold. He wriggled closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing his cloak over her shoulders. She hesitated and then laid her head on his chest, taking comfort in his embrace as well as the warmth.
They sat like that waiting for the time to pass so they could get the mission over with and go home. Presently she became aware of slight shivers running through Blaise's body, every now and then. She blinked in surprise and shimmied closer, wrapping her arms around him. He glanced down at her in surprise and she smiled up at him.
"Hermione?"
"Yea?"
"I-" He cleared his throat. "I know it's late and I know you're weary."
He paused and she gazed up at him.
"Look Hermione, I know you're plans in life don't include me."
She stared at him in confusion, wondering where this was going.
"Still. Here we are, both of us lonely longing for shelter from all that we see." He gestured at the war torn landscape outside.
She stared at him in shock glancing back at Harry's sleeping form. "I, I don't-" She stuttered.
"Why should we worry?" Blaise brushed her hair back from her face. "No one will care girl. Look at the stairs." He glanced up at the sky. "So far away, they are the only ones who would see, do you think they would judge us."
Hermione gulped, "Blaise, are you propositioning me?"
He smiled at her, his sly grin sending a shiver through her that had nothing to do with the cold.
"We've got tonight, who need's tomorrow." He leaned closer to her. "We've got tonight, babe, why don't you stay."
Hermione closed her mouth and surveyed him, thinking. 'Deep down in my soul I know I've been lonely. All of my hopes, of love and a family, they've been fading away for awhile now. I've longed for love, like everyone else does. But this isn't it; I know I'll keep searching after today.'
"So there it is, girl." Blaise whispered. "I've said it all now. I know it's a bit sudden but here we are, what do you say?"
Hermione shock her head, standing up, "I'm sorry, I can't."
She rushed back to her place next to Harry, lying down and deciding to sleep until it was her turn to take the watch shift, yet sleep eluded her and thoughts of Blaise swum in its place. An hour later she was still awake and she had to get back up and take her shift.
With a sigh she stood, making her way over to Blaise's invisible bubble. She tried not to let her instant relief show as the heat enveloped her. She moved closer to the silent Italian, wondering if he was angry at her or if he had just been messing with her.
He glanced up as she sat before gazing back outside.
"Hermione."
"Blaise, it's my shift now. You can go sleep."
He glanced at her, "I'm not tired yet. I think I'll sit up with you for a while."
She shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to let her nervousness show. She shifted uncomfortably before settling again. Sneaking a glance at Blaise she wondered again what his real motive could have been. Surely he didn't actually want her. Did he?
"Listen Blaise." She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Your right we've got tonight, who needs tomorrow, we don't even know if we will live tomorrow." She leaned closer. "We've got tonight babe, what do you say?"
He shook his head, "You don't have to do this for me. It's late, you're tired. And I know your plans don't include me, and never will."
She smiled softly at him, "Yet here we are, both of us lonely."
"We've got tonight." He answered shifting closer and cupping her face with his hand. "Who needs tomorrow.
"Let's make tonight last." She whispered leaning against him.
He kissed her softly. "Turn out the light." He whispered and she waved her wand, banishing the glowing orb.
He pushed her down gently and Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against him. And for the first time in a long while, Hermione felt like she was exactly where she wanted to be.
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And that's it. Just a song fic. Song is We got tonight, by Kenny Rogers. I couldn't resist making it a Blaise/Hermione they are just so good together. Thanks guys, please Review.
Jade Wildcat.
