"Blaise, get down!" Hermione screamed as a curse flew past her head. This had been the first Hogsmeade trip in quite a while because of the Death Eater activity.
Hermione and Blaise as the Head Boy and Girl were able to sway Professor McGonagall to let them have one weekend after the general activity went down. The Death Eaters had been quiet for a month before they'd been able to convince her to allow a trip. Luckily, she had only allowed fifth year students and up rather than the normal third years and up rule. Then, she'd thought McGonagall was just being anal retentive. However, now Hermione was relieved that McGonagall had been so strict. Several students were dead already and some of them were her friends, or at least acquaintances.
Hermione watched as Blaise dropped to the ground. The killing curse sailed over his head and crashed into a wall, crushing a portion of the stone through creating a hole. She rushed toward him, and ended up having to jump the last few feet to avoid another curse from a masked figure.
"Hermione, you need to get back to the school." Blaise said, panting to catch his breath. Hermione felt a jolt go through her body as their eyes connected. The sheer intensity of his stare stunned her. The last time she'd seen such intensity was when they'd first seen each other in the Heads dorm.
####
Hermione stood at the portrait of the Heads dormitory. She had been waiting for her seventh year for this moment, the moment when she would be able to take the first step into the Common room of the Head Boy and Girl. This was what she'd worked toward for all those years and her achievements had been acknowledged. Brimming with pride she said the password and took her first step into the Common Room.
It was perfect. From the plush furniture to the fluffy area carpets to the large fireplace. This was going to be her study spot for the year. She had to get cracking on studying for the NEWT's. She rushed to a scarlet colored couch and flung herself down on her back. She giggled in delight and sat up smiling. That was when the portrait opened to admit the Head Boy. All of a sudden her giggles disappear as did her smile. Her body felt cold as she remembered who the Head Boy was.
Blaise Zabini walked through the portrait hole silently. He glanced at her and then walked past her toward the stairs that led to his room. Zabini had always been quiet for a Slytherin, especially for one of Malfoys friends. They tended to flaunt their pure blood and wealthy all over the castle. But Hermione hadn't even noticed Zabini's existence before he was announced as Head Boy. She knew he had to be smart, and he had to of exhibited some characteristic that McGonagall had recognized and raised him Head Boy for. Hermione's spirits sank a bit further. How was she going to work with him? She didn't know anything about him. Maybe she just needed to take the initiative and be the first to talk.
"Zabini, wait up." She said hesitantly as she took a few steps toward him. He stopped at the foot of the stairs but didn't turn around. "I, er, I just thought we should start off on the right foot since we'll be working together." She murmured awkwardly. He could have at least turned around to face her while she talked to him. Maybe he wasn't any different from Malfoy aside from being quiet.
Silence. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Zabini slowly turned around and Hermione quite suddenly noticed how much taller he was than her. He towered at least a foot over her. She did some quick math in her head and reasoned out that he was around 6'4". Why she was thinking about it, didn't know. Maybe it was to distract herself from the intensity of his stare. His softly tanned skin stood out with his dark brown hair just long enough to be considered 'shaggy' and his ice blue eyes. The piercing stare he had her fixed with was enough to stop her attempt at speaking. What was the look in his eyes? It didn't look like hatred which was strange for Hermione considering he was in Slytherin and they generally didn't like Muggleborns, especially Muggleborns who had surpassed them in academics. But the look in his eyes seemed for… considering. It was like he was sizing her up. She felt herself subconsciously stand up straighter and she fixed him with a stare of her own.
"I don't like you." He said simply after a moment. She was surprised by his Italian accent, though she knew she shouldn't have been since he was obviously at least half Italian. "I don't hate you, but I don't like you and I'm not happy that I have to work with you."
Hermione stumbled over her words which resulted in nothing being uttered. All she could do was stare. His presence overwhelmed her so completely that she couldn't believe she'd never noticed him. He was just so… big!
"I'm not like Malfoy and his gang, I don't dislike you because of blood based prejudice. Though it is obviously proven false with how competent you are. However, I can't stand your incessant need to flaunt your supposed superiority all over this castle. I can't help but wonder if you've ever considered that you might not be the smartest, just the one who is the most eager to roll her brains all over every person she comes in contact with."
He continued in the same bored tone as though he weren't insulting her at all, but rather commenting on the décor of the room. Hermione felt her face begin to heat, though she wasn't quite sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. She did not roll her brains about! She decided it was anger.
