A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)

Assignment #9: Herbology - write about someone resisting something and only making the situation worse for themselves.

Television Show of the Month: Irene Bell: (character) Daphne Greengrass, (paring) Blaise/Pansy, (word/object) briefcase

Restriction of the Month - no dialogue tags - (character) Blaise Zabini

Around the World in Thirty-One Days: 100. Luxembourg - AU: Lawyers

Jingle Bells Song Challenge: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Michael Buble - write about someone being naughty or nice...or both

Word Count: 1,692

Note, this is an AU!

Blaise was sitting with the others sitting among the other lawyers from his firm at a retreat. It was meant to be all business with meetings, but of course, the men had to have their pleasures. With their briefcases all cast aside, the men were lounging near the hotel pool with drinks.

Adrien was leaning in his chair casually, looking just as amused as Blaise was at the other men. Draco was smirking and recounting the woman he encountered on his way to the retreat. Marcus was laughing at Draco's story, glancing at the other men that they had accompanying them for the evening.

Blaise wanted to enjoy the evening, but his mind drifted to the occurrences that Adrien knew most about.

The firm had gotten the temp Daphne Greengrass recently when their receptionist was out with the flu, and by God no one could deny her beauty from her long, golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and slender figure. However, Blaise only had eyes for his wife, Pansy. When the temp arrived, he greeted her accordingly, but apparently she had gotten the wrong idea.

The first time she tried something with him was at the Christmas party. They had all had many drinks that night, and it was a 'No Spouses Allowed' kind of ordeal so Blaise would have to get home as the dutiful husband he wanted to be.

Before he left, Daphne managed to corner him in a janitor's closet and tried to touch all over Blaise. He fought off her advances as much as he could, succeeding in escaping before things could go anywhere he didn't want them to.

When he arrived home, Blaise didn't know how to tell Pansy when she asked him about how the party went; he'd have to find the right time to do it. To him, it wasn't the right time.

Daphne tried again in the parking garage. Blaise thought she was trying to apologize for what happened at the Christmas party, but instead, she told him how she didn't want things to end and would keep trying to pursue him.

Blaise rejected her once again, and that didn't settle things for Daphne. Instead, she opened her trench coat and flashed Blaise with her blue, lacy lingerie. Blaise kicked her out of his car, and Daphne kicked at his door.

He had pulled off, thinking about how Pansy would react, but he still didn't tell her about the ordeals. Blaise didn't feel it to be the right time, and he would tell her at the right time.

Of course, Blaise thought he could handle it himself and was going to tell the company about finding another temp for their receptionist. Fortunately, it was told to him that she had already quit.

Blaise had found that to be a relief, especially since it didn't seem like he'd have to mention it to Pansy, but there was a feeling that he just couldn't shake.

He was pulled away from his thoughts when his phone rang. Excusing himself from the group, Blaise walked to the other side away from view and listening range to talk to Pansy. They were talking for a nice moment that Blaise was thankful for, but an approaching figure made Blaise slowly frown.

He muted his mic and narrowed his eyes at the figure.

"Daphne what are you doing here?"

Daphne gave a sly smile, sauntering over to Blaise and looking towards the phone in his hand. "You don't have to hide us anymore, Blaise."

"There is no us."

She sighed and looked around, patting her sides. "Alright, so we're still going to play this game. I'll just let you get back to your boys, and I'll see you later." She gave him a tight smile before turning on her heel and leaving the area.

Blaise watched her leave and shook his head. With the phone pressed back to his ear, he realized that Pansy had hung up. He cursed under his breath and walked back over to where the others were.

Blaise was on his way back to his room, and he felt something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, so it was probably nothing.

When he opened his room door and saw the naked back of a woman in his bed, Blaise knew that it was far from nothing.

He strode over to her, pressing his hand on her back to shake her awake. "Daphne, this has got to stop. Wake up and let's go."

She didn't respond to him; she didn't stir at all. Frustrated, Blaise shook her. "Come on, Daphne; this isn't a game."

Daphne didn't respond once more. Frowning, Blaise moved to the other side of the bed where the lamp was shining, and that's when he saw it.

There was a bottle on the nightstand, and it was empty.

"Damn it, Daphne!" Blaise grabbed the bottle and picked up the room phone, calling for medical assistance.

