Written for a beautiful event on The Golden Snitch forum: White Day (prompts: white, mysterious). I dedicate this to Kat (roseusvortex) for being a wonderful, supportive person. I'm so happy to know you!

Also written for the Through the Universe challenge on the same forum (word: fiery).

School, House: Mahoutokoro, Mizu

Kat, if you're reading this, I hope it's not that bad :p it's my first time writing Blaise/Parvati and I'm honestly flying blind here ;) I took some liberites and maybe there's some OOC-ness here and there…

Enjoy!

"He would have gone to Azkaban anyway. You needn't have lied, Harry."

"How do you know, Hermione?"

"He did it for the wizarding world's sake, Hermione. A white lie. Why do you defend Malfoy of all people?"

"I don't defend him and that was not a white lie —"

Parvati, leaned against a wall right outside the courtroom, was unwillingly listening to the Golden Trio arguing about Draco Malfoy's trial. A trial that she wasn't involved with, and yet, like any other wizard and witch, here she was. Out of curiosity, out of pity, out of contempt — who knew? Who cared?

It was just one of the most important and talked-about trials nowadays, when people had nothing better to do than condemn others to hide their own foul deeds.

It gave one satisfaction to see the culprits caught and punished, as if they bore all the responsibilities, and the world could once again be nice and pure.

Illusion of peace, that's what they wanted.

Parvati huffed and looked around — people still argued, cried, and hated each other. Nothing had changed. Not really.

People were still dead.

Some things just ran deeply in the blood, she thought as she saw a group of Slytherins striding around the halls of the Ministry of Magic as if they owned it. Maybe they did, no matter if many of their own had just been arrested and handcuffed.

And other things — well, it was not entirely a bad thing if things didn't change, she thought, sighing, as she caught a glimpse of dark skin and high cheekbones. He was still the same boy she remembered, the one who seemed to be so unbothered by anything that you just couldn't bring yourself to hate him. For one, he didn't deserve it. Plus, it would just be a waste of energy.

But being interested in him, well, that's something Parvati had found herself doing without even noticing, maybe prompted by her sister's Ravenclaw tendencies — the official story was that she and her sister liked riddles and puzzles, and there was nobody more mysterious than Blaise Zabini — or more simply, because she, as a good Gryffindor, liked danger a bit too much for her own good.

Parvati shrugged at those useless musings and drew closer to where Zabini stood, his shoulder slumped, his eyes a bit too shiny.

"Hey," she dare say. One good thing of the post-war was that barrier still existed, but you wouldn't be judged if you crossed them.

Zabini looked down on her, but she didn't back away as she felt her courage rise to the challenge.

"I-is everything ok?" she asked, even if she already suspected the answer. It was clear that there was more to Malfoy and Zabini's relationship back in school than the two boys had let on. A Gryffindor would have called it friendship, but such a thing was too dangerous to have if you were in Slytherin, where loyalty to your own meant not endangering them and hiding your true feelings rather than cherishing your friends by shouting your love from the rooftops.

She sometimes wondered whether the Slytherins had it right.

Zabini snorted and his jaw tightened.

Parvati just waited.

"The most beautiful tree you'll ever see, but it's also the last one," he muttered at last.

"What?"

"Azkaban," Zabini said. "Husband number 5 said there's a tree and a sign on your way to Azkaban."

Oh, was all she could think of, but it felt too stupid to say it loud so she pressed her lips together.

"What do you want?" His tone was suddenly harsh.

Parvati hesitated. What a mess!

"Looking for company?" he asked, smirking. But she felt his bitterness behind it.

"N-no, I just… I'm here to help."

"Ooooh, I'm touched!"

"No need to be sarcastic, Zabini."

"If you can't bear it, you can go. Bye," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"No." She crossed her arms.

"Why are you still here?" His lips parted to reveal his white teeth in a nasty, predatory smirk. "You like what you see, I bet."

She grew a bit uncomfortable. "I told you I-I —"

"This is still a private matter, Gryffindor," he said. "Despite it all, it still is."

Again, she waited as he narrowed his eyes at the passersby.

"They abandoned him." He suddenly turned his dark eyes on her and they were like burning amber. "What a nice party you'll all have."

"What?"

"The person Gryffindors hate the most is going to rot in hell for two months and then... The war's ended, and everyone has a future. Everyone but him. What a nice party, indeed. And that Potter —" He clenched his hands.

"We could do something —"

"We?"

"Just… in the name of justice. We can at least try to save him." She knew more than she had ever let on. And it was clear to even her that Potter sacrificing Malfoy to the greater good was not right. Easy, yes. But not right.

He looked at her, scanned her. "What do you suggest?"

She felt bold now. "Cheering you up for one." She met his eyes; he looked tired. "Getting you to rest. Digging into each Wizengamot member's past and finding someone who may owe us a favor." She couldn't believe she had said it all aloud.

"No need for that. My mother knows the right people, or she will soon." He flashed her a defiant eye. "There. You have your information to turn me in now. I was wondering why I was still on the loose while almost all my frie... — housemates are convicted. But they must have enjoyed plotting this subtle game, sending a beautiful girl to allure me —" His voice died.

Parvati blushed. "You misunderstood."

"Did I?"

"Most definitely. Come." She grabbed his hand and dragged him outside. "After a good sleep, you'll think straighter." But you'll hopefully still find me beautiful and alluring.

"Where are we going?"

"My place." She turned to smile at him. Zabini looked mildly amused, which she took as a good sign. She decided he still needed some encouragement. "My bed is big enough." She laughed, a fiery lion with her elusive antelope.

After the war, life could be good.