"Excuse me Zabini, but I don't appreciate being spoken to in that fashion." Hermione chided, finally managing to cough up her tongue. "You can think whatever you want of me, but you don't need to insult me. I don't have to stand her and listen to that. I was just trying to get us started on the right foot and you had to go on about what you dislike about me. And I do not roll my brains around-" Hermione stopped mid sentence as Zabini turned around and started walking up the stairs without a word. "Excuse me, but I was talking to you. Are you always this rude?" She burned with anger at the sheer audacity.
"I was just being honest, if you don't like it then I'll leave. I honestly don't care if you get angry because as I mentioned before, I don't happen to like you." He said, still climbing the stairs. He opened the door to his dormitory and walked in, leaving Hermione alone to silently seethe.
####
Hermione actually managed a small smile at the memory. She'd been to upset she hadn't been able to study that day. All she'd been able to do was think about what she should have said.
"Hermione!" Blaise rasped as he coughed through the dust that had gathered from the fallen buildings. "Are you listening to me?" She felt like her legs would give out from under her if she tried to stand up. Leave him? Was he crazy?
"Blaise you know I won't leave you." Hermione said, taking his face in her hands. She was suddenly even more grateful for the protection of the fallen building they were hiding behind. No one could see them, and it seemed they'd been forgotten for the moment.
"You saved me before Hermione, it's time for me to return the favor." He said, taking her face in his large hands like she had his. "Please." He pulled her forward and kissed her gently.
Stupid sense of honor. That was one thing he definitely did not have a shortage of. Honor. So stupid. Just because she'd saved him, he was trying to sacrifice himself.
####
Hermione walked silently beside Zabini as they trudged across the grounds. They had been sent on a special errand by the Headmistress to get something from the Forbidden Forest. Normally students were prohibited from going near the forest because of the wide variety of magical creatures ranging from harmless to deadly. Under different circumstances McGonagall would have sent Hagrid, but he was gone on Order business. She knew that Hermione had been in the woods before. That combined with her competence with a wand got her the job. But, the issue of safety in numbers had Zabini walking with her, and he didn't seem at all happy about it.
"Sorry you have to come out here with me." Hermione muttered. She felt incredibly awkward being alone with him since that first day in the Common Room. But all she got in return was a grunt. The guy just was not talkative. Now she understood why she'd never noticed him.
After several minutes they arrived at the edge of the forbidden forest. Hermione took the lead since she knew where she was going ad Zabini didn't. They were looking for the hair of a Unicorn for reasons that weren't shared with them. McGonagall said that all they needed to know was that she needed it and it was their job to find it. Unicorns were hard to catch, but she wouldn't be so harsh as to try to catch one and yank its hair out anyway. No, sometimes you could find unicorn hair caught in the bushes.
They trekked through the forest for a while and it was unusually quiet. Only a few scurrying noises every once in a while. Hermione was beginning to get a strange feeling of foreboding when she heard Zabini's heavy footsteps stop. She turned around to tell him that he needed to keep up or he would get lost and was met by the sight of… No Zabini. Her blood turned to ice in her veins as she tried to think of what could have happened to him. He could be dead already. Darn Professor McGonagall, and darn herself for consenting to going! She pulled her wand out and used a quick locator spell.
The locator spell told her that he was right above her. She looked up an saw a web with a lone acromantula in it. Blaise had been bitten with numbing venom that kept him immobile and unable to speak. But she could see his eyes staring down at her and this time that intense stare was genuinely frightened. Did he think she would just leave him here? She wracked her brain for a spell to use against acromantula's and in the time it took her to think of something, the acromantula was coming after her. She had only moments before it would be upon her.
"Immobulus!" She shrieked, pointing her wand at the giant spider. It stopped dead in it's tracks, and stared at her with all of it's eyes. The sight creeped her out but she knew she needed to get Zabini out of here before more of them came. "Wingardium Leviosa." She used a simple levitating charm to get Zabini off the web and down to the ground. She quickly realized that she would have to levitate him out fo the forest completely because of the venom. He needed to get to the hospital wing before the venom spread too much and stopped his heart. "Hang in there Zabini, I'll get you out of here."
She avoided his looking at his face as much as she could. After an awkward moment she heard scurrying of thousands of legs and she knew that the spiders were coming. She hurried out of the forest and made it up to the hospital wing in time for Zabini to be healed. She went to see him in the hospital wing, but didn't say anything.
"Thank you." Zabini said quietly. "Not a lot of people would have stuck around after seeing an acromantula." She simply nodded, not sure what to say. When she saw him afterwards he looked at her completely different. She no longer felt cold when he stared at her.