After getting off the phone with them, Blaise contemplated on whether he was going to tell Pansy. He knew that he should, but Blaise just couldn't do it. He'd tell her when the time was right.

The phone was ringing, and Adrien groaned as it awoke him. He reached for the hotel phone and answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Adrien, it's Pansy. I was trying to call Blaise, but he wasn't answering his cell or room. Is he with you?"

"Uh…Blaise is at the hospital."

"The hospital?! Is he alright?"

"I...think there's something you need to know that only Blaise can tell you."

Blaise was standing in the local hospital, pacing back and forth as Daphne was taken to the back to be worked on. He prayed in his mind that she was alright, but at the same time, he couldn't believe that she had gone to these lengths.

Continuing a pursuit that was constantly rejected was one thing, but attempting to commit suicide is another.

Pressing his knuckles on his chin in thought, Blaise shifted his gaze when he saw the doctor and police detective approaching him.

He prepared himself for them, but he couldn't prepare himself for Pansy appearing through the doors and rushing to him.

"Blaise, what's going on? Are you alright?"

Blaise shook his head, turning his head to the detective and doctor. "I'll tell you what's going on in a second."

The detective cleared his throat. "I'm Detective Higgs, and I wanted to ask a few questions regarding Miss Greengrass."

Pansy knitted her brows. "Daphne? What's she doing here?"

"Ma'am please, I have to ask Mr. Zabini about the incident."

"Well I'm his wife so I have a right to know what the hell is going on." She folded her arms and moved in a stance to prove she wasn't going anywhere.

Blaise held a hand up. "It's fine."

Detective Higgs cleared his throat. "Right. So tell me, Mr. Zabini, what exactly happened."

Blaise shrugged. "I don't know. I was coming back to my room, and I just found her there."

"She was naked."

Pansy turned to Blaise with an incredulous look. "She was naked in your bed?!"

Blaise held both hands up. "Nothing happened. She has this...infatuation, and has been trying to come on to me. She tried at our Christmas party and in the parking lot another time after that."

Pansy clenched her fist as her arms were still folded; her foot was tapping in a swift motion on the floor. Blaise saw this and swallowed, wishing that he had told her sooner.

Detective Higgs looked between the two and shifted awkwardly. "It says here that she has you down as an emergency contact…"

Pansy narrowed her eyes. "How did she get in the room anyway?"

The detective looked over his notes. "It says here that she had told the desk clerk that she was his wife hoping to surprise him."

Pansy was gone after the word 'wife'. Blaise ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "That is not true, Detective. This girl's mind is twisted. I have nothing to lead her on, but she keeps coming back."

Detective Higgs gave him a skeptical look. "We'll keep in touch."

Blaise could only nod as he ran after Pansy.

"How could you do this to me?! After all we've been through, you thought that keeping this from me was fine?!"

Blaise knew she was going to be pissed, and he could see the hurt look on her face as she screamed at him.

"I had it handled, Pans! I didn't think it was the right time to tell you!"

"When would be the right time, huh?"

"I don't know! But it wasn't this!"

Pansy snorted harshly, turning her nose up in the air and turning around. "What gave you that clue? You lied to me! I was there; I saw the looks she gave you, and how you used to be when I worked under you."

Blaise hit his fist against the wall. "This is not what was supposed to happen!"

"Well it did, Blaise! It bloody did! If you had been a man and told me when this happened instead of keeping it from me then things could have been different."

He gripped his hair. "What is it you want me to do, Pans. Just tell me what it is, and I'll do it."

Pansy turned around to face Blaise. Without warning, she swung her arm and slapped Blaise's cheek. He touched it gingerly, wincing at the sting; Blaise knew he deserved it.

She narrowed her eyes, approaching him closely. "You can go to Hell. Since you can't get there quick enough, I suggest going to a hotel." Turning on her heel once more, Pansy stormed out of the room.

Blaise roared in anger; anger at himself, and anger at Daphne. She had caused this rift in his life, but he knew he had to put blame on himself. Like Pansy had said, if he had told her of Daphne's advances from the beginning, they wouldn't be fighting, and Blaise wouldn't be having to go stay in a hotel until she forgave him.

If she forgave him.