####
Hermione kissed Blaise back fervently, hoping he would forget that she was supposed to be leaving. He cut it off short though, pulling away from her. "Go, Hermione."
"You know I can't leave you-" She was cut off early as a curse it the wall they were hiding behind. It shook and rubble fell, but the wall stood.
"Do you remember what I told you when I confessed my feelings for you?" He asked, his expression lightening a bit at the thought. She nodded. Of course she remembered. How could she forget?
####
"Granger," Zabini stopped Hermione before she made it out of the Common Room for breakfast. "Can I talk to you?"
Hermione stopped and turned toward him, her heart began to race. He never stopped her to talk. Maybe it was about something important. She hoped it wasn't though. Over the past couple of months she had grown to like him. She knew things about him that he probably had no idea about. His habits, his likes and dislikes. She liked the way he only spoke when there was something of substance to say. Ever since the forbidden forest, she'd felt more comfortable around him. Something about the near death experience seemed to bring them together. "Sure, what do you need to talk about?" she asked, moving to sit on the couch.
Zabini followed her and sat beside her. That was new too, and it sent her heart pounding even faster. She just knew her face was turning red. She could feel the heat and she cursed herself for it.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his smooth voice asking how she was sent shivers down her spine. When she glanced up at him, he actually looked concerned. She quickly lowered her gaze back to her knees.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine. What did you need to talk about?" She cursed herself again for speeding up and sounding like a bloody second year getting caught breaking the rules.
"Can you look at me? I know you like people looking at you when you talk to them." She could practically hear the smirk on his face. She turned to give him a retort when she saw. There was no smirk, no condescending look on his face. Just a soft smile that she had never seen on his face before. Goosebumps appeared on her arms. "That's better." His smile deepened slightly, and his gaze was soft.
"Ah, what did you need?" She stuttered stupidly.
"I don't need anything per se, just needed to get something off of my chest so to speak." He replied in that smooth tone. "I like you. I know I said at the beginning of the year I told you disliked you, but as time has gone on my eyes have opened. I realized that you aren't the obnoxious know-it-all I thought you were." He stopped talking and just looked at her in that special way he had that made her feel like he was looking into her soul. Then he leaned forward and kissed her square on the mouth.
His hands moved, one to the back of her head and the other to the small of her back. He pulled her closer and she started responding. Over the initial shock, she became as exuberant and exploratory as him. She pulled away from the kiss just long enough to say, "I like you, too." His eyes shone and he pulled her back to him. She pulled him on top of her as she lay on her back on the soft couch. He was a man of few words, but his physical expression left nothing to be desired. The heat of his lips seemed to sear hers with desire, blinding her mind with his passion. How could she have ever thought of him as scary? She had never felt safer than she did now in his arms.
After some amount of time, Hermione had lost track of time, they finally pulled apart. Well, more like Zabini pulled away. She wasn't quite sure why he did, but she felt a sense of loss when he moved away. They were both breathing heavy as they sat up and straightened their clothes.
"I'm sorry," Zabini said softly. "I just didn't want to go too far. I've never really…" He trailed off seemingly embarrassed.
"Oh, neither have I," Hermione said, smiling. "I was a bit nervous. I'm glad one of us has some self restraint."
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, suddenly sounding as meek as a lamb as though he were expecting her to reject him. Why in the world would she reject him?
"Of course!" She said, kissing him again. "You have no idea how much I've fantasized of this-" She cut off abruptly, her face once again ablaze. Why in the world had she said that?
Zabini seemed to think he was funny and laughed. That was the first time she'd ever seen him openly laugh. "Wow, that's a relief. I have a request if that's all right."
"Go ahead," Hermione said, she felt so light she was afraid she would float away.
"Call me Blaise." He said huskily. "And… Can I call you Hermione?"
Hermione shivered at the sound of his voice and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak without squeaking.
"Hermione," He said, testing her name out. "That feels so much better than just Granger." He smiled openly at her once more and her heart melted.
"I'm glad, Blaise." She grinned like the Cheshire cat just from saying his name. She really loved his name.
He stood up, and held a hand out to help her up. She took it and he pulled her up. She hadn't noticed just how strong he was before. He was always wearing his robes and she couldn't see his arms. Though she had noticed while they were on the couch that he had rather toned arms. She couldn't help but giggle, and the way he was looking at her wasn't helping.
"I'm going to protect you, Hermione. I owe you my life, and I will pay you back if the occasion arises." He whispered as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"You don't have to-" She tried to say, but was cut off.
"I want to," Was all he said, but it was enough to quiet her.
####
"I will protect you, Hermione." Blaise said, as he pulled her close. "But in order to do that you need to get to safety."
"I don't want to be safe if you're in danger. Don't you understand?" She asked, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Please, for me." He said, giving her one more passionate kiss with explosions from wildly flung curses going off around them. He pulled away as thought just remembering where they were. "Go, now."
She couldn't do anything but nod.
"I love you, Hermione." He said, looking at her with smoldering eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat. "I love you too, Blaise." This was the first time those words had come out and she knew what they implied. He didn't think he would get out of this. How could she leave him? Maybe she could get away and watch out from him from a distance. That way he got what he wanted and she could at least try to protect him however she could. "We'll make it. We can make a happy ending."
He nodded shakily and turned away, pulling out his wand.
She watched him for a moment before turning away herself and running. She was coming around from behind a building when she saw it. Blaise was busy with one Death Eater and another was coming up behind him. "Blaise, look out!" She screamed, as her legs began carrying her toward him as fast as she could. He turned just as the killing curse hit him. Everything went blank as she saw his body fall to the ground.
It was like she went on automatic. She threw killing curse after killing curse at every Death Eater she could see as she raced to Blaise's body. His eyes were still open. Open, and unseeing. His eyes used to tell her so much, it was just wrong for them to be expressionless. She gently closed his eyelids and laid him down. She whispered in his ear, "I love you. I'll be with you soon."
She stood up her body feeling like it was full of lead. There is no such thing as a happy ending. Blaise didn't get through this, and neither would she. She refused to get through it without him. She would avenge him.
####
"Hermione was a wonderful, caring friend. I wouldn't trade the time I spent with her for anything." Harry said shakily. He didn't want to be here. It made things seem so… final. It made the fact that Hermione was dead really sink in. "Honestly, before today I couldn't even fathom her death. The very idea seemed so far away. I couldn't help but think, 'Hermione? No, I just saw her in class a few hours ago.' The good guys lost a very valuable person that day in Hogsmeade, along with the other fifty-four students lost."
Harry paused for a moment, wondering if he should recount the last moments of her life. He looked down beside where Hermione was being buried. There lay the casket of Blaise Zabini. Harry had made a special request that they be buried beside each other. He knew she would appreciate it. He decided to tell the story.
"In the last few minutes of Hermione's life…"
####
"Hermione!" Harry called her name trying to bring her back from her rage. "Hermione, stop, you're going to get yourself killed!"
"Don't care." She hissed, her voice ragged from screaming the Unforgiveable so many times. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" The screech in her voice pained him deeply. Partly because he knew how she would feel about this when she finally snapped out of it, but also because of the tears that freely spilled down her cheeks. "I'm coming Blaise, I'm coming."
Harry looked down and saw the corpse of Blaise Zabini. Harry hadn't approved of Zabini at first. He was a Slytherin after all! But he'd thought Hermione was important enough to make the effort and he'd won them all –even Ron!- over. He'd been a friend to them, and it was hard to lose him. But Hermione would move on eventually, she just needed to believe that. He couldn't bring himself to believe she really had a death wish. Just then there was a bright flash of green and Harry instinctively took cover behind a partially toppled wall. When he peeked out from behind the wall, he saw her body and, nearby, the body of the rogue Death Eater she'd killed at the same time they'd killed her..
"No, Hermione!" He knelt beside her, shaking. "Why…" He started to mumble, but instead he just embraced her and held her as he cried.
"Harry, what-" Ron came, grinning broadly at the victory. "Hermione was blood brilliant, killing all those-" His voice faltered when he saw the bushy hair coming from the body Harry was holding as he sobbed. "Hermione?" He gasped, tears coming to his eyes as well.
Harry nodded and Ron dropped to his knees beside him, hesitantly touching Hermione's back before falling backwards in shock. "She's gone." Harry said softly.
####
"To Hermione and Blaise," Harry said, raising his wand in a salute. "Not even death stood between them." Then Harry stepped down and the funeral proceeded. Everything was just a whirlwind around him. The only things that felt real were his girlfriend, Ginny sitting on one side of him, and his best friend sitting on the other side. They would avenge both of them. The Death Eaters, no, the Dark Side would pay dearly.
####
A/N: Awwww, poor Hermione and Blaise. I was in an angry mood when I wrote this. Hope you like it! Pleaseee review! This fanfic was for the Sana and Kay challenge. =D